of the P Y R I T E s. 63 



tides, rendered in fome meafure fit for the produc- 

 tion of ores and metals : from ever varying cir- 

 cumftances and caufes, the feveral fpecies of 

 ftones and ores were flill more and more mul- 

 tiplied, and have appeared in the diforder and 

 confufion we now find them. 



Minerals cannot be put on a footing with the 

 two others kingdoms ; as they confift moflly of 

 dry, but vegetables and animals, of humid par- 

 ticles : the latter may, in fome fort be faid to be 

 felf-produced, feeing what they take in for food, is* 

 as if by a ferment, affimilated to their juices ; 

 whereas minerals grow by a bare external accu- 

 mulation ; wherein every accretion is applied in 

 layers, fomething like what appears in the cryftal- 

 lifation of falts, and in the pyrites weathered oa 

 drufe : and what is thus once accreted never comes 

 into motion, or if it does, not without the de- 

 ftruction of the fubject. The encreafe of bodies 

 happens alfo in very different ways-, vegetables 

 and animals being regularly produced from feeds 

 and eggs -, but minerals in no fuch way, no one 

 pyrites being thus to be fhewn produced from ano- 

 ther, but at this day necelTarily arifing from the 

 very fame principles with the original pyrites at the 

 creation -, or from dijfohed or deftroyed pyrites ; and 

 thus from pyrites and ores reduced to their firft 

 principles, v/hatever alchymifts or others may al- 

 ledge to the contrary. Earth is the mother, and 

 fhe paflive-, on the contrary, water, as being ac- 

 tive and what mud impregnate, may be called the 

 father. 



I wave at prefent, infixing on the prejudice ac- 

 cruing to our knowledge of nature from that very- 

 unequal diflribution into three kingdoms ; as 

 thereby we acquire a very falfe, or no notion at 

 all of nature, and are apt to run into falfe con- 

 clufions about her. If minerals conftitute no fifter 



kingdom, 



