A new Herball/Part I/The Prologe

by William Turner (1510-1568)

To the myghty and Christiane
Prince, Edward Duke of Summerset, Erle of Herford, Lorde
Beachampe, and Uncle vnto the Kynges Maieſty, Wyllyam Tur⹀
ner his ſeruaunt, wyſheth increaſe in the knowledge of God⹀
des holy woꝛde, and grace to lyue therafter.

lthough (most myghty and Christiane Prince) there be many noble and excellent artes ⁊ sciences, which no man douteth, but that almyghty God the autor of all goodness hath gyuē vnto vs by the handes of the Hethen, as necessary vnto the vse of Mankynd: yet is there none among them all, whych is so openly cōmended by the verdit of any holy writer in the Bible, as is yͤ knowledge of plantes, herbes, and trees, and of Phisick. I do not remembre, that I haue red anye expressed commendation of Grammer, Logick, Philosophie, naturall or morall, Astronomie, Arithmetyke, Geometry, Cosmographie, Musyke, Perspectiue, or any other such lyke science. But I rede amonge the commendatyons and prayses of kyng Salomon, that he was sene in herbes shrubbes and trees, and so perfectly that he disputed wysely of them from the hyghest to the lowest, that is from the Cedre tre in mount Liban vnto the Hysop that groweth furth of the wall. If the knowledge of Herbes, shrubbes, and trees, which is not the lest necessary thynge vnto the knowlege of Phisicke were not greatly commendable, it shulde neuer haue bene set among Salomons commendacyons, and amongest the syngular giftes of God. Therefor wher as Salomon was commended for the knowledge of Herbes, the same knowledge of herbes was expressedly ynough cōmended there also. I rede also in the boke called Ecclesiasticus, this commendacyon, and alowyng of Physicions and Phisick in this playn and expressed wordes. Honor the Phisicion for nedes sake, for the Lorde dyd ordayn hym. For Phisick commeth from the hyghest, and shall receyue rewarde of the kyng, The knowledge of the Phisiciō setteth vp hys heade, and maketh yͤ noble to wondre. The highest made medicines out of the earthe, neither wyll a wyse man refuse them or forbeare them. Taketh not water swetnes of a tree, that the power of it may be knowen vnto men? He indued man with knowledge, that he might get prayse of hys wonders. He heleth by these, and taketh away the payne or man. The Potecary tempereth hys mictures together, but his workes bringe nothinge to perfeccyon, but from the lorde commeth furth helth into all the broade worlde. My sonne in thy syckenes fayle not, but pray vnto God: for he shall heale yͤ: leue of synne, shewe straight handes, and clenge thy harte from all synne. And then afterwarde gyue place vnto the Phisicion, as to him: whom god hath ordened. This open prayse and commendacyon is gyuen by holy writers vnto Phisick, and the knowledge of herbes, which I fynde not to be gyuen vnto anye other scyence. But if that Physick had gotten no suche prayse of holy writers, yet for all that were Physicke more worthy ⁊ more to be set by then any of all these aboue rehersed artes ⁊ sciēces, for Grāmer Logick, ⁊ Rhetorick are occupyed about wordes ⁊ saying, law about deuidyng of heretages and in assigning to euery man his ryght. Arithmetyke about numbres, Astronomy and Astrology about the course of the starres and prophecying of thynges for to come, Musick about the agrement of tones, soundes and syngyng. But Phisick standeth in doyng ⁊ workinge, and is occupyed about mannys body, therefore as much better as well doying is, then well saying, and mannis body is more precious then all other creatures: so is Phisick more noble and more worthy to be set by, then all other sciences. I myght here haue proued the excellency of Phisick, by the antiquite of it, and by the nede that men haue of it more then of other scyences, but hauyng the testimony of holy writerers I passe ouer such probacyones. But when as they that promote or further the knowlege of Grammer, Logick, Rethorick, naturall or morall, Philosophy, or any of yͤ other aboue rehersed artes, and sciences, is iudged and that worthely of all charitaly wyse men to haue done an excellent good turne, vnto the Christiane common welth: then howe great a benefit doth he vnto the commō welth that with great study and labor promoteteth, ⁊ helpeth men to the knowledge of Phisick, whyche so greatly as I haue proued before, excelleth and passeth all these sciences. Hermolaus Barbarus