Hepburn2 May 11th 1887
My dear Baron;
An excuse to delay answering your letter3 will be found when I inform you that I was determined to make a trip or two to give you information relative to the scarce plant that you enclosed and to elicit as much as possible relative to it.
Know then I have had several tours in search of any more of that species in vain. I have been at the place where I first got it. It was at the mouth of a desirted gold mine on the summit of one of the highest hills in the neighbourhood the mine is perpendicular, eight feet by four: many mines were around, and it with great difficulty that I obtained it. It was growing prostrate straight down the pit. I had to tear all the plant out. I forget whether it had two or three flowers. I went around half-a-dozen other pits, but failed to discover any more. I send it back according to your directions but I retain a few of the leaves and shall take them to identify with any any other that I may find. By some mistake you have omitted to insert the generic name although you have given the characteristic letter S. in several other species of the genus.
The busy time that has ocupied me has caused me to defer sending the seed I have for you. For I have been ocupied with the one plant, but another I have not found. I am paying particular attention to plants and aquatics and swamp plants, but I must inform you that there are no pools of water, or swamps; yet I I4 hope to to succed when I take longer stroles. you will please to allow me a week or ten days further before you expect their transmission to you
You write relative to the payment I shall require. Poor and economical as I am, my zeal in the business of "looking through nature up to natures God"5 compels me to moderate my desires; I propose that one pound per month, when I am actively employed will be ample payment. The packet of seed I will leave the remuneration to yourself. I am now lonely. You, my very dear Baron, is the only sympathy that I have left. I have proved the strength of that friendship The Poet Thomas Young declares
"Can gold gain friendship? Impudence of hope!
"As well mere man an angel might beget.
"All like friendship, few the price will pay
"This makes friendship such a miracle below
Love and love alone is the price of love6
Deep this truth impress my mind
Through all his works abroad,
The heart benevolent and kind
The most resembles God! Burns.7
Affectionately, yet respectfully
yours truly
James Dickinson
The quotation is from Edward Young's 'The complaint: or night thoughts' (1743-5), the section entitled 'Night II. On time, death, and friendship'. The lines are quoted out of order, being respectively lines 551, 552, 556, 557 and 553, and in the original read as follows:
Can gold gain friendship? Impudence of hope!
As well mere man an angel might beget.
All like the purchase, few the price will pay
And this makes friends such miracles below
Love and love alone is the loan of love.
Please cite as “FVM-87-05-11,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 28 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/87-05-11