ULYSSES ALDROVANDI. 4 



turalists concerning them, but also relates what 

 historians have written, legislators have ordained, 

 and poets have feigned, respecting them. Moreover, 

 he explains their different uses, for economical pur- 

 poses, in Physic, Agriculture, and the Arts ; lastly, 

 he notices the moral sayings, proverbs, devices, 

 enigmas, hieroglyphics, and most other things which 

 relate to the subject."* 



We cannot finally, however, leave these Opera 

 "this memorial of a grateful heart" with out attempt- 

 ing to vindicate and defend our Naturalist's fair fame, 

 as to the claims of authorship. The originator of 

 the unjust charge brought against him on this 

 point seems to have been the learned Abbe Gal- 

 lois, whom we have just quoted. His critique ol 

 the " Dendrologice" begins with these words 

 " Aldrovandi is not the author of this book, nor ot 

 many others which are published under his name" 

 alluding especially to the last seven volumes 

 which have passed under our notice. The cau- 

 tious Bayle has allowed himself to be misled by 

 this flippant statement: " This compilation," he 

 remarks, referring to the Opera, " comprehends 

 several large volumes ; but the whole honour must 

 not be ascribed to Aldrovandi ;" and, in proof, he 

 quotes the passage just produced. Among later 

 writers, therefore, we are not to wonder if we find 

 it is the prevailing notion that Aldrovandi, we will 

 not say is not the author of these works, but only, 



* Journal des S<?avansj 1658. 



