noli me tangere

In the rest of the private lodgings contiguous to this, are divers of the best pictures of the greate masters, Raphael, Titian, &c. and, in my esteeme, above all, the Noli me tangere of our blessed Saviour to Mary Magdalen after his Resurrection, of Hans Holbein [the Younger], than which I never saw so much reverence and kind of heavenly astonishment express'd in a picture.

The Porcupine is a ſmall thing not much unlike a Hedgehog; ſomething bigger, vvho ſtands upon his guard and proclaimes a Noli me tangere, to man and beaſt, that ſhall approach too neare him, darting his quills into their legges, and hides.

On the 25th of May, 1614, the Bishop of Lincoln [Richard Neile] having, in the House of Lords, dissuaded the Lords from agreeing to a conference with the Commons on the subject of impositions, and used this expression, "That the matter of imposition is a Noli me tangere; and that it did not strike at a branch, but at the root and prerogative of the imperial crown;" the House of Commons, after a long and violent debate, […] determine to forbear all proceedings in any parliamentary matter, till they have received an answer from the Lords on this subject.

There are only tvvo ſpecies of this genera uſually cultivated in the Engliſh gardens, both annuals; one is the Noli me tangere, or Touch-me-not, eſteemed more for the ſingularity of it's elaſtic capſules than beauty of its flovvers […]

This ſpecies [Momordica elaterium, now Ecballium elaterium] is one of the Noli me tangere, or Touch-me-not kinds, for upon handling the ripe fruit, it inſtantly burſts with elaſtic violence, and diſcharge its juice and ſeeds with amazing force all around to a great diſtance, often cauſing conſternation to ſtrangers vvho happen to touch them.

The ſame Maiſter [Jean] Nicot, hauing caused the ſaid hearb [tobacco] to be ſet in his Garden, where it grewe and multiplied maruellouſly, was vppon a time aduertiſed, by one of his Pages, that a young man, of kinne to that Page made a ſaye of that hearbe bruſed both the hearbe and the Juice together vppon an vlcer, which he had vpon his cheeke neere vnto his noſe, comming of a Noli me tangere, which began to take roote already at the griſtles of the Noſe, wherewith hee founde himſelfe meruellouſly eaſed. Therefore the ſayde Maister Nicot cauſed the ſicke young man to bee brought before him, and cauſing the ſaide hearb to be continued to the ſore eight or ten daies, this ſaide Noli me tangere, was vtterly extinguiſhed and healed: […]