John Gerard - Gerards Herball: Or, Generall Historie Of Plantes

GERARDS HERBALL

PREFATORY NOTE

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE HIS SINGULAR GOOD LORD & MASTER, SIR WILLIAM CECIL

Knight, Baron of Burghley, Master of the Court of
Wards & Liveries, Chancellor of the Universitie
of Cambridge, Knight of the most noble Order
of the Garter, one of the Lords of her Majesties
most honorable Privy Councell, and Lord
high Treasurer of England.

AMONG the manifold creatures of God (right Honorable, and my singular good Lord) that have all in all ages diversly entertained many excellent wits, and drawn them to the contemplation of the divine wisdome, none have provoked mens studies more, or satisfied their desires so much as plants have done, and that upon just and worthy causes: for if delight may provoke mens labor, what greater delight is there than to behold the earth apparelled with plants, as with a robe of embroidered worke, set with Orient pearles and garnished with great diversitie of rare and costly jewels? If this varietie and perfection of colours may affect the eie, it is such in herbs and floures, that no Apelles, no Zeuxis ever could by any art expresse the like: if odours or if taste may worke satisfaction, they are both so soveraigne in plants, and so comfortable that no confection of the Apothecaries can equall their excellent vertue. But these delights are in the outward senses: the principal delight is in the mind, singularly enriched with the knowledge of these visible things, setting forth to us the invisible wisdome and admirable workmanship of Almighty God. The delight is great, but the use greater, and joyned often with necessitie. In the first ages of the world they were the ordinary meate of men, and have continued ever since of necessary use both for meates to maintaine life, and for medicine to recover health. The hidden vertue of them is such, that (as Pliny noteth) the very bruit beasts have found it out: and (which is another use that he observes) from thence the Dyars tooke the beginning of their Art.

Furthermore, the necessary use of those fruits of the earth doth plainly appeare by the great charge and care of almost all men in planting & maintaining of gardens, not as ornaments onely, but as a necessarie provision also to their houses. And here beside the fruit, to speake againe in a word of delight, gardens, especialy such as your Honor hath, furnished with many rare Simples, do singularly delight, when in them a man doth behold a flourishing shew of Summer beauties in the midst of Winters force, and a goodly spring of flours, when abroad a leafe is not to be seene. Besides these and other causes, there are many examples of those that have honoured this science: for to passe by a multitude of the Philosophers, it may please your Honor to call to remembrance that which you know of some noble Princes, that have joyned this study with their most important matters of state: Mithridates the great was famous for his knowledge herein, as Plutarch noteth. Euax also King of Arabia, the happy garden of the world for principall Simples, wrot of this argument, as Pliny sheweth. Dioclesian likewise, might have had his praise, had he not drowned all his honour in the bloud of his persecution. To conclude this point, the example of Solomon is before the rest, and greater, whose wisdome and knowledge was such, that hee was able to set out the nature of all plants from the highest Cedar to the lowest Mosse. But my very good Lord, that which sometime was the study of great Phylosophers and mightie Princes, is now neglected, except it be of some few, whose spirit and wisdome hath carried them among other parts of wisdome and counsell, to a care and studie of speciall herbes both for the furnishing of their gardens, and furtherance of their knowledge: among whom I may justly affirme and publish your Honor to be one, being my selfe one of your servants, and a long time witnesse thereof: for under your Lordship I have served, and that way emploied my principall study and almost all my time, now by the space of twenty yeares. To the large and singular furniture of this noble Island I have added from forreine places all the varietie of herbes and floures that I might any way obtaine, I have laboured with the soile to make it fit for plants, and with the plants, that they might delight in the soile, that so they might live and prosper under our clymat, as in their native and proper countrey: what my successe hath beene, and what my furniture is, I leave to the report of they that have seene your Lordships gardens, and the little plot of myne owne especiall care and husbandry. But because gardens are privat, and many times finding an ignorant or a negligent successor, come soone to ruine, there be that have sollicited me, first by my pen, and after by the Presse to make my labors common, and to free them from the danger wherunto a garden is subject: wherein when I was overcome, and had brought this History or report of the nature of Plants to a just volume, and had made it (as the Reader may by comparison see) richer than former Herbals, I found it no question unto whom I might dedicate my labors; for considering your good Lordship, I found none of whose favour and goodnes I might sooner presume, seeing I have found you ever my very good Lord and Master. Againe, considering my duty and your Honors merits, to whom may I better recommend my Labors, than to him unto whom I owe my selfe, and all that I am able in your service or devotion to performe? Therefore under hope of your Honorable and accustomed favor I present this Herball to your Lordships protection; and not as an exquisite Worke (for I know my meannesse) but as the greatest gift and chiefest argument of duty that my labour and service can affoord: wherof if there be no other fruit, yet this is of some use, that I have ministred Matter for Men of riper wits and deeper judgements to polish, and to adde to my large additions where any thing is defective, that in time the Worke may be perfect. Thus I humbly take my leave, beseeching God to grant you yet many daies to live to his glory, to the support of this State under her Majestie our dread Soveraigne, and that with great increase of honor in this world, and all fulnesse of glory in the world to come.

Your Lordships most humble

and obedient Servant,

JOHN GERARD.

The bulbous Violet riseth out of the ground, with two small leaves flat and crested, of an overworne greene colour, betweene the which riseth up a small and tender stalke of two hands high; at the top whereof commeth forth of a skinny hood a small white floure of the bignesse of a Violet, compact of six leaves, three bigger, and three lesser, tipped at the points with a light greene; the smaller are fashioned into the vulgar forme of an heart, and prettily edged about with green; the other three leaves are longer, and sharpe pointed. The whole floure hangeth downe his head, by reason of the weake foot-stalke whereon it groweth. The root is small, white, and bulbous.

Bulbous Violet

Some call them also Snow drops. This name Leucoium, without his Epithite Bulbosum, is taken for the Wall-floure, and stocke Gillofloure, by all moderne Writers.