C 4^3 ) 
ters about feveral Natural Curiofities, Written in French 
and Printed at Amfierdam. 
^ In this prefent Work he gives us a large CoIkfl:iGn of 
rare Plants, the greateft part whereof are new and non* 
defcript^ curioufly delineated and engraven in a Hun- 
dr^^d and Thirty O(5tavo-Piates, which he divides into 
Decads, infcribiog each Decad to a Fenettan Nobleroan. 
. Two Defers there are ip this Work ; the one want of 
Method, the other of Defcriptions. i. As for Method^ 
there is none at ail obferved in it, the Species being pro* 
mifcuQufly and indifcreetly placed as they canie to Hand^ 
without any Order or Connexion. 2. Befides the 
Names, the Stature and Magnitude, the Places where 
he found them, or Perfons from whom he received them j 
he hath to a great Number of thefe Plants added no De- 
fcriptions of the principal parrs, Root, Stalk, Leaf^ 
Flower, Fruir. This, though he endeavours ta excufe 
p, 171. by telling us, That he writes to fuch as are ad- 
vanced io the Knowledge of Botanicks, who need no 
^ong Defcriptions, and to whom they would be rather 
tedious than ufefulj and not to Novices : Yet can he not 
eafily perfwade us, but that concife exad Deftriptions 
would eafe the greateft Proficients of a much Trouble in 
finding out and exactly determining the Species. He had 
aifb obliged us, if he had given us the Synooyms of 
fuch as he took to have been defcribed by others before 
him, together with the Names of the Authors of fuch 
Synonims and Defcriptions. This alfo he endeavours to 
exGufe by want oi time and Books. Yet ^al! this net- 
withftaodingj, we ought rather thankfully 10 accept what' 
he hath done, by ennching the Hiftory of Plants with 
fuch a multitude of new Species, than to ceofure or 
reprehend .him. for what we apprehend he hatli ooiitted, 
which he might have done. 
