TTiE HISTORY OF BOTANY. 
S3 
ing to the old and irregular dlvifion into Trees, Shrubs, and Herbs ; or 
according to their virtues, to the letters of tlie alphabet whicli began their 
n imes, or by fuch other vague and arbitrary methods. Their increafed num- 
ber now made it neceflary th.ey fhould Le better arranged ; and this great 
author druck out that path which has lince been trod fo happily, of examin- 
ing tiieir parts, and deducing thence tlie characters of Claffes ; arranging in 
each clafs all thofe which had the pecu iar mark which made its diltindion. 
This is the true and only road to certain knowledge ; we are happy who 
fee it fo affiduoufly followed, and fo greatly improved ; but the praife we 
owe to thofe who have given the Sydems of liotany their prefent form, 
mud not make us forget his glory to whom they owe their fird edablifh- 
ment. 
The origin of fvdematical Dldrlbut'on, was the feledting fome pa:t of 
a Plant which was obvious and regular in itfclf ; and edablidiing a Cha- 
racter upon its Defeription, to w’hich all ethers, that had the lame mark, 
were referred. 
Thus were formed the Characters of ClalTes, fird j and then the didinc- 
tive Marks of Genera. Between thtfe alfo there came naturally, from 
kder particularities, the Subdivifions of the Clafs by Orders. 1 he path 
once opened, one w’ould have thought, all who had judgment, would 
have rudied into it: but this did not happen. The European Founder of 
the fcience w'as more than a century without one follower. It w as evident 
no other way could afeertain the objeCts of the dudyj yet this was long 
rejected. 
The original invention was the choice of fome one part for the Cha- 
racter : and what part that fhould be, was left at diferetion. The great 
Inventor chofe the Seeds : which lie had dudied carefully ; he arranged 
Plants according to the fituation of the Corculum, or Heart of the Seed, 
and to its place upon the Plant : and upon this bads he founded the did: 
jud arrangement of Plants. 
Truth was thus fhewn ; and at length, when the great author’s name 
was almod forgotten, others adopted it. None doubted whether C^sal- 
piNus had done right in feleCting fome part, from which to form a Cha- 
racter ; but it became a quedion whether he had chofen the mod proper 
Hence followed the variety of methods : and the new perioJ became a 
fruitful in fydematick, as that of about one hundred and thirty years be 
fore had been in the hidoric writers. Conviction at length appeared upc 
the face of the dedgn ; and every Botanid perfued it : various parts of 
Plants, and various collections of parts, were adopted for the Charaders 
VoL. I. F of 
