1542 Leonhart Fuchs
Leonhart Fuchs mentions paeonies in his herbal De historia stirpium on the same lines as the previous authors ; there is, however, a fine original drawing of a paeony planted in a garden in Germany which may be taken to represent Linnaeus's officinalis. He compares the two paeonies " mascula " and " foemina " in the same way as Dioscorides. In his preface he has a charming paragraph: " But there is no reason why I should dilate at greater length upon the pleasantness and delight of acquiring knowledge of plants sibce there is no one who does not know that there is nothing in this life pleasanter and more delightful than to wander over woods, mountains, plains, garlanded and adorned with flowerets and plants of various sorts, and most elegant to boot, and to gaze intently upon them. But it increases that pleasure and delight not a little if there be added an acquaintance with the virtues and powers of these same plants."
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This translation is taken from Dr. Agnes Arber's delightful book on Herbals in which an account of the lives of these botanists of the Middle Ages is given.
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http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/cushing/Fuchs.htm
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FUCHS, L. De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes. Adiectis earundem viuis, & ad naturae imitatione artificose expressis imaginibus ... Lugduni, B. Arnollet, 1549. 8vo. pp. (30, including 1 blank leaf), 852, (12), with woodcut printer's mark on title, woodcut portrait of Fuchs and 512 woodcuts in the text. Nissen
BBI, 667; Hunt 61: "This is the first impression of these
small woodcuts and the portrait ofFuchs by Clement Bussy".
Some contemporary annotations, small part of the lower margin of
title page cut away and replaced by old paper some centuries ago.
A good copy of this charming 8vo edition of which the original
folio edition was published in 1542. |
