Retrospective Criticism. 1 99 



stated as the projector of that great and useful work, and that Sir James 

 was employed to furnish the descriptions of the plants ; it being found by 

 Mr. Sowerby (after writing a part of the first volume himself) that to make 

 drawings, and engrave all the native plants of the British empire, was as 

 much as he could expect to attain in a reasonable period ; and the accom- 

 plishment of the work fully proved that it required the persevering industry 

 of twenty years for its completion. 



Perhaps I ought to apologise for occupying your time with that which 

 may be generally known among your scientific readers ; still, as many per- 

 sons will be induced to peruse a publication which presents the works of 

 nature in so pleasing a manner, but who may be unacquainted with English 

 botany, I have taken the liberty of bringing this subject to your remem- 

 brance, that you may give it publicity in your pages, should you feel so 

 disposed, in order that the great merits of the late Mr. Sowerby may not 

 be overlooked, while we are paying homage to the distinguished talents of 

 Sir James Smith. I am. Sir, &c. — B. London^ May 14. 1828. 



To be aware of the extraordinary talents and great Jndustry of the late 

 Mr. Sowerby, and of the present family of this name, we have only to 

 imagine the works on natural history published in Britain during the last 

 fifty years deprived of their graphic illustrations. There is scarcely a 

 botanical or zoological work of the present day which does not depend 

 principally on this family for its most attractive features: none is more 

 indebted to it than this Magazine. — Cond. 



«4-' More loveable than wise. — My dear Sir, We all know how common it 

 is for a long argument to end in both parties discovering that they had been 

 of the same opinion from the first, and the difference had arisen from the 

 use of some inappropriate term, or from a different conception of certain 

 words. A. observes that his friend B. is a very pleasant old gentleman. 

 " Not so oldy neither," replies B., senior; " you are greatly mistaken there." 

 Both parties have precisely the same idea of the number of years B. has 

 lived ; but the father and son have different notions of the word old. So, 

 it is very probable that I differ in words only with your correspondent Con- 

 chilla. " Of the two," says this lady, "I would have my fair countrywomen 

 loveable rather than wise.'* As this is a matter in which the whole sex are 

 concerned, I must beg leave to protest against setting loveability in opposi- 

 tion to wisdom. The happiness of a woman is so much in the power of her 

 affections, that to be loveable is of the first importance to her. I am far 

 from undervaluing the greatest of all charms — this charm composed of a 

 thousand others, each adding lustre to the rest ; on the contrary, I object 

 that Conchilla does it less than justice, in depriving it of that by which it 

 chiefly exists. Surely, she who is most wise, will be likely to be the most 

 loveable. A very silly woman is seldom very attractive ; and a truly love- 

 able one, however mediocre or uncultivated her understanding may be 

 considered, can scarcely be destitute of wisdom. There are some women, 

 whose natural sweetness is such, that they seem, as a friend once observed 

 to me, to have attained the result of wisdom, without going through the 

 process. Sweetness of temper, alone, is an attraction truly loveable ; and is 

 not sweetness of temper an intuitive wisdom ? Yet, in proportion as she is 

 wise, how many attaching qualities may unite with sweetness of temper, to 

 render a woman loveable ! 



It has been observed to me, that the word learned would have been better 

 than wise ; and, had the phrase been so worded, I should have acquiesced in 

 silence, without presuming to offer objection or comment. It is not impro- 

 bable that such was the interpretation intended by the writer ; in the care- 

 less phraseology of conversation, learning and wisdom are so frequently 

 confounded, that it is by no means unlikely that a hasty pen should pass on 

 without staying to discriminate between them. I would readily agree with 

 Conchilla, that it were better a woman should be loveable than learned ; but 



