Letter 2459

[fol. 70] Hon:d Sir Your extensive knowledge in Naturell History induces be to beleive that the least part of it has not escaped your Curiouse inquiry which putts one upon taking the freedome to kind you a small Collection of mosses & wish you as much pleasure in perusing thm as I had in collecting them; there are not many of the Common ones unles such as are rarely met with instead. The sevear Frosts for six weeks by past have intirely spoyld all prospect of Spring Moss Croping so that looking the small number over which I collected last spring I have sent you the best Collection I can at present make out, which I desire when you have a leasure sooner to last […]merable lye upon till I can send you a letter, which I hope to do if I live to see an other season. My old friend the Consul when he favoured me with his company at his place was the first who put me upon this inquiry which was [?] much better there I [?] considering they have been mostly discoverd in the [?] of three miles from this place a few from Craven & Lancashire excepted & I doubt not but as great a member has been past [?] om the same compass. I know your stone is very valluable to you, & at present being confined to my [?] by a gentle fitt of the [?] have more leasure time upon my hands then usuall to serve my friends in some past particulars, therefore have fixed the mosses upon papers I sent you & added to as many of them as I think Mr Ray has observed his names at length & some few of Mr Bobarts & the rest which I think are not mentiond by any one I have added names of my own I find Signieur Micheli of Florence proposes to print his 50 nova plantaru genera in 30 copper plates wherein he assures us we shall have of Lichenes museo Fungi & musei to the number of 350 which if he performe without multiplying species (as most have don already who have wrote upon this subject) he wil discover more by sea then all have don before him Italy no doubt affords a vast number of Fungi which are strangers to us & are more peculiare to hot Countrys mosses seem to delight in places more remout from the Sun the small inquirys I have made nigh home without the least assistance almost assures me that if our country of [?] was diligently searched it would alone afford more mosses then all Italy. High mountains shady woods & deep Cloughs which the Sun scarce affects in sumer are the most promising places for discoverys of this kind. I have added to them a specimen or two of Alsine latifolia montana flore laciniato CBP which I have found nigh this place in abundance, which Mr. Ray has not noted to be of the growth of our Island & assure a specimen or two of a very beautyfull Capillary which I lately found on some shady moyst rocks not far of in my searches for mosses which I take to be [?]. the mosses are sent by John Hall a Bradford Carier who Inns at the White Horse nigh Cripplegate & wil be in London on Wednesday night. they are packt up betwixt two Boards & directed for you. [fol. 70v] I am very much obliged to you for your last kind letter I had returnd my thanks for it sooner but was very desirouse to add my mite to your most compleat [?] nothing in this world could have been a more agreeable entertainment to me then a through viewe of it, which I hope still one time or other to be so happy as to see. I wish at your leasure you would let me know what Birds Eggs you want which are to be met with in the North & I wil endeavoure to serve you. I have formerly sent some to Mr Dandridge John Scheuchzers Books are come to me in the time of my confinement, (viz) Specimen Agrestographia his Agrestographie [?] & his Agrestographia, I generally have an account from some of my friends when any Books in Nat: Hist: come out of moment & I generally procure the[m], there are some of the old ons that I have not hither to been able to meet with some of German works (viz of his small treatesses) Wagner’s Historia Naturalis Helvetia Schwenekfeltis Cat. Thorpin et fossilin Helvetia Fabÿ Columna phytobasanos, Tregi Historia Cameraro[…] Epitomen [?] with some few more. Looking over part of the Consuls Collection of plants when I was last at London I tould him that I hoped shortly to see his pinax appear abroad he tould me he still labourd at it & had advanced prety far towards it but that without the assistance of one of his Freinds he should scarce be able to compleat it & that it was assured no foreigner could ever pretend to do it. I imediatly askt him who it was, he told me without the perusall of Dr pluquenets & petivers Collections of plants which were mow in your hands he could not be able to go through with it, & that since these Collections were reduced into no method & most of them without names, he could not reduce them to Classes nor adjust theire Synoymas unles he had the Collection by him. I know we have no person in England capable of such an undertaking except your selfe & the Consul. & since your time is much more advantagiously employd for the good of mankind I flatter my selfe that you who we all own to be the great patron of that Learning wil be ready to promoat a Worke of so much use to Botany & so much to the glory of our English Nation; if you think it reasonable to have them out of your Custody, you may be assured they wil be in such hands that you may have them returned upon the least notice; this freedome I take to acquaint you with what past & to name it to you though unknown to him & heartily wish that he may have no pretence to decline the Worke he has labourd at for so many years by part. by this time I may reasonably beleive I have wearied out a good share of your patience & that for the future you wil not desire such tediouse [?]. but be assured that it is the result of my due respect to you upon account of the freedome which you have always alowed your much obliged & obed: servant Ric: Richardson North Bierley mar. 3d 1720