Chap. 6. of Nature in Vegetation, 185 



indeed gave occafion to the Opiiion^ that 

 Water itfelf nouriftied, and was changed in- 

 to Vegetable Bodies. They faw, though thefe 

 were planted in a Soil never fo rich, fo happy ^ 

 io advantageous^ nothing came of it, unlefs 

 there was Water too in confiderable quantity. 

 And it muft be allowed, Vegetables will not 

 come on or profper where that is wanting : 

 But yet what thofe Gentlemen inferred thence^ 

 was not, we fee, well grounded. 



This Fluid is capacitated for the Ofice here 

 aflign'd it, feveral ways. By the Figure of 

 its Parts^ which, as appears from many Ex- 

 periments^ is exadly and Mathematically 

 Spherical'^ their Surfaces being perfedly po- 

 lite^ and without any the lead Inequalities. 

 'Tis evident, Corpufcles of fuch a Figure are 

 eaRly fufceptible of Motion^ yea far above any 

 others whatever 5 and consequently the moft 

 capable of moving and conveying other Matter 

 that is not fo aBive and voluble. Then the 

 Intervals of Bodies of that Figure^ are, with 

 refpeft to their Bulk, of all others the largejl 5 

 and fo the mod fitted to receive and entertain 

 foreign Matter in them. Befides, as far as 

 the 1 rials hitherto made inform us, the Con- 

 Jiituent Corpufcles of Water ^ are, each fingly 

 confider'd, abjolutely folid, and do not yield to 

 the greateft external Force. This fecures their 

 Figure againft any Alteration : And the In- 

 tervals of the Corpufcles muft be always alike. 

 By the latter, 'twill be ever difpofed to re- 

 ceive Matter into it 5 and by the former^ 



when 



