220 APPENDIX. 



narrative, dated July 13tli, 1629, of an expedition in a 

 company of ten to investigate the plants of Kent, which 

 has been described as " A pleasantly written account of one 

 of the herborising excursions, which for some years it had 

 been the practice of the company to make at intervals. 

 This is the first printed account of a botanical excursion 

 in England." An appendix of three pages gives us the 

 results of a similar journey to Hampstead Heath, on August 

 1st, 1629. In 1632 Johnson published a list of plants 

 growing on Hampstead Heath and the neighbourhood, 

 consisting of seven pages, six of which are occupied by a 

 catalogue of names. " This catalogue may be considered as 

 the first 'Flora' of a small district printed in England." 



Johnson's edition of Gerard's 'Herbal' is dated, in his 

 letter to the reader, " From my house on Snow-hill, 

 Octob. 22, 1633. He tells us in his Appendix that he 

 was "forced to perform this task within the compasse 

 of a yeare," which, considering the extent of the work and 

 the ability with which it is performed, shows him to have 

 been an expeditious writer, and one who well understood his 

 subject. Notwithstanding the many excellencies of Gerard's 

 book and its great popularity, a new and improved edition 

 was greatly wanted, by reason of the numerous errors in the 

 original work. Johnson remarks of Gerard: — "His chiefe 

 commendation is, that he out of a propense good will to the 

 publique aduancement of this knowledge, endeauoured to 

 performe therein more than he could well accomplish ; 

 which was partly through want of sufficient learning, as 

 (besides that which he himselfe saith of himselfe in the 

 chapter of Water Docke) may be gathered by the translating 

 of diners i^laces out of the Adiiersaria.'' .... The sentence 

 to which Johnson alludes is creditable to Gerard, as showing 

 his modesty, other instances of which are not wanting (see 

 account of the Goose-tree, p. 46). It is as follows : — " Other 



