To the Reader. 
common colours of antiquitie, when notwilhftnnding the world cm brag of no more am ient CMomi- 
ment than Par ad/fc and the garden of Eden : and the fruits of the earth may contend for feirniori- 
tie, feeing- their mother was thefirft Creature that concerned, and they them fellies thefirfl fruit Jhe 
brought forth. T alke of perfect happineffe or plea fire, and what place wasfe ft for that as the gar- 
den place where Adam was fet to be the H erbanjl ? Whither did the Poets hunt for their fincere a»- 
lights, but into the gardens of \\c'm<Ms,of Adonis, and the Orchards of Hefperides ? Where 
did l hey dreame l hat H eauen Jhouldbe, but in the plcaftnt garden of Elyfium ? Whither do all men 
tv alke for their honcjl rUreatan, but thither where the earth hath moft beneficially painted her face 
with flour i jhing colours ? And what feafon of they eare more longed for than the Spring , whofe gen- 
tle breat h cnticeth forth the kindely fweets, and makes them yeetd their fragrant jmells ? tvho would 
therefore looke dangeroufiy vp at Planets, that might fafely looke downc at Plants ? e_Andif true 
be the oldproncrbe, Qu x (upra nos, nihil ad nos ; I fippofe this new faying cannot befalfe, Qux 
infra nos, t\i maximead nos. Eafie therefore is this tre afire to be gained, and yet pretiotu . The 
fsience is nobly (upported by wife and Kingly Fauorites : the fiibiecljhercof fo neceffary anddclctta- 
ble, t hat nothing can be confcbled either delicate for the tafte,daintie for fmell, pleafant for fight, 
wholefome for body, confer uatiue or rcfloratiuefor health, but it borroweth the relijh of an herbe, t he 
fanotir of a flour e, the colour of a leafc, the mice of a plant, or the decoction of a root. Andfuch is the 
tmfrre that this my T reat/fe is fur nijhed wit hall, wherein though myne <^irtbe not able to count er- 
uai/c Nature in her liuely portraitures ; yet haul I counterfeited likenes for life, fkapes and jhadowes 
for fttbft .race , being ready with the bad Painter to otplime the imperfect ions of my penfiliwith my 
fen. chufng rather to fore vpon my pictures fuch rude marks as may defer ibe my meaning, than to 
left he beholder to gueffe at r. indome and mi /fee. 1 haue here therefore ft downt not onely the names 
of fundry Plants, but alfo their natures , their proportions and properties, their affetfs and effeBs, 
their increafe and decreafc, their flourifhtng andfading.theirdiftmB varieties andfeuerall qxah- 
ties, as mdlofthofe which eurowne Countrey yeeldeth,asofothcrswhichl haue fetched further , or 
drawneout byprrttfng diners Herbals fet forth in other languages, wherein none of my country-men 
hathtomy knowledgctaken any paines, [meet hat excellent Worke of M after Doctor Turner. After 
which time Mafler Lyte aWorjhipfull GentlemantranftatedDodonxmeutof Frenchinto Eng- 
iifh : and fence that, DoBor Prieft,s»f of our London Colledgcjiath (as I heard ) tranflatedthe iafl 
Edition of Dodonxus, and meant to publtfh the fame ; but betngpreuentedby death, his tranf ali- 
en likewife pertjhed. Laftly my (elfe, one of the Baft among many, haue prefumed to fet forth vnto 
theviewofthc world, the firft fruits of thefemyneowne Labours, which if they be fuch as may con . 
tern the Reader, I fia/lthmkemy felfewell rewarded, otherwifethere isnoman to be blamedbut my 
fclfe, being a worke 1 conftjfe for greater Clerkes to vndertake : yet may my blunt attempt feme as a 
rvhetfloneto fit an edge vpon fame Jharper wits, by whom I wifh thismy courfe Difcourfe might be 
both fined and refined. Faults l confeffe haue efcaped, feme by the Printers oner fight, fome through 
defeBstn my fife toperforme jo great a Worke , and feme by meanes ofthegrealneffe of the Labour , 
and that I was conftrainedto feeke after my lining, being void of friends to beare feme part of the bur~ 
then. The rather therefore accept this at my hands (louing Countrey-men ) as a tokenof my good 
will-, and I trufl that the be ft and well minded rvil not rajhly condemne me , although fome thing haue 
faffed worthy repr ehenfion. But as for the ftanderer or Enuious I paffe not for them, but returne vp- 
ontbcmfelues any thing they fhall without cattfe either murmute in corners , or tangle infecre.. 
Farewell. 
From my Houfe in Holborn within the Suburbs 
of London, this firft of December, 1597.’ 
* Thy fincere and vnfeigned Friend , 
John Gerard,' 
