STUDY XI. 



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create new parts, in order to communicate new 

 characters to her Works. She deduces them, at 

 once, from exiftence and from non-exiftence ; and 

 renders them pofitive, or negative, at her pleafure. 

 She has given curves to molt flowers, for the pur- 

 pofe of collecting the heat at their centre : (he 

 employs the fame curves, when fhe thinks proper, 

 in order to diffipate the heat : fhe places the fo- 

 cufes of them fo as to act outwardly. It is thus 

 that the petals of the lily are difpofed, which are 

 fo many lections of the parabola. Notwithftanding 

 the large fize and the whitenefs of it's cup, the 

 more it expands, the more it difperfes the fervent 

 heat of the Sun ; and while, in the middle of Sum- 

 mer, at noon-day, all other flowers, parched by 

 his burning rays, droop and bend their heads to 

 the ground, the lily rears his head like a king, and 

 contemplates, face to face, the dazzling orb, 

 which is travelling majeflically through the Hea- 

 vens. 



I proceed to difplay, in a few words, the pofi- 

 tive, or negative, relations of flowers, with refpect 

 to the Sun, to the five elementary forms which I 

 have laid down, in the preceding Study, as the 

 principles of the harmony of bodies. This is not 

 fo much a plan which 1 take upon me to prefcribe 

 to Botanifts, as an invitation to engage in a ca- 



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