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VI
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I''
Supplement and Continuation
-i <✓> OF ..
,( r r^PE SSAY towards a *'
Natural History
O F T H E
E ART H.
Written originaly in Latin
By JOHN WOODWARD, M. D. Pro-
feflbr of Phyfick in Grefiam College, Fellow of the
College ofThyfiuam, and of the Royal Society •.
And now firft Trandated
By Benj.Holloway^ LL.B.and F.R.S.
To which is prefixed
Aa Introduction, by the Tranflator,
Wherein are fet forth
Physical Proofs of the Existence of God,
his a&ual inceflfant Concurrence to the Support
of the Universe, and of all Organical
!Bodyes% Vegetablesy and Animals , particularly
Man 5 with Several other Papers, tran-
fcribed out of Dr. JVO 0 2) WARtD's Larger
Work, and never before printed.
L O jD O N :
Printed and Sold by Tho. Edlin, at the IPfiWtfV
Arms , over-againft Exeter- Exchange > in the
Strand. M.DCC.XXVI.
index
Of the Difcourfes* tranfcribed
out of Dr. Woodward's
larger Work * and now firft
printed* in this Introduction,
H E Art and Contri¬
vance difcernible in the
prefent Earthy and the
Evidences , in Nature 3
of its being new-made *
and different from the former 3 or
primitive Earthy give un deny able
! Proofs of the Exiftence of God \ of
his Interpofition in the Affaire of
Nature , and the Government of
the World . p. 9
A % Whe
INDEX.
T he affinal inceffant Concurrence of
the Divine Tower to the Tro-
duTion of Gravity. T his the
main Injirument whereby all Na¬
ture is regulated and governed.
p. 12
The affinal inceffant Concurrence of
the fame Tower to the Troduffiion
and Support of all Organical To¬
dy es, Vegetables 3 and Animals ,
particularly Man. p. 18
Infiances fierveing to explain the
Reafons of the Divine Trocedure
in the Government of both the Mo¬
ral and the Natural World p. 3 1
That the Mofaic Account of the
Deluge is authentic, true, and
attefted by Nature.
The Tarticulars of that Ac cotint,
not from Chance , or Fancy, p. 3 9
Nor from Tradition or Records:
p. 41
Nor from Obfervations of Nature
p. 42
Tut from R evelation p. 4 j
The fame further evinced from the
Mofaic Account of the Abyfs , and
of
INDEX.
of the immenfe Quantity of Water
fent thence at the Deluge. p. 46
Of the Curfe denounced upon
the Earth, on Account of the
Fall of Adam. p. 50
Occaflonalyofthe Origin of the Rain-
low : and its being appointed for
a Memorial of the Covenant made
with Noah. p. 5 1
Thorns and Thiftlet fervedy in feme
Degree , to put the Curfe on the
Earth in Execution. P-5 2
IhijUes particularly confide f d. p. 54
Of Thorns. , p- 61
"Plain Marks of a Curfe on the whole
Vegetable World. p. 64
The Mofaic Pofition, that the
Life of Animals is wholey in
the Blood, proved. p. 67
Of the co nfiituent Tarts of the "Blood ,
and the Trinciples of Animal
Life, ibid.
Terturbations of the Animal Lifey
and 0 Economy. P* 7°
2 Occa-
INDEX.
Occafionaly of the Nerves. p. 71
Infiances of Life remaining in the
'Parts when feparated from the
Body. P-72
Of the DoUrine of Animal Spirits.
p.'P4
Occafionaly of the Cartefian Materia
fubtilis. p. 29
Some Degree of Motion of the Blood
continuing for a jhort Time in
Parts cut off from the Body.
p. IOO
Extract of 3 Difcourfes not yet
, printed, v'vg. '
1. Notes on the Mofaic Hi (lory ' of
the Creation , fet forth Genefis 1 .
i : p. 104
2. Of the Origin of the Americans,
Negroes, and Indians. p. 1 05
3 . Of the Wifdom of the ^Egyptians.
P- I07,
INDEX
INDEX.
INDEX of the Heads of the
Four Letters.
I. Of the Alterations of the Ba¬
rometer, and the Rife and
Fall of the Mercury in it, on
the Alterations that happen
in the Confticution of the At-
mofphsere and Change ofWea-
ther. p. 109
II. The Propolition, relating to
the Prelfure of the Atmo-
fphxres being diminilhed, and
by that means the Mercury
in the Barometer made to fall,
by the Afcent of Steams and
Vapours out of the Earth and
Abyfs, briefly fta ted. p. 120
III. Of the (Economy of the
great Deep, or Abyfs, in the
Bowels of the Earth : and the
A 4 continual
INDEX.
continual Intercourfe betwixt
this and the Atmofphsere.
p. 122
Proofs of the Difpatches of a great
Diverfity tf Principles out of the
Abyfs. i. From Phenomena ob~
fere able in Mines , and Places at
great Depth in the Earth. Ibid.
i. From Phenomena obfermble in
great and high Mountains, p. 126
3. From Phenomena obf ere able in
the Sea , in great Lakes, in Springs
and Wells. p. 1 2 8
4. From Phenomena obfervable in
Animals. p. 1 3 1
5. From Phenomena obfermble in
Podges inanimate ; particularly
the Barometer, and the Hygrome¬
ter. p. 1 3 3
6. From the different Tenor of the ■
Light , and various Complexion of
the Atmoj phare. p. 134
The Light of the fame Day ordina-
ryly of different Tenor. p. 135
Various Phenomena that attended
the Eclipfe of the Sun, April the
22^,1715. p. i37
The
INDEX.
The Light of the different Seafcns
confidered. That of Autumn com¬
pared with that of Winter, p. 1 3 8
Occaftonaly of the Tenor of the Light
during Frofi. Ibid.
Of the Light during the Heat of
Summer . That Heat leffened , then y
* ly the great Afcent of Vapours .
. P- 139
2 he Light of Autumn obfcured ly
Fogs, and Vapours . Thtfe fent
tip bythefubterranean Heat. p. 14 1
Fain why in greater Quantity in
Summer than in Winter. p. 142
Ihe Reciprocations, betwixt the
Heat of the Sun, and that of the
Abyfs, not unknown to the Antients.
Ibid.
Floe Heat of the fame Seafon, in con-
con fant : tf fever al Places in the
fame Latitude, very various: of
different Seafons, equal: of vari¬
ous Latitudes alike . FheReafon
of this. p. 142
Fhe Certainty of this DcUrine, of
the Caufes of thefe Phenomena,
and the fo univerfal Agency of the
Abyfs, farther afferted, by bring -
of it to ft ill more Tejls. p. 143
The
INDEX.
