BOTANICAL STUDIES 13 



not does not much matter. And there are several similar 

 papers. The deduction we would make is that the training 

 which he received at this period left its mark on all his 

 botanical work. He acquired an exceptionally neat hand- 

 writing, and learnt the value of methodical habits and the 

 importance of dating every note and recorded circumstance 

 relating to his observations. His descriptions of plants 

 are most conscientiously dated. Many of his books are 

 clearly marked with the day and year of purchase, the cost 

 of binding, and the cost of carriage from London, even 

 though this came, as in one case, to ;^o o^. od. 



Sometimes the exact hour of the day at which a piece 

 of work was begun or finished is recorded with the 

 precision that might have been expected of his astrologer 

 contemporaries. But there is no evidence that Goodyer 

 himself believed in horoscopes : his writings are severely 

 scientific records of actual observation. 



1616 



From his practice of dating his books., we know for 

 certain that Goodyer was contemplating the scientific study 

 of botany in 161 6. During the winter of this year he added 

 some very important works to his library. In each case 

 the date and price are neatly written inside the cover of the 

 book. 



s. d. 



13 Novemb. 16 1 6 26 Clusius, Curae posterior es, 161 1. 



-r, y r r r \ Cluslus. RarwruTH plantarurn, 1601. 



12 Decemb. 1616 16 o | p^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^1 ^^^^ 



15 ffeb. 1616 15 o Clusius, Exoticariim, 1605. 



28 ffeb. 1616 3 6 Bauhin, Phytopinax, 1596. 



10 Marcii 16 16 40 2nd part \ /- j t u 1 



i\T /: ^ ^ ^ \ ^s. M. Lobel, 



12 Mar. 1616 4 o I St part ( pi / 6 s 



17 Mar. 1 6 16 16 the bindinge them together ) > 5- 



The conclusion is irresistible. Such books were not to 

 be bought in Hampshire : Goodyer must have spent the 

 winter in London, and have begun to make a serious study 

 of the literature of botany. He was twenty-four years of 

 age ; and if, as we surmise, he were already in the service of 



