160 PROSERPINA. 



of the creature, as well as its legs, being jointed*as it were 

 and made in separate pieces with the narrowest possible 

 thread of connection between them ; and its principal, or 

 stomachic, period of life, connected with its sentimental 

 period by as thin a thread as a wasp's stomach is with its 

 thorax. 



7. Now in plants, as in animals, there are just the same 

 opposed aspects of joint, with this specialty of difference 

 in function, that the animal's limb bends at the joints, but 

 the vegetable limb stiffens. And when the articulation 

 projects, as in the joint of a cane, it means not only that 

 the strength of the plant is well carried through the junc- 

 tion, but is carried farther and more safely than it could 

 be without it: a cane is stronger, and can stand higher 

 than it could otherwise, because of its joints. Also, this 

 structure implies that the plant has a will of its own, and 

 a position which on the whole it will keep, however it 

 may now and then be bent out of it ; and that it has a 

 continual battle, of a healthy and humanlike kind, to wage 

 with surrounding elements. 



But the crabby, or insect-like, joint, which you get in 

 seaweeds and cacti, means either that the plant is to be 

 dragged and wagged here and there at the will of waves, 

 and to have no spring nor mind of its own ; or else 

 that it has at least no springy intention and elasticity of 

 purpose, but only a knobby, knotty, prickly, malignant 

 stubbornness, and incoherent opiniativeness ; crawling 

 about, and coggling, and grovelling, and aggregating 



