xxxiv 



MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 



remained at Allanton till the following morning, and 

 repeatedly expressed his regret that, in consequence of 

 Sir Henry being obliged to leave home soon after his 

 arrival, he was unable sufficiently to express the high 

 estimation in which the Planter's Guide was held by him- 

 self and his countrymen, especially at New York. Several 

 members of his family had devoted much of their attention 

 to planting, having become extensive seedsmen in the 

 United States. Some American seeds of indigenous 

 plants were subsequently transmitted to Sir Henry by 

 the Thorburns from New York. 



We remarked, in the commencement of this Memoir, 

 that it was only our intention to present a few of the 

 principal incidents in Sir Henry's life, and, if possible, to 

 give a slight sketch of his character, so far at least as the 

 materials in our possession would enable us to do so. In 

 a life so useful, but at the same time so uneventful, as that 

 of the subject of this Memoir, it was difficult to di^aw up 

 a sketch such as we proposed ; and we fear we may not 

 have succeeded in rendering the preceding details inter- 

 esting to the general reader, especially in the absence of 

 any copies of Sir Henry's correspondence with the nume- 

 rous distinguished and literary characters whose letters on 

 various interesting subjects remain still in possession of 

 his family. Sir Henry was in the invariable habit of de- 

 stroying, from time to time, all copies of his own corres- 

 pondence, and for so slight a Memoir as that designed to 

 be prefixed to this work, it was considered unnecessary to 

 make any attempt to procure the originals or copies of his 

 letters, if any such exist, from the families of his numerous 

 correspondents. The want of such materials for a biogra- 

 phical Memoir is the more sensibly experienced, when a 

 sketch of the character of the individual who forms its 

 subject is proposed to be given ; particularly when the bio- 



