knowledge of divinity. He ftates the doctrines of revelation. according to his own conceptions, and then, with an air of fingular modefty, calls them abfurdities! But we defy him to produce any paffage of fcripture, in which God is faid to become fubject to mortality, to be born of a woman, and to die the death of a finner. The most rigid Athanafian will tell him, that God cannot fuffer, and that it was only the man Chrift Jefus, who was born and died.

After this, our intelligent readers will be apt to fuspect, that the Obfervator is either a fceptic, or a deift. But let him form no fuch hafty conclufion. He is a chriftian, though not on The well difpofed reader, he says,

the principles of reason.

fubmits his reafon to revelation, and his belief of its divine origin, as well as of its effential doctrines, to a fuperior mode of conviction, the influence of grace.'

Here then the mystery is unravelled.--This formidable critic, though he has laboriously attached himself to the study of the fcriptures, and the reading of the commentators,' has unfortunately adopted a set of notions, which reafon cannot approve. Reafon disclaims his abfurdities, and therefore he difcards reafon; or, if we may be allowed to exprefs ourfelves in a more familiar manner, he has turned his wits out of doors, to make room for grace.

An Introduction to Botany, containing an Explanation of the Theory of that Science; extracted from the Works of Dr. Linnæus; with : twelve Copper Plates, two explanatory Tables, an Appendix, and Glofary. By James Lee. The Third Edition, corretied, with large Additions. 8vo. 7s. 6d. bound. Rivington.

WE

VE are always ready to congratulate the public whenever we fee any attempt to facilitate the ftudy of the fciences, and to make it more general amongst us. Nothing has been more conducive to this purpose, than the method of adapting to every reader's capacity the elements of useful knowledge, by tranflating them from the Latin, in which monkifh ignorance and pedantry have long fuffered them to ruft. This method has no where been fo much purfued as in England, where it has fo well fucceeded, that we may name many great men who never have read, or could read, any thing that was not written in their mother-tongue. We are indebted to this circumftance for the cultivation of our language, for the abolition of vulgar errors and fuperftitions, and for that boldness and freedom of thought, to which all Europe pays homage. From this caufe we have likewife been taught that nature has imparted the fame perfectibility to the minds of women as to thofe of men; and whereas other countries fcarce begin to feel

the

the unjust prejudice which has long fubfifted against the sex, our literary commonwealth poffeffes numbers of female authors in profe and verfe, among whom many fhine with pe-culiar merit in the very first clafs of writers, both in point of matter and of style,

The study of nature in particular has been fo much alleviated in this country, by the tranflation of the fyftematic part of. it into English, that it is now become familiar even to our women, being patronized by many illuftrious names.

The work before us feems in a great meafure to have been an incentive, to venture upon the dry and unpleafing task of learning the claffification of plants, for the fake of knowing them. The powers of our mind are in fo far limited, that we cannot comprehend and retain at once the ideas of the infinite variety of vegetables on our globe: to fupply this defect we are obliged to have recourfe to an artificial arrangement of the individual fpecies, which by placing them in a connected feries, according to certain characteristics, gradually fixes them in our memory, and produces the idea of their mutual connexion with each other. We need not repeat here, what has been almost univerfally allowed by the whole learned world, that the method of the celebrated Linnæus is the best calculated for this fole purpofe and ufe of all fyftems. His Philofophia Botanica, containing the whole elementary part of this fcience, is a work of infinite merit; where the great author's learning, his inquifitive turn of mind, and his depth of thought are equally conspicuous, and which, confidered in its proper light, as a guide for beginners, is a perfect matterpiece. Mr. Lee, fenfible of the excellence of this work, has given it to us in an English drefs, with fuch additions as render it more acceptable and ufeful; among these are, 1. A table of Linnæan names of genera, referred to the English ones, and to the claffes of the fexual fyftem; 2. A table of the generic names of former authors referred to the English and Linnæan ones. 3. A table of English names in alphabetic order, collated with thofe of Linnæus; and 4. A gloffary explaining the Latin technical terms of botany in alphabetical order. Prefixed to this laft, we find a tranflation from a methodical terminology which Linnæus has given in the laft republication of his fyftem, and which to the best of our knowledge is peculiar to this edition of Mr. Lee's work.

