THE PROPOSAL

Noblemen, Gentlemen, and others, who are willing to Subscribe towards Dr. Morison's New Universal Herbal, ordering Plants, according to a new and true Method never mentioned heretofore.

A decorative square woodcut initial 'W' featuring interlaced vines and floral patterns.WHEREAS Robert Morison Doctor of Medicine Physick: An archaic term for the art of healing or the practice of medicine, Botanist to His Majesty, and Professor of that Science in the University of Oxford, has, by his diligent and many years of observation, discovered a more easy and scientific method of identifying plants from the "Book of Nature"—based on the different forms of their flowers, seeds, and seed-pods—than has ever yet been published. He has lately (to the great satisfaction of the learned, both at home and abroad) provided a specimen or essay of this method in one of the most difficult classes or sections. Now, being desirous to advance and simplify that part of Natural History which has previously been so tedious and discouraging to students, for the honor of our famous island, and for the increase of learning (chiefly in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge), he wishes to finish and publish the whole work with all possible speed. However, due to the excessive cost of designing, engraving, and printing, he is unable to do so without the assistance of such noblemen and gentlemen who wish to further and encourage this great work. He therefore pledges to every nobleman, gentleman, or other person who is pleased to favor him with a payment for one plate of Five Pounds, that an honorable memorial shall be made of them by engraving their Coat of Arms on their respective plates (as has already been done in the aforementioned essay, as well as in over one hundred plates of these current five sections). Furthermore, the subscriber shall receive a book consisting of five complete sections, making 116 plates, produced by copperplate engraving Taille Douce: A high-quality method of intaglio engraving on copper plates that allowed for much finer detail than traditional woodcuts, containing 2,450 plants along with the description of their principles according to his new and truly modeled method. Upon paying the five pounds, each subscriber shall receive one of his specimens of umbel-bearing plants original: "specimens umbellarum"; plants like carrots or parsley that have umbrella-like flower clusters. Morison's work on this group was a landmark in botanical classification., etc., together with a receipt signed by his hand, obliging him to provide each subscriber or their representatives the aforementioned five sections complete with their descriptions. The subscribers are to provide him with their blazoned Coat of Arms, which shall be engraved under their respective plate. And we whose names are subscribed here do hereby commit ourselves to the said Robert Morison to pay, upon demand, the sum of five pounds for one plate toward this work.

The Author, finding that he has spent almost three years in engraving 108 plates—carrying on the work slowly during the first two years partly for want of good or excellent, and indeed more diligent, engravers—and now this last year having found some foreigners who are both diligent and capable, who have joined with some of our own, we now only lack the encouragement of subscribers to pay the painters and engravers to finish the entire work in as short a time as can possibly be allowed. Therefore, we earnestly wish that other noblemen and gentlemen who have not yet subscribed would follow the example of those who have already subscribed and paid; their respective Coats of Arms shall be engraved just as those of the others have already been done.