84? Mr. Lindley's Account of the Spherical aud- 



it is necessary not to confound with systems, properly so called, 

 those indexes of nature which are incorrectly called Artificial 

 Systems. Indexes have references only to names, systems to 

 ideas. " Tumprimum homines res ipsas neglexerint, quum nimio 

 studio nomina quaerere inciperent." — Galen. 



§ 7. A system contains within itself the seeds of some more 

 complete evolution, but it does not admit of arbitrary altera- 

 tions. 



Not that any absolute system can ever be contrived; for I am 



by no means of the opinion of those who expect that a system is 



to be as unchangeable as if it were petrified. 



§ 8. If nature be closely pursued, a system is called Na- 

 tural; if this Ariadnean thread be not followed, it is called 

 Artificial or factitious. 



There is, however, no absolutely natural system ; such is only 

 ideal: neither is there any merely artificial system ; because its 

 principles must necessarily be borrowed from nature herself. 



Besides, nature wholly disavows our sections, she being a whole ; 

 all systems, therefore, as far as their arrangement is concerned, 

 are necessarily artificial. 



It is by the comparison of various systems with each other that 

 our notions of such as are natural and such as are artificial are 

 acquired, those having the former designation which press most 

 closely upon the footsteps of nature. Hence it is that a system 

 which is today called natural, becomes tomorrow, by the acces- 

 sion of new ideas, artificial ; as that of Tournefort, &c. 



Is it not then a vain labour to search after a natural system, 

 since such will never be found ; and are not all attempts at it 

 rash, until every thing which is capable of observation shall have 

 been observed ? If this were admitted, it would be useless to 

 seek for perfection in any thing ; for we can never hope that our 

 experience will be perfect; and there will be no want of subjects 

 for examination to a person who shall live a thousand ages hence. 

 Such sublime truths as the present age shall strike out, are there- 

 fore not to be contemned because they will become more full and 

 perfect hereafter. 



§ 9. A system of nature proceeding from subjects of the most 

 simple organization to such as are more perfect, or from the cir- 

 cumference to the centre, is called a Mathematical System. 

 For mathematicians assume that nature herself proceeded from 

 forms of the most simple kind to those which are more perfect ; 

 and that that therefore is the most natural road, which nature 

 herself has followed in forming her creations. 



All natural bodies, indeed, originate in successive development, 

 yet in a contiguous series within a determinate sphere. Every 

 new sphere originates in a digression from a series which is other- 

 wise continuous. Whenever a more perfect sphere is separated 

 from one which preceded it, and has acquired a higher station 

 than its parent, it may be itself pressed down by such new ones 



as 



