An Account of Joseph Homben, the Botanist.

 

“Must I call madness or reason that desire which allures us to seek and
examine plants? If I look back on the fate of naturalists, Iam persuaded that
the irresistible attractions of nature alone can induce us to face such dangers
and troubles. No science had ever so many martyrs as natural history.”"—
LINNAZUS.

= S24) prince of botanists did not speak un-

| advisedly when he uttered these memo-
rable words. Long indeed is the roll-call
of those who have fallen a sacrifice in
this cause; and among them all, no name better
(leserves honourable remembrance than that of the
French botanist and traveller, Joseph Dombey.
The career of this individual, though full of roman-
tic and touching interest, is comparatively little
known, and I feel persuaded that a slight sketch
of it will be acceptable to the reader.

He was born at Macon in 1742, and his parents
were in humble circumstances, but did their best
to give him a good education. Their cares, how-
ever, seemed at first to be but ungratefully repaid,