9-3 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



at length went to Canada. Here his life ended pre- 

 maturely, from exposure to the climate after so many 

 years in tropical and sub-tropical countries. 



Banks remained a firm friend to Masson all his days. 

 He was proud of Masson 's achievements, and was at- 

 tracted by his personality. As he says, in a stray memo- 

 randum, Masson had ingratiated himself with all those 

 who made Natural History an amusement. And his 

 name is held in honour at Kew to this very day. 1 



King George III has sometimes been styled " Farmer 

 George." It is not clear how much, or how little, of 

 contempt is involved in this title ; but it is certain the 

 British public has never been enlightened on the King's 

 farming experiments. 2 Yet a great part of the King's 



1 A Note on Plant Collecting : It should be mentioned that this 

 obscure but useful profession was represented, before Banks's days, in 

 the persons of several remarkable adventurers. It would seem to be 

 almost a virgin field in literature to tell their story in all its rich and 

 varied fullness. There were enthusiastic plant-hunters from the days 

 of John Evelyn, by whose labours (as of hewers of wood and drawers of 

 water) the gardens of England were enriched with exotics. The whole 

 story of Sir Hans Sloane, for example, has never yet been told ; although 

 the materials are national property and quite accessible. 



* There is, indeed, a portentous-looking biography with the title 

 Farmer George. But there is little or nothing of agriculture in it from 

 the first page to the last. We have not space here to make full amends 

 for this seeming neglect. But it is worth while, in addition to what 

 follows in the text, to present the following (unpublished) letter from 

 one of Banks's cronies. 



-.,:; ; Dr. Samuel Lysons to Sir Joseph Banks. 



" ClRENCESTER, August l8, 1788. 



" DEAR SIR, You desired me to give you some account of what 

 His Majesty was doing in Gloucestershire. I shall be glad if I can tell 

 you anything you have not already seen in the newspapers. I spent 

 a few days at Cheltenham, and heard much of his conversation 

 on the walks. He appears much delighted with the environs of 

 that place, which are indeed very beautiful. He rode, walked, 

 and talked much, with the country gentlemen of that neighbour- 

 hood, who seemed much pleased with him, and he with them. 

 Mr. Hunt, the Chairman of our Quarter Sessions, who lives about a mile 

 from Cheltenham, seemed to be his most constant companion in his 

 rides. He experienced greater attention in the country than he has 

 received, I believe, for many years. It made Cheltenham very un- 

 pleasant as a public place ; everyone being expected to stand bare- 

 headed wherever His Majesty appeared. It is extremely diverting to 



