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Of Sea Holly

The Description. 1 SEa Holly hath broad leaves almost like to Mallow leaves, but cornered in the edges, and set round about with hard prickles, fat, of a blewish white, and of an aromatical or spicy taste: the stalke is thick, about a cubit high, now and then somwhat red below: it breaketh forth in the tops into prickly round heads or knops, of the bignesse of a Wall-nut, held in for the most part with six prickly leaves compassing the top of the stalke round about; which leaves as well as the heads are of a glistering blew: the floures forth of the heads are likewise blew, with white threds in the midst: the root is of the bignesse of a mans finger, so very long, as that it cannot be all plucked up but very seldome; set here and there with knots, and of taste sweet and pleasant.

The Place.

Eryngium marinum growes by the sea side upon the baich and stony ground. I found it growing plentifully at Whitstable in Kent, at Rie and Winchelsea in Sussex, and in Essex at Landamer lading, at Harwich, and upon Langtree point on the other side of the water, from whence I brought plants for my garden. The Vertues.

The roots condited or preserved with sugar as hereafter followeth, are exceeding good to be given to old and aged people that are consumed and withered with age, and which want natural moisture: they are also good for other sorts of people, nourishing and restoring the aged, and amending the defects of nature in the yonger.

The manner to condite Eringos.

Refine sugar fit for the purpose, and take a pound of it, the white of an egge, and a pinte of cleer water, boile them together and scum it, then let it boile until it be come to good strong syrrup, and when it is boiled, as it cooleth adde thereto a saucer full of rose water, a spoone full of Cinnamon water, and a grain of muske, which have been infused together the night before, and now strained: into which syrrup being more than halfe cold, put in your roots to soke and infuse untill the next day; your roots being ordered in manner here-after following:

These your roots being washed and picked, must be boiled in faire water by the space of foure houres, til they be soft: then must they be pilled clean as ye pil parsneps, & the pith must be drawn out at the end of the root: but if there be any whose pith cannot be drawn out at the end, then you must slit them and so take it out: these you must also keep from much handling, that they may be clean: let them remain in the syrrup till the next day, and then set them on the fire in a faire broad pan untill they be very hot, but let them not boile at all: let them remain over the fire an houre or more, remooving them easily in the pan from one place to another with a wooden slice. This done, have in a readinesse great cap or royall papers, whereupon strow some sugar, upon which lay your roots, having taken them out of the pan. These papers you must put into a stouve or hot-house to harden; but if you have not such a place, lay them before a good fire: in this maner if you condite your roots, there is not any that can prescribe you a better way. And thus you may condite any other root whatsoever, which will not only be exceeding delicat, but very wholsome, and effectual against the diseases above named.

They report of the herb sea Holly, if one goat take it into her mouth, it causeth her first to stand still, and afterwards the whole flocke, untill such time as the sheepheard take it from her mouth. Plutarch.