Ï0O STUDIES OF NATURE. 



abridgments of every thing, efpecially of the 

 Works of Nature. The idea of John-James, how- 

 ever, well deferves to be followed up, fhould it 

 only ferve to produce, one day, an alphabet pro 1 -' 

 per to exprefs the language of Nature. All that 

 feems requisite is the introduction of accents, to 

 convey the fhades of colours, and all the modifi- 

 cations of favours, perfumes, and forms. After 

 all, thofe characters could not be delineated with 

 perfect precifion, unlefs the qualities of each vege- 

 table are firft exactly determined by words : other- 

 wife the language of Botanifts, which is now ac- 

 cufed of fpeaking only to the ear, would make it- 

 felf intelligible only to the eye. 



This is what I have to propofe refpecting an 

 object fo highly interefting, and which will per- 

 fectly coalefce with the general principles which 

 we (hall afterwards lay down. The little which I 

 may advance on the fubject will ferve to fupply 

 expreffion, not only in Botany, and in the fludy 

 of the other natural Sciences, but in all the Arts, 

 where we find ourfelves puzzled every inftant, for 

 want of terms to convey the fhades and forms of 

 objects. 



Though we have only the term white, whereby 

 to exprefs the colour which bears that name, Na- 

 ture 



