Section 4

D 2 *9

zo Jtejie Crucian P H Y S I C K.

donotgratifiethemindesof men more, and pretend to more
elegancy of fhape,then thofe rude cuttings or chippings of/rw-
ftone that fall from the Mafons hands, and fervefor nothing but
to fill up the middle of the wall, and fo to be hid from the eyes
of Man for their ugliiiefs : And it is obfervable, That if Nature
flupe any thiig necr this Geometrical accuracy, thatjwe take no-
tice of it with much content and pleafure, as if it be but exactly
round, as there be abundance of fuch ftones upon CMcJque , a
hill in Arabia, I havefeen them there, or ordinarily Quinquan-
gular, or have the fides but parallels , though the Angles be une-
qual, as is feen in fome little ftones, and in a kinde of Alablafler
found here in England , and ocher pretty ftones found upon
Bnlver ton-hill neer Sidmoutlt in Devon/hire^ and neer Stratford
upon Avon, and in Tyms Grove at Colt on in Warwickejhire , are
found fuch rtones that grow naturally carved with various
works, fome with Rofes, others with Lyons , Eagles , and all
manner of delightfull works-, Thefe ftones I fay, gratifie our
fight, as having a nearer cognation with the foul of man that is
rational and intellectual, and therefore is well pleafed when it
meets with any outward object that fits and agrees with thofe
congenite Ideas her own nature is furniftied with : For Sjmme-
metrjt Equality , and Ctrreffondency of parts, is the difcernment
of Reafon, not the object of Sence, as I hare in another place
proved.

Now therefore it being evident, that thercis fuch a thing as
Re<t*tj% Symmetry. m& Cowf//»r/>efproportion,(tofay nothing
of the delightful mixture of colours , and that this is the proper
object of the UnderftandingaadRcafon; for thefe things be
not take* notice of by the Beafts \ I think I may fafely inferrc,
that whatfoever is the firft and principal caufc ©I changing the
fluid and undeterminated Matter into (hapej fo comely and
fymmetrical, as we fee in flowers and trees, is an understanding
Principle, and knowes both the nature of man , and of thofc
objects he offers to his fight in this outward and vifible world,
and would have man fearch and finde out thofe fecrets by the
which he might keep his body in health many hundreds of years,
and at laft find the way u Blift -% for thefe things cannot come by
chance,or by a Mulciraniom attempt of th« pares of the matter

upon

Rofie Crucian P R Y S I C K. 21

upon themfelves, for then ic were likely that the fpecies of
things though fome might hit right , yet mod would be maim-
ed and ridiculous ^ but now there is not any ineptitude in any
thing which is align that the fluidneffe of the matter is guided
and determined by the overpowering counfel of an ecernall
mind.

If it were not needlefle , I might inftance in fundryj kinds
of flowers herbs and trees ^ but thefe objects being fo obvious,
and every mans fancy being brauched with the remembrance of
Rofes^ Marigolds fie Ui^orvers ^ PUtiics^Tulifs, Pauftes, Frimrofes^ the
leaves and clutters of the Vine &c. Of all which you mult con-
fefs that there is in them beauty anil fymetry, and ufe in Phyfick,
and gratcfull proportion- I hold ic fuperfluity to weary you
with any longer indudion, but fhall pals on to thofe considera-
tions behind, of their feed, fignaure and ufefullnefs , and (hall
pafs through them very briefly, and then I (hall come to
minerall Medicines, thefe obfervables being very ncceflary firft
to be known by way of an Introduction, and as ordinary
and eafiiy Intelligible.

CHAP-

22. Rofe Crucian P H Y S I C K.

CHAP. vr.

Of the Seeds and Signatures of Plants, and wherefore
GOD made them.

EVery plant hath its feed-, Rofie Crucians therefore fay there
arefecrec Myfteries lye hidden im-them, which fhouldbeour
delight to find out-, for Divine Pnovidence made all good for
the ufe of man: And this being no neceflary refult of the mo-
tion of the matter, as the whole contrivance of the plant indeed
is not^ and it being of great confequence that they have Seed
for the continuance of propagation of their whole Species, and
for the gratifying of mans Art alfo, induftry and neccflUie,
(for much of Husbandry and Gardening lies in this , it cannot
but be the Act of Ceur.fel to furnilh the fevcral kinds of Plants
with their Seeds, efpecially the Earth being of fuch a nature that
though at firft for a while it might bring forth all manner of
Plant tst( as fome will have it alfo to have brought forth all kinds
of Animals ) yet at lift it would grow fo fluggifh, that without
the advantage of thofe fmall compendious principles of gene-
ration, the Crain of Seed would yeild no fuch births, no
more then a Pump grown dry will yeild any Water, unlefs you
pour a little Water into it firft, and then for fo many Bafons
full, you may fetch up as many Tankards full.

