VII] 



Leonhard Fuchs 



183 



i0on?^auttm* 



remarks upon the illustrations, which may be translated as 

 follows : — 



"As far as concerns the 

 pictures themselves, each of 

 which is positively delineated 

 according to the features and 

 likeness of the living plants, we 

 have taken peculiar care that 

 they should be most perfect, 

 and, moreover, we have devoted 

 the greatest diligence to secure 

 that every plant should be de- 

 picted with its own roots, stalks, 

 leaves, flowers, seeds and fruits. 

 Furthermore we have purposely 

 and deliberately avoided the 

 obliteration of the natural form 

 of the plants by shadows, and 

 other less necessary things, by 

 which the delineators sometimes 

 try to win artistic glory : and we 

 have not allowed the craftsmen 

 so to indulge their whims as to 

 cause the drawing not to cor- 

 respond accurately to the truth. 

 Vitus Rudolphus Specklin,byfar 

 the best engraver of Strasburg, 

 has admirably copied the won- 

 derful industry of the draughts- 

 men, and has with such excellent 

 craft expressed in his engraving 

 the features of each drawing, 

 that he seems to have contended 

 with the draughtsman for glory 

 and victory." 



How dull and colourless the 

 phrases of modern scientific 

 writers appear, beside the hot- 

 blooded, arrogant enthusiasm 

 of the sixteenth century! 



Fuchs' wood - cuts were 



Text-fig. 91. "Rautten" = 5<)/r)'- 

 chium, Moonwort[Bock, Kreuter 

 Buch, 1546]. 