The value of Linné's Philofophia Botanica being fo well known to the learned world, we thall not attempt any farther comment on Mr. Lee's tranflation from it. It is penned in a clear and intelligible ftyle, which conveys inftruction without the help of rhetorical ornaments, and its chief recommendation

is

is its usefulness. We cannot help wishing that all other fei ences may be rendered equally familiar and comprehenfible to readers of every capacity, by fimilar means.

A Botanical Arrangement of all the Vegetables naturally growing in Great Britain. By William Withering, M. D. Two Vols. 8vo. 155. in boards. Cadell.

THE

HE fame plan of diffufing knowledge among all ranks of people, which we have commended in the preceding article is adopted, and enlarged upon by Dr. Withering. Notwithstanding the laudable performance of Mr. Lee, a great obftacle remained to the progrefs of botanical knowledge among the farmers and husbandmen, to whom it ought to be the most useful: this was no other than the terminology, which Mr. Lee had not ventured to reject, but had only explained by English definitions. The illiterate man who was defirous of acquiring the first principles of botany, was ftill at the first outlet obliged to load his memory with an infinite number of foreign words, whofe founds did not convey to him the meaning, which he was likewise to learn by heart. Dr. Withering resolved to ftrike at the root of this evil, by attempting to express every Latin term by an adequate word in English, of known and familiar fignification. He foon found that our language was fufficiently rich and copious for that purpose, and at the fame time obferved that the British names of plants, with a little help, might entirely be made to fupply the place of the Latin ones of Linnæus. In confequence of this obfervation he entered upon the laborious task of tranflating the generic defcriptions, and the specific differences which Linnæus has given at full length; and, to make his work of real fervice to the farmer, added the various ufes, as far as they are known, and particularly how each fpecies is relifhed by the different domeftic animals. The names are in general fuch as occur in old English writers, and the few compounded ones are very clear, and carry their fignification along with them. The fynonyms of the English botanifts, Ray, Gerard, Parkinson, and thofe of Bauhin are quoted to every fpecies, and the place and time of flowering added to them all. At the end of the book we find a gloffary, where the terms are farther enlarged upon, and their particular limitations fo far as they relate to botany explained. To this is affixed an alphabetical lift of the Linnæan Latin terms with the English ones against them; and finally the plates of Linnæus's Philofophica Botanica are re-engraved to illuftrate the various terms. Before the Dr. enters upon his fubject he gives us an easy introduction to the study of

botany,

botany, which for concifenefs and perfpicuity, and particularly on account of the well chofen examples, we may venture to affirm is the beft that ever was written. The account which he gives of his design, and which serves as a preface to the book, fhews him equal to the tafk he has undertaken, and not only perfectly versed in the ftiff fyftematic part of botany, but well acquainted with the ufes for which alone it ought to be ftudied. What he fays on this fubject deferves to be read by those who defpife this fcience as a mere heap of rubbish and a farrage of barbarous names.

• The oeconomical ufes of vegetables, have been hitherto but Hittle attended to by men eminent for botanical knowledge. The theory of the fcience, and the practical uses have been too much disjoined. At length, however, the generality of mankind are tired with the difputes about fyftems, and the vegetable productions of Europe are pretty well arranged; it is time therefore to think of turning our acquifitions to fome ufeful purpose. Our own countryman, the ingenious and indefatigable Mr. Ray, in his journeys through the different parts of this ifland, collected fome facts; but it is to the induftry of Linnæus and his difciples that we are indebted for the greater part of our knowledge upon this fubject. Mr. Stillingfleet, with a zeal truly commendable, attempted to render the botanical ftudy of the graffes fubfervient to the great purposes of agriculture; bot whilft the farmers wanted the means of diftinguishing the different genera and fpecies, it was in vain to look for an adoption of his plan.

