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 Plum trees / Bullies / Slose / & Snagges. Chap. xlvij.

❀ The Kindes.

FIrst to speake generally of Plummes there be two kindes, whereof some apparteyne to the garden, and some are of a wilde kinde. The garden or tame sort of Plummes are of diuers kindes, some white some yellow, some blacke, some of the colour of a Chesnet, and some of a lyght or cleare redde: and some great, and some small: some sweete and dry, some fresh and sharpe, wherof eche kinde hath a particuler name. The wilde Plummes are the least of al, and are called Slose, Bullies, and Snagges.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] THE Plumme tree groweth vpright lyke other trees, especially if it be well guyded, and gouerned, and putteth foorth many branches, ouer couered with a smooth brownishe barke, from out of the which being scarrified or otherwise hurte, In sommer it putteth foorth gumme. The leaues are somewhat long, yet for all that almost rounde, and finely snipt or hackt about the edges lyke a sawe. The flowers be white lyke the blossoms of the Cherrie tree, and are also parted into fiue or sixe smal leaues. The fruite is most commonly somewhat long, whereof some are great, some small: of co∣lour some be white, some yellowishe, some blacke, and some red. In the middle whereof is inclosed a litle long harde stone, hauing in it a nut or kernel of a bit∣ter taste. The roote of this tree spreadeth muche abroade in the grounde, and putteth foorth in many places newe springes and scyons, the whiche will also growe vp to the height, if they be not cut of in season.

[illustration]

Prunus. The Plum tree.

[illustration]

Prunus syluestris. The Sloo or wilde Plum tree.

[ 2] The wilde Plumtree groweth not vp to the stature of a tree, but remaineth lowe by the grounde, lyke to a hedge bushe, whereof it is a certayne kinde: it putteth vp many branches from one roote, set here and there with pricking thornes, & leaues like to thē of the garden Plummes or Damsons, sauing that they be smaller. The flowers be also white. The fruit is smal, a great deale lesse then any other Plummes, in taste sower and binding, the roote also spreadeth farre abrode in the grounde or earth, very plyant, and of a woddishe substance.

❀ The Place.

[ 1] The Damsons and other of the garden kindes, are founde almost euery where in Orchardes.

[ 2] The wilde Plummes do grow in feeldes and wayes, and other vntoyled places and in hedges.

❀ The Tyme.

The Plumtrees do flower in Aprill or sommer, especially the wilde Plum∣tree, the whiche flowreth rather then the other.

The kindes of garden Plummes are ripe in August, the wilde most com∣monly in September.

❀ The Names.

[ 1] The Plumtree is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Prunus: in high Douche, Pflaumenbaum: in base Almaigne, Pruymboom: in Frenche, Vng Prunier.

The fruite is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Prunum: in Englishe, a Plumme or Prune: in Frenche, Vne Prune: in high Douche, Ein Pflaume

oder Praume: in base Almaigne, Een Pruyme.

[ A] The great sweete blewish Plummes, are called of Theocritus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Bra∣byla: of the Latinistes, Pruma Damascena: in Englishe, Damaske Prunes: in Frenche, Prunes de Damas: in high Douche, Quetschen, and Blauw Spilling: in base Almaigne, Pruymen van Damasch.

[ B] The common browne blewe, and Crimsen Damsons, are called Hispanica.

[ C] The yellowishe Plummes are called in Latine, Cerea, and Cereola Pruna: in Englishe, the Wheaten, or white Plumme: in Frenche, Prunes blanches.

[ D] The great rounde redde Plummes, are called of some in Latine, Pruna asinina: in English, Horse Plummes: in French, Prunes de Cheual▪ in high Douch, Roszp flaumen: in base Almaigne, Rospruymen.

[ E] The least of all whiche be small and rounde, are called in Frenche, Dauoines: in high Douche, Herbstp flaumen, and in base Almaigne, Palloken.

[ 2] [ F] The wilde Plumme tree, Blacke thorne, and Sloo tree, is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Prunus syluestris: in high Douche, Schlehedorn: in base Almaigne, Slehedoren: in Frenche, Prunier sauluage.

The fruite is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Englishe, Slose, whereof that kinde whiche is founde growing vpon the blacke thorne, is called Catte Slose, and Snagges: in Frenche, Prunelles, or Fourdeines: in La∣tine, Prunum syluestre, Pruneolum, and Prunulum: in high Douche, Schlehen: in base Almaigne, Slehen.

The iuyce of Snagges or Catte Slose, is commonly called in Shoppes, Acatia, and is vsed in steede of Acacia.

¶ The Nature.

The garden Plummes do coole and moysten the stomacke and belly.

The Snagges and Catte Slose, are colde, drie, and astringent.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] Plummes do nourishe but litle, and ingender noughtie blood: but they doo gently loose and open the belly, especially when they be freshe and newe gathe∣red, after they be ripe.

[ B] Plummetree leaues are good against the swelling of the vuula, the throte, gummes, and kernelles vnder the iawes, for they stop the Reume, & flowing downe of humours, if a man will gargle with the decoction thereof made in wine, as Dioscorides writeth.

[ C] The gumme of the Plummetree dronken in wine, breaketh the stone and expelleth grauell, as some do write.

[ D] The wilde Plummes doo staye and binde the belly: and so doo the vnripe Plummes, and all others that be sower and astringent.

[ E] The iuyce of wilde Plummes or Snagges, doo stoppe the laske, womens flowers, and all issue of blood, and it may be very wel vsed in steede of Acatia.