The names of herbes in Greke, Latin, Englishe, Duche [and] Frenche with the commune names that herbaries and apotecaries vse. Gathered by William Turner.

To the mooste noble & mighty Prince Edward by the grace of God Duke of Summerset Erle of Hertforde, vicount beuchamp, lord Semour vnele vnto the Kynges highnesse of Englande, gouernour of his moste roy∣all person and Protectour of al his realmes dominions and subiectes, lieuetenaunt ge∣nerall of al his maiesties armies boeth by lande and sea, Treasurer and Erlmarfhal of England, Gouernoure of the Iles of Gerneley and Iersey, Knyght of the garter, William Turner his seruaunte wisheth prosperi∣tie boeth of bodie and soule.

IN a certain litle boke whiche I set furth .iiii. yeres ago and somthynge more, which I dedicated vnto the Kynges Grace that nowe is I promised that if I perceyued that he woulde take in good worth that litle trea∣ties, to set furth an herbal & an other boke also of fishes. Partly to fulfyl this my pro∣mise streight way after, I began to labour

to make vp a latin herbal, whiche thynge I haue finished .ii. yeres ago, but when I had intēded this yere to haue set it furth, & axed the aduise of Phisicianes in thys matter, their aduise was that I shoulde cease from settynge out of this boke in latin tyll I had sene those places of Englande, wherein is moste plentie of herbes, that I might in my herbal declare to the greate honoure of our countre what numbre of souereine & strang herbes were in Englande that were not in other nations, whose counsell I haue folo∣wed deferryng to setout my herbal in latin, tyl that I haue sene the west coūtrey, which I neuer sawe yet in al my lyfe, which coun∣trey of al places of England, as I heare say is moste richely replenished wyth al kindes of straunge and wōderfull workes & giftes of nature, as are stones, herbes, fishes and metalles when as they that moued me to the settyng furth of my latin herbal, hearde this so reasonable an excuse they moued me to set out an herbal in Englishe as Fuchsi∣us dyd in latine wyth the discriptions, fi∣gures and properties of as many herbes, as I had sene and knewe, to whom I could make no other answere but that I had no such leasure in this vocation and place that I am nowe in, as is necessary for a mā that shoulde take in hande suche an interprise.

But thys excuse coulde not be admitted for both certeine scholars, poticaries, and also surgeans, required of me if that I woulde not set furth my latin herbal, before I haue sene the west partes, and haue no leasure in thys place and vocation to write so great a worke, at the least to set furth my iudgemēt of the names of so many herbes as I knew whose request I haue accōplished, and haue made a little boke, which is no morebut a ta∣ble or regestre of suche bokes as I intende by the grace of God to set furth here after, if that I may obteine by your graces healp such libertie & leasure with a cōueniēt place. as shall be necessary for suche a purpose.

Thys litle boke cōteineth the names of the moste parte of herbes, that all auncient au∣thours write of both in Greke, Lattin, En∣glishe, Duche and Frenche, I haue set to also the names whiche be cōmonly vsed of the poticaries and cōmon herbaries. I haue tolde also the degrees of so many herbes as Galene the chiefe Doctour of al phisicians hath written of, and because men should not thynke that I write of it that I neuer sawe, and that Poticaries shoulde be excuselesse when as the ryghte herbes are required of thē, I haue shewed in what places of Eng∣lande, Germany & Italy the herbes growe

and maye be had for laboure and money, whereof I declare and teache the names in thys present treates. Whiche howe profita∣ble it shall be vnto al the sicke folke of thys Realme, I referre the matter vnto all them whiche are of a ryght iudgemēt in phisicke. Thys small boke of myne I dedicate vnto your grace, signifiyng therby, onely what mynde I beare vnto your grace, desirynge you to take thys in good worth tyll that I maye haue leasure and occasion to write some greater & more wor∣thy worke to your highnesse, whō almightie God long continue in all vertue and honoure to his pleasure Amen.

From your graces house at Syon Anno Dom. M.CCCCCxlviij. Martii .xv.