HERB - Banckes herbal question

[Jenne Heise]

> >The editor of the volume I've borrowed from the library believes that two
> >different authors worked on the volume, which accounts for hte doubled
> >entries.
> Did the copy you borrowed indicate which edition of Banckes was described?
> Any indication whether it was a late or early copy? Also, if I can pester
> you some more, which version did you get from the library? I wonder if
> it's the same one I requested.

The one I have on hand is:
_An Herbal [1525]_ Edited and transcribed into  modern English with an
Introduction by Sanford V. Larkey, MD and Thomas Pyles. Published by
Scholar's Facsimiles and Reprints, NY, 1941.

The introduction says this is the British Museum copy reproduced in
facsimile. According to the colophon, this copy is dated March 25, 1525.
(and of course there is the all-important transcription, a lovely thing,
god wot.)   

> The reason I ask is that M.R. Best, editor for the edition of Markham's
> "The English Housewife" suspects that Markham was working from a personal
> copy of Banckes herbal and that it was a late edition of said herbal.
> Best also mentions that considerable additions were made to Banckes
> from initial printed version to the version used by Markham.

The authors who wrote the introduction in 1941 don't mention 'Agnus
Castus' (the manuscript) but they do speak of at least 15 editions,as well
as two volumes called 'Macers Herbal Practysyd by Doctor Lynacro" and 
two _Little Herbal_ editions atributed to Askham, but the editors believe
those may be from the same source as Banckes, not editions of it. 
If they are all taken from that manuscript, that might be an explanation.
(anyone have Rohdes's _Old English Herbals_ to check this? My copy
disappeared.)

Banckes' however, does not have an index by illness, and the recipes are
scattered, in the same manner as Culpeper, throughout. Many of them are
not really recipes, simply recommended combinations of herbs; Markham did 
add recipes in the more traditional style.

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa (Shire of Eisental; HERMS Cyclonus), mka Jennifer Heise	
jenne at tulgey.browser.net

"Healing the universe is an inside job." 


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