44 THE BOTANISTS OF PHILADELPHIA. 



many years with Peter Collinson, of London, whose letters 

 to some of the leading men in the Province mention 

 the high esteem and regard in which Dr. Witt was held 

 by the English naturalist. In later years, there was a 

 friendly intercourse between Dr. Witt and John Bartram. 

 The following letter from the latter to Peter Collinson gives 

 an interesting picture of the private life of the learned 

 theosophist : 



"June 11th, 1743. 

 " Friend Peter : 



" I have lately been to visit our friend Doctor Witt, 

 where I spent four or five hours very agreeably — sometimes 

 in his garden, where I viewed every kind of plant, I believe, 

 that grew therein, which afforded me a convenient oppor- 

 tunity of asking him whether he ever observed any kind of 

 wild roses, in this country, that was double. He said he 

 could not remember that he ever did. So being satisfied 

 with this amusement, we went into his study, which was 

 furnished with books containing different kinds of learning, 

 as philosophy, natural magic, divinity, nay, even mystic 

 divinity; all of which were the subjects of our discourse 

 within doors, which alternately gave way to botany, every 

 time we walked in the garden. I could have wished thee 

 the enjoyment of so much diversion, as to have heard our 

 discourse, provided thee had been well swathed from hips 

 to arm-pits. But it happened a little of our spiritual dis- 

 course was interrupted by a material object within doors ; 

 for the Doctor had lately purchased of a great traveler in 

 Spain and Italy, a sample of what was imposed upon him 

 for snake stones, which took me up a little time, beside 

 laughing at him, to convince the Doctor that they were 

 nothing but calcined old horse bones. 



