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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01622	The herball or Generall historie of plantes. Gathered by Iohn Gerarde of London Master in Chirurgerie very much enlarged and amended by Thomas Iohnson citizen and apothecarye of London	Gerard, John, 1545-1612.; Johnson, Thomas, d. 1644.; Payne, John, d. 1647?, engraver.; Dodoens, Rembert, 1517-1585. Cruydenboeck.	1633 (1633)	STC 11751; ESTC S122165	1,574,129	1,585

seeke after my liuing being void of friends to beare some part of the burthen The rather therefore accept this at my hands louing Countrey-men as a token of my good will and I trust that the best and well minded wil not rashly condemne me although some thing haue passed worthy reprehension But as for the slanderer or Enuious I passe not for them but returne vpon themselues any thing they shall without cause either murmure in corners or iangle insecret Farewell From my House in Holborn within the Suburbs of London this first of December 1597. Thy sincere and vnfeigned Friend IOHN GERARD TO THE READER Courteous READER THere are many things which I thinke needfull to impart vnto thee both concerning the knowledge of plants in generall as also for the better explaining of some things pertinent to this present Historie which I haue here set forth much amended and enlarged For the generall differences affections c. of Plants I hold it not now so fitting nor necessaric for me to insist vpon them neither doc I intend in any large discourse to set forth their many and great vses and vertues giue me leaue onely to tell you That God of his infinit goodnesse and bountie hath by the medium of Plants bestowed almost all food clothing and medicine vpon man And to this off-spring we also owe for the most part our houses shipping and infinite other things though some of them Proteus like haue run through diuers shapes as this paper wereon I write that first from seed became Flax then after much vexation thred then cloath where it was cut and mangled to serue the Fashions of the time but afterwards rejected and cast aside yet vnwilling so to forsake the seruice of man for which God had created it againe it comes as I may terme it to the Hammer from whence it takes a morenoble forme and aptitude to be imployed to Sacred Ciuill Forreine and Domesticke vses I will not speake of the many and various obiects of delight that these present to the senses nor of sundry other things which I could plentifully in this kinde deliuer but rather acquaint you from what Fountaines this Knowledge may be drawne by shewing what Authours haue deliuered to vs the Historie of Plants and after what manner they haue done it and this will be a meanes that many controuersies may be the more easily vnderstood by the lesse learned and judicious Reader He whose name we first finde vpon record though doubtlesse some had treated therof before that largely writ of Plants was the wisest of men euen King Solomon who certainely would not haue medled with this subiect if he in his wisedome had not knowne it worthy himselfe and exceeding fitting First for the honour of his Creator whose gifts and blessings these are Secondly for the good of his Subiects whereof without doubt he in this worke had a speciall regard in the curing of their diseases and infirmities But this kingly worke being lost I will not insist vpon it but come to such as are yet extant of which following the course of antiquitie that of Theophrastus first takes place Now 〈◊〉 succeded Arislotle in the gouernement of the Schoole at Athens about the 114 Olymp. which was some 322 yeares before Christ. He among many other things writ a Historie of Plants in ten bookes and of the causes of them eight bookes of the former ten there are nine come to our times reasonable perfect but there now remain but six of the eight of the causes of Plants Some looking vpon the Catalogue of the bookes of Theophrastus his writing set forth in his life written by Diogenes Laertius may wonder that they finde no mention of these bookes of Plants amongst these he 〈◊〉 vp and indeed I thought it somewhat strange and so much the more because this his 〈◊〉 is set forth by Daniel Heinsius before his* Edition of 〈◊〉 and there also no mention neither in the Greeke nor Latine of those workes Considering this I thinking to haue said something therof I found the doubt was long since cleared by the learned 〈◊〉 in his notes vpon `` Laertius where pag. 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee wishes you to reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus being certaine of the Authour let mee say somewhat of the work which though by the iniurie of time it hath suffered much yet is it one of the chiese pieces of Antiquitie from whence the knowledge of Plants is to be drawne Theophrastus as he followed Aristotle in the Schoole so also in his manner of writing for according as Aristotle hath deliuered his Historia Animalium so hath hee set forth this of plants not by writing of each species in particular but of their differences and nature by their parts affections generations and life Which how hard a thing it was hee tells you in his second Chapter and renders you this reason Because there is nothing common to all Plants as the mouth and belly is to other liuing creatures c. Now by this manner of writting you may learne the generall differences and affections of Plants but cannot