herbes and flowers with their fragrant sweete smels doe comfort, and as it were reuiue the spirits, and perfume a whole house; euen so such men as liue vertuously, labouring to doe good, and profit the Church of God and the Common wealth by their paines or penne, doe as it were send forth a pleasing savour of sweet instructions, not only to that time wherein they liue, and are fresh, but being drye, withered and dead, cease not in all after ages to doe as much or more. Many herbes and flowers that haue small beautie or savour to commend them, haue much more good vse and vertue: so many men of excellent rare parts and good qualities doe lye hid unknown and not respected, vntill time and vse of them doe set forth their properties. Againe, many flowers haue a glorious shew of beauty and brauery, yet stinking in smell, or else of no other vse: so many doe make a glorious ostentation, and flourish in the world, when as if they stinke not horribly before God, and all good men, yet surely they haue no other vertue then their outside to commend them, or leaue behind them. Some also rise vp and appear like a Lilly among Thornes, or as a goodly Flower among many Weedes or Grasse, eyther by their honourable authoritie, or eminence of learning or riches, whereby they excell others, and thereby may doe good to many. The frailty also of Mans life is learned by the soone fading of them before their flowring, or in their pride, or soone after, being either cropt by the hand of the spectator, or by a sudden blast withered and parched, or by the reuolution of time decaying of it owne nature: as also that the fairest flowers or fruits first ripe, are soonest and first gathered. The mutabilitie also of states and persons, by this, that as where many goodly flowers & fruits did grow this years and age, in another they are quite pulled or digged vp, and eyther weedes and grasse grow in their place, or some building erected thereon, and their place is no more known. The Ciuill respects to be learned from them are many also: for the delight of the varieties both of formes, colours and properties of Herbes and Flowers, hath euer beene powerfull ouer dull, unnurtured, rusticke and sauage people, led only by Natures instinct; how much, more powerfull is it, or should be in the mindes of generous persons? for it may well bee said, he is not humane, that is not allured with this obiect. The study, knowledge, and trauel in them, as they haue been entertained of great Kings, Princes and Potentates, without disparagement to their Greatnesse, or hinderance to their more serious and weighty Affaires: so no doubt vnto all that are capable thereof, it is not onely pleasant, but profitable, by comforting the minde, spirits and senses with an harmelesse delight, and by enabling the iudgement to conferre and apply helpe to many dangerous diseases. It is also an Instructer in the verity of the genuine Plants of the Ancients, and a Correcter of the many errours whereunto the world by