I^S CHAPTER II.. 
objeSs of claiiiiicatioDj inftead of the vague: 
diPdnftioRS hitherto obferved ; of which it 
iliay be fufficient to adduce one exaniple, 
out of hundreds equally futile. The fea 
cabbage, f brq[]ica orientaUs ) a Jiliamje plant,, 
is ranked by Gerard and Johnson, as 
well as by Parkinson, even contrary to 
the examples of Clusius and DoDON^iEUs^ 
under the fame generical name with the 
thorow v/ax, ( hiipkiirum ) an umbelliferous 
plant;, merely , becaufe the leaf is of the 
perfoliate kind, 
Thefe are defe-fts common to the age, and- 
Parkinson mufl not be appreciated by 
mcdcrn improvement, but by comparifOD' 
with his con tern Doraries. In this view, if 
I am not. mifcaken, he will appear more 
of an original author than Gera^rd, or 
Johnson, independent of the advantages he 
might derive from being poftsrior to them.. 
Kis "Theatre' carried on thro' a long 
feries of years, and he profited by the- works 
of fome late authors,, which,, though equal- 
ly in Johnson's povv'er, he had negledted 
to ufe. Parkinson's defcriptions, in. 
many inftancesj appear to be new. He is- 
more 
