128 THE LITERATURE OF BOTANY. 



they had searched for and secured. The names of these 

 early botanists are scarcely known to the world of general 

 readers. I propose to introduce a few. I do not wish 

 this paper to be looked upon as an exhaustive description 

 of the early botanists and their labours, but rather as a 

 few notes, the result of a slight acquaintance with some 

 of the earlier English Herbals and Histories of Plants 

 (copies of which I am glad to be able to show you), a 

 brief glance at the strides made in later years towards 

 reducing botany to a complete science, and a mention of 

 the more noticeable works of modern times. 



I may first mention (omitting all notice of the botanists 

 of ancient times, Kings Solomon and Cyrus, Discorides, 

 Theophrastus, Camerarius, &c.,) the name of William Turner, 

 the father of British botany, and the author of a New 

 Herbal, printed in London, 1551. His biography is full 

 of interest. He became Latimer's disciple. An enthusiast 

 in the principles of the Reformation, he travelled about 

 England preaching, was imprisoned, subsequently released, 

 and obliged to leave the country. He did not return until 

 after the death of Henry VIII. The new king favoured 

 him highly, and made him a Prebend of York and a Canon 

 of Windsor. The incidents in his history are quite romantic, 

 and there is a short account of his life in the " Sketch of 

 the Progress of Botanical Investigation in Middlesex," in 

 " The Flora of Middlesex " a work of great merit and 

 research, by Henry Trimen and William Dyer, very favourably 

 reviewed in the " Athenaeum " a few years ago, and to 

 which review I am much indebted for my statements 

 concerning these worthy botanists. It says " Turner was 

 in his way a truly great man of whom the world is nearly 

 altogether ignorant. He died in 1614, and was buried 

 in the south aisle of St. Olave's church, Crutched Friars. 



