410 3 The fiveand twentieth Booke’ 
Latine tongue :for which a& of Pozpey the whole world wasno lefle beholden unto him) than G > 
the common-wealth of Rome for the forefaid viGtorie. Overand befidesthefe, what Greeke an- 
thorshave travailed in Phyficke, I have declared heretofore inconvenient place. Andamong. 
the reft, Evax a King of the Arabians, wrate a booke as touching the vereues and operations of 
Simples, which he fentunto the Emperour Nero. Cratevas likewile, Dionyfins allo, and me- 
tredorus, wrote of the fame Argument after a moft pleafant and plaufible manner (Imuft needs 
| fay; ) yetfo, as aman could picke nothing almoft out of all their writings, butan infinit difficul 
tic of the thing: for they painted every hearbe in their colours,and under the pourtraicts they 
couched and fubfcribed their feverail natures and effeéts. But what certeintie could there be ther- 
in ? pictures (youknow) are deceitful] ; alfo, inreprefenting fuch a number of colours, and efpe- 
cially expreffing the lively hew of Hearbs according to their nature as they grow,no marveileif H 
they that limned and drewthem out,did faileand degenerat from the firft pattern and originall. 
Befides, they came far fhort of the marke, fetting out hearbsas they did at one onely feafon (to 
wit, eicher in their floure, or in feed time) for they chaunge andalter their forme and fhape eve- 
rie quarter of the yeere.Hereof it came,that all the reft laboured to defcribe their forms and co- 
lours,by words onely. Some withoutany defcription at all of their igure or colour, contented 
themfelves (for the moft part) with fetting downe their bare names, andthoughtit fufficient to 
demonttrat and fhew their power and vertue afterwards, to whofoever were defirous tofeeke af- 
ter the fame : and verely, the knowledge therof isno hard matter toattaine unto. For mine owne 
part, ithath been my good hap to fee growing in thé plant,all thefe medicinable hearbs(excep- _ 
ting very few) by the means of Antonius Caftor (a right learned and moft renowmed Phyfician © 
in our daies) who had a pretie garden of his owne well ftored with fimples of fundrie forts,which 
he maintained and cherifhed for his owne pleafure and his friends, who ufed to comeand fee 
his plot,as indeed it was worthie the fight. This Phyfician was then abovean hundred yeeres old, 
and in all his lite never found what fickneffe meant; neither for all this age of his, was his wit de- 
caied or memorie any whit empaired, but continued as frefh ftill asif he hadbeena yong man, 
But to proceed forward with our difcourfe : Certes we fhall not find a thing againe which our an- 
ceftors fo much admired and were more ravifhed withall than the knowledge of Simples. True it 
is (Iconfefle) thatthe invention of the Ephemerides (to fore-know thereby not onely the day 
and night, with the eclypfes of Sun and Moone, but alfo the verie hours) is auncient: howbeir, 
the moft part of the common people have been and are of this opinion (received by tradition — 
from their forefathers) Thatall the fameisdone by enchantments,& that by the means of fome 
forceries and hearbs togither, both fun and moon may be charmed,and enforced both toloofe 
and recover their light: To do which feat, women are thought to be more skilfull and meet than 
men, indto fay a truch,what anumber cf fabulous miracles are reported to have been wrought 
by Medea queene of Colchis,and other women ; and e{pecially by Circe our famous witch herein 
Italy, who for her fingular skill that way, was canonized a goddeffe. And from hénce it came (I 
* rffuiar tuet LUppofe) that Ajchyivs amoftauncient Poérmade report of * Italy to be furnifhed with hearbs 
ed of inightie operation: and many others have fpoken much of the mountaine Circeios bearing 
of her fingular skill in that kind,the fame knowledge in fome meafure continueth unto this day 
in the Marfians (a nation defcended from a fonne of hers) who are well knowne to have anatu- 
ral] power by themfelves to tame and conquer all ferpents, andnot to be fubje& to any daunger 
_ from them, As for Homer verely (the father and prince of all learning and learned men,and the 
beft author that we have of antiquities) howfoever otherwife he was addidted to extoll and mag- 
nifie dame Cz ce, yet he attributeth unto Agypr the glorie & name for good hearbs;yea though 
in his time there was not that Bafe Agypt wateredas nowitis,with Nilus: for afterwards it grew, 
by the mud left there by the inundation of thefaid river. Truly this Poét maketh mention of ma- 
Raaidannay BY ftagular hearbs in Aigypt, which the * Kings wife of that countrey gave unto that ladie of his, 
urs veetea- Helenasot whom he writethfo much; and namely, the noble Nepenthes, which had this fingular 
me, 2. the wife Vv 
of king Thon, 
Homer. ody, Ment and remiffion of all forrows: which (I fay)the queene beftowed upon Alena to this end, 
oh Disdoress Si- That thee fhould communicat and impart itto the whole world for tobe drunke in thofe ca- 
eulas Anyi 
iba, |” Sesabovefaid. Burthe firft man knowne by all records to have written any thing exactly and cu- 
rioufly of fimples, was Orpheus, As for Aufers,and Hefiodus after him, in what admiration they 
held 
’ 
- ; @ a 
her naine, wherein the faid ladie fometime dwelt & kept her refidence. And for anotable proofe | 
ertue and operation, To worke oblivion of melancholy and heavinefle,yeaand to procure cafe- N 
