PREFACE. XV 



should have been employed more conformably 

 to the dictates of his modesty than to the advantage 

 of science. It was this modesty which probably in- 

 duced him to make the unfortunate remark, that they 

 who used an imperfect natural method, rejecting 

 the artificial system, seemed to him like persons 

 overturning a commodious and well covered house 

 in order to build another in its place, the roof of 

 which they are incompetent to complete. But if 

 such an opinion was unfortunate for the celebrated 

 man with whom it originated, it was more pecu- 

 liarly so for those disciples who have always ad- 

 hered to the principles and sworn by the words of 

 their master, even when they may have differed 

 from him in their application. Relying on autho- 

 rity of such weight, they thought that, because they 

 were secure from present blame, they must also be 

 secure of future glory in following his example. 

 They forgot that in the above remark Linnaeus 

 takes a circumstance for granted, which surely it is 

 not for any human being to decide upon; namely, 

 the incompetence of mankind to arrive at the na- 

 tural method. They failed to observe that it is as 

 impossible as hopeless, that we should ever be able 

 to bring our knowledge of the natural system to per- 

 fection, unless we make use of the imperfect frag- 

 ments of it which we already possess. Surely, at 

 least, it was not by leaving every thing to hazard, 



