(John). Of this ingenious English botanist, one of the first and most industrious cultivators of that science among us, the memorials that remain are very scanty. He was born in 1597, was bred an apothecary, and resided in London. He rose to such reputation in his profession as to be appointed apothecary to King James I.; and, on the publication of his Theatre of Plants, he obtained from the unfortunate successor of that prince the title of Botanicus Regis primarius. The time of his death cannot be exactly ascertained; but, as his Herbal was published in 1640, and it appears that he was living at that time, he must have attained his 73rd year.

Parkinson's first publication was, his "Paradisi in Sole Paradisus Terrestris," or, A Garden of all Sorts of Pleasant Flowers which our English Ayre will permit Parkinson, to be nursed up: with a Kitchen-garden of all manner of Herbs, Roots, and Fruits, for Meat or Sauce, &c. &c. Collected by John Parkinson apothecary, of London, 1629, folio, 612 pages. In this work the plants are arranged without any exact order: nearly 1000 plants are separately described, of which 780 are figured on 129 tables, which appear to have been cut expressly for this work. Parkinson was, it is conceived, the first English author who separately described and figured the subjects of the flower garden; and this book is therefore a valuable curiosity, as exhibiting a complete view of the extent of the English garden at the beginning of the last century. It may, perhaps, be necessary to inform the reader, that Paradisus in Sole, is meant to express the author's name, Park in son.

In 1640 he published his "Theatrum Botanicum;" or Theatre of Plants, or an Herbal of a large extent containing therein, a more ample and exact History and declaration of the Physical Herbs and Plants than are in other Authors, &c. &c. London, folio, 1749 pages. This work had been the labour of the author's life; and he tells us that, owing to "the disfavouring times," and other impediments, the printing of it was long retarded. Dr. Pulteney is of opinion, that, allowing for the defects common to the age, Parkinson will appear "more of an original author than Gerard or Johnson, independent of the advantages he might derive from being posterior to them." His theatre was carried on through a long series of years, and he profited by the works of some late authors, which Johnson, though they were equally in his power, had neglected to use. Parkinson's descriptions, in many instances, appear to be new. He is more particular in pointing out the places of growth. Johnson had described about 2850 plants, Parkinson has near 3800. These accumulations rendered the "Theatrum Botanicum" the most copious book on the subject in the English language; and it may be presumed, that it gained equally the approbation of medical people, and of all those who were curious and inquisitive in this kind of knowledge."

PARSONS (James), an excellent physician and polite scholar, was born at Barnstaple, in Devonshire, in March 1701. His father, who was the youngest of nine sons of Colonel Parsons, and nearly related to the baronet of that name, being appointed barrack-master at Bolton in Ireland, removed with his family into that kingdom soon after the birth of his then only son James, who received at Dublin the early part of his education, and, by the affluence of proper matters, laid a considerable foundation of classical and other useful learning, which enabled him to become tutor to Lord Kingston. Turning his attention to the study of medicine, he went afterwards to Paris, where (to use his own words) "he followed the most eminent professors in the several schools, as Arvee, Dubois, Lemery, and others; attended the anatomical lectures of the most famous [Hunaud and De Cat]; and chemicals at the King's Garden at St. Come. He followed the physicians in both hospitals of the Hotel Dieu and La Charité, and the chemical lectures and demonstrations of Lemery and Boulde; and in botany Jussieu. Having finished these studies, his professors gave him honourable attestations of his having followed them with diligence..." gence and industry, which intitled him to take the degrees of doctor and professor of the art of medicine, in any university in the dominions of France. Intending to return to England, he judged it unnecessary to take degrees in Paris, unless he had resolved to reside there; and as it was more expensive, he therefore went to the university of Rheims, in Champagne, where, by virtue of his attestations, he was immediately admitted to three examinations, as if he had finished his studies in that academy; and there was honoured with his degrees June 11, 1736. In the July following he came to London, and was soon employed by Dr James Douglas to assist him in his anatomical works, where in some time he began to practise. He was elected a member of the Royal Society in 1740; and, after due examination, was admitted a licentiate of the college of physicians April 1, 1751; paying college fees and bond stamps of different denominations to the amount of £41:2:8, subject also to quarterage of £2 per annum. In 1755 he paid a farther sum of £7, which, with the quarterage money already paid, made up the sum of £16, in lieu of all future payments."

