20 C H A P T E R 28. 
tenfive knowledge of the learned lariguages. 
He dates the prefaces to his works, from 
Old Palace Yard, IF ejimmjler ; where, from 
a circumftance mentioned in his Fhytogra- 
phia, it may be inferred, that he had a fmall 
garden. I know not that he ever attained 
to any confiderable eminence as a pradical 
phyfician. The contrary may rather be 
prefumed, as I do not find his name in fe- 
veral lifts of the College of Phyfician s, 
printed in the firft years of this century : 
neither in thofe of the Royal Society at the 
fame period. 
His ardour for his favourite purfuit was 
remarkably ftrong ; Ut pene nulhiSyJic ardeoy 
was his motto. It does not appear, that he 
ever had an opportunity of gratifying his tafte 
by travelling in fearch of plants. He feems 
to hare devoted all his leifure to his work 
of the Phytographia ; fparing no pains to 
procure fpecimens of rare, and new plants. 
He had correfpondents in all parts of the 
World ; and had accefs to the gardens of 
the curious, in the environs of London^ and 
to that at Hampton Courts which was in a 
flourifliing ftate, from the care which the 
king 
