Letter to Mr. Arthur Aik'm 327 



if we had not happily been freed from our anxiety by a kind 

 of vision between sleeping and wakinsr, whichy on account 

 ■of the solemn mysterious stillness by which it was aecomr 

 panied, is in our estimation entitled to more credit than the 

 frantic ravings of an intoxicated Delphic prophetess. We 

 therefore do not hesitate to pronounce with oracular confi- 

 dence, that once upon a time Dr. Thornton, happening to 

 be left alone in the parlour of a friend, took up a book on 

 astronomy, which \a\ by chance in the window, or on a 

 table, and opened it at the chapter where an account is given 

 of the discoverv made soon after the invention of the tele- 

 scope, that Venus, in different parts of her orbit, has dif- 

 ferent phases, like those of the moon ; and that, unwilling 

 lo lose the knowledge which he had thus incidentally ob- 

 tained, as soon as he got home he carefully entered it in his 

 immense common-place look * ; but through the natural 



injlrmity 



* Having long had the pleasure of Dr. Thornton's acquaintance, we 

 think it juitice to that gentleman to state, thai he is lemarked by those 

 vho know him for the strong retentive powers of his memory, having 

 \vritten the whole of his Philosophy of Medicine and of Politics without 

 the least memorandum paper; and that, trusting entirely to his memory, 

 he ntvcr had a common-place book in his life 5 nor even when lecturing 

 iii'ua 10 e docs he refer to any notes whatever, W'c do not state this 

 from any objection we have to common-place-books, for we think the use 

 of them might somerimes keep people from committing thcmbclves. Such 

 abuse as this deserves any name but thst of criticism. We are confident 

 not only that Mr, Aikin did not write this review, but that it inust, by 

 some accident, have escaped his correcting eye ; for we have also the plea- 

 sure of i;is acquaintance, and \vc know that he cannot calumniate, or 

 commit willingly an act of injustice. Can the following be considered 

 as ingenuous fair criticism ? — •' But we are reminded that we have un- 

 accountably overlooked the capital beauty of the publication ; and that its 

 merits, ana its acceptableness with the public, rest chiefly on the excel- 

 lence, the splendour, and magnificence, of the engravings. Wc have 

 all along been sensible of it, and in this respect are not at all disposed to 

 be spiring of cHir praise. Our praise, however, is not needed. The 

 smaller uncoloured botanical plates in general, but especially the larger 

 coloured ones, do the highest honour to the artists, and will be lasting 

 monuments of the fine taste and masterly execution which characterize 

 •the Briti'-h nation in the present nge. But when Dr, Thornton claims a 

 bhare of the fame, we are reminded of a farce, which, in our play-going 

 days, affbrde I us much amusement: it is called, if we inistake not, A 

 Peep behind the Curtain."- Dr. Darwin, «;peaking of these plates, in his 

 Pliytologia, says: " I beg leave to recommend to the public the superb 

 picturesque botanical |)l3tes of Dr. Tliointon, which I suppose to have no 

 enunU' N-ow are the public luuler no obligation to Dr. Thornton, who 

 lisks his fortune in order to arford them gratification r When were pic- 

 turesque botanical plates published before r Is nor this the improvement 

 of Dr. Thornton? And who are the ai tists who hsve executed them? 

 Mr. Reina^le, associate of the Royal Academy, ;ind Mr. Henderson. 

 X 4 - Aic 



