London: Printed by Adam Islip, Joice Norton and Richard Whitakers, 1636. Folio, *8, ** - ***6, A-B8, C-Z6, Aa-Zz6, Aaa-Zzz6, 4A-4Z6, 5A-5Z6, 6A-6V6, 6X4, 6Y-6Z6, 7a-7b6 (lacking first and last leaf, blanks), Engraved title, prelims. [xxxvi], text pp. 1-[1632], indices, 23 leaves, engraved title laid down, lower margin cut short occasionally touching a catchword short tears in 7A and 7A2 (index) mended. Profusely illustrated with woodcuts of plants throughout the text. 18th century calf, narrow floral border, fully gilt spine with red mor. title label and in the upper panel a black mor. label gilt with a crest of a boar chained to a tree (Swinton). Indistinct 18th century inscription “Mr John Swinton, younger..... 17??” on dedication leaf and…
London: Printed by Adam Islip, Joice Norton and Richard Whitakers, 1636. Folio, *8, ** - ***6, A-B8, C-Z6, Aa-Zz6, Aaa-Zzz6, 4A-4Z6, 5A-5Z6, 6A-6V6, 6X4, 6Y-6Z6, 7a-7b6 (lacking first and last leaf, blanks), Engraved title, prelims. [xxxvi], text pp. 1-[1632], indices, 23 leaves, engraved title laid down, lower margin cut short occasionally touching a catchword short tears in 7A and 7A2 (index) mended. Profusely illustrated with woodcuts of plants throughout the text. 18th century calf, narrow floral border, fully gilt spine with red mor. title label and in the upper panel a black mor. label gilt with a crest of a boar chained to a tree (Swinton). Indistinct 18th century inscription “Mr John Swinton, younger..... 17??” on dedication leaf and on front pastedown “A present from A. Swinton of Manderston Esqr ..... Jan. 1. 1781”
This is the second edition of Gerarde to be edited by Johnson. It is a reprint of the 1633 edition, with the errata corrected, and in place of the list of errata on the verso of the last leaf there is now “An Advertisement to the Readers” by Johnson, for this edition.
On page 1516 is the famous woodcut of the bananas, a life study by Johnson from the first bananas to be seen in England. These had been given to him on 10th April 1633 by Dr. Argent, President of the College of Physicians of London, who had received them from Bermuda. Johnson’s drawing, which first appeared in his 1633 edition, is the first illustration of bananas to be published in England. Having drawn and described them, he says - “ the stalke with the fruit thereon I hanged up in my shop, where it became ripe about the beginning of May, and lasted until June” . The shop was in Snow Hill, in the City, and it must have been there also that John Payne studied this unknown fruit before incorporating it into his engraved title-page.
STC 11752 Henrey 156 Hunt Cat. 230 Bradley. I, p.283
London : Impensis G. B. 1601 [Vol. 2 Printed by Adam Islip, 1601]. First Edition in English 2 volumes in 1, folio, (324x208mm) [-]6, ❡4, a-b6, A8, B-Iii6, Kkk4, 357 leaves (lacking first blank), and A-Ggg6, Hhh4, Iii-Ooo6, Ppp8, 365 leaves (lacking last blank, Ppp2&7 in duplicate), cancel title to vol. 1 with imprint reading Impensis G.B.[ishop], occasional early ink marginalia and underlinings ,with an elegant cloverleaf nota mark, minor holes in vol.1 foremargin of V4 and in vol.2 lower margin of Dd3, none affecting text, 17th century full calf, triple fillet centre panels with floral cornerpieces in blind, spine fully gilt with stars, circles, and a distinctive carnation tool, title labels in 2nd and 3rd compartments, hinges…
London : Impensis G. B. 1601 [Vol. 2 Printed by Adam Islip, 1601]. First Edition in English
2 volumes in 1, folio, (324x208mm) [-]6, ❡4, a-b6, A8, B-Iii6, Kkk4, 357 leaves (lacking first blank), and A-Ggg6, Hhh4, Iii-Ooo6, Ppp8, 365 leaves (lacking last blank, Ppp2&7 in duplicate), cancel title to vol. 1 with imprint reading Impensis G.B.[ishop], occasional early ink marginalia and underlinings ,with an elegant cloverleaf nota mark, minor holes in vol.1 foremargin of V4 and in vol.2 lower margin of Dd3, none affecting text, 17th century full calf, triple fillet centre panels with floral cornerpieces in blind, spine fully gilt with stars, circles, and a distinctive carnation tool, title labels in 2nd and 3rd compartments, hinges sometime expertly renewed, a fine, tall and clean copy.
Written in the first century AD, Pliny's "Naturalis Historia" was essentially the highest authority for centuries on subjects relating to botany, zoology, geography, mineralogy, pharmacology, etc. It soon became a standard book of reference; abstracts and abridgements appeared by the third century. Bede owned a copy, Alcuin sent the early books to Charlemagne, and Dicuil, the Irish geographer, quotes him in the ninth century. It was the basis of Isidore's Etymologiae and such medieval encyclopedias as the Speculum Majus of Vincent of Beauvais and the Catholicon of Balbus. Holland is generally considered the greatest translator of the Elizabethan age. Lowndes regards this book as "A work of immense labour, and what few men of his time could have executed in a superior manner to Dr. Holland." It was claimed by Sir Sidney Lee to be ‘his most popular translation’.
STC (2nd ed.) 20029.5 [ESTC S115918] Pforzheimer 496 Lowndes p. 1885 McKerrow & Ferguson no.148