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PREFACE of the TRANSLATORS. 



THE future improvements in Agriculture, in 

 Medicine, and in many inferior Arts, as 

 dying, tanning, varnifhing ; with many of the more 

 important Manufactures, as of paper, linen, cordage; 

 mud principally arife from the knowledge of BO- 

 TANY. For how can we afcertain the more recon- 

 dite properties of bodies, without firft being able to 

 diftinguifh them from each other ? From the want 

 of this fcience almofr. all the medicines, and many of 

 the arts of the ancients have been loft to their des- 

 cendants. 



The labours of LINNEUS are generally acknow- 

 ledged to have befl fupplied this great fource of future 

 improvement, and yet his works have not hitherto ap- 

 peared in the englifh language. Mr. Lee indeed in 

 his Introduction to Botany has well tranflated ?nd 

 explained many parts of the Phikfophia Rotanica ; 

 Dr. Berkenhout has given a Lexicon of 'Terms ex- 

 tracted from the fame work; and Mr. Milne has 

 difpofed a great part of it with other botanical know- 

 ledge in the form of a Dictionary. All thefe labours 

 have their merit ; but why mould not the works 

 themfelves be tranflated into our language ? the con- 

 cife and beautiful arrangement, for which they are fo 

 remarkable, is loft in thefe diffufe explanations of them. 



Dr. 



