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: Richard Whitakers, 1636, folio.
THE THIRD AND BEST EDITION OF GERARD'S FAMOUS HERBAL IN A CONTEMPORARY BINDING, FINELY ILLUSTRATED.
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Gerard was an experienced practical botanist who cultivated rare plants at his garden in Holborn, including exotic species from the New World. He was very well known during his lifetime, supervising the gardens of noblemen including William Cecil, and was the curator of the physic garden of the Royal College of Physicians.
However, Gerard's Herbal contains folkloric and mythical elements as well as a number of misconceptions and mistakes which show his lack of scientific training. The second and third editions (1633 and 1636) were edited by Thomas Johnson, of which Anthony Wood calls "the best herbalist of his age in England". Johnson's editions contain more than 800 new species and 700 new illustrations, as well as numerous corrections, showing how far the field of botanical knowledge had advanced between the late Elizabethan era and the 1630s. It is for this reason that the second and third editions are regarded as the best. We sold a copy of the first edition a few months ago and this edition is indeed much larger and more comprehensive.
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Size: 237 x 349 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(1), ¶⁸, (-¶¹), ¶¶⁶, ¶¶¶⁶, A¹-L², [L³-⁴], L⁵-6U⁶, 6X⁴, (2)]
Very attractive near contemporary binding finely tooled in gilt to the spine with appropriate floral motifs, retaining its tooled red morocco label. Binding rubbed with joints cracked, but with a historic repair by Stoakley, Cambridge Bindery, to include the main title being laid down, hinges reinforced, and subtle joint repair. Both boards are securely attached and the book functions properly as a book should. Very attractive indeed on the shelf, especially with such a lovely early binding. This book is now very scarce in an early binding as here.
L3-4 provided in extremely fine early manuscript facsimile, including the illustrations, two of the finest manuscript facsimile leaves we have ever encountered, truly excellent. Bound without the final index (all after 6X4, pp.1631), else the book collates as textually complete aside from the ¶¹ blank and the two leaves provided in very fine facsimile. The text block is generally in very bright and clean condition throughout, mildly toned, with some minor marginal marks to a few leaves as expected, but overall internally near fine. An excellent copy. Bookplate to front pastedown of Edward Harries, with an extensive pencil inscription to the rear blank verso in English dated 1712 in praise of this edition.
[ESTC S122175; STC 11752 ].
