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was of the firft of thofe, who, about the Middle of 
the fixteenth Century, being tired with the Critics 
and Commentators of the Time he jived in, pre- 
fumed to believe, that the Whole of Knowledge was 
not confin'd to the Writings of the Greek , Roman, 
and Arabian Phyficians ; becaufe, from the Revival 
of Letters in the Weftern World to his Time, no- 
thing was regarded, as of any Importance, but what 
was dignified with the Authority of Antiquity : And 
hence it came to pafs, that when the Clouds of Igno- 
rance began to difperfe, the Epocha of Commenta- 
tors took Place; but many of the Defcriptions of 
the Plants of Rheophrajius, Diofcorides , and Rliny , 
were fo very deficient, that little Light could be ac- 
quired therefrom; efpecially from this laft Author, 
who is to be confider’d as the only Romayi Naturalift 
that we have handed down to us and it is no Won- 
der, if, among the vaft Variety of Subjeds that this 
mod admirable Hiftorian treats of, he is, in many 
Inftances, rather to be confider’d as an Enumerator, 
than as a Defcriber: I fhall only mention theimper- 
fed Sketches he he has left us of Siiaus , Geum , 
Molon , among the many others. 
There arofe, I fay, fuch Heats and Deputa- 
tions among the Critics upon thofe Authors, very 
often about Trifles, that they rather increafed than 
diminifhed the Ignorance of thofe Times. This 
excellent Clujius , finding that a thorough Knowledge 
of Nature was neceflary, not only to underhand 
rightly the Ancients, but to lay the Foundation of 
future Knowledge, was defirous to join careful Ob- 
fervations of his own to thofe which were to be 
acquired from Books. How much he travell’d, and 
what 
