236 THE HISTORY OF GEOLOGY 



its Works and Productions, to design every thing to 

 a determinate end, and for the attaining of that End, 

 makes use of such ways as are (as far as the Knowledge 

 of Man has yet been able to reach) altogether consonant 

 and agreeable to Man's Keason, and of no way or 

 means that doth contradict, or is contrary to Human 

 Ratiocination : Whence it has been a general Observation 

 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 plasticJc 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 governs and directs the Natura naturata here 

 below, to beautify the World 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 Setenites, Belemnites, Conchites, Lapis Judiacus, etc., 

 as there are of Plants : so that unless we may say also 

 (which I guess no Body will) that these are produced 

 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 exhibited, though turned to stone, a 

 characteristic bony structure. One of these was a 

 thigh bone, of what nature it would from the descrip- 



