20 
The history of BOTANY. 
In his arrangement of the fubjedls, he adopts the received divifion of 
Vegetables, into Trees, Shrubs, and Plants, beginning with the Trees ; but 
he is very vague in his fubordinate diftindlions. As there is nothing philo- 
fophic in his manner, the matter on which he feems to bellow moll atten- 
tion, is rather hillorical than botanic : the periods when foreign Trees 
were firft introduced into Italy, and the inventors, or times of the inven- 
tion, of cutting them into various forms for gardens, are his firll confidera- 
tions: from thefe he enters on the foreign Trees which produce Drugs 
and Spices ; but he acquits himfelf in this part with lb little knowledge, 
that he firll fays, the Pepper grows on a Tree like the Juniper ; and after- 
wards, in the fame chapter, that it is a fmall Shrub like the Myrtle : quo- 
ting their accounts who, as he fays, had raifed it at that time in Italy. Of 
Sugar he knew fomewhat more ; and we find by him, that the Romans 
had it from India and Arabia ; he defcribes it as a honey-like con- 
cretion from a Reed. In the rell of the twelfth book, there is a great 
deal of information, concerning the early Hillory of Drugs, but intermix- 
ed with abundance of abfurdity and error. He only can gather knowledge 
from it, who firll very well underflands the fubjebl. 
His next book, in its firll chapters, treats profelledly of Unguents j and 
is hillorical, but not correct. After thefe the Palm, and many other trees, 
are treated as in the preceding part, fo wildly, that Paper coming into con- 
fideration, leads him to an hiflory of the books of Numa. The four- 
teenth book contains his account of Fruit Trees. He introduces this with 
fome very whimfical cenfures upon Virgil, whom he reckons happy to 
have efcaped thofe of the world. A great deal may be learned from what 
he has recorded of the old management of the Vine, and the various 
kinds of Wine ; tho’ we negledt the Arabian kind, which made barren 
women fruitful, or that Traezaenian liquor which rendered the men impo- 
tent. The fifteenth book purfues the fubje<fl of the former ; treating of other 
Fruit Trees; but that fucceeding, is lefs regular. The honorary ufe of 
Leaves in Crowns and Garlands, has its place there ; and after this, many 
of the Fruit Trees are treated of dillintflly, and with great erudition. 
There are in this book alfo fome approaches towards the Vegetable Philo- 
fophy. We fee whence this part was colledfed ; but it is not a fubjed; on 
which Pliny fucceeds happily. The next treats of the Culture of Trees; 
and of Manures, and the general Drefling of Land. The diredions of 
Theophrastus are transferred hither : and a great deal is added to them. 
The articles of Grafting, and the reft of the Gardener’s arts, are not let 
down in all parts fo clearly as might have been vviftied ; but we find the 
Romans 
