Ill] ' The Crete Herball' 41 



first appeared in the Herbarlus zu Teutsch (see Text-figs. 

 20 and 21). 



The introduction to the Grete Herball, though it is less 

 naive and charming than the corresponding part of the 

 German Herbarius, may yet be quoted, in part, as giving a 

 very lucid idea of the utilitarian point of view of the herbal- 

 ist of the period, and also as bringing home to the reader 

 the immense influence of the theory of the four elements : 



" Consyderynge the grete goodnesse of almyghty god 

 creatour of heven and erthe, and al thynge therin compre- 

 hended to whom be eternall laude and prays, etc. Con- 

 syderynge the cours and nature of the foure elementes and 

 qualytees where to ye nature of man is inclyned, out of the 

 whiche elementes issueth dyvers qualytees infyrmytees and 

 dyseases in the corporate body of man, but god of his 

 goodnesse that is creatour of all thynges hath ordeyned 

 for mankynde (whiche he hath created to his owne lykenesse) 

 for the grete and tender love, which he hath unto hym to 

 whom all thinges erthely he hath ordeyned to be obeysant, 

 for the sustentacyon and helthe of his lovynge creature 

 mankynde whiche is onely made egally of the foure elementes 

 and qualitees of the same, and whan any of these foure 

 habounde or hath more domynacyon, the one than the 

 other it constrayneth ye body of man to grete infyrmytees 

 or dyseases, for the whiche ye eternall god hath gyven of 

 his haboundante grace, vertues in all maner of herbes to 

 cure and heale all maner of sekenesses or infyrmytes to hym 

 befallyng thrugh the influent course of the foure elementes 

 beforesayd, and of the corrupcyons and ye venymous ayres 

 contrarye ye helthe of man. Also of onholsam meates or 

 drynkes, or holsam meates or drynkes taken ontemperatly 

 whiche be called surfetes that brengeth a man sone to grete 

 dyseases or sekenesse, whiche dyseases ben of nombre and 

 ompossyble to be rehersed, and fortune as well in vilages 

 where as nother surgeons nor phisicians be dwellyng nygh 

 by many a myle, as it dooth in good townes where they be 

 redy at hande. Wherfore brotherly love compelleth me to 

 wryte thrugh ye gyftes of the holy gost shewynge and 

 enformynge how man may be holpen with grene herbes of 

 the gardyn and wedys of ye feldys as well as by costly 

 receptes of the potycarys prepayred." 



