No/ ices respecfhig Avtiy liooh. 4-9 



-whose most powerful charms arise from their individuality. 

 The real import of the sentiment, expressed by such allusions 

 and metaphors, must be gathered fiom a knowledge of the ob- 

 jects on which they are founded. Much of the poetry of the 

 Hebrews, like that of every people of a remote age, partakes 

 largely of the pastoral kind, resulting from the personal occu- 

 pation of the authors, or the common condition of mankind. 

 To enjoy the beauty of the pastoral scenery which is so often 

 alluded to in the Hebrew Scriptures, one should have some 

 knowledge of the climate and natural productions of the coun- 

 try which furnishes it ; and every thing which tends to make 

 the sacred Scriptures more engaging to the mass of readers, 

 by illustrating what is obscure, is a great good. 



In regard to the Botanical part, Dr. Hariis names, as his 

 prmiary authorities, Hiller* and Celsius, the latter of whom 

 IS spoken of with great i-espect by Linnaeus, as the most con- 

 summate Pnlylmtor of his age. Though this friend and patron 

 of Linnaeus devoted a great part of a long life to the illustra- 

 tion of the plants mentioned in the Scriptures, yet he did it 

 under so many disadvantages, that Linnaeus, in the interval 

 between the publication of the first and second volumes of the 

 Hierobotanicon of Celsius, (1 745— 1752,) mentioned a Floi-a 

 Palcestina as among the desiderata ,■ and declared that who- 

 ever should visit the Holy Land, and make a collection of 

 the plants of Palestine, would be immortalized by theologians. 

 Stimulated by these remarks, which fell from Linnaeus in one 

 of his lectures, Hasselquist, then a student of medicine, bent 

 all his efforts to the accomplishment of the great and difficult 

 undertaking. Having already made great advances in Natural 

 History, he studied the Arabic language, and with nnjch dif- 

 ficulty and delay procured scanty pecuniary means for his ex- 

 pedition. When he arrived at Smyrna, says Linnaeus, he was 

 treated with the utmost hospitality by the Consul-general, who 

 sent him to Egypt; and having remained at Cairo about a year, 

 he pursued his travels through Arabia and Palestine, diligently 

 collecting all the plants he could find, and describing the ani- 

 mals and stones which he met with. After his return to Smyrna, 

 he died of the disease under which he had lon<>- laboured, and 

 Ins creditors took possession of his manuscripts and collections. 

 The queen of Sweden redeemed them, and directed Linna-us 

 to arrange and publish the writings of Hasselquist, at the same 

 time giving to him specimens of all the plants of which she had 

 iluplicates. Of these Linnaeus gave an account in his Flora 

 Palcestiiui, to which he added a few that were collected by 

 Pococke, Rauwolf, and Shaw. 



* llicroplii/ticon, 4to, 172.'). 

 Vol.65. So.?.2\. Jan. 1825. G Bruce, 



