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TOTHERIGHTHONORABLE 



HIS SINGVLARGOOD LORD AND 



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MASTER, SIR William C 



Burghlcy, Matter of the Court of Wards and Liueries, Chancellor of the 



Vniuerfitie of Cambridge, Knight of the raoft noble Order of the Garter, 



one of the Lords of her Majcfties ruoft honorable Priuy Coun- 



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Mong the manifold creatures of God (right Honora- 

 ble, and my Angular good Lord) that haqe all in alt 

 ages diuerlly entertained many excellent wits, and 

 drawn them to the contemplation of the diuine wif- 

 dome,nonehaueprouoked mens ftudies more,or fa- 

 tisfied their defires fo much as plants haue donc,and 

 that vpon juft and wotthy caufes : for if delight may 

 prouoke mens labor, what greater delight is there 

 than to behold the earth apparelled with plants, as 

 with a robe of embroidered worke, let with Orient 

 pearles and garhiftied with great diuerfitie of rare and coftly jewelsftf this va- 

 rietic and perfection of colours may affect the eie,it is fuch in herbs and floures, 

 that no JpeBcs, no Zeuxk cuer could by any art exprefle the like : if odours or if 

 tafte may worke fatisfacVion,they are both fo foueraignc in plants>and fo comfor- 

 table that no confection of the Apothecaries canequall their excellent venue 

 But thefe delights are in the outward fenfes.-the principal delight is in the mind! 

 Angularly enriched with the knowledge of thefe vifible things,fctting forth to vs 

 the muifible wifdome and admirable workmanfhip of Almighty God. The de- 

 light is grcat,but the vfe greater,and ioyned often with neceftiti e.In the firft a$es 

 of the world they /were the ordinary meate of men, and haue continued eucr 

 fince of neceflary vfe both for meates to maincaine life, and for medicine to re • 

 couer health. The hidden vertueof them is fuch, that (as Pliny noteth; the very 

 bruit beafts haue found it out.and (which is another vfe that he obferues) from 

 thence the Dyars tooke the beginning of their Arc 



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Funhermore,the neceflary vfe ofthofe fruits of the earth doth plainly appear* 

 by the great charge and carcof alraoft all men in planting & maintaining oLar- 

 dens, not as ornaments onc4y , but as a neceflarie prouificn aifo to their houfes 

 And here befide the fruit,to fpeake againe in a word of delight,gardcns,efpecia- 

 y fuch as your Honor hath,f U mi(hed with many rare Simples, do Angularly de- 

 light, when id them a man doth behold a flourishing (hew of Summer beauties 

 in themidft of Winters force, and a goodly fpring ofnours,when abroada leafe 

 is not to be feene. Befides thefe and other caufes, there arc many examples of 

 thofe that haue honoured this fcience : for to paffc by a multitude of the Philofo- 

 phers,,t may pleafe your Honor to call to remembrance that which you know of 

 fome noble Princes, that haue ioyned this ftudy with their moft important mat- 



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