HISTORY. «J 



with neat distinct figures, and masterly description*. 

 It was a pity that a man of so great merit, should have 

 suffered so much, and even become the first martyr for 

 botany.*" 



Contemporary with these lived Conrad Gesner, a 

 native of Switzerland. At an early age Gesner turned 

 his attention to the charms of his native mountains, whose 

 romantic scenery, whose rich and varied productions, 

 have excited the admiration of every beholder. Every 

 year did the persevering Gesner visit some portion of 

 the Alps, collecting the plants which fell in his way ; 

 and frequently did he receive from his distant friends 

 and admirers, the useful and the rare productions of 

 other countries. In this way his herbarium became 

 rich and extensive. He it was, who first described the 

 tobacco plant, which was soon afterwards introduced 

 into Europe by Sir Walter Raleigh, and has since be- 

 come an important article of luxury and of commerce. 

 But this skilful observer of nature is more particularly 

 distinguished, as the first who proposed to divide plants 

 into classes, so as to secure the advantages of system ; 

 and Caesalpinus should be remembered as the first, 

 who carried into effect the proposal of Gesner. His 

 system however was too imperfect to gain many adher- 

 ents, and botanists continued to describe plants, with- 

 out order, and very often without precision. 



About two hundred years since, lived John and Cas- 

 par Bauhin. These brothers were natives of Lyons in 

 France, and " the effect which their skill and assidui- 

 ty had on the state of the science, was such as to form 

 an era in its history. The sagacity of the elder broth- 

 er detected the errors of his predecessors, and his 



* Wildenov/. 