Nor is it material to objed that {linking Weeds , and poj-
fonout Plants bear Seed too, as well as the moft pleafant ~nd ufe-
fuli for even thofe {linking HW.r,and pojfcnous Plants have their
ufe in Rofte Crucian Phyfick^ , as you (hall know hereafter -t be-
fides our common Phyfick- Mongers often ufe them as their Fan-
cy guides them, grounded upon no other reafon then woful and
deadly experience^ fometimes the induftry of man is excrcifed
by them to weed them out where they are hurtful, which
reafonsif they feeme fleight, lenn-but confider, thatif hu-
mane induftry had nothing to confli A and ftruggle with,the fire
of mans fpint would behalf extinguifhedin the flefh, and then
we (hall acknowledge that that which I have allcdged is notfo
contemptible nor invalid.

But fccondly'i Who knows but it is fo with poyfonous Plants,
as vulgarly is fancyed concerning Toads, and other poyfonous

Serpents,

R«fte Cruet** P H Y S I C K. £j

Serpents that lick thet" Venom from off thfTEarth ? So poyfo-
nous Plants may well draw to them all the Malignc Juice and
nourifhraen? , thac the other may be more pure and defal-
cate, as there areReceptieles in the body of man, and Emunctc-
riesto drain them of fuperfluous Choker and Melancholy,^-

Laftly, It is very well known by them chat know any thing in
Nature and Phyfick, Thar thofe Herbs that the rude and igno-
rant would call Weeds, are the materials of very fever *ign Mc-
dicinef,\.\\?£ Aunitttm Hjerrtele, or Winter Wolfs haw, that other-
wife is rank poyfon, is reported to prevail mightily againft the
biting of Vipers, Scorpions, and mad dogs, which Sir Chrifto-
fhtr Heydon aflenteth unto-, and that that plant that bears death
in the very Name of it, SoUnnm Lethifcrum, prevents death by
procuring fleep, if it be ayplycd in a Fever; nor are thofe tilings
to be deemed uprofitable, lay the Rof'e Crucians , whofe ufe our
heavy ignorance will not let us understand; but they will teach
csas followeth.

Wecomcnowto thefignatures of plants, which indeed re-
fpecrsusmore properly and adequately then the other, and is a
Key(as Rvfe Crucians fay)to enter man into the knowledge and
ufeof thcTreafures of nature-, I demand therefore, Whether itbe
notaveryeafieand Genuine inference from theobferving thac
fcveral herbs are marked with fome mark or fign that intimates
their vertue, what they are good for \ and there being fucha
creature as man in the World that can read & underftand thefe
figns and characters, hence-LOcolIecV that the Author both of
man and them , knew the nacure of them both; and befides di-
rine providence would onely initiate and enter mankind In the
ufeful knowledge of herTreafures by the Seraphical illumina-
ted Rofije Crucians, leaving thereftto employ rhe vulgar that
they might not be idle, for the Theater of the World is anex-
ercifeof man* wit, and therefore all things are in fome meafure
obfenre and intricate, that thefedulity of that divine fpark,the
foul of man, may have matter of conqueft ancrtriumpb, when
he hath done bravely by a fuperadvenient afiiftance of God.

But that there be fome plants that beara very evident figna-
tore of their nature and ufe3 for example, CkpiUus veneris , Poli-
tritfHMiOvMAMM-bair', the Lye in which it is fodden or infus'd,

is

24 Rope CrttcUn PHYS1CK.

is good to wafh the fftad, and make the hair grow in thofe places
that are fart^ the decoftion of Quinces, which are a downey and
hairy Fruit, is accounted good tor the fetching again kwir that
bach been fallen by the French Vex-, the Leaf of Balm and Al-
leluia, or Wood-S'errel, as alfo ibe roots of s! nt bora, rcprefent the
heart in figure, and are Cordiacal.

