21 



rules them, without the most humble adoration? Esteeming 

 ourselves, with all our wisdom, but as one of the smallest atoms 

 of dust praising the living God, the great I AM." 



The promptings of this beautiful effusion will be better under- 

 stood perhaps by here perusing one or two extracts from 

 Dr. Garden's prior letters to him : 



" How eminently happy are those hours, which the humble 

 and philosophic mind spends in investigating and contemplating 

 the inconceivable beauties and mechanism of the works of nature ; 

 the true manifestations of that supremely wise and powerful 

 Agent who daily upholds and blesses us. 



" May that Fatherly Being continue to enlighten your mind, 

 till that hour come, when the parting of this veil will lay before 

 your eyes a new and more glorious field of contemplation, and 

 still more unutterable sights of bliss." 



Dr. Garden had before written to him in these words : 



" I rejoice with you, on your increasing collection of these 

 curious productions of the all-wise hand of our omnipotent 

 Creator. May your soul be daily more filled with an humble 



admiration of his works, and your lips exercised in his praise." 

 ****** 



" When this scene of things passes away, and the great and 

 first Author of all leads us to fields of a more rich and fertile 

 clime, there shall we proceed with fresh vigour and enlarged 

 faculties to view him nearer, worship and adore more strongly, 

 and live more willingly within the pale of universal love. How 

 great is our God ! How wonderful are his works, sought out 

 of all them that take pleasure therein. Your letters, particularly, 

 give me pleasure. They always contain something new and 

 entertaining on some new-discovered work of God." 



We now cite some passages from the correspondence, to show 

 how Peter Collinson helped John Bartram, and was in truth 

 the great means whereby he became so distinguished as to be 

 "the greatest natural botanist in the world." Peter Collin- 

 son's first published letter is dated in 1734. In 1736, we find 

 this paragraph : " Thy kind neighbour, James Logan, is so 

 good as to order me to buy thee Parkinson 8 Herbal. He 

 has shown a very tender regard for thee, in his letter to me. 

 It may look grateful, every now and then, to call and inquire 



