Book I.

One fleeps Hellebore , who doth not know whether it will do good or no ,
A Simile from Arcbitefture and other Trades .
To which agrees that of Horace^
5s I , jfti ft s. He that’s no Sea-man a Ship dares not jleer9
tsind Hellebore to give all Quacks mufl f ear.
Let none but Learned Dottors phyfick give9 Let Smiths and Carpenters by their Trades live.
The Proverb fpeaks this In brief, -Let every man pratt ife what he knowes. Wherefore Pliny faith, Arcs would be happy, if onely Artifts might judge of them, and pra&ife them
for fince we choofe a cunning Arcift, and one that is careful to build our houfes, and the moft expert Pilate to govern a Ship ; the beft Generals and Souldiets to manage a War ; the beft uhetori- cians to teach us oratory, and the beft Moderator to inftrudt and direa our Minds: wherefore in curing difeafes, and prefer ving our healths do we admit of trivial Mountebanks, and doting old Wives ? To whom we give our bodies over to be killed-, and the Houfeor Soul to be pulled down* for now every one pra&ifeth A Biflory of ppyftck, and brags of skilhhey have* So at Ferrara, as Pontanm this bujintjfe.* r^atcSj there was a conteftation amongft the Lords of the Court:* of vyhat Profeflion mofttn^n were ; and when onefaid one thing, and another another i hin£, as there are in that Common-wealth many Bakers* Butchers, Cooks, Weavers, Carpenters ^Careers, Fullers, Bankers, Ufurers, Taylors, Marriners, Bawds that make the greateft gain; there was one rcplyed, that there was no greater number, than of thofe that profifle Phyfick, and bbaft of that S Art, and he faid, he would foon make itappear; wherefore the
next daylie brought one to a wrapt up with napkins all about his face, and counterfeited him- (elf lick of the Tooth-ache, and then complaining he ftood m the way, and asked alms of all that paft by, or fome remedy for his pain. Every one that patted by (as there were great companies) preferibed him a remedy, and laid confidently, that iuch a thing would prefeiuly cure him: wherefore they all yielded upon this. That of all Trades Phyfitians were moft numerous. And he was not miftaken ; For all people almoft never fo illiterate and un¬ skilful, profefle their knowledge in Phyfick confidently, and pra- $jfe it as boldly, when they underflandmothing of it at all. , :
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CHAP*
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TO V
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Chap. 1 8. Difference and Variety in the Nature of Grounds,
79
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CHAP. XVIII.' , - '
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Now manifold difference and variety there is in the nature of
grounds *
fT^O adde fomething that is next tdthe former Argument, I X think Phyfuians ought to confider the nature and qualities of all grounds. For from hence arife divers kinds of Plants* and of divers faculties and vettues. Hence Hippocrates prefcribeS to Cra - i# iflfc tera, to gather herbs that grow on hills and high Mountains. For jn ^batpid- they are ftronger and firmer, and more effc&ual than thofe that *•* Piantt ate grow near waters, by reafonof the denfity of the Earth, and the bt^ thinnefleof the Ayr : but to gather the flowers of them that grow near Rivers and watry places, which are weaker* and not very forcible, and of a Tweeter juice* Since therefore wc know the force and temperament of Plants, by duly confidering the nature of the ground, and fome plants delight in one ground* fome in an¬ other, and all require fuch Land as is proper to their natures, I willfet down the differences of them by the way, as in a Table which Virgil exactly deferibes, that fo all plants may be fitted to 2. (Jeorgi their own foyl,.,and not fail in their forces by reafon of the malig¬ nity of nutriment* For hence it is, that they do not anfwer our expectation, but deceive us with vain hopes.
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All ground is either
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s&*3\ wa
Slender ,
T ough.
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Barren , .
Glutinous i
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Lean ,
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Gravelly $
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Spare,
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Sandy ,
Arn
Fat,
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Fibly,
°$h .
Stony,
Bituminous *
Shelly ,
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Flaijlry ,
Full of little ft ones j
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Clayte ,
Full of great floneSj
Rare,
Thick ,
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Full of Rubbifh ,
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Strong,
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Chalky ,
tA
Forow, or hard, front
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Ajh-colour'd,
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Poroui (tone.
pM.
Bitter ,
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Crumbly ,
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Sweet ,
Thin,
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Sowr .
Hungry *
Afeadowie ,
$ood for Corn. > Bearing yearly.
New dpg a little *
Barren,
Dry,
Forced ,
Starved,
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Hug deep.
New broken ,
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Ill-favoured *
Fertile .
turn'd
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So
Difference and Variety of grounds.