Chap. IIII.
Oxyacantha, sed potius Berberis.
Barberries.
The Barberry bush groweth oftentimes with very high stemmes, almost two mens height, but vsually somewhat lower, with manie shootes from the roote, couered with a whitish rinde or barke, and yellow vnderneath, the wood being white and pithy in the middle: the leaues are small, long, and very greene, nicked or finely dented about the edges, with three small white sharpe thornes, for the most part set together at the setting on of the leaues: the flowers doe growe vpon long clustering stalkes, small, round, and yellow, sweete in smell while they are fresh, which turne into small, long, and round berries, white at the first, and very red when they are ripe, of a sharpe sowre taste, fit to set their teeth on edge that eate them: the roote is yellow, spreading far vnder the vpper part of the ground, but not very deepe.
There is (as it is thought) another kinde, whose berries are thrice as bigge as the former, which I confesse I haue not seene, and know not whether it be true or no: for it may peraduenture be but the same, the goodnesse of the ground and ayre where they growe, and the youngnesse of the bushes causing that largenesse, as I haue obserued in the same kinde, to yeeld greater berries.
There is said to be also another kinde, whose berries should be without stones or seede within them, not differing else in anie thing from the former: but because I haue long heard of it, and cannot vnderstand by all the inquirie I haue made, that any hath seene such a fruit, I rest doubtfull of it.
The Vse of Barberries.
Some doe vse the leaues of Barberries in the stead of Sorrell, to make sawce for meate, and by reason of their sowrenesse are of the same quality.
The berries are vsed to be pickled, to serue to trimme or set out dishes of fish and flesh in broth, or otherwise, as also sometime to bee boyled in the broth, to giue it a sharpe rellish, and many other wayes, as a Master Cooke can better tell then my selfe.
The berries are preserued and conserued to giue to sicke bodies, to helpe to coole any heate in the stomacke or mouth, and quicken the appetite.
The depurate iuyce is a fine menstrue to dissolue many things, and to verie good purpose, if it be cunningly handled by an Artist.
The yellow inner barke of the branches, or of the rootes, are vsed to be boyled in Ale, or other drinkes, to be giuen to those that haue the yellow iaundise: As also for them that haue anie fluxes of choller, to helpe to stay and binde.
Clusius setteth downe a secret that hee had of a friend, of a cleane differing propertie, which was, that if the yellow barke were laid in steepe in white wine for the space of three houres, and afterwards drunke, it would purge one very wonderfully.