Chapter II: Later Manuscript Herbals and the Early Printed Herbals (2)

"Many a time and oft have I contemplated
inwardly the wondrous
works of the creator of the universe:
how in the beginning He formed
the heavens and adorned them with
goodly shining stars, to which he
gave power and might to influence
everything under heaven. Also how
he afterwards formed the four elements:
fire, hot and dry--air, hot
and moist--water, cold and moist--earth,
dry and cold--and gave to
each a nature of its own; and how
after this the same Great Master of
Nature made and formed herbs of
many sorts and animals of all kinds
and last of all Man, the noblest of
all created things. Thereupon I
thought on the wondrous order which
the Creator gave these same creatures
of His, so that everything which
has its being under heaven receives
it from the stars and keeps it by
their help. I considered further how
that in everything which arises, grows,
lives or soars in the four elements
named, be it metal, stone, herb or
animal, the four natures of the elements,
heat, cold, moistness and
dryness, are mingled. It is also to
be noted that the four natures in
question are also mixed and blended
in the human body in a measure and
temperament suitable to the life and
nature of man; while man keeps
within this measure ... he is strong
and healthy, but as soon as he steps
or falls beyond ... which happens
when heat takes the upper hand and
strives to stifle cold or on the contrary
when cold begins to suppress
heat ... he falls of necessity into
sickness and draws nigh unto death.
... Of a truth I would as soon count
the leaves on the trees or the grains
of sand in the sea as the things
which are the causes of man's sickness.
It is for this reason that so
many thousands and thousands of
perils and dangers beset man. He is
not fully sure of his health or his
life for one moment. While considering
these matters, I also remembered
how the Creator of Nature,
who has placed us amid such dangers
has mercifully provided us with a
remedy, that is with all kinds of
herbs, animals and other created
things.... By virtue of these herbs
and created things the sick man may
recover the temperament of the four
elements and the health of his body.
Since then man can have no greater
nor nobler treasure on earth than
bodily health, I came to the conclusion
that I could not perform any
more useful and holy work than to
compile a book in which could be
contained the virtue and nature of
many herbs and other created things,
together with their true colours and
for the help of all the world, and the
common good, therefore I caused
this praiseworthy work to be begun
by a Master learned in physic who,
at my request gathered into a book
the nature and virtue of many herbs
out of the acknowledged masters of
physic, Galen, Avicenna, Serapio,
Dioscorides, Pandectarius, Platearius
and others."

Preface to _The Grete Herball_.

"Consyderynge the grete goodnesse
of almyghty God creatour of
heven and erthe, and al thynge
therin comprehended to whom be
eternall laude and prays etc. Consyderynge
the cours and nature of
the foure elementes and qualytees
where to ye nature of man is inclyned,
out of the whiche elementes issueth
dyvers qualytees infyrmytees and
dyseases in the corporate body of
man, but god of his goodnesse that
is creatour of all thynges hath
ordeyned for mankynd (whiche he
hath created to his own lykenesse)
for the grete and tender love, which
he hath unto hym, to whom all
thinges erthely he hath ordeyned to
be obeysant, for the sustentacyon
and helthe of his lovynge creature
mankynde whiche is onely made
egally of the foure elementes and
qualitees of the same, and when
any of these foure habounde or hath
more domynacyon, the one than the
other it constrayneth ye body of
man to grete infyrmytees or dyseases,
for the which ye eternall god hath
gyven of his haboundante Grace,
vertues in all maner of herbes to
cure and heale all maner of sekenesses
or infyrmytees to hym befallying
through the influent course
of the foure elementes beforesayd
and of the corrupcyons and ye
venymous ayres contrarye ye helthe
of man. Also of onholsam meates
or drynkes, or holsam meates or
drynkes taken ontemperatly whiche
be called surfetes that bryngeth a
man sone to grete dyseases or sekenesse,
whiche dyseases ben of nombre
and ompossoyble to be rehersed, and
fortune as well in vilages where as
nother surgeons nor phisicians be
dwellyng nygh by many a myle, as
it dooth in good townes where they
be redy at hande, wherefore brotherly
love compelleth me to wryte thrugh
ye gyftes of the holy ghost shewynge
and enformynge how man may be
holpen with grene herbes of the
gardyn and wedys of ye feldys as
well as by costly receptes of the
potycarys prepayred."