In years of fearcity we are often told of mankind fuffering, and fometimes perishing by famine; but furely this would never be the cafe, if men were apprized of the very great number of efculent vegetables that grow wild and unnoticed in the fields. Some of them might be used with advantage, even amidst the luxury of plenty; and others may eafily be gathered in quantities fufficient to fupport life, when better or more agreeable food cannot be had. With this view, the part of the plant to be preferred, and the ufual mode of dreffing it, are mentioned under those species that have been found the fitteft for foodful purposes.

It is certainly a matter of the greatest confequence to determine what fpecies of plants are preferred by particular animals; for what is noxious to one animal is often nutritious to another. Thus the Water Cowbane is a certain poifon to cows; whereas the goat browses upon it greedily. Monkshood kills goats, but will not hurt horfes. Bitter almonds are poisonous to dogs, but not to men. Parsley is fatal to small birds, while fwine eat it fafely; and Pepper is mortal to fwine but wholefome to poultry. Many experiments made with this view by Linnæus and his pupils at Upfal, are given in the fecond vol. of the Amoenitates Academicæ. The refult of thofe that relate to the British plants, will be found under the particular fpecies. Many of them were

3

repeated

repeated ten and even twenty different times, and with the precautions mentioned below, which are here added for the fake of those who have leisure and opportunity to pursue these interesting enquiries further. When horfes, cows, &c. are said to eat the plant, it means that they eat the leaves of the plant. Thus horfes and cows eat a great variety of graffes; but they only eat the leaves; for when left to their own choice they never touch the flowering ftems. Some plants are eaten early in the spring, whilft young and tender, but are rejected in the fummer. The animals chofen for thefe experiments muft not be over-hungry, for an empty flomach will compel them to feed upon plants which nature never defigned for them: nor fhould they be taken immediately out of the houfe; because after living a confiderable time upon dry food they devour greedily every green vegetable that comes in their way. The plants offered them fhould be handled as little as poffible, for fome animals are very nice, and will refufe the most agreeable food when defiled by fweaty hands. Throw the plant in queftion upon the ground; if the animals refuse to eat it, mix it with others that they are known to like, and if they ftill refufe it, the point is clear, especially if the experiment is repeated with different individuals.

The catalogue of infects that feed upon the different fpecies of plants, is confeffedly very imperfect; but it will ferve as a foundation for future observations of the fame kind. Perfection in these matters is not to be attained at once. In its present state it may not be without its use. It will be seen that infects live chiefly upon the products of the taller trees which grow out of the reach of quadrupeds, fuch as the Elm, the Pear, the Lime, and the Oak; or upon the thorny and ftinging plants which repel the attacks of other animals; as the Rofe, the Thistle, and the Nettle; or upon fuch plants as exist every where in great abundance as the Graffes; or lastly, upon fuch plants as other animals will not eat, as the Dock, the Waterlily, the Figwort, and the Henbane.

Derham fuppofes, and with a degree of probability on his fide; that the virtues of plants may be difcovered by obferving what infects feed upon them. Thus the green tortoise beetle feeds upon Lycopus and Mentha, which are plants of the fame natural order, and poffeffed of the fame virtues. The fwallowtail butterfly feeds upon feveral of the rundle-bearing plants of the fifth clafs, which we know are endowed with fimilar qualities; and the orange-tip butterfly devours the common Ladyfmock and the Mithridate, which are plate of the fame natural class, and have nearly the fame properties.

Many plants change the appearance of fome of their parts to accommodate certain infects with conveulent lodgings: fome of the most remarkable of thefe are notice..

It is beyond a doubt, that the inhabitests of different countries, and artifts of different kinds, know how to apply a number of plants to answer a variety of purpetes; many more

than