The history of BOTANY. 
5 
efTential parts of Vegetables he accounts to be three ; the Bark, the V/ood, 
and the Pith : a nicer diftindbion fhevvs they are more numerous ; for the 
Bark is double, and there is always adiftindion of what he calls the Wood, 
into a Heart, and Blea. This Theophrastus alfo knew: but a 
plain fimplicity of thought, was his charadt.r in thefe refearches. He 
treated the two barks as making but one fubflance, becaufe the one is gene- 
rated from the other j and it is the fame in the Blea and Heart of Wood. 
This obfervation may be neceffary, to prevent little cavils : but the philo- 
fophy is the fame with or without the divifion. The enquiring fpirit of 
this ancient fage did not flop here. As the Root, Stem, and the like, were 
natural to Plants, be found alfo certain condituent parts efential to each 
of thefe; and exiftent in them always. Thefe he accounts to be four: 
I. A fleOiy fubdance. 2. and 3. VelTels of two kinds; which he calls 
Veins and Fibres; and 4. The fluid matter contained in them. We now 
know that there are alib membranes; and that various juices fill the 
different veffels. All this he alfo knew certainly, for he could not dif- 
cover fo much as he has explained, without alfo finding this: but in the 
fame drain of plain fimplicity, he reduces thefe allb to their principles. 
Thus did Theoi hrastus, taught by jud obfervation, condrucl the 
Vegetable body. Thefe parts he determined to be efiential to Plants, as 
Plants; and in this he adds, the univerfal Nature of Vegetables confifis. 
A Plant being thu.s condrudted, requires, fays he, two principles of Growth : 
thele are Heat and Moisture. Confequently when thefe fail, the Plant 
decays and dies. 
This is his general fydem. Not only the filence of hidory before the 
time of Theophrastus, gives us reafon to conclude the philofophy was 
all his own ; but his manner of exprefilon alfo claims that honour. Fie 
is too moded to fay of every article, this no one knew bTore; or this is 
my invention ; but he complains, throughout the whole courfe of his en- 
quiry, of the want of terms ; of words and names for the objects which 
he faw, and for his own conceptions. If others had written of thefe things 
before, names would mod probably have been edablidied for them. He 
fupplies the want of them ufually by definitions ; and borrows fometimes 
names for feveral objedls from the known parts of animals; tho’, as him- 
felf acknowledges, they are not altogether analogous. 
A Fibre, he defines to be a part of a Vegetable body, which is long, 
continuous, and fifiile ler.gfnwife ; and which terminates without the pro- 
duction of a head, or any other natural psrt cf the plant. 
A Vein, 
