The interest in the plant-life of the New World may be judged from the fact that Monardes's work, which is the earliest "American" herbal, was translated into Latin by no less a botanist than Charles de l'Escluse, and into Italian, Flemish, French and English. Frampton's English translation went through four editions. The original book was written nineteen years before the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and throughout it there is very evident the pride of a Spanish subject in the splendid overseas dominions of his country, then the first empire in the world and the mistress of the seas. The preface is so redolent of the atmosphere of Spanish galleons and the boundless interest in the great new continent and its wonders, that I quote it almost in full, although in modern print it loses much of the charm of the original black-letter. The writer surely had in his mind the account of the navy of Tharshish, which came once in three years, "bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks," and one cannot help suspecting that loyalty to his Catholic Majesty of Spain suggested the inclusion of lions from America in order that he might not be outdone by the splendour of Solomon. Moreover, Monardes proudly tells us that from the New World to Spain "there commeth every yere one hundred shippes laden ... that it is a greate thynge and an incredle riches."
"In the yere of our Lorde God, a thousande, fower hundreth ninetie twoo: our Spaniardes were gouerned by Sir Christofer Colon [Columbus], beeyng naturally borne of the countrie Genoa, for to discouer the Occidentall Indias, that is called at this daie, the Newe Worlde, and thei did discouer the first lande thereof, the XI daie of October, of the saied yere, and from that tyme unto this, thei haue discouered many and sundrie Ilandes, and muche firme Lande, as well in that countrie, whiche thei call the Newe Spaine, as in that whiche is called the Peru, where there are many Prouinces, many Kyngdomes, and many Cities, that hath contrary and diuers customes in them, whiche there hath been founde out, thynges that neuer in these partes, nor in any other partes of the worlde hath been seen, nor unto this daie knowen: and other thynges, whiche now are brought unto us in greate aboundaunce, that is to saie, Golde, Siluer, Pearles, Emeraldes, Turkeses [turquoises], and other fine stones of greate value, yet greate is the excesse and quantitie that hath come, and every daie doeth come, and in especiallie of Golde and Siluer: That it is a thyng of admiration that the greate number of Milleons, whiche hath come besides the greate quantitie of Pearles, hath filled the whole worlde, also thei doe bryng from that partes, Popingaies, Greffons, Apes, Lions, Gerfaucons, and other kinde of Haukes, Tigers wolle, Cotton wolle, Graine to die colours with all, Hides, Sugars, Copper, Brasill, the woode Ebano, Anill: and of all these, there is so greate quantitie, that there commeth every yere, one hundred Shippes laden thereof, that it is a greate thynge and an incredle riches.