‘_Geschichte der Erfindungen_,’ and Dryander in the ‘_Hortus Kewensis_,’ have ascribed to more modern introducers. What is very remarkable is, that above three hundred species of medical plants were known to the monks and friars, and used by the religious orders in general for medicines, which are now to be found in some of our numerous books of pharmacy and medical botany, by new and less appropriate names; just as if the Protestants of subsequent times had changed the old names with a view to obliterate any traces of catholic science. Linnæus, however, occasionally restored the ancient names. The following are some familiar examples which occur to me, of all medicinal plants, whose names have been changed in later times. The _virgin’s bower_, of the monastic physicians, was changed into flammula Jovis, by the new pharmaciens; the _hedge hyssop_, into gratiola; the _St. John’s wort_ (so called from blowing about St. John the Baptist’s day) was changed into hypericum; _fleur de St. Louis_, into iris; _palma Christi_, into ricinus; _our master wort_, into imperatoria; _sweet bay_, into laurus; _our lady’s smock_, into cardamine; _Solomon’s seal_, into convallaria; _our lady’s hair_, into trichomanes; _balm_, into melissa; _marjorum_, into origanum; _crowfoot_, into ranunculus; _herb Trinity_, into viola tricolor; _avens_ into caryophyllata; _coltsfoot_, into tussilago; _knee holy_, into rascus; _wormwood_, into absinthium; _rosemary_, into rosmarinus; _marygold_, into calendula, and so on. Thus the ancient names were not only changed, but in this change all the references to religious subjects, which would have led people to a knowledge of their culture among the monastic orders, were carefully left out. The THORN APPLE, _datura stramonium_, is not a native of England; it was introduced by the friars in early times of pilgrimage; and hence we see it on old waste lands near abbeys, and on dunghills, &c. Modern botanists, however, have ascribed its introduction to gipsies, although it has never been seen among that wandering people, nor used by them as a drug. I could adduce many other instances of the same sort. But vain indeed would be the endeavour to overshadow the fame of the religious orders in medical botany and the knowledge of plants; go into any garden and the common name of _marygold_, _our lady’s seal_, _our lady’s bedstraw_, _holy oak_, (corrupted into holyhock,) the _virgin’s thistle_, _St. Barnaby’s thistle_, _herb Trinity_, _herb St. Christopher_, _herb St. Robert_, _herb St. Timothy_, _Jacob’s ladder_, _star of Bethlehem_, now called ornithogalum; _star of Jerusalem_, now made goatsbeard; _passion flower_, now passiflora; _Lent lilly_, now daffodil; _Canterbury bells_, (so called in honour of St. Augustine,) is now made into Campanula; _cursed thistle_, now carduus; besides _archangel_, _apple of Jerusalem_, _St. Paul’s betony_, _Basil_, _St. Berbe_, _herb St. Barbara_, _bishopsweed_, _herba Christi_, _herba Benedict_, _herb St.