The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part II

The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part II

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 341. John Gerarde | The herball or generall historie of plantes, London, 1636, early nineteenth-century calf.

John Gerarde | The herball or generall historie of plantes, London, 1636, early nineteenth-century calf

Auction Closed

November 29, 03:25 PM GMT

Estimate

1,000 - 1,500 GBP

Lot Details

Description

John Gerarde


The herball or generall historie of plantes. Gathered by John Gerarde of London master in chirurgerie, very much enlarged and amended by Thomas Johnson citizen and apothecarye of London. London: printed by Adam Islip, Joice Norton and Richard Whitakers, 1636


Third edition (the second edition edited by Thomas Johnson), folio (339 x 228mm.), engraved allegorical title-page by John Payne, numerous in-text woodcut illustrations, woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, main text in English, early nineteenth-century calf, spine with raised bands in six compartments, morocco label to second compartment, marbled edges, marbled endpapers, engraved title-page laid down, small rust hole and dampstaining to outer margin of Latin dedication leaf (not affecting text), small inkstain to outer margins of preliminary leaves (not affecting text), 2 leaves with tears at corners of lower margins (not affecting text), extremities slightly browned, lower joint splitting, extremities rubbed 


THIRD EDITION OF THE WORK CONTAINING THE FIRST ENGLISH DESCRIPTION OF THE POTATO.


John Gerarde's Herball, originally published in 1597, would become a standard botanical text in seventeenth century England. It is in large part a plagiarised English translation of a 1554 herbal by Rembert Dodoens, and contains woodcuts derived from numerous Continental sources.


Gerarde was an experienced practical botanist who cultivated rare plants at his garden in Holborn, including exotic species from the New World. He also supervised the gardens of noblemen including William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley and was curator of the physic garden of the Royal College of Physicians.


However, the Herball contains folkloric and mythical elements as well as a number of misconceptions and mistakes which betray his lack of scientific training. The second and third editions (1633 and 1636) were edited by Thomas Johnson (d.1644), lauded by the Oxonian antiquary Anthony Wood as "the best herbalist of his age in England". Johnson's editions contain more than 800 new species and 700 new figures, as well as numerous corrections, showing how far the field of botanical knowledge had advanced between the late Elizabethan era and the 1630s.


LITERATURE:

Hunt 230; Nissen BBI 698; STC 11752 


PROVENANCE:

Sir Gilbert Elliot, 3rd baronet and lord Minto (1722-1777), treasurer of the Navy, armorial shelf label with motto "credunt quod vident"