The Description.

The dwarf Bay tree called of Dutch men Mezereon, is a small shrub two cubits high: the branches be tough, limber, & easy to bend, very soft to be cut; whereon grow long leaves like those of Privet, but thicker and fatter. The flowers appear before the leaves, oft-times in January, clustering together about the stalks at certain distances, of a whitish colour rending to purple, and of a most fragrant and pleasant sweet smell: after come the small berries, green at the first, but being ripe, of a shining red colour, and afterward wax of a dark black colour, of a very hot and burning taste, inflaming the mouth and throat, being tasted, with danger of choking. The root is woody.

The Place and Time.

This plant grows naturally in the moist and shadowy woods of most of the East countries, especially about Meluin in Poland, from whence I have had great plenty thereof for my garden, where they flower in the first of the spring, and ripen their fruit in August.

The Names.

It is usually called in High Dutch, Zeilant, Zeidelbast, Lenszkraut, and Kellerhals: the apothecaries of our country name it Mezereon, but we had rather call it Chamelæa germanica: in English, Dutch Mezereon, or it may be called German Olive Spurge. We have heard, that divers Italians do name the fruit thereof piper montanum, mountain pepper; Some say that Laureola, or Spurge Laurel is this plant, but there is another Laureola, of which we will hereafter treat: but by what name it is called of the old writers, and whether they knew it or no, it is hard to tell. It is thought to be Cneoron album theophrasti, but by reason of his brevity, we can affirm no certainty.

There is, saith he, two kinds of Cneoron, the white and the black, the white hath a leaf, long, like in form to Spurge Olive: the black is full of substance like Myrtle; the low one is more white, the same is with smell, and the black without smell. The root of both which groweth deep, is great: the branches be many, thick, woody, immediately growing out of the earth, or little above the earth, tough: wherefore they use these to bind with, as with Osiers. They bud and flower when the autumn equinoctial is past, and a long time after. Thus much Theophrastus.

The German Spurge Olive is not much unlike to the Olive tree in leaf: the flower is sweet of smell: the buds whereof, as we have written, come forth after autumn: the branches are woody and pliable: the root long, growing deep: all which show that it hath great likeness and affinity with Cneoron, if it be not the very same.

The Temperature.

This plant is likewise in all parts extreme hot: the fruit, the leaves, and the rind are very sharp and biting: they bite the tongue, and set the throat on fire.

The Virtues.

A. The leaves of Mezereon do purge downward, phlegm, choler, and waterish humours with great violence.

B. Also ifa drunkard do eat one grain or berry of this plant, he cannot be allured to drink any drink at that time; such will be the heat of his mouth and choking in the throat.

C. This plant is very dangerous to be taken into the body, & in nature like to the Sea Tithymale, leaving (if it be chewed) such an heat and burning in the throat, that it is hard to be quenched.

D. The shops of Germany and of the Low Countries do when need require use the leaves hereof instead of Spurge Olive, which may be done without errors for this German Spurge Olive is like in virtue and operation to the other, therefore it may be used instead thereof, and prepared after the like and selfsame manner.