The Kinds

            There be two sorts of Capers especially, one with broad leaves sharp pointed: the other with rounder leaves. The Brabanters have also another sort, called Capparis fabago, or Bean Capers.

The Description.

            1. The Caper is a prickly shrub, the shoots or branches whereof be full of sharp prickly thorns, trailing upon the ground if they be not supported or propped up: whereupon do grow leaves like those of the Quince tree, but rounder: amongst the which come forth long slender footstalks, whereon do grow round knops, which do open or spread abroad into fair flowers, after which cometh in place long fruit, like to an olive, and of the same colour, wherein is contained flat rough seeds, of a dusky colour. The root is woody, and covered with a thick bark or rind, which is much used in physic.

            2. The second kind or Caper is likewise a prickly plant much like the Bramble bush, having many slender branches set full of sharp prickles. The whole plant traileth upon the place where it groweth, beset with round blackish leaves disorderly placed, in shape like those of Asarabacca, but greater, approaching to the form of Foal-Foot: among which cometh forth a small and tender naked twig, charged at the end with a small knop or bud, which openeth itself to a small star-like flower, of a pleasant sweet smell, in place whereof comes a small fruit, long and round like the Cornel berry, of a brown colour. The root is long and woody, and covered with a thick bark or rind, which is likewise used in medicine.

The Place.

            The Caper groweth in Italy, Spain, and other hot regions without manuring, in a lean soil, in rough places amongst rubbish, and upon old walls, as Dioscorides reporteth.

            Theophrastus writeth, that it is by nature wild, and refuseth to be husbanded, yet in these our days divers use to cherish the same and to set it in dry and stony places: myself at the impression hereof, planted some seeds in the brick walls of my garden, which as yet do spring and grow green, the success I expect.

The Time.

            The Caper flowereth in summer, even until autumn. The knops of the flowers before they open are those Capers or sauce that we eat, which are gathered and preserved in pickle or salt.

The Names.

            It is called in Greek and Latin Capparis: but properly Cynosbatos, or Canirubus: which is also taken for the wild Rose; it is generally called Cappers in most languages: in English, Cappers, Caper, and Capers.

The Temperature.

            Capers, or the flowers not yet fully grown, be of temperature hot, and of thin parts; if they be eaten green, they yield very little nourishment, and much less if they be salted. And therefore they be rather a sauce and medicine, than a meat.

The Virtues.

            A. They stir up an appetite to meat, they be good for a moist stomach, and stay the watering thereof, and cleanseth away the phlegm that cleaveth unto it. They open the stoppings of the liver and milt, with meat; they are good to be taken of those that have a quartan ague and ill spleens. They are eaten boiled (the salt first washed off) with oil and vinegar, as other salads be, and sometimes are boiled with meat.

            B. The rind or bark of the root consisteth of divers faculties, it heateth, cleanseth, purgeth, cutteth and digesteth, having withal a certain binding quality.

            C. This bark is of a singular remedy for hard spleens, being outwardly applied, and aslo inwardly taken, and the same boiled in vinegar or oxymel, or being beaten and mixed with other simples: for after this manner it expelleth thick and gross humours, and conveyeth away the same mixed with blood, by urine, and also by siege, whereby the milt or spleen is helped, and the pain of the huckle bones taken away: moreover it bringeth down the desired sickness, purgeth and draweth phlegm out of the head, as Galen writeth.

            D. The same bark (as Dioscorides teacheth) doth cleanse old filthy sores, and scoureth away the thick lips and crusts about the edges, and being chewed it taketh away the toothache.

            E. Being stamped with vinegar, it scoureth away tetters or ringworms, hard swellings, and cures the King's evil.

            F. The bark of the roots of Capers is good against the hardness and stopping of the spleen, and profiteth much if it be given in drink to such as have the sciatica, the palsy, and those that are bursten or bruised by falling from some high place: it doth mightily provoke urine, insomuch that if it be used overmuch, or given in too great a quantity, it procureth blood to come with the urine.

End of Volume 3