324 LINNJEUS. 



as far as possible, I will avoid it. May there be 

 peace in our days ! 



" 2. I have always, from the time I first heard 

 your name, held you in the highest estimation ; nor 

 am I conscious of ever having shown a contrary dis- 

 position. Why then should you provoke me to a 

 dispute ? Let me know if I have unwillingly of- 

 fended, and I w^ill omit nothing to satisfy you. I 

 ask but for peace. 



'' 3. If my harmless sexual system be the only 

 cause of offence, I cannot but protest against so 

 much injustice. I have never spoken of that as a 

 natural method ; on the contrary, in my Systema, 

 p. 8, sect. 12, I have said, ' No natural botanical 

 system has yet been constructed, though one or two 

 may be more so than others ; nor do I contend that 

 this system is by any means natural. Probably I 

 may, on a future occasion, propose some fragments 

 of such an one, &c. Meanwhile, till that is disco- 

 vered, artificial systems are indispensable.' And in 

 the preface to my Genera Plantarum, sect. 9, — ' I 

 do not deny that a natural method is preferable, not 

 only to my system, but to all that have been invent- 

 ed. ... But, in the mean time, artificial classi- 

 fication must serve as a succedaneum.' Therefore, if 

 you establish a natural method, I shall admit it. 



" 4. If you detect any mistakes of mine, I rely 

 on your superior knowledge to excuse them; for 

 who has ever avoided errors in the wide-extended 

 field of Nature ? Who is furnished with a sufficient 

 stock of observations ? I shall be thankful for your 

 friendly corrections. I have done w^hat I could of 

 myself j but a lofty tree does not attain its full sta- 

 ture by the first storm that bursts forth. 



