132 THE LITERATURE OF BOTANY. 



have been a an accomplished man for his day, and a wise 

 man for any day, since he waited until he was nearly fifty 

 before he published the first two parts of the ' Phytographia.' 

 He was of the order of men who did not print before they 

 had something worthy of being printed." He was extra- 

 ordinary in his application and devotion to his favourite 

 study. He published his work at first at his own expense, 

 and when he had spent all his money was helped with 

 a subscription of fifty-five guineas by a few worthy and 

 wealthy men of his time. 



Samuel Doody was another plant-lover of nearly the 

 same period, and won great reputation as a cryptogamic 

 botanist. The preacher who delivered a funeral sermon 

 for Doody said " he was in botany very particular, very 

 singular : none before him ever knew so much, and every 

 botanist cannot be a Doody." " Yet," continues his pane- 

 gyrist, " he was very slow of speech, and at first sight 

 you would take him to be of as little sense as eloquence : 

 he generally wanted words to express his wisdom, but 

 when he did or could exert himself his discourse was always 

 full of argument and sound reason, plain and improving. 

 His notions of God and religion were sublime. The plain- 

 ness and simplicity of his soul were very conspicuous." 



I have now to notice a remarkable book published in 

 1613 Culpeper's "Herbal." The author was a very 

 worthy man, and during his lifetime was much resorted 

 to for his advice, which he gave to the poor gratis. He 

 lived and died at his house, the Red Lion, at Spitalfields, 

 and as this would then be out in the open country, we 

 may conclude that many of his herbs and simples were 

 culled near there. The book will always remain a lasting 

 monument to his skill and industry, though we cannot 



