iv, PllEFACE. 



/ 



cause it is in vain that we know betony is good 

 for head-achsj or self-heal for wounds, unless ire 

 can disting'uish betony and self-heal from one 

 another, and so it runs through the whole study. 

 We are taught by it to know what plants belong 

 to what names, and to know that very distinctly ; 

 and we shall be prevented by that knowledge from 

 giving a purge for an astringent, .a poison for a 

 femedy ; let us therefore esteem the study of 

 botany, but let us know, that this use of the dis- 

 tinctions it gives is the true end of it ; and let us 

 respect those^ who employ their lives in establish^ 

 ing those distinctions upon the most certain foun- 

 dation, upon making them the most accurately, 

 and carrying ' them the farthest possible : these 

 are the botanists ; but with all the gratitude we 

 pwe them for their labours, and all the respect 

 we sbfew them on that consideration, let us under- 

 stand them as but the seconds in this science. The 



* - 



principal are those who know how to bring their 

 discoveries to use, and can say what are the ends 

 that will be answered by those plants, which they 

 have so accurately distinguished. The boy col- 

 lects the specimens of herbs with great care, 

 and bestows ten years in pasting them upon pa- 

 per, and writing their names to them : he does 

 well. When he grows a man, he neglects his 

 useful labours ; and perhaps despises himself for 

 the misemployment of so much time : but if he 

 haSj to the knowledge of their Torms, added af- 

 terward the study of their virtues^ he will be 

 for from censuring himself for all the pains he 

 took to that end. • 



He who wishes well to science and to man- 

 kind> must wish this matter understood: and this 

 is the way to bring a part of knowledge into cre- 

 dit, which, as it is commonly practised, is not a 



