1 86 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



But the part of the garden in which John spent the most 

 of his time was the British section, where the plants were 

 classified according to the Linnaean system, and grew in 

 plots, with their orders, species, and names attached. 

 These were, to a keen amateur like him, the Elysian fields 

 themselves. There John spent many charmed hours. 



From his short-sightedness, he was obliged to kneel 

 on the grass and stretch far over into the plots to see the 

 names. Being shy and fearful of offence, he could not 

 think of taking the liberty of lifting the labels in his hand, 

 reading and carefully replacing them, as most men would 

 have done. Stepping on the cultivated ground being 

 forbidden, and his curiosity about the names demanding 

 satisfaction at all hazards, he would look furtively round 

 before venturing to peer so closely at the painted tickets, in 

 order to see if any one was observing him ; then cautiously 

 step into the plot to read them ; and then religiously 

 rearrange the earth where his foot had left its print. He 

 was observed doing this by the head gardener, Lawson, who 

 knew him as Black's friend and an ardent botanist. 

 Lawson told Charles, out of kindness to John, to go to him 

 and say that " if he wasn't a thief, he shouldn't look so 

 damned thief-like ! " but boldly lift the labels and replace 

 them ; as the director might be walking about, and might 

 misunderstand his movements. 



By that time, having gained considerable practical power 

 over the science, John knew enough to be able to direct 

 his attention profitably to the parts new to him, and benefited 

 greatly by the days he spent in the Botanic Gardens. As 

 he said afterwards, "In Edinburgh, I was gae expert aboot 

 the plants, I can tell you ; " for his self-esteem was never 



