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Show 352 Ofthe Hiftory of Plants. Lis. greatroot, euen as Natute lift to beftow vponit, as to other plants. But theidledronesthat haye little or nothingto do buteate and drinke, haue beftowed fomeof their time in caruingthe roots of Brionie,forming them to the fhape of men & women: whichfalfifying pra@ife hath confirmed the errout amongit the fimple and vnlearned people, who haue taken them vpontheit report to ; bethe true Mandrakes. The female Mandrakeis like vnto the male,fauing that the leaues hereofbe ofa morefivart ot darke greene colour ;and thefruit is long like a peare, and the other is roundlike an apple, Mandragoras mas & famina. ae 353 Of the Hiftorie of Plants, Se ‘4 Great and ftrange effects are fuppofed to bein the Mandrakes, to caufe women to be fruitfull f, andbeare children, if they fhall but carry the fame neere vntotheir bodies. Some doe from hence groundit, for that Rahel-defired to hauchetfifters Mandrakes (as the text is tranflated ) bur if we looke well into the circumftances which there'we hall finde,we mayrather deeme othenwife, Young Ruben brought home amiable and {weet {melling floures ( for fo fignificth the Hebrew word ,whichis vfed Camtic. 7. 13. in the famefenfe :) and the lad brought them home,ratherfor their beauty and fmell, than for theirvertue. Nowinthe floures of Mandrake there is no fuch dele&able or amiable fmellas was in thefe amiable floures which Ruben brought home, Befides, q The Place, wee read not that Rabel conceiued hereupon, for Leah tacobs wife hadfoure children before God The male and female Mandrake. Mandrake growethin hot Regions, in woods and mountaines,as in mount Garga. nus in Apulia, and fuchlike placesswe haue themonely planted in gardens, andate not elfewhere to be found in England, | The Time. They fpring vp with their leaves in March, a floure in.the end of Aprill the fruit is ripe in Auguft. granted that bleffing of fruitfulneffe vnto Rabel. Andlaft of all ( whichis my chiefeft rea- fon) Iacob was angry with Rahel when the faid, Giue me childrenelfe I die : and demanded of her,whether he were in the ftead of God or no, who had withheld fronvherthe fruit ofher body. And we knowthat the Prophet Dawid faith, Children and the fruit of thewombe are the inhetitance, that commeth from the Lord,P/al. 127. Serapio, Auicen, and Paulus Agineta doewrite, that the feed and fruit of Atandrazoras taken Mf in drinke,doe clenfe the matrix or mother, and Dioftorides wrote the fame long before them. Hethat would know more hereof, may‘reade that chapter of doctor Turner his booke, concer ning this matter,where he hath written largely and learnedly of this Simple. qq ‘The Names. Mandrake 1s called of the Greciass Merexyyp2: : Of divters, xupesie, and Circea,ofCint OfHenbane. Cuar, 66. the witch, who by art could procure loue: for it hath beene thought that: the Root hereofferueth to win loue: offome,«iam 4athropomorphos, and Morton : fomeotthe Latines hauecalledit Terre malamand T¢- 1 Hyoftyamus Nicer. 2 Hyofcyamus Albus, White Henbane. Blacke Henbane. veftre malum, and Canina malus : Shops, and alfo other Nations doe receiuethe Greeke name. Diofcorides faith, That the male 1s called ofdiners Moron : and deferibethalfo another Mandrake by the name of ier which, as muchas can begathered bythe defeription,is like the male, but leffeinal parts: in Englifh we cal ir Mandrake, Ma drage,and Mandragon. @| The Temperature. ae Mandrake hath a predominate cold facultic,as Galen faith, that is to fay cold in the third degiee : but the rootis coldin the fourth degree. : @ The Vertues. Diofcorides dath particularly fet downe many faculties hereof.; ofwhich notwirhftanding there be none proper vato it , fauing thofe thar depend vpon the drowfie and fleeping power thereo!: A B* which qualitie confifteth morein the rootthanin any otherpart. Ff The Applesare milder, and are’ reported that they maybe eaten,being boyled with peppy® Other hot {pices. Galen {aith that the Apples are fomething cold and moift, and that the barke of the rootsa D fgg preateftftrengrh, and doth not onely coole, but alfo dry. The iuyceof the leauesis very profitably put into the ointmentcalled Populean,andall cooly oimtments. E ek: Theiuyce drawne forth ofthe roots dried, and taken in fmall quantitie, purgeth the belly & ceedingly from flegme and melancholike humors. d put It is good tobe put into medicinesandcolliries that do mitigate the paine of the eyessa%@P E vadera peffarie it drawethforth the dead childe and fecondine. +a anid G - The gteeneleaues ftamped with barrowes greafe and barley meale, coole all hot fwellings inflammations ; and they haue vertue toconfume apoftumesandhot vicers, being bruifed ane H I K plied thereon: A fuppofitorie madewith the fame iuyce, and putintothe fundamentcaufethfleepe- Thewine wherein the root hath beene boyled or infufed prouokethfleepe and affwaget! The fmell of the Apples moueth to fleepe likewife , but the iuyce worketh more effects you takeit in fmall quantitie, 3 Gq The Defcription. I Gute ae Hecommonblacke Henbanehath great and foft ftalkes : leaties very broad,foft, and woolly, fomewhat iagged,efpecially thofe that grow neere vnto the ground,and thofe -_-.__ thatgrow vpontheflalke, narrower, {maller,and fharper. The floures are bel fathion, of a faine yellowith white and browne within towards the bottome - whenithe floures are Gg : : gone |
