The wonderfull desire that many haue to see faire, double, and sweete flowers, hath transported them beyond both reason and nature, feigning and boasting often of what they would haue, as if they had it. And I thinke, from this desire and boasting hath risen all the false tales and reports, of making flowers double as they list, and of giuing them colour and sent as they please, and to flower likewise at what time they will, I doubt not, but that some of these errours are ancient, and continued long by tradition, and others are of later inuention: and therefore the more to be condemned, that men of wit and iudgement in these dayes should expose themselues in their writings, to be rather laughed at, then beleeued for such idle tales. And although in the contradiction of them, I know I shall vndergoe many calumnies, yet notwithstanding, I will endeauour to set downe and declare so much, as I hope may by reason perswade many in the truth, although I cannot hope of all, some being so strongly wedded to their owne will, and the errours they haue beene bred in, that no reason may alter them. First therefore I say, that if there were any art to make some flowers to grow double, that naturally were single, by the same art, all sorts of flowers that are single by nature, may be made to grow double: but the sorts of flowers that are single by nature, whereof some are double, were neuer made double by art; for many sorts abide still single, whereof there was neuer seene double: and therefore there is no such art in any mans knowledge to bring it to passe. If any man shall say, that because there are many flowers double, whereof there are single also of the same kinde, as for example, Violets, Marigolds, Daisyes, Daffodils, Anemones, and many other, that therefore those double flowers were so made by the art of man: _viz._ by the obseruation of the change of the Moone, the constellations or coniunctions of Planets, or some other Starres or celestiall bodies. Although I doe confesse and acknowledge, that I thinke some constellations, and peraduenture changes of the Moone, &c. were appointed by the God of nature, as conducing and helping to the making of those flowers double, that nature hath so produced, yet I doe deny, that any man hath or shall euer be able to proue, that it was done by any art of man, or that any man can tell the true causes and seasons, what changes of the Moone, or constellations of the Planets, wrought together for the producing of those double flowers, or can imitate nature, or rather the God of nature, to doe the like. If it shall bee demanded, From whence then came these double flowers that we haue, if they were not so made by art? I answer, that assuredly all such flowers did first grow wilde, and were so found double, as they doe now grow in Gardens, but for how long before they were found they became double, no man can tell; we onely haue them as nature hath produced them, and so they remaine.