348 NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



years he lectured and taught, and when at length, in April 1609, an 

 old man of eighty- three, he breathed his last, a sorrowing group of 

 scholars and brother professors united to show, by all the means in 

 their power, their sense of the loss sustainedby the university and them- 

 selves, in the death of one who had endeared himself to his associates 

 as much by personal qualities as by his great attainments. It is 

 pleasing to think that after so many troubles, the last days of TEscluse 

 were his best days, and that he who had done far more than all his 

 fellows to advance the knowledge of plants, closed his career at the 

 most unclouded portion of it. 



To those botanists who care to acquaint themselves with the 

 history of their pursuit, by looking farther into the past than the 

 time when Linnceus published his " Species Plantar um," few names 

 are so richly suggestive as that of Clusius, the Latinised form under 

 which the subject of our notice is most familiarly known. Born at a 

 period of the greatest activity in the intellectual world, in easy cir- 

 cumstances, of untiring curiosity and unquestionable talent, he early 

 fitted himself to play a conspicuous part in the literary annals of 

 his country. In common with so many of his contemporaries, his 

 life was made up in great part by travelling from one centre ^of learning 

 to another, rarely staying for any length of time in one place, and 

 never fairly taking root in any spot ; but led by various circumstances, 

 we find him at different periods in Belgium, Holland, Prance, Spain, 

 Portugal, Hungary, Austria, Germany, and England. To the last 

 named country he paid three visits, and as these journeys to our shores 

 naturally possess greater interest for ourselves than for others, we 

 have taken some trouble to get together the various little items of in- 

 formation on this head which are scattered through the writings of 

 I'Escluse, especially since our author has not given equal attention to 

 this portion of his work. 



Charles de I'Escluse, as M. Morren, on the authority of authentic 

 documents, spells the name, paid his first visit to this country in 1571, 

 crossing from Calais or Dieppe {v. Paqoet), again in 1579, and_ Imally 

 in 1581. The last visit was probably a lengthened one, since he 

 mentions having been kept in London for six months together, and 

 from the dates of flowering of certain observed plants, he must have 

 remained from April to September of that year in this country. He 

 relates having been at Greenwich and London in 1579, and South- 

 wark (?), London, Dover, Windsor, and Bristol in 1581 ; to the last 

 place he was accompanied by De I'Obel. We also learn something of 

 his friends here. Dr. Thomas Penny occupies the first place, as 

 having sent to PEsclusc at different times many choice plants, de- 

 scriptions, and drawings, besides showing him his herbarium. Dr. 

 "William Turner is also mentioned as a correspondent, and the gardens 

 of John Kich and Hugh Morgan are referred to more than once. 

 James Garet, junior, John Ritzius, and Nicholas Rassius are also 

 named. Several plants from the northern part of our island are named 

 and stations given, no doubt on the authority of these early horticul- 

 turists. Of friends in a higher grade we have Richard Garth, Sir 

 Philip Sidney, Sir Edward Dyer (two inseparable friends), and 

 William Brooke, Lord Cobham, to all of whom he appears warmly 

 attached lor many acts of kindness shown to him, and last, but nol 