Vhe Hi [patches , of the fubterraneau
Heat , to the Atmof phare-, contin¬
gent^ arbitrary , and varying .
Hence the Variations at the Sur¬
face of the Earthy and in the At-
mofphare. p. 149
Of the prime Spring., Mover , and
Agent , in all thefe Operations .
P* 1 5 1
IV. Of the Dilfolution, and De-
ftru&ion of the Earth, at the
Deluge. p. 1 ?4.
Why the Shells, and other like
extraneous Bodyes, were not
diffolved, as well as the Stones,
and all native Foifils. Ibid.
One grand Impediment of the Pro-
grefs of Knowledge in the World
Ibid.
The Error of imagining the Earth
liable to be diffolved by Water ,
or by any Menjlruum p. 1 5 5
Eojfils , and all t err eft rial Podyes,
diffolved at the Deluge ; but nei¬
ther Vegetable nor Animal ‘Bo-
dyes p. 157
Of
INDEX.
Of the Texture of the Tarts of Ve¬
getable and Animal Todyes. The
Cohefion of thefe owing wholey to
the Complication of the Fibres of
which they all are intirely compo¬
sed. p. i 59
Of the Solidity and Cohefion of the
Tarts of FoJJils. This caufed
wholey by the Tower of Gravity.
p. 160
Gravity ceafing , or the Tower of it
being r emitted , there muji happen,
in Confequence, a TJeftruUion of
the Earth , a total Cejfation of the
Solidity o f Foffds , and a ‘Viffolu-
tion of them all. Tut this would
noway off eU the Vegetable or Ani¬
mal Todyes : or, in the leaft,
difiurb the Complication of their
Fibres. p. 162
That the TDeflruUion of the Earth
was univerfal : and that all na¬
tive Foffds whatever were dijfol-
ved, and reduced to their prima¬
ry confiituent Trinciples. p. 1 66
THE
The Tranflator’s
INTRODUCTION^
<
CONTAINING
fAn Account of this , and of fome of the
other Works of the Author •
S the Effay towards a
Nat. Rijh of the Earth
was written in Englifh ,
and fome Objections to it
were afterwards publiilfd in that
Language, I thought it would be of
Service that the Difcourfe I have here
tranflated fhould be fet forth in the
fame; partly as it contains an An¬
swer to them all : and partly as it
illuftrates and fupplys us with the
Main of what was omitted in that
Effay. ’Twas indeed to have been
wifti’d that that Undertaking, which
is of fo great Moment, and in which
the Author has been at fo much Pains,
Expenfe, and Study, might be per-*
a feCted3
* '
The Tranflator s Introduction.
feCted, and the greater Work itfelf fet
forth compleat ; but this Age hath not
fhewn itfelf fo favourable to Science
as to give Hopes that it would fup-
port a Work of the great Charge
that this, even in one Article, of
Graveing all the many Things treated
of, would be.
The Difcourfe before me was writ¬
ten on Oceafion of fome Objections
made again!! the Efflay by Dr. ea¬
rner arius^ a Publick Profeflor abroad,
and a Man of great Learning and
Accomplifhment. Dr. Woodward
did not think fit to take Notice of the
unworthy Oppoiition made to that
Work by fome few invidious Men
here at Home. Indeed there was the
lefs need of that, fince they were fo
effectually anfwer’d, and their At¬
tempts repuls’d, by Dr. Harris , * and
fome other learned Men : but. Dr.
Camerarius fhewing himfelf an in¬
telligent and generous Adverfary,
Dr. Woodward thought fit to return
him
* Remarks on fome late ^Papers, relateing
to the Univerfal Tteluge : and to the Natural '
Hiftory of the Earth. 8 vo. Lend. 1697.
The Lranjlators IntroduUion.
him an Anfwer. This he wrote in
Latin i Dr. Camerarius having fee
forth his in that Language. What
made me the more forward to tran-
flate it was the Manner in which
Was wrote, which indeed I think
fuch as may ferve for a Pattern to
all thofe who fhall enter into Con-
troverfy hereafter. In this Method
I am fure the World would have
more Fruit, and greater Advantage,
from fuch Ingagements, than hitherto
it hath been wont to have. Dr. Wood -
ward hath every where treated his
Adverfary perfonaily with Honour ;
and anfwer’d all his Objections by
laying actual Obfervations before him,
and fhewing him that the FaCt was
every where different from what he
imagined. In this Way, the World
is not amus’d with Artifice, and Sub-
tiltyes i or, which is worfe, offended
with ■ Rudenefs and ill-Manners,
Things indeed too frequent in Con-
troverfy ; but further Light every
where given to thefe Studies, and
Solid Information in all the molt Im¬
portant Parts of them. With which
Dr. Camerarius , tho’ he fet forth at
fir ft, as with a good deal of Skill
a a and
4
The Tranflator $ IntroduUion*
and Art, fo with a Warmth and Ea-
gernefs of Opposition, and Prefumpti-
on of Triumphs very great and un¬
common, was fo far Satisfy’d that
he Acquiefced in this Anfwer : and
kigenuoufly declar’d to the Publick *
that he gave up the Controverfy.
As what the Author of the EJJdy
and this Defenfe has wrote is evi¬
dently compos’d for the beft Judges.*
’tis, as the reft of his Works, every
where fo brief and concife that many
Propofitions, fome of the higheft Mo¬
ment, are made out, frequently, in a
very narrow Compafs : and all fet
in a Light fo ftrong and clear, that
this Brevity will caufe no Difficulty
to any Reader who wants not Ap¬
plication, Candour, or a right Mind.
Whoever fhall duely eonfider the
Original, will foon fee ’tis no eafy
Talk to come up to it in any other
Language. I my felf was fo fenfible
of this, that, of the beft j udges that
I know, I thought fit to take in the
Affiftance of one or two, thorow the
whole Work. Tho’, with all this, the
moft I can pretend to is that I have deli¬
ver’d
*E£hemerid. Nat. Cur? of. Cent. 5, Jlj>pend. 2 69.
The Tran/I Mors Introduction,
ver’d the Author’s Senfe. If I come up
to that, ’tis the utmoft I can hope for.
