1835. Culpepper's 'Complete Herbal.' A republication of his original 'Epistle to the Reader' is dated from 'spitalfields, next door to the Red Lion, September 5, 1653.'The frontispiece has Culpepper's portrait-a sharp amiable face, with long hair, a white collar, and a Puritan dress. Below is a little picture of the upright, modern-looking London house, surrounded though it is by fields, in which he lived and died.

The instructions for 'the right use of the book' are so curious that I may as well copy them: 'And herein let me premise a word or two. The herbs, plants, etc, are now in the book appropriated to their proper planets. Therefore, first consider what planet causes disease; that thou mayst find it in my aforesaid judgement of diseases. Secondly, consider what part of the body is afflicted by the disease, and whether it lies in the flesh, or blood, or bone, or ventricles.

'Thirdly, consider by what planet the afflicted part of the body is governed; that my judgement of disease will inform you also.

'Fourthly, you may oppose diseases by Herbs of the planet opposite to the planet that causes them, as diseases of Jupiter by Herbs of Mercury, and the contrary; diseases of the Luminaries by the Herbs of Saturn, and the contrary; diseases of Mars by Herbs of Venus, and the contrary.

'Fifthly, there is a way to cure diseases sometimes by Sympathy, and so every planet cures his own disease; as the Sun and Moon by their Herbs cure the Eyes,

Saturn the Spleen, Jupiter the Liver, Mars the gall and diseases of choler, and Venus diseases in the instruments of Generation.

'(Signed) Nich. Culpepper.'

The whole book runs on the same lines. Of course it can only have been re-published as late as 1835 as a curiosity.

1835. 'The Language of Flowers, with Illustrative Poetry.' Inseparable from a collection of flower-books of .this period is one example at least of the curious childish sentiment-or, rather, of the sentimentality which was the fashion of the day. The frontispiece is a little bouquet of flowers which means, being interpreted, 'Your beauty and modesty have forced from me a declaration of Love.' It is always the woman's fault, somehow, in all times. The little book is dedicated to the Duchess of Kent. The 'illustrative'flower-writing is curious, and the dictionary of the language of flowers very arbitrary. How utterly the whole thing has passed away! The outside of the little book, bound in stamped green silk, is rather pretty.

1837. 'Amaryllidaceae,' by the Honourable and Eeverend William Herbert, and dedicated to Leopold, King of the Belgians. This book is very botanical, and dry to the ordinary reader, though, I should think, comprehensibly descriptive and interesting to the student. The drawings are good and delicate, and very slightly coloured.

1839. 'Pinetum Woburnensis, or a Catalogue of Coniferous Plants in the Collection of the Duke of Bedford, at Woburn Abbey, systematically arranged.'

This is a very handsome book, unfortunately not large enough to show off the really fine plates to advantage, as they are all folded in half in the middle. I imagine it is the only work of its kind, and seems, so far as I can judge, to be very complete. Considering how late was the date of publication, the plates are very well drawn and coloured by hand. The introduction, dated 1839, is written by the Duke of Bedford. In it he gives such an amusing anecdote of his grandfather that I cannot resist quoting it:-'In the year 1743 my grandfather planted the large plantation in Woburn Park known by the name of the "Evergreens," to commemorate the birth of his daughter, afterwards Caroline, Duchess of Marlborough; it was something more than one hundred acres, and was, before that time, a rabbit-warren, producing nothing but a few blades of grass, with the heath or ling indigenous to the soil, and without a single tree upon it.

'In the course of a few years the Duke perceived that the plantation required thinning, in order to admit a free circulation of air, and give health and vigour to the young trees. He accordingly gave instructions to his gardener, and directed him as to the mode and extent of the thinning required. The gardener paused, and hesitated, and at length said, "Your Grace must pardon me if I humbly remonstrate against your orders, but I cannot possibly do what you desire; it would at once destroy the young plantation, and, moreover, it would be seriously injurious to my reputation as a planter."

'My grandfather, who was of an impetuous and decided character, but always just, instantly replied, "Do as I tell you, and I will take care of your reputation."

'The plantation, which ran for nearly a mile along the road leading from the market town of Woburn to that of Ampthill, was, consequently, thinned according to the instructions of the Duke of Bedford, who caused a board to be fixed in the plantation, facing the road, on which was inscribed, "This plantation has been thinned by John, Duke of Bedford, contrary to the advice and opinion of his gardener." '

1843. 'Flora Odorata: a Characteristic Arrangement of the Sweet-scented Flowers and Shrubs cultivated in the Gardens of Great Britain,' by Frederick T. Mott. A useful, suggestive, little book, and the only one on the subject that was ever printed, I believe, till the appearance of a book in 1895, 'sweet-scented Flowers and Fragrant Leaves,'by Donald McDonald. This last often gives the name of one scented variety in a perfectly scentless family, such as the Camellia. C. drupifera has scented flowers. I observe that the very faintest odour justifies the inclusion of some plants in both these books.

1846. 'Flowers and their Associations,'and 'The Field, Garden, and Woodland,'by Anne Pratt. I have none of Anne Pratt's books except this curious little one, given me off a Christmas-tree, by a serious old uncle, because I was fond of flowers, when I was a child. It is roughly illustrated, and contains much desultory information.