16 
INTRODUCTION. 
certain tradition remains of their valuable knowledge of the 
medicinal qualities of plants. 
The study of nature in any of her varieties is highly interest- 
ing and useful. But the heavenly bodies are far distant from 
us, and were they within our reach, are too mighty for us to 
grasp ; our feeble minds seem almost overwhelmed in the con- 
templation of their immensity. Animals though affording the 
most striking marks of designing wisdom, as seen even in the 
structure of the minutest insect, cannot be dissected and exam- 
ined without painful and unpleasant sensations. The vegeta- 
ble world offers a boundless field of inquiry, which may be ex- 
plored with none but the most pure and delightful emotions. 
Here the Almighty seems to manifest himself to us with less of 
that dazzling sublimity which it is almost painful to behold in 
his more magnificent creations ; and it might almost appear 
that accommodating the vegetable world in some degree to our 
capacities, he had especially designed it for our investigation and 
amusement. 
The study of Botany naturally leads to a greater love and 
reverence for the Deity. We would not affirm that it does in 
reality always produce this effect ; for unhappily there are some 
minds which though quick to perceive the beauties of nature, 
seem blindly to overlook Him who spread them forth. They 
can admire the gifts, while they forget the Giver. But those 
who feel in their hearts a love to God, and tvho see in the natur- 
al world the workings of his power, can look abroad, and 
adopting the language of a Christian poet, exclaim, 
“ My Father made them all.” 
DIVISION OF THE SUBJECT. 
Having endeavoured to convince you that the study you are 
about to commence, is recommended by its own intrinsic utility, 
and especially by its tendency to strengthen the understanding 
and improve the heart, we will now proceed to lay before you 
the arrangement which we propose to follow in our course of 
instruction. 
We will divide our course of study into Four Parts , viz. : 
Part I. Will be chiefly devoted to the Analysis of Plants , 
or lessons in Practical Botany. 
Study of the vegetable world peculiarly pleasing. — The study of Botany 
tends to piety. — Division of the subject into four parts. — 1. Practical Bot- 
any. 
