THE FORSTER HERBARIUM. 367 



respects. Of his earlier work his father gives the following account in 

 dedicating to him his ' Enchiridion ' (1788) : — 



" Tandem decimo a3tatis tua3 anno exacto, mccum iter in Rossiam 

 suscepisti. In hoc itinere quotidie, prout sorte res novse se olfere- 

 bant, inter confabulationes sedulo tibi naturam explicui ; nee me 

 laboris poeuitiiit, expertus enim id sum, quod puer decennis, sine 

 uUo auxilio, solus plantas ad Linnasanas descriptioues jam probe 

 nosses ; adeo ut prse gaudio vix milii a lacrymis temporare po- 

 tuerim. Dein in Anglia, quam anni 1766 autumno perii, linguae 

 Anglicffi familiarem usum et elegantiam et pncterea nature cogni- 

 tionem magis certam et variam, cum mathematum et physices 

 rudimentis didicisti, simul et me juvasti in tradendis elementis 

 linguffi gallicJB, et in Anglicum sermonem transfundendis operibus 

 discipulorum Linnfei, videlicet Kalmii, Osbeckii, Toreenii et Loe- 

 flingii ; denique et itinera Bougainvillii, Bossuii, Grangerii et 

 Eiedeselii junctis viribus Anglica lingua pnblicavimus. 



" His et aliis laboribus prasparatns, mecum iter cum amico 

 nostro Cookio, ad mare notium cum utilitate suscipere poteras. In 

 hoc itinere, varia, novaque naturae miracula non solum vidimus, 

 verum et verbis et graphic delineavimus. In plantis imprimis 

 adumbrandis adjutore usi fuimus amico optimo Sparrmanno, cujus 

 labores in ordinem redigere, simul et plantas delineare tui fuit 

 officii ; mea denique provincia erat lios labores hiuc inde curatius 



inspicere, et paucissimis in locis corrigere Circiter quin- 



gentse enim nov£B plant^e, et trecenta animalia sunt magna cura ad- 

 umbrata. Quilibet cordatis mirabitur, tot labores ad uno homine 

 etjuvenequi nondinn vigesimum adtigerat annum et nnico socio 

 laboris potuisse perfici." 



Of his life after their return to England, Eees gives the follow- 

 ing sketch : — 



" On leaving England, he wished to settle at Paris. After a 

 temporary residence in that city, he removed, in the year 1779, to 

 Cassel, and undertook the office of Professor of Natural History in 

 the University of that place. He afterwards accepted the offer of 

 a chair in the University of Wilna, but found no permanent satis- 

 faction in a country where liberty was expiring under the intrigues 

 of Eussia and Prussia. Desirous of a retreat, he entered into a 

 treaty with Catherine II., who projected a voyage of discovery round 

 the world ; but the proposed expedition was prevented by a war 

 with the Ottoman Porte ; and thus the hopes of Forster were 

 frustrated. His active mind, however, led him to wish for useful 

 employment, and the reputation which he had acquired induced the 

 Elector of Mentz to appoint him President of the University of 

 that city. He hailed the dawnings of the French Eevolution, 

 says M. Pongens, little apprehending, we may say, the clouds that 

 subsequently overshadowed them ; and he was deputed by the 

 people of Mentz, who had formed themselves into a convention, to 

 repair to Paris, and to request that they miglit be invited to the 

 French Eepublic. But while he was thus employed, the city of 

 Mentz was besieged and taken by the Prussian troops. By this 

 disaster he lost his whole property, and his numerous MSS., which 



