cap.2 





of ftatc : Mithridaus the great was famous for his knowledge her 



&**££ '*»&iiotetL £«*# alfo King of Arabia,the happy garden of the world foiprin- 

 piin.iib.2j, cipall Simples,wrot of this argument's Pliny fheweth. Diockfan fikewife .might 



haue had his praife,had he flot drowned all hishonour in the bloud of his per/e- 

 cution. To conclude this point, the example of Solomon is before the relt and 

 greater, whofe wifdome and knowledge was fuch, that heewas able toferout 

 the nature of all plants from thehigheft Cedar to the loweft MofTe. But my very 

 good Lordjthat which fometime was the ftudy of great Phy lofopher s and migh- 

 tie Princcsjis nownegleaed,exccpt it be of fome rew,whofc fpirit and wifdome 

 hath carried them among other parts of wifdome and counfell,to a care andffcu- 

 dieof fpeciall herbes,both for the fur nifhing of their garden s,and furtherance of 

 their knowledgeramong whom I may iuftly affirme and publish your Honor to 

 bcone,bcing my felfe one of your feruants,and a long time witneiTc thereof: for 

 vnderyour Lordfhip I hauc ferued,and that way emploied my principall ftudy 

 and almoft all my time,now by thefpace of twenty yeares- To the large and An- 

 gular furniture of this noble Ifland I haue added from f orreine places all the va- 

 rietie of herbes and floures that I might any Way obtaine, I haue laboured with 

 the foile to make it fit for plants, and with the plants, that they might delight in 

 the ioile, that fo they might liue and profper vnder our clymat, as in their natiue 

 and proper countrey : what my fuccefle hath beene,and what my furniture is, I 

 ' ■ s to the report of they that haue feene your Lordfhips gardens, and the lit- 

 tleplot of myne oWne efpeciali care and husbandry. But becaufc garden 



priuat,and many times finding an ignorant or a negligent fucceflb^come fc 



to ruine,there be that haue follicited me,firft by my pen, and after by the Prefle 

 to make my labors common,and to free them from the danger wherunto a gar- 

 den is fubjeft : wherein when I was ouercome,and had brought this Hiftory or 

 report of the nature of P lants to a juft volume, and had made it (as the Reader 

 ma? by comparifon fee)richer than former Herbals.I found it no cjueftion vnto 

 Whom I might dedicate my laborsjfor confidering your good Lordfhip,I found 

 none of whofe fauour and goodnes I might fooner prefume,feeing I haue found 

 you cucr my very good Lord and Mafter, Againe,conlidering my duty and your 

 Honors merits, to whom may I better recommend my Labors,than to him 





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whom I owe my felfe, and all that I am able in your feruice or deuotion to per- 

 forme ? Therefore vnder hope ofyour Honorable and accuftomed fauor Ipre- 

 Cent this Herball to your Lordfhips protection ; and not as an exejuifite Worktf 

 (for I know my meannefle)but as the greateft gift and chiefeft argument of duty 

 that my labour and feruice can afloordrwherof if there be no otherfruit,yetthis 

 is of fome v/e, that I haue miniftred Matter for Men of riper wits and deeper 

 judgements to polifh,and to adde to my large additions where any thing is de- 

 feaiue, that in time the Worke may be perfed. Thus I humbly take my leaue, 

 beteeching God to grant you yet many daies to Hue [o his glory,to the fupport of 

 this State vnder her Majeftie our dread Soueraigne,and that with great increafe 

 of honor in this world,and all fulnefle of glory in the world to come. 





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Your Lord/hips mofi humbU 





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and obedient Seruant 



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