Part I. in the Creation. hi 



Cold or Drought, or any other Accident, it hap- 

 pen not to germinate the firft Year, it will con- 

 tinue its Foecundity^ I do not fay two or three, 

 nor fix or feven, but even twenty or thirty Years; 

 and when the Impediment is removed, the Earth 

 in fit Gafe, and the Seafon proper, fpring up, bear 

 Fruit, and continue its Species. Hence it is that 

 Plants are fometimgs loft for a while in Places 

 where they formerly abounded, and again after 

 f6me Years appear new ; loft, either becaufe the 

 Springs were not proper for their Germination, 

 or becaufe the Land was fallow'd, or becaufe 

 plenty of Weeds or other Herbs prevented their 

 coming up, and the like, and appearing again 

 when thefe Impediments are remov'd. Secondly, 

 That fome Sorts of Plants, as Vines^ all Sorts of 

 Fiilfe^ HopSy Briony, all pomiferous Herbs, Pum- 

 pio?2Sy MelonSy Gourds, Cucumbers y and divers o- 

 ther SpecieSy that are weak and unable to raife or 

 fupport themfelves, are either endu'd with a Fa- 

 culty of twining about others that are near, or 

 elfe furnifh'd with Clafpers and Tendrils, where- 

 by, as it were with Hands,^ they catch hold of 

 them, and fo ramping upon Trees, Shrubs, 

 Hedges or Poles, they mount up to a great 

 height, and fecure themfelves and their Fruit. 

 Thirdly, that others are arm'd with Prickles and 

 Thorns, to fecure them from the browfmg of 

 Beafts, as alfo to ftielter others that grow under 

 them y moreover, they are hereby render'd very 

 ufeful to Man, as if defign*d by Nature to make 

 both quick and dead Hedges and Fences. The. 



great 



