Adam in Eden, or, Natures paradise the history of plants, fruits, herbs and flowers with their several names ... the places where they grow, their descriptions and kinds, their times of flourishing and decreasing as also their several signatures, anatomical appropriations and particular physical vertues together with necessary observations on the seasons of planting and gathering of our English simples with directions how to preserve them in their compositions or otherwise : ... there is annexed a Latin and English table of the several names of simples, with another more particular table of the diseases and their cures ... / by William Coles ...

CHAP. CCXLIII. Of Holly.

The Names

IT is called in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Agria by Theophrastas, and seemeth to be derived from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 immitis vel ferox, because of the abundance of prickles wherewith it is commonly armed. Gaza, the interpreter of Theophrastus, calle•• it Aquifoli∣um in Latine, yet Agrifol••um is a word no lesse, but rather more in use then the former, as being somwhat more agreeable though at best it be but a Mongrell word. We call it Holly or Holme, and Hulver, in English.

The Kinds.

There may be said to be three sorts of Holly. 1. The Holly-Tree without prickles. 2. The Holly-bush with prickly-Leaves. 3. The Holly bush with yellow Berries. Yet there be some that affirme that with, and that without prickles to be the same, having prickles when it is young and low, but when it growes old and becommeth great, it loseth all the prickles, except that at the end, and somtimes that also.

The Forme.

The Holly that groweth naturally in the fields doth seldome exceed the big∣nesse of a Bush, yet being p••anted in Orchards or Closes, as I have many times seene it, it groweth to the bignesse of a lusty-Tree, all in one entire body, and not sending forth many shoots from the roote, as those which grow natu••ally, u∣sually do; the outer bark whereof is not of so darke a greene colour, as that of the lesser bushes, but inclining rather to white, having under that another vvhich is white also; the Leaves are set on the stalks and branches on short foot-stalkes, being somvvhat broad, hard, thick, and long, smooth, shining, and of a very fresh yellovvish greene colour, not cut round about the edges into round notches or dents, and every point of them very sharp and prickly as those of the Bushes are, but even on the edges, and vvithoug any prickles, unlesse perhaps there be one at the end, the flowers grovv close to the stalks, many of them coming out together round about, neere unto the foot of the Leaves, each consisting of foure whitish Leaves with four threds in the middle; standing about a greene round head, which groweth to be small red berries, with a little Crown at the top in which is contained four small three-cornered seeds, with hard shells, but sweet kernells within them, though very small. The root goeth deep into the ground.

The Places and Time.

The first, as is said, is planted in Orchards and Closes in Oxfordshire, and other places, where very little or no Holly groweth wild. The second groweth very plentifully in divers Woods and Hedg-rowes in the Counties of Buckingham, Hartford, and Surrey, and other places. The last groweth in Wilt-shire by VVar∣der Castle which belongeth to the Lord Arundel. They all flower in June, but the berries grow not untill the end of October or after, being in their greatest beauty about Christmasse because of the berries, the Leaves also abiding greene all the Winter.

The Temperature.

The Berries of Holly are hot and dry, and of thin parts helping to break Wind, as Dodonaeus saith.

The Vertues and Signature.

It will not be amisse in this place to take notice of the different, nay contrary operations of divers Simples, which will purge when they are fresh, and greene, and bind when they be dryed, as may be instanced in Holly berries; ten or twelve of which being fresh, and taken inwardly do help the Collick, purging also by stoole grosse, clammy, and phlegmatick humours, which they may very well do by reason of their moisture and slipperynesse, but being dryed, and so deprived of their former lubricity, they bind the belly and stay Dysenteries and Fluxes, be∣ing beaten to Powder and drunk either in Wine or Broth, which the dryed Barke doth also performe, and that more effectually. The decoction of the Rootes, but especially of the Barke of the Root, as Matthiolus saith, being applyed by way of somentation to those places that have been put out of Joynt, doth help them much both to mollify and discusse the hardnesse and tumors which they are sub∣ject to, and also to consolidate the broken bones. An handfull of the Berries boiled in a Pint of Ale to the one halfe, which being streined and a little Butter put thereto, is a good remedy for the Stone and stoppage of Urine, five or six spoon∣fulls thereof taken at once; and this it may be said to do by the Signature which may be gathered from the hardnesse of the seed. The powder of the Leaves dryed in an Oven and the pricks taken off, being drunk in Ale, is commended against the Stitches and pricking paines of the side, which the prickles growing on the Leaves do also signify. The Sap or juice that droppeth out of the Wood being laid on the fire, being dropped into the Eares of those which are inclined to deafenesse, re∣moveth that infirmity. The Birdlime that is made of the Barke of Holly by put∣ting it into a hole made in moist foggy ground, and covering it with boughes of Trees and some earth over them till it be rotten, and putrified, which will be within a fortnight, being afterwards beaten in a Morter, it will become thick and clammy, so that the filthinesse being cleared therefrom by often washing, and a little Oyle of Nutts added thereto, it will be as good as that which is made of Misseltoe▪ and being applyed with the yolke of an Egge to any place that hath any thorn, prick, or Splinter, therein, it draweth it forth, but it is dangerous to be used inwardly, lest it should glew the Guts together, by its extraordinary clamminesse; The lesser branches may be used to adorne Houses and Churches also, at Christmas, as well in this as in the former age without any super∣stition at all; these that are of a bigger and longer size are very necessary for Car∣ters to make Whips, and the same may be used as Riding-rods, as is known to every one; But that which may seeme a little strange, is this. One, that I knew, had a Holly-Tree growing in his Orchard of that big∣nesse that being cut down, he caused it to be sawed out in Boards and made him∣selfe thereof a Coffin; and if I mistake not left enough to make his wife one also: Both the parties were very corpulent, and therefore you may imagine the Tree could not be small.