BOYHOOD. 31 



To Dr. Hooker. 



Limerick, 29th October, 1832. 

 My dear Friend, 



There is an auction of books going on in Dublin, the 

 catalogue of which contains many curious old botanical works. 

 It is too late to send thee one, but by writing at once to 

 Mackay, he might pick up something of value for thee. They 

 are part of the private collection of a daft Irish gentleman, 

 whose passion it was, till he ruined his fortune, to attend all the 

 principal auctions in Great Britain and Ireland, and to fill his 

 house, stables, barns, and even his coach-yard, with all manner 

 of curiosities. He was so fond of pictures that they were 

 ranged six deep (one over the other) on the walls of every room 

 in his house, besides having a large picture gallery. His 

 mahogany tables were numberless, and his china services 

 without end. Many cartloads of minerals, shells, fossils and 

 insects were lying for years unpacked in his out-offices, where I 

 have seen them, and the creditors found in a lumber-room some 

 hundreds of Chinese gods huddled together, not to speak of the 

 stuffed beasts, birds, and fishes. He collected books with the 

 same reckless avidity, but once they were bought and sent home, 

 the matter ended — he never looked at one of them again. The 

 greater part he could not read if he would. 



Poor Mrs. Telfair ! I was about to call a pretty Thamno- 

 phora, which I find among her plants, by her name. I may do 

 so still, though, in my own case, I should be perfectly in- 

 different to posthumous fame. It will, however, afford thee an 

 opportunity to give a note on the service she rendered to 

 botany. It is very true we must serve an apprenticeship to 

 botany ; and I am ready to acknowledge that thou hast some 

 loss in employing my " prentice han'" in thy " Flora." Were it 

 to do again I . . . . but it is not. 



