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NEWARK, N.J., Nov 6, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A rare book containing descriptions and engraving of plants published in England in 1636 has been found in the basement of a New Jersey library.
Karen Reeds, a science and medical historian said John Gerard's "Herball" or "General History of Plantes," has more than 1,600 pages of detailed plant drawings and prose written in Elizabethan English that was likely a reference work for William Shakespeare, as errors in one of his plays appear to be quoted from the book.
Reeds said since the book first turned up in a storage room last spring, she has determined the last recorded owner was a surgeon in Bristol, England, who used the book in 1747, the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger reported.
As costs for insurance and restoration are high, the library hopes to auction the book off for at least $2,500. A copy in immaculate condition would fetch about $10,000, the report said.
For now, the book is being safeguarded by the Friends of the Library until a buyer is found.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