therfore, Nicolaus Leonicenus, Ioannes Manardus, and Antonius Musa Italianes, Otho Brunfelsius, Leonardus Fuchsius, Conradus Gisinerus, and Hieronymus Bochius, Germanes, and Ioannes, Ruellius the Frenche man, haue greatly promoted the knowledge of herbes by their studies, and haue eche deserued very muche thanke, not only of their owne countrees, but also of all the hole common welth of all Christendome, and namelye Fuchsius, whych wrote an Herball in Latin, and afterwardes translated the same into Duche his owne countre language. There haue bene in England, and there are now also certain learned men: whych haue as muche knowledge in herbes, yea, and more then diuerse Italianes and Germanes, whyche haue set furth in prynte Herballes and bokes of simples. I mean of Doctor Clement, Doctor Wendy, and Doctor Owen, Doctor Wotton, ⁊ maister Falconer. Yet hath none of al these, set furth any thyng, ether to the generall profit of hole Christendome in latin, ⁊ to the honor of thys realme, nether in Englysh to the proper profit of their naturall countre, Wherfore some will laye vnnaturallnes and vnkyndness vnto their charges, whyche myght haue done these thynges and dyd them not, and could do the same and wold not. For whom I haue no other excuse, but that some wolde and durst not, some wold and durst, but they had no leasure, some beynge wyse men, thought it more wysdome to be a iudge of all mennys writinges and labores, then by writing to come vnder the iudgement and correction of al men: to answer to all whatsoeuer shuld be laid vnto their charges, namely: When their commeth no profit, but the ieopardy of a mannys estimatiō, by such writing and settyng out herballes, or of any other bookes be they neuer so learned or profitable. Howbeit the souldier is more frendly vnto the common welth, which aduenturously runneth among the myddes of hys enemyes both gyuyng and takyng blowes, then he that whilse other men feight, standeth in the top of a tre, iudgyng: how other men do, he beynge without the danger of gonne shot him self. And so is there no man, that hath bene hyther to so good vnto hys countre as to aduenture or take the paynes to set out any herball. I therfore darker in name, and farr vnder these men in knowledge, for the loue that I beare vnto my countre, and at the commandemēt of your grace my lord and maister, I haue set one part of a great herball more boldly then wysely and with more ieopardy of my name then with profite to my purse, as I knowe by dyuerse other bokes, whych I haue set out before this tyme, both in English and in Latin. I haue in this boke taught the latine name, the greke, the englysh name, yͤ duche, and the french name, most commōly of euery herbe that I write of. I declare also the vertues of euery herbe, ⁊ shew the place where I haue sene it, lest it shnld seme to be one of them which wryte of thynges, whyche they neuer saw. I dowt not but many both physicyons of the mean sorte, many surgiones and potecaries, and many of the common people, that will wysely and warely vse herbes with the counsel of the phisycyan, shall take very great profit and commodyte. For the which they are muche bound to thanke your grace: who fyrst set me in hand with this present labor. Yet be it neuer so learned or profytable vnto the cōmon welth, there wyll some enuyous ydle vnsent for ouerseers, homelearned clerkes, stert vp and disprayse thys my laboures, whych for lack of learnyng can not do so muche their selues, or for shepish fear dare not, or for enuious vnkindnes, though they can, wyll not. Agaynst suche malycyous persones, as wyll taste of all mennis meates, and let noman tast of theirs (what kind a felow was sceuola among the Romanes, whych supped with all men, and bad noman to supper) consyderyng that I had nede to haue some noble ⁊ excellent patrone, ⁊ defendour, for my boke could, rehersyng many in my mynde, fynd out none so mete to be a defendour of thys worke as your grace is. Wherfore I hane dedicated it vnto your grace, and therfore gyuen it vnto yow also, because your grace hath alwayes borne so great fauour, ⁊ good wyll vnto me euē before I was called to your graces seruyce, I beseche you to esteme and way my good wyll ⁊ my mynde that I beare vnto your grace and to all yours, by this my poore and small gyft. Which though it be but lyttle, yet it is able to declare my mynde thorowly, as yͤ lyones clawe