522. 
he observed, “ never taught wisdom, nor does truth 
require them.” 
He never sacrificed the accuracy of his meaning 
to a well-sounding sentence, considering it a fre- 
quent cause of obscurity in writers, and one form of 
affectation ; and affectation he defined in the words 
of Lavater, as “ the vain and ridiculous attempt of 
poverty to appear rich.” 
The facility with which he wrote had its origin 
in a habit of thinking much on the subject previ- 
ously to his committing it to paper. Long before 
he began his English Flora, he occasionally said, 
“TI have it in my mind, and only want time to write 
it down.” This must be understood with some 
latitude :—as soonas he did begin, it grew beneath 
his hand, and a thousand ideas, dormant till then, 
crowded for admission, and new arrangements took 
place as occasion required ; but still, the foundation 
had been laid, and to its stability the superstruc- 
ture owed its strength and beauty. 
When we consider the variety and number of 
works that came from his hand, the frequent bodily 
indispositions that retarded his progress, together 
with the interruptions occasioned by an extensive 
correspondence, by the delivery of lectures, by oc- 
casional journeys, and the indulgence of social in- 
tercourse,—it is remarkable that heaccomplished so 
much; but he had two hands to his work, which 
experience proves to be effectual in surmounting 
difficulties ;—an unconquerable inclination, and 
great order and method, without which, however 
dull and technical it may be esteemed, nothing can 
