Old English herbals 1525-1640 / by Horace Mallinson Barlow.

  • Barlow, Horace Mallinson, 1884-
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Old English herbals 1525-1640 / by Horace Mallinson Barlow. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    14/44 (page 12)
    Authour) to the Reader,” signed “ W. Carie,” complaining that “ W. White hath printed this book without my consent,” and therein “ abused me the author.” From this it is evident that Cary was alive in 1611, and was not then too old to be interested in literary work. This proves beyond a doubt that Cary could not have been the author of our herbal, for the edition bearing the initials “ W. C.,” printed about 1550, was another edition of “ Ranches’ Herbal” of 1525. Assuming, then, that the author or compiler was at least aged 25 when the work was first published, the date of his birth would be 1500. He would not therefore be writing “ caveats ” in the year 1611. Having disposed of Walter Cary, we must now consider William Copland, whose association with the work was that of printer. Three or four editions are attributed to his press, and the only authority, so far as I am aware, for the statement that he compiled the work was the conjecture of Ames (or Herbert), already quoted. When the two books were examined, the connexion between Copland’s edition and those by earlier printers was evidently unnoticed, and the new, elaborate title with the initials “ W. C.” gave the book the appear- ance of an entirely new work. It was only necessary for Ames to have had an earlier edition in his hands, when he described the one printed by Copland, to see that the texts were identical almost word for word. Copland’s issue, with the exception of the three additional chapters, was another edition of “ Banckes’ Herbal.” But, as these additions were printed for the first time by Copland, it is quite possible that they were “ drawen out of an auncyent booke of Phisyck ” by Copland himself. If the title is examined once more, it will be seen that this theory is quite tenable. Two other editions, published by Anthony Kitson and Richard Kele, must, I think, be ascribed to Copland’s press. Of these I have not been able to locate any existing copies, and therefore can only quote their titles from Ames. The following is Kitson’s edition :— “ A booke of the properties of Herbes, called an Herball. Where- unto is added the tyme that Herbes Floures and Seedes should bee gathered to bee kept the whole yeare, wyth. the vertue of the Herbes when they are sty]led. Also a generall rule of all maner of Herbs, drawen out of an auncient booke of Physicke by W. C., Walter Carey. Contains besides X4 in eights, For him.” It will be observed that the wording of this title, with the exception of variations in the spelling, is the same as those by Copland just