Walnuts beare the whole fgnature of the head; the outward
green Cert ex anfwers to the Vencranium, and a Sale made of it
is fingular good for Wounds in that part, as the Kerne lis good
for the Br.ttns, which it refembles. ■ ,

VmbehcM Veneris is powerful to provoke />*/?, as Doctor Culpep-
per affirms ; as alfo your feveral forts of Satyritxs f which have
the evident refemblance of the gcnetal parts upon thcm; Ann
efpecially, and all your Orchiffes , that they have given Namcs
unto, from fame bead or other, as CjnoforcbU., Orcbu Miotics,
Tragorchu,&c the lad whereof notoriorious for its Goatifh
imell, and Tufts not unlike the Beard of that Lecherous Ani-
mal, is of all the reft the moft powerful incentive to luft.

The Leaves of Wypericcn are very thick pricked., or pointed
with little holes, and it is a fingular good Wound-herb, asufe-
ful alfo for de-obftructing the pores of the body.

Scorpioides, Echium , or SeorpUnJigraffe , is like the crooked
Tayle of a Scorpien-, and Ophiegl<jjuw, or Adders Tcnfue , hath a
very plain and perfect refemblance of the Tongue of a Serpent;
asalfo Opbiofcorodon of the intire head and upper-parts of the
body, and thefe are all held very good againft poyfon,andthe
biting of Serpents^ and generally all fuch plants as are fpccklcd
with fpots like the Skins of Vipers,or other venemous creatures,
are known to be good againft the flings or bitings of them, and
are powerful objects againft poyfon. ,

Thus did divine providence by natural Hiertgljphicks, read
ftiort LeUurcs to the rude wit of vulgar man,'others of the.fr-
rapbically illuminated Fraternity ,.being ent'red , and fafficiently
experienced of thefe, found out the reft, U being very reafona-
blc that other herbs that had not fuch fignatures, might be ve-
ry good for Medicinal ufes, as well as they that had. .

Rope Crucians have quickned and actuated their Phlcgmatick
natures to more frequent and effectual v entry \ for their long

UvtSy

Xtfe Crucian VHY SICK. 25

fotsJ§e*lthtk)tMthfMlnefsflitm they were not rcry fiery, to fay
nothing of their h^inefc, riches ,vifdom andvertue , becaufel
narc in ray Trcatife of Thewaj toblife, fpo^en of it largely.

CHAP. VII.

Of the ufefulnefetf Plants, and of the Works of God.

YOo flial now briefly ta^e notice of the ufefulnes&profitablc-
nefs of plant$ both for Phytic^, and Food, and then pafs on
to the confideration of the infpired Rofe Crucians , what their
Medicines are : As for the common iifes of Plants , Werbals
teach you fomething- but I refer you to xhtfingular Medicines of favvmA-
Rope Crucians in my Book of The way to blijs for the 9fl9?ti&fi of f/j
your health, Animals know as much by inftinct and n&ture^and '
that which is moft: obfcrvablehere , is this, That brute Beafts
know as much as many Phyficians do that are taught by Herbals
enctyi and thefc deny the power of God in the Works of Na-
ture, and the power of Nature in the s^ill of man, that it fhould
beimpoflibleto ma^e Trees be-ar frttit in December, and Apple-
trees to grow to blojfom, and bear Apples contrary to k ind in March.
Beafts hare knowledge in the vertue of Plants as well as men-
for the Toad being overcharged with rhe poyfon of the Spider,
( as is well j^nown ) hath recourfeto the Plantane-Leaf. The
Wcafel when (Vie is to encounter the Serpent, arms her felf with
eating of Rue. TheDogwhenheisfic^attheftomac^, £nows
his cure, falls to his grafs , vomits, and is well. The Swallows
ma^e ufeof Celandine , the Lennet of Euphrasia for the repair-
ing of their fight. And the Afs when he is oppreffed with melan-
choly ,eats of the Herb A fp I enium^ot Mt I 'twdft.de fo eafes himfelf
of the fwelling of the fpleen.The Raven ma)(es ufe o( Cinque fojle
for the prolongation of his life to fomtimes fix or fevenhundred
years,and therefore I thin/^it is that the Rof.e Crucians prefcribe
theoyleof Ravens, Swallows, and Harts for the ufeof man to
annoint himfelf, to continue his fleih and weli-complexioned
body from wrinkles and lamenefs ; and Ditlamnum Cretenfc is
much ufcd, as I told you in my Wife mans Crown •, Cretian Ditta-
ny cures Wounds of what nature foever.

