“Of Cucumbers”
The Cucumber named general Cucumis,
in shops, Cucumer, in English, Cowcumbers.
The Cucumber creepes alongst the ground,
with long rough branches, broad rough leaves, uneven edges.
From the bosome come forth crooked, clasping tendrils
like those of a Vine. The small yellow floures
shoot forth betweene the stalks and the leaves.
The fruit succeedeth, long, cornered, rough,
certaine bumpes, risings, greene at first,
and yellow when ripe, wherein is
a firme and solid pulpe, transparent, thorow-shining,
eaten--together with the white, long, flat seeds--
a little before they be fully ripe.
There be also long cucumbers, first made
by art and manuring, which Nature afterwards did preserve:
at first, when the fruit is little, it is put
into a hollow cane. The cucumber groweth long,
by reason of that narrow hollowness. The seeds
of this cucumber, being sowne, bringeth forth
such as art hath framed, which of their own growth
are found long and have beene called Anguini, long Cucumbers.
The fruit cut in pieces or chopped as herbes to the pot,
and boiled in a small pipkin with a piece of mutton,
being made into potage with Ote-meale,
as herb potage are made, a messe eaten to break-fast,
as much to dinner, and the like to supper.
Taken in this manner for the space of three weeks without intermission,
doth perfectly cure all manner of flegme and copper faces,
red and shining fierie noses (as red as red Roses) with pimples,
pumples, rubies, and such like precious faces.
During the time of curing, bathe the face with this liquor.
Take a pinte of strong white wine vinegre,
pouder of the roots of Ireos or Orrice three dragmes,
bolted into most fine dust, Brimmestone pouder, halfe a ounce,
Camphire two dragmes, stamped with two blanced Almonds,
foure Oke apples cut thorow the middle,
and the juyce of foure Limons:
put them all together in a strong double glasse,
shake them together very strongly, setting the same
in the Sunne for the space of ten daies:
with which let the face be bathed daily,
suffering it to drie without wiping it away.
This doth not onely helpe fierie faces, but also
taketh away lentils, spots, morphew, Sunburne,
and all other deformities of the face.
“Of Potato’s of Virginia”
The Indians call this plant Pappus, meaning the roots.
Because it hath not only the shape and proportion of Potato’s,
but also the pleasant taste and vertues of the same,
we may call it in English, Potatoes of America or Virginia.
Virginian Potato’s hath many hollow flexible branches
trailing upon the ground, three square, uneven,
knotted in sundry places at certaine distances:
from which knots commeth forth
one great leafe made of diverse leaves,
some smaller, others greater, set together
upon a fat middle rib by couples,
of a smart greene colour tending to rednesse,
the whole leafe resembling those of the Winter-Cresses,
but much larger. In taste at the first like grasse,
but afterward sharp and nipping the tongue.
From the bosome of leaves come forth
long round slender footstalkes,
whereon grow faire and pleasant floures.
As Clusius reporteth, Potato’s groweth naturally in America,
where first discovered. I have received roots from
Virginia, otherwise called Norembega, which grow
and prosper in my garden as in their owne native country.
The common Potato’s temperature and vertues
being likewise a food, a meat for pleasure,
equall in goodness and wholesomness,
being either rosted in the embers,
or boiled and eaten with oile, vineger and pepper,
or dressed some other way by the hand of a skilfull Cooke.