54 
The vegetable system. 
has advanced the ftudy of Botany more in a few years, than many 
Ages had done before. He had great afliftance from thofe who pre- 
ceded him : but befides many things peculiar to himfelf, the very 
diftribution of the old materials, and making ufe of them as he has 
done, fliews that fuperior Genius which, in fpite of fome imperfec- 
tions, forces our admiration, and commands our pralfe. 
His Critica Botanica lays dowh many excellent rules for the 
diifributing Plants into their true Clalfes, Genera, and Species ; and 
tor cliaradterizing properly each of thefe divifions. Many are the 
rules alfo relating to the names of Plants; but thefe I cannot equally 
commend : fome indeed are unexceptionable, but others trifling and 
unneceflary ; yet in concequence of them, how many alterations has 
he made? How has he, inflead of diminifliihg, added to the incerti- 
tude of that difagreeable part of Botany ? Why are all names given 
Plants by unfkilful people, taken from Gods, or not Greek and Latin, 
to be rejedled ? How trifling are his reafons ! and how much more 
weighty are the objedlions to be made to fome of his innovations ! as 
where the Greek and Latin names, having the fame fenfe, are given 
to two diftindt Genera ; where the Greek and Latin names of parti- 
cular Plants are taken from them and applied to new or very different 
Genera. What an inundation of Swedifh names has he brought into 
Botany ; unknown, unheard of out of their own country, perhaps 
out of their province; while he rejedts others that have been given out 
of refpedt to great and eminent men ! Why, for example, muft 
Catesby’s Mcadia be called Dodecatheon. Few men were better 
known than Dr. Mead ; few patronized Learning more, and Botany 
in particular. The truth is, many of thefe rules were very proper 
for the infancy of Botany ; but fuch great alterations, in things efta- 
hliflied by long cuftom, arc ever attended with confufion ; nor ought 
to be attempted without the moff prefling neceffity ; which is far from 
being generally the cafe. We formerly took notice of Boerhaave’s 
having much improved Tournefort’s generical charadfers ; Lin- 
naeus, by taking in the whole Frudlification, has eftabliflied them. 
His charadters were the firft to be depended on : all was uncertainty 
before. They are general, and may be adapted to all Syftems ; new 
difeovered Genera can only add to them ; new Species will not alter 
them. 
Here 
