Sect. II.] Bota?i}/. io7 



satisfactory, and perplexing, the language in use 

 among the different instructors in this science was 

 at least equally so. Almost every part of the dif- 

 ferent nomenclatures, at this time, was loaded with 

 uncouth, erroneous, or supernumerary words, and 

 even barbarous sentences of description, which ex- 

 ceedingly increased the difficulties of the learner. 

 Besides, numerous voyagers and travellers were 

 now constantly enriching botany with new trea- 

 sures, brought from every quarter of the earth ; 

 and while the names of those before known already 

 loaded the memory, it became necessary to pro\ide 

 new ones, for the successive discoveries which were 

 daily demanding attention. In a word, so great 

 was the number of new species presenting them- 

 selves from every direction, and such the perplexity 

 arising from defective arrangement, that botany 

 became in danger of relapsing again into anarchy 

 and total disorder*. 



In this stage of the science Linnceus appeared. 

 Endued with genius and learning; having a taste 

 for researches in natural history rising to a sublime 

 enthusiasm, and a disposition for persevering indus- 

 try ; he cultivated, with particular diligence, the 

 science of botany. In 1735 he published a new 

 system as the result of his labours, which produced 

 a memorable tera in this branch of philosophy. This 

 is usually called the Sexual Siistcm, from its foun- 

 dation being laid in the doctrine, that plants are mdlc 

 ^ndfemaky and propagate their species in a inaniu r 

 somewhat analogous to tiiat of animiils. Linnieus 



* See Tracts on K^tural History, by James E. Smitii^ M. I"). 

 F.R.S. 



