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 the Iuniper tree. Chap. lxxxij.

❀ The Kindes.

THere be two fortes of Iuniper, as Dioscorides writeth, whereof the one kinde groweth great and high. The other kind remayneth smal and low, and is well knowen in this Countrie.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] THE smal and common Iuniper sometimes groweth vp, and waxeth to the stature of some other trees, but most commonly it remayneth lowe, and groweth like a shrub or hedge plant. The branches of this Iuniper are couered with a thinne barke, the which will soone riue, or cleeue asunder: (especially in hoate Countries) after whiche chopping or chinking of the barke there commeth foorth a gumme or liquor, lyke Frankensence. The leaues be litle, small, and hard, growing alongst the stalkes and branches, & are alwayes greene without falling of in winter. The fruite is rounde litle beries, whiche be greene at the first and afterward blacke of a good sauour and sweet in taste, whiche at length waxe bitter.

[ 2] The great Iuniper is a great high tree, and beareth beries as great as Fil∣berdes, and sometimes as great as Walnuttes, as Dioscorides writeth.

❀ The Place.

Iuniper is found vpō high mountaynes, in shadowy woods, & low holow wayes, it loueth a cold stony ground.

❀ The Tyme.

In the moneth of Maye there ariseth out of Iuniper a certayne yellow powder or dust, which is taken for the blowing or flower of Iuniper, after that you shal per∣ceiue the smal beries to begin to grow vp, the whiche do waxe ripe in September, a yere after that they begin first to grow vp. Therefore ye shal finde vpon the Iuniper tree, beries both ripe and vnripe, great and small al togither.

❧ The Names.

Iuniper is called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and of some 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Iuniperus: in Frenche, Ienéure, or Genéure: in high Douch, Weckholder, and Weckholterbaum: in Brabant, Geneuer.

The beries be called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Baccae Iuniperi: in shops, Grana Iuniperi: in Englishe, Iuniper beries: in Frenche, Graines de Genéure: in high Douch, Weckholterbeeren, and Kromerbeeren.

The gumme whiche sweateth out of this tree and his barke, is called in shops, Vernix: and in some places not without great and dangerous errour, Sandaraca: for the right Sandaraca is a gnawing, and venemous substance, whiche is founde in the mines of mettalles wherevnto this gumme is nothing lyke.

[illustration]

Iuniperus.

❀ The Nature.

The Iuniper tree with all his partes, as leaues, barke, timber, fruite, and gumme is of complexion hoate and drie.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The fruite or beries of Iuniper, is good for the stomacke, lunges, liuer, and kidneyes: it cureth the olde cough, the gripinges and windinesse of the belly, and prouoketh vrine, to be boyled in wine or honied water and dronken.

[ B] Also it is good for people that be brused or squat by falling, to be taken in the aforesayde manner.

[ C] The iuyce of the leaues doth withstand al venome, especially of Vipers and Serpentes: it is good to drinke the same, and to lay it outwardly vppon the woundes. The fruite is good for the same purpose, to be taken in what sort so euer ye list.

[ D] Iuniper or the beries thereof burned, driueth away all venemous beastes, and all infection and corruption of the ayre: wherefore it is good to be burned in a plague time, in suche places where as the ayre is infected.

[ E] The rind or barke of Iuniper burned, healeth the noughtie scurffe, and fret∣ting scabbes, to be mingled with water and layde thereto.

[ F] The gumme of Iuniper is good for them whose stomackes and bowelles are combred with colde flegmes: it expelleth all sortes of wormes, and stayeth the inordinate course of womens flowers.

[ G] The parfume of Vernix, is good for the brayne, drieth vp the superfluous humors of the head, and stoppeth the falling downe of reume or humors from the same.

[ H] This gumme tempered with Oyle of Roses, helpeth the riftes, cones, or chappinges of the handes and feete.