BOTANICAL INVESTIGATION IN MIDDLESEX. 3G9 



1861 ; he can, however, afford no further information about it, nor can we 

 trace it in any way. Turner also greatly assisted in the translation of 

 the Bible by comparing it with the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin texts. 



In 1546 a proclamation was issued by Henry VIII., forbidding any 

 persons to read the works of certain authors, among whom we find Turner 

 mentioned; and in 1555 his writings were again prohibited by royal pro- 

 clamation. It is likely that many copies of his books were destroyed, and 

 hence their rarity. 



A few Middlesex additions are found in the Adversaria Nova, a joint 

 production of Matthias de Lobel and Peter Pena, printed in London in 

 1570-71. In Lobel's Observationes (Antwerp, 1576) are also a few similar 

 notes.* Lobel spent, at all events, the latter part of his life in England, and 

 is said to have had charge of a physic garden at Hackney. The fragmen- 

 tary Elustrationes of this author was not published till 1655, by Dr. How ; 

 in this volume numerous Cyperacese and Grasses are recorded as found 

 about Highgate, many of which it is now impossible to identify. I-obel's 

 connection with Highgate is found in his daughter, who is said to have 

 married a Mr. James Coel of that place. Lobel died in London in 1616.f 



The additions to our flora by Lobel are : Bldens cermoa, Gnaphalium 

 sylvaticum, Villarsia, Scutellaria galtriGulata and ;S'. minor, Stachys palus- 

 ti'is, Hydrocharis, Juncus bufonius, Luzula sylvatica and L. pilosa, Sagit- 

 taria, Butomus, Carex hirta, Phalaris aricndinacea, Catahrosa, and Equisetum 

 sylvaticum. 



The next work to which we are indebted is the well-known ' Herball, or 

 general historic of plants gathered by John Gerarde, of London, Master in 

 Chirurgerie,' printed in London in 1597. Gerarde lived in Holborn ' within 

 the suburbs of London,' where he had an extensive garden. J He seems to 

 have botanised much about London, especially in the northern outskirts, 

 Hampstead, Islington, &c., and 73 species are first noticed as inhabitants 

 of our county by him, of which the majority are still to be found in his 

 stations. Diflotaxis tenuifolia, Armoracia amphibia, Bhamnus Frangida, 

 Ornithopus, Pyrus torminalis, Bunium flexuostion, Solidago, Erica cinerea and 

 E. Tetralix, Vaccinium Myrtillus, Melampyrumpratcnse, Lamium Galeobdo- 

 lon, Plantago Coronopus, Salix repvns, JJstera ovata, Convallaria majalis, 

 Eriophorum polystacMon, Blechnum, Ophioglosstim and Lycopodium clava- 

 ium, are among his discoveries. He died about 1607. 



It is to Thomas Johnson, however, that vre are especially indebted for 

 advancing the local botany of our county at this period. Of this indefatig- 



* The Adversaria and Observationes are commonly met with bound in one volume as 

 Historia Stii'pinm, Antwerp, 1576, and a second edition in 1605. 



t Paul de Lobell, an apothecary who lived in Lyme Street, and was employed to give 

 the medicines to Sir Thos. Overbury in the Tower by which he was jioisoned in 1615, was 

 perhaps a son of the botanist. He married the sister of Dr. Mayerne, physician to James 

 I., (See Amos. The Great Oyer of Poiso?iing, pp. 167-169). 



X An alphabetical catalogue of the plants of this garden was published in 1586 in the 

 form of a quarto tract. The list occupies eighteen pages in double columns, and contains 

 1,039 names. It is now very scarce, A second edition was printed in 1599 (Cat^ BibL 

 Bodl.). 



