Of OXFO'^'D.SHIXE. up 
fually fallen together ; which how they fliould come there with- 
out a Deluge^ feems a difficulty to moO: men not cafily avoid- 
ed. 
115. To all which it may be anfwered, firft in general with 
Ux.Lifler\ that we will eafily believe that along the Hioars of 
moft Countries, fuch as are particularly the flioars of the Britifi 
and Mediterranean Seas, there may all manner of Sea-fJjelh be 
found promifcuouOy included in Rocks or Earth, and at good di- 
ftances from the Sea, where the grounds are no higher than the 
Volaterran hillock.-^ which meeting with fuitable petrifying juices^ 
may either be wholly />em/^^/, or where the juices are not corn- 
potent, be only metamorphopdin part, fome of the fiel/j fubdance 
ftill remaining ; or not changed at all, as in the inftances of 
Steno, and perhaps of Mr. Hcok-> for he tells us not where he 
found tho(efemipetri^ed Hones . 
116. But fecondly, Suppofe he found them in the highed and 
moft In-land Counties, fince he tells us not that he found them 
in any great plenty, we can eafily alfo admit that fome fmall 
quantities of J/jells thrown away after the Inhabitants had eate/i 
the JiJ/j^ may even there be filled with mud and petrifying juices, 
and fo turned either in the whole or part into /lone. 
1 1 7. And thirdly, provided it be near a great Town or Ci/j, 
either now fiouriUiing, or that did fo heretofore, and hath for- 
merly been the feat of much a^ion ; it may be allowed alfo that 
fome quantities of Jlells may be found, either perfedly or but 
imperfedly/f/ri/ffi/, or that have fuffer'd no change at all : which 
helps me to a falvo for my own Objei^ion taken from the bed of 
true Oyjler-fiells found near Readings it having been a Town of 
very great a^ion during the Invafions of the Danes^ who cutting 
a deep trench crofs between the Kennet and Thames, and incloGng 
themfelves as it were in an Ifland^ held it againft King Ethelred-, 
and i^/fr^i^^ his Brother ^ a confiderabletime; from whence, in 
all probability, the Saxons having removed their C attle and other 
provifions before the Danes arrival, 'tis likely that they might be 
fupplyed from their Navy with Oyfters^ which during the time of 
the aboad of the Army on Land, might be a very fuitable employ- 
ment for it .* Which conjefture, if allowed, there is nothing more 
' Philofo^h. tranfad. Num. 'jC. ^ Vid.Heti.Hunt'mgdon^lib '!,,. Affmutn Menev9n. de rei/m g'flk 
Mlfredi. 
re- 
