The English flora by Sir James Edward Smith, M.D.F.R.S
Information
Title
The English flora by Sir James Edward Smith, M.D.F.R.S
Record type
Digitised Book Plate Collection
Original Reference
BP/99924-1001/1
Author or creator
Smith; James Edward (1759-1828); author
Date
1824
Scope & content
Title-page from the book 'The English flora' by Sir James Edward Smith. The book plate bears the imprint 'Thus spring the living herbs, profusely wild/ O'er all the deep green earth/ With such a liberal hand has Nature flung/ Their seeds abroad', taken from the poem 'The Seasons, Spring' by James Thomson (1700-1748). This copy of 'The English Flora' was owned by Isabella Anne Allen who was born on 27 December 1810, the daughter of John Henry and Susannah Rebekah Allen of Madresfield, Worcestershire. An inscription on the title page, hand-written in pencil reads, 'beyond the power of Botan/ist to number/ up their tribes;' taken from Thomson's poem 'Spring'. A further inscription, hand-written in pencil reads, 'As sweet were flowers ere yet unclassed they shone/ Ere Science called their brilliant world her own/ Ranged the wild rosy things in learned orders/ And filled with Greek the Garden's blushing borders', taken from a poem by Thomas Moore, 'Epilogue. Written for Lady Dacre's Tragedy of Ina'. A botanical sketch, hand-drawn in pencil appears above the inscriptions.
Inscription: ' 'beyond the power of Botan/ist to number/ up their tribes;' hand-written in pencil, C. Inscription, 'As sweet were flowers ere yet unclassed they shone/ Ere Science called their brilliant world her own/ Ranged the wild, rosy things in learned orders/ And filled with Greek the garden's blushing borders' hand-written in pencil, C