PREFACE. 



243 



will afford more pleafure, as they are more ob- 

 ferved -, and therefore, i am not iurprifed, that 

 Peter the Great of Mufcovy did not think it be- 

 neath his attention to endeavor to enliven his 

 new feat of empire, by fending for colonies of 

 them from other parts, as they were fcarce where 

 he refided. 



I will finifh this digreffion with a refledlion that 

 occurs to me on the different fates of natural and 

 religious augury. The firfl: v/as fimple, unattend- 

 ed with any of thofe circumftances that are apt 

 to roule the paffions of man -, and therefore, tho* 

 likely to prove ufeful, if purfued with proper di- 

 ligence, icU into negle6L. The latter was com- 

 plicated, applying itlelf to fome of the ftrongeft 

 pafTions in mar, and therefore, though unlikely 

 to a ferious mind, to have the leaft foundation in 

 truth, or ever to be ufeful, was encouraged and 

 adorned with all the pomp that a fupeiilitious 

 people could invent in honor of a flattering, and 

 therefore favorite art. 



I fhall now come to fome points that more 

 immediately relate to the following Calendars. 



1. 1 have retained the Linnsan names of every 

 plant, and animal in the Swedilh Calendar ; and 

 have added the EngliflT names to the plants taken 

 from Ray's Synopfis, and his hiflory, with no 

 fmall trouble, as any one will eafily believe who 

 has done the like^. The numbers which fellow 

 the Englifh names refer to the above-mentioned 

 books with an H. to diflinguilli the hifloiy. The 



* This trouble we fliall for the future be relieved from, 

 when that accurate and Ikiiful botanift, Mr. Hud ion, has pub- 

 liihed his Flora Anglica, which is now in the prefs. 



R 2 num- 



