10 
The history of BOTANY. 
’]e£t. That there are fome errors among this abundance of uftful know- 
ledge he has bequeathed the world, none can doubt : for what produdion 
that is human, is without them ? but they are fewer than have been fup- 
pofed : and it has been this author’s ill fate, to be betrayed moft of all by 
thofe who fliould have been his protedors ; the great names Gaza, Scaliger 
and Bodaus, cannot difguife, nor (hould they hide this truth. A very lit- 
tle of the real excellencies of this Father of the Botanic Science, have been 
underflood ; and he has been cenfured for faults not his own. They have 
flumbled at the very threfhold ; and the word accufations which have been 
urged againfl his knowledge, have arifen from their errors who rendered 
into other language his firfl chapter. One flriking inflance may (land in 
the place of many and it will be juflice to his memory to give one. 
CHAP. II. 
Of the Grecian Bryum. 
T heophrastus propoCng to fpeak of the parts in Plants, 
dillinguifhes the permanent from thofe which are of fliort duration. 
Thus the root, the trunk, and branches of Trees, he obferves, are per- 
manent ; but they liave other parts which rife and fade within the year : 
fuch are the Flower, and thofe Films which cover and defend it in the Bud j 
the Fruit, and the like temporary r\roduds. The Buds of Trees, enclof- 
ing and defending the rudiments of their BlofToms, are compofed of cer- 
tain filmy fubftances, which fade as the Flower burlls forth j perifli utter- 
ly when that tender part no longer wants them ; and never are renewed. 
This clufler of filmy fcales about the rudiments of a Flower, Theophras- 
tus calls, in his own language, a name which has been fince ren- 
dered Latin, and applied to a peculiar Genus of the Mofles. Gaza, fup- 
pofed an accurate tranflator, has rendered this word Mufcus-, and Theo- 
phrastus has been, in confequence, accufed of thinking Mofs a part and 
natural produdl of the Tree whereon it grows. 
The application of the word Bryum to that peculiar- kind of Mofs 
which is now called by it, is later by many ages than the time of this ve- 
nerable author. The word was then the abfolute name of a peculiar Plant, 
which Theophrastus himfelf mentions in its proper place j and it would 
have been impoffible either that they fhould have thought the word meant 
Mofs, or that Theophrastus thought the Plant it did mean, was a part 
of 
