Jacques Dalechamps received his education at Montpellier, completing his doctoral degree in 1547 under the physician naturalist, Guillaume Rondelet. In the true Renaissance spirit Dalechamps wrote on a variety of subjects including botany and natural history as well surgery. His Historia generalis plantarum was the most complete botanical work of its time, and the first to describe the flora peculiar to the region round Lyons. It was copiously illustrated with images of plants largely derived from the earlier work of Pierandrea Mattioli (1501-78) physician to Archduke Ferdinand in Prague and Emperor Maximilian II, who had written a commentary (Discorsi) on Dioscorides’ De materia medica, transforming it into a review of contemporary botanical knowledge. The first Italian edition of 1544 was not illustrated, but a second edition in 1555 incorporated 562 woodcuts. Dalechamps’ engraver embellished Mattioli’s images with drawings of insects and falling flowers into the blank spaces round the plants. This copy of the 1586 edition belonged to Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of James VI & I, and elder brother of Charles I.

Binding information

Bound for Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1594-1612) eldest son of James I. Bound in brown calf, with gilt tooling of arms to centre and large fleur-de-lis to corners. Volume has been rebacked with new spine. Evidence of two fore-edge ties. Spine in seven compartments, with lettering to the second and third, and initials J.R. to base of spine, other compartments tooled with a flower within a floral circle.