They who are well- Wilbers to the
Promoting of Ufefull Knowledge can¬
not but be pleas’d to fee that the
Author hath, in this Anfwer, taken
occalion to explain himfelf further as
to the Re-Formation of the Earth
at the Deluge. And, in Regard that
the Marine Bodies found at Land,
particularly the Shells of Sea-Fifhes,
are the Main Evidence he goes up¬
on, he takes occafion to clear up a
Difficulty that had been Baited againft
that Doctrine, in Relation to Cavi¬
ties, in Form of Shells, obferv’d fre¬
quently in Strata of Stone, but emp¬
ty, and without any Shell in them :
as alfo Sparry, Marcafitic, and other
Mineral Bodies, carrying exa&ly the
F orm of Shells, but having really
nothing of Shelly or Animal Subftance
in them. Thefe Inltances have been
made ufe of by the Patrons of Mock-
Shells , and Lrtfiis’s of Nature \ to
perfwade the World that the real
Shells were fo too. But Dr. Wood¬
ward has here prov’d that thofe
Cavities had Originally Shells actual*
ly in them, tho’ lince delfroy’d, pe-
a 3 rifh’d.
. 6 The ^TranJlcttors Introduction.
.
r ifh’d , and gone : and that thofe
Sparry and Mineral Bodies receiv’d
the Form of Shells by being call and
moulded in fome of thofe Cavities;
/hewing both by what Means the
Shells were deftroyed, and the Mi¬
neral Matter caft in their Room.
The Reader will find here fome
further Advances on the Subject of
the Difolution of the Primitive Earth,
■f |
the Origin of the prefent Mountains,
and of Iflands, But that which will
mo it gratify and entertain his Curiofi-*
ty, is what he will here find con-*
cerning the great Abyfs. This is in¬
deed a new Province in Philofophy ;
and we have here open’d to us a
Scene in Nature that had hardly
ever been thought of before. Nay
and fuch a one too as greatly con-*
cerns us all to inquire into ; fince
this is evidently fo much concern’d in
the Government of our Atmofphere3
bringing about the Changes that hap¬
pen in it : and confequently fince
fo rfmch of the Good or Bad of
Life, and of the happy .or unhap^
py Succefs of things in the Region
wherein we fublift, and in which
gll Things that are pf Ufe3 of Or¬
nament
7
The Tran/Iators Introduction .
nament or Pleafure to humane Kind,
are produced, depend intirely upon
the OEconomy, the Impreiiions, and
Regulations firft made in that Sub¬
terranean World. Of which there is
only a brief Sketch given here ,* but
’tis to be hop’d the Author will find
Leifure to fet forth the whole at large,
and the numerous Obfervations, made
in all parts of the World, ferving to
fupport this new and important Doct¬
rine. One Thing I cannot pafs over,
without Notice, that, by this Inter-
courfe betwixt the Abyfs and Atmof-
phere, and the Detachment and Afcent
of Steams thence for the Formation
of Rain, are fo clearly and natu¬
rally folv’d the Phenomena of the
Barometer, which have fo long exer¬
cis’d the Thoughts of inquifitive
Men, in vain, and without their be¬
ing able to aflign any Caufe that has
carried with it fo much as a Shew
of tolerable Probability.
Men of Learning have been hither¬
to much puzled to find out where there
could be Water fufficient to make fuch
a Deluge a sMofes has defcrib’d. All
that Difficulty is now at an End:
and, from fome Phenomena attending
a 4 Earth-
"The Tranjlator s Introduction.
Earth-quakes, f with others hereafter
recited, * ’tis made evident that there
is, in Store, in that mighty Subter¬
ranean World, a Quantity of that
Fluid immenfely great, and vaftly
beyond what they fought for, or ever
dream’ d of. Indeed from thefe Phe¬
nomena ’tis apparent that the main
Bulk of the Globe mu ft x needs be
compos’d of Water : and the Earth
only .an Expanfum over it lerving for
Habitation, for furnifhing forth Mate¬
rials for the Formation of Animals, Ve¬
getables, and Minerals, and fubfervient
to the Aftion of that Water, and the
Principles there that operate upon it.
But what is of chief Regard in
the Ejjay towards a Nat. Hift. of
the Earth , and this Defenfe , is the
clear and unqueftionable Proof that is
given of the Exiftence of God, and
his Government of the Natural World,
and of the exadl Agreement betwixt
Nature and Holy Writ, from Gbfer-
vations, and Fads at this day demon-
Arable in the whole terraqueous Globe.
To which he is pleafed to give me Leave
to make here an Addition put of his
larger
f Nat . Hift. Earth. V art. 3. * Nat. Hi ft
$arth. illuft rated, infra , Part. 2. Seft, 5,
9
eThe Tranflator s Introduction.
larger Wor-k , which I tranfcribe and
deliver in his own Words. “ There The Art
“ is a Spirit of Sceptici zm that has and Cmri-
“ lately much prevail’d in the World: ^rmbfFin
^ and thofe rifen up who go about the prefent
boldly to overturn all F oundations ; Earth : and
*c rejeding all Principles, however t^e
“ univerfally hitherto receiv’d. They Harare™/
<c will have it that, the Laws of its being
*c Nature being fixt permanent and^w;^^»
cc unvaryable, this Frame of things is
cc eternal : that the Earth, and all rp,l former,
(Q the Apparatus of Bodies in this, or primi -
6C and other Syjiems which they fan- t*ve Earth,
“ cy, were ever in the State they^f^'*'
tc now are, and will ever continue -Proof eft he
cc fo. In this their Scheme they think Exiftence
“ no God needful!. They do not °JGp’°f
and indeed cannot deny out that, pion in the
tc if it can be fhewn there ever was Affairs of
?c a Time that the Earth, and the Nat tire, and
“ Bodyes round ir> had no Being> mmofobh
or were ever in a Form and State World.
cc different from that in which they
*c are at prefent, there muft be a
tc God : and that they could never
cc polTibly be brought out of that
into the Difpoiition in which we
<c now fee them, without the Con-
courfe and Agency of a moft in-
f telligent and powerfull Being. Now,
Sc here
IO
cc
CC
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
Cc
cc
cc
The 'Tranjlators Introduction.
here therefore we make a Stand*
on firm and fure Ground* againft
thefe Men. From Evidences every
where apparent in the terreftrial
Globe* Sea Shells, and various
other extraneous Bodies, mix’d and
incorporated with all the conftituent
matter of the Globe* not only the
loofe and earthy* but even the
moft folid, Stones* and Minerals,
’tis manifeft, and beyond difpute*
that this* which we now inhabit,
is new* and not the Original Earth,
that the prefent Frame of it is re¬
cent* and the former, the primi¬
tive, demoliiVd* utterly deltroy’d
and difiolv’d *. For the effecting
that Diffolution, rebuilding this
Earth out of the Materials of the
former, and reducing Things from
the Confufion in which they plainly
appear to have been, into the pre¬
fent Order, by their own Con-
cetfion, there muft be a God. In¬
deed the Confequence is fo neceflfa-
ry that it is not to be withftood by
any one who attends only to what
* Nat. Hi ft. Earth. Pref. and Part z«
The Tranflators Introduction.
