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 sing from the Plants themselves. His Descriptions are exacter than John Bauhine's; and his are much better than those of the Generality of Botanists that were before him; and there are scarce any of theirs, which are not preferable to those of Pliny, and Dioscorides. He avoids Confusion of Synonymas, which had made former Authors tedious; and by inserting what was already extant in the Malabar-Garden, Boyms Flora Sinensis, Marcgraviuss Natural History of Brasil, Hernandezs Account of the Plants of Mexico, Cornutuss History of the Plants of Canada, and other Indian Accounts of Natural Rareties, into his General History, has shewed, that the Moderns have been as careful to compleat the Natural History of remoter Countries, as to understand the Productions of their own.

It may be wonder'd at, perhaps, why I should mention this, since the Ancients were not to be blamed for being ignorant of Things which they had no Opportunities of knowing. But, besides that it proves the Extent of Modern Knowledge in Natural History, which may be considered, without any Regard to the Opportunities of acquiring it, it proves also, against Sir William Temple, that the Moderns have done what they could in every