A Middle English Translation of Macer Floridus de Viribus Herbarum

Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksells, 1949. Large octavo, pp 338, a very occasional light and discrete pencil note in a margin, otherwise incredibly clean internally, paperback, the covers in very good condition. RARE - a fine copy. [Macer Floridus is the alleged pseudonym of Odo de Meung, a French cleric and physician who lived during the 11th century and was the presumed author of the herbal poem De Viribus Herbarum (On the properties of plants). The use of "Macer" alludes to the Roman poet, Aemilius Macer (16 B.C.), who authored a poem on remedies for those afflicted with wounds from poisonous serpents. The herbal, commonly referred to as the Macer Floridus, was written in Latin hexameter verse and presented the medicinal uses of plants. The rhyming verse aided doctors and apothecaries in memorizing medicinal recipes and treatments, which made the herbal popular among those who practiced medicine during the Middle Ages. The Macer Floridus is recognized as a signal of revival in botanical interest following the Dark Ages, so named for the lack of recordkeeping during this time. Though not derived from personal observation, the Macer Floridus was assembled from such sources as Naturalis Historia by Pliny the Elder (23-79), the Greek physicians Pedanios Dioscorides (40-90) and Galenos of Pergamon (130-201), as well as the gardening manual Hortulus by the Benedictine poet and botanist Walahfrid Strabo (808-849).]. First Edition. Paperback. Very Good.