farfel_n01_120_053

The basis of this 1st ed. of Gerards herbal was the
2nd herbal of Dodens, published by Plantin
of Antwerp in 1583 under the title Stirpium historiae
pemptades sex siva libri XXX. This had been
translated into English by a Dr Priest for th e
publisher John Norton.

(Another edition) The Herbal or Generall Historie of Plantes ....
Very much enlarged + amended by Thomas Johnson citizen
+ apothecarye of London. London, Printed by Adam
Islip, Joice Norton + Richard Witakers. 1633.

Gerard included in his herbal medicinal, culinary + economic
plants as well as native English + exotic plants which
did not fall into any of these categories.

Herbs almost monopolized the materia medica of our forefathers
+ Herbals occupied a position in th ehome malogous
with the modern "doctor book."

Henrey - Printed in English in clear roman type by Edmund Bellifant, another
member of the Eliot's court printing house for the London bookseller J. Norton
* The title page is one of the most attractive tha tappeared in the 16th C.
There are only 19 recorded English engraved title pages published
during the century. (i.e 16th)

The illustrations of plants in Gerard's work are woodcuts. The majority
were printed from woodblocks obtained by Norton from Frankfurt, that
had been used in 1590 for the Eiconen plantarum of Tabernaemontanus
Apart from the Frankfurt figures, a number of other illustration were
used, including some from de l'Obel + about 16 which were original.
In his herball he described + illustrated several hundred of our
native flowering plants, including about 182 which were
additional to those recorded in earlier works (Turner + M.
de l'Obel).

* Designed + engraved by William Rogers one of the earliest English
exponents of copper plate engraving.