exclusive of the tan-pit ; and the two ends formed two dry 

 stoves, each 20 feet long, 18 wide, and 20 feet high. 



In 1761, the Orangery was erected, also by Sir William 

 Chambers ; this is 145 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 25 feet 

 high, and in the same year was added the very elegant 

 Temple of the Sun, as it is called, of the Corinthian order, 

 and some young trees were planted near, now grown to be 

 nearly the most beautiful and ornamental in the garden, par- 

 ticularly an Oriental Plane and a Turkey Oak. Such an 

 increase of plants had taken place in the year 1788, that a 

 greenhouse for Cape plants was built, measuring 110 feet 

 long ; and another for New Holland ones, nearly the same 

 size, in 1792. 



In 1768, a catalogue of the plants in the Exotic Garden at 

 Kew was published by Dr. Hill, under the title of " Hortus 

 Kewensis" and a second edition the following year. But a 

 far more elaborate and important work appeared, in three 

 vols. 8vo, with some admirable plates, the " Hortus Kewensis 

 of William Aiton," in 1789, giving an account of the several 

 foreign plants which had been introduced into the English 

 gardens at different times, amounting to 5,600 in number; 

 and so highly was it esteemed, that the whole impression was 

 sold off within two years. Mr. Aiton did not long survive 

 this publication, for he died in 1793, in the sixty-third year 

 of his age, and lies buried in the church-yard at Kew, near 

 the graves of his distinguished friends, Zoffany, Meyer, and 

 Gainsborough. His pall was borne up at the funeral by the 

 most distinguished literary and scientific men of the day, by 

 Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Goodenough, afterwards Bishop of 

 Carlisle, Mr. Dryander, Dr. Pitcairn, Sir David Dundas of 

 Richmond, and Mr. Zoffany. A singular Genus of Cape 

 plants was named after him by the celebrated Professor Thun- 

 berg, and the admirable portrait of him, which we have often 

 seen in the library of the late Sir Joseph Banks, now in the 

 British Museum, represents him as holding a sprig of Aitonia 



in his hand. 



Mr. Aiton was succeeded by his son, William fownsend 

 Aiton," Esq., who was no less esteemed by His Majesty George 

 the Third than his father had been, and who, besides con- 

 ducting the botanical department, and taking the charge of 

 the extensive pleasure grounds, was also employed in the 

 improvement of the other royal gardens and pleasure- 

 grounds, in all which he displayed great skill and judgment 

 and an intimate acquaintance with his profession. The voyage 



