Of Chervill
The Description.
I THe leaves of Chervill are slender, and diversly cut, something hairy, of a whitish greene: the stalkes be short, slender, round, and hollow within, which at the first together with the leaves are of a whitish green, but tending to a red when the seeds are ripe: the floures be white, and grow upon scattered tufts. 2 Great Chervill hath large leaves deepely cut or jagged, in shew very like unto Hemlockes, of a very good and pleasant smell and taste like unto Chervill, and something hairy, which hath caused us to call it sweet Chervill. (Dagger) There is found in some part of the Alps, as about Genua and in other places, another Myrrhis, which in the leaves and umbels is like that of the last described, but the whole plant is lesse.
The Place.
The common Chervill groweth in gardens with other pot-herbes: it prospers in a ground that is dunged and somewhat moist. The great sweet Chervill groweth in my garden, and in the gardens of other men who have bin diligent in these matters.
The Time.
These herbs floure in May, and their seed is ripe in July. The Names.
Columella nameth it Chaerephyllum, and it is thought to be so called, because it delights to grow with many leaves, or rather in that it causeth joy and gladnesse.
Myrrhis is also called Myrrha, taken from his pleasant savor of Myrrh: in English it is called Chervill, sweete Chervill, or sweete Cicely. The Nature and Vertues.
It is used very much among the Dutch people in a kinde of Loblolly or hotchpot which they do eat, called Warmus.
The leaves of sweet Chervill are exceeding good, wholesome and pleasant among other sallad herbs, giving the taste of Anise seed unto the rest. The seeds eaten as a sallad whiles they are yet green, with oile, vineger, and pepper, exceed all other sallads by many degrees, both in pleasantnesse of taste, sweetnesse of smell, and wholsomnesse for the cold and feeble stomacke. The roots are likewise most excellent in a sallad, if they be boiled and afterwards dressed as the cunning Cooke knoweth how better than my selfe: notwithstanding I use to eat them with oile and vineger, being first boiled; which is very good for old people that are dull and without courage: it rejoiceth and comforteth the heart, and increaseth their lust and strength.