The history of BOTANY. 
29 
and Constantine, Heinsius and Bod^us a Stapel, laboured to ex- 
plain his meaning. There wanted, and there yet wants, a Botanical Tranf- 
lator, to (hew us all his merit, and to give new improvement to the fci- 
ence. Hermolaus Barbarus followed: no more indeed than a Com- 
mentator, but one of a fuperior excellence ; and thefe were the men the 
age then wanted. It was not likely fcience (liould Ihew her long obfcured 
head at once in an original form ; the rudiments were fird: to be traced in 
thefe early mafters ; and Hermolaus explained excellently, the ac- 
counts of Dioscorides, relating to the Botanical part of the Materia 
Medica. The beginning of the fixteenth century gave the world Ru- 
ELLius, a Botanift and a Scholar; who following thefe with a greater de- 
gree of knowledge, and fcarce lefs learning, eftablifhed finally the doc- 
trines which they had jud begun to raife. Botany began with him to wear 
the face of a new fcience. Others had dudied names, and words ; Ru- 
ELLius things : he was drilled in Plants, and for the time very confider- 
ably : he therefore was able to execute what others had attempted vainly ; 
and he told the world what were the Plants then known, which anfwered 
to the names in Dioscorides and Theophrastus. From him did, 
lince this revival of letters, men knew what were the Plants mentioned 
by the ancients ; and he is the fird who for very many ages had done 
any thing towards the advancement of the fcience of Botany. 
This opened a path into which many followed ; and from Ruellius 
we may judly date the JEra of Reviving Botany. Marcellus Virgi- 
Tius came next after him, a lover of Botany, tho’ of no great knowledge ; 
faithful in his comments on the old Greeks, and happy in the applica- 
tion of much of Ruellius’s knowledge. In fome places he has inter- 
preted Dioscorides differently from that author, and always in that cafe 
unhappily. Monardus followed him; and while he added a great deal 
from his own dudies, he did judice always to Ruellius againd this infe- 
rior, tho’ ufeful writer. A number of interpreters now followed ; Le- 
oNiCENUs Brassavolus, Brunfelsius, Riffus, the two Cordus’s, 
and Goupylus. Fuchsius come after thefe, and more than all men 
turned his mind to original and additional knowledge : the old Botany had 
been enough dudied ; and it was time now to look into the book of nature. 
Lonicerus had (hewn many errors in the interpreters of Pliny ; and 
Brassavolus had attempted boldly, tho’ with too weak abilities, at 
fomething new. Brunfelsius took the fame path ; and tho’ he added 
fomething, fucceeded, upon the whole, but unhappily. Thefe, however, 
all followed the Ruellian courfej and fomething, from time to time, was 
added 
