ing, yea, diverfion too, by the beauty of their looks, by the fragrancy of their fmell, by creating us pleafant fhades against the fcorching beams of fummer, and fkreening us against the piercing winds and cold of winter.

And it is very observable what admirable provifions are made for this purpose of their support and standing, both in fuch as ftand by their own. ftrength, and fuch as need the help of others. In fuch as ftand by their own ftrength, it is by means of the stronger and more ligneous parts equival

ent

• Plantarum ufus latiffime patet, et in omni vitæ parte occurrit. Sine illis laute, fine illis commode non vivitur, at nec vivitur omnino, quæcunque ad victum neceffaria funt, quæcunque ad delicias faciunt e locupletiffimo fuo penu abunde fubminiftrant. Quant ex iis menfa innocentior, mundior, falubrior quam ex animalium • cæde et laniena? Homo certo naturą animal carnivorum non eft; nullis ad prædam et rapinam armis inftructuin, non dentibus exertis et ferratis, non unguibus aduncis. Manus ad fructus colli⚫gendos dentes ad mandendos comparati. Non legimus ei ante diluvium carnes ad efum conceffas. At non victum tantum nobis fuppeditant, fed et vestitum, et medicinam, et domicilia, aliaque, • ædificia, et navigia, et fupellectilem, et focum, et oble&tamenta fenfuum animique: ex his naribus odoramenta et fuffumigia · parantur. Horum flores inenarrabili colorum et fchematum, varietate, et elegantia, oculos exhilarant, fuaviffima odorum quos ⚫ expirant fragrantia spiritus recreant. Horum fructus gulæ illece

bræ menfas fecundas inftruunt, et languentem appetitum excitant. • Taceo virorem amoeniffimum oculis amicum, quem per prata pafcua agros, fylvas fpatiantibus objiciunt, et umbras quas contra æftum et folis ardores præbent. Ray, ib. 1. 1. c. 24. P. 46.

ent to the bones in animals, being made not in Alexible, as bones; because they would then be apt to break; but of a yielding elastic nature, to fcape and dodge the violence of the winds, and by means alfo of the branches fpreading handfomely and commodiously about, at an angle of about 45° gr. by which means they equally fill up, and at the fame time make an æquilibration of the topf.

And as for fuch vegetables as are weak, and not able to fupport themfelves, it is a wonderful faculty they have, fo readily and naturally to make ufe of the help of their neighbours, embracing

All vegetables of a tall and spreading growth feem to have a natural tendency to a hemifpherical dilatation, but generally confine their spreading within an angle of 90 gr. as being the most becoming and useful difpofition of its parts and branches. Now, the shortest way to give a moft graceful and useful filling to that space of dilating and spreading out, is to proceed in ftrait lines and to dispose of thofe lines in a variety of parallels, &c. And to do that in a quadrantal space, &c. there appears but one way poffible, and that is, to form all the interfections, which the shoots and branches make, with angles of 45 gr. only. And I dare appeal to all, if it be not in this manner, almost to a nicety, obferved by nature, &c. A vifible argument that the plastic capacities of matter are governed and difpofed by an all-wife and infinite agent, the native ftri&tnesses and regularities of them plainly fhewing from whofe hand they come. Account of the Origin and Formation of Fofils, Shells, &c. Printed at London, 1705. p. 38, 41.

3

bracing and climbing up upon them 5, and ufing them as crutches to their feeble bodies: fome by their odd convolving faculty, by twisting themfelves like a screw about others; fome advancing themselves by catching and holding with their curious clafpers and tendrils, equivalent to the hands; fome by ftriking in their rooty feet; and others

In Hedera, furculi et rami hinc inde claviculos, quafi radiculas, emittunt, quæ parietibus, vel occurrentibus arboribus veluti digitis firmantur, et in altum fufpenduntur. Hujufmodi radiculæ fubrotundæ funt, et pilis cooperiuntor; et quod mirum eft, glutinofum fundunt humorem, feu terebinthinum, qua arête lapidibus nectuntur et agglutinantur. -Non minori induftria natura

⚫ utitur in vite Canadenfi, &c. The admirable and curious make of whofe tendrils and their feet, fee in the illuftrious author, Malpig. de Capreolis, &c. p. 48.

