PREFACE. 



LlKE the Sinonoma BartholomcBi published in 1882, the present work 

 owes its existence to the influence of Professor Earle's English Plant 

 Names^. It was undertaken in the hope of discovering and preserving 

 the Enghsh names of plants contained in the Bodleian manuscript, 

 Selden B. '^^. The nature of this manuscript was not at first apparent, 

 but it was found to be substantially the same as that known as the 

 ^ Alphita' and pubHshed in Renzi's Collcctio Salernitana (vol. iii. p. 271)'". 

 It unfortunately breaks off in the middle of the letter S, but the text may 

 be completed and corrected by means of a manuscript in the British 

 Museum (Sloane 284) ^ 



The date of the Bodleian MS. may be about 1465. The Sloane MS. 

 is certainly earher, and does not contain so many words. Its omissions 

 are denoted in this edition by brackets. Both MSS. show signs of being 

 copied from an original, the writing of which was illegible or indistinct. 

 Indeed the text is so corrupt, that even an approximation to correctness 

 can only be made after a careful comparison with such works as the 

 Clavis Sanationis of Simon Januensis and the Pandectce Medicince of 

 Matthaeus Silvaticus^. 



' Quoted throughout as E. P. N. 



^ Renzi's edition is based on Nos. 6954 and 6957 of the Mazarin Library, now forming part of 

 the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. These MSS. are both of ihe fifleenth century. There is 

 another MS. in the Public Library at Toulouse. 



'^ The British Museum Catalogue attributes this to John Bray ; but the only reason for doing 

 so seems to be that Sloane 282 is by John Bray, and confains a number of explanations which are 

 found in Sloane 284. But they are to be found elsewhere also, and it cannot be supposed that 

 John Bray is the author of all the explanations which he has translated and embodied in his work. 



* Of these ISIatthseus Silvaticus reproduces Simon Januensis, but his work contains much 

 matter derived from other sources. See Rose's edition of Cassius Felix, p. 222. 



b [IV. 2.] 



