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served in the most exquisite and perfect manner. 

 I mention this, that it may be an additional induce- 

 ment to you to hasten your visit, though I fear that 

 if the living claims we have upon you be insufficient, 

 we shall have little chance from any inanimate at- 

 tractions. 



Be so good as to tell me whether you have yet 

 fired off my Congreve rocket against the French 

 botanists. I hope not, as I think I could put some 

 more combustibles into it. In particular, I think 

 the distinction between a natural and an artificial 

 system might be more fully explained. In other 

 respects I have no objection to give them a broad- 

 side, and wish you could prevail upon both nations 

 to confine their animosities within such harmless 

 limits ; but the business of cutting throats must go 

 on, and seems even to be considered not as an ac- 

 cidental, but as a permanent state of society. 



I presume you have seen the fine numbers of the 

 Flore Portugaise of Count Hoffman segg, in which 

 I find honourable mention of you, and your works 

 generally quoted. The Count's system affords an- 

 other instance of the necessity of adhering to some 

 established plan of arrangement, otherwise it will 

 soon be impossible for those who cultivate the sci- 

 ence to understand each other. His system is 

 founded on that of Jussieu, but with such altera- 

 tions as render it even worse for common use, or 

 rather wholly impracticable, the primary distinctions 

 being founded on the tissu cellulaire of the plant. 

 Such of them as are formed upon the plan he ap- 

 proves of, he calls perfect plants ; and such as have 



