Peter Collinson—Memorials of John Bartram and Humphrey Marshall [pp. 416-450]

Peter Collinson.
great is our God! How wonderful are his works, sought out of
all them that take pleasure therein. Your letters, particularly,
give me pleasure.,, They always contain something new and
entertaining on some new-discovered work of God."
We now cite some passages from the correspondence, to show
how Peter Collinson helped John Bartram, and was in truth
the great means whereby he became so distinguished as to be
" the greatest natural botanist in the world." Peter Collinson's
first published letter is dated in 1734. In 1736, we find this
paragraph: "Thy kind neighbour, James Logan, is so good as to
order me to buy thee Parkinson's Herbal. He has shown a very
tender regard for thee, in his letter to me. It may look grateful,
every now and then, to call and enquire after thy friend Logan's
welfare. I-He is a great man in every capacity, and for whom I
have the highest value."
About the same time James Logan writes thus to the young
but rising naturalist:
"FRIEND J. BARTRAM-Last night, in the twilight, I received
the enclosed, and opened it by mistake. Last year Peter sent
me some tables, which I never examined till since I last saw
thee. They are six very large sheets, in which the author
[Linnaeus] digests all the productions of nature in classes.
" His method in the vegetables is altogether new, for he takes
all his distinctions from the stamina and the styles, the first of
which he calls husbands, and the other wives.
"The performance is very curious, and at this time worth
thy notice. I would send it to thee, but, being in Latin, it will
want some explanation, which after I have given thee, thou wilt,
I believe, be fully able to deal with it thyself, since thou generally knows the plants' names. If thou wilt step to town
to-morrow, thou wilt find me there with them at E. Shippen's,
or J. Pemberton's from twelve to three. I want also to say
something further to thee, on microscopical observations.
"Thy real friend,
"J. LOGAN.
C Stenton, 19th of June, 1736."
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[JULY