Sect. II.] Bolajiy. 173 



The opposition to this system was no where 

 stronger or more persevering than in France, where 

 the authority of Touniefort had long been so liigU 

 and imposing ; and where so many great botanisu 

 resided, each jealous for the honour of his country, 

 and for the reputation of iiis own opinions. It is 

 true, several of tiie naturalists of that country em- 

 braced the system of the illustrious Swede. Among 

 these, Sauvages, Gouan, Gerard, and le Monnier, 

 deserve to be particularly named. But by far the 

 greater number became his adversaries, and those 

 most distinguished by their learning and talents. 

 The system which they opposed, however, gradu- 

 ally rose into importance, and extended its empire. 

 Personal prejudices, and national jealousies, w^ere 

 slowly yielded. And although it can by no means 

 be said, even now, to be universally adopted, yet it 

 is incomparably more popular than any other; and 

 even those who reject some of the opinions wliich 

 it involves, generally adopt its language as the most 

 convenient and philosophical any where to be 

 found *- 



But the immediate achievements of Liim<TRUs 

 himself, in botanical philosophy, were not the only 

 services which he rendered to this science. His 

 researches and publications excited a general thirst 

 for this kind of knowledge. From the school wliich 

 he formed, many distinguished characters arose, 

 who did honour to their instructor, and who greatly 

 extended and improved his system. A number of 

 these, incited by the zeal and the example of this 

 patriarch in science, undertook distant voyages, 



* Piiltcney's Histon'ail and Biographical Sketches of Botany j 8fC. 



