Part I. in the C'B.Y. AT lo n. i P i 



Firft, Such as are endued only with a Vegeta- 

 tive Soul, and therefore commonly called Vegeta- 

 bles or Plants ; of which, if we confider either 

 their Stature and Shape, or their Age and Dura- 

 tion, we (hall find it wonderful ; for why (hould 

 fome Plants rife up to a great Height, others 

 creep upon the Ground, which perhaps may 

 have equal Seeds ? nay, the leffer Plant many 

 tjmes the greater Seed. Why {hould each Parti- 

 cular fo obferve its Kind, as conflantly to produce 

 the fame Leaf for Confiftency, Figure, Divifion 

 and Edging, and bring forth the fame Kind of 

 Flower, and Fruit, and Seed ? and that tho' ycu 

 tranflate it into a Soil which naturally puts 

 forth no fuch Kind of Plant, fo that 

 it is fome * A^o^ ainpjuLctriKk^ which p^^^^^J^"^^ 

 doth effedl this, or rather fome intelli- virtue. 

 gent plajlick Nature ; as we have before 

 intimated: For what Account can be given of 

 the Determination of the Growth and Magnitude 

 of Plants from Mechanical Principles, of Mat- 

 ter movd without the Prefidency and Guidance 

 of fome fuperior Agent ? Why may not Trees 

 grow up as high as the Clouds or Vapours af- 

 cend ? Or if you fay the Cold of the fuperior 

 Air checks them, Why may they not fpread and 

 extend their lateral Branches fo far till their Di- 

 ftance from the Centre of Gravity deprefs them 

 to the Earth, be the Tree never fo high ? ^ How 

 comes it to pafs that tho' by Culture and Manure 

 they may be highly improv'd, and augmented to 

 a double, treble, nay, fome a much greater Propor- 

 tion in Magnitude of all their Parts, yet is this Ad- 



H 3 vance 



