148 | Profefor MARTYN’s Obfervations 
adopted it as a favourite amufement; it is become neceflary to have 
a language that fhall be fuitable to every rank and condition, a lan- 
guage that may be incorporated into the general fund, and carry 
with it the proper marks of the mother tongue into which it is to 
be received. 
In order to attain this defirable end, I beg leave, Sir, to fubmit to 
your confideration, and to that of the fociety over which you pre- 
fide, thefe two fundamental principles : Firft, tat we fhould adhere 
as clofely a$ poffible to the.Linnean language itfelf: and fecondly, 
that we fhould adapt the terminations, plurals, compounds. and 
derivatives, to the ftructure and genius of our fterling Englifh. 
"That we ought to adopt the Linnean terms themfelves, is fuffi- 
ciently apparent from the ereat advantage refulting from the ufe 
of one univerfal language. If we change or tranílate thefe terms, 
we lofe all this advantage, and become unintelligible to botanifts of 
every other nation, withoüt any benefit gained on the other hand: 
for thefe new terms will be equally difficult even to the Englifh 
ftudent; and will require as much explanation as the Latin or 
Greek, many of which have prefcription and poffeflion to plead in 
their defence. To load the fcience and our Englifh tongue with a 
ufelefs addition of new words, is certainly an evil to be avoided. 
_ Thus, for inftance, in the parts of fructification, if we adopt the 
terms empalement, blofom, chive, thread, tips pointal, feed-bud, Shift, 
Jimmit they require explanation, in their appropriate fenfe,as much 
as calyx, corolla, flamen, filament, anthera, pifiillum or piftil, germen or 
germ, fiyle and fligma, which are already familiar to the ears of all 
who have ftudied the fcience of Botany, even though they have 
little or no acquaintance with the, learned languages. For the fame 
reafons legume is to be preferred to tO hell or cod, filiqua or filique to pod, 
filicle to pouch, glume to bufk or chaff, culm to fraw, d to fingered, 
ovate to egged, pinnatifid to feather-cleft. 
Some 
