24 Dr. Swurru's Introductory Difeourfe. 
could fo agitate the candid peaceable fpirits of Ray and Tournefort. 
Of Ray it may be faid that his method was the moft abftrufe and 
{cientific, while that of Rivinus was at firft fight more fimple, but 
liable to as great difficulties in the execution. _The former was prin- 
cipally founded on the fruit, the latter on. the corolla, and in both 
were the other parts of fruétification too much neglected. The 
fyftem of Tournefort, which was likewife formed chiefly upon the 
corolla, was undoubtedly far fuperior to all the reft then extant; 
` yet I doubt whether that alone would have procured its author his 
extenfive reputation, had he not inveftigated and difcriminated the 
genera of plants in fo mafterly a manner, that this alone is fufficient 
to rank him above all preceding botanifts. It is true he did not 
invent a mode of fyftematically defining thefe genera by words 5 this 
was referved for Linnzus: but it has been well obferved by 
Monfieur Delamarck, that Tournefort was no leís fenfible of the 
ana OP ha Seer ant TEES HO NE etgusi in 
fo able a manner that they cannot be miftaken. 
This great botanift, chiefly unfortunate in having had fome in- 
judicious advocates, is the glory of the French nation. His country- 
men are with reafon proud of him, and his merits as a botanift and 
a traveller are fo well known, that no commendation of mine can 
add to his fame. Yet I muft not omit to do juftice to his fucceffor 
Vaillant, whofe merit I think is hardly fufficiently known. In 
profiting of the indulgence granted me when at Paris of confulting 
the Herbariums of thefe two eminent botanifts, I was aftonifhed at 
the inftances of profound knowledge and acutenefs of judgment 
which I met with in that of Vaillant, both with refpeét to the 
genera, fpecies, and fynonyma of plants; whereas it is well known 
that Tournefort was lefs folicitous about the fcientific diftinGtions 
of fpecies. Vaillant is alfo one of the firft who was well acquainted 
with the fexes of plants. His academical oration on that fubject 
is full of good obfervations, though not without fome errors. In 
this 