The illustrations in the _Grete Herball_ are poor, being merely inferior copies of those in the later editions of the _Herbarius zu Teutsch_.[55] In the majority of cases it is impossible to identify the plant from the figure, and the same figure is sometimes prefixed to different plants. But if the illustrations are poor and dull the frontispiece and the full-page woodcut of the printer's mark are very much the reverse. The frontispiece is a charming woodcut of a man holding a spade in his right hand and gathering grapes, and a woman throwing flowers and herbs out of her apron into a basket. There are two figures in the lower corners, the one of a male and the other of a female mandrake. The woodcut of the printer's mark at the end sheds an interesting ray of light on the Peter Treveris who issued the two first editions of this Herball.[56] The woodcut represents two wodows[57] (savages), a man and a woman, on either side of a tree, from which is suspended a shield with Peter Treveris's initials. Ames supposes that Treveris was a native of Trèves and took his name from that city, but it is more likely that he was a member of the Cornish family of Treffry, which is sometimes spelt Treveris. A Sir John Treffry, who fought at Poitiers, took as supporters to his arms a wild man and woman, and one likes to find that one of his descendants perpetuated the memory of his gallant ancestor by adopting the same sign for his trade device.

The _Grete Herball_ is alphabetically arranged, for the idea of the natural relationship of plants was unknown at that time. But we find a "classification" of fungi. "Fungi ben musherons. There be two maners of them, one maner is deadly and sleeth them that eateth of them and the other dooth not"! As in most sixteenth- and seventeenth-century herbals, there are quaint descriptions of a good many things besides herbs. The most gruesome of these is a substance briefly described as "mummy," and the accompanying illustration is of a man digging beside a tomb. "Mummy," one reads, "is a maner of spyces or confectyons that is founde in the sepulchres or tombes of dead bodyes that haue be confyct with spyces. And it is to wyte that in olde tyme men were wont to confyct the deed corpses and anoynte them with bawme and myre smellynge swete. And yet ye paynims about babylon kepe that custome for there is grete quantity of bawme. And this mummye is specially founde about the brayne and about the maronge in the rydge bone. For the blode by reason of the bawme draweth to the brayne and thereabout is chauffed. And lykewise is the brayne brent and parched and is the quantyte of mommye and so the blode is mroeued in the rydge of the backe. That mommye is to be chosen that is bryght blacke stynkynge and styffe. And that y{t} is whyt and draweth to a dymme colour and that is not stynkynge nor styffe, and that powdreth lightly is naught. It hath vertue to restrayne or staunche."[58]

Other substances described are salt, cheese, pitch, lead, silver, gold, amber, water, starch, vinegar, butter, honey and the lodestone. The dissertation on water shows very clearly that our ancestors regarded bathing as a fad, and a dangerous fad at that. The writer gloomily observes, "many folke that hath bathed them in colde water haue dyed or they came home." And those who are foolish enough to drink water he warns by quoting the authority of "Mayster Isaac," who "sayth that it is impossible for them that drynketh overmuche water in theyr youth to come to ye age that God hath ordeyned them." In the description of the lodestone we find the well-known popular belief about ships being drawn to their destruction. "The lodestone, the adamant stone that draweth yren hath myghte to draw yren as Aristotle sayth. And is founde in the brymmes of the occyan see. And there be hillis of it and these hyllis drawe ye shippes that haue nayles of yren to them and breke the shyppes by drawynge of the nayles out." The accompanying illustration is of a sinking ship with a man going towards the hill of adamant with uplifted hands, while another man is swimming, and a third sits calmly in the ship.

In view of the free use of honey in olden times, the account of honey in the _Grete Herball_ seems inadequate. "Hony is made by artyfyce and craft of bees. The whyche bees draweth the thynnest parte of the floures and partelye of the thickest and moost grosse and thereof maketh hony and waxe and also they make a substaunce that is called the honycombe. The tame hony is that that is made in the hous or hyues that labourers ordeyneth for the sayd bees to lodge and worke in. Hony is whyte in cold places and browne in warm place. And hony ought to be put in medicyne and may be kept C yeeres. There is an other that is called wylde hony and is found in woodes and is not so good as the other and is more bytter. Also there is a honey called castanea because it is made of chestayne floures that the bees sucketh and is bytter."

In the _Grete Herball_, as in _Banckes's Herball_, we find numerous instances of the use of herbs as amulets or for their effect on the mind, and for the smoking of patients with their fumes. I quote the following:--

"Betony. For them that be ferfull. For them that ben to
ferfull gyue two dragmes of powdre hereof wt warme water and
as moche wyne at the tyme that the fere cometh."

