6f Fourth Letter from Dr. Thornton 



nent masters. Besides these original and fine portraits, we 

 are promised by the author those of Grew, Malpighi, Ray, 

 Tournefort, Vaillant, two or Linnaeus : one of these from an 

 original picture in his own possession ; and next succeeds 

 his own portrait by Russel, R. A. engraved by Bartolozzi 5 

 the vignette by Loutherbourg. witrTa plan of the work. 

 And in the second section is, Man at his first creation : a 

 subject which has called forth the utmost stretch of genius 

 of a Howard, R. A., who at first doubted how far he had 

 abilities to represent this figure of Adam : and the back 

 ground is by Rcinagle,sen. R. A., to be engraved by Sharp, 

 and Landseer, sen. engraver to his majesty. — I appeal to' 

 every generous heart, whether, after an expense of three thou- 

 sand pounds for an opening to a work, which Dr. Darwin was 

 « delighted with," and " in which," he said, " he felt it an 

 honour to have his portrait introduced;" whether, after such 

 exertions on my part, and such a risk of fortune, I deserve 

 to be accused of ie stuffing my work with unadapted matter 

 to swell its bulk from two to four pages." I appeal to the 

 Barbaulds and the Aikins, themselves poets, whether the 

 low vulgar expression (i stuffed" be applicable to th$ grand 

 description of man, by Milton, at his first creation, alone 

 capable of exalting our conceptions to that most astonish- 

 ing act of the omnipotent Creator'. I appeal to the philo- 

 sophic world respecting my quotation from Cicero, who has 

 from Aristotle also endeavoured to raise our minds to the 

 conception of that act. And lastly, shall the pious prayer 



instructed mind. No one who has read, and who has not read? the 

 sketches of natural history scattered throughout the little volumes, en- 

 titled Evenings at Home ; or, The Juvenile Budget opened, 

 can be at a loss to guess ivbomwe mean. That writer's plain and elegant 

 style * and happy talent for familiar illustration, would be most beneficially 

 employed in conducting the unpractised naturalist through the three 

 kingdoms of nature, in explaining the principles on which the classifica- 

 tion of their various parts has been conducted ; and in selecting such de- 

 tails as would render the whole equally interesting and instructive. "■ 

 P. 864. of Annual Review, Arthur Aikin editor ! As this perhaps in- 

 tended work has not yet appeared, Dr. Aikin will forgive me for not 

 placing him among those great botanists whose portraits 1 have presented 

 to the public. 1 again, as I have often done, repeat that, in truth, I have 

 an high sentiment of respect for Dr. Aikin j and as supposing the name 

 of Aikin to starrp a considerable degree of weight on any Review passed 

 under that name, from that cause alone I have entered the lists with an of- 

 fouent, whom otherwise I should have considered as beneath my notice. 

 As Dr. Aikin is grouped next but one to me in the print of some of the 

 principal members of the Bolt-court Medical Society, of which his son 

 Mr. Aikin is register, (but his portrait Dr. Sims has somehow omitted), 

 I could have wished we had been next to each other, and I am sure ive 

 should not have troubled the world by our jarrings. 



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