Of Hyacinthes and there kinds.
The kindes (las clases).
There be likewise Bulbus or Onion rooted plants that do orderly succeed, whereof some are to be eaten, as Onions, Garlick, Leekes, and Ciues; notwithstanding I am first to entreate of those Bulbed rootes, whose faire and beautifull flowers haue receiued grace and ornament in gardens, and Garlands: the first are the Hyacinths, whereof there is founde at this day diuers sorts differing very notably in many points, as shall be declared in their seuerall descriptions. 1 Hyacinthus stellatus Fuchsij. Starrie Iacinth. 2 Hyacinthus stellatus Lilifolius. Lillie Iacinth.
The description (la descripción).
The first kind of Iacinth hath very fat thicke browne leaues, hollow like a little trough, very brittle, of the length of a finger: among which shoote vp fat thicke brownish stalkes, soft and verie tender, and ful of iuice, whereupon do grow many smal blew flowers consisting of sixe little leaues, spread abrode like a star. The seed is contained in small round bullets, which are so ponderous ponderous or heauie, that they lie trailing vpon the ground. The roote is bulbus or Onion fashion, couered with brownish scales or filmes. There is founde another of this kinde which seldome or neuer hath more than two leaues. The rootes are bulbed like the other. The flowers be whitish star fashion, tending to blewnesse, which I receiued from Robinus of Paris. 2 The second kind of Hyacinth hath many brode leaues spred vpon the ground, like vnto those of garden Lillie, but shorter. The stalkes do rise out of the middest thereof bare, naked, & verie smooth, an handfull high; at the top whereof do grow small blew flowers star fashion, verie like vnto the precedent. The roote is thicke and full of iuice, compact of many scalie cloues of a yellow colour. Likewise we haue another sort in our London gardens of this starry Hyacinths, like vnto the Hyacinths of Fuchsius description, hauing for the most part three leaues. The flowers are of a purple blew colour. Autumne Iacint is the least of all Iacints: it hath small narrow grassie leaues spread abroad vpon the ground; in the middest whereof springeth vp a small naked stalke an handful high, set from the middle to the top with many small starlike blew flowers, hauing certaine small loose chiues in the middle. The seede is blacke contained in small husks: the roote is Bulbus or Onion rooted. The great winter Iacint is like vnto the precedent in leaues, stalkes and flowers, not differing in any one point, but in greatnesse. The blew Harebels or English Iacint is very common throughout all England. It hath long narrow leaues leaning towards the ground, among the which spring vp naked or bare stalkes, loden with many hollow blew flowers, of a strong sweete smell, somewhat stuffing the head: after which come the cods or round knobs, conteining a great quantitie of small blacke shining seed. The roote is Bulbus, ful of a slimy glewish iuice, which will serue to set feathers vpon arrowes in steed of glew, or to paste bookes with: whereof is made the best starche next vnto that of Wake robin rootes. 6 The white English Iacint is altogether like vnto the precedent, sauing that the leaues hereof are somwhat broader, the flowers more open, and very white of colour. There is found wilde in many places of England, another sort, which hath flowers of a faire carnation colour, which maketh a difference from the other. 7 The orientall Iacint hath great leaues, thicke, fat, and full of iuice, deeply hollowed in the middle like a trough: from the middle of those leaues riseth vp a stalke two hands high, bare without leaues, very smooth, soft and full of iuice, loden toward the top with many faire blew flowers, hollow like a bell, greater than the English Iacint. The roote is great, Bulbus or Onion fashion, couered with many scalie reddish filmes or pillings, such as those that couer Onions. 8 The double Iacint or Iacint with many flowers (for so doth the word Polyanthos import) hath very many large and broad leaues, short and very thicke, fat or full of flimie iuice: from the middle whereof rise vp strong thicke grosse stalks, bare and naked, set from the middle to the top with many ny blew or skie coloured flowers, growing for the most part vpon one side of the stalke. The roote is great, thicke and full of slimie iuice. There is come vnto vs from beyond the seas diuers other sorts, whose figures are not extant with vs, of which there is one like vnto the first of these orientall Iacints, sauing that the flowers thereof are purple coloured. Likewise there is another called Orientalis albus, differing also from the others in colour of the flowers, for that these are very white, and the others blew. There is another called Hyacinthus Brumalis, or winter Iacint, it is like the others in shape, but differeth in the time of flowring.
