14 INTRODUCTION 



tunities which his residence in the East afforded, to collect 

 the plants of Natolia and Greece, of which the dried 

 specimens still exist in his herbarium preserved at the Botanic 

 Garden. On his return he met with the celebrated Dillenius, 

 whom he induced to accompany him to England in 1721 ; 

 and in the year 1726 he commenced his designs for the 

 advancement of botany at Oxford, by giving ^500 towards 

 enlarging the conservatory, and by presenting a great number 

 of curious plants and a library of botanical works to the same 

 establishment. He likewise made over to the Physic Garden 

 an herbarium, which rendered Oxford, in the eyes of Linnaeus, 

 pre-eminent in this respect among the Universities of Europe ; 

 containing, as it did, original specimens from most of the 

 eminent botanists of that day, named by themselves, and 

 accompanied by their remarks, or by queries, says Sir 

 E. G. Smith, scarcely less instructive. On his death, which 

 took place two years afterwards, Sherard was found to have 

 bequeathed ^3,000 to provide a salary for the Professor of 

 Botany, on condition that the University should supply the 

 annual sum of ^150 towards the maintenance of the Garden, 

 and that Dr. Dillenius should be chosen the first Professor 

 terms which were accepted by Convocation. 



The Garden, as it existed in Sherard's time, was divided 

 into quarters, by means of a double yew hedge which ex- 

 tended from the principal gateway to the opposite extremity, 

 and of a similar one, which ran from east to west, intersecting 

 the former at right angles. Between these hedges the public 

 were allowed to walk, and there was at one time a thorough- 

 fare into Christ Church meadow through the centre. But the 

 square plots of ground enclosed within these hedges, which 

 contained the plants, appear to have been less easy of access, 

 and to have been kept under lock and key. Of these hedges, 

 the one which extended across the Garden from east to west 

 was cut down in the time of the younger Dr. Sibthorp; whilst 

 the other, which divided the Garden longitudinally, remained 



