Ill 



J^aturall Hiftory ; 



526 



527 



528 



529 



that read this Worke of Syl<v*Syl<varuw 9 account it ftrange, or 

 thinke that it is an Over-Hafte , that we have fct down Par- 

 ticulars untried j For contrariwife, in our own Eftimation, wee 

 account fuch Particulars, more worthy>than thofe that arc alrea- 

 dy tried and known, For thefe Later mud be taken as you finde 

 them ; But the other do le? ell Point blank at the Inventing of 

 Cau fe$, and Axiomes. 



Firft, therefore you muft make account, that if you will have one plant 

 change into another,you muft have the Nourifhment over-rule the Seed: And 

 therefore Syou are to practife it by Nourijhntents as contrary, as may bee, to 

 the Nature of the Herbe 5 So neverthelefs as the Herb may grow, And like- 

 wife with Seeds that are of the Weakeft Sort, and have leaft Vigour. You 

 fliall doe well therefore, to take Marfi-Herbs, and Plant them upon Tops 

 of Hills, and Champaignes 3 And fuch Plants as require much Moifture, 

 upon Sandy and very drie Grounds. As for Example, Marfh-Mallorves, and 

 Sedge, upon Hills-, Cucumber and Lettuce-Seeds, and Colejverts,U])on a Sandy 

 Plot-.So contrariwife plant Bufles,Heath,Lwg,& Brakes upon a Wet or MarfJ) 

 Ground. This I conceive alfo, that all Ejculent & Garden Herbs fet upon the 

 TopsofHils, will prove more Medic inall, though leffe Esculent, than they 

 were before. And it may be like wife, fome Wild Herbs you may make Sal- 

 let Herbs. This is the firft Rule for T ranfmutation of Plants. 



The fecond Rule mail bee to bury fome few Seeds, of the Herb you 

 would change, amongft other Seeds-, And then you mall fee, whether the 

 Juyce of thofe other Seeds do not fo qualifie the Earth, as it will alter 

 the S^whereupon you work. As for Example*, Put Parjlj-Seed amongft 

 Omon Seed 5 Or Lettuce Seed amongft Par fly Seed ; Or Bafill-Seed amongft 

 Thyme- Seed -, And fee the Change of Taite, or otherwife. Bet you mall do 

 well to put the Seedyou would change, into a little linnen Cloth, that it 

 mingle not with the forain Seed. 



The third Rule fliall be,the making of fome Medley or Mixture of Earth, 

 with fome other Plants Brmfed, or Shaven, either in Leafe or Root : As for 

 Example, make Earth with a Mixture oxColewort Leaves ftamped, and fet in 

 it Artichoakes, or Par (nip-, So take Earth made with Ma] or am, ox Origannm, 

 or Wild- Thyme, bruited, or ftamped, and fet in it Fennell-Seed, &c. In which 

 Operation, the Proces of Nature ftill will be, ( as I conceive, ) not that the 

 Herbe you worke upon, (hould draw the Juyce of the Forrain Herbe-, ( For 

 that opinion we have formerly reje&ed «, ) But there will be a New Confe- 

 ction of Mould, which perhaps will alter the Seed, and yet not to the kinde 

 of the former Herb. 



The fourth Rule (hall be, to mark what Herbs, fome Earths doe put forth of 

 themfehes; And to take that Earth, and to Pet it, or to Ve\]ell it-, And in 

 to that fet the Seed; you would change.- As for Example, take from under 

 Walls, or the like, where Nettles put forth in abundance, the Earth which 

 you {hall there finde, without any String, or Root of the Nettles And Pot 

 that Earth, and let in it Stcck-Gilly-flowers,ox Wall-flowers, &c. Or fow in the 

 Se eds of them •, 9 And fee what the Event will be -■ Or take Earth, that you 

 have prepared to put forth Mufiromes , ofitfelf, ( whereof you fhall finde 

 fome Ii; fiances following ) And fow it in Pur^ane-Seed, or Lettuce-Seed, for 

 in thefe Experiments, it is likely enough, that the Earth being accuftomed 

 to fend forth cne Kinde of Nouri(hment,will alter the new Seed. 



The 



