122 THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



years before the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and throughout 

 it there is very evident the pride of a Spanish subject in the 

 splendid overseas dominions of his country, then the first 

 empire in the world and the mistress of the seas. The preface 

 is so redolent of the atmosphere of Spanish galleons and the 

 boundless interest in the great new continent and its wonders, 

 that I quote it almost in full, although in modern print it loses 

 much of the charm of the original black-letter. The writer 

 surely had in his mind the account of the navy of Tharshish, 

 which came once in three years, *' bringing gold and silver, 

 ivory, and apes, and peacocks," and one cannot help suspecting 

 that loyalty to his Cathohc Majesty of Spain suggested the 

 inclusion of hons from America in order that he might not be 

 outdone by the splendour of Solomon. Moreover, Monardes 

 proudly tells us that from the New World to Spain " there 

 commeth every yere one hundred shippes laden . . . that it is a 

 greate thynge and an incredle riches." 



" In the yere of our Lorde God, a thousande, fower hundreth 

 ninetie twoo : our Spaniardes were gouerned by Sir Christofer 

 Colon [Columbus], beeyng naturally bt)rne of the countrie 

 Ger>oa, for to discouer the Occidentall Indias, that is called at 

 this ^.af-, the Newe Worlde, and thei did discouer the first lande 

 thereof, the XI dale of October, of the saied yere, and from that 

 tyme unto this, thei haue discouered many and sundrie Ilandes, 

 and; muche firme Lande, as well in that countrie, whiche thei 

 call the Newe Spaine, as in that whiche is called the Peru, 

 where there are many Prouinces, many Kyngdomes, and many 

 Cities, that hath contrary and diuers customes in them, whiche 

 there hath been founde out, thynges that neuer in these partes, 

 nor in any other partes of the worlde hath been seen, nor unto 

 this dale knowen : and other thynges, whiche now are brought 

 unto us in greate aboundaunce, that is to sale, Golde, Siluer, 

 Pearles, Emeraldes, Turkeses [turquoises], and other fine stones 

 of greate value, yet greate is the excesse and quantitie that hath 



