Biograjphical Notices of Brown and Whately. 327 



The Plant Warns " was growing on little knolls of sand ; the bushes were 

 about 4 or 5 feet high, without leaves, and with opposite thorns on the light 

 and dark green striped branches. The fruit has a coriaceous rind, rough with 

 prickles, is twice the size of an orange, or 15 or 18 inches in circumference, 

 and inside it resembles a melon, as to size and as to pulp. I seized a half- 

 ripe one, and sucked it eagerly for the moisture it contained, but it burned my 

 tongue and palate exceedingly, which does not happen when this most valu- 

 able fruit is ripe; it has then a luscious subacid taste. Some plants of naras 

 are growing in England (March, 1838) from seeds which I brought home; 

 they are 1 ft. high, and beginning to branch, having two thorns at each 

 articulation, and a stipule, scarcely to be called a leaf, between them, on the 

 axis of which is the bud, but no leaves." The above passage is quoted by 

 the Literary Gazette from Alexander's Expedition of Discovery into Southern 

 Africa. Can you give any additional information about the plant alluded to ? 

 — J.B. W. 



Art. IX. Contributions iotvards a Life of Lancelot Brotv?i, Esq., 

 the celebrated Landscape -Gardener, and Thomas Whately, Esq., 

 the Author of " Observations on Modern Gardening." 



Tn the Correspondence of the Earl of Chatham, just published in four 8vo 

 volumes, there are several letters to and from Mr. Brown, by which it ap- 

 pears that he was a great favourite of George the Third, much respected by 

 the Duke of Northumberland and various other noblemen, and above all by 

 Lord Cobham, to whom, at Stowe, he was many years gardener. It is 

 hardly possible for any individual to have a higher testimony borne to his 

 character than is contained in some of the following paragraphs : — 



The first is a note to a letter from John Calcraft, Esq., to the Earl of 

 Chatham, dated Leeds Abbey, May 17. 1771. The writer, who was just re- 

 covering from a severe illness, after thanking Lord and Lady Chatham for 

 their enquiries, says : " Change of air was advised to gain strength, which 

 added to Mr. Brown's i summons, who is really exerting himself [to effect some 

 political changes], brought me for two days to the place, which he will much 

 improve.' " 



" 1 Lancelot Brown, Esq., eminent for his taste and skill in laying out 

 gardens and pleasure-grounds, better known by the name of ' Capability 

 Brown,' from his frequent use of that word, in reference to the sites sub- 

 mitted to his arrangement. In the preceding year, he had served the office 

 of high sheriff for the county of Huntingdon, which county his son afterwards 

 represented in parliament. It has been said of him, that he was not only an 

 able artist, but an honest man ; for that, on being solicited by the king to 

 improve the grounds at Hampton Court, he declined the hopeless task, out of 

 respect to himself and his profession." (^Correspondence, S^c, vol. iv. p. 178.) 



The next passage is a note to a letter from Mr. Brown to the Earl of 

 Chatham, dated May 3. 1777. We shall first give Mr. Brown's letter. 



" My Lord, In a conversation I have lately had [with the king], I was heard 

 with attention. I went as far as I durst .upon such tender ground. My 

 reason for troubling your Lordship with this, is owing to a conversation I had 

 with the Duke of Northumberland. I told his Grace the state of your Lord- 

 ship's health; on which he told me he would immediately wait on your 

 Lordship. When he comes I hope your Lordship will be well enough to see 

 his Grace : no man more truly devoted to your Lordship's interest than he is. 

 There was a meeting yesterday amongst the Lords Rockingham, Camden, 

 Shelburne, Grafton, Abingdon, Craven, &c. — Lancelot Brown. "^'^ 



" 2' Capability Brown.' This worthy character came into the service of 

 Lady Chatham's father when a boy, in 1737, and rose by his merit to be 

 head gardener at Stowe, in which capacity he continued till 1750, when, at 



