*;3 O/Plo ug h s. Chap. XlTtl. 



That fome fuch Accident gave Men the Firft Hints 

 of original Agriculture ', may be inferr'd from the 

 very little (or no) Probability of its being invented 

 originally upon Arguments which might convince the 

 Underftanding (by juft Conclufions from Ideas of the 

 Earth and Vegetation) of any reafonable Grounds to 

 hope, that the -Effect of increafing the Earth's Pro- 

 duce fhould follow the Caufe of Tillage; or, in other 

 Words, why it mould produce more when tilled than 

 when untilled. Therefore it is very unlikely, that 

 Men fhould bedn to take Pains to till the Land 

 without any Sort of Reafon why they did it. And 

 no fuch Reafon could they have before the Invention* 

 as they had afterwards: For when they accidentally 

 faw that Effect follow that Caufe, then they were 

 well convinced it did fo. But tho' this Argument, 

 viz. Tillage increafes the Product of the Earth, be- 

 caufe it does, has been fufficient to continue the 

 Practice of Tillage ever fince; yet it is impoflable 

 for the Inventors to have had this Argument before 

 the Invention, in cafe it had been invented by Men, 

 and not fortuitouily difcover'd. 



Had there ever been extant any other or better Ar- 

 guments, whereon this Practice, 10 ufeful to Man- 

 kind, was founded ; lure, fome of all the great and 

 learned Authors, who have written on this Subject, 

 Would have mention'd them. Philofophers, Orators, 

 and Poets, have treated of it in the fame Theory by 

 which it was firft difcover'd, and by no other •, 'viz. 

 Land produces more when tilled ; and fome feem to 

 fay, the more it is tilled, the more it produces. It 

 does, becauie it does; not a Word of thePafture of 

 Plants, or any thing like it. So that all the antient 

 Scriptores de re rufticd have done, was only to keep 

 that Theory in the fame Degree of Perfection in 

 Which the firft Difcoverers received it. 



The bridled Animals broke up the Ground, be- 

 caufe they ufed to find their Food there by digging ; 



