Page:Reflections upon ancient and modern learning (IA b3032449x).pdf/293

 Luxury and Plenty amongst Mankind. But whether the Natural History of Plants was so exactly known formerly as it is at present, is the Question.

The ancientest Writers of Plants now extant, are Theophrastus, Pliny and Dioscorides; indeed the only ones who say any thing considerable to the present Purpose. Theophrastus describes nothing; gives abundance of Observations of several Plants, and the like; but what he says is too general for our Purpose. Pliny and Dioscorides who lived long after him do give Descriptions indeed of a great many Plants, but short, imperfect and without Method; they will tell you for Instance, that a Plant is hairy, has broad Leaves, that its Stalks are knotty, hollow or square; that its Branches creep upon the Ground, are erect, and so forth; in short, if there is any thing remarkable in the Colour or Shape of the Stalk, Root, Seed, Flower or Fruit, which strikes the Eye at first Sight, it may perhaps be taken Notice of, but then every thing is confused, and seldom above one or two Plants of a sort are mentioned; though perhaps later Botanists have observed some Scores plainly reducible to the same general Head. Pliny ranges many of the Plants, which he describes in an