510 
that good sense and just feeling added to religious 
consolation are like grains of gold in the mud of 
a torrent.” 
The following flattering notice of this work the 
author received from a young and ardent admirer of 
his favourite pursuit, an acquaintance as unexpected 
as it was pleasing, and which he regretted haying 
no opportunity of cultivating more closely. 
My dear Sir James, — Edinburgh, Sept. 6, 1824. 
I have been purposing for some time past to 
write to you, as I shouid be sorry to let you forget 
me. The sincere pleasure, I will say delight, I ex- 
perienced in cultivating your acquaintance during 
the short time you were with us at Cowes, I often 
think of, and regret that the distance now between 
us is likely to be a great obstacle to our meeting. 
My present excuse for writing to you is to thank 
you most cordially for the present you have lately 
made the British botanist. It may appear pre- 
sumption in me to praise the two volumes of the 
English Flora lately published; but as an: ardent 
admirer of the science, more especially as relating 
to these kingdoms, I consider it a great happiness 
and honour to address you, and to express my great 
admiration of the élegance, the neatness, the per- 
spicuity of the language, the exquisite clearness of 
the scientific descriptions, and the consummate skill 
of the generic arrangements. The Umbellate plants 
are surely now perfect. Iam sure, my dear Sir 
James, you will excuse my thus expressing my feel- 
ings; but, indeed, although you have many older 
