Butin latter Ages the difficulty^ whichi 
was amongft the Ancients, hath been 
more fparingly urged, ahdihftead there¬ 
of,they have almoftaUbiifled themfelves 
about the Origih of the, laid Bodies.- 
Thofe that adferibed them to the Sea, 
labour’d to fliew, that fuch kind pf Bo-; 
dies could not be produefed, otherwile. 
The others that attributed them to the 
Earth, denyed,- thatithe’Sei could ever 
cover thefeT4»isi^,where they werefoundr 
and they employed their vvit in extolling 
the Povvers of Nature, as able to pro** 
duceany thing whatfoever. And though 
the Third Opinion,which vyill have fome r 
of thefaid Bodies to be due to the Earthy 
others to the Sea, want not Patrons and 
Abettors; yet there is almoft every where 
a deep filence of the Doubt of the Aiici'? 
ents; only that fome make mention of 
Inundations, and I know not what im¬ 
memorial courfe of Ages-, though they 
do that but overly, and as ’twere by the 
by. That therefore I might comply with 
the Laws of an Analyfts^^SL far as I could,, 
I have fo often woven over and over the 
Webb of this Inquiry, and learched 
through every part thereof, till 1 found 
' ^ ' ' no 
