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.

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    with the Thirde parte, lately ga- | thered, and nowe set oute with the names of the herbes, in Greke | Latin, English, Duche, Erenche, and in the Apotbeca- | ries and Herbaries Latin, with the properties, | degrees, and natnrall places of the same | . . . | . . . | . . . | set furth by William Turner Doctor | in Phisick. | God saue the Quene | [Woodcut of Boyal Arms. | Imprinted at Oollen by Arnold Birckman, In the yeare | of our Lorde. M.D.LXYIII. | Cum Gratia & Priuilegio Reg. Maiest. The second part has a separate title-page. So also has the third. Title.—The thirde parte of Yuil- | liam Turners Herball, wherein are conteined the | herbes, trees, rootes, and fruytes, whereof | is no mention made of Dioscorides, | Galene, Plinye, and other | olde Authores. [ God saue the Quene. [Woodcut of Boyal Arms.] Im- printed at Collen by Arnold Birckman, In the yeare | of our Lorde M.D.LXYIII. | Cum gratia & Priuilegio Reg. Maiest. The first part of this complete edition of 1568 is dedicated to Queen Elizabeth, and the third to “ the right worshipfull Eelowship and Companye of Surgiones,” &c. Turner’s early work consisted chiefly of the identification of the plants described by Dioscorides and other ancient writers. When he published his first botanical work, “ Libellus de re herbaria,” 1538, being then a Fellow of Pembroke Hall, he could “ learne neuer on Greke, neither Latin nor English name euen amongest the Phisiciones of anye herbe or tre, such was the ignorance in simples at that tyme, and as yet there was no English Herbal but one, all full of unlearned cacographees and falselye naminge of herbes.” In this work, and in the Herbal, Turner used his classical scholarship to good purpose, and, as can be seen from his own prefaces, he claimed for himself considerable originality— a claim which has been allowed by modern botanists, although practically ignored by his European contemporaries and immediate successors. This was due, doubtless, to his fearless and searching criticism, which contemporary herbalists resented. But while Turner criticized freely, he did so honestly, and gave praise wherever he thought it due. “ Brunfels, Fuchsius, Gesner, Bock,” he writes, “ haue greatly promoted the knowledge of herbs by their studies, and haue eche deserued uery muche thanke, not only of their own countries, but also of all the hole common welth of all Cristendome.” His studies and extensive travels on the Continent gave him abundant opportunities of observing and collecting plants, and to these enforced absences from England is perhaps due not a little of Turner’s