BRUNFELS 19 



its success prompted the issue of a German version, 

 which, being ill-fitted for popular use, was never com- 

 pleted. Bock's herbal was the first to meet the needs 

 of the unlearned. 



In 1533, when the new herbals were far from com- 

 plete, Brunfels was offered the post of town-physician 

 at Berne. He accepted the invitation, and entered upon 

 his new duties, but by this time his course was nearly 

 run ; he was soon afterwards struck by mortal illness, 

 and died at the age of forty-six. 



Brunfels won respect, and made many friends. It 

 is pleasant to find that Bock and Fuchs, both of 

 whom were engaged upon herbals of their own, warmly 

 praised his botanical services, as also did Conrad Gesner. 

 In spite of testimonies like these, we are sometimes 

 disposed to put the question why this old herbal need 

 be studied again. The answer is that by figuring from 

 nature a large number of native plants Brunfels initiated 

 modern systematic botany. Fuchs, Bock, Gesner, L'Obel 

 and many more carried on the work which Brunfels 

 had begun. It was soon discovered that pictures would 

 not suffice without methodical descriptions, that philo- 

 sophical arrangement renders comparison easier and more 

 profitable, and that philosophical arrangement can be 

 attained neither by logic, nor by ingenious contrivance, 

 nor by consideration of the wants and wishes of mankind, 

 but only by patient study of the groups which actually 

 exist in nature. Study of such groups revealed the 

 existence of affinity, a property which, after remaining 

 mysterious during many generations of men, became at 

 last intelligible. Brunfels, without suspecting it, had 

 set his foot on a new land. 



