TO THE READER, 
Solomon . 
Thcophroftus . 
tu^d. Bitau. 
Excufab 
H nr. SCepb. 
1593 . 
Court com Reader, 
Here are many things which I thinke needfull to impart vnto thee,' 
both concerning the knowledge of plants in general!, as alio for the 
better explaining of fome things pertinent to this prefent Hiftorie, 
which I bane here fet forth much amended and enlarged. For the ge. 
nerall differences, affections, &c. of Plants, I hold it not now fo fitting 
not neceffarie for me to infill: vpon them • neither doe I intend in any 
large difcourfe to fet forth their many and great vfcs and vertues ; giue me leaue onely 
to tell you, That God of his infinit goodnefTeand bountiehath by the medium of Plants, 
bellowed almoft all food, clothing, and medicinevpon man. And to this off-fpring weal- 
foowe (for the mod part) our houfes, (flipping, and infinite other things, though fome of 
them Proteus like haue run through diners Ihapes, as this paper wcreon I write, that firft: 
from feed became F lax ; then after much vexation tbred,thcn cloath, where it was cut and 
mangled to feruethc Fafhions of the time: but afterwards rejefted and calf afide, yet 
t/nwilling foto forfake tbeferuiceof man for which God had created it, againe it comes 
(as I may terme it) to the Hammer,from whence it takes a more noble forme and apti- 
tude to be imploycd to Sacred, Ciuill,Forreine and Domeftickevfes. I will notfpeake 
of the many and various obiefls ofdelight that thefe prefent to the fenfes, nor of fundry 
other things, which Icould plentifully in this kinde deliuer: butrather acquaint you 
from what Fountaines this Knowledge may be drawne, by fbewing what Authours haue 
deliuered to vs the Hiftorie of Plants, and after what manner they haue done it ; and 
this will be a meanes that many controuerfies maybe the moreeafily vnderftood by the 
lelfe learned and judicious Reader. 
Hewhofename we firft finde vpon record (though doubtlelfe fome had treated therof 
before) that largely writ of Plants, was thewileftof men,euen King Solomon, who certaine- 
Jy would not haue medled with this fubie<ft,ifhe in his wifedome had not know ne it wor- 
thy himfelfe,and exceeding fitting: Firft for the honour ofhis Creator, vvhofe gifts and 
bleffingsthefeare : Secondly for the good ofhis Subiedls,whercofwithout doubt, he in 
this worke had a fpeciall regard in the curing of their difeafes and infirmities. But this 
kingly worke being loft, I will not infill vpon it, but come to fuchasare yet extant, of 
which (followingthecourfeofantiquitie) that of Tbeopbrajhis firft takes place. 
Now T beophraflus fucccedcd riflotle in the gousrncment of the Schoole at A thens 4 
about the i 14 Olymp. which was fome 322 yeares before Chrift. He among many other 
things writ a Hiftorie of Plants in ten bookes,and ofthecaufes of them, eight bookes ; of 
the former ten there are nine come to our times reafonable perfcdl ; but there now remain 
but fix of theeigbtof thecaufcs of Plants. Some looking vpon the Caralogueof the 
bookes otTheopbraJlus his writing, (etforth in his life, written by Diogenes Laertius,mny 
wonder that they finde no mention ol thefe bookes of Plants, amongft thefe he reckons 
yp,and indeed I thought it fomewhat llrange,and fo much the more,becaufe this his life 
is fet forth by Daniel Hcinfitis before his* Edition of Jheophrajlus , and there alfo no men- 
tion neither in the Greekenor Latine of thole workes. Confidering this, 1 thinking to 
haue (aid fomething therof, I found the doubt was long fince cleared by the learned Cau- 
falmic in his notes vpon K Laertius, where pag. 3 a 1 - fority fl'OlKuV tS’-PWf and ^VTiKMt irnZt, hee 
wi(hesyoutoreadeFie,'c^«a, * and;™?,. Thus being certaine of the Authour,letmee 
fay fomewhat ofthe work, which though bytheiniurie of time it hath differed much, 
yet is it one ofthe chicfc pieces of Antiquitic, from whence the knowledge of Plants is 
to 
