246 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



of flowers, and the ule of their parts ; 

 which was printed in French and La- 

 tin at Leiden in 1718, in 4to : And thus 

 he begins, " Since the flowers are, with- 

 " out controverfy, the moft eflential parts 

 " of plants, it is very fit that I entertain 

 ** you, in the firft place, with them ; and 

 " the rather becaufe every botanift, hither- 

 *' to, has given only confufed ideas of 

 ** them. The language perhaps which I 

 ** am to make ufe of may appear fome- 

 ** what new in botany : But, as it will a- 

 *' bound in terms altogether fuitable to 

 ** the ufc of the parts which I am to ex- 

 *' plain, I believe it will be much better 

 ** underftood, than the old one, which, be- 

 *' ing ftufied with improper and equivocal 

 "* words, more apt to perplex than illu- 

 *' Urate' the matter, precipitate into error 

 ** thofe, whofe clouded imagination has 

 *' no right notion of the functions of thefe 

 *' parts. • The flowers, ftric^ly fpeaking, 

 ** are nothing elfe but the organs which 

 ** conftitute the difierent fexes of plants, 

 " 6cc." I fliall notice only two or three 



things 