come to the particular knowledge of any without much labour for you must goe to many places to gather vp the description of one Plant neither doth hee nor is it necessarie for any writing in this manner make mention of any great number and of many it may bee but once His workes being in Greeke were translated into Latine by Theodore Gaza who did them but 〈◊〉 side for he omitted some things otherwhiles rendred them contrary to the minde of the Author but aboue all he tooke to himselfe too much libertie in giuing of names in imitation of the Greeke or of his owne inuention when it had beene better by much for his Reader to haue had them in the Greeke as when he renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agitalorium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solaris c. The learned Iulius Scaliger hath set forth 〈◊〉 siones vpon these bookes where in he hath both much explained the minde of Theophrastus and shewed the errours of Gaza Some since his time haue promised to do something to this Author as Daniel Heinsius and Spigelius but twentie yeares are past since and I haue not yet heard of any thing done in this kinde by either of them Thus much for 〈◊〉 Let me not passe ouer Aristotle in silence though his bookes writ of this subiect were but two and these according to the coniecture of Iulius Scaliger who hath made a large and curious examination of them haue either perished or come to vs not as they were originally written by Arislotle but as they haue been by some later man put into Greeke Amongst other things Scaliger hath these concerning those two bookes Reor è textrina Theophrasti detracta sila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clavos additos tametsi neque aureos neque purpureos

it be thin and white it is apt to prouoke vrine it lesse troubleth the head it is not quickly digested for which cause it is the more to be shunned as Galen saith in his 12. booke of his method That wine which is altogether harsh or rough in tast the lesse ripe it is the neerer it commerh to the qualities of Veriuice made of sower grapes being euidently binding It strengheneth a weake stomacke it is good against the vnkindely lusting or longing of women with child it staieth the laske but it sticketh in the bowels breedeth stoppings in the liuer and milt it slowly descendeth by vrine and something troubleth the head Old wine which is also made sharpe by reason of age is not onely troublesome to the braine but also hurteth the sinewes it is an enemy to the entrailes and maketh the body leane New wine and wine of the first yeere doth easily make the body to swell and ingendreth winde it causeth troublesome dreames especially that which is not throughly refined or thicke or very sweet for such do sooner sticke in the intrailes than others do Other wines that are in a meane in colour substance taste or age as they do decline in vertues and goodnesse from the extreames so also they be free from their faults and discommodities They come neere in faculties to those wines whereunto they be next either in colour taste or substance or else in smell or in age Wine is fittest for those that be of nature cold and dry and also for old men as Galen 〈◊〉 in his fifth booke of the gouernment of health for it heateth all the members of their bodies and purgeth away the watery part of the bloud if their be any The best wines are those that be of a fat substance for those both increase bloud and nourish the body both which commodities they bring to old men especially at such time as they haue no serous humour in their veines and haue need of much nourishment It happeneth that oftentimes there doth abound in their bodies a waterish excrement and then stand they in most need of all of such wines as do prouoke vrine As wine is best for old men so it is worst for children by reason that being drunke it both moisteneth and dryeth ouermuch and also filleth the head with vapours in those who are of a moist and hot complection or whose bodies are in a meane betweene the extreames whom Galen in his booke of the gouernment of health doth persuade that they should not so much as taste of wine for a very long time for neither is it good for them to haue their heads filled nor to be made moist and hot more than is sufficient because they are already of such a heate and moisture as if you should but little increase either qualitie they would forthwith fall into the extreme And seeing that euery excesse is to be 〈◊〉 it is 〈◊〉 most of all to shun this by which not onely the body but also the minde receiueth hurt Wherefore we thinke that wine is not fit for men that be already of full age vnlesse it be moderately taken because is carieth them headlong into fury and lust and troubleth and dulleth the resonable part of the minde ¶ Of the delaying or tempering of Wine IT was an ancient custome and of long continuance in old time for wines to be mixed with water as it is plaine and euident not onely by Hippocrates but also by other old mens writings Wine first began to be mixed with water for health and wholesomenesse sake for as Hippocrates writeth in his booke of ancient Physicke being simply and of it selfe much drunke it maketh a man in some sort weake and feeble which thing Ouid seemeth also to allow of writing thus Vt Venus eneruat vires sic copia vini Et tent at gressus debilitatque pedes As Venery the vigour spends so store of wine Makes man to stagger makes his