[ in 1 
looked by the antient Botanifts, and Teem to have 
been referved for the Induftry and Perfpicuity of the 
/ mil ant s , ‘Dillenhis s, and Alicheli s , of the prefent 
Age. Our Author then candidly confeffes, that al- 
though he had herborized upon many different Parts 
of this Country for Nine Years, he could by no 
means promife a full and perfed Enumeration of its 
Plants j for the Defcriptions of the more antient Wri- 
ters, efpecially the Graffes mentioned by Cafpar 
Bauhin , are fo obfeure, that it is fcarcely pofTible to 
know many of them by thofe means j that fome 
Plants are inferted by Authors, which have occurred 
to no body lince their Time ; that others, if not quite 
loft, he never could meet with, notwithftanding he 
travelled for that Purpofe to the Places where they 
have been faid to be found ; which may in fome 
meafure be owing to our Author’s being fhort- lighted, 
from which Defed (he believes) he may, no doubt, 
have palled over fome Plants, which he had been 
particularly in queft of: That he had received fome 
Specimens fo ill preferved, as not to be able to dis- 
cover their generical Marks ; and, laftly, that it is 
almoft impoffible to five any Seeds of the Plants of 
the Alps, or fee them in that State, on account of 
the Snows falling fo early as the latter End of Au- 
guft i and Beginning of September, whereby the Mourn 
tains are covered, and rendered unpaffablc. 
Surrounded with Difficulties, he defpairs of per- 
feding his Catalogue j but hopes he fhall have the 
Reader’s Pardon, after he is apprifed of the Means 
our Author took againft them. Firft, he carefully 
marked out the Charaders of all his Plants, the Day 
he colleded them 5 for not being prejudiced in favour 
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