Lib. i. 
Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
doubted pi&urealfo, which I receiued from Lobelias his otvne hands at the imprcftion hereof, i : 
caufe of vvhofe former errour, as alfo the meanes whereby begot the knowledge of the true Gin- 
ger, may appeare by his owne words fent vnto mein Latine, which i haue here inferred. His 
words are thefe : 
How hard and vncertaine it is todefcribe in words the true proportion of Pknt-s, (hauin°- no 
other guide than skilfull,but yet deceitfull formes of them, fent from friends , or other meanes) 
they beft do know who haue deeplieft waded in this fea of Simples. About thirty yeares part or 
more, an honeft and expert Apothecarie fT/ftaw Dries, to fatisfie my defire, fent mefromAnt- 
vverpe to London the pi (Sure cf Ginger, which he held to be truly and iiuely dravvne : I my felfe 
gaue him credit eafily,becaufe I was nor ignorant, that there had bin often Ginger roots brought 
gteene, new, and full of juice, from the Indies to Antvverpe ; and further, that the fame had'bud- 
ded and growne in the (aid Dries Garden. But not many yeates after, I perceiued that the pidure 
which was fent me by my Friend was a counterfeit, and before that time had been drawne and fet 
forth by an old Dutch Herbarift. Therefore not buffering this error any further to fpred abroad, 
(which I difcouered not many yeares pad at Flufhing in Zeeland, in the Garden of William of 
NafTau Prince of Orange, of famous memorie, through the means of a worthy perfon, if my me- 
morie faile me not, called t'Wer Mi// ; at what time he opened, and loofed his firft young bud-s 
and (boots about the end of Sommer, refembling in leaues, and ftalkes ofa foot high, the young 
and tender (hoots of the common Reed, called Harundo vallatoria) I thought it conueftientto im- 
part thus much vnto Mafter lohn Gerard, an expert Herbarift, and Mafter of happy fuccefle in Sur- 
gerie , to the end he might let pofteritie know thus much, in the painefull and long laboured tra- 
uels which now he hath in hand, to the great good and benefit of his Countrey.The plant it felfe 
brought me to Middleborrough, and fet in my Garden, perifhed through the hardnelTe of the 
Winter. 
Thus much haue I fet downe, truly trandated out of his owne words in Latine though too fa- 
uourably by him done to the commendation of my meane skill. 
i Zinziberisfiela Icon. j Zin^iberis verior Icon. 
The feigned figure of Ginger.' The true figure of Ginger, 
r>. flue". 
- 'J’ngergro-.vetn in Spame, Barbary, in the Canary [(lands, and the Azotes,' Oilmen which 
wcked Domingo in the Indies, digged it vp there in fundry places wild®. 
