ABSTRACT
In 1270 the Flemish poet Jacob van Maerlant completed his re-creation into Middle Dutch of De natura rerum by Thomas of Cantimpré. His translation and adaptation, entitled Der nature bloeme or ‘The Best of Nature’, counts thirteen large chapters or ‘Books’, of which Book Ten is devoted to herbals. Biemans discusses some features of the manuscript tradition of Der nature bloeme. Excerpts from Maerlant’s work can be found in many other contexts. His ‘Herbal Book’ is the only section of the text to have been copied twice as an independent and complete entity, albeit together with other medical and pharmaceutical content.
