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 Firre tree. Chap. xci.

❀ The Description.

THE Firre tree is great, high, & long, euer greene, growyng muche hygher then the Pine and Pitche trees. The stem is very euen or straight, plaine beneath, & without ioynts, but with ioyntes and knoppes a∣boue, vpon whiche ioyntes grow the branches bearing leaues al∣most lyke Ewe, but smaller. The fruite is lyke to the Pine apple, but smaller and narrower, not hanging downe as y^e Pine apple, but growing right vpward. With the timber of this tree they make Mastes for shippes, postes, and rayles for diuers other purposes.

[ B] Frō out of the barke of y^e young Firre tree is gathered a faire li∣quid Rosen, cleare & through shy∣ning as the learned Matthiolus, and Peter Belon haue written, which is bitter and aromatical, in taste almost lyke to Citron pilles, or the barkes of Lemons cōdited.

[ C] Also there is founde vpon this tree a Rosen or dry white gumme, lyke as there is founde vppon the Pine and Pitche trees, the whiche is solde for Thus, that is to say Francense, and so is esteemed of the common sorte.

[illustration]

Abies Firre.

❀ The Place.

The Firre tree groweth vpon mountaynes: & is not only founde in Grece, Italy, Spayne, and Fraunce, but in Pruse, Pomeran, Lieflande, and diuers other places of Germanie.

❀ The Names.

This tree is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Abies: in Englishe, Firre: in Frenche, Sapin▪ in high Douche, Wesz Thannen, and Weisz Dannenbaum: in base Almaigne, Witte Denneboom, and Mastboom.

The lower part of the stem of this tree whiche is without knots or ioyntes, is called in Latine, Sapinus, and the vpper part whiche is full of ioyntes and knottes, is called Fusterna, as witnesseth not onely Plinie, but also Vitruuius in his seconde booke of Architecture, or buyldinges.

[ B] The liquid and cleare Rosen, running out of the barke of the young trees is called of the later writers 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: Lachryma abietis, Lachryma abiegna, and of some Abiegna resina liquida, and Abiegnum oleum: In Italian, Lagrimo in Shoppes of this Countrie, Terebinthina veneta, and is solde for the right Turpentine: in English, Turpentine of Venice: in French, Terebinthine de Venise: in base Almaigne, Veneetsche Terebenthijn, there be some that thinke this Rosen to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Oleaosa resina of Dioscorides.

[ C] The drie white Rosen, is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Resina abiegna, and is also solde in Shoppes for Thus, and Garipot, lyke the drie Rosen of the Pine tree.

¶ The Nature.

The barke, as also the drie gumme or Rosen of this tree, are in nature and vertues, lyke to the barke and drie Rosen of the Pine tree, sauing that they be somewhat more aygre, and clensing.

The liquid or cleare Rosen, is hoate and drie in the seconde degree, and by∣cause of his aygre or sharpe qualitie, it hath a digestiue and clensing nature.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The cleare liquid Rosen of the Firre tree, taken about the waight of halfe an ounce, looseth the belly & driueth foorth hoate cholerique humours: it doth clense and mundifie the hurt kidneyes, prouoketh vrine, and driueth foorth the stone and grauel, and is good to be receiued oftentimes of such as are troubled with the gowte.

[ B] The same taken with Nutmegge and Sugar in quantitie of a nut, cureth the strangurie, and is very good against the excoriations, and going of, of the skinne, or fluxe of the secrete partes.

[ C] It is also excellent for all greene or fresh woundes, especially the woundes of the head, for it healeth and clenseth very muche.