Plin.Iun, 

 in Pad. 



T timet us. 



Dodonasus. 



Pcna. 



lobelias. 



Tftbernam» 



far 



mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 



To the well affedted Reader and Perufer of this BooJce 



St. TSredweU Phyfitian, greeting. 



(ggPM is the Campe of glory and honour for all menjaith the younger Pliny, net 

 onely men of great birth and dignitie, or men of office endued with publique 

 charge andutles, arefeene therein, and haue the garland of 'praife and p refer, 

 ment waiting to crowne their merits, but euen the common Souldier likewife : 

 foot he whtfe Name and note was erjl obfeure, may by egregious alls of va. 

 lour obtaine aplace amongH the Noble .The fchoole ofScicncekecpethfembla- 

 ble proportion : w hofe amplitude, as not ahvaies , nor onely, men of great titles 

 and degrees labor to illufirate -Jo whofoeuer doth, may confidently account of 

 at the \e aft, his name to be immortall. What u he then that wit deny his voice of graft ous commen- 

 dot ion to the Authors of this Booh •• To euery one, no doubt, there is due a condtmemeafure. The 

 fir ft Gatherers out of the Antients, and Augment ers by their owne paines, haue already (bred the 

 odour of their good names throw all the lands of learned habitations, Dotter Prieftjfr his tran- 

 ftation offo much as Dodonaeus, hath thereby left a Tombefor his honourable feptdture. M after 

 Gerard comming laft, but not the baft, hath many waies accommodated the whole Worke vnto our 

 Englilb Nation : For this Hiftory of Plants, as it is richly replenished by thofe fue mens Labors laid 

 together Jo yet could it full ill haue wanted that new accepon he hath made vnto it. tJMam t bines 

 hath he neurtjhedin his Garden, andobferued in our Engltjh fields, that neuer came into their pins 

 to write of Kyi game \t he great eft number of thefe plants, hauing neuer been written of in our En?- 

 iijb tongue , would haue wanted names for the vulgar fort to call them by : in which defeft hethath 

 been cunoufty carefull,touching old and new names to makefupply. And left the Reader Jbould too 

 pften languijb wit h fruflrate deftre to finde fome plant he readeth,of rare vertue, he (bareth not to tell 

 (if hmfelfe haue fan ttm England) in what woodjafture, or ditch the fame may be feene andva- 

 thered. Which whin I thinke ofiandt her ewit hall remember with what chearefuH alacritie and re. 

 folute attendance he hath many y tares tilled this ground, and now brought forth the fruit of it whe- 

 ther Ijliouldmore commend his diligence to attaine this skill , or his large benevolence in bellowing 

 it on his Cotmtrey, I cannot eafily determine. This Booke-birth thus brought forth by Gerard as tt 



u ' n fi r J ne n an t d ^ t M tti '> n fare ^nd comely, (euery Species being refaredto his likeliett Genus, 



fif whofeftockeitcame) fotsitaccomplifhcdwithfurpafiingvarietie, vnto fuch (breadin? growth 

 and ftrength of euery limme, as thatitmay feemefime heroicaU Impe ofillujlnous Race , able to 

 draw the eyes and ex feci at ton of euery man vnto it. Somewhat rare it will be beer e for a CMan to 

 moue a queftion of this nature, and depart againe without fome good fatisfacf ion. Manifold will bee 

 the vfe hth to toe Phyfitian and others : for euery man delighteth m knowledge naturally which 

 (as AnftQtlcfaid) is in prober itie an ornament jn aduerfttie a refuge. But this book aboue many 

 others willfute with the moft,becaufc it both plentifully admin if ret h knowledge (which is the food 

 of the mwde) and doth it alfo with a familiar andpleafing taftc to euery caPacitie.Now as this com- 

 moditie is communicated to all, and many JlulM+ceiue much fruit thereof., Co I will, fome may haue 

 the mindc to returne a benefit againe : that it might not be true in all, that luvenal faith, Scire vo- 

 lant omnes.merccdern iolvere nemo, (id eft) All defire toknow, none to yeeld reward. 



Let men thinke, That the perfection of this knowledge is the high aduancement of the health of 

 man .• That perfection is not to be attained but byftrong endeauour •• neither can (Iron? endunour be 

 accompli (bed 'without fee maintenance. This hath not hee , who is forced to labour for his dayly 

 bread: but ifhe who from the jl,ort houres of his daily and ncceffane trauell , fteatinr at it were 

 fome for the publique behoofe,andfetting at length t he fc pieces together, can bring forth (o comely A 



put away the ignorance of. 



in- 



i as 



CicOffi 



c. I 



V 



if publique maintenance did free him from thatpriuate care, andvnite his t hour his to be 



tent to the gener all good, o Reader , if fuch men as thUfticke to rob themfelues of fuch 



thou haft, to enrich thee with that fufienance thou want eft, detract not to hare out of thine abundance 



to merit and encourage their paines ;t hat foftuxable riches and permanent fciences may the one be. 



( ^<'proptotheother.Mthoughpraifeandreward ) ioynedasc 



TJjfr °f Allmm that ^dertake lofffs, labours, or dangers for the publique behoof e , becaufe 

 they adde ftnues (a* ut were)vnto Reafon,and able her more and 'more to refine her felft 







ejjiea ofitfelfe, nor in reffcfl of thofe that conferred it vpon 



as 



