Gerard's Herbal Vol. 1
To the well affected Reader and peruser of this
book, St. Bredwell physician,
greeting.
Open is the camp of glory and honour for all men, saith the younger Pliny: not only men of great birth and dignity, or men of office endued with public charge and titles, are seen therein, and have the garland of praise and preferment waiting to crown their merits, but even the common soldier likewise: so as he, whose name and note was erst all obscure, may by egregious acts of valour obtain a place among the noble. The school of science keepeth semblable proportion: whose amplitude, as not always, nor only, men of great titles and degrees, labour to illustrate; so whosoever doth, may confidently account of, at the least, his name to be immortal. What is he then that will deny his voice of gracious commendation to the authors of this book: to every one, no doubt, there is due a condign measure. The first gatherers out of the ancients, and augmenters by their own pains, have already spread the odour of their good names, through all the Lands of learned habitations. Dr. Priest, for his translation of so much as Dodonĉus, hath thereby left a tomb for his honourable sepulture. Mr. Gerard coming last, but not the least, hath many ways accommodated the whole work unto our English nation: for this History of plants, as it is richly replenished by those fine men's labours laid together, so yet could it full ill have wanted that new accession he hath made unto it. Many things hath he nourished in his garden, and observed in our English fields, that never came into their pens to write of. Again, the greatest number of these plants, having never been written of in the English tongue, would have wanted names for the vulgar sort to call them by: in which defect he hath been curiously careful, touching both old and new names to make supply. And lest the Reader should too often languish with frustrate desire, to find some plant he readeth, of rare virtue, he spareth not to tell (if himself have seen it in England) in what wood, pasture or ditch the same may be seen and gathered. Which when I think of, and therewithal remember, with what cheerful alacrity, and resolute attendance he hath many years tilled this ground, and now brought forth the fruit of it, whether I should more commend his great diligence to attain this skill, or his large benevolence in bestowing it on his country, I cannot easily determine. This book-birth thus brought forth by Gerard, as it is in form and disposition fair and comely, every species being referred to his likeliest genus, of whose stock it came: so is it accomplished with surpassing variety, unto such spreading growth and strength of every limb, as that it may seem some heroical imp of illustrious race, able to draw the eyes and expectation of every man unto it. Somewhat rare it will be here for a man to move a question of this nature, and depart again without some good satisfaction. Manifold will be the use both to the physician and others: for every man delighteth in knowledge naturally, which (as Aristotle said) is in prosperity an ornament, in adversity a refuge. But this book above many others will suit with the most, because it both plenteously ministreth knowledge, which is the food of the mind, and cldoth it also with a familiar and pleasing taste to every capacity. Now as this commodity is communicated to all, and many shall receive much fruit thereof, so I with some may have the mind to return a benefit again; that it might not be true in all that Juvenal saith, Scire volunt omnes, mercedem solvere nemo (i. e.) All desire to know, none to yield reward. Let men think, that the perfection of this knowledge is the high advancement of the health of man; that perfection is not to be attained, but by strong endeavour: neither can strong endeavour be accomplished without free maintenance. This hath not he, who is forced to labour for his daily bread: but if he, who from the first hours of his daily and necessary travail, stealing as it were some, for the public behoof, and setting at length those pieces together, can bring forth so comely a garment as this, meet to cover or put away the ignorance of many: what may be thought he would do, if public maintenance did free him from that private care, and unite his thoughts to be wholly intent to the general good. Reader, if such men as this stick not to rob themselves of such wealth as thou hast to enrich thee, with that substance thou wantest, detract not to share out of thine abundance to merit and encourage their pains: that so flexible riches, and permanent sciences, may the one become a prop unto the other. Although praise and reward joined as companions to fruitful endeavours, are (in part) desired of all men, that undertake losses, labours, or dangers for the public behoof: because they add sinews (as it were) unto reason, and able her more and more to refine herself: yet do they not embrace that honour in respect of itself, nor in respect of those that conferred it upon them, but as having thereby an argument in themselves, that there is something in them worthy estimation among men: which then doubleth their diligence to deserve it more abundantly. Admirable and for the imitation of princes, was that act of Alexander, who setting Aristotle to compile commentaries of the brute creatures, allowed him for the better performance thereof, certain thousands of men, in all Asia and Greece, most skilful observers of such things, to give him information touching all beasts, fishes, fowls, serpents, and flies. What came of it? A book written, wherein all learned men in all ages since do exercise themselves principally, for the knowledge of the creatures. Great is the number of those that of their own private have laboured in the same matter, from his age down to our present time, which all do not in comparison satisfy us. Whereas if in those ensuing ages there had risen still new Alexanders, there (certainly) would not have wanted Aristotles to have made the evidence of those things an hundredfold more clear unto us, than now they be. Whereby you may perceive the unequal effects that follow those unsuitable causes of public and private maintenances unto labours and studies. Now that I might not despair in this my exhortation, I see examples of this munificence in our age to give me comfort: Ferdinand the Emperor and Cosmos Medici Prince of Tuscany are herein registered for furthering this science of plants, in following of it themselves and becoming skilful therein: which course of theirs could not be holden without the supporting and advancing of such as were studious to excel in this kind. Bellonius likewise (whom for honour's cause I name) a man of high attempts in natural science, greatly extolleth his King's liberality, which endued him with free leisure to follow the study of plants, seconded also herein by Montmorency the Constable, the Cardinals Castilion and Lorraine, with Oliverius the Chancellor; by whose means he was enabled to perform those his notable peregrinations in Italy, Africa and Asia: the sweet fruit whereof, as we have received some taste by his observations, so we should plenteously have been filled with them, if violent death by most accursed robbers had not cut him off. And as I find these examples of comfort in foreign nations, so we are (I confess) much to be thankful to God, for the experience we have of the like things at home. If (nevertheless) unto that physic lecture lately so well erected, men who have this world's goods shall have hearts also of that spirit, to add some ingenious labourer in the skill of simples, they shall mightily augment and adorn the whole science of physic. But if to that likewise they join a third, namely the art of chemical preparation; that out of those good creatures which God hath given man for his health, pure substances may be procured for those that be sick, (I fear not to say it, though I see how Momus scorneth) this present generation would purchase more to the perfection of physic, than all the generations passed since Galen's time have done: that I say, nothing of this one fruit that would grow thereof, to wit, the discovering and abolishing of these pernicious impostures and sophistications, which mount-promising Paracelsians everywhere obtrude, through want of true and constant light among us to discern them by. In which behalf, remembering the mournful speech of grave Hippocrates; The art of physic truly excelleth all arts, howbeit, through the ignorance partly of those that exercise it, and partly of those that judge rashly of physicians, it is accounted of all arts the most inferior: I say in like manner, the art of chemistry is in itself the most noble instrument of natural knowledges; but through the ignorance & impiety, partly of those that most audaciously profess it without skill, and partly of them that impudently condemn that they know not, it is of all others most basely despised and scornfully rejected. A principal remedy to remove such contumelious disgrace from these two pure virgins of one stock and lineage, is this that I have now insinuated, even by erecting the laboratory of an industrious chemist, by the sweet garden of flourishing simples. The physic reader by their means shall not only come furnished with authorities of the ancients, and sensible probabilities for that he teacheth, but with real demonstrations also in many things, which the reason of man without the light of the furnace would never have reached unto. I have uttered my heart's desire, for promoting first the perfection of my profession, and next by necessary consequence, the healthier lives of men. If God open men's hearts to provide for the former, it cannot be but that the happy fruits shall be seen in the latter. Let the ingenious learned judge whether I have reason on my side; the partial addicted sect I shun, as men that never meant good to posterity.
