348. Account of Gartner the Botanift. 
gard, at his own expence. It was dedi- 
cated to Sir Jofeph Banks, and made its 
appearance in the {pring of 1788. 
This work, which was very foon known 
to botanifts,gave a new foundation to that 
{cience, as. well as an accuracy, to which 
it had never before attained. ‘The figures 
were copied into every work containing a 
defcription of plants; and Citizen Lamark 
has enriched with them the plates of his 
Jilufirationes Generum. The Academy of 
Sciences at Paris, in determining the quef- 
tion, what work had for feveral years been 
moft beneficial to the feiences, affigned the 
fecond place to that of Gertner, although 
even then its merits were not fufficiently 
known. 
Gertner, who was ftill only fifty, had 
however need of repofe; but the infirmi- 
tics he experienced, inftead of rendering 
him more attentive to his health, only af- 
forded a motive for increafed exertion, as 
he feared nature might not leave him time 
to finifh his fecond volume, the materials 
for which had been prepared during the 
compolition of the firft. Thus the weary 
traveller redoubles his {peed when he dreads 
to be overtaken by night. 
This intemperance in ftudy, joined to 
the habit of remaining conftantly feated in 
his chamber, which he had not left above 
eight or ten times fince his return from 
England, aggravated a hemorrhoidal af- 
feétion, with which he was afflited. A 
flow fever preyed on his conftitution dur- 
ing a whole year, yet he employed every 
interval of eafe to delineate and defcribe 
the new fruits which he had received from 
M. Thunberg; and the manufcript of 
his fecond volume was finifhed, and fent 
to the prefs in April 1791. 
What is then the fecret charm attached 
to the ftudy of nature, fince it can thus 
fufpend pain, and render the individual 
more ardent in his purfuits, in proportion 
to the fhortnefs of the time he expeéts to 
live: fince it can make him defpife life, 
except when employed in the acquifition 
of knowledge: and fince-he finds even in 
ftudy, and the’ hope cf being ufeful, a 
pleafing fatisfaction independant of health, 
fortune, and the opinion of men! 
It was now that Geriner, conceiving 
his tafk finifhed, dreamed of enjoying fome 
repofe. But as he became better known, 
he had fruits fent him from‘all quarters, 
which induced Him to labour without re- 
jaxation in preparing a fupplement, that 
he hoped might form a third volume to 
his work. Even on the very night of his 
death, although his hand trembled, and 
his weaknefs was extreme, he finifhed the 
2 
[May Ty 
defcription and a drawing of the Halleria 
Lucida. He died on the 14th of July, 
1791, at the early age of fifty-nine. 
We hall not here itop to trace the por- 
trait of Gertner ; from the whole hiftory of 
his life it muft be evident, that the moft pro- 
minent feature of his character was an ar- 
dent defire to acquire and diffufe know- 
ledge. His manners were pure, his taftes 
fimple. He defpifed fortune, judging that 
the facrifice of his time could never be 
compenfated by any: pecuniary advantages 
whatever. By the moft rigid and perfe- 
vering economy, however, he found means 
to purfue his travels, to purchafe many 
bocks and natural curiofities, and to de- 
fray the expence of printing his work, the 
fuccefs of which he did not expeét to wit- 
nefs. : 
Gertner’s only anxiety was refpecting 
the inftruction of his fon, to whom he 
deemed the moft valuable inheritance he 
could bequeath, was an education that 
might enable him to purfue the fame ho- 
nourable career, in which he himfelf had 
been fo much diftinguifhed. 
Another confpicuous trait in the charac-— 
ter of this extraordinary man was modefty. 
His method, founded on the organization 
of fruits, he propofed fimply as a means 
of affifting us in their’ examination and 
diftribution. By this method it is evi- 
dent that if there be fome families in which 
they furnifh the moft decifive and invaria- 
ble chara€ters, as in palms, umbelliferous, 
cruciform and malvaceous plants; there 
are others wherein they would be abfolute- 
ly infufficient, as in gramineous, labiate, 
and compofite plants. 
In the preface to his fecond volume he 
unrefervedly points out the faults of his 
work. He fhows what remains to be ac- 
complifhed, as well as many errors, which 
it would have been difficult to detect ; and 
he apologizes for them, from his peculiar 
fituaticn and want of time, in the moft af- 
fecting manner. 
‘¢ I perceive, fays he, how imperfect my 
work is, and how, indeed, in a new iubjeét, 
can we, allat once, arrive at perfection? But, 
I truft, [ fhall meet with indulgence, when 
it is known that nothing has been neglected 
which could enable me ¢o treat the fubje€t 
with precifion; and that every thing has 
been done which was poffible by an ifolated 
individual, without the affiitance of libra- 
ries, of collections, and of botanicalgardens. 
«© My fortune is extremely limited, yet 
I have undertaken three expenfive voyages 
to England and Holland in order to ex- 
amine fruits. Lhave fince laboured with- 
out relaxation eleven years ; althonsrer 
tnat 
