PR Ee only Be 
, of parlements, the limitation of the royal 
| prerogative, and the gradual deviation from — 
the feodal.to the prefent fyftem of govern- 
ment. 
The obfervation is certainly juft, and the 
application appears too obvious to be pointed 
out; yet the generality of mankind can reft 
contented with ignorance of their native foil, 
while a paflion for novelty attraéts them to a 
fuperficial examination of the wonders of 
Mexico, or Fapan; but thefe fhould be told, 
that fuch a paffion is a fure criterion of a 
weak judgement: utility, truth and certainty, 
fhould alone be the point at which {cience 
fhould aim ; and what knowlege can be more 
uieful than of thofe objects with which we 
are moft intimately connected? and where 
can we reafon with greater certainty on fuch 
points, than in our own country, where a 
conftant recourfe may be had to the {pecimen 
of what we have under confideration? But 
thefe, and many other arguments for exa- 
mining into the productions of our own 
ifland, may here be waved, as the admirable 
LINNAUS has difplayed them at large in 
an oration™, which for mafterly reafoning, 
* Anan. Acad, Tom. Xl, p. 409. Stillingfleet’s Savedifa Tratts, 
: r : Tr, I. 
and 
