L J B. 3 . Of the Hiftory of Plants. 1587 
wonderfull,ifwe doe but narrowly fearch the 
Lwmm Lapideum, fine in Lapides conuerfum. leailofthero, which we dayly behold ; much . 
S tonie wood , or wood made ftones. moreifwe curne our eyesvpon thole that are 
leldome (eenc, and knoivne but of a few , and 
that of fiich as liaue painfully trauelled in the 
fecrets of Nature. This ftrange alteration of 
nature is to be feene in fundry parts of Eng- 
land & Wales, through the qualities of l'ome 
waters and earth, which change Inch things in- 
to ftone as do fall therein, or which are of pur- 
pofe for triall put into them. In the North 
part of England there is a Well neere vnto 
Knaesborough, which will change any thing 
into ftone, whether it be wood, timber, leaues 
of trees, mofl’c, leather glories, or fuch like; 
There be diners places in Bedfordfhire, War- 
wickfhire,and Wales, where there is ground 
of that qualitie, that if a flake be driuen into it, that part of the flake which is within the ground 
will be a firmc and hard ftone, and all that which isaboue the ground retained) his former fub- 
ftance and nature. Alfo my felfe being at Rougby (about fuel) time as our fantallicke people did 
with great concoiirfe and multitudes repaireand run headlong vnto the facred Wells of Newnam 
Xcgis,in the edge of Warwickshire, as vnto the water of life, which could cureall difeafes) I went 
from’thcnce vnto jhefe Wells, where I found growing ouer the fame a faire Afh tree, whofe 
boughes did hang ouer the fpring ofwater,whereof fomc that were fcare and rotten, and fome that 
of purpofe were broken off, fell into the water, and were all turned into ftones. Of rhefe boughes 
or parts of the tree I brought into London, which when Ihadbroken in pieces, therein might be 
feene, that the pith and all the reft was turned into ftones ; yea many buds and flourings of the tree 
falling into the faid water, were alfo turned into hard ftones, flill retaining the fame fhane and fa- 
fhion that they were of before they were in the Water. I doubt not but if this water were proued 
about the hardning of fbme Confections Phyflcall, for the preferuation of them, or other fpecial 
ends, it would offer greater occafion of admiration for the health and benefit of mankinde* than 
it doth about fuch things as already haue been experimented, tending to very little purpofe. 
Chap. 171. 
Of the (joofe tree , 'Barnacle tree 3 or the tree bearing (jeefe* 
’Britannic* Conch * anatifer*. 
The breed of Barnacles. 
