Chap. LIX.
Ruta. Garden Rue, or Herbe Grace.
Garden Rue or Herbe Grace groweth vp with hard whitish wooddy stalkes, whereon are set diuers branches of leaues, being diuided into many small ones, which are somewhat thicke and round pointed, of a blewish greene colour: the flowers stand at the tops of the stalkes consisting of foure small yellow leaues, with a greene button in the middle, and diuers small yellow threds about it, which growing ripe, containe within them small blacke seede: the roote is white and wooddy, spreading farre in the ground.
The Vse of Rue.
The many good properties whereunto Rue serueth, hath I thinke in former times caused the English name of Herbe Grace to be giuen vnto it. For without doubt it is a most wholesome herbe, although bitter and strong, and could our dainty stomackes brooke the vse thereof, it would worke admirable effects being carefully and skilfully applyed, as time and occasion did require: but not vndiscreetly or hand ouer head, as many vse to doe that haue no skill. Some doe rippe vp a beade rowle of the vertues of Rue, as Macer the Poet and others, in whom you shall finde them set downe, to bee good for the head, eyes, breast, liuer, heart, spleene, &c. In some places they vse to boyle the leaues of Rue, and keep them in pickle, to eate them as Sampire for the helpe of weake eyes. It is very auaileable in glisters or drinkes against the winde or the collicke, and to procure vrine that is stayed by the paines therof. The distilled water is often vsed for the same purposes aforesaid: but beware of the too frequent or ouermuch vse thereof, because it heateth exceedingly, and wasteth nature mightily.
Chap. LX.
Carduus Benedictus. The Blessed Thistle.
Carduus benedictus or the blessed Thistle, hath many weake tender branches lying for the most part on the ground, whereon are set long and narrow leaues, much cut in or waued about the edges, hairy or rough in handling, yet without any hard or sharpe thornes or prickles at all, that the tenderest hand may touch them without harme: but those that grow toward the toppes of the stalkes are somewhat more prickly, and the heads which grow on the tops of the seuerall branches are somewhat sharpe, set with prickles like a Thistle: the flower is yellow, and the seede lying within the woolly or flocky doune like to all other thistles, are blackish, long and round, with a few haires on the head of them: the roote is white, and perisheth euery yeare after it hath giuen seede.
The Vse of the blessed Thistle.
The distilled water hereof is much vsed to be drunke against agues of all sortes, eyther pestilentiall or humorall, of long continuance or of lesse: but the deception of the herbe giuen in due time, hath the more forcible operation: it helpeth to expell wormes, because of the bitternesse, and is thereby also a friend to the stomack ouercharged with chollar, and to clense the liuer: it prouoketh sweate and vrine, is helpefull to them are troubled with the stone, and to ease paines in the sides.