strength decline Moreouer wine is the sweeter hauing water poured into it as Athenaeus saith Homer likewise commendeth that wine which is well and fitly allaied Philocor us writeth as Athenaeus reporteth that Amphictyon king of Athens was the first that allaied wine as hauing learned the same of Dionysius wherefore he saith that those who in that manner drunke it remained in health that before had their bodies feebled and ouerweakened with pure and vnmixed wine The maner of mingling or tempering of wine was diuers for sometimes to one part of wine there were added two and sometimes three or foure of water or two parts of wine three of water of a lesse delay was that which consisted of equall parts of wine and water The old Comedians did thinke that this lesser mixture was sufficient to make men mad among whom was Mnesitheus whose words be extant in Athenaeus Hippocrates in the seuenth booke of his Aphorismes saith that this manner of tempering of wine and water by equall parts bringeth as it were a light pleasant drunkennesse and that it is a kinde of remedy against disquietnesse yawnings and shiuerings and this mingling belongeth to the strongest wines Such kinde of wines they might be which in times past the Scythians were reported of the old writers to drinke who for this cause do call vnmixed wine the Scythians drinke And they that drinke simple wine say that they will 〈◊〉 or do as the Scythians do as we may reade in the tenth booke of Athenaeus The Scythians as Hippocrates and diuers other of the old writers affirme be people of Germany beyond the floud Danubius which is also called Ister Rhene is a riuer of Scythia and Cyrus hauing passed ouer Ister is reported to haue come into the borders of the Scythians And in this our age all the people of Germany do drinke vnmixed wine which groweth in their owne countrey and likewise other people of the North parts who make no scruple at all to drinke of the strongest wines without any mixture ¶ Of the liquor which is destilled out of wine commonly called Aqua vitae THere is drawne out of Wine a liquor which in Latine is commonly called Aqua vitae or water of life and also Aqua ardens or burning water which as distilled waters are drawne out of herbes and other things is after the same manner distilled out of strong wine that is to say by certaine instruments made for this purpose which are commonly called Limbeckes This kinde of liquor is in colour and substance like vnto waters distilled out of herbes and also resembleth cleere simple water in colour but in facultie it farre differeth It beareth the syrname of life because that it serueth to preserue and prolong the life of man It is called Ardens burning for that it is easily turned into a burning flame for seeing it is not any other thing than the thinnest and strongest part of the wine it being put to the flame of fire is quickly burned This liquor is very hot and of most subtill and

Thebarke fruit and gums of the Fir tree are of the nature of the Pitch tree and his gums ¶ The Vertues The liquid Rosin of the Fir tree called Turpentine looseth the belly driueth forth hot cholerick humours clenseth and mundifieth the kidnies prouoketh vrine and driueth forth the stone and grauell The same taken with Sugar and the pouder of Nutmegs cureth the strangurie staieth the Gonorrhoea or the inuoluntary issue of mans nature called the running of the rains and the white flux in women It is very profitable for all green and fresh wounds especially the wounds of the head for it healeth and clenseth mightily especially if it be washed in Plantaine water and afterward in Rose water the yolke of an egge put thereto with the pouders of Olibanum and Masticke finely searced adding thereto a little Saffron CHAP. 44. Of the Larch Tree ¶ The Description 1 THe Larch is a tree of no small height with a body growing straight vp the bark wherof in the nether part beneath the boughes is thicke rugged and full of chinks which being cut in sunder is red within and in the other part aboue smooth 〈◊〉 something whitewithout it bringeth forth many boughes diuided into other lesser branches which be tough and pliable The leaues are small and cut into many iags growing in 〈◊〉 thicke together like tassels which fall away at the approch of Winter the floures or rather the first shewes of the cones or fruit be round and grow out of the tenderest boughes being at the length of a braue red purple colour the cones be small and like almost in bignesse to those of the Cypresse tree but longer and made vp of a multitude of thin scales like leaues vnder which lie small seeds hauing a thin 〈◊〉 growing on them very like to the wings of Bees and wasps the substance of the wood is very hard of colour especially that in the midst somewhat red and very profitable for workes of long continuance 1 Laricis ramulus A branch of the Larch tree 2 Larix cum Agarico suo The Larch tree with his Agarick It is not true that the wood of the Larch tree tree cannot be set on fire as Vitruvius reporteth of the castle made of Larch wood which 〈◊〉 besieged for it burneth in chimneies and is turned into coles which are very profitable for Smithes as Matthiolus writeth There is also gathered of the Larch tree a liquid Rosin very like in colour and substance to the whiter hony as that of Athens or of Spaine which notwithstanding issueth not forth of it selfe but runneth out of the stocke of the tree when it hath been