C£ is obvious and difcernable at firft
<c View : and much lefs by one who
“ fliall further reflect on the Structure
tc and Mechanifm of this our Globe,
tc with the Exquifite Art and Sur-
“ prizing Contrivance that there ap-
“ pears in the Compofure of it.”]
That Structure and Mechanifm is par¬
ticularly fet forth and explain’d in
the Efty, t and in this SDefenfe, *
where ’tis fhewn that it is direbtly
fuch as was necelTary to render the
Earth capable of anfwering the End
of its Formation, of Furnifihing forth
the various Kinds of Bodyes it was
to produce, and of Supplying all the
Exigences of them. Nor can I for¬
bear noteing that this, here infilled
upon, is the very Inllance that St.
Te ter -! alledges in Defeat of the Alle¬
gations of the Libertines and Scoffers,
that he foretold Ihonld come in the
lafi Tayes walking after their own
Lttfts , and faying , all Things con¬
tinue as they were from the Begin¬
ning.
f Part 3. Se£l. 1. verfus finem.
* Part 2. Se£l. 5.
\ 2 ‘Pet. iii. 5.
* V '
1 2 If he 'franflator s Introdufdion.
fling. He rightly notes that thefe
Objections were not the Refult of
Reafoning, ^nd do not take their firft
Rife from the Brain, but begin be¬
low, in their Paffions, and Vices: and
therefore declares plainly they are
confcious of better, but wilfully fihut
their Eyes, and are willingly igno¬
rant*, that by the Word of God the
Heavens were oj old , and the Earthy
(landing out of the Water , and in
the Water ; whereby the World that
then was , being overflow d with Wa¬
ter*, perijtid* * Mofes. had long before
fet forth the fame, and, indeed, in a
Manner more full and particular.
But to proceed with what I was
tranfcribing out of the Authors lar-
Tk oe aBual ger Work . [ cc We have as firm
incejjant « Proof, and clear Evidence of the
LjOUCUYTCUCQ cc j* 1 n . t p -
ofthe Di- ordinary and conitant Interpofition
vine Wow- a of this great Being in the Affairs,
er to the a cf Nature, and of his continual
'Troduttion cc Adminiftration of the Government
cf Gravity* ,, . r , _ T . r . -
or the Untverfe, as we have or
his Exiftence, and of that extra-
ordinary Interpofition fet forth a-
bove. *Tis agreed, on all Hands,
that there is in Body, or Matter,
a perfect Inertia, that his paffive,
u indiffer-
yftis the
■main In-
firument
whereby all cc
Nature is cc
regulated'
and govern- cc
ed.
cc
cc
* 2 Tet* iii. 5. 6.
/he 7 r an/I at or s IntroduUion '
cc indifferent, and equaly difpos’d ei-
<c ther to Motion or Red. A Body
tc once at Reft will continue always 1
tc fo, unlefs it be put into Motion
“ by fomething elfe : and, when once
“ put into Motion, it has no Power
“ of ever again attaining Reft, or of
“ varying that Motion in the lead,
cc but muft move on perpetualy with
the Diredion, and the V elocity,
<e given it by the Agent that gave
it that Motion. \V hereas we fee
tc all Bodyes, and Matter, both mo-
“ ved, and the Direction, and Ve-
<c locity of their Motion varyed, re¬
gularly and fteadily determined,
“ eledively, and to an End, by what
we call their Gravity. This great
“ Principle therefore, that is thus
*c univerfal, and infeparable from all
Body and Matter, muft be extrin-
“ fic, imprefs’d, and imparted by
fome Power that is immaterial, ex¬
terior to Matter, and that controuls
<c it. As a Body, or Part of Mat-
^ ter, cannot be the Caufe of its
“ own Gravity, fo, for the fame
“ Reafon, it cannot be the Caufe
of the Gravity of any other Body
or Matter. ’Tis plain no one Body
»4
The Tran/lator's Introduction.
cc can impart to another what it has
“ not itfelf. Not but that there have
“ been thofe who, not rightly refled-
tc ing on this, have fancy ed that Gra-
“ vity, or the Tendency of Bodyes
tc towards a Centre, may be effected
£c by the Operation of fome other Bo-
cc dyes npon them. But then, be-
<c tides what may be urged, in Dif-
cc proof of this, from what is alledged
“ above, and holds infallibly in all
<c Bodyes whatever, thofe other Bo-
tc dyes muft ad regularly, and eledive-
<c ly ; which Adion can no more be
<c compatible to meer Matter than Gra-
tc vity can. Nor are the Ends, brought
cc about by the Agency of Gravi-
tc ty, fuch as are not truely worthy
tc of a Power the very greateft and
tc higheft that the moft exalted Rea-
<c fon can conceive. ’Tis to this Prin-
tc ciple alone that the Globe we inhabit
<c owes its Prefervation, the confo-
*c lidatmg of its Parts, and the hin-
“ dering the Diffipation of them by
“ its fo neceffary diurnal Revolution
tc on its Axis. ’Tis to the different
tc fpecific Gravity of Bodyes, par-
tc ticularly Fluids, that the various
u Fermentations, the Librations of
“ the
The Tranflators IntrcduUion
tc the Parts amongft themfelves, the
<c numerous Phenomena of the Wa-
<c ters. Air, Fire, Light, Meteors,
“ and Things of the higheft Mo-
“ ment tranladed in our Atmoft-
tc phere, are, in great Meafure, owing.
“ As ’tis to their reciprocal Gravi-
(c tations, each towards other, that
tc the various noble Globes we be-
<c hold, the Planets and heavenly Bo-
cc dies, with this our Earth, are ran-
cc ged, kept at due Diftances, and
<c regularly make their Revolutions'
cc all in their proper Times. In a
tc Word, ’tis to this ftupendous Prin-
<c ciple, that the conllant and won-
<c derfull Harmony among the great
“ Bodyes of the Univerfe, that the
tc OEconomy, the Order, the Beauty
tc fo confpicuous throughout all this
“ mighty Frame, is intirely owing.
