n such cases, since I could only take refuge in
the untranslated word by leaving other Greek or Latin words also
untranslated, and the nomenclature still entirely senseless,--and I do not
choose to do this,--there is only one other course open to me, namely, to
substitute boldly, to my own pupils, other generic names for the plants
thus faultfully hitherto titled.

As I do not do this for my own pride, but honestly for my reader's service,
I neither question nor care how far the emendations I propose may be now or
hereafter adopted. I shall not even name the cases in which they have been
made for the serious reason above specified; but even shall mask those
which there was real occasion to alter, by sometimes giving new names in
cases where there was no necessity of such kind. Doubtless I shall be
accused of doing myself what I violently blame in others. I do so; but with
a different motive--of which let the reader judge as he is disposed. The
practical result will be that the children who learn botany on the system
adopted in this book will know the useful and beautiful names of plants
hitherto given, in all languages; the useless and ugly ones they will not
know. And they will have to learn one Latin name for each plant, which,
when differing from the common one, I trust may yet by some scientific
persons be accepted, and with ultimate advantage.

The learning of the one Latin name--as, for instance, Gramen striatum--I
hope will be accurately enforced {7} always;--but not less carefully the
learning of the pretty English one--"Ladielace Grass"--with due observance
that "Ladies' laces hath leaves like unto Millet in fashion, with many
white vaines or ribs, and silver strakes running along through the middest
of the leaves, fashioning the same like to laces of white and green silk,
very beautiful and faire to behold."

I have said elsewhere, and can scarcely repeat too often, that a day will
come when men of science will think their names disgraced, instead of
honoured, by being used to barbarise nomenclature; I hope therefore that my
own name may be kept well out of the way; but, having been privileged to
found the School of Art in the University of Oxford, I think that I am
justified in requesting any scientific writers who may look kindly upon
this book, to add such of the names suggested in it as they think deserving
of acceptance, to their own lists of synonyms, under the head of "Schol.
Art. Oxon."

The difficu