bored euen to the heart with a great and long auger and wimble Galen writeth that there be after a sort two kindes hereof in his 4. booke of Medicines according to the kinds one like vnto Turpentine the other more sharper than this hotter more liquid of a stronger smell and in taste bitterer and hotter but the later is thought not to be the Rosine of the Larch but of the Fir-tree which Galen because it is after a sort like in substance might haue taken for that of the Larch tree There groweth also vpon the Larch tree a kinde of Mushrum or excrescence not such as is vpon other trees but whiter softer more loose and spungie than any other of the Mushrums and good for medicine which beareth the name of Agaricus or Agaricke I find that Pliny supposeth all the Masticke trees and those that beare Galls do bring forth this Agaricum wherein he was somewhat deceiued and especially in that he took Glandifera for Conifera that is those trees which beare mast or Acornes for the Pine apple trees but among all the trees that beare Agaricus the Larch is the chiefe and bringeth most plenty of Agarick ¶ The Place The Larch tree groweth not in Greece or in Macedon but chiefely vpon the Alpes of Italy not far from Trent hard by the riuers Benacus and Padus and also in other places of the same mountaines it is likewise found on hils in Morauia which in times past was called the countrey of the Marcomans Fuchsius writeth that it groweth also in Silesia others in Lusatia in the borders of Poland it also groweth plentifully in the woods of Gallia Cesalpina Pliny hath said somewhat hereof contradicting the writings of others in his 16 book 8 chapter where he saith that specially the Acorne trees of France do beare Agaricke and not only the acorn trees but the Cone trees also among which saith he the Larch tree is the chiefe that bringeth forth Agaricke and that not onely in Gallia which now is called France but rather in Lumbardy and Piemont in Italy where there be whole woods of Larch trees although they be found in some smal quantitie in other countries The best Agarick is that which is whitest very loose and spungie which may easily be broken and is light and in the first taste sweet hard and well compact that which is heauy blackish and containing in it little threds as it were of sinewes is counted pernicious and deadly ¶ The Time Of all the Cone trees onely the Larch tree is found to be without leaues in the Winter in the Spring grow fresh leaues out of the same knobs from which the former did fall The cones are to be gathered before winter so soone as the leaues are gone but after the scales are loosed and opened the seeds drop away the Rosine must be gathered in the Sommer moneths ¶ The Names This tree is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine also Larix in Italian and Spanish Larice in high Dutch Lerchenbaum in low Dutch Lorkenboom in French Melese in English Larch tree and of some Larix tree The liquid Rosin is named by Galen also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines call it Resina Larigna or Resina Laricea Larch Rosin the Italians Larga the Apothecaries Terebinthina or Turpentine and it is sold and also mixed in medicines in stead thereof neither is that a thing newly done for Galen likewise in his time reporteth that the Druggers sold the Larch Rosine in stead of Turpentine and this may bee done without errour for Galen himselfe in one place vseth Larch Rosin for Turpentine and in another Turpentine for Larch Rosine in his booke of medicines according to the kindes The Agaricke is also called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Agaricum and Agaricus and so likewise in shops the Italians Spaniards and other nations do imitate the Greeke word and 〈◊〉 English we call it Agaricke ¶ The Temperature and Vertues The leaues barke fruit and kernell are of temperature like vnto the Pine but not so strong The Larch Rosin is of a moister temperature than all the rest of the Rosines and is withall without sharpnesse or biting much like to the right Turpentine and is fitly mixed with medicines which perfectly cure vlcers and greene wounds All

Quod si protinus autorem 〈◊〉 dari vis ad Arabum diligentiam propius accedit And afterwards thus Attribuere viri docti alius alij at quidem qui aliorum viderem nihil Planudem autorem factenti malim assentiri extant enim illius alijs in libris similis vestigia semlatiniet at is c. Thus much for Aristotle whom as you see I haue placed after his Scholler because there is such doubt of these bookes carried about in his name and for that Scaliger as you see thinks them rather taken out of Theophrastus than written by his Master The next that orderly followes is Pedacius Dioscorides Anazarbeus who liued according to Suidas in the time of Cleopatra which was some few yeares before the birth of our Sauiour Now Suidas hath confounded* Dioscorides Anazarbeus with Dioscorides Phacas but by some places in Galen you may see they were different men for our Anazarbean Dioscorides was of the Empericke sect but the other was a follower of 〈◊〉 and of the Rationall sect He writ not only of Plants but de tota materia medica to which studie hee was addicted euen from his childe-hood which made him trauell much ground and leade a militarie life the better to accomplish his ends and in this he attained to that perfection that few or none since his time haue attained to of the excellencie of his worke