“ Which yet is no more than what
<c fome of the wifeft and moft dif-
<c cerning of the Philofophers of old
tc were lead to the Knowledge of
<c purely by their like Obfervations
“ of Nature, heedfull Attention, and
cc Refledion on Things. The
cc greateft Genius, and moft refin’d
cc Reafoner, of any of all the whole
“ Homan
1 6
The Tranjlators Introduction*
Roman Nation, contemplating and
admiring the fo furprizing Conftan -
cy obfervable in Nature, the St a*
bility of the Worlds and the Con-
fervation of the moft excellent Or*
der of the Bodyes that conftitute
it, afcribes all directly to the *
uniform Bias and Tendency of
the Tarts toward a Center ; this
ferving as a kind of Tye to hold
all together. Which wife Con*
formation of Things he exprefly
attributes to that Being, which, as
omniprefent and diffufed through -
out the whole World , aCts every
every where with the higheft
Thought and Sagacity , determinat¬
ing all Things, from even the
cc moft remote Boundaries of Mat-
ter, towards a Centre . That the
Sea is kept to its Place, and made
to conftitute , one Globe together
with the Earth, he plainly afcribes
to ftill the fame Caufe, the Ten-
cc dencf
at
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
€C
CC
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
Omnes enim Partes ejus, itndique medium Locum
capeffeutes, nituntur cequabiliter , maxime Corpora au-
tern inter fe junfta permanent, cum quod am quaft Vim*
culo cirundata colligantiir ; quod facit ea Natura, quos
per omnem Mundum omnia Mente, & Ratione conficf-
ens funditur, & ad Medium rapit, & couvertit extrema*
AT. Tull. Ck. de Nat, Deor. L „ i.
The Tranjlator s IntroduBioni
tc dency of the Gravity f of the Parts
<f: of both toward one common Cen-
<c tr declaring that, upon the whole ,
cc there's the highejt Reafon to con-
“ elude that all things in this World
£c are managed by the TMvine Wif-
“ dom arid Contrivance-, in a Man-
cc ner truely wonderfully fo as to con-
sc duce to the Security and Prefer-
cc vat ion of every Individual* *. So
tc likewife the Author of the Book
“ de Mundo]-, 7 hi scP art God aUs in
<c the Univerfe, preferving the right
“ Tdifpofition , and the Well-Being of
K all the Tarts of it ; adding, — As is
b a
f Contentio Gravitatis. Ibid*
t Medium Terra* Locum expetens. Ibid.
* Sic undique omni Ratione concluditur
Mcnte Confilioque Divino, omnia in hoc
Mundo* ad Salutem omnium Confervatio-
nemquc admirabiliter adminiftrari. Ibid.
-|-T«T0Kyy \ryg\ t \oy6v o cm xocr/ua) QuViXuV
jtw r V oAwv ct^ovfttv re £ (>7i/ew And adds,
ocrsf cm vy xi/Se^V, cm fy/nocli 0 tn’ioX&? cm
b X.0(>U<p-Ct7®J J CM7T0SH 0 Vopi&j CM S' &>] 0 37 i a u> 0 xysfitti
Wo Ss os CM aooptti. Lib. de Mundo. c. 6* Which
Apuleius renders, Adhocinftar Mundi Salutem tuetur
Deus, apta et revin&a fui Numinis Poteftate, — ^Qtiod
eft in Triremi Gubernator, in Curru Redtor, Prxcentor
in Choris, Lex in Urbe, Dux in Exercitu' hoc eft in
Mundo Deus. Bud&us renders the former Part thus
* - Hanc eandem igitur Rationem Dens habet in Miin-
do, utpotequi univerfomm Coagmentationem cohdiymetn
cohibeat etcoarHet, IncolumitatemqueUniverfitatiscon-
fervet.
cc
cc
cc
i S The Tranjlators Introduction.
cc a Steerfman in a Shipy a Charioteer
cc in a Chariot , the Trxcentor in a
Chorus , the Law in a City , the
General in an Army , fuch is God
in the Natural World . ” The
Reader will do well to compare
what is here offer’d, in Relation
to Gravity, with what the Author
had .publiih’d, on this Subject, fome
years ago, in his Effay Part. I.
The actual tc As we have, thus, plain Evidence
mceffant cc 0f the Concourfe of the Divine
Cjyhefame “ P°wer to Support and Prefer-
Tower to cc vation of the Frame and Mechanifm
the T ro due- cc of the World in general, fo have
we likewife as plain, of the Con¬
courfe and Aid of the fame to
every particular in it. To pafs
by all others, I fhall give an Pi¬
ttance in the Body of Man. Not
that ’tis peculiar to him ; fo far
from it that it holds through the
whole Animal and Vegetable
€c W orld ; being indeed as certain
in all other Creatures. Every or-
ganical Body, Plant, or Animal,
owes its Rife, and Formation, the
<c former to a Seed, the latter to an
Egg. In each of thefe is a pecu¬
liar Machine, fitted to take in
cc Matter
tion and cc
Support of cc
all organi-
cal Bodyes ,
Vegetables ,
and Ani-
7nals , par¬
ticularly
Man .
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
19
The TrmJIatcrs Introduction.
2 Matter proper for the Nourifhment
tc °f the Kind, and to diftribute it
££ t° the Parts for their Formation
tc and Growth. By Obfervation made
J on the Eggs of Hens, and other
if Fowls, during their Incubation,
tt we learn that, in Animals, this
cc Machine is a Syjiem of Blood- Vef-
C£ Veins, and Arteries, with an
££ Heart. This is feen to beat with-
“ in not many Hours after Incubati-
“ on : and, in a litle Time, to fend
forth Blood by the Arteryes, re-
“ ceiving it back by the Veins. By
“ this Procefs the Parts of the Crea-
■ ture are each gradualy form'd,
,c though not in like Proportion
fome being more forward, and
fhewing themfelves looner, others
later, as the Veffels, ferving for
the Formation of each, come to
explicate and fuccelhvely difplay
‘ themfelves. The Eyes and Brain
‘ are the firfl: that appear diftin&ly.
‘ Then the Spinal Marrow, and Ca-
\ rina of the Body. Next the Wings
' an.d the Legs begin to bud forth.
; Afterwards the Bowels, the Lungs,
’ the Liver, the Stomach, and Gutts
' Blew themfelves, by little and little :
b 3 ‘ « but
to The Tranflator s Introduction.
“ but all naked, expos’d, and without
tc any the lead Coverture over them.
“ Even the Heart it felf is feen hang-
“ ing quite without the Bread for
“ feveral Dayes. At length the Muf-
cc cles. Membranes, and Integuments
“ of the Thorax, and Abdomen,
“ commence in their Turn j but are,
“ at fird, fo very thin, that the
<c Parts within appear clearly thorow
cc them. By Degrees, growing thicker
“ and thicker, they gradualy intercept
<c the Sight, and finaly attain the Con-
cc ftitution of Ribs, a Sternum, Muf-
<c cles, and the red. In like man-
cc ner the remaining Parts are form’d,
<c one after another, in their Order,
7 cc till the whole Fabrick be com-
££ pleated, and hnifli’d. But each is,
4£ at fird, a Geliy or Mucus, a mere
“ Lump and dead Mad, without
cc Senfe, Animation, Life, or Mo-
“ tion ; till the Machine, proceed-
£c ing in the Operation, gradualy
Cl imparts what lerves for the Pro-
cc dudtion of all thefe. Thus this
“ great, and aftonifhing Work is
“ brought about in every Species of
cc living Creatures : and the Female,
C£ of each, is provided wTith Organs
cc capable
/
/
The Tranflators IntrodaUion.
