ch are _Words_; and in due
Season the _Flowers_ begin to appear in Variety of beautiful Colours,
and all the gay Pictures of youthful Fancy and Imagination; at last
the Fruit knits and is formed, which is green, perhaps, first, and
soure, unpleasant to the Taste, and not fit to be gathered; till
ripened by due Care and Application, it discovers itself in all the
noble Productions of Philosophy, Mathematicks, close Reasoning, and
handsome Argumentation: And these Fruits, when they arrive at a just
Maturity, and are of a good Kind, afford the most vigorous Nourishment
to the Minds of Men. I reflected further on the intellectual Leaves
beforementioned, and found almost as great a Variety among them as in
the vegetable World. I could easily observe the smooth shining
_Italian_ Leaves; the nimble _French_ Aspen always in Motion; the
_Greek_ and _Latin_ Evergreens, the _Spanish_ Myrtle, the _English_
Oak, the _Scotch_ Thistle, the _Irish_ Shambrogue, the prickly
_German_ and _Dutch_ Holly, the _Polish_ and _Russian_ Nettle, besides
a vast Number of Exoticks imported from _Asia_, _Africk_, and
_America_. I saw several barren Plants, which bore only Leaves,
without any Hopes of Flower or Fruit: The Leaves of some were fragrant
and well-shaped, of others ill-scented and irregular. I wonder'd at a
Set of old whimsical Botanists, who spent their whole Lives in the
Contemplation of some withered _AEgyptian_, _Coptick_, _Armenian_, or
_Chinese_ Leaves, while others made it their Business to collect in
voluminous Herbals all the several Leaves of some one Tree. The
Flowers afforded a most diverting Entertainment, in a wonderful
Variety of Figures, Colours and Scents; however, most of them withered
soon, or at best are but _Annuals_. Some professed Florists make them
their constant Study and Employment, and despise all Fruit; and now
and then a few fanciful People spend all their Time in the Cultivation
of a single Tulip, or a Carnation: But the most agreeable Amusement
seems to be the well chusing, mixing, and binding together these
Flowers, in pleasing Nosegays to present to Ladies. The Scent of
_Italian_ Flowers is observed, like their other Perfume, to be too
strong, and to hurt the Brain; that of the _French_ with glaring,
gaudy Colours, yet faint and languid; _German_ and _Northern_ Flowers
have little or no Smell, or sometimes an unpleasant one. The Antients