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PREFACE. Xiii
laid down, and they are inserted under their last word,
even when the composition is not apparent at first sight,
as tur-nep, the nep which is round as if turned in a lathe,
so pars-nep, that which from its size requires to be chopped
or divided into parts to fit it for eating, as schoolboys are
said to parse their lessons, when they divide them gram-
matically. Pars-ley is, by an error only referred to under
ley. It signifies an herb to be chopped, alluding to its use
in sauces and stuffing. The ley being only another spell-
ing of lea, grass, as in the song
—
Over the water and over the lea
but, in parsley, is used for herb, as Virgil, on the contrary,
uses herba for grass :
—
In molli consedimus herba. Buc. 3, 55,
An index of the authors mentioned in the Introduction,
and a very copious index of the botanical terms, are sub-
joined to the first volume. It was at first intended to omit
the references to those terms which are self-evident to an
English reader, but, upon considering that foreigners might
have occasion to ascertain their meaning, they have been
inserted, omitting however those English terms which vary
but slightly in their termination from the corresponding
Latin terms.
I have now to return my thanks for the kind assistance
1 have received, and particularly to A. B. Lambert, R.A.
Salisbury, and A. H. Haworth, Esqrs. Messrs. E. and J.
Bennett, and Mr. Deer. The death of Sir Joseph Banks,
during the printing, has, to my great regret, prevented me
from a similar acknowledgement, as a slight return for
the many advantages I have received from the use of his
Library and Herbarium : and has also been a cause of great
delay, in being obliged to wait the arrival of another copy
of Esenbeck's work from German}^, that tiiose interesting
plants the fungi might be arranged according to the latest
improvements.
;