[1] _AS the Saffron of England is the moſt excellent of all other, (for it giueth place neyther to that of Cilicia, whereof Solinus ſpeketh, neither to any that commeth from Etolia, Sicilia, Cirena, or Licia, in ſwéeteneſſe [...]) ſo of that which is to be his [...] that greiu|eth about [...] in the edge of Eſſex ſuch [...] all the re [...], and the [...] beareth w [...]thilye the higher price, by [...] pence, or twelue pence [...] the pounde.
[1] The [...] of the herbe that beareth this commonlie is [...]b [...]ndẽ, much like vine and [...] dyfferent Onion, and yet it is not [...] as the lylly, nor flakes as the Sea [...]on, but hath a ſad ſubſtaunce in [...] bulb [...]ſa, as Or|chis and Sta [...]tion. The coll [...]t alſo of the r [...]n [...] is not much [...] from the innermoſt ſhell of a cheſtnutte, although it be not alto|gither ſo blacke as the ſayd ſhell, neither al|togither ſo b [...]le as is the pill of the Onion.
[1] The leafe or rather the blade thereof is long and narrowe as [...]raſſe; & in the [...] times out Cattel delight [...] much to féede vpon the ſame, which come vppe alwaies in October after the flowres [...] gathered and gone. The whole hearbe is named in gréed [...] Crocos, but of ſome as Dioſcorides ſaith Ca [...]|ſter, Cynomorphos or Hercules bloud. Yet [...] the ſ [...]rab [...] ſpeach, from whence we take the name that we giue thereunto, I find [...] it is called Zahafaran, as Remb [...]r [...] both bere witneſſe. The cauſe wherefore it was called Crocus was this as the P [...]rtes [...]eigne, eſpe|cially from whome Galen & hath borowed the hyſtorye which he noteth in hys ninth booke, demedica [...]tis ſecundum loc [...], where hée writeth after thys maner. A certaine yong Gentleman called Crocus went to playe at c [...]ytes in the fielde with Mercury, and beyng hedeleſſe of himſelfe, Mercuries coite happe|ned by his miſhappe to hit him on the heade whereby hée receyued a wounde, that ere long killed him altogither, to the great diſcõ|fort of his friends. Finally in the place wher he bled, Saffron was after found to grow, whereupon the people ſéeyng the color of the chiue as it ſtoode, (although I doubt not but it grewe there long before) adiudged it to come to the bloude of Crocus, and therefore they gaue it his name.
[1] [2] In déede the chiue while it remaineth whole vnbruſed reſembleth a darke redde, but being broken and conuerted into vſe, it yeldeth a yelow tincture. But what haue we to do wyth fables. The heads of Saffron are raiſed in Iuly either wyth plough or ſpade, and being ſcowred from theyr Roſe, and ſe|uered from ſuch heades as are ingendred of them ſince the laſt ſetting, they are enterred againe out of hand by rankes or rowes, and being couered wyth moulds, they reſt in the earth, where they caſt forth litle filets & ſmal [page 123] rotes like vnto a ſcalion vntill September; in the beginning of whych moneth ye ground is pared,Paring. and all weedes and graſſe that gro|weth vpon the ſame remoued, to the intents that nothing may annoy the flower when his time, doth come to riſe.
[1] GatheringTheſe things being thus ordered in the la|ter ende of the aforeſayd moneth, the flower beginneth to appeare of a whitiſh blewe co|lour, and in the ende ſhewing it ſelfe in the owne kinde, it reſembleth almoſte the Len|co [...]ion of Theophraſt,Sée Rem|bert. ſauing that it is lõger, and hath in middeſt thereof, either thrée or four chiues, very red and pleaſant to behold. Theſe flowers are gathered in the mornyng before the riſing of the Sunne, whyth would cauſe them to welke or flitter: and the chiues being picked from the flowers, theſe are throwne in to the dunghill, the other dry|ed vpon little kelles couered wyth ſtraigned canuaſſes ouer a ſoft fire: wherby and by the weight that is layed vpon thẽ, they are dried & preſſed into cakes, & then, bagged vp for ye benefite of theyr owners. In good yeares we gather an 100. poundes of the wette Saffron of an aker, which being dried doth yeld twentie pound of dry and more. Wherby and ſith the price of Saffron is commonly about twen|tie ſhillings in money, it is eaſie to sée what benefit is reaped by an acre of thys commo|ditie, toward the charges of the ſetter.
[1] Raiſing.The heads are raiſed euery third yeare a|bout vs, and commonly in the firſt yeare af|ter they be ſet they yéelde very litle increaſe, yet that which commeth is coũted the fineſt, and called Saffron du hort. The next crop is much greater, but the third excéedeth, and then they raiſe againe. In thys Periode of time alſo the heads are ſayd to childe, that is to yelde out of ſome partes of them dyuers other hedlets, wherby it hath bene ſéene that ſome one head hath bene increaſed to 3. or 4. or 5. or 6. whych augmentation is the onely cauſe whereby they are ſold ſo good cheape. For to my rẽembrance I haue not knowne a quarter of them to be valued much aboue two ſhillings eight pẽce, except in ſome odde yeres, when ouer great ſtore of winters wa|ter hath rotted ye moſt of them as they ſtood wtin the ground. It is thought that at euery raiſing they encreaſe cõmonly a third part.