"Buglos. To preserve the mynde. This herbe often eaten
confermeth and conserueth the mynde as many wyse maysters
sayth."

"To make folke mery. Take the water that buglos hath b[=e]
soden in and sprynkle it about the hous or chambre and all
that be therein shall be mery."

"Vervain. To make folke mery at ye table. To make all them
in a hous to be mery take foure leaves and foure rotes of
vervayn in wyne, than spryncle the wine all about the hous
where the eatynge is and they shall be all mery."

"Musk. Agaynst weyknesse of the brayne smel to musk."

"Struci[=u]n. Against lytargye blowe the powdre of the sede
in to the nose or elles sethe the sede thereof and juice of
rue in stronge vyneygre and rubbe the hynder parte of ye
head therwith."

"Artemisia. To make a child mery hange a bondell of mugwort
or make smoke thereof under the chylde's bedde for it taketh
away annoy for hem."

"Rosemary. For weyknesse of ye brayne. Agaynst weyknesse of
the brayne and coldenesse thereof, sethe rosmarin in wyne
and lete the pacyent receye the smoke at his nose and kepe
his heed warme."

"Southernwood. The fume of it expelleth all serpents out of
the house and what so ever there abydeth dyeth."

There are two delicious violet recipes for "Syrope of Vyolettes" and "oyle of vyolettes."

"Syrope of vyolettes [=i] made in this maner--Sethe
vyolettes in water and lete it lye all nyght in ye same
water. Than poure and streyne out the water, and in the same
put sugre and make your syrope.

"Oyle of vyolettes is made thus. Sethe vyolettes in oyle and
streyne it. It will be oyle of vyolettes."

It is in this herbal that we find the first avowal of disbelief in the supposed powers of the mandrake.

"There be two maners the male and the female, the female
hath sharpe leves. Some say that it is better for medycyne
than the male but we use of bothe. Some say that the male
hath figure of shape of a man. And the female of a woman but
that is fals. For Nature never gaue forme or shape of
m[=a]kynde to an herbe. But it is of troughe that some hath
shaped suche fygures by craft as we have fortyme herde say
of labourers in the feldes."

The _Grete Herball_ ends thus--

"O ye worthy reders or practicyens to whome this noble
volume is pres[=e]t. I beseche you take intellygence and
beholde ye workes and operacy[=o]s of almighty god which
hath endewed his symple creature mankynde with the graces of
ye holy goost to have parfyte knowlege and understandynge of
the vertue of all manner of herbes and trees in this booke
comprehendyed and everyche of them chaptred by hymselfe and
in every chaptre dyuers clauses where is shewed dyuers maner
of medycunes in one herbe comprehended whiche ought to be
notyfyed and marked for the helth of man in whom is repended
ye hevenly gyftes by the eternall Kynge to whom be laude and
prayse everlastynge. Amen."

The only important books Treveris published besides the _Grete Herball_ were the two English translations of Hieronymus Braunschweig's works (_The noble experyence of the virtuous Handy-worke of Surgeri_ and _The vertuouse Book of the Dystillacion of the Waters of all maner of Herbes_) and the handsome edition of Trevisa's translation of Higden's _Polychronicon_. _The vertuouse Book of the Dystillacion of the Waters of all maner of Herbes_ is well printed, but the illustrations are from the same inferior German cuts as those in the _Grete Herball_. The book was translated into English by Laurence Andrew and, though strictly it does not come within the category of herbals, part of the preface is too beautiful to omit. "Lerne the hygh and meruelous vertue of herbes. Knowe how inestimable a preservative to the helth of man god hath provyded growying euery daye at our hande, use the effectes with reverence, and give thankes to the maker celestyall. Beholde how moch it excedeth to use medecyne of efycacye naturall by God ordeyned then wicked wordes or charmes of efycacye unnaturall by the dyuell enuented, whiche yf thou doste well marke, thou shalt have occasyon to gyue the more louynges and praise to oure sauyour, by redynge this boke and knowlegying his benyfites innumerable. To whose prayse, and helthe of all my crysten bretherne, I have taken upon me this symple translacyon, with all humble reverence ever redy to submit me to the correccion of the lerned reder."

FOOTNOTES:

[38] See Bibliography of English MS. Herbals.