\ . ;
Cw capable of rigging forth Ova, every
cc one of them farnifhed with a Ma-
tc chine anfwering all thofe Ends. The
cc Man, who has a Mind fo elevated,
fo free, and of fuch vaft Extent
cc of Thought, as to take in the
€C Idea of fuch a Machine, will here
cc find Subjeft of Admiration greater
than can be fet forth by Words.
<c On the other Side, the Male, of
cc each Species, is provided with
<c Organs fitted to render the Ova
<c prolific, fetch them down from
cc the Ovary to the Uterus, and put
cc the Operation into Aft. Thus this
cc Affair has been carryed on, in
cc every Species, with a continued
cc Succeffion, through all Ages, Races,
cc and Generations, from the very
cc firft. Towards the End of the
cc laft Century, Mr. Lewenhoeck
cc difcovering, by the Affiftance of
cc his Microfcopes, certain minute A-
cc nimalcules in Semine mafcnlino ,
cc ?twas prefently fancyed that the
tc Young of the Kind deriv’d their
Origin from thefe. The Notion,
being new, fpread ftrangely; till
£C it became, at laft, univerfal : and,
Y which is ftill more ftrange, it holds
b 3 its
21
Z2 The Tranflators Introduction.
“ its Ground to this Day; though
“ contrary to real Fad, and the
£C plaineft Observations. We fee
££ the Macula, or Cicatricula, which
is no other than the Glomus,"
£c or Clue of thefe Vefieis, adhialy
££ exiftent in the Egg before the
££ Congrefs with the Male. Then,
££ after Impregnation, we fee them,
££ when under Incubation, explicated,
££ displayed, and proceeding in Adtion,
££ in the Manner fet forth above.
££ The very firft Part we defcry is
££ the Pundtum Saliens, as ’tis call’d,
££ whiGh appears afterwards to be the
£C Heart in the Machine. This Shews
£C its Self, at its firft Diicovery, which
£t is not long after the Beginning of
££ the Incubation, to be many thou-
cc fand Times as big as the whole
Body of one of Mr. LewenboecH s
Animalcules *. But yet this Heart
cc *
IS
— " . — ■ , .-I,, . , t
* Tantam in fernine viriii viventium Ani-
malculorum Muititudinem vidi, ut interdum
plura quam 1000 in magnitudine arena: fefe
moverent. And a little afters Minora Glo-
bulis Sanguini Ruborem adferentibus ha^c
Animalcula erant 5 ut judicem miliena miliia
Arenam grandiorem Magnitudine non asqua,-
tura. Ant. Lewenhoeck. Epifi. ad D . 'Brnmhr
(Philos. Tran fa ft. No.. 142.
(Tbe Tranjlators IntroduUion.
cc is but one Part of many that go
££ to the Compofition of the Crea-
C£ ture in Formation : and is not, by
£c much, the biggeft in the Body nei-
“ ther. So that if the Bulk, of that
££ Animalcule, be compar’d to the
£C Whole of the Ftetus, or Body now
<£ frameing, and all the feveral Parts
“ be confider’d, ’twill fall fo im-
££ menfely fbort, as not to be as a
££ Grain of Sand to the largeft Moun-
££ tain, I had almoft faid to the
“ whole Globe of Earth. Such a
“ Growth, thus per Saltum , fhould
tc not furely be admitted by any
cc that refled, or think regularly.
‘c The Thing is no way conceivable,
u or indeed polfible, confidering the
“ Elegance, Order, and exquifite Art
“ difcernable in the Fabrick : nor
tc have we fo much as one Angle
‘£ Inftance of any Thing like it in
“ the whole natural World. Befides
££ the Creature being apparently
£C form’d, as is above fet forth,
£C by Piece-meal, Organ by Organ,
££ and Part by Part, gives Evidence
<£ of Senfe againft this Notion.
££ Should fome wild Patagon, or
£t other Barbarian, who had never
b 4 ££ before
'The Tranjlators Introduction,
“ before feen fo magnificent aStru&ure,
“ obferving the Partbenion at Jtbens ,
£C the Collifmm or ‘Pantheon at
cc Rome, fancy thefe, and the like,
“ fprung and grew up from fome
ec Hutt, at firft, or fmall Cottage:
cc or one who had never before feen
££ a Ship, when firft he obferv’d the
££ ‘Britannia, or the Royal Sovereign^
£C imagine each took its Rife from fome
££ Skiff or Wherry, fuch Conjectures
“ would be receiv’d by an Architect,
“ who knew how thofe Buildings
“ were put together, Stone by Stone,
cc or a Ship Carpenter, confcious how
“ Beam was added to Beam, and
tc Plank to Plank in the Fabrick,
tc with the fame Slight that Mr.
£c LewenhoecTi s muft, by a wife and
cc difcerning Naturalift. The Truth
<c is, this Notion, like fome others,
ec was the more readily admitted,
cc as it feem’d to give an obvious
cc and eafy Solution of the Difficulty
<c of the Formation of the Body of
cc Man, and of other Animals ;
“ whereas, if it be rightly attended
“ to, ’twill be found only an Amufe-
“ ment and Elufion ; thefe Animal-
a cures being no other than mere
.££ Vermin s
The Tran/lator s Introduction '.
u Vermin; the like of which are
tc produced in the other Fluids of
<c the Body, and in various Liquids
‘c without. Tho’, be all that as it
will, for what I am here about to
Cc advance depends not upon it, but
££ Hands wholey on its own Bottom,
££ That Machine, the Syjiem of Blood-
C£ Veffels, continues to do the fame
tc Office, as well afcer the Body of
££ the Creature is compleated, as be-
“ fore, ’till it be brought, in Con-
“ clufion, to foil Growth, and Ma-
££ turity, nay even thence on to the
£c End of its Life. The Artery es
£c Hill convey that Blood out of
££ which the nutritious Matter is de-
£C tach’d, and annexed to the Parts
££ for their Suftenance; to which
£C End a Branch, from fome main
££ Trunk, is allotted to each Part
£C for its Service and Supply. This
£< Branch is provided with Organs
£C fitted to difpenfe, forth of the
K common Mafs, only fch Sorts of
tc Matter as are proper for the Fa-
tc brick and Compolition of that par-
:c ticular Part ; each Part being of
>c peculiar Conftitution, and Subftance
t£ differing from the reft e. gr. a
“ Mufcle
2 6 The TranfJators Introduction.
cc Mufcle from the Liver, this Bowel
£C from the Brain : and, to be fhort,
cc the various conftituent fudordinate
cc Parts of thefe, and the reft, differ-
cc ing commonly each from other.
