George Baker, one ofhir Maiefties chiefe Chirurgions in 



ordmarie,and M. of the Chirurgions of the citie 



ofLondonjo the ^Reader. 



1 Riftotle a Prince amongft the Philofophers, writing in his Metaphy- 

 ^ licks of the nature ofn mis naturally inclined 



ganddefirous of fcience. The which fentence doth teach vs, that all 

 :s (being vertuoufly giuen)do ftriue toperfedtion,and drawe 

 e in what he can to the Creator, and this knowledge is one of the 

 cipal parts which doch concerne the p en 

 for of the fame doth follow, that all fuch are generally inclined to knowe ti ,. 



ind reputation. And although it be neceffarie 

 for man to learneand knowe all fciences, yetneuertheleffethe knowledge of naturall 

 philofophic ought to be preferred, as being the moft neceffarie ; and moreouer,it doth 



was Chiron Ccntaure of great renowme, fonne to Saturne and Phillyre: and others 

 fay that it wasinuentcdof Apollo, and others of Efculape his fonne ; eft 

 foexcellent a (cii :de butfrom the gods immoru !; 



... • ' ^ i ' ■:.■:■■, , [:'■ ,•:, 



God,had not firftinflruded and taught them F< thatthefc 



i :"..-!. . 



learne of amongft the Greekesth i of hcrbcs,haue 



beeneOrpheus, Mofee and riefiode, hauing igypriansj then 



Pythagoras of great renowme for his wifedome, which did 

 ofplants,and did acknowledge to learne the < (culape. Demo- 



id compofe bookes of plants, hauing firfttrauellcdouer all! V 

 Ethiopia and Egypt. Many other excellent fpirits haue taken great pleafure in this 

 fcience, which to accompiiih I , in pafllng many vnknowen 



regions, to lean* Elleborus, and other medicaments; of which 



number were Hippocrates, Crateua, Ariftotle, Theophraft, Diodes, Cari 



■ i id many others,which I leaue 

 ing to be too Jong. And if I may fpeake without partialitie of the author 

 of this booke, for his great paines, his no leffe expenccs ii 



of the world all the rare fimples which by any meanes he could a 



to haue them brought, but hath procured by his excellent knowledge to haue them 



h as the time of thcyeere doth feme may be k 

 fhall you fee all manner of ftrangc trees,her bes,rootes,plants, flowers, and other fuch 

 i ike a man woonder, how one of his degree, not hauing the 



notthinke for the knowledge of plants, that he is inferior to any : for 1 did once fee him 

 tried with one of the beft ftrangers that euer came into England, and was accounted i n 



