Vii 
Bibl. Banks, and followed by Pritzel, there is also a MS. copy in the Banksian 
collection, in the Botanical Department of the same institution. The second edition 
although far from common, is to be met with occasionally in private hands, as well 
as in public libraries. It is erroneously described by Pritzel in both editions of his 
Thesaurus, from the copy in-the Bodleian Library, as a quarto; it is really a small 
folio. An example to which great interest is attached, is bound up with a copy of 
the Herball, now in the Botanical Department of the British Museum, and formerly 
belonging to James Petiver; this has suffered from the depredations of mice, and 
injudicious trimming of the gnawed edges to conceal that injury as much as possible. 
Petiver has written on the title page ‘‘ Ex dono generosi D. R. Reynardson,” and 
the epithet ‘‘cornicula esopica Clusii” has been added to the authors name by 
some earlier owner. A few MS. notes are scattered through this copy, and the 
certificate has been defaced as mentioned on p. 55, and as I believe by L’Obel 
himself. 
From its rarity, and careless printing, I should infer that the edition of 
1596 was chiefly intended to circulate among the author’s own immediate friends ; 
but after the Herball appeared, the amended edition of 1599 would command a 
much larger circulation, and the copies would be more carefully preserved. 
It may be worth remarking that the weather about the time when Gerard 
published his Catalogus and Herball, was most unpropitious ; for a series of years, 
wet summers had raised the price of corn, and in 1596, wheat in London reached 
the famine price of £5 4 o per quarter; this too when the purchasing power of 
money was fully six times its present value. This fact should be borne in mind, 
when noticing the Author’s statements about his garden. 
The memoir of the Author has been drawn up from all available sources, the 
Herball largely contributing; from contemporary writers a good deal has been 
obtained ; the parish registers both of his native place and his residence in London, 
have been utilised, and some information has been gleaned from the Public Record 
Office, whilst the College of Arms, and the Registers of the Stationers’ Company 
- have been laid under contribution. The chief source of hitherto unpublished infor- 
mation relative to Gerard, has been gained from the Archives in the possession of 
the Barbers’ Company. Had these last been in better order, and in worthier 
keeping, probably more might have been ascertained than I have been enabled to 
do. At the time of Gerard’s connection with this Livery Company, its power 
was at its zenith; but as time passed on, it proved inadequate to fufil the 
