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XXVI. From Dr. Thornton, Lecturer on Botany at Guy's 

 Hospital, to Mr. Tilloch, Editor of the Philosophical 

 Magazine. 



July 10, 1804.. 

 Sin * No. 1, Hind-street, Manchester-square. 



Although the writer Y. Z. in Mr. Arthur Aikin's Annual 

 Review, in his letter addressed to you, says not a word of a 

 second kit obtained from your pen (the first he acknowledges 

 has been fairly gained by mine), I would here beg leave to 

 remind Mr. Aikin of it, at the same time thanking you for the 

 clear light in which you have placed before the philosophic 

 world my very anxious endeavours. These sentiments of 

 yours are so much in unison with those of a great poet, that 

 I trust I shall be excused inserting them in this~place. 



To Philip Reinagle, Esq. A.R.A. on his Paintings for 

 Dr. Thornton's Temple of Flora, or Garden of Nature. 



Oh ! thou, whose radiant tints with beauty glow, 



Like those that charm us in th' ethereal bow ; 



Though bright with heavenly fire the picture shine, 



Say 1 whose bold genius plann'd the vast design, 



Bade the majestic plant its leaves unfold, 



The h'ossoms shoot in vegetable gold ; 



Bade gathering clouds the dsrken'd sky deform, 



Where round the Cape loud howls th' eternal storm ? s 



Or in more genial skies bade Eden rise, 



And waked the blooms of opening Paradise? 



Howc'ci by thej: in matchless charms array 'd, 



* Twas Thornton, first, bis daring powers display'd; 



Thine those bright tints, but bis th* inspiring soul 



That breathes, that burns, throughout the beauteous whole. 



Dr. Darwin, who possessed the most refined taste, with 

 critical discernment, and at once entered into new ideas, was 

 so pleased with my picturesque botanical coloured plates, 

 that in his Phytologia (as you mention) he celebrates them 

 as having " no equal " and as such u recommends them 

 to the public." In some letters which I have now by me 

 (which I shall inclose for your satisfaction), this eminent 

 poet says, " All my acquaintance, to whom I have shown 

 the prints you have been so good as to send me, greatly ad- 

 mire them indeed ! The coloured print of the tulips quite 

 astonishes them I" In another letter, he writes: "Besides a 

 compliment to the fine execution of your work, I will 

 endeavour also to compose some verses on the flowers as 

 they occur." And in another letter Dr. Darwin kindly says, 

 " I shall be happy to hear your work succeeds according to 

 your expectations, and its merits, in these bad times. I 



have 



