Next vnto the Lillies, and before the Narcissi or Daffodils, the discourse of Tulipas deserueth his place, for that it partaketh of both their natures; agreeing with the Lillies in leaues, flowers, and seede, and somewhat with the Daffodils in rootes. There are not onely diuers kindes of Tulipas, but sundry diuersities of colours in them, found out in these later dayes by many the searchers of natures varieties, which haue not formerly been obserued: our age being more delighted in the search, curiosity, and rarities of these pleasant delights, then any age I thinke before. But indeede, this flower, aboue many other, deserueth his true commendations and acceptance with all louers of these beauties, both for the stately aspect, and for the admirable varietie of colours, that daily doe arise in them, farre beyond all other plants that grow, in so much, that I doubt, although I shall in this Chapter set downe the varieties of a great many, I shall leaue more vnspoken of, then I shall describe; for I may well say, there is in this one plant no end of diuersity to be expected, euery yeare yeelding a mixture and variety that hath not before been obserued, and all this arising from the sowing of the seede. The chiefe diuision of Tulipas, is into two sorts: _Præcoces_, early flowring Tulipas, and _Serotinæ_, late flowring Tulipas. For that sort which is called _Mediæ_ or _Dubiæ_, that is, which flower in the middle time betweene them both, and may be thought to be a kinde or sort by it selfe, as well as any of the other two: yet because they doe neerer participate with the _Serotinæ_ then with the _Præcoces_, not onely in the colour of the leafe, being of the same greennesse with the _Serotinæ_, and most vsually also, for that it beareth his stalke and flower, high and large like as the _Serotinæ_ doe; but especially, for that the seede of a _Media Tulipa_ did neuer bring forth a _Præcox_ flower (although I know Clusius, an industrious, learned, and painfull searcher and publisher of these rarities, saith otherwise) so farre as euer I could, by mine owne care or knowledge, in sowing their seede apart, or the assurance of any others, the louers and sowers of Tulipa seede, obserue, learne, or know: and because also that the seede of the _Serotinæ_ bringeth forth _Medias_, and the seede of _Medias Serotinæ_, they may well bee comprehended vnder the generall title of _Serotinæ_: But because they haue generally receiued the name _Mediæ_, or middle flowring Tulipas, to distinguish between them, and those that vsually doe flower after them; I am content to set them downe, and speake of them seuerally, as of three sorts. Vnto the place and ranke likewise of the _Præcoces_, or early flowring Tulipas, there are some other seuerall kinds of Tulipas to be added, which are notably differing, not onely from the former _Præcox Tulipa_, but euery one of them, one from another, in some speciall note or other: as the _Tulipa Boloniensis