304 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



occasion, as related by James Black. After James had 

 settled near Aberdeen, he had a garden which he took 

 great pride in tending, and in which he had some rare 

 flowers. At John's first visit to him there, after some years 

 of separation, he asked James if he still liked flowers. 

 James replied that he did, especially cultivated ones. 

 Had he any ? Yes. Could he see them'? Certainly ; and 

 James led the way to the cherished garden plot. But there, 

 contrary to expectation, nothing seemed to interest his old 

 friend much. 



Mr. Black, nevertheless, determined to charm the 

 botanist, if beauty could charm him. He had recently 

 received some very fine, high-priced specimens from a 

 brother, a capital judge of these, who was then employed in 

 the famed garden of Chatsworth, the seat of the Duke of 

 Devonshire. Having asked John to sit down, he cut a 

 " Fluke " and a " Bizarre " carnation, " lovely beyond com- 

 pare" in his estimation, and far too costly to be cut for 

 every one. But John was no ordinary man, and James 

 wished to impress him with the fact that his flowers were 

 not ordinary also, or at least to show that he himself was 

 not, as he humorously puts it. He handed the pair of 

 beauties to John, and, satisfied that he had done a self- 

 denying deed that deserved recognition, he prepared his 

 pipe, to smoke in peace while drinking in John's expected 

 encomiums, which he silently waited to hear. When he 

 had lighted the weed and turned round to look at his 

 companion, judge of his surprise and chagrin to see the 

 ground covered with the petals, the last of which he was 

 brushing to the winds. John then looked into his face and 

 pronounced his gems monstrosities, "monsters, naething 



