1V REMARKS. 
everlasting foundations on the unchangeable organization of 
that economy it was his business to study: his monument is 
imperishable-—* Regalique situ pyramidum altius.”’ 
When the extent and nature of this work are taken into 
consideration, it will be readily surmised that my task has been 
far from an easy one; and a glance at the original is sufficient 
to convince the scientific critic that such is not only the case, 
but that the difliculties 1 have had to encounter were of no 
ordinary cast. The graceful flexibility of the French lan- 
guage is such as to yield to a combination of words and forms 
of expression that almost bid defiance to any thing like sy- 
nonymes in our more stubborn English. If this be true in 
relation to the language of conversation or that of books on or- 
dinary subjects, how greatly must the difliculty be increased 
when we find them abounding in a work like this! Such has 
been my trouble and perplexity on this account, that I may be 
excused for observing, that although the necessity for making 
new words cannot be denied, we should never forget that 
there are but two sources from which they can be legitimately 
drawn—the Latin or Greek. A word thus formed, being 
universally understood, may be removed unaltered from one 
language to another(1). 
Previously to commencing the execution of this version, it 
became indispensably requisite to fix upon some general plan 
of proceeding. The absurdity of translating into English the 
technical portion, or the nomenclature, was too apparent to 
demand a moment’s consideration—the genius of our language 
forbids it. ‘To have left these terms in French would have 
been inexpedient for self-evident reasons; and the idea of 
giving a class in Latin, an order in French, &e., presented 
too revolting a medley. By giving them all in Latin, the 
common language of science, these objections vanished, al- 
though it entailed difficulties of a different character. - I have 
ventured to encounter them; and while strictly adhering to 
(1) For some remarks on this'Subject, see Count Dejean’s preface to his Spe- 
cies, &c., I, p. 8. 
