THE 
PREFACE 
T is a Politick or Civil Virtue in every 
prudent mans Eye, To fet himfelf an 
example, in what he doth, unto others. 
And in fo doing, he looks upon him- 
felf as accountable, in fome fort, to all 
Men. To thofe therefore, who may 
either exprefly, or tacitly, expect the Reafons, -upon 
which I firt undertook the Anatomy of Plants, and al- 
fo made the after-progrefs therein ; I fhall famme them 
up as follows. 
The firt occafion of directing my Thoughts this 
way, was in the Year 1664, upon reading fome, of 
the many and curious Inventions of Learned Men, in 
the Bodies of Animals. For confidering, that both 
of them came at firk out of the fame Hand ; and 
were therefore the Contrivances of the fame Wifdom : 
I thence fully affured my felf, that it could not be a 
vain Defign; to feek itin both. And being then new- 
ly furnifhed with a good ftock of Seeds, in order to 
raife a Nurfery of Plants; 1 refolved, befides what I 
firt aimed at, to make the utmoft ufe of them for 
that purpofe: that fo I might put fomewhat upon that 
fide the Leaf which the bet Botanicks had left bare 
and empty. And in which, notwithftanding fome o- 
ther Learned Men had inferted fomewhat of this na- 
ture; as Dr. Highmore in his Book of Generation, Dr. 
Sharrock. of the Propagation of Plants, and Mr. Hook, 
in his Micrography: yet but collaterally, and whithout 
fhewing any purpofe of managing this Part of Na- 
tural Hiftory. And although it feemed at firt an Ob- 
a jection 
