Charms and Remedies, and Allegory Summary

In medieval England, medical treatment involved a mixture of pagan folklore, Christian symbolism, and herbal science. People also used incantations to try to change the world around them. This section begins with a charm to prevent or heal a wen, which is a type of cyst on the scalp. Next there is a sort of prayer to keep the speaker's cattle from being stolen, pleading for the safety of the cattle, and asking for the downfall of anyone who might rob him. The third charm in this section is a magic spell to ward off a swarm of bees while chanting and throwing dirt at them.

After the charms are several selections from "Bald's Leechbook," an ancient medical text. These are complicated recipes for remedies for a number of illnesses, and the remedies range from...