Walahfrid Strabo (807?-849) 
Strabi Galli poetae et theologi doctissimi: ad Grimal- 
dxun coenobii S, Galli abbatem Hortulus. [Colophon: Im- 
posita est extrema manuB Strabi Hortulo Viennae Austriae: 
pridie kalen* Novebris per Hieronymmi Philovalle. Anno 
sig. A - C 3 . 
Title is from facsimile of 1510 ed, in 1926 
ed, of Hortulusj book is in Nymans Gard, Lib# 
according to E'# S, Rohde in Jour# Roy. Hort# 
Soc, 58:332# Sept# 1933# 
Edited from the MS# by Joachim von Watt (loa- 
chimus Vadianus) who included a poem addressed 
to the reader and an introduction which is 
signed "Viennae Austriae quarto kalen# Novem- 
bris. Anno M#D#X#” 
Ernst Weil in his "Druckgeschichtlicher ex- 
kurs” in the 1926 ed, of the Hortulus, p.xxiii, 
says that the name of the publisher, "Hierony¬ 
mus Philovallis," is the Latinization of "Hie¬ 
ronymus (Victor) aus Liebenthal#" 
There are two editions which we have not iden¬ 
tified: one given by Seguier, p,387, as being 
with Palladius, R# T# A# De arborum insitione 
liber, Lipsiae, 1654, and one by Leclerc in the 
1933 ed# of Hortulus, p.44, as being in "Ars 
veterum non nullorum etc, auctore Rivino," Lip¬ 
siae, 1655# 
According to the Encyc, Brit,, 11th ed,, 
v,28, p#251, the Hortulus, dedicated to Grim- 
ald, is Walahfrid Strabo’s most famous poem, 
"It is an account of a little garden that he 
used to tend with his own hands, and is large¬ 
ly made up of descriptions of the various herbs 
he grows there and their medicinal and other 
uses. Sage holds the place of honor; then comes 
rue, the antidote of poisons; and so on through 
melons, fennel, lilies, poppies, and many other 
plants, to wind up with the rose, 'which in 
virtue and scent surpasses all other herbs, and 
may rightly be called the flower of flowers,'" 
—Strabi fuldensis monachi poete suavissimi, 
quonda Rabani Mauri auditoris Hortulus nuper apud Hel- 
vetios in S, Galli monasterio repertus, qui carminis ele- 
gantia tarn est delectabilis, qs doctrine cognoscendar\mi 
quarundam herbarum varietate utilis# Ad Grymaldum ab¬ 
batem# Item psalmus 41 #.# et psalmus 112 #.# per Vene- 
rabilem Bedam, sono heroico decatanti# [Norimbergae, 
Joan# Weissenbergerus, 1512] (Brit# Mus#) 
The above title is reproduced in Jour. Roy# 
Hort# Soc# 58:facing p,334 (Sept,1933) and on 
p.xxii of 1926 ed# of Hortulus# 
