Fig. 149. Job's Tears

The Description.

            Job's Tears hath many knotty stalks, proceeding from a tuft of thready roots, two foot high, set with great broad leaves like unto those of reed, amongst which leaves come forth many small branches like straw of corn: on the end whereof doth grow a grey shining seed or grain hard to break, and like in shape to the seeds of Gromwell, but greater, and of the same colour, whereof I hold it a kind: every of which grains are bored through the midst like a bead, and out of the hole cometh a small idle or barren chaffy ear like unto that of Darnel.

The Place.

            It is brought from Italy and the countries adjoining, into these countries, where it doth grow very well, but seldom cometh to ripeness; yet myself had ripe seed thereof in my garden, the summer being very hot.

The Time.

            It is sown early in the Spring, or else the winter will overtake it before it come to ripeness.

The Names.

            Divers have thought it to be Lithospermi species, or a kind of Gromwell, which the seed doth very notably resemble, and doth not much differ from Dioscorides his Gromwell. Some think it Pliny's Lithospermum; and therefore it may very aptly be called in Latin, Arundo Lithospermos, that is in English, Gromwell reed, as Gesner saith. It is generally called Lachrima Iob, and Lachrima Iobi: of some it is called Diospiros: in English it is called Job's Tears, or Job's Drops, for that every grain resembleth the drop or teare that falleth from the eye.

The Nature and Virtues.

            There is no mention made of this herb for the use of physic: only in France and those places (where it is plentifully growing) they do make beads, bracelets, and chains thereof, as we do with pomander and such like.