THE 
PREFACE 
I N Compiling this Englifh Herbal of Phyfical Plants, 
I have chiefly follow’d Mr. Ray, both for the Defer ip- 
tions and Virtues , who is an excellent Botanifl, and 
a candid Author ‘ and tho be be not profcfedly a Phy- 
feian, it may appear by his Writings , he has perus’d 
the be 'ft Authors in Phyfclit and well digefted them : 
And yet the good Man would not rely on his own Judg- 
ment , or Reading , but tool (. to his AJJjIance feveral wor- 
thy Practitioners in Phyfick., who all along fugge fled the 
probable Virtues of Plants , and their Succefl in 
Pro dice ; and afeertaind the Dofes of many of them , 
an* added fame Forms of Medicines. 
What I h' ve contributed to this Wcrk^ I confefl, is the 
leaf: Part: Some Virtues , indeed, I have added, and many 
good Medicines ; but thofe I borrow’d too. So that, upon a 
Review, I find little or nothing belongs tome, fave only the 
Cotlettion, and Fran flat ion j and for that I expecl Cenfurc . 
And therefore, i ' ^ at leaf, extenuate my 
Crime, I take Leave to expoflulate with my Adverfaries „ 
‘Tis well known, many are, with good Re of on, Authorise d 
by the Spiritual Lords to praftife Phyfickj who are only 
skill’d in their Mother -Tongue, there being not learned 
Phyficians enough to attend on the Sich in thefe populous 
JKjngdoms ; for if there were, to be fure the Right Re- 
verend Bifhops, who are eminent for Learning, as well as 
Piety , would of Choice prefer the Learned. 
Now , I fay , it being evident that many PraElitioners do 
not underfand Foreign Languages, and fo,by Confequence » 
Ax cortnot 
