Leechdoms, wortcunning, and starcraft of early England. Being a ...

LEECH BOOK, II.
297
fill against all dangerous infirmities, cither against Book li.
fever, or against typhus, or against poison, or against
^''''
''''^'
evil air. Writings also say, that he who employs the
leechdom is able to preserve himself for twelve months
against peril of all infirmities.
5. Then again, against itch, and that all the body
may be of a clean, and glad, and bright hue : take oil
and dregs of old wine, equally much, put them into a
mortar, mingle well together, and smear the body with
this in the sun. Against an elf and against a strange
visitor,' rub myrrh in wine and as mickle of white
frankincense, and shave off a part of the stone called
agate into the wine, let him drink this for three mornings
after his nights fast, or for nine, or for twelve. For
land disease or nostalgia, boil wormwood so dry (or)
so green, as he hath there, in oleum infirm orum, the
oil of extreme unction, till a third part of the oil is
boiled away, and smear all the body at the fire with
it, and a mass priest shall perform the leechdom, if a
man hath means to pet one. For a bite of r'-anoweaving
spider, smudge hydromeP on iron. For diarhoea,
boil in milk horse gall and black snail, sip in
the morning and evening. A head salve ; myrrh and
aloes, and libanum or frankincense, of all a like quantity,
mingle with vinegar, smear the head therewith.
For the same ; sulfur and swails apple, myrrh and
fi-ankincense of every sort ; nine English worts, pulegium,
bramble, apple, lupin, bishopwort, femiel, rough
waybroad, vipers bugloss, the hoar wort, lithewort, of
all these equal quantities ;
oil of unction, holy water,
holy salt,'^ common oil, smear thyself with this upwards
on the head, when thou hast rubbed them.
Ixvi.
Of the stone which liight agate. It is said that it
hath eight virtues. One is when there is thunde)-, it
' Interpreted by Herbarium cxi. 3. I ^ Salt which has had the formula
^ Perhaps 'S'weaf.
|
of benediction pronounced over it.