JOHN GERARDE 63 



with necessitie. In the first ages of the world they were the 

 ordinarie meate of men, and have continued ever since of neces- 

 sarie use both for meates to maintaine life, and for medicine to 

 recover health. The hidden vertue of them is such, that (as 

 Plinie noteth) 1 the very brute beasts have found it out : and 

 (which is another use that he observeth) from thence the Diars 

 took the beginning of their art 



Furthermore, the necessarie use of these fruits of the Earth 

 doth plainly appeere by the great charge and care of almost all 

 men in planting and maintaining of gardens, not as ornaments 

 onely, but as a necessarie provision also to their houses. And 

 here beside the fruit, to speake againe in a word of delight; 

 gardens, especially such as your Honor hath, furnished with 

 many rare simples, do singularly delight, when in them a man 

 doth behold a flourishing shew of sommer beauties in the middest 

 of winters force, and a goodly spring of Flowers, when abroade a 

 leafe is not to be scene. 



Beside these and other causes, there are many examples of 

 those that have honored this science : for to passe by a multitude 

 of the philosophers, it may please your Honor to call to remem- 

 brance that which you knowe of some noble Princes that have 

 joyned this studie with their most important matters of state : 

 Mithridates the great was famous for his knowledge herein, as 

 Plutarch noteth : Euan also king of Arabia, the happie garden of 

 the world for principall simples, wrote of this argument, as Plinie 

 sheweth : Diocletian might he have his praise, had he not drowned 

 all his honor in the blood of his persecution. To conclude this 

 point, the example of Salomon is before the rest and greater, 

 whose wisedome and knowledge was such, that he was able to 

 set out the nature of all plantes, from the highest Cedar to the 

 lowest Mosse. The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes , 

 gathered by John Gerarde of London, Master in Chirurgie. 

 1597. (Dedication to Sir William Cecill Knight ', Baron of 

 Burgleih^) 



1 Pliny, lib. 8, cap. 27 ; and lib. 22, cap. 2. 