On his arrival in London, by the recommendation of his Paris friends, he was introduced to the acquaintance of Dr Mead, Sir Hans Sloane, and Dr James Douglas. This great anatomist made use of his affluence, not only in his anatomical preparations, but also in his representations of morbid and other appearances; a list of several of which was in the hands of his friend Dr Maty, who had prepared an eloge on Dr Parsons, which was never used, but which, by the favour of Mrs Parsons, Mr Nichols has preserved at large. Though Dr Parsons cultivated the several branches of the profession of physic, he was principally employed in the obstetrical line. In 1738, by the interest of his friend Dr Douglas, he was appointed physician to the public infirmary in St Giles's. In 1739 he married Miss Elizabeth Reynolds, by whom he had two sons and a daughter, who all died young. Dr Parsons resided for many years in Red Lion Square, where he frequently enjoyed the company and conversation of Dr Stukely, Bishop Lyttleton, Mr Henry Baker, Dr Knight, and many other of the most distinguished members of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies, and that of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce; giving weekly an elegant dinner to a large but select party. He enjoyed also the literary correspondence of D'Argenville, Buffon, Le Cat, Beccaria, Amb. Bertrand, Valltravers, Aesculapius, Turberville Needham, Dr Garden, and others of the most distinguished rank in science. As a practitioner, he was judicious, careful, honest, and remarkably humane to the poor; as a friend, obliging and communicative; cheerful and decent in conversation, severe and strict in his morals, and attentive to fill with propriety all the various duties of life. In 1760, finding his health impaired, he proposed to retire from business and from London; and with that view disposed of a considerable number of his books and effects, and went to Bristol. But he returned soon after to his old house, and died in it after a week's illness, on the 4th of April, 1770. By his last will, dated in October 1766, he gave his whole property to Mrs Parsons; and in case of her death before him, to Miss Mary Reynolds her only sister, "in recompense for her affectionate attention to him and to his wife, for a long course of years, in sickness and in health." It was his particular request, that he should not be buried till some change should appear in his corpse; a request which occasioned him to be kept unburied 17 days, and even then scarce the slightest alteration was perceptible. He was buried at Hesdon, in a vault which he had caused to be built on the ground purchased on the death of his son James, where his tomb had a very commendatory inscription.

