A nievve herball, or historie of plantes wherin is contayned the vvhole discourse and perfect description of all sortes of herbes and plantes: their diuers [and] sundry kindes: their straunge figures, fashions, and shapes: their names, natures, operations, and vertues: and that not onely of those whiche are here growyng in this our countrie of Englande, but of all others also of forrayne realmes, commonly vsed in physicke. First set foorth in the Doutche or Almaigne tongue, by that learned D. Rembert Dodoens, physition to the Emperour: and nowe first translated out of French into English, by Henry Lyte Esquyer.

Of Boxe tree. Chap. xxxij.

¶ The Kindes.

THere are two kinds of Boxe, that is to say, the great & the smal, and both are meetely commō in this Countrie.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] THe great Boxe, is a faire great tree, with a bigge body or stemme, that is harde, and meete for to make diuers and sundrie kindes of workes and instrumentes: for the timber therof is firme, hard, and thicke, very good to be wrought, and cut all manner wayes: and lasteth a long space with∣out rotting or corruption. It hath many bowes and harde branches, as bigge as the armes and branches of some other trees, couered with many smal darke greene leaues, the which do not fal away in the winter, but do remayne greene both winter and Sommer. The flowers growe amongst the leaues vpon the litle small branches, after whiche commeth the seede whiche is blacke, inclosed in round cuppes or huskes somewhat bigger then Coriander beries, of colour greene, with three feete or legges, like the fashion of a kitchin pot wherin meat is prepared and boyled, the whiche is very lyuely pictured in Matthiolus last edition.

[ 2] The smaller Boxe is a little bushe, not lightly exceeding the height of two foote, but spreadeth his branches abrode, the whiche most commonly do grow very thicke from the roote, and sometimes they growe out of a small tronke or stubbed stemme. The leaues of this kinde are of a clearer greene or lighter co∣lour, and they be also rounder, and somewhat smaller than the leaues of the greater Boxe, in all other partes lyke to the aforesayde.

¶ The Place.

Boxe delighteth to growe vpon high colde mountaynes, as vpon the hilles

and desertes of Switserland, and Sauoye and other lyke places, where as it groweth plentifully. In this Countrie they plante both kindes in some gardens.

❀ The Tyme.

Boxe is planted at the beginning of No∣uember, it flowreth in February & March, and in some Countries the seede is ripe in September.

❀ The Names.

Boxe is called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Buxus: in Frēch, Grand Buys: in high Douch, Buxbaum: in base Almaigne, Buxboom, and of the common people Palmboom, that is to say, the Boxe tree, and Palme tree, by∣cause vpon Palme Sunday they carie it in their Churches, and sticke it rounde about in their houses.

The smal Boxe is called of some in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Humi Buxus: that is to say, Ground Boxe, or Dwarffe Boxe: in Frenche, Petit Buys.

❀ The Nature.

The leaues of Boxe are hoate, drie, and astringent, as the taste doth playnely de∣clare.

[illustration]

Boxe.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] Boxe is not vsed in medicine, and amongst the Auncient writers, a man shal find nothing to any purpose, written of the faculties therof. Notwithstanding there be some ignorant women (which do aduance them selues, & take in hand to cure diseases that they know not) who do minister the croppes of the Boxe tree, to people sicke of the Apoplexie, which is contrarie to al reason. For Boxe taken into the body, doth not onely hurt the brayne, but is very hurtfull for the brayne when it is but smelled to.

[ B] Some learned writers at this time do affirme, that the lye in which Boxen leaues haue bene stieped, maketh the heare yellow, if the head be often washed therewithall.