Page:Books from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (IA mobot31753000820123).pdf/13



conquer'd the greatest Part of Brasile: Piso who was a Physician, and Marcgrave an Industrious Scholar, going out of Holland thither, were very curious, and took great care to observe what they thought worth Notice, and had Marcgrave liv'd to have publish'd his own Observations, that Work would have been much more considerable; but his Papers falling into the Hands, first of John de Laet, who, tho' a Learned Man, yet was ignorant of Natural History; and then of Piso, who, tho' he was a Practical Physician, yet had no great Knowlege of Natural things; are not so much to be depended on as one could wish: The Figures and Descriptions are transpos'd, as I have found by examination, and the first Edition is preferable to the Second, wherein Piso hath taken too much Liberty of ascribing the Vertues of European Herbs to those of the same Tribe in Brasile''. 'Tis very evident the Vertues of all Plants of the same Tribe, are not always found to correspond; we need go no farther than this History, wherein the Spanish Patata eaten commonly in Jamaica, is a true Convolvulus, the most part of which Family purge; the Cassada, of the Root of which Bread is made, is a true Ricinus, the Tribe of which, generally speaking, vomit and purge with great Violence,'' &c.

''It may be objected, that 'tis to no purpose to any in these Parts of the World; to look after such Herbs, &c. because we never see them; I answer, that many of them and their several Parts have been brought over, and are used in Medicines every day, and more may, to the great Advantage of Physicians and Patients, were People inquisitive enough to look after them. The Plants themselves have been likewise brought over, planted, and throve very well at Moyra, in Ireland, by the Direction of Sir Arthur Rawdon; as also by the Order of the Right Reverend Dr. Henry Compton, Bishop of London, at Fulham; at Chelsea by Mr. Doudy; and Enfield by the Reverend Dr. Robert Uvedale; and in the Botanic Gardens of Amsterdam, Leyden, Leipsick, Upsal, &c. but especialty at Badminton in Glocester-shire, where they are not only rais'd some few handfuls high, but come to Perfection, flower and produce their ripe Fruits, even to my Admiration; and that, by the Direction of her Grace the Duchess of Beaufort, who at her leisure Hours, from her more serious Affairs, has taken pleasure to command the raising of Plants in her Garden, where, by means of Stoves and Infirmaries, many of them have come to greater Perfection, than in any Part of'' Europe.