It would carry us beyond our usual limits to enter into an enumeration of the many curious articles at various times communicated to the public by Dr Parsons, which may be seen in the Anecdotes of Bowyer. We shall therefore close this article with an extract from Dr Maty's eulogium: "The surprising variety of branches which Dr Parsons embraced, and the several living as well as dead languages he had a knowledge of, qualified him abundantly for the place of assistant secretary for foreign correspondences, which the council of the Royal Society bestowed upon him about the year 1750. He acquitted himself to the utmost of his power of the functions of this place, till a few years before his death, when he resigned in favour of his friend, who now gratefully pays this last tribute to his memory. Dr Parsons joined to his academical honours those which the Royal College of Physicians of London bestowed upon him, by admitting him, after due examination, licentiate, on the first day of April 1751. The diffusive spirit of our friend was only equalled by his desire of information. To both these principles he owed the intimacies which he formed with some of the greatest men of his time. The names of Folkes, Hale, Mead, Stukely, Needham, Baker, Collinson, and Garden, may be mentioned on this occasion, and many more might be added. Weekly meetings were formed, where the earliest intelligence was received and communicated of any discovery both here and abroad; and new trials were made, to bring to the test of experience the reality or usefulness of these discoveries. Here it was that the microscopic animals found in several infusions were first produced; the propagation of several insects by fission ascertained; the constancy of Nature amidst these wonderful changes established. His Remains of Japhet, being Historical Enquiries into the Affinity and Origin of the European Languages, are a most laborious performance, tending to prove the antiquity of the first inhabitants of these islands as being originally descended from Gomer and Magog, above 1000 years before Christ, their primitive and still subsisting language, and its affinity with some others. It cannot be denied but that there is much ingenuity, as well as true learning, in this work, which helps conviction, and often supplies the want of it. But we cannot help thinking that our friend's warm feelings now and then misled his judgment, and that some at least of his conjectures, resting upon partial traditions, and poetical scraps of Irish bards and Welsh bards, are less satisfactory than his tables of affinity between the several northern languages, as deduced from one common stock. Literature, however, is much obliged to him for having in this, as well as in many of his other works, opened a new field of observations and discoveries. In enumerating our learned friend's dissertations, we find ourselves at a loss whether we should follow the order of subjects or of time; neither is it easy to account... account for their surprising variety and quick succession. The truth is, that his eagerness after knowledge was such, as to embrace almost with equal facility all its branches, and with equal zeal to ascertain the merit of inventions, and ascribe to their respective, and sometimes unknown, authors, the glory of the discovery. Many operations, which the ancients have transmitted to us, have been thought fabulous, merely from our ignorance of the art by which they were performed. Thus the burning of the ships of the Romans at a considerable distance, during the siege of Syracuse, by Archimedes, would perhaps still continue to be exploded, had not the celebrated M. Buffon in France shewn the possibility of it, by presenting and describing a model of a speculum, or rather assemblage of mirrors, by which he could set fire at the distance of several hundred feet. In the contriving, indeed, though not in the executing of such an apparatus, he had in some measure been foreshadowed by a writer now very little known or read. This Dr Parsons proved in a very satisfactory manner; and he had the pleasure to find the French philosopher did not refuse to the Jesuit his share in the invention, and was not at all offended by the liberty he had taken. Another French discovery, I mean a new kind of painting fathered upon the ancients, was reduced to its real value, in a paper which showed our author was possessed of a good taste for the fine arts: and I am informed that his skill in music was by no means inferior, and that his favourite amusement was the flute. Richly, it appears from these performances, did our author merit the honour of being a member of the Antiquarian Society, which long ago had associated him to its labours. To another society, founded upon the great principles of humanity, patriotism, and natural emulation, he undoubtedly was greatly useful (a). He affixed at most of their general meetings and committees, and was for many years chairman to that of agriculture; always eagerly ready to point out and to promote useful improvements, and to oppose the interested views of fraud and ignorance, so inseparable from very extensive associations. No sooner was this society (a) formed, than Dr Parsons became a member of it. Intimately convinced of the nobleness of its views, though from his station in life little concerned in its success, he grudged neither attendance nor expense. Neither ambitious of taking the lead, nor fond of opposition, he joined in any measure he thought right; and submitted cheerfully to the sentiments of the majority, though against his own private opinion. The just ideas he had of the dignity of our profession, as well as of the common links which ought to unite all its members, notwithstanding the differences of country, religion, or places of education, made him bear impatiently the shackles laid upon a great number of respectable practitioners: he wished, fondly wished, to see these broken; not with a view of empty honour and dangerous power, but as the only means of serving mankind more effectually, checking the progress of designing men and illiterate practitioners, and diffusing through the whole body a spirit of emulation. Though by frequent disappointments he foresaw, as well as we, the little chance of a speedy redress, he nobly persisted in the attempt; and had he lived to the final event, would undoubtedly, like Cato, still have preferred the conquered cause to that supported by the gods. After having tried to retire from business and from London, for the sake of his health, and having disposed of most of his books with that view, he found it inconsistent with his happiness to forsake all the advantages which a long residence in the capital, and the many connections he had formed, had rendered habitual to him. He therefore returned to his old house, and died in it, after a short illness, April 4, 1770. The style of our friend's composition was sufficiently clear in description, though in argument not so close as could have been wished. Full of his ideas, he did not always dispose and connect them together, as to produce in the minds of his readers that conviction which was in his own. He too much despised those additional graces which command attention when joined to learning, observation, and found reasoning. Let us hope that his example and spirit will animate all his colleagues; and that those practitioners who are in the same circumstances will be induced to join their brethren, sure to find amongst them those great blessings of life, freedom, equality, information, and friendship. As long as these great principles shall subsist in this society, and I trust they will outlast the longest liver, there is no doubt but the members will meet with the reward honest men are ambitious of, the approbation of their conscience, the esteem of the virtuous, the remembrance of posterity."