HISTORY OF BOTANY. 225 



the decay of literature, until the 15th century. Those, in the dark 

 ages, who pretended to any l^nowledge of plants, only quoted from 

 the Greek and Roman writers, but they were ignorant even of the 

 'anguages in which their works were written. In the 15th century, 

 Italy was governed by wise princes, who were influenced by a desire 

 to promote knowledge among their people. They invited to their 

 country learned men from Greece, from whom they might learn the 

 language of Homer and Aristotle. 



At this time the Turks threatened Constantinople, and that capital 

 of the empire of the East at length fell into their hands. The liter- 

 ature of Greece now took refuge in Italy ; the ancient languages were 

 revived, and at this time, translations of ancient writers, with learned 

 commentaries, were given. But these labours, although exercising 

 an important influence upon literature, were not equally fortunate 

 with respect to the progress of natural history. The learned writings 

 of antiquity were accurately studied, but, blinded by the brilliancy of 

 great names, men of learning looked not upon nature ; they had yet 

 to learn, that without examining and comparing real objects, there 

 can be no sohd foundation in natural history. 



At the period of which we are now speaking, a physician of Ger- 

 many published some indiflTerent descriptions of plants, accompanied 

 by a few engravings. This connexion of drawing and botany, al- 

 though the whole was badly executed, was considered as an impor- 

 tant improvement in the science. 



While Italy was thus a second time enriched with the literary trea- 

 sures of Greece, Spain and Portugal were becoming enlightened by 

 intercourse with foreign nations. The Portuguese extended their 

 voyages to the western coasts of Africa and the Cape de Verd isl- 

 ands ; the Cape of Good Hope was at length discovered, and Vasco 

 de Gama, saiUng around it, reached the East Indies. It was at this 

 period that Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. 



This event, so important to the old world, is to us who inhabit this 

 pleasant and favoured country, one of deep interest. Ages passed 

 on after the creation of the world, and America remained, with re- 

 gard to the eastern continent, as though she existed not. The lofty 

 Andes raised their snowy heads to the clouds, the majestic Amazon 

 rolled onward to the Atlantic, our lakes spread out their vast ex- 

 panse of waters, our Hudson and Connecticut received their tribu- 

 tary streams, and bore them to the ocean ; — but to what people were 

 these grandeurs presented, and what were the changes in the moral 

 world, while nature thus moved on in her unchanging course 7 — His- 

 tory is silent ! But while in the old world empires had been rising, 

 continuing for centuries stationary, and then decaying, succeeded, 

 and succeeded by others pursuing the same track; were no moral 

 changes going on in the American continent ? Have no mighty na- 

 tions ever existed here; have no arts or letters been cultivated; was 

 the savage Indian for thousands of years sole lord of one half of the 

 world ?— And when, and how, did the first inhabitants of this conti- 

 nent come from Asia, where man was placed at his creation ? These 

 are inquiries which naturally arise, on tracing the historic page 

 through so long a period of time, until suddenly this new world 

 bursts upon our vision ! But, though many speculations have from 

 time to time appeared, respecting the probable history of America, 

 Defore its discovery by Columbus, the subject is still shrouded in 

 darkness and obscurity, 



Constantinople taken by the Turks, and the Hterature of Greece transferred to Ita» 

 ly— New world discovered — What was the hiatory of America before this period? 



