9-4 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 13. 
Sidney attempted to regulate English verse by Roman feet, 
j Langley went farther, and (for lie never copied Gothic) 
| invented five orders for that style. All that his books 
I achieved has been to teach carpenters to massacre that 
j venerable species, and to give occasion to those who know 
| nothing of the matter, and who mistake his clumsy efforts 
for real imitations, to censure the productions of our 
ancestors, whose bold and beautiful fabrics Sir Christopher 
Wren viewed and reviewed with astonishment., and never 
mentioned without esteem. Batty Langley published some 
other works, particularly, An accurate Description of New- 
(fate, Ac. 1721. A Design for a new Bridge at Westminster, 
1730; A Reply to Mr. James's Tract on the same subject, 
and an useful one on the prices of work and materials 
1 We know that we shall not plead in vain to our readers 
j in behalf of an object most worthy of their bounty, that 
object being Mr. William Gardiner, a naturalist, who 
has ministered to their instruction and amusement. 
We had occasion to notice favourably his “Twenty 
Lessons on British Mosses,” and we again recommend 
that, and all his works, for they are all excellent and 
cheap, to public attention. But we would not have 
; liberality stop there, but let every one who has even a 
shilling to spare send it to this suffering student of 
nature. The smallest contribution will be received for 
him by Mr. James Scrymgeaur, 11, Reform Street,, 
Dundee, who favoured us with the following circular; 
we say favoured, because nothing gives us more satis¬ 
faction than being placed in a position to aid the meri¬ 
torious. 
“ I beg to inform you that Mr. Wii.liam Gardiner, 
Botanist, Author of 1 The Flora of Forfarshire,’ ‘ Twenty 
Lessons on Mosses’ (First and Second Series), * Rambles 
in Braemar,’ & c., has been, these several weeks past, con¬ 
fined to bed, rather dangerously ill; that he and his boy are 
in extremely destitute circumstances; that in consequence 
of the death of his wife last year, he has no one but a hired 
person to attend on him ; and that Dr. Osborne, the medical 
gentleman, who has kindly volunteered his services, is of 
opinion that, if ever this humble, but enthusiastic naturalist 
recover, it will be a work of considerable time, and assistance 
is therefore necessary. 1 had previously received L‘ 1 from 
Colonel Kinlocli, XT from Sir John Ogilvie, Bart., 10s. from 
William E. Baxter, Esq., Os. from Richard Gardener, Esq., 
of Dndhope, and 5s. from Professor Balfour. This prompt 
and liberal supply is about exhausted. Dr. Osborne and 
Professor Balfour have suggested to me that I should write 
at once to parties to whom Gardiner is likely to be known. 
1 I respond; but, as my leisure time is limited, I hope this 
mode of addressing you will be excused. Referring you to 
j my friend George Lawson, Esq., F.B.S., Author of ‘ The 
Water Lilies,’ Clerk to the Royal Caledonian Horticultural 
Society, and Curator of the Botanical Society’s Museum, 
Edinburgh, and hoping to hear from you at your earliest 
' convenience, I am, &c." 
FORSYTH MSS. 
Lx the latter part of 1789 Mr. Anderson became a 
married man, and the following extract from a letter, 
dated St. Vincent's, May 2nd of that year, is an example 
of an ingenious round-about way of preparing his friend 
for the announcement, and of defence of the intention. 
Such circumlocution, and such defence were needless, 
and we never could yet make out why marriage is about 
the only act of a man’s life which he invariably defends 
before its wisdom is attacked. 
AIR. A. ANDERSON TO MR. FORSYTH. 
The Natural History, in general, of these Islands, God 
for building. He also invented an artificial stone, of 
which lie made figures: an art lately brought to great 
perfection.” 
Mr. Langley died on the 3rd of March, 1751, and as he 
lived, so we concluded that he had died at Twickenham, but 
an intelligent friend says :—“ I have made every search it 
was possible to find the tomb, or the least trace of Batty 
Langley; his very name I tried to find associated with some 
part of Twickenham, but all without success. I read every 
tomb in the churchyard. I engaged the sexton in a search 
through the ‘ old burial ground,’ but could find nothing re¬ 
lative to the subject I was in quest of. The ‘ new burial 
ground ’ being only of recent date, J did not attempt to 
survey." 
knows when I shall be able to accomplish. I am preparing 
for it as fast as I can ; if my health and strength continue, 
perseverance and time will make amends for the want of 
means, and I have no fear of performing it. 
I find my constitution is not bettering, but its decay 
depends solely to the many hardships it has suffered, and 
not to anything malignant in the climate, for it is far from 
being so disagreeable as is generally supposed. It is true, 
a constant sameness remains the year throughout; but the 
variety of scenes iri a small compass, and the various dispo¬ 
sitions of nature in them, make ample amends for the 
agreeable vicissitudes you experience in nature. Perhaps 
there are few parts in Europe more healthy, or where the 
inhabitants, who in their younger days destroy not them¬ 
selves by dissipation, live to a greater age than in these 
islands. Man, alas, is the most forbidding object in them, 
for he seldom appears to fall in his place on the scale of 
existence, but oftener as an animal, without the limits of 
nature. Trampling on its sacred laws, lie throws behind him 
all laws, divine and civil, except so much of the latter as 
suits bis convenience and interest, or what ho is forced to 
for the general interest of the society lie is in. While he 
launches into the depth of debauchery it need not be 
surprising that, as he despises morality and religion, their 
possessors are subjugated to contempt and ridicule. 
The chief cause of the degeneracy of young men from 
Europe to these now settled islands is, the bad example 
every moment before their eyes, particularly disrespect to 
religion and neglect of the Sabbath day, and also the want 
of that subordination among the different classes of man¬ 
kind you have in Europe. Here there is no discrimination, 
except a man is poor, then he is no companion for the rest; 
if a man is rich, he may have the principles of a devil, he 
is respected; the most atrocious crimes admit no disrespect 
to him that has money, or nominal property, often, only; 
and as most people that come to this country are for some 
time in a dependant state, to gain favour and interest they 
imitate the profligacy of their superiors, and soon fall into 
their modes of thinking and acting, that in a short time the 
actions which at first were repugnant to their conscience 
become habitual to them. From this account, which too 
generally holds to be true, you will easily conceive that a 
philosophic or sober mind has little satisfaction except in 
the contemplation of nature; that the generality of society 
must be disgusting; and that the less connection with them 
the better; and it really is the case, for in society abundance 
to deprave the morals may be found, but seldom anything to 
better them. 
I am so far happy in my present situation that I can mix 
with the world or retire from it as I please, which cannot be 
the case with one that has the least connection or depend¬ 
ence on the country; but, thanks to God, my subsistence is 
entirely from home, and not depending here, therefore I 
have no occasion to cringe on or solicit the favour of any 
one. In no other situation but that I am in could I enjoy 
a moment’s satisfaction in the country; I hope gratitude 
shall never be obliterated from my mind to them who were 
the instruments of placing me in it. 
Let society be never so bad, a man cannot always be 
solitary; he must sometimes go into company for relaxation 
to his mind, that it may with more vigour return to its 
pursuits. As there are exceptions to all general rules, so are 
there here some men of good principles, and whom I 
esteem, who show every disposition in their power to serve 
