.266 C H A P T E R 47, 
and fimilar tafte, muft deplore that hard 
fate which reduced him to fuch neceffity, 
they muft yet more ftrongly cenfure a rafh- 
jiefs, which could tempt him to rilk, in fo 
effential a manner, the v/elfare pf his fa- 
mily. 
As Wilson exhibited to the public, a 
lingular proof of his knowledge in this his 
principal objedl, I am inclined to believe, 
that he muft, originally, either have had 
fome grammar education, or, impelled by 
Ills genius, muft afterwards have acquired 
a knowledge of the Latht language. How 
elfe (except on the fuppofition of extraordi- 
nary afiiftance, of which I have no informa- 
tion) could behave made ufe of Morison's 
Hiftory," or have tranflated Ray's Sy- 
nopjis ! In 1744? he pubiiflied - A Sy- 
" Nopsis OF British Plants in Mr, 
" Ray's Method ; with their Charadlers, 
Defcriptions, Places of Growth, Time of 
Flowering, and phyfical Virtues, accord- 
ing to the moft accurate Obfervations, 
and the beft modern Authors ; together 
•"^ v/ith a Botanical Didlionary, illuftrated 
with 
