ROBERT POCOCK. 101 



solace in the simple pursuits of botany, and feel himself 

 rewarded in the tranquil and patient noting down of 

 the infinite diversities of the vegetable world, possesses 

 a character antecedently interesting to us and almost 

 necessarily gentle ; but the pursuit of this study by 

 Pocock was not unaccompanied by many kindred 

 developments of his desire for accumulating information 

 in other paths and spheres, and for disseminating 

 whatever he thus acquired. We must not anticipate 

 what may further appear upon the botanist's love of this 

 department of Nature, but take up the fragments which 

 have been collected of his Journal for the year 1815 ; it 

 is not, however, clear to us that the March entries refer 

 to himself : 



fi Tuesday, March 2Ist, 1815. France. Went to the 

 post-office at nine, and was mortified to find no letters 

 returned to breakfast, and set out to make a tour of 

 the ramparts, which command a fine view of the neigh- 

 bouring country. To acquire the better view I went 

 upon the highest part. When I had almost completed 

 my round, an old soldier, who happened to be one of 

 those charged with looking after the ramparts, ordered 

 me down. From the tone of his voice he seemed to be a 

 man vested with authority, and I obeyed. Approaching 

 him, I said in French, 'My friend, you seem to be a little 

 angry ; but like many other animals perhaps it is 

 natural to you/ Swearing, he told me it was forbidden 

 to walk on that part of the ramparts, and that all those 

 whom he found there were apprehended and punished. 

 I said, 'Why are there not notices to that effect ? I (nor 

 any other stranger) know nothing of these regulations / 

 and was moving off, when he said if I would give him 

 a few halfpence he would let me go. I laughed at 



