The EpifUe to the Qucenc, 



to fo vertuous a foneraignCjand a fruitfull member of fo good 



a common weale. The firft of thefe hartened or cmboldned 



mc againft thofe perfvafions of mine owne vnwoorthmelTe :' 



which (vndoubtcdiy) hadpQtmetovtterfilence, had I not 



been fuftained both with the comfortable remembraunce of 



' your highncffe clemeucie.and withall confidered, that no gift 



may lightly be more acceptably prefented to the head , than 



that, which wholy tendetn to the prefcruatio of the reft of the 



body .Of which fort, when I confidered this hiftorie of Plants 



to be,I feared the lefle to prefent it vnto your maieftie.Know- 



ing that by your princely clemencic the fame bey ng receiued, 



& by your high wifdome & authpritie allowed, (hall take fuch 



place in your body politike,as iu the naturaU,thofedo that by 



the head (which by reaCons rule gouerneth the whole) are 



known to be approoued and condignly allowed . The fecond 



pricketh me continually forward with this or the like perfwa- 



iion : That as a thankful hart towards a naturall mother can 



^ not be better teftified , than by loue ihe wed and pradifed 



towards hirdeere children.: nor a more acceptable fruitful- 

 , nes be required of any one branch, than that which may re- 

 dound to the ornament of the whole ftptsj^c : fo I in no wife 

 fiiould be more able to (hew my thankful! minde towards 

 your Highnes ( the moft louin^ and tender mother of this 

 common weak) than in publifliing this hiftory to the benefit 

 of your moft louing fubieas,as being the beft token of loue & 

 diligence that I am at this time able to (hettr vnto either. And 

 {doubtles)if my skil in the tranflation were anfwerable to the 

 woorthines either of the hiftorie it fclf,or of the authors ther- 

 of,I doubt notjbut I Oiould be thought to haue honored your 

 maieftie with an acceptable prefent. As touching the woorthi- 

 nefle of the hiftorie ii;felfe,trucly that thing may not iuftly be 



thoughtvnmeetetobe offered vnto a prince, the knowledge 

 wherof,befide that it is by daily experience known to be both 

 prohtabletoaU,andpleafanttomany, is aboue all other fa- 

 culties (the diurne knowledge whereby the fouleliueth one- 

 ly excepted ) with fo high commendations intheholy fcrip- 



• tares extolled, that not oncly the profeffors thereof are ac- 



counted 



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