294 Historical Notice of 



enjoyed, and which has continued to increase in proportion as his 

 work became better known and its principles more fully understood, 

 discussed, and applied, whether by A. L. de Jussieu himself, or by 

 those botanists who have followed his steps. 



What more convincing proof can be given of the superiority of 

 the principles on which this work is founded, than its general adop- 

 tion by all the most distinguished botanists of Europe, who have no 

 doubt sometimes modified it and brought it nearer perfection, but 

 who have all assumed Jussieu's work as the point of their departure, 

 and most of them may even be said to have deviated but little from 

 it? 



It may, however, be asked, if this natural method, as it is ex- 

 plained in the admirable work alluded to, is destined to a lasting 

 re j<rn — if it is, in short, the method most accordant with nature — 

 or if, like so many other systems, it is likely to enjoy but a limited 

 duration, and be replaced by some other method. If we consult only 

 the history of the sciences, and in particular that of botany, we shall 

 be inclined to believe that the predominance of the Jussieuan me- 

 thod will be temporary, like those of Ray, Tournefort, Linne, &c. 

 and that it will be superseded, at a nearer or remote period, by a 

 method more adapted to the progress of the sciences. 



When we consider only the systematic portion of Jussieu's work, it 

 may be perceived that important changes may be introduced in many 

 parts of it ; and modifications more or less commendable have in 

 fact been already proposed by the numerous inquirers who have de- 

 voted themselves to this branch of study. But does their modified 

 method owe its origin to the rules established by Bernard and An- 

 toine Laurent de Jussieu ? I think it may be affirmed, that every 

 system which may hereafter be proposed, will be founded on the 

 fundamental principles admitted by these illustrious philosophers, 

 and will therefore be only their method brought to perfection, rather 

 than one entirely new. 



This is what will naturally flow from the examination of the prin- 

 ciples which have guided these celebrated botanists in their works, 

 and from the progress made in this branch of the science since the 

 publication of the Genera. But let us examine for a moment the 

 origin of this method ; the first attempts made to attain to some 

 parts of it; and in what state this branch of botany was placed, 

 when A. L. de Jussieu effectually introduced it into science. 



The greater part of classifications preceding that of Jussieu, had 

 for their object the distribution of vegetables in some method calcu- 

 lated to facilitate their determination, rather than to arrange them 



