PREFACE 



In the sixteenth century several botanists interested 

 themselves in the plants of the ancient Romans. 

 Among them were two able Italians, Pietro Andrea 

 Mathioli (1500-1577), whose name has been given to 

 the cruciferous genus of stock, and Andrea Cesalpini 

 (1519-1603), from whom is named the leguminous 

 genus of Caesalpinia. Over Dodoens or Dodonaeus 

 they had the advantage of being natives and in- 

 habitants of Italy. Their works were studied by 

 John Martyn, Professor of Botany in the University 

 of Cambridge, who in 1741 published an edition of 

 the Georgics with an English translation. His 

 works deal with the substance rather than with 

 the language of Virgil's poem. He had been for 

 some years in correspondence with Linn6, from 

 whom he probably received help. Although Linn6 

 was occasionally in error, a list of the scientific 

 names will show how skilfully he had studied the 

 ancient Roman writings. Martyn made two or three 

 bad blunders, but his book is a monument of clear 

 observation and sound common sense. It was 

 followed in 1749 by an edition of the Eclogues. At 



