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Houseleek or Sengreen
Both these are so well known to my countrymen, that I shall not need to write any description of them.
Place. It groweth commonly upon walls and housesides, and flowereth in July. Government and virtues. It is an herb of Jupiter, and it is reported by Mezaldus, to preserve what it grows upon from fire and lightning. Our ordinary houseleek is good for all inward heats as well as outward, and in the eyes or other parts of the body; a posset made with the juice of houseleek, is singular good in all hot agues, for it cooleth and tempereth the blood and spirits, and quencheth the thirst; and also good to stay all hot defluctions or sharp and salt rheums in the eyes, the juice being dropped into them, or into the ears helpeth them. It helpeth also other fluxes of humours in the bowels, and the immoderate courses in women. It cooleth and restraineth all other hot inflammations. St. Anthony's fire, scaldings and burnings, the shingles, fretting ulcers, cankers, tetters, ringworms, and the like; and much easeth the pains of the gout proceeding from a hot cause. The juice also taketh away warts and corns in the hands or feet, being often bathed therewith, and the skin and leaves being laid on them afterwards. It easeth also the head-ache, and distempered heat of the brain in phrenzies, or through want of sleep, being applied to the temples and forehead. The leaves bruised and laid upon the crown or seam of the head, stayeth bleeding at the nose very quickly. The distilled water of the herb is profitable for all the purposes aforesaid. The leaves being gently rubbed on any place stung with nettles or bees, doth quickly take away the pain.