185 
REVIEW. 
The Vegetable Kingdom. By J. Lindley, Ph.D. F.R.S., & L.S., &c. 
This work has arisen out of the author's former " Natural System of Botany," of which it is a 
highly improved amplification, intended to bring the present advanced state of botanical science 
clearly before the British public, and to make them acquainted especially with the substance of 
what has been done and written on the subject over the whole Continent of Europe. 
The necessity for such a publication as this, in its enlarged and matured form, will be 
immediately apparent to all who are conversant with the existing state of things in the scientific 
world during the past few years. The light of induction from observed facts has never been 
brought to play more strongly or more beneficially on theories and systems than during the period 
just mentioned ; and, as a necessary result, Science has never before lifted her head with a 
more truthful, and therefore commanding aspect. 
But while new revelations, drawn from Nature herself, thus tend to place scientific conclusions 
on a more respectable and solid basis, the wonderful and almost confusing variety of phenomena 
which is perpetually being gathered, unavoidably gives rise to the proposition of a nearly equal 
diversity of hypotheses, which, though they perplex the inquirer for a time, serve, as all 
hypotheses do, to elicit truth, by showing the extent to which she may or may not be tracked in 
a particular direction. 
This being, therefore, an epoch in the history of science marked by a close investigation of 
natural phenomena, and the usually resultant amount of change in theories and systems ; and 
botanical science being one of the fields in which this peculiarity of the times has most developed 
itself ; it becomes important that, at the end of certain periods, varying in length according to the 
amount of progress made, some person should give to the world the combined result of all the 
exertions which have been put forth, and the enlightenment which has followed. 
It is this, then, in a thoroughly digested manner, which Dr. Lindley has accomplished in the 
work before us. What he has himself discovered, in the very central sphere of observation which 
he occupies, and what he has gleaned from the facts and remarks recorded by other naturalists, 
is here concentrated for the improvement of a system of arranging the vegetable tribes ; an object, 
we may add, which lies at the very foundation of all attainment in botanical science, as it is next 
to impossible to make any satisfactory progress towards mastering such a pursuit, unless it be by 
regular and systematic means. 
One of the most noticeable effects of the labour bestowed on this volume, is the simplification 
of what is called the Natural System of Botany. Indeed, as the most perfect acquaintance with 
any kind of truth will always exhibit it to us in an aspect of grand simplicity, the nearer any one 
approaches to perfection in even systematic arrangement, which is but the skeleton of truth, the 
more simple will be the form they adopt. And the fulfilment of this end in such an extensive 
group as the vegetable family, is, in itself, we need scarcely inform the student, of the very 
greatest service. 
Besides, however, the simplification which has been effected in the general outline of the 
system, the same thing has been attempted with some of its minor details. In the nomenclature, 
for instance, a thing which is universally considered open to amelioration, the author has intro- 
duced what we consider an improvement, by Anglicising the names of many of the orders and 
tribes ; so that the student may now at any time refer to them conversationally in his own 
language, by a simple term or two with which most people are familiar, without the seeming 
affectation of quoting words which only the botanist uses and understands. There is really no 
strong necessity for Science to have a language of her own ; and it is when her dialects can be 
made to harmonise most with our household utterances and thoughts, that she herself will become 
most familiar, interesting, and useful. 
We must pass, however, from this hurried and general sketch, to a short extract or two from 
the author's own preface. As an advocate of the Natural System of Botany, he says : — 
" It has been pretended that the characters of the Natural classes of plants are not he ascertained 
without much laborious research ; and that not a step can be taken until this preliminary difficulty is 
VOL. XIII.— — NO. CLII. B B 
