The Society then consisted of fifty Fellows, and as many more foreign members, Dr. Smith being the first President, Dr. Goodenough the first Treasurer, and Mr. Marsham the first Secretary.

At the first meeting the President delivered a Discourse, judicious and appropriate, "On the Rise and Progress of Natural History." We find him also, about this time, producing a paper which was read before the Royal Society, intituled, "Observations on the Irritability of Vegetables." It chiefly regards the mode of impregnation in the barberry; and attracted considerable attention at the time, being translated into other languages, and appearing in different publications.

The next considerable work which we find him undertaking is, the re-publication of the wooden blocks of Rudbeck, which had fallen into his hands with the Linnæan collections. Linnæus was pos

payments. The anniversary was kept on the second Monday in March. None of their communications were ever published. When the Linnæan Society was established in 1788, many of its members quitted, and joined that Society. From that time it dwindled away. The members gave up their house in Goldensquare, took apartments in Warwick-street, and afterwards held their meetings at the York Coffee-house in St. James's-street. Their meetings finally ceased in 1794 or 1795. The following are all that are now [1828] living who were members in 1791: James Agar, Esq. Hare-court, Temple, 1787; Joshua Brooks, Esq. Blenheim-street, 1786; Montagu Burgoyne, Esq. Upper Brook-street, 1791; Everard Home, Esq. Leicester-square, 1785; Rev. Rob. Nares, James-street, Westminster, 1789 [died 1829]; William Smith, Esq. Aldermanbury, 1789; Rev. Dr. Robert Thompson, Kensington, 1786. These were their residences, &c. at that time. Dr. J. E. Smith had only lodgings at Chelsea; about 1790 he had a house in Great Marlborough-street, where he remained till the year after his marriage, 1797, when he retired from London to reside at Norwich. Of the original members of the Linnæan Society, now living, are, Robert Barclay, Esq. Clapham; Sir T. Gery Cullum, Bart. Bury; Sam. Galton, Esq. Birmingham; Aylmer B. Lambert, Esq.; Dr. John Latham; Mr. Arch. Menzies; R. A. Salisbury, Esq. [died 1828]." -A letter signed "M. H." in the Gent. Mag. XCVIII. i. 582.

sessed of about 120 of these blocks, which had escaped the fire at Upsal, where almost the whole impression of the second volume, and all but three copies of the first, were burnt. As Rudbeck was the founder of a school at Upsal, destined afterwards to give laws to the rest of the world, the re-publication of this fragment of his great work was a tribute of gratitude to his profound and varied learning.

From 1789 to 1793, our author was engaged in various publications relating to his favourite science. Most of them terminated in being only fragments, for want of patronage by the public. Such were his "Plantarum Icones hactenus ineditæ;" "Icones pictæ Plantarum rariorum;" "Spicilegium Botanicum; and "Specimens of the Botany of New Holland." One of these literary projects," English Botany," however did not suffer the shipwreck experienced by the others, but has received the encouragement it deserved. This is not attributable to its execution being superior to the other works which have failed, but because it treats of the plants of our own country, in which all are interested. It had the singular merit of being the only national Flora which had given a figure and description of every species native to the country whose productions it professes to investigate; and while other works of a similar kind enjoyed the patronage of foreign Crowns, and were even supplied with funds to carry them forward in their tardy progress, this work was rendered complete by the patronage of the public alone; and, having been commenced in 1790, was brought to a successful termination in 1814, by the united efforts of the President of the Society, and of Mr. Sowerby, the draughtsman and engraver. This work extends to thirty-six volumes, and contains 2592 figures of British plants.

In 1792, Dr. Smith had the honour of giving some instruction in botany to the Queen and Princesses at Frogmore. As a lecturer, he was particu

larly admired for his ease and fluency, and for the happiness of his illustrations, as well as for the extent and variety of his knowledge. This will be testified by all who heard him at the Royal Institution in London, at Norwich, Liverpool, Bristol, &c.

In the year 1793 appeared in the Memoirs of the Academy of Turin, of which he was a member, his essay, "De Filicum Generibus dorsiferarum," and which was re-published in English in his "Tracts on Natural History."

