Of Vegetation. 317 



refearches rewarded with very confiderable 

 and ufeful difcoveries. 



CHAP. VII. 

 Of Vegetation. 



WE are but too fenftble, that our rea- 

 fonings about the wonderful and 

 intricate operations of nature are fo full 

 of uncertainty, that as the wife-man truly 

 obferves, hardh do we guefs aright at the 

 things that are upon earth, and with labour 

 do we find the things that are before us. 

 Wifdom Chap. ix. v. 16. And this obferva- 

 tion we find fufficiently verified in vege- 

 table nature, whofe abundant produ&ions, 

 tho' they are moft vifible and obvious to us, 

 yet are we much in the dark about the nature 

 of them, becaufe the texture of the veffeisof 

 plants is fo intricate and fine, that we can 

 trace but few of them, tho 1 affiftcd with the 

 beft microfcopes. We have however good 

 reafon to be diligent in making farther and 

 farther refearches 5 for tho' we can never hope 

 to come to the bottom and firfl: principles of 

 things, yet in fo inexhauftible a fubjed, where 

 3 every 



