Notable Commentaries on the History of Plants

TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE LORD JOACHIM

Euricius Cordus

I consider his labors, whatever they may be, to be of great value. Euricius Cordus Euricius Cordus (1486–1535) was a German physician and poet; he was one of the first to emphasize observing plants in nature rather than just in books. succeeded Brunfels in this pursuit of illustrating botany. He was a man of exceptional poetic skill and erudition in other disciplines, most upright and diligent. How much he contributed to rescuing botany original: "rei herbariae," the study of herbs or plants. from destruction is abundantly shown by the Botanologicon Published in 1534, this was a highly influential dialogue on the identification of plants. which he left as a witness of his diligence for posterity, so that there is no need for my recommendation here. However, I wanted to say at this moment that this man was most worthy of a longer life, as he could have brought much weight to the restoration of herbal medicine through his works. But what the fates did not allow the father to complete, this his son, whom he left behind,

Valerius Cordus

Valerius Cordus, a youth of the highest promise and burning with an incredible zeal and love for learning about plants, will abundantly provide—unless the gods (may it be far from them) also begrudge him a longer life. Since he is now vigorously following in his father's footsteps, there is no reason for him to halt his progress mid-course. After Euricius Cordus, there entered into this arena

Hieronymus Tragus.

Hieronymus Tragus Hieronymus Bock (1498–1554), whose Greek-style pen name was "Tragus" (The Goat). He was a key figure in German botany., who two years ago, when we had already nearly finished these commentaries, published a very long work on plants written in German. His efforts are certainly approved by me. For although I have no personal familiarity with him, a certain wonderful diligence in investigating plants is apparent in this man. Indeed, that he is not unskilled in herbs is clearly testified by the descriptions he provides. For they are mostly of such a kind that they abundantly demonstrate he has inspected the plants he describes with his own eyes. And for this reason, he has earned no common praise, and could have avoided the criticism of many, had he not wished to summon names from Dioscorides The 1st-century Greek physician whose "De Materia Medica" was the standard reference for 1,500 years. for nearly every single herb—as if Dioscorides had described and known the plants of every region, when it is well established that almost every land bears its own private herbs. Therefore, while he strives to impose names from Dioscorides on all plants, it is amazing to say how rashly he is sometimes forced to change and corrupt the approved readings of Dioscorides, which have been accepted for many centuries. This right of changing the passages of authors without necessity is usurped not only by Tragus but also by certain others, and with great arrogance; so it is no wonder that there are very few authors, however excellent they may be, whom we do not see contaminated with infinite faults. For there is no greater occasion for corrupting good authors than when each person decides to change in them whatever pleases him most. For how can it be that while everyone subtracts or adds something according to their own judgment, the genuine and legitimate meaning of the writer remains unshaken? Therefore, someone said no less truly than wittily that those books are best which have experienced no erasure at all. Since, therefore, this custom of rashly changing anything in good authors has always been suspicious and hateful to us, we have been very careful not to change anything easily in Dioscorides, unless we did so based on the most manifest conjecture, or if Pliny or some other trustworthy author warned or compelled it. But let us return to Tragus, who, while he strenuously endeavors to impose names from Dioscorides on every herb, falls into another sin: he not infrequently assigns false and adulterated powers Latin: "facultates," referring to the medicinal virtues or uses of the plants. to them, which everyone knows is most dangerous. Up to this point, we have wished to make honorable mention of several truly learned men, both foreigners and those of our own nation, who have sought to help botany with their published writings, so that we might show how well they have deserved of us and all posterity, and so that there might exist some sign of our gratitude even toward those now dead. I do not care for the others who have written on this part of medicine, as it is clear they have spread more darkness over it than they have brought light—to say nothing of the fact that their writings are full of many serious errors. But among all the herbal books extant today, none have more thick-headed errors than those which the printer Egenolph has published again and again.

Egenolph's botanical books.

Christian Egenolph the printer A prominent Frankfurt publisher (1502–1555) often accused by scholars like Fuchs of pirating works and using inaccurate illustrations.. For in many places he depicts one and the same herb as two or three, and those differing in both form and powers. Thus, from one Solomon's Seal Latin: "Polygonatum", he creates Dittany and Hellebore...