Page:Leechdoms wortcunning and starcraft of early England volume 3.djvu/75

For venom availest,
For flying vile things^[1]
Mighty gainst loathed ones
That through the land rove.
(ii.) And thou, waybroad,
Mother of worts,
Open from eastward,
Mighty within;
Over thee carts creaked,^[2]
Over thee queens rode,
Over thee brides bridalled,
Over thee bulls breathed,
All these thou withstoodst,
And with stound^[3] stayedst
As thou withstoodest
Venom and vile things
And all the loathly ones,
That through the land rove.
(iii.) Steem^[4] hight this wort,
On stone she grew,
Standeth she gainst venom,
Stoundeth she head wark;
Stiff hight she also,
Stoundeth she venom,
Wreaketh on the wrath one,
Whirleth out poison,
(iv.) This^[5] is the wort which
Fought against worm,
This avails for venom,
For flying vile things.
'Tis ofood gainst the loathlv ones

That through the land rove.

1. Epidemic disorders.
2. The waybroad takes half its name from growing by waysides.
3. stound, (a stunning noise; gerrun,) is used by Drayton.
4. Water cress; the fiery pungency of its flavour is, perhaps, the origin of the name; for Stiem is conflagration.
5. Attorlothe.