PREFACE. 



That the learned and estimable author of the preceding volumes 

 of the English Flora, had it in his expectation, as well as in his 

 contemplation, himself to bring his work to a conclusion, is a 

 point too much in accordance with the general principles of 

 human nature for any one to entertain a doubt upon the subject. 

 The awful memento of our great moral poet, that " all men 

 think all men mortal but themselves," is daily exemplified be- 

 fore the eyes of every one of us ; but seldom more forcibly 

 illustrated by the examples of any men, than of those engaged 

 in literary labours ; and, among these, it would be difficult to 

 find a more striking instance of the wide difference between 

 human intentions and performances, than in the case of my 

 excellent friend, in reference to the present work. He was 

 arrested by the hand of death, as his amiable and affectionate 

 biographer has told us, on the very day he received from his 

 printer the last sheet of the IVth Volume, in completing which, 

 he had finished his portion of the task that had been particu- 

 larly the object of his studies throughout life, and regarding 

 which, it may most justly be said, that he was not only emi- 

 nently qualified to perform it, but even more so than any other 

 living Botanist. What lay before him was of a very different 

 character: it consisted of tribes of plants, minute, ill understood, 

 full of difficulties, and. in many instances, more perplexed 

 than elucidated by the labours of his predecessors. Yd 

 still, as I have observed, it was big intention to complete his 

 task; and, what is Little known, the very last note from his 



pen, connected with any scientific subject, was a declaration 



of this intention. k> All these BubjectS," he says, in allu- 