£C Every the minuteft Part hath thus
cc alloted it a Branch of an Artery,
<c conducting and directing the Nou-
C£ rifhment to it : and, by Means
cc of particular Organs in it, difpatch-
cc ing forth, and annexing to it, on-
“ ly fuch Corpufcles as fuit the pe-
<c culiar Nature of that very Part
<c Then the faid Branch is likewife
u fo fram’d as to regulate the Order
<c of thofe Corpufcles, to range them
cc in proper Method, and limit the
£C Diftribution of them, in fuch Man-
iC ner that each of the feveral Parts
cc attains a Subftance, Texture, Bulk,
cc and Figure, proper, and fuiting to
u its Office and Ule. The minuteft:
£c Part in the Compages of each
cc Limb, Member, or Organ, thorow-
cc out all the whole Body, is provi-
“ ded
£ “ T^he various Fluids, of the Body , the
11 Lympha, the Bile, and the reft are fecreted
u and turnd out of the common Mafs of the
“ Blood , by a much like Mechanzfm *
R
T’hc Tpanflators Introduction.
ded with a Branch of an Artery,
making fuch a Detachment of the
Nourithment, fuch an Ele&ion of
<c Matter thence as is fit for the con-
“ ftituting of that Part, and fuch a
^ Circumfcription and Limitation of
it to proper Bounds. Every thing
throughout the whole Frame is
^ traofacted, thus, with a perfect
and abfolute Geometry and Me^*
u chanifm : and, without this Con-
* trivance, no Part could be of Spe-
* cific Nature, and Structure, of a
peculiar Size and Figure, or fitted
^ to a particular Ufe. The very
‘c Artery es themfelves are not form’d,
^ nourilE’d, and fupported, but by
fuch a Mechanifm and Contrivance.
cc Our Microfcopes fihew us, in all
cc Parts of the great Arteryes, a fe-
cond fmaller Order of Arteryes,
“ ferving for the Diftribution, Lledi-
on, and Limitation ©f the Matter
out of which is form’d and nou-
4C rifh’d each Part of the larger Ar~
*c teryes. This fecond Order of Ar-
“ teryes appear manifeftly to be of as
c Specific Conflitution, and regular
“ Fabrick, as thofe of the firft Order :
and thefe could no more attain
“ this
L
b 8 *Ihe Tranflators IntroduUion .
cc this, than thofe of the firft Order
cc could, without a like fubordinate
<c Mechanical Miniftration, or a third
fC Order. Nor can this third Order
cc be framed, and continual v nourifh’d*
<c without a fourth : or that without
tc a fifth : and fo on to a fiftyth, or as
cc many more as can be fuppos’d.
<c But it’s plain thefe cannot be in-
cc finite $ we muft come, at length,
<c to one laft Order : and that can-
cc not, itfelf, or by its own Power,
<c attain fuch a Diftribution, Eledtion,
cc and Limitation of nutritious Mat-
ter, as to be its own Framer and
cc Maker ,* any more than the firft
CQ Order can, or indeed than the
*c Whole can, or a Man make him-
cc felf. For ’tis certainly as e.afy to
cc conceive the whole Body, as any
cc the minuteft Part, forming and fuf-
cc tainingits felf without the Affiftance
€c of proper Organs and Inftruments.
cc The fmalleft Part is, as to Texture,
Figure, and Conftitution, exadly
cc regular, and compos’d, with Art,
<c to anfwer an End.* If any fuch
<f Part can form itfelf, or be form’d
cc without the Aid or Miniftry of
' “ fomething without, a fecond may
' ? likewife.
i
T’he ’Tranjlatof s IntroduBioru 29
<c likevvife, and a third, nay all the
ec reft of even the whole Syjiem ; fo
“ that there would be no Need of
cc an Egg, with its Machine, to be-
“ gin, and carry on that Work.
cc Which is apparently as impoflible
<c as that a Palace fhould be rais’d
tc without any Builder, or a Watch
cc produced without a Maker. So
cc that for the Formation and Sufte-
“ nance of this laft Order of Arteryes,
“ the Concourfe of fome other exte-
<c rior Caufe is abfolutely neceftary.
cc This is in it felf fo evident and
“ plain, that I cannot fee how it can
tc be withftood, or evaded by any
<c Subtilty or Artifice whatsoever.
£c One thing I ought not to pafs over Occafiomly
“ without Notice. Among other °f the Car-
“ Fictions, introduced into the Phi
<c lofophy of the laft Age, there was//,-, J
<c one that became a great Subject
<c of Speculation ; I mean the Materia
tc fubtilis of the Cartefians. The
<c Votaries of this, like thofe of the
tc Animal Spirits, have never offer’d
cc any the leaft Proof of even its
“ Exiftence. They only fet forth the
“ Imploys and Offices they deftin’d it
“ to j nay, and without ever going
“ about
The Tranjlatofs Introduction*
<c about fo much as to fhew how
it was fitted to anfwer and execute
<c them. That thefe Gentlemen may
not bewilder themfelves here, or
<c imagine that fome fuch Fluid Mat-
ter, without, may, in fome Way,
cc operate upon, and fupport this laft
*c Order or Arteryes, I fhall add
*c Cometh ing on this Subjed. I know
cf well they fuppofe their Materia
cc fubtilis to be infinitely fubtil, pe-
netrant, and adive : and thefe cer-
<c tainly are exceeding fine Proper-
€C tyes ; but they cannot conduce, in
cc the leaft, to the Purpofe now un-
€C der Confideration, unlefs the Ma-
cc teria fubtilis be a free Agent, qua-
<c lify’d to proceed by Rule and Art
(C in its Work, contriving and de-
cc termining all freadyly to an End.
cc Which it never can, except it be
cc capable of Reafoning and Judg-
cc ing ,* to fuppofe which, of the
cc Materia fubtilis , would be too
cc great a Paradox. ’Tis plain there
cc can never be produced an Effed,
<c that is certain and regular, which
cc this here is, by any but a Caufe
cc that ads with Certainty and Re-
cc gularity. If it do that, and all
tc plainly
cc
it
«
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
u
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
3*
The Tranjlators Introduction.
plainly tend to a particular Purpofe,
as in the prefent Cafe, ’tis unde-
nyable that that Caufe mull operate
with Thought, Reflection, and De¬
sign. Nor can there be any Dif-
pute but that whatever that be that
a£ts this Part, and does thislaft
Office to the Organs in the Body
of Man, and Animals, it difcovers
a Power the moft abfolute, and
a Faculty of Reafoning and Judg¬
ing in the moft perfect and con-
fummate Manner that the Mind of
Man can ever poffibly comprehend.
