The John Bargrave Collection

I had become acquaint with Patrick Morray, Laird of Levingstone, by means of Mr John Elies, my comerade, who maried his sister, and had information of him what plants might be gotten in the fields; and I frequently went to Leviston, wher he had collected of plants that grew in the country and foreigne ones neer to a thousand. I made Dr Balfour his acquaintence with Levistone, which, upon Levistone's going abroad and corresponding with the Doctor, gave the rise to the designe of establishing the medicine garden at Edinburgh. Doctor Balfour and I first resolved upon it, and obtained of John Brown, gardner of the North yardes in the Abby, ane inclosure of some 40 foot of measure every way. We had, by this tyme, become acquaint with Master James Sutherland, a youth, who, by his owne industry, had attained great knowledge of the plants and of medals, and he undertook the charge of the culture of it. By what we procured from Leviston and other gardens, and brought in from the Country, we made a collection of eight or nyne hundred plants ther. We got several of the Physitians in town to concur in the designe, and to contribute so much a yeer for the charge of the culture and importation of foreigne plants. Some of the Chirurgeon Apothecaryes, who then had much power in the town, opposed us, dreading that it might usher in a Coledge of Physitians, bot, by the care and dexterity of Doctor Balfour, these were made friends to the designe, and assisted us in obtaining of the Counsell of Edinburgh ane leese to Mr James Sutherland, for nynteen years, of the garden belonging to Trinity Hospitall, and adjacent to it. And Doctor Balfour and I, with some others, were appointed by the Town Counsell visitors of the garden. After this, we applied ourselves with much care to embellish the fabrick of the garden, and import plants from all places into this garden, and procured that severall of the nobility concurred in contributing for some years, for the encouradgement of Mr Sutherland; some gyfts lykewise were obtained of money from the Exchequer, and the Lords of Session and Faculty of Advocates, for that use; and by Dr Balfour's procurement, considerable pacquets of seeds and plants were yeerly sent hither from abroad, and the students of medicine got directions to send them from all places they travelled to, wher they might be had, by which means the garden increased considerably every yeer. (Sibbald, 21-22)