b o o k pj-efTed wkh the idea o f omniprefence, that he wrote over t h e
Vn' -.door o f his ftudy : Innocui vivite, numen adeft.
The great merits o f Linnaeus, as a naturalift, are to be efti-
mated from the rude ftate in which he found all the branches
o f natural hiftory, and the perfection to which he carried
them, in drawing order from confufion, and perfpicuity from
darknefs: his underftanding, comprehenfive, yet accurate,
was capable of combining and arranging an almoft infinite
variety of objeds, which the magnitude o f the greateft could
not fatigue, nor the infignificance o f the fmalleft elude. The
mere catalogue o f his works would make an ordinary pamphlet
; and it would require no fmall volume to trace even
the outlines o f his fyftem, now diftinguilhed by the appellation
of Linnsean, wh.ich new methodized and reformed the
whole compafs o f natural hiftory. In thefe extenfive and
various purfuits, we know not which to admire moft, his
intimate knowledge, his fertility of invention-, his indefatigable
induftry, his fcientifick arrangement, or that wonderful
exadtnefs in difcriminating, where the minuteft ihades of
difference are fcarcely perceptible.
The reader, who is defirous of further intelligence concerning
this great naturalift, will find his curiofity amply
gratified from the perufal o f Dr. Pulteney’s “ General View
* of the Writings ofLinnseus.” In that excellent publication
the ingenious author has detailed a lift o f his n um e r o u s
works, methodically claffed according to the aera of their
appearance ; towhich is fubjoined-a critical account of their
general contents. He has alfo traced the progrefs, and laid
open the leading principles o f the Linnsean fyftem, with a
mafterly precifion and accuracy, which could only be derived
from the moft perfedt knowledge o f the fubject.
C H A P. VIII.
Remarks on the writings o f Wallerius, Cronftedt, and Berg*,
man.— Analyjis o f the Sciagraphia Mineralis. i
1 J H E contents o f this chapter being at myrequeft com*, c h a p .
municated to me by Dr. Pultency, I claim no other. VUL ,
merit than that o f giving it to the publick.
“ The publick revenue and wealth o f Sweden being
“ intimately connected with the mine?, particularly thofe
“ o f .iron, mineralogy has been eminently encouraged and
“ cultivated in that kingdom. To this caufe we may, in,
“ a great naeafure, attribute the acknowledged ikill o f the
“ Swediih chymifts, as fuperior to thofe o f many other na-
1 lions • for how much foever we owe to the iabours o f Pott
“ and Margraaff,, and feveral other Germans, it is to the
“ Swedes that we are indebted for the firft rational fyftem o f
il mineralogy. Among thofe who principally taught the
“ methqd o f arranging thefe unorganized bodies., we muft
“ not omit the great Linnseus: he laid the bafis o f what
‘ ‘ may be called the claliical foundation o f his fyftem, in the
“ chymical analyfis ; having early diftributed the earths Into
“ Calcareous., Vitrefcent, and Apyrous, and eftabliflrcd his
“ order? aud genera, on figure, colour, hardnefs, and other
w fenfible qualities. Th.is fyftem was, in a great meafure,
“ adopted by Wallerius. But it is to Cronftedt that we owe
“ die full and more precife difpoiition o f thefe fubjefts, ac-
“ cording to tlieir con.ftituent parts and principles; and it
■ muft be allowed., that the difcoveries o f the Swediih mine-
3 ralogifts and chymifts have,.within a few years, greatly ad-
“ vancpd this "branch o f knowledge.