The Herbalist's Bible

de Julie Bruton-Seal, Matthew Seal

"Herbalist to two Kings (James I and Charles I), John Parkinson (1567-1650) was a master apothecary, herbalist and gardener. Famous in his own lifetime for his influential books, his magnus opus, the Theatrum Botanicum, was published in 1640 and ran to 1,766 large pages. The sheer scope and size was perhaps to prove the book's downfall because, while it was much revered--and plagiarized--it was never reprinted and, centuries later, has attained the status of an extremely rare and valuable book. Parkinson was writing at a time when Western herbalism was at its zenith and his skills as a gardener (from his grounds in Covent Garden) combined perfectly with his passion for science, observation and historical scholarship. In The Herbalist's Bible, Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal have beautifully combined selections from Parkinson's book with their own modern commentary on how the plant is used today to create a truly one-of-kind, comprehensive collection of herbal information old and new. Parkinson's clear and lively description of a chosen plant's 'vertues' or healing properties side-by-side with the editors' notes--including copious herbal recipes--make this the perfect book for students and practitioners of herbalism, historians and gardeners, all of whom will welcome this restoration of Parkinson's lost classic."--Publisher's description.