[E219] Lyte, p. 642, says: "Cyues or Rushe onions: this kinde of Leekes is called in English Cyues, and of Turner in Latine, Cepa pallacana, and in Greke Gethyun, which he Englisheth by al these names, a Cyue, a Civet, a Chyue, or Sweth."
[E220] "Tanzie," Fr. athanasie, contracted to tanacée and tanaisie. Lyte says, p. 18, that it was sold in the shops under the name of Athanasia, the Greek word for immortality, and that it was so called, "quod non cito flos inarexat." A cake used to be made in which tansy was one of the ingredients, and which was called Tansay-Cake. The following recipe for it is given in MS. Sloane 1986, f. 100:
"Breke egges in bassyn, and swynge hem sone,
Do powder of peper therto anone,
Then grynde tansay, tho juse owte wrynge,
To blynde with tho egges, withowte lesynge.
In pan or skelet thou shalt hit frye,
In buttur well skymm et wyturly,
Or white grece thou may take therto,
Geder hit on acake, thenne hase thou do,
With platere of tre, and frye hit browne,
On brodeleches serve hit thou schalle,
With fraunche-mele* or other metis withalle."
* A dish composed chiefly of eggs and sheeps' fat.
In Halliwell's Dict. is also given a recipe for a dish called Tansie. Cogan, in his Haven of Health, p. 65, says: "It is much vsed among vs in England about Easter, with fried egs, not without good cause, to purge away the fleame engendred of fish in Lent season, whereof wormes are soone bred in them that be thereto disposed, though the common people vnderstand not the cause, why Tansies are more vsed after Lent, than at any other time of the yeare." "To prevent being Bug-bitten. Put a sprig or two of Tansy at the bed head, or as near the pillow as the smell may be agreeable."—T. Cosnett's Footman's Directory, p. 292. "For to dystroy a Wrang Nayle, othewyse callyd a Corne. Take wylde tansey, and grynde yt, and make yt neshe, and ley it therto, and it wyl bryng yt owght."—Lambeth MS. 306, f. 65, quoted in Political, Relig. and Love Poems (E. E. Text Soc. ed. Furnivall), p. 36.
The wild tansey is not Tusser's plant.—Note by Mr. J. Britten, F.L.S.
[E221] "Blessed Thistle." "So worthily named for the singular vertues that it hath.... It sharpneth the wit and memorie, strengthneth all the principall parts of the bodie, quickneth all the senses, comforteth the stomacke, procureth appetite, and hath a speciall vertue against poyson, and preserueth from the Pestilence, and is excellent good against any kinde of Feuer, being vsed in this manner: Take a dramme of the powder, put it into a good draught of ale or wine, warme it and drink it a quarter of an hour before the fit doth come, then goe to bed, couer you well with clothes and procure sweate, which by the force of the herbe will easily come foorth, and so continue vntill the fit be past.... For which notable effects this herbe may worthily be called Benedictus or Omnimorbia, that is a salue for euery sore, not knowen to Physitians of old time, but lately reuealed by the speciall providence of Almighty God."—Cogan's Haven of Health, p. 545.
[E222] "Purslane," in Turner's Herball Purcellaine, in the Grete Herball Porcelayne, in Dodoens Purcelayne. "It is good against St. Antonies fier, called erysipelas."—Lyte's Dodoens, p. 576. "Purslain in Latin is called Portulaca, a portula = a little gate, because they fancied it to be like one."—Lemery's Treatise on Foods, 1704, p. 92.
[E223] "Rampions," Fr. raiponce, "a word mistaken as in the case of cerise and pease, for a plural, and the m inserted for euphony."—Dr. Prior, Popular Names of British Plants.
[E224] "Men say that who so taketh the seede of Rockat before he be beaten or whipt, shalbe so hardened that he shall easily endure the payne, according as Plinie writeth."—Lyte's Dodoens, p. 622. What a pity Tusser did not know of this property of the Rocket! from his own account he had plenty of opportunities of testing it at Eton.