569 



his names. A most able and scientific botanist and cul- 

 tivator, Thouin, was established in the Jardin du Roi, who 

 studied the Linnsean system, and even ventured, though 

 secretly, to communicate new plants to the younger Lin- 

 naeus when at Paris. Cels, an excellent horticulturist, 

 was unshackled by academic trammels. L'Heritier, 

 Broussonet, and others came forward. An original letter 

 of Rousseau, the idol of the day, in which he paid the 

 most flattering homage to botany and to Linnaeus, was 

 published in the Journal de Paris, and had a wonderful 

 effect on the public mind, and on the conversation of lite- 

 rary circles. In short, a Linnaean party had been, for 

 some time, gaining ground ; and every thing was done by 

 party at Paris. The old French school was roused from 

 its slumbers. Of the family of the Jussieus one individual 

 remained, who, though he venerated the names and the 

 pursuits of his uncles, had never devoted himself to their 

 studies any further than to sit in their professorial chair. 

 He possessed however an inherent taste for Botany; he 

 had leisure, opulence, and eminent talents; and though 

 his religious principles, and his rather strict devotional 

 habits, might interfere, which they still do, with his credit 

 in certain philosophical circles, and his predilection for 

 animal magnetism might exclude him from the Royal So- 

 ciety of London, yet he has risen above all such obstacles, 

 to the summit of botanical fame and authority in his own 

 country ; and his name stands conspicuous, as the leading 

 teacher of a natural classification of plants. The most 

 indefatigable study for about five years, and the constant 

 assistance and encouragement of numerous pupils and 

 correspondents, enabled Professor Antoine Laurent de 

 Jussieu to publish, in 1789, his Genera J 3 1 ant arum se- 

 cundum ordines naturales disposita. This octavo volume 

 was received by acclamation throughout Europe, and 

 hailed as the most learned botanical work that had ap- 

 peared since the Species Plantarum of Linnaeus. 



Before we enter into systematic details, we must remark, 



