Notes

names of plants

Fuit quidem et hic quondam ambitus nominibus suis eas adoptandi, ut docebimus fecisse reges. tanta res videbatur herbam invenire, vitam iuvare, nunc fortassis aliquis curam hanc nostram frivolam quoque existimaturis; adeo deliciis sordent etiam quae ad salutem pertinent. auctores tamen quarum inveniuntur in primis celebrari par est effectu earum digesto in genera morborum

It was one of the ambitions of the past to give one’s name [A common phrase in Pliny is nomine adoptare, “to give a name to a thing”] to a plant, as we shall point out was done by kings. It was thought a great honour to discover a plant and be of assistance to human life, although now perhaps some will think that these researches of mine are just idle trifling. So paltry in the eyes of Luxury are even the things that conduce to our health. It is but right, however, to mention in the first place the plants whose discoverers can be found, with their properties classified according to the kinds of disease for which they are a remedy. To reflect indeed on this makes one pity the lot of man; besides chances and changes and the strange happenings that every hour brings, there are thousands of diseases that every mortal has to dread.

la denomination

Ce sujet est cher à l’érudition de la Renaissance; ainsi Boaistuau consacrera partiellement le chap. 23 de ses Histoires prodigieuses à la dénomination des plantes. Rabelais a certainement utilisé le livre de Charles Estienne, De Latinis et Graecis nominibus arborum, fructicum, herbarum, piscium et auium (2° éd., 1545); mais ces préoccupations sont inspirées par Pline lui-même, dont le livre XXV de l’Hist. naturelle fourmit une grande partie de la matière.

la denomination d’icelle

Cette énumération de plantes classées, le nom de l’inventeur, du pays d’origine, etc., est inspirée de Pline (Histoire naturelle, XXV) et de Charles Estienne (De latinis et grecis nominibus arborum, fructicum, etc.). Elle évoque par la même occasion de nombreuses légendes, comme celle de Panace, fille d’Esculape, de Télèphe blessé devant Troi et guéri par Achille, etc.