294 HOW'S WILL 



well justified. It is more likely that the vigour of his language was 

 partly due to haste consequent on failing health, and perhaps to 

 a presentiment of death and to the knowledge that his time and 

 resources were insufficient to do his author more than scant justice. 

 How died in 1656, a few months after the publication of his book. 



We have consulted William Howe's will (P. C. C. Berkeley 315) 

 at Somerset House. He described himself as of Milke St., co. 

 Middlesex, Gent., 'being in perfect memory though much erased 

 in Body'. He willed that his body should be 'very humblie 

 interred in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, on the left side 

 of my mother. The earth to be taken up att least 6 foote, my 

 funeral I desire may be observed about ten at night. I would not 

 have above 6 of my choyce friends accompaning'. His wife 

 Elizabeth Howe was appointed absolute executor, but as regards 

 his Library he ' would have her advised by some knowing person 

 to putt of, and by no means to part with any particular book from 

 the whole'. Will proved, 22 Sept. 1656. 



It is probable that Goodyer then acquired a selection of his 

 books and manuscripts. The most important of these, which are 

 still in the Library at Magdalen College, are the Lobel Manuscripts, 

 How's own annotated copy of his Phytologia, Johnson's Descriptio 

 Itmeris 1632, both with the MS. additions printed below, certain 

 loose papers including Goodyer MS. 11, ff. 169-73, described on 

 p. 355, and a few printed books including editions of Tabernae- 

 montanns, Matthiolus, and Reneahmis. 



William Cole or Coles of New College gratefully acknowledged 

 the help that How gave him in the preparation of his Adam in 

 Eden 1657. 'Furnished' with How's 'best advice and with some 

 of his select and choicest papers for perfecting his design', it is a 

 pity that Coles did not produce a sounder book. 



xiii. Dr. John Dale, d. 1662. 



In the Latin introduction to his Pinax rertim natiiralimn Britan- 

 iiicarinn. Dr. Christopher Merrett. F.R.S., tells us that the one 

 and only comprehensive Flora of Britain that had ever been printed 

 was almost out of print, and that Pulleyn,^ a publisher living in 

 St. Paul's Churchyard, had asked him to undertake a new Catalogue 



^ Octavian Pulleyn was the publisher of How's Phytologia in 1650; Cave 

 Pulleyn published Merrett's Pinax in 1667. Octavian sold to How the copy of 

 Tabernae7nontamus which was afterwards acquired by Goodyer: his signature 

 is inside the cover. See pp. 202 and 226. 



