Copy of Botanicals, Herbs, Date Palm Tree, Areca, Siue Fausel, Gerard

"Of the Drunken Date Tree" (Areca, siue Fausel)

"The little wild date tree"
Upper right: "Palmupinus, siue Palma conifera"
"The wilde Date tree bearing cones."
Lower left: "Fructus Palmapini"
"The fruit of the Cone Date" 

Original antique print 

Antique woodcuts by John Gerard from his "Herball" published in 1597. 

The entire work contines text about the medicinal uses of each plant. Gerard was a botanist and apothecary and cultivated his own extensive garden in England. He often noted where the various plants could be found in England and elsewhere. These are some of the earliest prints made of many plants.

Notice the old English spelling of the time!

There are often images on both sides of the page as well as ample text (archaic English!) between the images. Often a bit of the backside text or image is visible on the front. Complete pages have binding marks in margin.

The colored prints have hand coloring. All prints are in good condition for their age unless otherwise mentioned. Minor signs of age and use are normal in prints this old. There is text and / or images on the reverse side.

Text:
Of the Hifloric of Plants,
kernell of an inch long, and fometimes longer, very hard to be broken, in rafte like the Chestnut
which the fauage people do grate and ftampe to pouder to make them bread.
The Place.
Theophraftus faith the firft growes in Candy, but much more plentifully in Cilicia, and are now
found in certaine places of Italy by the fea fide, and alfo in diuers parts of Spaine.
The other bath been found by trauellers into the Weft Indies, from whence haue bin brought
the naked branches with the fruit.
The Time.
The time anfwereth that of the manured Dare tree.
The Names.
The little Date tree or wilde Date tree is named of Theophraftus, in Naples, Cephaglio
ne in Latine commonly Palmsites. That which is found in the midft of the yong fprings, and is
vfed to be eaten in banquets, is called in Greeke, hi in Latine, Palma cerebrum,the brain
of the Date tree.
The Temperature and Vertues.
A Galen fuppofeth that the brain of the Date tree confifteth of fundry parts, that is to fay of a cer
taine waterie and warme fubftance, and of an earthy and cold, therefore it is moift and cold,with
a certaine aftriction or binding qualitie.
B Being taken as a meat it ingendreth raw humors and winde, and therefore it is good to be eaten
with pepper and falt.
CHAP. 139. Of the drunken Date tree.
Areca, fiue Faufel. The drunken Date tree.
The Description
He drunken Date tree, which Carolus Clufius calleth Faufel, is an Indian tree of a great bignes,
the timber whereof is very foft and fpongious, exceeding fimooth and plaine vnto a great
height,