The Description.

            1. Sweet Marjoram is a low and shrubby plant, of a whitish colour and marvellous sweet smell, a foot or somewhat more high. The stalks are slender, and parted into divers branches; about which grow forth little leaves soft and hoary: the flowers grow at the top in scaly or chaffy spiked ears, of a white colour like unto those of Candy Organy. The root is compact of many small threads. The whole plant and every part thereof is of a most pleasant taste, and aromatical smell, and perisheth at the first approch of winter.

            2. Pot Marjoram or Winter Marjoram hath many thready tough roots, from which rise immediately divers small branches, whereon are placed such leaves as the precedent, but not so hoary, nor yet so sweet of smell, bearing at the top of the branches tufts of white flowers tending to purple. The whole plant is of long continuance, and keepeth green all the winter; whereupon our English women have called it, and that very properly, winter Marjoram.

Fig. 996. Marjoram Gentle (3)

            3. Marjoram Gentle hath many branches rising from a thready root, whereupon do grow soft and sweet smelling leaves of an overworn russet colour. The flowers stand at the top of the stalks, compact of divers small chaffy scales, of a white colour tending to a blush. The whole plant is altogether like the great Sweet Marjoram, saving that it is altogether lesser, and far sweeter, wherein especially consisteth the difference.

            4. Epimaiorana is likewise a kind of Marjoram, differing not from the last described, saving in that, that this plant hath in his natural country of Candy, and not elsewhere, some laces or threads fastened unto his branches, such, and after the same manner as those are that do grow upon Savory, wherein is the difference.

The Place.

            These plants do grow in Spain, Italy, Candy, and other islands thereabout, wild, and in the fields; from whence we have the seeds for the gardens of our cold countries.

The Time.

            They are sown in May, and bring forth their scaly or chaffy husks or ears in August. They are to be watered in the middle of the day, when the sun shineth hot, even as Basil should be, and not in the evening nor morning, as most plants are.

The Names.

            Marjoram is called Mariorana and Amaracus, and also Marum and Sampsichum of others: in High Dutch, Mayoran: in Spanish, Mayorana, Moradux, and Almoradux: in French, Mariolaine: in English, Sweet Marjoram, Fine Marjoram, and Marjoram Gentle; of the best sort Marjerane. The Pot Marjoram is also called Winter Marjoram. Some have made a doubt whether Maiorana and Sampsychum be all one; which doubt, as I take it, is because that Galen maketh a difference between them, entreating of them apart, and attributeth to either of them their operations. But Amaracus galeni is Parthenium, or Feverfew. Dioscorides likewise witnesseth, that some do call Amaracus, Parthenium; and Galen in his book Of the Faculties of Simple Medicines, doth in no place make mention of Parthenium, but by the name of Amaracus. Pliny in his 21st book, chap. 2. witnesseth, that Diocles the physician, and they of Sicily did call that Amaracus, which the Egyptians and the Syrians did call Sampsychum.

            Virgil in the first book of his Æneidos showed, that Amaracus is a shrub bearing flowers, writing thus:

 -- ubi mollis Amaracus illam

 Floribus, & dulci aspirans complectitur umbra. 

 [" -- where the shade of the soft Amaracus surrounds him with sweetness of its blossoms" Virgil, Æneid, Book 1, l. 692-3. ]

            Likewise Catullus in his Epithalamium, or Marriage Song of Julia and Mallius saith,

Cinge tempora floribus
Suave olentis Amaraci.
Compass the temples of the head with flowers,
Of Amarac affording sweet savours.

            Notwithstanding it may not seem strange, that Majoram is used instead of Sampsychum, seeing that in Galen's time also Marum was in the mixture of the ointment called Amaracinum unguentum, in the place of Samprychum, as he himself witnesseth in his first book of counterpoisons.

The Temperature.

            They are hot and dry in the second degree, after some copies, hot and dry in the third.

The Virtues.

            A. Sweet Marjoram is a remedy against cold diseases of the brain and head, being taken any way to your best liking; put up into the nostrils it provoketh sneezing, and draweth forth much baggage phlegm: it easeth the toothache being chewed in the mouth; being drunk it provoketh urine, and draweth away waterish humours, and is used in medicines against poison.

            B. The leaves boiled in water, and the decoction drunk, helpeth them that are entering into the dropsy: it easeth them that are troubled with difficulty of making water, and such as are given to overmuch sighing, and easeth the pains of the belly.

            C. The leaves dried and mingled with honey, and given, dissolveth congealed or clotted blood, and putteth away black and blue marks after stripes and bruises, being applied thereto.

            D. The leaves are excellent good to be put into all odoriferous ointments, waters, powders, broths, and meats.

            E. The dried leaves powdered, and finely searched, are good to be put into cerotes, or cerecloths and ointments, profitable against cold swellings, and members out of joint.

            F. There is an excellent oil to be drawn forth of these herbs, good against the shrinking of sinews, cramps, convulsions, and all aches proceeding of a cold cause.