OF CURIOSITY. 177 



tional creature. As for mojfes^ i grant we have 

 Hot authority on our fide •, for till the end of 

 the laft century, they were almoft wholly ne- 

 glected •, but now within thele fifty years their 

 hiftory is very near compleat by the diligence 

 of Dillenius. C. Bauhin knew very few mojfes ; 

 Dillenius has defcribed near 600. With unwea- 

 ried pains he went through this very difficult, 

 and extenfive branch of natural hiftory. But 

 to what end ^ it is afked. I will not take upon 

 me to anfwer this queftion by ihewing the par- 

 ticular ufe of every inofs^ that grov/s j al- 

 though i am certain the Lord of nature has 

 made nothing in vain. But i will venture to 

 aflert, that pofterity will, one time or other, 

 find as many advantages arifing from moffes^ as 

 from other vegetables. I aflert this with the 

 greater confidence, becaufe fince our acquaint- 

 ance with mojfes, we have many experiments, 

 which fhew their ufefulnefs, a few inftances of 

 which i fliall fubjoyn. The hog mofs covers 

 deep bogs with its fpongy fubftance, and thus 

 by degrees turns them into fertile meadows ; 

 not to mention its repelling virtue in medicine \ 

 at prefeiit alio its turf is ufed inftead of wood 

 in many provinces, and it is a cuftom eftabliih- 

 td amon^ the workers in metals to burn it in- 



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