he must possess such leaning to his own. He 

 therefore expects, by hiding for a little, to give the 

 arrow less nerve, because the bowman can only shoot 

 into the air, not knowing whither to direct his aim. 

 And if yet his own brethren should suffer some share 

 in the danger due only to him, he seeks their for- 

 giveness whilst, thus dispersing the mischief that 

 might come upon himself, he causes it to fall on them 

 only in the proportion of one to a thousand. And 

 if they are so good as to submit without murmur to 

 this slender imposition, he begs to assure them that 

 their patience is not ill repaid by his very ardent de- 

 sire to beautify, and warm, and fertilize the places of 

 their abode, throughout all his beloved country north 

 of the Tweed. Nor does he fail to include in the 

 same kindly regard a large tract with which he is 

 well acquainted, extending a long way to the south- 

 ward of that stream, and within which, whilst the 

 need of this manual is very apparent, the climate is 

 such as to give it a perfect adaptation. 



For the advancement then of a good cause, in 

 which his brethren as well as the Author are con- 

 cerned, may he not humbly hope that they will be 

 pleased to offer and perhaps commend a reading of 

 his treatise to such of their parishioners as are placed 

 in circumstances not unlike their own ? In every 

 parish will be found one or more proprietors of a very 

 interesting class of society, tasteful and intelligent, 

 whose neat villas, gardens, and fields, are of a rank 

 not far remote from those of the minister, and who 

 like him are put to their shifts for want of a thorough 

 bred gardener. And that there are many more who 

 might find an interest in what he writes, may be 



