CENTURY VII. 



an ill year of fruit: these we have partly touched 

 before : but other prognostics of like nature are dili 

 gently to be inquired. 



G76. There seem to be in some plants singula 

 rities, wherein they differ from all other; the olive 

 hath the oily part only on the outside ; whereas all 

 other fruits have it in the nut or kernel. The fir 

 hath, in effect, no stone, nut, nor kernel, except you 

 will count the little grains kernels. The pomegra 

 nate and pine-apple have only amongst fruits grains 

 distinct in several cells. No herbs have curled 

 leaves but cabbage and cabbage-lettuce. None have 

 doubled leaves, one belonging to the stalk, another to 

 the fruit or seed, but the artichoke. No flower hath 

 that kind of spread that the woodbine hath. This 

 may be a large field of contemplation ; for it shew- 

 eth that in the frame of nature, there is, in the pro 

 ducing of some species, a composition of matter, 

 which happeneth oft, and may be much diversified : 

 in others, such as happeneth rarely, and admitteth 

 little variety : for so it is likewise in beasts : dogs 

 have a resemblance with wolves and foxes ; horses 

 with asses, kine with buffles, hares with coneys, &c. 

 And so in birds : kites and kestrels have a resem 

 blance with hawks ; common doves with ring-doves 

 and turtles ; blackbirds with thrushes and mavises ; 

 crows with ravens, daws, and choughs, &c. But 

 elephants and swine amongst beasts ; and the bird 

 of paradise and the peacock amongst birds ; and 

 some few others, have scarce any other species that 

 have affinity with them. 



