The history of BOTANY. 
17 
This reconciles the difficulty; for the Flowers of Wild Valerian are 
not only like thofe of this Narciffiis, but their difference is exadly what 
Dioscorides expreffes; they are larger at the opening, and their colour is 
not a bright red as in thofe ; but a whitiffi Purple. If this be the cafe, 
and this the Plant to which the Valerian Flowers are compared by Diosco- 
rides, tho’ the refemblance be fufficient to juftify the comparifon, the 
author is inexcufable in referring to an Herb under the name Narciffus, 
which himfelf has no where mentioned or defcribed ; when he had treated 
at large of another Plant, the Daffodill, which is not the thing here 
meant under the name Narciffus : it could be only thought thet he referred 
to the Plant of which himfelf had treated by this name, when he ufcd 
it in the prefent inftance ; but it appears too plainly, that it was to the 
Narciffus of other and earlier authors he refembled Valerian, and not to 
the Plant himfelf had defcribed under that term. From this, and other 
circumflances too like this, it appears a doubt to me, whether Dioscorides 
underflood, or had ever fludied Botany. The nature of his undertaking 
led him to fpeak of Plants ; and he did well and wifely to annex defcrip- 
tions ; but to afcertain their virtues was his great aim ; and it is not impro- 
bable he colledfed from others thofe accounts which he has given us of 
their forms, and colours. I would not depreciate a venerable name ; nor 
has this obfervation, properly, any fuch tendency. Dioscorides propofed 
himfelf to the world as a phyfician, and he appears to have been a very 
great one ; but he plainly was no Botanift. 
Therefore we flill fee the long period of the negledl of Botany con- 
tinued. Four centuries had paffed from Theophrastus to the time of 
Dioscorides, and no advance had been made : even this great man, whofe 
ex.tenfive undertaking led him to treat of Plants, yet confidering them only 
as medicines, added but a few to the Objedts of the Science ; and nothing 
to its progrefs in Philofophy. 
CHAP. IV. 
The BOTANY of P L I N Y. 
A S we know nothing of Botany as a Science before: Theophrastus, 
the Grecian empire gave the world no author after him : the fub- 
jedt feems to have flept among the poliffied world from that time to the 
period of the Roman Pompey. His vidlory over -Mithridates, gave it a 
VoL. I. D new 
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