PREAMBLE. 7 



whole, connect naturaly the scattered Genera, 

 and add the needful corrections. I have been 

 called already a Veteran in Natural Sciences 

 even by my foes, I hope to become the Nestor 

 of Botany like Adanson was, and if my zeal 

 does not abate, to publish in 1850, a real Man- 

 tissa of all Botanical Genera till thefi. 



Meantime I proceed with my New Flora and 

 New Sylva of North America, and am now 

 preparing a peculiar work on the Ferns of 

 North America and other parts. I am going 

 to reprint all my early essays on Botany and 

 Zoology, as my Amenities of Nature. I have 

 begun my Mantissa of Zoology, or new or 

 revised Genera of all classes, many also framed 

 previous to 1815. 



My Historical and Philosophical Works are 

 also proceeding, I shall publish my Celestial 

 Philosophy, and my Genius or Spirit of the 

 Hebrew Bible, preparing afterwards my good 

 Book of Knoicledge and Wisdom to be pro- 

 bably issued periodicaly, and including the re- 

 storation or increase of much knowledge on all 

 Sciences whatever. These vast labors, besides 

 those of private life, in order to obtain the 

 means to produce my works, at my own expense 

 chiefly (since they are too good and too learn- 

 ed for the vitiated scale of our publishers) have 

 partly induced me to curtail the actual work, 

 and conclude it here ; but to continue it in 

 another form or reproduce the additions as a 

 Sylva Telluriana and otherwise. 



Althongh the articles are now only 1200, yet 

 they include with the species and subgenera, 

 orders &c, 2000 or more added or revised 

 objects and groups. 



