MR. T. SOUTHWELL ON OLD-TIME NORFOLK BOTANISTS. 375 
But it is to the Botanists which Norfolk has produced 
that I wish to call your attention, more especially to those 
who flourished in the period I have just mentioned ; and it 
has occurred to me that it might be of interest to bring 
together the scattered records of these pioneers of botanical 
science, so fair as they are connected with our own County of 
Norfolk ; this I have endeavoured to do in the following 
notes, the only merit, if any, of which is that they are pre- 
sented in a connected form. I think we may assume that 
botany of a kind flourished here at a much earlier period than 
that named, for where there was held a Florists’ Feast it is 
fair to suppose there were Florists to organise the feast, and 
a printed edition of a play called “ Khodon and Iris,”* dated 
1637, * s i n existence which was produced at the “ Florists’ Feast” 
in the City of Norwich 270 years ago. Sir Thomas Browne 
who died in 1682, is also said by Ray to have been the first 
to record the discovery of Salsola fruticosa , now a very abun- 
dant plant, on the Norfolk coast. It is much to be regretted 
that the learned Doctor did not do for the Botany of Norfolk 
what he did for the Birds and Fishes, thereby enabling us to 
appreciate the changes which have taken place since his time, 
for it is evident from the writings which he has left, particularly 
in the disquisitions to be found in chapters iii and iv of the 
‘ Garden of Cyrus,’ that he was quite well informed in the 
botanical literature of his day, and doubtless also equally 
well acquainted with the floral productions of his adopted 
County, in fact nothing came amiss to his immense store of 
erudition, and as Le Strange remarks in his critique on the 
Pseudodoxia epidemica, “ I cannot but predicate the vast 
expanse of the Drs.’ learning, reading, and knowledge, from 
the Cedar to the Hyssope.” 
* ‘Rhoclon and Iris,' a Pastorale as it was presented at lhe Florists’ F'east in 
Norwich, May 3rd, 1637, London, &c., 1637. The author of ‘ Rhodon and 
Iris’ one Ralph Knevet (1600-1671), was connected in some way with the 
Paston family, probably as Chaplain or Tutor, and is believed to be identical 
with a Rector of Ling of that name, who held the Living from 1652-71, and 
according to Blomfield (vol. viii. p. 251I lies buried in the Chancel of that 
Church. 
