( «II ) 
The WISDOM u/GOD manifefied in the Works 
of the Creation ; in Two Parts. By John Ray, Fellow 
of the Royal Society. The Second Edition very much 
enlarged. London , Printed for Samuel Smith : 
in 8°. r 6 f%. 
T 
H E Defign of our Author in this Treatife, is manifeft by the Title 
it felf, which he endeavours to make good from feveral Heads, as 
firft, from the Multitude of the creatures, coeleftial and terreftrial, 
and from the pofiibilicy, that the fixt Stars may be fo many Suds, attended 
with the like Train as we find our- Center, the Ruler of our Motions, is ac- 
companied with. Hence he proceeds to guefs at the number of Terreftrial 
-Bodies, animate and inanimate : Of Beafis known and defcribed about 150 ; 
of Birds about 500 and of Fifbes the like number ; Infefts are more nume- 
rous*, of Battei flies aad Beetles 300; and if Caterpillars are reckonM as a 
diftioft Species, that number is doubled, and the Fly-fynd at leaft equals 
both the other: Craping Infiffs very numerous. Infhort, if as he conje- 
ctures the Britim Infects amount to 2000, the total fum of thofe of the whole 
Earth may be 20000, if they hold die fame proporcion as the B-iriih and 
Foreign slants da. Of Plants, he thinks, there are nor fewer in the World 
than 18000: And laflly, of Fojfiles, Stones, and the like, he gives no guefs 
at their number, but concludes it very great. 
Next he proceeds to cenfu>*e the A'ijiotelian, Epicurean, and Carnfioi 
Hypothecs, as uncapable of explaining the Phenomena of Natures and for the 
formation of the Bodies of Animals, he has recourfe to the Sensitive Soul, if 
it be immaterial 5 but if material, to a PUflis^Nature. And here he treats 
in ftiort of the Souls of nrutes. At the 48rh Page he feems to encline to the 
Atomic alMffotbefiS) as to the ranging inanimate Bodies, and explaining 
fome of their Operations. Our Author rheii enters into a more particular 
Account of fome of the Creatures as the Sju, N5oon, &c. and holds the gra- 
vitating Principle to be the Band that keeps the Univerfe in order, though 
he attempts not to exphin what it is, or how caufed. He proceeds to the 
Ufes of the four Elements, as Fire, Air, Water, and Earth, hinting at the life 
odhe Foetiu in uttro, pag 6$. and from the motion of the Water gives the 
reafon why moft Water-Plants grow flat, their edges more eafily cutting 
t're Stream, than if they were round. He then touches upon the Meteors, as 
L\ain,Wind, &c,\ and next of inanimate Bodies; where,as to formed Stones 
he determines not the bufinefs of Petrification, enlarging upon the ufe of the 
Loadfisni. He proceed- to Mttals. . 
As 
