27 
whom mention is made in the second volume of our Transactions, 
p. 315, as the first person who ever raised a Lycopodium from seed. 
He is still living at a very advanced age, and without much help 
from books, has as discriminating a knowledge of our wild plants 
as most botanists who have made a noise in the world. 
“ The short and simple annals ” of these humble and disinterested 
admirers of Nature may seem, perhaps, scarcely worthy the 
attention of the learned and accomplished naturalist, but those who 
have the best claim to such a denomination will feel most 
interest in the success of their fellow-labourers, how far soever 
below their own. It appeared to me unjust to pass over in silence 
those whose taste, at least, and perhaps their knowledge, first 
excited to similar pursuits the more distinguished botanists of whom 
I am now to speak. 
Some time about the year 17G4, if I remember rightly, the Rev. 
Henry Bryant, at that period one of the ministers of the principal 
parish here, took up the study of botany as an amusement to his 
mind after the death of a beloved wife. He was a man of singular 
acuteness, well skilled in mathematics, and sufficiently master of 
his time to devote a considerable portion of it to his new pursuit. 
Ho was acquainted with Mr. Hugh Rose, then resident as an apothe- 
cary in Norwich, who always had a taste for botany, and with much 
classical learning, added to a systematic physiological turn of mind, 
was well qualified to assist Mr. Bryant in the study he had under- 
taken. Mr. Rose, however, educated in Scotland, was chiefly 
acquainted with Ray and Tournefort. The famous Dr. Garden 
was his fellow-student, who, when settled in America, and engaged 
in the studying the plants of that country by the principles of 
Tournefort, was, as himself told me, very nearly giving up the study 
altogether for want of a more comprehensive system. 
Fortunately the works of Linnaeus came into his hands, and the 
use he made of them is well known. Perhaps about the same 
period our two Norwich botanists first met with the Philosopliia 
Botanica. Both of them have often related to me with singular 
pleasure the impressions they received from this book. At first 
they scarcely knew what opinion to form of it. Mr. Rose was not, 
I believe, without apprehension v of some lurking heresies and 
unfounded novelties hostile to the fame of his admired Ray ; but 
Mr. Bryant unattached to any previous system, and much attracted 