The place (el lugar).
These plants do grow in many places of Germanie, in woods and mountaines, as Fuchsius and Gesner do testifie. In Bohemia also vpon diuers banks that are full of herbs. In England we cherish them in our gardens onely for the beautie of the flower. These Autumne Iacints grow not of themselves or wilde in England, notwithstanding I haue them in my garden, although they be very rare with vs in London. The blew Harebels do growe wilde in woods, copses, and in the borders of fields euery where through England. The other two are not so common, yet do they grow in the woods by Colchester in Essex, in the fieldes and woods by Southfleete neere vnto Graues-end in Kent, as also in a peece of grounde by Canturburie called the Clapper, in the fields by Bathe, about the woods by Warrington in Lancashire and other places. These kinds of Iacints haue been brought from beyond the seas, some out of one countrey and some out of others, especially from the East countries, whereof they tooke their names Orientalis.
The time (la época).
They begin to flower in the middest of Ianuarie, and bring foorth their seede in May. They flower in the end of September, and sometimes after. They flower from the beginning of Maie vnto the end of Iune. They flower from the end of Ianuary vnto the end of Aprill.
The names (los nombres).
The first of these Hyacinths is called Hyacinthus stellatus, or Stellaris Fuchsij, of the star-like flowers: Narcissus cæruleus Bockij: of some Flos Martius stellatus. The Lillie Hyacinth is called Hyacinthus Germanicus liliflorus, or Germanie Hyacinth, taken from the countrie where it naturally groweth wilde: of others Hyacinthus bifolius, as of Theophrastus. | 3 Hyacinthus autumnalis. | 4 Hyacinthus autumnalis maior. | | :--- | :--- | | Winter Hyacinth. | Great Winter Hyacinth. | The first is called Hyacinthus Autumnalis, or Autumne Iacint, and winter Iacint. The second Hyacinthus Autumnalis maior, the great Autumne Iacint, or winter Iacint. 5 Hyacinthus Anglicus. Blew English Hare-Bels. <column-break/> 6 Hyacinthus albus Anglicus. White English Hare-Bels. The first of our English Iacints is called Hiacinthus Anglicus, for that it is thought to grow more plentifully in England than else where: of Dodoneus Hiacinthus non scriptus, or the vnwritten Iacint. The other Hyacinthus Belgicus candidus, or the Lowe countrey Iacint with white flowers. | 7 Hyacinthus orientalis cæruleus. | 8 Hyacinthus orientalis Polyanthos. | | :--- | :--- | | The blew Orientall Iacint. | Double Orientall Iacint. | There is a Lilly which Ouid in the tenth booke of his Metamorphosis called Hyacinthus, of the boy Hyacinth, of whose blood he faineth that this flower sprang, when he perished as he was playing with Apollo, for whose sake he saith that Apollo did print certaine letters and notes of his mourning writting thus, > Ecce cruor, qui fusus humo signauerat Herbas, > Definit esse cruor, Tyrioque nitentior ostro > Flos oritur, formamque capit, quam Lilia, si non > Purpureus color his, argenteus esset in illis. > Non satis hoc Phœbo est, (is enim fuit auctor honoris) > Ipse suos gemitus foliis inscribit, & ai ai > Flos habet inscriptum funestaque litera ducta est. That is, > Behold the blood of him > Which dide the grasse, ceast blood to be, and vp there sprang a trim > And goodly flower, more orient then the purple cloth in graine: > In shape a lillie, were it not that lillies do remaine > Of siluer colour, where as those of purple hewe are seene: > Although that Phœbus had the cause of this great honor beene, > Yet thought he not that fame inough, and therefore did he wright > His sighs vpon the leaues thereof: and so in colour bright > The flower hath ai ai writ thereon, which letters are of griefe. Theocritus also hath