The Description.

            1. The common Thistle, whereof the greatest quantity of down is gathered for divers purposes, as well by the poor to stop pillows, cushions, and beds for want of feathers, as also bought of the rich upholsterers to mix with the feathers and down they do sell, which deceit would be looked unto: this Thistle hath great leaves, long and broad, gashed about the edges, and set with sharp and stiff prickles all alongst the edges, covered all over with a soft cotton or down: out from the midst whereof riseth up a long stalk above two cubits, high-cornered, and set with films, and also full of prickles: the heads are likewise cornered with prickles, and bring forth flowers consisting of many whitish threads: the seed which succeedeth them is wrapped up in down; it is long, of a light crimson colour, and lesser than the seed of Bastard saffron: the root groweth deep in the ground, being white, hard, woody, and not without strings.

            2. The Illyrian Cotton Thistle hath a long naked root, beset about the top with a fringe of many small threads or jags: from which ariseth a very large and tall stalk, higher than any man, rather like a tree than an annual herb or plant: this stalk is garnished with scrolls of thin leaves, from the bottom to the top, set full of most horrible sharp prickles, and so is the stalk and every part of the plant, so that it is impossible for man or beast to touch the same without great hurt or danger: his leaves are very great, far broader and longer than any other thistle whatsoever, covered with an hoary cotton or down like the former: the flowers do grow at the top of the stalks, which is divided into sundry branches, and are of a purple colour, set or armed round about with the like, or rather sharper thorns than the aforesaid.

The Place.

            These thistles grow by highways' sides, and in ditches almost everywhere.

The Time.

            They flower from June until August, the second year after they be sown: and in the meantime the seed waxeth ripe, which being thorough ripe the herb perisheth, as do likewise most of the other thistles, which live no longer than till the seed be fullt come to maturity.

The Names.

            This thistle is taken for what is called in Greek Akaizion, which Disocorides describeth to have leaves set with prickles round about the edges, and to be covered with a thin down like a cobweb, that may be gathered and spun to make garments of, like those of silk: in High Dutch it is called Weiswege distill: in Low Dutch Witte Wech distel: in French, Chardon argentin: in English, Cotton Thistle, White Cotton Thistle, Wild White Thistle, Argentine or the Silver Thistle.

The Temperature and Virtues.

            A. Discorides saith, that the leaves and roots are a remedy for those that have their bodies drawn backwards; thereby Galen supposeth that these are of temperature hot.