Ix INTRODUCTION. 



cal knowledge in England between the 

 eleventh and the sixteenth centuries. Our 

 Lists gives us this impression, which is 

 confirmed from other sources. William 

 Turner was the first original writer in 

 English on Botany ; and he complained in 

 1551 that when he was at Cambridge (he 

 had entered in 1538) he could not get 

 to learn the Greek or the Latin or even 

 the English name for a plant, so great 

 was the ignorance of the time. Being a 

 zealous Reformer he was driven out of 

 England by Gardiner, and spent his time 

 at Cologne and other cities, cultivating the 

 friendship of physicians and botanists, in 

 Germany and Italy. After the death of 

 Henry VIII he returned and became phy- 

 sician to Lord Protector Somerset, and ob- 

 tained several ecclesiastical preferments, 

 whereof one was the Deanery of Wells. Ex- 

 patriated again during Mary's time he again 

 sojourned at Cologne, to be restored to his 

 country and his offices under Elizabeth. 

 His book is a famous one, and it opened 

 the new era for botany in England. It is 

 entitled : A new herball, wherein are con- 