only sene, be wrayeth the hole lyone. But for all that I haue chosen your grace to be patrone vnto thys booke, yet I reken it no wysdome to put yow to the payn of defensyon, vntyll I can defende no longer my self, therefore ere I make an ende of this preface, I thynke it mete to answer vnto certayn obiectiones, whych maye be layd agaynst it, Some will saye, why is thys fyrst tome so lyttle? it is to be supposed that ye myght haue set furth a great volume, and ye wold. For thys I haue these reasonable excuses, Besydes that I haue more than iii. yeares bene a dayly wayter and wanted the chefe parte of the day most apte to study, the mornyng, ⁊ haue bene long and sore vexed with sycknes, I thought it best to differ the settynge owt of any mor, vntyll I haue by trauaylyng of diuerse shyres in England, found out the herbes where of I wryte, that I myght shew the readers of thys boke, in what place of England euery herbe may be had and found in. For these thre yeares and an hale, I haue had no more lyberty but bare. iii. wekes to bestow vpon yͤ sekyng of herbes, ⁊ markyng in what places they do grow. They yͭ will not be content with this answer, let thē set out greater bokes, ⁊ I will therwith be well cōtent. Other will thinke it vnwysely done, and agaynst the honor of my art that I prosesse, and agaynst the comon profit, to set out so muche knowledge of Phisick in Englyshe. for now (say they) euery man with out any study of necessary artes vnto the knowledge of Phisick, will become a Phisician, to the hynderaūce and minisyng of the study of liberall artes, and the tonges, ⁊ to the hurte of the comen welth. Whilse by occasyon of thys boke euery man, nay euery old wyfe will presume not without the mordre of many, to practyse Phisick. To whom I make thys answer, by a questyon, how many surgianes and apothecaries are there in England, which can vnderstande Plini in latin or Galene and Dioscorides, where as they wryte ether in greke or translated into latin, of the names descriptions and natures of herbes? And when as they haue no latin to come by the knowledge of herbes: whether all the Phisicians of England (sauyng very few) committ not yͤ knowledge of herbes vnto the potecaries or no, as the potecaries do to the olde wyues, that gather herbes, ⁊ to the grossers, whylse they send all their receytes vnto the potecary, not beyng present their to se, whether the potecary putteth all that shuld be in to the receyt or no? Then when as if the potecari for lack of knowledge of the latin tong, is ignorant in herbes: and putteth ether many a good mā by ignorance in ieopardy of his life, or marreth good medicines to the great dishonestie both of the Phisician and of Goddes worthy creatures, the herbes and the medicines: when as by hauyng an herball in English all these euelles myght be auoyded: whether were it better, that many men shuld be killed, or the herball shuld be set out in English? The same reason myght also be made of surgeons, whether it were better yͭ they shuld kyll men for lack of knowledge of herbes or yͭ an herball shuld be set out vnto them in English, whiche for the most part vnderstand no latin at all, sauyng such as no latin eares can abyde? Dioscorides wrote hys great herball in greke, in whose tyme all the Grekes and many Romanes vnderstode it yͭ Dioscorides wrote, Galene wrote also in greke: not only his boke of simples, as of herbes, stones, earthes, beastes, ⁊ metalles, but all the rest of his bokes where in he taught the hole ⁊ perfyt course of Phisick, and in his tyme coulde all the grekes vnderstand greke and a great nombre of Romanes also. Dyd Dioscorides and Galene gyue occasiō for euery old wyfe to take in hād the practise of Phisick? Dyd they gyue any iust occasyon of murther? Were they hynderers of the study of liberall sciences in greke, because they wrote their workes of Phisick in yͤ greke tong? If they gaue no occasyon vnto euery old wyfe to practyse physike, then gyue I none. If they gaue no occasion of murther: then gyue I none. if they were no hynderers from the study of lyberall sciences, then am I no hynderer wryting vnto the English my countremen, an Englysh herball. Allmyghty God, whose worde preachers, and defenders your grace hath promoted in the tyme of your Protectorship, now defende yow, and my ladyes grace your most chaste bedfellow, with all your graces chyldren and ofspryng. Amen.