Chap. II.
Ribes rubra, alba, nigra.
Currans red, white, and blacke.
The bushes that beare those berries, which are vsually called red Currans, are not those Currans either blew or red, that are sold at the Grocers, nor any kind thereof; for that they are the grapes of a certaine Vine, as shall be shewed by and by: but a farre differing kinde of berry, whereof there are three sorts, red, white, and blacke.
The red Curran bush is of two sorts, and groweth to the height of a man, hauing sometimes a stemme of two inches thicknesse, and diuers armes and branches, couered with a smooth, darke, brownish barke, without anie pricke or thorne at all vpon anie part thereof, whereon doe growe large cornered blackish greene leaues, cut in on the edges, seeming to be made of fiue parts, almost like a Vine leafe, the ends a little pointing out, and standing one aboue another on both sides of the branches: the flowers are little and hollow, comming forth at the ioynts of the leaues, growing many together on a long stalke, hanging downe aboue a fingers length, and of an herbie colour: after which come small round fruit or berries, greene at the first, and red as a Cherry when they are ripe, of a pleasant and tart taste: the other differeth not in anie other thing then in the berries, being twice as bigge as the former: the roote is wooddy, and spreadeth diuersly.
The white Curran bush riseth vsually both higher then the red, and straighter or more vpright, bigger also in the stemme, and couered with a whiter barke: the leaues are cornered, somewhat like the former, but not so large: the flowers are small and hollow like the other, hanging downe in the same manner on long stalkes, being of a whiter colour: the berries likewise growe on the long stalkes, somewhat thicker set together, and of a cleare white colour, with a little blacke head, so transparent that the seedes may be easily seene thorough them, and of a more pleasant winie taste then the red by much.
The blacke Curran bush riseth higher then the white, with more plentifull branches, and more pliant and twiggie: the stemme and the elder branches being couered with a brownish barke, and the younger with a paler: the flowers are also like vnto little bottles as the others be, of a greenish purple colour, which turne into blacke berries, of the bignesse of the smaller red Currans: the leaues are somewhat like vnto the leaues of the red Currans, but not so large: both branches, leaues, and fruit haue a kind of stinking sent with them, yet they are not vnwholsome, but the berries are eaten of many, without offending either taste or smell.
| 1 | Rubus Idæus. The raspis. |
| 2 | Ribes fructu rubro vel albo. White or red Currans. |
| 3 | Grossularia vulgaris. The ordinary Gooseberry. |
| 4 | Grossularia fructu rubro. The great red Gooseberry. |
| 5 | Grossularia aculeata. The prickly Gooseberry. |
| 6 | Oxyacantha seu Berberis. The Barbary bush. |
| 7 | Auellana Byzantina. The Filberd of Constantinople. |
| 8 | Auellana rubra nostras. The best red Filberd. |
The Vse of Currans.
The red Currans are vsually eaten when they are ripe, as a refreshing to an hot stomacke in the heate of the yeare, which by the tartnesse is much delighted. Some preserue them, and conserue them also as other fruits, and spend them at neede.
The white Currans, by reason of the more pleasant winie taste, are more accepted and desired, as also because they are more daintie, and lesse common.
Some vse both the leaues and berries of the blacke Currans in sawces, and other meates, and are well pleased both with the sauour and taste thereof, although many mislike it.