§4 CHAPTER 6. 
Thomas Pfnn y, an Englifhman of the fame 
age ; who, although not an author himfelf, 
was indubitably a man of great attainments 
in the natural hiftory, and efpecially in the 
Botany, of his time. Gerard ftiles him 
A fecond Diofcorides, for his fmgular 
knowledge in plants/' I cannot afccrtain 
the date of his birth. It appears that he 
was a fellow of the royal college of phyfi- 
cians, and that he had travelled into vari- 
ous parts of Europe, He had refided in 
Switzerland^ and had vifited, if not made 
fome ftay in, the ifland of Majorca, That 
he had diligently fearched both the northern 
and fouthern parts of England is manifeft, 
from the variety of rare plants difcovered 
by him, and communicated to Lobel and 
Gerard. He was perfonally known to 
Gesner and Camerarius, and after- 
wards frequently fupplied them with rare 
plants, for their refpedtive Herbaria and 
gardens. 
During his refidence in Switzerland y he 
collefted many plants of thdt country, and 
from the confines of France. He affifted 
Gesner, as appears by his obfervations 
and 