E Which

26 Rofe Crucian PHYSICK.

Which thing I conceive no obfeure indigation of provi-
dence^ for they dding that by inftinct and Nature, which
men who have free Reafbn cannot but acknowledge to be
very pertinent and fitting, nay fuch that the skilfwllelt Phyfici-
an will approve and allow- and thefc creatures having no fuch
reafon and skill themfelves as to turn Phyficians , itmuft needs
be concluded by vertueof that principle that contrived them,
and made them of that Nature they are, enabled them alfo to
do thefe things.

Let us now confider the Fruits of the Trees, where [I think it
will appear very manifestly, That there was one worker of Mira-
cles , andinffirer of Wofie Crucians ; I might now reach out to
Exortick Plants, fuch as LheCinamon-Tree,thcBa/fiwe-Tree,and
the Tree that bears the Nutmeg, invelopped the Mace-, as alfo
the famous Indian Nut-Tree, which at once ( as the Rofie Cru-
cians fay ) affords almoftall the necefTaries of life; for if they
cut but the Twigs at Evening, there is a plentiful and pleafant
Juiee comes out, which they receive into Bottles, and drin^in-
fteadof Wine, and out of which they extract fuch anAq.ua?
Vitaeasis very foveraignagainft ail manner of fic^nefles , the
branches and boughs they make their Houfesof, and the body
of the tree being very fpongy within,though hard without, they
eafily contrive into the frame and ufe of their Qanocs, or boat..
the Kernel of the Nut ferves them for bread and meat, and the
Shells for Cups to drink in^ and indeed they are not meer empty
Cups, for there is found a delicious cooling milk in them-, be-
fides there is a ^ind of hemp that indofes the Nut, of which
they mak Ropes and Cables, and of the finelt of it, Sayles for
their fhips:, and the Leaves are fo hard and ftvirp pointed , that
they eafily ma^e Needles or Bodkins of them for Pitching their
Sayles , and for other neceflfary purjpofes* and chat Providence
may (hew her felf bcrigne as well .is wife, tail fo notable a Plant
is not reftrainM toonecoaft of t'ner World nst'-eEaft-Indies,
but is found in Affrica^Arahia^znd in all the I (lands of rheWefc-
Indies/asH/Z^.ww/^C^rf, where our men are victorers • and
feveral other places of the new-found World.

But I thought fit to infifc upon thefe things by way of intro-
duction, but to contain my ielf within the compafs of fuch

objects

%.ofe rrncian PHYSICK. I7

objc&s ftsacernecejOfary forcer knowledge, and familiarly,and
>reour eyc$,u - 1 we rnav the better (ibele things
Undei; ood) utic> i .0 demonstrate thello-

fic Crucian way to health, and their ordinary Medicines which
to us are rice as j ec known.

CHAP. IX.

The RofieCmcian w ay how to get health ;Tjoe caufes why we eat
food; Of the firfl nature, of the World; A me a fare of raw and tem-
perate n, eat , and the cc.ufe of the fiery, andfeummy Call t.nd
needle fs muddy Uwels the melttnature carelefs of making the reins
of Urine drawers , drin\lefs animals have none at all -t how to
clenfe your felf from theft, idle Bowels and avoid alldifeafes.

DO you notconfidertheweakneffe of man,what faculties
he hath8and in what order he is in refped of the reft of the
creaturesi R»fle Crucians obfervt though his body be weake and
difarmed, yet his inward abiilties of rcafon, and artificiall
contrivance is admirable j he is much given to fcarch out the
Mtdtcinall Virtues of Plants , Wights , and Mine rails , and
hath found out thofe that were of fo prefent and great con-
ference as to be Antidotes againft poyfon that would f«
quickly hare difpatched mankind , it were good for us to de-
monftrate the Rofie Crucian Medicines , now our land is affiU-
ed with afickpefs called the new difeafe , of which all forts dje^ with-
out remedy, for none as yet have prefcribed a Medicine , for
young men that defire to live, and for old men that wifti for
heakh , without which no life is fweet and favory , then let
us bend our felves to cure our brethren firft, and endeavour to
(hew the means ( befides the commmon Collegian Dodors
drenches, or Culpepers way, how every man may get and keep
his health , that is fomething ftrange but avowed truth; the
confent & equall(I mean agreeable to kind)temper&.dulling our
four firft beginnings, the ftaffofourbodies,forif this knot be

E 2 broken and

2% Rofic Crucian P H Y S I C K.

broken^&chcyloof towards their former liberty ,they wax proud
and itrong, and fight , for their nature is together by the ears,
and put us to pain , and lets the rule of nature,aid this they call