[39] He is sometimes erroneously called Bartholomew de Glanville. Leland, without citing any authority, called him de Glanville. Bale copied Leland in 1557 and added a list of writings wrongly attributed to Bartholomew. Quétif and Echard give detailed reasons in pointing out Leland's error. The Parmese chronicler, Salimbene, writing in 1283, refers to him as Bartholomæus Anglicus, and John de Trittenheim, Abbot of Sparheim (end of fifteenth century), speaks of him as "Bartholomeus natione Anglicus." M. Leopold Delisle endeavoured to claim him as a Frenchman, but although he spent the greater part of his life abroad, he was always distinguished as "Bartholomæus Anglicus." That he was a Minorite "de provincia Francia" is no proof that he was a Frenchman. Batman (1582), on the authority of Bale, describes Bartholomæus as being "of the noble familie of the Earles of Suffolk."

[40] John de Trevisa, a Cornishman, was a Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, and subsequently of Queen's College. He afterwards became chaplain to Lord Berkeley and vicar of Berkeley.

[41] Wynkyn de Worde's real name was Jan van Wynkyn (de Worde being merely a place-name), and in the sacrist's rolls of Westminster Abbey, 1491-1500, he figures as Johannes Wynkyn.

[42] "The rind thereof medled with wine ... gene to them to drink that shall be cut in their body for they should slepe and not fele the sore knitting."

[43] Under "Birch" there is another touch of life in the woods in the Middle Ages. "Wylde men of wodes and forestes useth that sede instede of breede [bread]. And this tree hath moche soure juys and somwhat bytynge. And men useth therfore in spryngynge tyme and in haruest to slyt the ryndes and to gader ye humour that comyth oute therof and drynkyth in stede of wyn. And such drynke quencheth thurste. But it fedyth not nother nourryssheth not, nother makyth men dronke."

[44] In regard to this paper (probably the first made in England for printing) see Bibliography, p. 204.

[45] For dates, full titles, etc., of all the editions of _Banckes's Herbal_ see Bibliography of English Herbals.

[46] See p. 44.

[47] See Bibliography of English Herbals.

[48] Robert Wyer was one of the most famous printers of the early sixteenth century. He came of a Buckinghamshire family and was probably a near relation of John Wyer, also a printer who lived in Fleet Street, for both of them used the device of St. John the Evangelist. He served his apprenticeship to Richard Pynson, whose printing press was in the rentals of Norwich House near the site of the present Villiers Street, and on Pynson's death succeeded to the business. In both his editions of the herbal there is his well-known device of St. John the Evangelist bareheaded and dressed in a flowing robe, sitting under a tree on an island and writing on a scroll spread over his right knee. At his right hand is an eagle with outstretched wings holding an inkwell in its beak, and in the background are the towers and spires of a great city.

[49] Ames catalogues two other editions of the herbal by "W. C.," one published by Anthony Kitson and the other by Richard Kele, but no known copies of these exist.

[50] Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 1913.

[51] The popular belief in the power of sweet-smelling herbs to ward off infection of the much-dreaded plague rose to its height in Charles II.'s reign, when bunches of rosemary were sold for six and eightpence. Till recently there were at least two survivals of this belief in herbal scents--the doctor's gold-headed cane (formerly a pomander carried at the end of a cane) and the little bouquets carried by the clergy at the distribution of the Maundy Money in Westminster Abbey.

[52] For dates of later editions see Bibliography of English Herbals.

[53] For fuller bibliographical details of the _Herbarius zu Teutsch_ and the _Ortus Sanitatis_ see Bibliography of Foreign Herbals.

[54] Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine.

[55] The illustrations in the second and later editions of the _Herbarius zu Teutsch_ are very inferior to those in the first, which are beautiful. _The vertuose boke of Distillacyon of the waters of all maner of Herbes_ (1527), translated by Laurence Andrew from the _Liber de arte distillandi_ by Hieronymus Braunschweig, is illustrated with cuts from the same wood-blocks as the _Grete Herball_.

[56] Titles and dates of the subsequent editions issued by Thomas Gibson (1539) and Jhon Kynge (1561) will be found in the Bibliography of English Herbals.

[57] Treveris had his printing office in Southwark, at the sign of the "Wodows."

[58] The use of "mummy" is not only mentioned by all the later herbalists up to the end of the seventeenth century, but is even to be found in MS. still-room books. In the Fairfax still-room book a recipe for wounds said to have been procured from "Rodolphus Goclerius, professor of Phisicke in Wittenburghe," begins thus: "Take of the moss of a strangled man 2 ounces, of the mumia of man's blood, one ounce and a halfe of earth-worms washed in water or wine and dyed," etc.