I 
320 CHAPTER 24* 
natural clafTes, a natural method would 
eafily have followed ; but the intermediate 
links, notwithftanding the efforts of the 
moft Ikilful, are yet unknown. Hence arofe 
the neceffity of artificial fyftems, which are 
now become but too numerous. Some have 
imagined, that the more pure any artificial 
lyftem preferves the natural clafles, the 
greater is its excellence ; but experience 
does not confirm this idea. Thofe arrange- 
ments are found to lead more immediately 
to the plant fought for, the claffes and 
fubdivifions of which are fimple, and drawn 
each uniformly from the fame parts of the 
fruilification. 
Conrad Gesner, the Linn-^us of the 
age in which he lived, is univerfally agreed ' 
to have been the firft who fuggefted this 
true principle of claffical diftindion, and 
eenerical charadler. as is manifeft from va- 
rious paffages in the Epijlles of that great 
man He inftances the agreement of the 
Stapbifagriay with the Confolida ; the Scor-- 
zonera, with the Tragopogon ; the Molucca^ 
with the Lamium-^ the Dulcamara^ with 
« Epift. Medicinal a JVoIphio ed. p. 113, et pafHm. 
the 
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