t 112 J 



§uadripartitum Botanicum^ publiflicd in 1639 J 

 Bejler^ in the Hortus Eyjiettenfis^ 1640-, and £)/7- 

 knius^ in the Cata'ogus GiJfenfiSy 1719. Others have 

 arranged them according to the different places of 

 their growth ; as the authors of the Hijioria Lugdu- 

 nenjis^ in 1587 : and feme according to their virtues in 

 medicine. Others again, obferving that numbers of 

 vegetables agreed with each other in their general 

 habit and appearance, or had a certain harmony 

 and proportion in the form and difpofition of their 

 roots, leaves, flowers, or fruit ; in their particular 

 mode of growing, flowering, or foliation, faw that 

 they naturally fell as it were into clafl^es, agree- 

 able to fuch diftindtions. Hence their divifion of^ 

 trees, into pomifera^ prmifera^ haccifera^ nucifera^ 

 glandifer^y &c. ; of herbs, into hulhofa^ filiquofa^ 

 umbellifera^ verticillata^ papilionacea^ &c. Thefe 

 were fo many claffes or orders^ which nature had 

 fo charadterized that they could not efcape their 

 notice and, could all the fubjeds of the vegetable 

 kingdom be properly reduced to fuch combinations, 

 and the whole chain properly conne£fed^ we fliould 

 then fee what is meant by the natural method, 

 that uUimum et defideratum of botany, of which our 

 author favs, however, " Nec fperare fas eft, quod 

 noftra Mtas fyftema quoddam naturale videre queatj 

 " et vix feri nepotes,'' Neverthelefs the beft 

 writers of the laft century, fuch were John and 

 Cafpar Bauhine, endeavoured to preferve the above- 

 mentioned arrangement, although it was in a 

 rude manner. In this they were followed by 

 our own countrymen Gerard and Parkinfon, but as 



