324 T^eWi^t^buof GOD PartIL 

 came there, I dare confidently affirm it .was not 

 there fpontaneoully generated ; for elfe either 

 there was fuch a Cavity in the Stone before the 

 Toad was generated, which is altogether impro- 

 bable, and gratis diBum^ alTerted" without any 

 ground, or the Toad was generated in the folid 

 Stone, which is more unlikely than the other, in 

 that the fo ft Body of fo fmall a Creature fhould 

 extend itfelf in fuch a Prifon, and overcome the 

 Strength and Refiftance of fuch a great and pon- 

 derous Mafs of folid Stone. 



And whereas the Aflertors of equivocal Gene- 

 ration were wont to pretend the Imperfedion of 

 thefe Animals as a ground to facilitate the Belief 

 of their fpontaneous Generation, I do affirm that 

 they are as perfed: in their Kind, and as much 

 Art {hewn in the Formation of them as of the 

 greateft, nay, more too in the Judgment of that 



great Wit and natural Hiftorian 

 * Lib. II. ^ Pliny, ' In magnis fiquidem corpo- 



rihiis (faith he) aut certe major ibm 

 facilis qfficinafequaci materia fuit -, in his tarn par^ 

 vis atque tarn nullis, quce ratio, quanta vis, quam 

 inextricabilis perfeSiio?. In the greater Bodies the 

 Forge was eafy, the Matter being ducftil and fe- 

 quacious, obedient to the Hand and Stroke of 

 the Artificer, apt to be drawn, formed or mould- 

 ed into fuch Shapes and Machines even by clum- 

 fy Fingers 5 but in the Formation of thefe, fuch 

 diminutive Things, fuch Nothings, what Cun- 

 ning and Curiofity ! what Force and Strength 



was 



