84 THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



man douteth but that almyghty God, the author of all goodness, 

 hath gyuen unto us by the hands of the Hethen, as necessary 

 unto the use of Mankynd : yet is there none among them all, 

 whych is so openly comended by the verdit of any holy writer 

 in the Bible, as is 3^e knowledge of plantes, herbes, and trees 

 and of Phisick. I do not remembre that I have red anye 

 expressed commendations of Grammer, Logick, Philosophic, 

 naturall or morall. Astronomic, Arithmetyke, Geometry, Cosmo- 

 graphic, Musycke, Pcrspcctiuc or any other such lyke science. 

 But I rede amonge the commendatyons and prayses of Kyng 

 Salomon, that he was sene in herbes shrubbes and trees and so 

 perfectly that he disputed wysely of them from the hyghest to 

 the lowest, that is from the Cedre tre in Mount Liban unto the 

 Hysop that groweth furth of the wall. If the Knowledge of 

 Herbes, shrubbes and trees which is not the lest necessary 

 thynge unto the knowledge of Phisicke were not greatly com- 

 mendable it shulde never have bene set among Salomon's com- 

 mendacyons and amongst the singular giftes of God. Therefor 

 whereas Salomon was commended for the Knowledge of Herbes 

 the same Knowledge was expressedly ynough comended there 

 also." Continuing, he speaks of learned EngUshmen " Doctor 

 Clement, Doctor Wendy and Doctor Owen, Doctor Wolton and 

 Maister Falconer " ^ which " have as much knowledge in herbes 

 yea and more than diuerse Itahanes and Germanes whyche have 

 set forth in prynte Herballes and bokes of simples. Yet hath 

 none of al these set furth any thyng other to the generall profit 

 of hole Christendome in latin and to the honor of thys realme, 

 nether in Englysh to the proper profit of their naturall countre.'* 

 After slyly observing that perhaps they do not care to jeopardise 

 their estimation, he compares himself, for having ventured to 

 write this book, with the soldier " who is more frendly unto 

 the commonwealth, which adventurously runneth among the 



^ This was probably the John Falconer who sent English plants to Amatus 

 Lusitanus, who taught physic at Ferrara and Ancona, and whose commentary 

 on Dioscorides was published in 1553. 



