C 355 ] 
Springs may be fo loaded with mineral Matter, as, 
perhaps by penetrating the Pores of Wood and other 
lax Bodies, to increafe greatly their fpecific Gravities ; 
yet fnrely it is contrary to the Laws of Matter, and 
abfurd to fay, there is any hidden Property in fueh 
Waters capable of changing the Parts of one Body 
into another Body fpecifically different. It may in 
time, no doubt, lofe its Texture and Coherency, by 
the Admittance of heterogeneous Particles of different 
Attradlions ; but the Caufe of Coherency in the Parts 
of the original Body muft intirely ceafe, and be dif- 
folved, before it can be faid to become a Part of 
any other Body whatever. Afterwards, indeed, the 
Space that was poffeffed by the Parts of the original 
Body, may be fupplied by thofe of the new one, fo 
as to make in time a uniform Stone in the Shape of 
the original Plant: But if this petrified Plant be flill 
kept in the Place where the fame petrifying Quality 
continues to a6t upon it, it will lofe even that 
Shape, and become a Part of the Body it is conti- 
guous to; and fo a great many of thefe petrified 
Plants, and other Bodies united together, will com- 
pofe large Maffes and whole Strata of Stone. This 
is clearly the Cafe in the Inftance now before us, and 
perhaps it might be carried fo far as to ftrengthen 
our Conception about the general Formation of the 
Strata of Lime-ftone or Marble ; that appearing to 
be every-where, (notwithftanding Dr. Woodward dif- 
patchesthemmuchmore expeditioufly *) butcfpecially 
in the ^eak of T)erbypoirey fuch a Petrefadion as I 
* Wood'ward’s Natural Hiftory, Part II Conf. 4. 
Z z 
have 
