Vm PREFACE. 



parts of the vegetable kingdom, we particularly recom- 

 mend to the reflecting mind, the perusal of Paley's chap- 

 ter on Plants, in his Natural Theology. Paley there 

 shews, that the one great aim of nature in the structure 

 of plants, seems to be the perfecting of the seed, and the 

 preservation of that seed, until it is perfected. He shews, 

 also, nature's care to disperse the seeds, when matured : 

 their admirable contrivance and constitution are also ex- 

 plained, their structure, germination, &c. 



The varied, yet harmonious structure of plants must, 

 indeed, ever excite the admiration of the philosophic mind ; 

 but our ignorance of the uses of their many minuter organs 

 and contrivances, reminds us of the limited faculties of 

 dependent human beings. The Almighty Maker of All 

 has enabled man, by what he can trace and discover, 

 through his own sagacity, to attain sufficient knowledge, 

 even in the works of creation, to judge of infinite 

 power and greatness ; but, on the other hand. He has 

 fixed certain boundaries to human knowledge, beyond 

 which the mortal ken cannot pass, to keep man humble, 

 and to make him irresistibly feel his own littleness '< 



Before I conclude these prefatory remarks, the intro- 

 duction of a few observations on the utility of Botany, 

 will not be deemed irrelevant. 



Without insisting upon the advantages which arise in 

 the pursuit — from its accustoming the student to the 

 accurate use of words, through previous definition, — 



' See Bishop Butler. 



