THE BOTANISTS OF PHILADELPHIA. 49 



wanted a book which would give him the botanical knowl- 

 edge of which he was in search. The bookseller provided 

 him with a work upon botany written in Latin, and a Latin 

 grammar as well. This was sorry comfort to a mind so 

 eager, but he was fain to put the books in his saddle-bag, 

 and return to his farm with them. There was a school- 

 master in the neighborhood who taught Latin, and under 

 him this enthusiastic student made such progress, that in 

 three months he found himself able to translate, slowly and 

 with difficulty, the Latin of his botanical work. 



The following story as told by his son William, of how 

 Bartram became a botanist, is probably more authentic 

 than the above story which has been so often quoted.* 



" Being born in a newly-settled colony, of not more than 

 fifty years establishment, in a country where the sciences of 

 the old continent were little known, it cannot be supposed 

 that he could derive great advantages or assistance from 

 school-learning or literature. He had, however, all or most 

 of the education that could, at that time, be acquired in 

 country schools ; and whenever an opportunity offered he 

 studied such of the Latin and Greek grammars and classics 

 as his circumstances enabled him to purchase; and he 

 always sought the society of the most learned and virtuous 

 men. 



" He had a very early inclination to the study of physic 

 and surgery. He even acquired so much knowledge in the 

 practice of the latter science as to be very useful ; and, in 

 many instances, he gave great relief to his poor neighbors, 

 who were unable to apply for medicines and assistance to 

 the physicians of the city (Philadelphia). It is extremely 



* See Meehan's Monthly, ix, 96 (1899). 



