ON THE STODY OF BOTANY. 113 



garden in Switzerland at Zurich, 1560; that of Paris was established 

 1570 ; Leyden, 1577 ; Leipsic, 1580; Montpelier, 1598 ; Jena, 1628 ; 

 Oxford, 1632. Henrj-^ Danvers, Earl of Danbj', gave five acres of 

 ground on the banks of the Charvel for the establishment of this last, 

 where he built green-houses and stoves, enclosed it with walls fourteen 

 feet high, and munificently endowed the establishment ; one was en- 

 dowed at Edinburgh in 1680 by Sir Jacob and Sir Andrew Balfour; 

 that at Chelsea vas founded in 1673 by the Apothecaries' Company; 

 this establishment weis exceedingly expensive, and the company have 

 deservedly stood high in public estimation for their zeal to promote the 

 objects of science in this, as in many other instances ; being undertaken 

 when the society was without funds, they were obliged to have recourse 

 to the private resources of its membei's for the purpose, and no pecuni- 

 ary advantage appeared likely to be derived from the outlay. At this 

 period botany, as a systematic science, could be scarcely said to exist ; 

 systematic arrangement," beyond that of alphabetical order, was barely 

 thought of. Generic and specific characters were scarcely regarded. 

 All herbalists were florists, and in both capacities the chief object was 

 to discover and introduce new plants, for they could not then distin- 

 guish between species and variety. All the celebrated men in these 

 daj-s were raisers of " florists' flowers," they sought to increase their 

 knowledge of individuals, and left a detached mass, which Eay, Tourne- 

 fort, Linnaeus, &c., afterwards simplified and arranged. 



The advantages derived, therefore, by the establishment of botanic 

 gardens was of the first importance. No plant, unless its native climate, 

 soil, and habits, are attended to, can be cultivated with success. Here, 

 therefore, where plants could be associated in cultivation, the scientific 

 man could pursue his favourite study under circumstances not to be 

 otherwise attained ; ascertaining their relative characteristics, com- 

 paring doubtful species, witnessing their state at different periods, the 

 soils and atmosphere that best suited them, &c. 



This improvement in knowledge was not confined to botany alone, 

 the whole circle of the arts and sciences partook of it ; by emancipating 

 the human mind from servile thraldom, the reformation taught man, 

 instead of blindly bowing to that which custom and antiquity had con- 

 secrated, to have a self-dependence, to search all things, and retain 

 only that which was good ; it gave an impetus to improvment, and 

 stirred up a spirit of inquiry which no tyranny could check, and like a 

 stream which had been pent up within narrow bounds, when once the 

 floodgates were open it rolled rapidly onwards to the ocean of know- 

 ledge. Then arose such men as Bacon, Peiresc, and Evelyn ; and 

 while the path which men of science should tread was traced by the 

 first, the last lent their talents and wealth to assist them whilst engaged 

 in the pursuit. Bacon taught that experiment and observation alone 

 was the foundation of true knowledge ; that facts and not fanciful or 

 metaphysical tlieories were the materials with which he could hope to 

 raise any solid superstructure, that man, as the servant and interpreter 

 of nature, could discover truth only as he observed or imitated her 

 operations. Peiresc was a man of letters, whose purse and advice were 

 open to all the scientific men of the day ; possessing a good library, and 

 a garden of choice plants, he delighted to spread them over all Europe, 



Vol. XV. No. 5.—N.S. K 



