61 Natural Magick,

never produce the like of that. In like manner, of the kernel of the naturalOlive cometh a wildc Olive; (and they that say that the maleCyprefle-tree for themost part degenerates into a female;) and in processe of time there is such a change,that it agreeth in nothing with the natural Olive, but is so stark wilde, that some-times it cannot bring forth fruit to any perfection. Varro kith that

Coleworts are changed into Rap) and Rase into Coleworts.

Old feed is of so great force in some things, that it quite changeth the nature; forthe old feed of Coleworts being sowed, brings forth Rape; and contrariwise, oldRape-sccd degenerates into Coleworts. By labour also and dressing

The Corn Tjphd, and Spelts are changed into Wheat , and Wheat into them jfor this may be done, if you take them being of a thorough ripencsse, and kneadthem, and then plant them; but this will not so prove the first nor the second year;but you must expect the proof of it in the third year, as Theophrastus soeweth. Phnjwriteth, that the Corn Siligo is changed into Wheat the second year. So all feeds,either by reason that they are neglected, or because there is some indisposition eitherin the earth, or the air where they are, do oft-times degenerate from theexcellen-. cy andgoodnesse of their kind, and become worse. Vtrgilhzsh observed it: I haveseen, faith he, the best and choicest things that were most made of, at length yet todegenerate, unteffe mans industry did yearly supply them with his help: so fatalit is for all things to wax worse and worse, and still to have need to be renewed.Calens father, a man very studious of Husbandry, especially in his old age, bestow-ed great pains and diligence to kind out, whether the annoyances of fruits, thatwhich mars their pure goodnesse, did spring up of it self, or arise out of any seedsof the fruits themselves, which did degenerate into other kinds. Wherefore hetook the purest, and the cleanest Wheat and Barley that he could get, and havingpicked out all other feed whatsoever,sowed them in the ground: and when he soundmuch Tares growing in the Wheat, but very little in the Barley, he put the fameexperiment in other grain in practice ; and at last found in Pulse a hard and roundFetch; and moreover, that the herb Axesceed did grow among Pulse, by a kind ofdegeneration of the Pulse into Axesceed. So, unlesse it be prevented by skillana pains,

The herb Ballamint will turn into a Mint,

Wherefore it must be often shifted and translated from place to place, lest it so de-generate , as Theophrajlus counselleth; for when a man doth not look to it anddresseir, the roots thereof will grow very large, and thereby the upper part beingWeakned,loseth the ranknesse o? his savour ; and that being lost, there remains init but a weak smell, the very same in a manner that is in a common Mint. I my selfhave sowed Mint seed, and it hath been changed into wilde Peny-roial j I mean,in savour onely : for the fashion of the Mint remained still in it. Martial writes,That

Bafil-royal degenerates into wilde TSetonjy

if it be laid open to the Suns hotest and greatest force: for then it will bring forthsometimes purple flowers, sometimes white, and sometimes of a Rosie colour. Andit will not only degenerate into Betony, but into Ballamint also. Likewise theboughs of the shrub Casia, as Galen reporteth, will degenerate into Cinamon.Likewise

Cloves, RofeS)Ftolets, and Gilli-flowersy of purple , will become white ,

either by reason that they are old, or else if they be not well looked unto. ForTheophrajlus records, that Violets, Roses, and Gillyflowers, if they be not wellheeded, in three years will wax white; and the experience thereof I my self haveplainly seen. Neither yet will Plants degenerate one into another, only in such

case as where there is a kind of vicinity and likeneffe of nature, but also where

there