Ehret. ^ 285 
lach'^ . Young Ehret veiy early fhcwed a 
tafte for drawing, and painting the flowers 
of the garden. And although he received 
no inflrudions, yet fuch was his proficien-. 
cy, that, whilft a very young man, he had 
painted 500 plants with a Ikill and accu- 
racy that was almoft unexanipled, under 
the difadvantages of fo total a want of in- 
ftrud;ion as our young artifl: had experi- 
enced. His merit, however, remained long 
unknov/n, or at leaft ineffeftually noticed, 
until it was difcovered by a gentleman of 
curiofity and judgm-cnt, who viiited the 
garden, of v/hich his father was the fupei^- 
intendant. Fortunately for young Ehret, 
this ftranger was a phylician and a friend, 
of the celebrated Dr. Trev/, oi Norimberg, 
to whom he juftly fuppofod thefe paintings 
would be acceptable. Ehret by this means 
was introduced to Trew, v/ho immediately 
purchafed the whole 500 paintings^ and ge- 
neroufly gave him double the price at which 
the young artift had modeftly valued them. . 
* Charles^ Prince of Baden Durlach^ was a patron of 
botany, and his garden v/as famous at that time. He ^ 
fent his principal fuperintendant of the garden, on the un- 
fortunate expedition with Hebenstreit, into Africa* 
The 
