Letter 2267

[fol. 108] Worthy Sr you may Remember that I mentioned the Composeing of A Small Treatise of Americ=an Plants Setting forth their Experienced Medecinal Vertues or Specifick Qualityes, wch I have Now Finished. And Because I doo not Confine my Self Altogether to the Island of Jamaica I Think to give it the Name of Hortus Ameri=canus Medecinales I Begin with the Plain and Vulgar Name of every Plant in an Alpha=betical Manner (as you doo in the Inclosed) and then I always keep a Due Respect to What you have Said of it and Refere the Reader to your Naturall History of Jamaica for the figure of the Plant and the Name you Call it by, and of what Tribe you make it off and Where you have it not in your History I Recomment them to your Catalogue Letting them Know by what Name they Will finde it there and Mention those that I think hath the Best Designs of the figure of the Plant, I have two Reasons for the Doing of this in the Plainest English I can put it in first because I Observed that the People in America being for the most part Altogether Straingers to the Latin Names of Plants there were at a Loss how to make a Rite use of your, Most usefull Book: wch by this Small Pockett Book it Will be Readily and easily understood. And as I have sett forth the known Virtues and experienced Qualityes as I gained them from Spaniards Indians and Negroes: Will make it of great use and Profitt (as I hope) to Planter being fitted for the meanest Capacitys and be a means to stir up their Desires to a further Search into Authors that hath Writt of Plants Growing amongst them, and make them Senceable How much they are be holden to you: The Second Reason is as you have done me the Honour to Introduce me into the Honourable Royal Society I Would Willingly be daring of Something and Throw in my MiteL and not to be all together a Worthless Member: but Notwithstanding what I have done Shall Never be made Publick until first, you have the Perusall of it (when writ over againe in a better hand than I Write) in Order to give your Opinion and to make What Alterations you Shall approve off if you Will see the Nature of it by the Inclosed, and What ever Plant you think fitt to be left out or added Shall be done and after you have given your Opinion and encouragement it may goo forth into the World: Otherwise it shall Remaine an Abortive and None but yourself Shall Known any think of it Shall Leave it to your Candid and Juditious Consideration Allways Remaning your Faithfull Obligated Servant to Command at all times Henry Barham Aprill 17th D: 4 1718