Clafpers are of a compounded nature, between that of a root and a trunk. Their ufe is fometimes for fupport only; as in the clafpers of vines, briony, &c. whofe branches being long, flender, and fragile, would fall by their own weight, and that of their fruit; but thefe clafpers take hold of any thing that is at hand; which they do by a natural circumvolution which they have; (thofe of briony have a retrograde motion about every third circle, in the form of a double clafp; fo that if they mifs one way, they may catch the other.) Sometimes the ufe of clafpers is alfo for a fupply, as in the trunk-roots of ivy; which being a plant that mounts very high, and being of a clofer and more compact fubftance than that of vines, the fap would not be fufficiently supplied to the upper fprouts, unless thefe affifted the mother-root; but thefe ferve alfo for fupport too. Sometimes alfo they ferve for ftabiliment, propagation, and shade; for the first of these ferve the clafpers of cucumbers; for the second, thofe, or rather the trunk-roots of chamomile; and for all three the trunk-roots of ftrawberries. Harris Lex. Tech. in verb. Clafpers.

others by the emiffion of a natural glue, closely and firmly adhering to fomething or other that adminifters fufficient fupport unto them. Al which various methods being fo nicely accommodated to the indigencies of thofe helpless vegetables, and not to be met with in any befides, is a manifest indication of their being the contrivance and work of the Creator, and that his infinite wisdom and care condefcends, even to the fervice, and well-being of the meanest, moft weak, and helpless infenfitive parts of the crea

tion.

In the last place, to the ufes already hinted at, I might add a large catalogue of fuch among vegetables, as are of peculiar ufe and fervice to the world, and seem to be defigned, as it were, on purpose, by the moft merciful Creator, for the good of man, or other creatures h. Among grain I might name the great fertility of fuch as ferves

Vegetables afford not only food to irrationals, but alfo phyfic, if it be true which Ariftotle faith, and after him Pliny; which latter, in his 8th book, chap. 27. fpecifies divers plants made ufe of as fpecifics, by diverse, both beasts and birds; as dittany by wounded deer; celandine by fwallows to cure the fore eyes of their young, &c. And if the reader hath a mind to fee more inftances of this

nature, many of them fanciful enough, he may confult Merfenne in Genef. p. 933.

See before book iv. chap. 11.

for

for bread, the eafy culture and propagation thereof, and the agreement of every foil and climate to it. Among trees, and plants, I might inftance in fome that seem to be defigned, as it were, on purpose, for almoft every ufek, and convenience fome

Planta hæc unica [aloe Americana] inquit Fr. Hernandez, quicquid vitæ effe poteft neceffarium præftare facile poteft, fi effet ⚫ rebus humanis modus. Tota enim illa lignorum, fepiendorumque agrorum ufum præftat, caules tignorum, folia vero tecta tegendi • imbricum, lancium: eorundem nervuli et fibræ eundem habent • ufum ad linteamina, calceos, et veftimenta conficienda quem apud nos linum, cannabis, goffipium, &c. E mucronibus fiunt clavi • aculei, fubulæ, quibus perforandis auribus, macerandi corporis gratia, Indis uti mos erat cum dæmonum vacarent cultui; item ' aciculæ, acus, tribuli militares et raftilla idonea petendis fubtegminibus. Præterea e fucco mananti, cujus evulfis germinibus internis foliifve tenerioribus cultis [Yztlinis] in mediam cavitatem, ftillat, planta, unica ad 50 interdum amphoras, quod dictu eft mirabile, vina, mel, acetum, ac faccharum parantur. [The methods of which he tells.] Idem fuccus menfes ciet, alvum lenit urinam evocat, renes et veficam emundat. E radice quoque reftes fiunt firmiffimæ. Craffiores foliorum partes, truncufque, decocta fub terra, edendo funt apta, fapiuntque citrea frufta faccharo condita: quin et vulnera recentia mire conglutinant.-Folia quoque affa et affecto loco impofita convulfionem curant, ac dolores leniunt, præcipue fi fuccus ipfe calens bibatur, quamvis ab Indica proficifcantur lue, fenfum hebetant, atque torporem inducunt. Radicis fuccus lucin Veneream curat apud Indos, ut Dr. Palmer.' Ray, ib. 1. 21. c. 7. See alfo Dr. Sloane's Voyage to Jamaica,

page 247.

There are alfo two forts of aloe befides, mentioned by the fame Dr. Sloane, one of which is made use of for fishing lines, bowfrings, ftockings, and hammocks. Another hath leaves that hold ra in water, to which travellers, &c. refort to quench their thirst, i fcarcity of wells, or waters, in thofe dry countries. Ibid. p. 249