Perfonal Names. 47 
CoRTUsus, the fucceiTor of Guilandi- 
Nus, in the garden Padua % and Clu- 
sius followed his example, by calling the 
Contrayerva of the {hops DraJzcena^ in ho- 
nour of Sir Francis Drake ; from which 
time it was fparingly praftifed, until after 
the invention of fyftem ; and the conftruc- 
tion of generical characters, at the latter 
end of the laft century. Tournefort, 
Plumier, and Petiver, led the way, and 
have been followed by all fucceeding writers 
of note, and by none more than by Lin« 
N^us himfelf. It may be filled the apo-^ 
/i'^'^j' of botaniftsi and Linn^us maybe 
compared to the high prieil, who has thus 
immortalized a numerous group of cele- 
brated men» 
The praftice, however, was feverely cen- 
fured by feme of the older botanifts, who 
objedted, that thefe names, having no con- 
nedtion v/ith the form, nature, habit, or 
properties of the plants conveyed no idea 
of diftinftion. But the objection, if duly 
weighed, is of no force ; fince there is not, 
perhaps, a fingle appellation, even among 
the beftp of Greek etymology, however aptly 
4 framed;, 
