384 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1773. 



Mr. Ames, in his Typographical Antiquities, p. 470, informs us, that in the 

 year 15 16, a folio, entitled, ' The Greate Herbal),' was printed in Southvvark 

 by Peter Treveris ; and this Dr. D. believes, is the oldest English herbal now 

 extant in print. 



To come to later times: Mr. Gough (in his British Topography, p. 61) in- 

 forms us, ' That, before the year 1597, John Garrard, citizen and surgeon 

 of London, seems to be the first who cultivated a Inrge physic garden, which he 

 had near his house in Holborn, where he raised 1 100 different plants and trees.' 

 He might have added, that Gerr?rd had another physic garden in Old-street, 

 containing a great variety of plants ; a printed catalogue of which is to be found 

 in the libraries of the curious. But Gerrard had a famous contemporary, who 

 greatly advanced that valuable science, and of whom but little has hitherto been 

 said by the modern biographers. 



'' John Tradescant is the person meant. And an attempt to revive the memory 

 of this once eminent botanist and virtuoso may not be displeasing. John Tra- 

 descant was, according to Anthony Wood, a Fleming, or a Dutchman. We 

 are informed by Parkinson, that he had travelled into most parts of Europe, and 

 into Barbary; and, from some emblems remaining on his monument in Lambeth 

 church-yard, it plainly appears that he had visited Greece, Egypt, and other 

 eastern countries. In his travels, it is supposed he collected not only plants and 

 seeds, but most of those curiosities of every sort, which, after his death, were 

 sold by his son to the famous Elias Ashmole, and deposited in his Museuni at 

 Oxford. 



When he first settled in this kingdom, cannot at this distance of time be ascer- 

 tained; perhaps it was towards the latter end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, 

 or the beginning of that of King James the First. His print, engraven by 

 Hollar before the year 1656, which represents him as a person very far advanced 

 in years, seems to countenance this opinion. He lived in a great house at South 

 Lambeth, where there is reason to think his museum was frequently visited by 

 persons of rank, who became benefactors to it : among these were King Charles 

 the 1 St, to whom he was gardener. Henrietta Maria his queen. Archbishop 

 Laud, George Duke of Buckingham, Robert and 'William Cecil, Earls of Salis- 

 bury, and many other persons of distinction. John Tradescant may therefore 

 be justly considered as the earliest collector in this kingdom, of every thing that 

 was curious in natural history, viz. minerals, birds, fishes, insects, &c. He 

 had also a good collection of coins and medals of all sorts, besides a great variety 

 of uncommon rarities. A catalogue of these, published by his son, contains an 

 enumeration of the many plants, shrubs, trees, &c. growing in his garden, which 

 was pretty extensive. Some of these plants are, if not totally extinct, at least 

 become very uncommon, even at this time. A list of some remarkable ones 



