XX PREFACE. 



he has not been without his enemies, and 

 that he hath fuffered in the fame way that 

 all the moft curious enquirers into nature 

 have done in all ages. The tartnefs of his 

 expredions, which is ftill ftronger in the 

 original, plainly proves that they have not 

 ufed fair arguments againft him, but like 

 interefted rivals, or men of a fuperficial 

 underftanding, have endeavored to fub- 

 jedt him and his labours to ridicule. But 

 whatever has been his fate in his own 

 countrey, as far as I know, his name is 

 almoft univerfally mentioned with refpeifl 

 in all other parts of Europe. It is true, 

 objedlions have been made to his innova- 

 tions in other places befides Sweden % 



which 



' Having fince the firfl: edition of thefe tra£ts met with 

 Brc^wellius' anfwer to Siegefbec, M. D. and botanical 

 profcflbr at Petersburg ; who wrote againft the fexual 

 fyftem of Linnaeus, i cannot omit quoting one of his 

 objeflions, which i imagine will divert the reader at the 

 fame time, that it may ferve as an inftance how far zeal 

 for old notions will fometimes carry men. The ob- 

 jection is, that the laws of nature are overturned by 

 Linnaeus, fmce polygamy and adultery would be ac- 

 cording to his fyftem allowed in the vegetable world ; 



for 



