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

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LEECH BOOK. ITI. 335
xl.
In case a man be lunatic ; take skin of a mereswine
or porpoise, work it into a whip, swinge the man
therewith, soon he will be well. Amen.
Book III.
Ch. xl.
xli.
Work thus a good drink against all temptations of the
devil. Take betony, bishopwort, lupins, githrife, attorlothe,
wolfscomb, yarrow ; lay them under the altar,
sing nine masses over them, scrape the worts into
holy
water, give the man to drink at night fasting a cup
full, and put the holy water into all the meat which
the man taketh. Work thus a good salve against
temptations of the fiend. Bishopwort, lupin, vipers
bugloss, strawberry plant, the cloved wenwort, earth
rime, blackberry, pennyroyal, wormwood ;
pound all the
worts, boil them in good butter, wring through a cloth,
set them under the altar, sing nine masses over them
smear the man therewith on the temples, and above
the eyes, and above the head, and the breast, and the
sides under the arms. This salve is good for every
temptation of the fiend, and for a man full of elfin
tricks, and for typhus fever. If- thou wilt cure a wit
sick man, put a pail full of cold water, drop thrice into it
some of the drink ; bathe the man in the water, and let
the man eat hallowed bread, and cheese, and garlic, and
cropleek, and drink a cup full of the drink ; and when
he hath been bathed, smear with the salve thoroughly ;
and when it is better with liim, then work him a
strong purgative drink. Work the drink thus ; take
leaves of libcorn, and roots of celandine, and roots of
gladden, and root of hollyhock, and rind of root of
elder; boil in ale, let it stand for the space of a night,
then clarify, and warm it, add butter and salt, ad-