102 The Wisdom of GOD Parti, 



vance reftrain'd within certain Limits ? There is 

 maximum quod fic which they cannot exceed. You 

 can by no Culture or Art extend a Fennel-Stalk 

 to the Stature and Bignefs of an Oak: Then why 

 iliould fonie be very long-liv'd, others only An- 

 nua! or Biennial ? How can we imagine that any 

 Laws of Motion can determine the Situation of 

 the Leaves^ to come forth by Pairs, or alternate- 

 ly, or circling the Stalk ; xht Flowers to grow 

 fingly, or in Company and Tufts, to come forth 

 the Bofoms of the Leaves and Branches, or on the 

 Tops of Branches and Stalks ; the Figure of the 

 Leaves, that they fhould be divided into fo many 

 Jags or Efcallops, and cBrioully indented round 

 the Edges ; as alfo of the Flower>leaves, their 

 Number and Site, the Figure and Number of the 

 Stamina and their Jpices^ the Figure of the Stile 

 and Seed-Veffel, and the Number of Cells into 

 which it is divided? That all this be done, and 

 all thefe Parts duly proportioned one to another, 

 there feems to be necelTary fome intelligent 

 plajiick Nature^ which may underftand and re- 

 gulate the whole Oeconomy of the Plants : For 

 this cannot be the Vegetative Soul, becaufe that 

 is material and divifible together with the Bo- 

 dy ; which appears, in that a Branch cut off of 

 a Plant will take Root, and grow, and become 

 a perfe£t Plant it felf, as we have already ob- 

 ferv'd. I had almoft forgotten the Complication 

 of the Seed-leaves of fome Plants in the Seed, 

 which is fo ftrange, that one cannot believe it to 

 be done by Matter, however mov'd by any Laws 

 or Rules imaginable. Some of them being fo 



clofe- 



