Parem f S and he being; here was deiirous togoe abroad with fome ofour Herba- 
rifts, for the which I was themeane to bring them together, and one whole day 
we (pent therein, fearching the rareft Simples : but when it came to the triall,my 
Frenchman did not know one to his foure. What doth this man deferue thac 
hath taken fo much paines for his countrey, in lettingout a booke, that to this 
day neuerany in what language foeuer did the like? Firft for correding their 
faults info many hundred places, being falfly named, miftaken the one for the 
other ; and then the pictures ofa great number of plants now newly cut. If this 
man had taken this paines in Italy and Germany, where Mattbiolm did write, he 
fhould haue fped as well as he did : For (Taithhe)I had fo great a defire euer to fi- 
nifh my Booke, cha 1 1 neuer regarded any thing in refped of the publicjue good, 
not fo much as to tbmke how I fnould finifh fo great a charge, which I had neuer 
carried out, but thac by Gods ftirringvp of the renowned Emperout Ferdinando 
of famous memorie,and the excellent Princes had not helped tnee with great 
fums ofmoney,fo that the Commonwealth may fay, That this biefling doth ra- 
ther proceed of them than from me. There haue been alfo other Princes of Al- 
maine which haue bin liberal in the preferring of this Book, and the mod excel- 
lent Eledor of the Empire the Duke of Saxonie, which fent me by his Pod much 
monytowardmy charges : the liberalitie of the which and the magnificence to- 
ward me I cannot commend fufficiently. They which followed in their liberali- 
tie were the excellent Fredericks Count Palatine of the Rhine , and the excellent 
Ioacbim Marques of Brandeburg, which much fupplied my wants : and the like 
did thereuercndCardinall and Prince of Trent, and the Excellent Atchbifhop 
of Salczpcrg, the Excellent Dukes of Bauare and Cleues.the duke of Megapolen- 
cis Prince of Vandalis, the State Republique of Noremberg, the liberalitie of 
whom ought to be celebrated for euer: and it doth much reioice me that I had 
the helpe and reward of Emperors, Kings, Eledors ofthe Roman Empire, arch- 
dukes, Cardinalls, Bifhops, Dukes and Princes, for it giveth more credit to our 
Labors than any thing that can be faid. Thus far Mattbiolm his owne writing of 
the liberalitie of Princes towards him. What age do we liue in here that wil fuf- 
fer all vertue to go vnrewarded ? Matter Gmrrd hath taken more pains than euer 
Mattbiolm did in his Commentaries, and hath correded a number of faults that 
hcpafiedouer;and I dare affirme(in reucrence be it Ipoken to that Excellent 
man) that Matter Gerard doth know a great number of Simples that were not 
knowne in his time: and yet I doubt whether he ftiail tafteofthe liberalitie of 
either Princ , D uke, Earle, Bifhop, or publiqueEftate. Let a man excell neueE 
fo much in any excellent knowledge, neucrtheles many times -he is not fo much 
regarded as a letter, a Boafter, a Quackfaluer or Mountebanke : for fuch kinde of 
men can flatter, diflemble, make of trifles great matters, in p railing of this 
rare fecret, or that excellent fpirit, or this Elixer or Quinteflence ,* 
which when it fhall come to the triall, nothing 
fhal befound but boatting words, 
VALE. 
n 