In the year 1796 Dr. Smith married the only daughter of Robert Reeve, Esq. of Lowestoft, in Suffolk; and in the following year he removed to Norwich, his native place, where he continued to reside, paying occasional visits to London, for the remainder of his life.

The next considerable work upon which the reputation of our author is built is the "Flora Britannica," which appeared in the years 1800-1804. It is remarkable, like all his other labours, for accuracy in observing, accuracy in recording, and unusual accuracy in printing. It comprises descriptions of all the phænogamous plants, of the filices and the musci; and every species has been carefully collated with those which Linnæus described. Being written in the Latin language, the information is condensed into a small compass; while it has the rare advantage of having had every synonym compared with the original author.

The "Compendium Flora Britannica" has gone through four editions, and is become the general text-book of English botanists. It is perhaps the most complete example of a manual furnished on any subject.

While he was engaged in the "Flora Britannica," the executors of Professor Sibthorpe selected him as the fittest person to engage in editing the splendid posthumous work of that liberal patron of science; a task for which the unrivalled attainments

of the President, and his personal friendship with the Professor, peculiarly qualified him. The drawings, which were made by Ferdinand Bauer, and the letter-press, which was written by Sir James Smith from scanty materials furnished by Dr. Sibthorpe, are both worthy of so munificent an undertaking.

In 1806 the first part of the "Flora Græca" appeared. Its publication was continued in parts until it reached six folio volumes, with one hundred coloured plates in each. To complete the work, which is to consist of ten folio volumes, Dr. Sibthorpe bequeathed a freehold estate at South Leigh, in Oxfordshire; which, after the completion, is to be charged with the support of a Professor of Rural Economy in the University of Oxford.

There was also a "Prodromus" of the same work, in two volumes 8vo. without plates.

The "Introduction to Physiological and Systematic Botany," which appeared in 1807, was a most successful publication, having passed through five editions. It is indebted for its popularity to a happy method which the author had of communicating knowledge, to the good taste he every where displayed, and to that just mixture of the utile with the dulce, which he knew so well how to apportion.

In 1810 appeared, in a magnificent folio volume, his "Tour to Hafod," the seat of his old and accomplished friend, Thomas Johnes, Esq. the translator of Froissart; and, in 1811, his "Translation of Linnæus's Tour in Lapland."

In 1814 he received the honour of knighthood from the hands of his present Majesty, on the occasion of his present Majesty consenting to become the patron of the Linnæan Society, and granting them a charter.

About 1818 Sir James was deputed by Professor Martyn to deliver lectures from the Botanical chair in the University of Cambridge,—an arrangement

which might naturally have led to his being elected Mr. Martyn's successor. He obtained the countenance of many of the Heads of Houses, and of several of the first Dignitaries of the Church; but, unfortunately, a controversy was raised by interested persons respecting his religious opinions, (those of the Unitarian Dissenters,) of which congregation at the time of his death he was one of the Deacons ; which opinions (like his illustrious predecessor, Ray, who was deprived of his fellowship for a similar cause,) he could not compromise. It produced two small tracts from his pen, intituled," Considerations respecting Cambridge, more especially relating to the Botanical Professorship," &c. 1818; and, "A Defence of the Church and Universities of England against such injudicious advocates as Professor Monk and the Quarterly Review," 1819.

In 1821 his Grammar of Botany" appeared; and in the same year, selected from his copious stores of original MSS. two volumes of the "Correspondence of Linnæus, and other Naturalists *." These volumes abound with particulars interesting to all literary men, but especially so to Naturalists; and we know it was the intention of Sir James Smith to have favoured the public with a continuation, had the success of the first two volumes answered his just expectations. But naturalists are by no means all readers; their studies are rather in the book of nature than in the book of the author. They would not, however, be less fitted for their pursuits, if they were more accustomed to add past experience to modern practice, by the perusal of works similar to that now noticed.

During a large portion of his literary life, Sir J. E. Smith was in the habit of writing articles for Dr. Rees's " Cyclopædia" on different subjects in botany and biography connected with it. Many of these biographical memoirs are choice morsels of original information; and we need only refer to the * See the letters relative to this Work, hereafter, p. 849.