370 APPENDIX. 



a disease we knew not bow so well to cure before, 

 is a source of more true honour, than can be de- 

 rived from all the useless knowledge in the 

 world. 



If any suppose the trial dangerous, they mis- 

 load themselves ; and to encourage so laudible an 

 undertaking, I shall observe how little is the 

 hazard, and how considerable the advantages, 

 from what we know already. 



If a man were to be turned loose upon an island 

 where no person had set foot before, he might 

 dread to taste of any plant he saw, because he 

 might not know, but every one he saw was fatal : 

 and supposing him to have got over this fear, 

 the ignorance of the virtues of all would keep 

 him backward : but this is not at all the case with 

 him, who shall at this time set about inquiring 

 into the virtues of plants in England. The 

 poisonous plants, native of our soil, are hardly a 

 dozen and these are charactered even to the eye, 

 by something singular or dismal in the aspect. 

 They are well known ; and he has nothing to do 

 but to avoid them. For the rest, he has so many, 

 whose uses and qualities are already perfectly 

 known, that he lias a great foundation to go upon 

 in the search, because he can compare those he 

 docs not know with them. Their taste will go 

 a great way toward informing him ; but this is 

 not all, their very outward figures will direct him : 

 for in general those plants which agree in the 

 external aspect, agree likewise in their virtues. 



To give an instance in the marshmallow. It h 

 iiiown to work by urine, and to be good against 

 t.c ;iavel. We will suppose no more known 

 i . erning this kind. A person desirous of ex- 



:: ing this useful knowledge, finds that by the 

 .itaic of the root, which is insipid, and its mu- 



