Page:Books from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (IA mobot31753000820123).pdf/11



Antonius Recchus, from whose Manuscripts they were by the Lyncei Publish'd at Rome, Anno 1649''. They were chang'd from their first order, as appears by the Spanish-Copy, Printed at Mexico; and 'tis pity that they were alter'd, and are so short and obscure: Meeting with many of the Plants he describes in Jamaica, I had a great mind to be satisfied about them, and being told that the Original Draughts were in the King of Spain's Library, in the Escurial near Madrid, I wrote to Mr. Aglionby when he was Envoy from the late King William to the Court of Spain, to procure a Sight of that Work, and give me an Account of it. He was so obliging as to take the Pains to go thither, and was told that the Book was there, and that he should some time or other see it; which, tho' he endeavour'd several Times, yet he could never effect. Neither had other curious Travellers, better Fortune; for when they had heard of this Book, and (knowing of what importance it would be to see these Originals) did endeavour to procure a Sight of them, the Library-Keepers were so ignorant, to produce to them, some other Book, no ways to the Purpose. Upon the whole matter, I am apt to think the Originals were carried to Rome, where the History was Publish'd, and that they remain'd there with Recchus his Nephew; where, If my Memory fail me not, Fabius Columna says he saw them, and that they are either to be found there, or at Naples, where Columna liv'd, that wrote Notes on them, or that they are lost. However, it went with the Manuscript, from which that at Rome was publish'd; there was a Copy printed at Mexico in Spanish, in the Year ''1615. Francisco Ximenes, one who attended the Sick of the Hospital in that City, publish'd it then, with Emendations, Notes, and the Additional Observations he had made of several Simples he had found in Espaniola, or Sto. Domingo, and other Islinds of the West-Indies. John de Laet mentions this Book in Latin, and from him Vander Linden, in his Book de Scriptis Medicis has, I suppose, taken its Title, but I verily believe it was never printed in any other Language than Spanish. John de Laet takes many things out of him, and puts them very often in a wrong Place, as additional to the Observations of Marcgrave in Brasile, in the Edition of that Author, publish'd by him in 1648''. But that Fault may be easily pardon'd, in one who was no more than a Collector and Editor of Books wherein he did not pretend to any great Knowlege.''