t 03 ) 
tn which they are very obfcure, confus'd, and unintel- 
ligible, even to the niceft Criticks, and all for want of 
defcribing things with their proper Chara&eriftic Notes, 
which clearly diftinguifh them one from another. In the 
laft Age this was firft darted by the laborious and learn- 
ed Gefner, afterwards profecuted by thofe two Italian 
Wits, Andreas Cafalpinus, and Fabius Columna, but late- 
ly moft improv'd by our own defervediy famous E&tm 
try-wan Mr. John Ray in his excellent Hijlories of Plants 
amd Animals. 
The Exa&nefs and Accuracy of the Moderns far 
above the Ancients in this part of Knowledge is (o plain 
to any Man of common Obfervation or Reading, that 
I cannot but wonder (bme Ihould fpeak fo contemptu- 
oufly of the laft Ages, as tho they only copied or com- 
mented thofe that went before ; No ufeful Inventions > 
No Improvements amongft us ? This may pafs amongft 
fbrne Smatterers in Philolbphy, or Ancient Bigots , but 
never with Men of Science, or free Thought ; nor in- 
deed with any Body tolerably vers'd in the Hiftory of 
Nature or Arts : So little need is there of Tranfcribing 
(as fome fancy) the Old Books, that if we join both 
all the Ancient and New together, they will fcarce make 
above an Ejjay towards the Difcovery and Knowledge 
of almoft Infinite and Inexhau(lille Nature. Feniet tem* 
pus, ijuo ifta, quce nunc latent, in lucem dies extrahet, & 
longtoris ceyi diligent ia,\v%$ the Opinion of the Ancients 
themfelves. But to the prefent Work before us, of which . 
fbme particulars are to be touch'd upon. 
Amongft the many rare Vegetables, we have a com- 
pleat Hiftory of that Pruaiferous Tree, called Manga , 
by the Englffh, Mao or Man by the Indians, Amlo by 
the BrachmanSy which grows above 40 toot in height,, 
and 18 iothicknefs, (wearing out m odoriferous gum- 
my Subftance ; its Leaves and Root are of : an Aroma*- 
R.i.: tick; 