made mention of this Hyacinth in Bions Epitaph in the 19. Eidyll, > Now Hyacinth, those letters thine tell them and do not passe, > And take vpon thy leaues ai ai, hei (mourning notes) alasse. Likewise Virgill hath written hereof in the third Eclog of his Bucolicks, > Et me Phœbus amat, Phœbo sua semper apud me > Munera sunt, lauri & suaue rubens Hyacinthus. And me Phœbus loues, Phœbus hath his gifts alwaies with mee Trees Laurell, flowers Hyacinth so sweete and red to see. In like maner also Nemesianus in his second Eclog of his Bucolicks: > Te sine me misero mihi lilia nigra videntur > Pallentesque Rosæ, nec dulce rubens Hyacinthus: > At si tu venias, & candida lilia fient > Purpureæque Rosæ, & dulce rubens Hyacinthus. Me without thee, white Lillies seeme all blacke poore man to me And Roses pale, vnsweete the ruddie Hyacinth will be: But if so be thou com'st, O then the Lillies shall be white And Roses red, and sweete the ruddy Hyacinth in fight. The Hyacinthes are said to be red, which Ouid calleth purple, some would haue them called by the name of Rustie Iron, for that when the best iron is made hot and wrought til it be cold, there remaineth a certaine blewnes, which they call iron colour: grounding themselues vpon Virgils auctoritie, in the fixt of his AEneidos, where he describeth Charons rustie iron coloured bote, and presently calleth the same blew. > Ipse ratem conto subigit velisque ministrat, > Et ferruginea subuectat corpora Cymba. > Himselfe with piked pole his boate doth guide, and beares a charge, > Transporting still the soules in a rustie cankered barge. And Claudius also doth not a little confirme their opinions, who writeth that the Violets are of a sweete iron colour in his second booke of the carying away of Proserpina. > Sanguineo splendore rosas, vaccinia nigro > Induit, & dulci violas ferrugine pingit. > He trims the rose with bloudy bright > And Primetree berries black he makes, > And decks the Violet with a sweete > Darke iron colour, which it takes. But let vs returne to the proper names from which we haue digressed: most of the later Herbarists do call this plant Hyacinthus Poeticus, or Poets Hyacinth. Pausanias in his second booke of his Corinthiacks, hath made mention of Hyacinthus, called of the Hermonians Comosandalos, setting downe the ceremonies done by them on their festiuall daies, in the honor of the goddesse Chthonia. The priests faith he, and the magistrates for that yeere being, do leade the troupe of the pompe; the women and men follow after: the boies solemnly leade foorth the goddesse with a stately shewe: They go in white vestures with garlands on their heads, made of a flower which the inhabitants call Comosandalos, which is the blew or skie coloured Hyacinth, hauing the markes and letters of mourning as aforesaid.
The temperature (el temperamento).
The Hyacinths mentioned in this chapter, do lightly clense and binde, drying in the thirde degree. But the rootes are drie in the first degree, and colde in the second.
The vertues (las virtudes).
The root of Hyacinth boiled in wine and drunke, stoppeth the belly, prouoketh vrine, and helpeth against the venemous bitings of the fielde spider. The seede is of the same vertue, and is of greater force in stopping of the laske and bloudy flixe: being drunke in wine it preuaileth against the falling sicknes. The rootes after the opinion of Dioscorides, procure haire in beardlesse men, and such as haue been ouertaken with Alopecia.
Texto en la ortografía original de Gerard, en inglés de 1597 (la s larga se imprime como s), transcrito por la Source Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). Un capítulo puede continuar en páginas aún no transcritas. Gerard escribía dentro de la medicina galénica; nada de esto es un consejo.