THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS
"The Lely is an herbe wyth a whyte floure. And though the levys of the floure be whyte: yet wythin shyneth the lykenesse of golde." -- BARTHOLOMVEUS ANGLICUS (circ. 1260).
HERBS BEING DUG UP AND MADE INTO MEDICINES UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A SAGE
From a 12th century copy of the Herbarium of Apuleius, now in the Library of Eton College
THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS
BY
ELEANOUR SINCLAIR ROHDE
AUTHOR OF "A GARDEN OF HERBS"
WITH COLOURED FRONTISPIECE AND 17 ILLUSTRATIONS
LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
NEW YORK, TORONTO
BOMBAY, CALCUTTA AND MADRAS
Made in Great Britain
TO
MY BROTHER
PREFACE
THE writing of this book on that fascinating and somewhat neglected branch of garden literature -- the old English Herbals -- has been a labour of love, but it could not have been done without all the kind help I have had. My grateful thanks are due to the authorities at the British Museum, to Professor Burkitt of Cambridge, and very specially to Mr. J. B. Capper for invaluable help. I am indebted to Dr. James, the Provost of Eton, for his kind permission to reproduce an illustration from a twelfth-century MS. in the Library of Eton College for the frontispiece. I find it difficult to express either my indebtedness or my gratitude to Dr. and Mrs. Charles Singer, the former for all his help and the latter for her generous permission to make use of her valuable bibliography …