P R E F A C E

TO THE

R E A D E R .

Large decorative historiated drop cap 'H' featuring floral and foliate motifs within a square frame.
Here you have, friend Reader, a description of the plants which this land of Malabar The Malabar Coast of southwestern India produces, almost all of which display their medicinal powers. If there is any praise for this work, it is deservedly earned by the Noble Lord HENRICUS VAN RHEEDE, Governor of these Malabar territories which the most powerful ranks of the Indian Company The Dutch East India Company or VOC hold in their possession. He is a man vigorous in military affairs and highly skilled in political governance, as he was the one who first promoted and directed this work, and brought every aid to ensure its completion. Indeed, as I have sufficiently learned from the man himself, this Noble Lord—once he had considered how much benefit would lie in having a clear and exact description of the plants of this land—realized it would not only wonderfully please the curious and those most fond of new plants, but would also be of the greatest use in Medicine (especially that which is practiced under this sky and in this soil) and would thus benefit the affairs of the most powerful ranks of the Indian Company. He was always fired with a most burning desire to obtain such a description of plants, so much so that he would have most willingly set his own hand to the work and undertaken the description himself, had he not been too entangled and distracted by military and political matters.

However, since no time remained for him for this task, he was long delayed in the pursuit of his purpose, until after some time had passed, he learned that there was a Father MATTHEW in these lands, a barefoot Carmelite of the Order of St. Joseph from Naples, who excelled in remarkable knowledge of plants and long experience in these matters, and who could assist him in his purpose. Therefore, when the opportunity presented itself to invite him and inspect his work, his wish was granted. For that churchman, a man of upright and honest life, was so moved by the laudable and righteous intent of this Noble Lord—and especially out of respect for the estimation of his virtues which he had conceived—that with a ready mind he offered him all his efforts. This was the reason why the Noble Lord applied his long-held desire and zeal entirely to the promotion of his laudable proposal. Likewise, he thought it worthy to make this known to me, and to give me the opportunity to examine the description which this Reverend Father had undertaken, knowing well with how much desire I also burned to see his proposal perfected for the public good and benefit.

And certainly, this labor which the named Father had spent on the knowledge and experience of the plants of this place could not fail to give us cause for praise and to value him according to his merit, as well as the fact that he painted the plants with his own hand with such prompt speed, which sufficiently showed the power of his imagination and vivid memory. But in truth, the description of the plants itself seemed to the Noble Lord, as well as to me, to require greater and fuller perfection; for everything in it concerned more the medicinal powers of the plants, while the form of them and their parts was set forth lightly and superficially. The figures themselves were also less perfect than was needed to exactly express the entire form of the parts, especially of the Flowers, Fruits, and Seeds. Indeed, it is not that we wish these things said to the detraction of that honor which the pious and upright man deserves, for as he himself sufficiently confessed, he had described the plants of this land more as if in passing and for his own delight and exercise, rather than with the purpose of publishing them. Therefore, the zeal which this Noble Lord had perceived in that pious man...