SARACEN 87 



To the Gentle Reader 

 Salutation. 



Thou willt wonder, it may be (Gentle Reader) how it should 

 come into my minde, y' I should sett about a new interpretation 

 of Dioscorides, especially since y' soe many famous men, renowned 

 for Eloquence, learning and iudgement, as Hermol. Barbarus, Marc. 

 Virgilius, Janus Cornarius, & Jo. Ruellius, have long since with 

 great contention & aemulation taken abundant if not overabundant 

 paines in translating him, & have donne well herein to their great 

 commendations. But you will then leave off to wonder, when you 

 shall have understood by what reasons I was induced, or drawen 

 heereunto. Dr. Jo. Sambucus of godly memorie the Emperours 

 Physition & Historiographer had formerly often importuned by 

 letters Henry Steevens, Printer, a man most skillful of y® twoe 

 tongues both Greek and Latin, to sett out in print y^ Greek & 

 Latin text of Dioscorides with y^ most elegant letters of y^ King's 

 stampe, & y' hee should add to y*" Margent thereof his notes, sent 

 over a little before^ or rather y^ divers readings upon y' Author, 

 gathered by him with great labour, by a faithfull & diligent com- 

 paring of divers antient bookes found in y*^ severall Libraries of 

 Princes. But while Steevens did prepare himself to goe about 

 this worck, hee was minded to place Ruellius his Translation 

 (which hee did, and not without cause, prefur before the rest) right 

 over against the Greek text, but hee found it to be, as indeed it is, 

 a little too free in many places, that y^ Latin did not sufficiently 

 aunsere to the Greeke : therefore for y^ acquaintance sake y' did 

 passe between him & mee, hee did intreat you & overintreate mee, 

 y' I would take a diligent review of it, & sett downe in the margent 

 y^ correction of all y^ places in which Ruellius, either following 

 some corrupted copie, or else by his beeing too much addicted to 

 Plinie, as for y^ most part hee is, did not sufficiently expresse y^ 

 sence of Dioscorides, nor y^ force of his wordes. But I had scarce 

 compared a few of the first leaves, when being as it were deterred 

 with y^ difficultie of soe most grievous a burthen, I was compelled 

 to decline from my first resolution, & to change my minde. For 

 I mett forther (under favour be it spoken) with soe many places 

 worthy of censure, & animadversion, y' partly to avoide y^ hatefull 

 labour, & partly to avoide y^ envie, & offence of them, which might 

 have suspected mee to be too injurious against Ruellius his ghost, 

 I thought it better to sett out a new translation, then to correct an 

 others. In which I may truely say, y' I have performed y" part, 



