t 



To the Reader. 



tjlus as he followed Ariftotle in the Schoole, foalfo 



Writing • for according as Arijlotle hach deliuercd his H/Jlona x^dmmalium 

 forth this of Plants, not by vvi icing 



attach Jpecies in particular, but of their differences and rbtopb 



_ 9 ^ ions^ndli{e. Which how hard a thing it was he tells ? u ' uc 



you in his fecond chaptered renders you this rcafon>Becaufe there is nothing common to all *»"•*•» 

 Plant s^as the month and belly is toother lining creatures^&c. Now by this manner of writing »" „. 

 you may Icarne the generall differences ind affections of Plants,but cannot come ro the * l>&a 

 particular knowledge of any 5 wichout much labor j for you muft go to many places to ga- 

 ther vp the defcription of one plant : neither doth he (nor is it neceflarie for any writing 

 in this manner} make mention of any great number,and of many it may be but once. His 

 Works being fn Greeke were tran dated into Latine by Theodore Gafy who did them but 

 Grata fde for he omitted fome things^otherwhiles rendred them contrarie to the minde 

 of the Author • butaboueall, he took tohimfelfe too much libertieingiuingofnames, 

 in imitation of the Greeke>or of his own iouention^when ithad been better by much for 

 Iiis Reader to banc had them in the Greeke 3 as when hee renders 'b^**, K^igttatorium^ 

 •iiWI/™», Solarisgrc The learned Iulius Scdiger hath fet forth Ammadverfwnes vpon thefe* 

 BookSjVvherein he hath both much explained the minde ofTheophraftus, and fhewed the 

 errors ofGa^a. Some fince his time haue promifed to do fomething to this Authour,as 



* 



this kinde by either of them. Thus much for Theophraft 



4 



bnt two,and thefc according to the con jc dure oilulius Scaliger ( who 

 and curious examination of themjhaue either perifhed, or come to vs 1 

 riginally written by Ariftotle, but as they haue been by fome later mai 



;hey 



* 



7 heophrajli detratfajila qu*dam>ijfq h clavos additosjametfinequeaureospequepurpureos. ^uod 

 fiprotinus autorem tibidarivis ad Ar ahum diligentiam propius accedit. And afterwards thus • 

 Ksittribuere mri do5ti> alius alij 9 at quidem qui aliorum vidcrem nihil Planudcm autorem facienti 

 malim ajfemiri • extant enim illius alijs in libris fimilis vefiigiafemilatimetatis^ &c. Thus much 



for^r//?.whomasyoq fee I haue placed after his ScholIer,becaufe there is ftrch doubt of 

 thefe bookes caried about in his name,and for that Scaliger y as you fee,tbinks them rather 

 taken out of Theophraft //s.than written by his Mafter. 



lowes is Pedacius Diofcorides Anazarbeus , who liued ( ac 



f Cleopatra^which was fome few yeares before the birth of 



nfounded * Diofcorides Anazarbeus with Diofcorides Phacas 







rent men : for our Anazarbean Djofio- g^! 

 follower of Herophylus and of theRa- *** 



meek 



9%o$iJ\( Aw- 



addicted euen from his childehood, which made him trauell much ground, and leade a ' 



military hfe,the better toaccomplifo his ends : and in this hee attained to that perfe&i- 



on,that few or none fince his time hane attained to.Of the exeliencie of his work which' 



is as it were the foundation and ground-workc of all that hath bin fince deliuered'in this 



kmde, heare what (74/<7>,one of the excellenteft of Phy fitians, and one who fpenc no fmal f'f& J L 



time m this ftud y,affirmes : But (faith he ) the Anazarbean Diofcorides in file boohs hath,™*, 

 mitten of the neceffary matter ofCMedicine, not onely making mention ofHerbesJbut alfo of Trees 

 Fruits, Liquors and 'Iuycesas alfo of all CHincrals,and f the farts of liuing Creatures : and in *»* * tt*f 

 myne ottmon he hath with the greatefiperfeclionperformed this worke of the matter of Medicine • 

 jor although mam before km haue written well vpon this Sublet? , yet none haue writ Co weUof all' 



Now Dtofcoride^ r followsnot the method of rt«pA.but treats of each herb in particular', 

 .«? S!?, ing J • Names > then the clefcri P tion,and then the place where they vfually grow 



S e,r vertu « • Jet of fome,which as then were as frequently known w khS 

 as Sage,Rofemary,an Afti oroke treearr w ,>h „« u+ wk rtmiM Li .i,/j„r„- .• _ 



time when 



con.eftarcsKid.reav.tothcknowlcdgeofthcm. He was not curion s about h?°™tds 

 nor method but pla.nly and truly deliuered that whereof he had eettaine and «win™ 



me- 



hrft booke , wherern T ,.fi»r *u~ n.„:„.. s j being too Iong 



e *M*jir 1 ' rs~ r\ r * tr* . — ^^vu»uv,iu v»aie fiue Books dema- 



CHedtct. One De let airbus venenu, Mumq-prtcauttone & curatione. Another^ Cane 



Works 



uu 



rabid* 



J 



