1859.] REVIEW. 91 



sitions of science and scientific details. Our Latin reading is 

 chiefly confined to the Classics, or a few tomes of ancient divinity, 

 like Poli Synopsis, Critici Sacri, the Vulgate Bible, and the like ; 

 or to law Latin, old charters, deeds, and records ; or to literary 

 criticism in the works of Continental authors. Of scientific Latin 

 we are not readers. 



If the author would only amplify, or it may be, correct, our 

 statements of his views, — for it is hardly to be supposed that they 

 have been correctly represented in this article, long though it 

 be, — and if he would kindly supply our omissions, he would render 

 an essential service to some of those who read this journal; and 

 coming from so distinguished a quarter, it would be highly ap- 

 preciated. The writer of this takes the liberty of informing him 

 that all the notices of his work in English which he has seen or 

 heard of have proceeded from his pen. A testimony, slight though 

 it be, still it is conclusive of his estimate of the importance of 

 the production, and of his admiration of the zeal, perseverance, 

 and scientific attainments of the author. He has an experimental 

 knowledge of what is to be reaped in the field of botanical in- 

 vestigation, and therefore he Avill not be stingy in acknowledging 

 the obligations under which we lie to those who disinterestedly 

 give us the fruits of their ingenuity and toil. Emolument is out 

 of the question. Botanical works do not pay in England. Are 

 they more appreciated on the Continent ? We hope they are. 

 But if we cannot aid our botanical brethren in a tangible way, 

 we may encourage them by generosity in thanks. 



The chilling efifects of the cold shade of despondency are but too 

 apparent in the preceding remarks. It cannot be helped. A 

 Natural System, a genuine one, seems too good news to be true. 

 An accommodation to our superficial ways of investigating the ar- 

 cana of Nature, or in plainer English, " a royal road to botani- 

 cal science" (pardon the triteness of the metaphoi', lector benevo- 

 lentissime) , is now so common that it may well be called trivial. 

 The work, to which the attention of our readers is humbly re- 

 quested, partakes not of such an ephemeral character. It is a 

 solid, substantial performance, evidently the labour of many 

 years. But, as has been already stated, what hope can the half- 

 desponding portion of the fraternity have in the establishment of 

 a natural system of classifying Orders, while we are not agreed 

 about the limitations even of the smallest of the groups which 



