The history of BOTANY. 
Romans knew them thoroughly. There are pafTages, in this author, on 
the fubjeft, from which we may even now gather much inftrudion. The 
Vine alfo is here conlidered farther than in the former articles, and with a 
great deal of knowledge. The eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth books, 
contain the practice of the Greeks and Romans in common Gardening 
and Agriculture : and in the end of the lafl of thefe there is introduced 
alfo fomething medicinal. The fubjedt of his next book is of Flowers j 
and as they yield honey, the management of Bees is introduced among 
them. The twenty fecond treats of a mixed multitude of Herbs, and a 
fecond time of Honey; and the two next, give the medicinal virtues of 
many Trees and Plants, chiefly from Dioscorides. The twenty fifth 
book fets out with what would have been a more regular Exordium for 
the whole, a kind of Hiflory of Botany : the red: of this, as alfo the fuc- 
ceeding Book, give the medicinal virtues of feveral more Plants, with fome 
farther flight account of them. Finally, the lafl, or twenty feventb, tho’ 
lefs methodical than all the reft, is full of ufeful matter ; but this is ftrange- 
ly mixed with impertinence, and perplexed with error. Whatever the au- 
thor’s colledtions contained, that could not eafily be brought into the other 
books, feems to be thrown together, without order, in this : and fo con- 
cludes his Botany. By this fketch of the writings of Pliny on the fub- 
jedl of Plants, it will appear that they confift of a diforderly, and ill rang- 
ed colledtion of various things, compiled from different authors : and it 
will be found, thefe too often contradidted one another. Pliny, who 
pat down all, is therefore faid to have been fometimes at variance with 
himfelf ; probably he never gave the laft finiflflng to his work : w^e know 
an unexpedted death furprized him. But while vve regret the imperfedtions 
and confufion of this vaft compilation, which he has left behind him, we 
cannot but allow its ufe and value. 
The Fate of Botany in this period refembles that in the preceding : Me- 
dicine was improved by the addition of a great number of Drugs ; but 
the fcience, from whofe ftores thefe were furnifhed, languifhed. The 
Hiflory of Botanical Writers, is a common fubjedt : Gesner is eminent in 
it, and Fuechsius, from whom the careful Tournefort has compiled 
his juft and judicious account, deferves more, perhaps, of the world, as 
an Hiftorian than a Botanift. One could not wifh to follow better leaders. 
But the immediate fubjedt here, is not a hiflory of the authors, but of the 
fcience: the two confiderations are intimately connedted : and this moft 
effential part has been the leaft regarded. It can only be traced thus in 
their works. 
CHAP, 
