THE HISTORY OF GEOLOGY AT OXFORD. 37 



servation and Maxim, that Nature doth nothing in vain. It 

 seems, I say, contrary to that great Wisdom of Nature, 

 that these prettily shaped Bodies should have all those 

 curious Figures and Contrivances (which many of them are 

 adorned and contrived with) generated or wrought by a 

 plastick Virtue, for no other higher End than only to 

 exhibit a Form. To which I answer, that Nature herein 

 acts neither contrary to her own Prudence, human Ratio- 

 cination or in vain, it being the Wisdom and Goodness of 

 the Supreme Nature (by the Schoolmen called Naturans) 

 that croverns and directs the Natura naturata here below, 

 to beautify the W T orld with these Varieties, which I take to 

 be the End of such Productions as of most Flowers, such as 

 Tulips, Anemonies, etc. of which we know as little Use as of 

 Formed Stones. Nay, perhaps there may proportionately 

 Number for Number be as many of them of Medicinal or 

 other Use, such as Selenites, Belemnite<, Conchites, Lapis 

 Jttdiacus, etc., as there are of Plants : so that unless we may 

 say also (which I guess no Body will) that these are pro- 

 duced contrary to the great Wisdom of Nature, we must 

 not of Stones." 



There were however certain fossils, known to Dr. Plot, 

 the organic nature of which he was ready to admit, for 

 they possessed not only the outward form of bones, but ex- 

 hibited, though turned to stone, a characteristic bony struc- 

 ture. One of these was a thigh bone, of what nature it 

 would from the description be difficult to say ; it was found 

 in the parish of Cornwell and is thus considered by the 

 author : " It remains ", he says, " that it must have belonged 

 to some greater Animal than either an Ox or Horse : and 

 if so (say almost all other Authors in like Case) in all proba- 

 bility it must have been the Bone of some Elephant, brought 

 hither during the Government of the Romans in Britain ; 

 but this Opinion too lies under so great Difficulties, that 

 it can hardly be admitted ; which are briefly these : — None 

 of the Roman Authors, who elsewhere are large enough in 

 describing the Elephants Behaviour in Fight, and how 

 terrible they were to some of the Trans-Alpine Nations, 

 mention any such Matter in any of their Expeditions into 



