82 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
Att our schemes are broke.
Send no seeds for him, nor the Duke of Norfolk ; for now, he that
gave motion, is motionless,—all is at an end. As I know that this
will be a great dissappointment to thee, if thee hast in mind to send
the seeds, as was ordered for Lord P. and Duke of Norfolk, on my own
account and risk,—I will do what I can, to dispose of them. The Duke
of Norfolk shall have the preference; but there is no obliging him
to take them,—as I had not the order from him, but from Lord Petre.
Send those for the Duke of Richmond, and P. Millers.
This letter concludes with remarks on Petre's character,
which are practically the same as those which follow from the
catalogue of plants just mentioned.
"The Character of Right Honble Robert Lord Petre.
"By his Frd P. Collinson. July 3 : 1742.
"He was a fine Tall Comely Man, Handsome, had the presence
"of a Prince, but so happyly mixt that Love and Aw was begat at the
"same Time. The Affability and sweetness of his Temper is beyond
"Expression—without the least Tincture of Pride or Haughtyness,
"with an engaging Smile He always mett his Friend. But the Endow-
''ments of his mind are not to be Described. Few excelled Him in the
"Liberal Arts and Sciences—a great Mechanic as well as Mathemati-
"tion, ready at Figures and Calculations, a fine Tast for Architecture
"and Drew and Designed well Himself—a great Ardour for every
"Branch of Botanic Science—whoever sees His vast Platantions
"and this Catalogue will not doubt it—which was greatly increased
"before his Death. In his Religious way, an Example of great
"Piety, Charity and Chastity, Strict in his Morals, of great Temperance
"and Sobriety, no Loose Word, no Double entendre, ever drop'd
"from his Lipps.
"Lord Petre Died of the Small Pox July : 2 : 1742 ; this was Drawn
"the Day after his Death by his Disconsolate Friend
" P. Collinson."
Six months later Collinson wrote to Linnaeus:
"The death of the worthiest of men, the Right Hon. Lord Petre,
"has been the greatest loss that botany or gardening ever felt in this
"island. He spared no pains nor expence to procure seeds and plants
"from all parts of the world, and then was as ambitious to preserve
"them. Such stoves the world never saw, nor may ever again. His
"greatest stove was 30 feet high, and in proportion long and broad.
"In it were beds of earth, in which these plants as under were planted,
"and flourished wonderfully.
"The Hernandia was 10 feet high, 5 inches round the stem.
"Guava—13 feet high, 7 inches round, spreading 9 feet.
"Female Papaw—17 feet high, 2 feet 3 inches round the stem, and
"bears plenty of fruit every year.
"Anotto—(Bixa orelana) 14 feet high, 11 inches round.