[1] In Norffolke and Suffolke they raiſe but once in ſeuen yeres, but as theyr Saffron is not ſo fine as that of Cambridge ſhyre and about Walden: ſo it wil not tigne nor holde colour wyth all, wherin lieth a great part of the value of thys ſtuffe. Some craftie iackes vſe to mixt it wyth the flower of Sonchus, whych commeth ſomewhat neare in déede to the hew of our good, Saffron but it is [...] bewrayed both by the colour and [...]ard [...] Such alſo was the plenty of Saffron on a [...] 20. yeares paſſed, that ſome of the tow [...] men of Walden not thankful for the ab [...]+dance of Gods bleſſing beſtowed vpon th [...] [...]s wiſhing rather more ſcarcitie the ro [...] be+cauſe of the keping vp of the prices in [...] contemptuous manner murmured aga [...] him, ſaying that he [...]id ſhite Saffron [...] preſent, therwith to choke ye market. But [...] they ſhewed them ſelues unleſſe the [...] ing [...] infidels in thys behalfe, ſo the Lord con [...]+ring theyr vnthankfulneſſe, gaue them [...] ſince ſuche ſcarsitie, as the greateſt muthe+rers haue now the leaſt ſtore, and moſte of them are eyther wor [...]e out of [...]crupying or remain ſcarſe able to maintain there gre [...] wythout the helpe of other men Cert [...] hath generally decayed about Walden ſince the ſayd time, vntill now of late wythin the two yeares, that men began againe to ph [...] and renew the ſame. But to procéede, when the heads be raiſed and taken vp, they [...] remaine 16. or 20. daies out of the earth [...] I know it by experience, in that I haue [...]+ed ſome of them to London wyth me, and n [...]twythſtanding that they haue remayned there vnſet by the ſpace of. 25. daies, yet ſ [...] of them haue brought forth 2. or 3. flowere [...] péece, and ſome flowers 4. or 5. chiues to the great admiration of ſuch as haue gathered the ſame, and not bene acquainted wyth the countrey where they grew. The Crokers i [...] Saffron men doe vſe an obſeruation a lit [...] before the comming vppe of the flower [...] opening of the heads, to iudge of plentye [...] ſcarcitie of thys commoditie to come. Fo [...] they ſée as it were many ſmall heary vaines of Saffron to be in the middeſt of the bul [...], they pronounce a frutefull yeare: And to ſay truth, at the cleauing of each head a mã ſhall diſcerne the Saffron by the colour, and ſ [...] wherabouts it will iſſue out of the roote.
[1] Warme nights, ſwéete dewes, fat groũds (chiefly the chalky) and miſty mornings are very good for Saffron, but froſt and cold doe kill and kéepe backe the flower: And this much haue I thought good to ſpeake of En|gliſh Saffron whych is hote in the ſeconde and dry in the firſt degrée.
[1] Now if it pleaſe you to heare of any of the vertues thereof, I will note theſe inſuing at the requeſt of one who required me to touche a fewe of them wyth whatſoeuer breuitye I liſted. Therfore our Saffron is very profita|bly mingled with thoſe medicines whych we take for the diſeaſes of the breſt, of ye longes, of the liuer, and of the bladder. It is good al|ſo [page 114] for the ſtomacke if you take it in meate; for it comforteth the ſame and maketh good digeſtion: being ſodden alſo in wine, it not only kéepeth a man from dronkenneſſe, but encourageth alſo vnto procreation of iſſue. If you drinke it in ſwéete wine it enlargeth the breth and is good for thoſe that are trou|bled with the teſike and ſhortneſſe of ye wind. Mingled wyth milke of a woman and layed vpon the eyes it ſtayeth ſuch humors as de|ſend into the ſame, and taketh away the red wheales and pearles that oft groweth about them. It is verye profitably layde vnto all inflammations, painefull Apoſtemes, and the ſhingles, and doth no ſmall eaſe vnto dy|uers if it be mingled wyth ſuch medicines as are beneficiall vnto the eares. It is of great vſe alſo in riping of botches and al ſwellings proceding of raw humors. Or if it ſhal pleaſe you to drinke the roote therof with Malueſie it will maruellouſly prouoke vrine, diſſolue and expell grauell, and yéelde no ſmall eaſe vnto them that make theyr water by droppe meales. Finally, thrée drammes thereof ta|ken at once (whych is about the weighte of one ſhil. 9. pence halfepeny) is deadly poyſon as Dioſcorides doth affirme. There groweth ſome Saffron in many places of Almaine, and alſo about Vienna in Auſtria, whych la|ter is taken for ye beſt that ſpringeth in other quarters. In ſteade of thys alſo ſome doe vſe the Carthamus (called amongſt vs baſtarde Saffrõ) but neyther this is of any value, nor the other in any wiſe comparable vnto ours, whereof let this ſuffice as of a commoditye brought into this Ilande not long before the time of Edward the third, and not common|ly planted vnitll Richard ye ſecond did raign. It would grow very well as I take it about Chiltern hilles, & in all the vale of the whyte horſe.