174 



To The 



TRULY NOBLE, 



AND 



Perfect Lover Of LEARNING, 



Sir William Paston, 



Knight and Baronet. 



Moft Honoured Sir, 



Otwithjtanding the general! Dedication of this Herball 

 which you will find at the Foot of my Epiftle to the 

 Reader, I have thought it abfolutely neceffary to apply 

 my felfe to your Worjhip in Particular, humbly befeech- 

 -* ing you to give me leave to cornmit it to your more im-, 

 mediate ProteBion, that in cafe it fhould meet with any malevolent 

 Spirits, that fhould have any thoughts to caft forth their venemous 

 detra^ions and afperfions upon it, the Lufter of your name appearing 

 in the Front, might caufe them to vanifh, no otherwife then the 

 nocturnall spirits doe at the approach of the sunne. That which 

 imboldened me, though a ftranger to you, to prefume jo much upon 

 your goodneffe was the generall repute, that you have really deferved 

 by thofe propitious Afpects, that the nobleneffe of your Nature hath 

 vouchfafed to caft upon thofe, that bend their endeavor towards the 

 advancement of any defigne tending to the puhlique good, efpecially if 

 it be in order to the laudable ftudy of Phyfick, wherein you have 

 approved your felfe a good Patriot, af well as by thofe happy difcov- 

 eries you have communicated to the World; but more efpecially in 

 that rare cure of the Gout, which your Charity hath difpensed with 

 fo much succeffe * * * And amongft the reft. Students in the 

 Herbary Art are as profitable Members as any other, for befides that 

 they are Trumpets of Gods glory, fetting forth itfelfe so wonderfully 

 in thefe Vegetables, they are alfo by fojne called the Handes of God 

 becaufe they are his Inftruinents to apply thofe things unto Mankind 

 that he hath created for their prefervation. And in this refpecl 

 Phyfick may be faid to be ?nore effeEtual than Divinity it felfe, for 

 though the Charmer or Preacher channe never fo wifely, yet if the 

 Auditor be not compos mentis, but like the Deafe Adder, he will lose 

 his labour. But fuch are the Powerfull vertues of Herbs adminiftered 

 by a skillful Profeffor, that they will even reftore thofe that have 

 loft their Senfes, and fo not only make them capable of good Counfell 