which is as it were the foundation and ground-worke of all that hath been since deliuered in this nature Heare what Galen one of the excellentest of Physitions and one who spent no smal time in this study asfirmes But saith he the Anazarbean Dioscorides in fiue bookes hath written of the necessarie matter of medicine not onely making mention of herbes but also of trees fruits `` liquours and iuices as also of all mineralls and of the parts of liuing creatures and in mine opinion he hath with the greatest perfection persormed this worke of the matter of Medicine for although many before him haue written well vpon this subiect yet none haue writ so well of all Now Dioscorides followes not the method of Theophrastus but treats of each kinde of herbe in particular first giuing the names then the description and then the place where they vsually grow and lastly their vertues Yet of some which then were as frequently knowne with them as Sage Rosemary an Ash or Oke tree are with vs he hath omitted the descriptions as not necessarie as indeed at that time when they were so vulgarly knowne they might seeme so to be but now wee know the least of these and haue no certaintie but some probable coniectures do direct vs to the knowledge of them He was not curious about his words nor method but plainely and truly deliuered that whereof he had certaine and experimentall knowledge concerning the description and nature of Plants But the generall method he obserued you may finde set sorth by 〈◊〉 in his Edition of Matthiolus immediatly after the preface of the first booke whereto I refer the curious being too long for me in this place to insist vpon His workes that haue come to vs are fiue bookes de materia Medica One de let 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corumque praecautione et curatione another de Cane rabido deque not is 〈◊〉 morsus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animalium venenum relinquentium sequuntur a third De eorum 〈◊〉 These eight bookes within these two last centuries of yeares haue been translated out of Greeke into Latine and commented vpon by diuers as Hermolaus Barbarus Iohannes Ruellius Marcellus 〈◊〉 c. But of these and the rest as they offer themselues I shall say somewhat hereafter There is also another worke which goes vnder his name and may well be his It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 siue de facile parabilibus diuided into two bookes translated and confirmed with the consent of other Greeke Physitions by the great labour of Iohn Moibane a Physition of Auspurge who liued not to finish it but left it to bee perfected and set forth by Conrade Gesner The next that takes place is the laborious Caius Plinius secundus who liued in the time of Vespasian and was suffocated by the sulphureous vapours that came from mount Vesuvius falling at that time on fire he through ouermuch curiositie to see and finde out the cause thereof approching too nigh and this was Anno 〈◊〉 79. He read and writ exceeding much though by the iniurie of time wee haue no more of his than 37. books de Historia Mundi which also haue receiued such wounds as haue tried the best skill of our Critickes and yet in my opinion in some places require medicas manus From the twelfth to the end of the twentie seuenth of these bookes he treats of Plants more from what he found written in other Authors than from any certaine knowledge of his owne in many places following the method and giuing the words of 〈◊〉 and in other places those of Dioscorides though he neuer make mention of the later of them he also mentions and no question followed many other Authors whose writings haue long since perished Sometimes he is pretty large and otherwhiles so briefe that scarce any thing can thence be gathered From the seuenteenth vnto the twentie seuenth he variously handles them what method you may quickly see by his Elenchus contained in his first book but in the twenty seuenth hee handles those whereof hee had made no or not sufficient mention after an Alphabeticall order beginning with Aethyopis Ageratum Aloe c. so going on to the rest I must not passe ouer in silence neither need I long insist vpon Galen Paulus Aegineta and Aetius for they haue only alphabetically named Plants and other simple Medicines briefely mentioning their temperature and faculties without descriptions some very few and those briefe ones excepted and other things pertinent to their historie The next that present themselues are two 〈◊〉 who abuse the World vnder feined titles and their names haue much more antiquitie than the works themselues the first goes vnder the title of Aemilius Macer a famous Poet of whom Ouid makes mention in these verses Saepe suas volucres legit mihi grandior aevo Quaeque nocet Serpens quae iuuat herba Macer Pliny also makes mention of this Macer hee in his Poems imitated Nicander but this worke that now is carried about vnder his name is written in a rude and somewhat barbarous verse far different from the stile of those times wherein Macer liued and no way in the subiect immitating Nicander It seemes to haue beene written about 400 or 500 yeares agoe The other also is of an vnknowne Author to whom the Printers haue giuen the title of Apuleius Madaurensis and some haue been so absurdly bold of late as to put it vnto the workes of Apuleius yet the vncurious stile and method of the whole booke will conuince them of errour if there were no other