Dr. Smiru’s Introductory Difcourfe. 53 
humble:and patient ftudent of this very difficult part of natural 
hiftory: be difcouraged by, the {neers of the fupercilious coxcomb, 
er of the ignorant vulgar. He who determines with certainty a 
fingle fpecies of the minuteft mofs or meaneft infeét, adds fo far to 
the general {tock of human knowledge, which is more than can be 
faid of many a celebrated name: no one can tell of what impor- 
tance that fimple fact may be to future ages ; and when we confider 
how many millions of our fellow creatures pafs through life with- 
out furnifhing a fingle atom to augment this ftock, we ‘hall learn 
to think with more refpeét of thofe who do. 
But nothing will be with more reafon expected from the mem- 
bers of this fociety than a ftriét attention to the laws and princi- 
ples of Linnzus, fo far as they have been found to be good. No 
where have his works-been more ftudied and applied. to practice 
 thanin this country, nor can any other be fo competent to efti- 
mate his merits or corre& his defects. I am perfuaded nothing can 
be done more ufeful to the fcience of natural hiftory than, working 
on the publications of this illuftrious man as a foundation, to en- 
deavour to give them that perfection of which they are capable; 
and to incorporate with them all new difcoveries. We who have 
itin our power to give real information, fhould defpife the filly 
vanity of making new fyftems or arrangements, merely for the 
fake of being talked of. An artificial method like that of Linnæus 
may be changed a thoufand different ways, and each feem beft to 
its inventor. If any one, defpairing of getting immortality by any 
other means, fhould pleafe to name Cryptogamia the firft clafs and 
Monandiia the laft, I fhould rank him but with Chriftopher K naut, 
who made about as wife an attempt upon the method of Ray. 
Whatever we may think of the fyftem of Linnæus, there are 
certain great principles laid down by him, the excellence of which 
is now fo well known, and fo generally admitted, that none who 
4 pretends 
