HISTORY OF BOTANY. 221 



prove the barbarity of the times ; yet we cannot doubt that 

 these distant and romantic expeditions were in part suggested 

 by the desire of change, and the vague w^ish to see and to know 

 new things, and hastened the awakening of the human mind 

 from the sleep of ages. 



337. The 12th and 13th centuries witnessed in Italy the re- 

 vival of a taste for letters and the fine arts. The commerce of 

 that country w^as flourishing, the people made long voyages by 

 sea, and in the accounts which they published, spoke of the 

 vegetable productions of the countries they had visited in such 

 a manner as excited the curiosity of the nations of Europe. 



338. About this period it is supposed Jierbarmms^ or collec- 

 tions of dried plants^ heg an to he preserved. This was an im- 

 portant era in hotanical science ; for nature is ever true and in^ 

 capable of leading into error ^ while descriptions may give false 

 views of natural objects. The science of Botany was not en- 

 riched by a single work of any merit, from the fall of the Ro- 

 man empire, a jDeriod which marked the decay of literature, 

 until the 15th century. Those in the dark ages who pretended 

 to any knowledge of plants, only quoted from the Greek and 

 floman writers, but they were ignorant even of the languages 

 in which their works w^ere written. In the 15th century Italy 

 was governed by wise princes, who were influenced by a desire 

 to promote knowledge among their people. They invited to 

 their country learned men from Greece, from whom they might 

 learn the language of Homer and Aristotle. At this time the 

 Turks threatened Constantinople, and that capital of the empire 

 of the East at length fell into their, hands. The literature of 

 Greece now took refuge in Italy / the ancient languages were 

 revived, and at this time translations of ancient writers, with 

 learned commentaries, were given. But these labors, although 

 exercising an important influence upon literature, were not 

 equally fortunate with respect to the progress of natural history 

 The learned ^\Titings of antiquity were accurately studied, but, 

 blinded by the brilliancy of great names, men of learning looked 

 not upon nature ; they had yet to learn, that without examining 

 and comparing real objects, there can be no solid foundation in 

 natural history. 



339. About this period a physicia/ifh of Germany mtblished 

 some indiffe7'ent descriptions of plants^ accompanied oy a few 

 engraving s. Tliis connection of drawing and botany although 

 the whole was badly executed^ was considered as an important 

 improvement in the science. While Italy was thus a second 

 time enriched with the literary treasures of Greece, Spain and 

 Portugal were becoming enlightened by intercourse with foreign 



337. Revival of Litferatire. — 333. Herbariums made. — 339. Literature of Greece tran.'fLTred to Italy 



