2 1 8 Of Vegetation. 



the difguife of a fubtile fpirit, a mere flatu- 

 lent explofive matter; they would then, in- 

 ftead of reaping vanity, have found their 

 refearches rewarded with very confiderable 

 and ufeful difcoveries. 





CHAP. VII. 



Of Vegetation. 



WE are but too fenfible, that our rea- 

 fonings about the wonderful and in- 

 tricate operations of nature are fo full of un- 

 certainty, that, as the Wife- man truly ob- 

 ferves, hardly do we guefs aright at the things 

 that are upon earthy and with labour do we 

 find the things that are before us, Wifdom, 

 Chap. ix. ver. 16. And this obfervation we 

 find fufficiently verified in vegetable nature, 

 whofe abundant productions, tho' they are 

 moft viiible and obvious to us, yet are we 

 much in the dark about the nature of them ; 

 becaufe the texture of the veffels of plants is 

 fo intricate and fine, that we can trace but 

 few of them, though affifted with the beft 

 microfcopes. We have however good reafon 



to 



