Rams little Dodeon [sic] A briefe epitome of the new herbal, or histoy of plants. Wherein is contayned the disposition and true declaration of the phisike helpes of all sortes of herbes and plants, vnder their names and operations, not onely of those which are here in this our Countrey of England growing but of all others also of other realmes, countreyes and nations vsed in phisike: Collected out of the most exquisite newe herball, or history of plants, first set forth in the Dutch or Almayne tongue, by ... D. Reinbert Dodeon, ... and lately translated into English by Henry Lyte, ... and now collected and abridged by William Ram, Gent. Pandit oliua suos Ramos.

Obseruations in May.

I am as fresh as bird on bough.

TO bathe and also to let blood

If néede require do not refuse:

To rise betimes will do thée good.

Be merry, but no myrth abuse.

In May thou mayest with safety

Both bathe and take purgation,

Vse Vencry and Phlegbotomy,

And like euacuation.

Wash thy face often with faire running water.

Vse not to eate much meate of hot qualitie.

Bléed when néed is in any place.

To bléed in the foote is most profitable.

Beware of eating any stale fish.

Eate no tainted flesh that smelleth ill.

Eate your sallet in dew season.

Drinke but little wine.

To bathe is not vnprofitable.

Drinke clarified whey, simply or drawen with cold hearbes.

Vse to drinke pure wine mixed with goates milke, and with that anoynt thy head and brest.

To drinke sharpe drinkes profiteth.

Take Phisick if néed require.

Eate no head nor féete of any beasts, because of the moysture of the hearbes beasts do eate.

Wormewood wine is profitable to drinke.

Vse to eate Fennell rootes tenderly sodden.

Take tender laxes to pourge the bloud.

Sléepe a littell after dinner.

To bléede on the head or liuer beines profiteth.

¶ Arise early: May loueth no sluggards.

Walke into the fields.

Eate and drinke betimes.

Sage leaues and butter and Sage ale is holsome.

Eate no egges, nor the heades, féete, or braines of any thing.

Drinke clarified whay with these herbes,

Fumitory, Maiden-heare, Setrach, Sorrell, and Egrimony, of each of them halfe a handfull: a few tender buds of hoppes, with a little liquoris: Boyle them, straine them, and drinke it at all times, except with meates.

• Gather and make Sirrop of Roses,
• Gather and make Sugar Roset,
• Gather and make Oyle of Camomyll,
• Gather and make Oyle of Lillies,
• Gather and make Opium,
• Gather and make Rose mary flowres.

Sowe Cardus Benedictus in the old Moone.

• Sowe Lettice, at all times.
• Sowe Reddish, at all times.
• Sowe Spinage, at all times.
• Sowe Parceneps, at all times.

Now cut, set, and plant all herbes and séedes: for it is fayd of olde, Set or cut in May, and grow all day.

Now sow Bazell, Margeram, Turneps, and all séedes and sallet herbes.

Sowe Flare and Hempe, and set Artichocks.

Wéede Hops, set yong graffes.

Distill herbes gathered in a drie day in the after noone.

Now good Gentlewomen will distill May dewe.

Now gather and make Rosa solis

Put your Lambes from the Ewes.

Refraine all things that stop and congeale the bloud all the spring time.

The laboring man néedeth not vse any rules of Phisicke.

Let weake stomacks vse thinne diet.

Receiue phisick, let bloud, & bathe, & after this month refraine.

Drinke clarified whay.