“ Thus ’tis, we fee, certain that Inflames
there are in Nature undenyable-^rm£ t0
Proofs both of the Exiftence and eTlarm thl
the Agency of this great Being : the VivL
and that he left not hi mfelf with- ‘Procedure
out Witnefs , in that he did Good m the Go~
and gave us Rain from Heaven , ’botTthe °f
and fruitfull Seafons , filling our Moral and
Hearts with Food andGladnefs. f Natural
The Good here peculiarly fpecifyed ^br^-
is brought about by the Govern¬
ment and kindly Conduct of the
Principles and Operations of the
great Jbyfs ; to which we owe
“ particularly.
t A As xiv. 17.
cc
cc
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' /
i The l*ranJJator $ IntroduUioru
particularly, our Rains , £ the
Fmitfullnefs of the Earth, with
all the Good and Salubrity of the
Atmofphere and Air we breath,
which is indeed the Main of the
Good of Life*. The prime Spring
of thefe Operations hath been hi¬
therto a grand Secret ,* but doubt-
lefs, whenever it fhall be difcover-
ed, like Gravity, the firft Mover
and Spring in the right Ordinati¬
on of the Bodyes and Parts of the
Univerfe, as alfo like the Capilla¬
ry Veftels, the prime Organs that
fuftain all the reft in the Animal
OEconomy, this prime Spring and
Caufe of Adion in the Jbyfs will
be found immediately in the Hand
of God. But, from thefe,
and all the other Inftances that
we know, ’tis evident he thinks
fit to fkreen himfelf from common
View, to ad in great Meafure
under a Veil, fo much covered and
concealed as to be defcryed only
by thofe that fearch for him with
<c the
t Nat. Hi ft. Earth. Part. 3.
* Vide. Nat. Hi ft. Earth . illustrated , Sic,
infra p. icp, no, ma
j The Tranjlators IntroduUion •
€C the greateft Application and Atten-
cc tion : that feel after himy and find
fc him ; tho he be not far from every
Cc one of us ; for in him we livey and
move , and have our 'Being** This
cc is that God that, tho’ allotted
<c a folemn W orfhip by the Athenians $
cc Was yet realy. Unknown f, evert
cc amidft a Nation fo very much ce-
iC lebrated, in all Ages, for the Sa-
cc gacity of its Philofophers, till the
€C illuftrious Apoftle of the Gentiles
cc explained and declared him unto
cc them In which Method of
cc the Divine Procedure all Things
ce are ordered with the greateft Wif*
tc dom, with fuch Concinnity as right-
cc ly to comport together, and each
cc ad its Part in the OEconomy and
cc Adminiftration of the Whole, As
cc well in the Moral, as in the Na-
c* tural World. For, fhould that
£C mighty and powerfull Being con-
<c tinualy bare his holy Army in the
K Eyes : of all the Nations \y fhould
u he openly difplay, fhew himfelf,
c , ie and
f Ibid, V. 2$i
4 Ifai lii, io.
* Ads xvii. 27, 28.
4 Ibid, v. 23.
The Tranflator s Introduction.
£C and fhine forth in his full Luftre,’
cc ’t would fo far influence, and ftrike
u fiich a Terror and Awe, as to lay
u all Mankind under a continual Re-
cc ftraint, Force, and Compulfion.
cc Were the Cafe fo, there would be
u no Freedom of Will, nor Choice of
u Demeanour and Action : and con-
cc fequently no* juft Foundation for
cc Rewards and Punifhments, Every
cc Thing would have been thenwholey
cc under an abfolute Mechanifm, and
<c fatal Neceffity. All know theOb-
fervance and Awe that the Prefence
ce of a temporal Prince excites : and, *
cc from that, Tis not hard to judg
cc how much greater muft needs be
excited by the Prefence of a Being
fo vaftly fuperior, fo holy, and juft,
as well as infinite in Wifdom and
cc Power. Nor is this a Pofition ei-
tc ther new, or that wants Confirma-
cc tion. So far from it, that 'tis fupport-
cc ed by the higheft Authority : and we
have an Oracle, of ail others the mo ft
cc undoubted, pronouncing, and decla-
Cv ring exprefly to that immenfe Be-
cc ing, Verily thou art a God that hi -
deft thy /elf i 0 God of Ifraeft the
? Saviour!
I
^he Tr anflator s Introduction.
K Saviour \! The fteady con-
(C ftant Supporter of the Frame of Na-
tt ture being thus general y, as it were,
tt retired, not difclofing himfelf at
Jt every Turn, and never but on ex¬
traordinary Occafions, fuch as the
‘‘ Re-forming and Nevy-moduling the
“ Earth, at the Deluge, fo as to
“ make it conduce to the Reclaim¬
ing of the degenerous Race of Man¬
kind, or as the Promulgation
of fome new important Doctrine,
as firft that of Mofes, and after¬
wards that of Chrifi ; but, othfer-
wife, making the eftablifhed Law
“ of Nature the Handing Rule of his
“ Conduct and ordinary Providence;
“ I fay, things being thus ordered
“ and appointed, fome there are who,
“ deporting themfelves commonly in
“ Life in fuch Sort that they may
“ have Reafonto hope and with that
“ there was no God, Men rafh. dar-
“ ing, prefuming on their own Parts,
“ tho’ meer Speculators in Philofophy,
“ having only a fuperficial Know-
“ ledge, as looking not deeper than
c 2 “ the
i Jfai . xlv. 15.
3 6 ' *The Tran/lator's IntrodnUion .
“ the Outfide of Things, and fo fall-
cc ing far fhort of the Notices they
Cc might obtain of the true Agent and
Caufe, did they fearch deeper, have
“ afcribed all to blind Chance, and
“ fuppofed there was no God. This
tc is the grand Source of that Atheifm,
“ Infidelity, and Preemption, that
“ muft, in Hiftory, call fuch a Sully
46 and Blemifli on both the Intellects
<s and Morals of the prefent Age,
which will be found to have fur-
4C palled any of the precedent, as
<c in Opiniatry, fo in thefe ill-groun-
ded and licentious Principles”.
In the EJfay , and this Defenfe , which I
have now made Englifh and publiflied,
the Author hath laid before us many
great Monuments, and Proofs, at this
Day extant, and vifible in all Parts
of the Earth, of the Truth and Cer¬
tainty of every individual Article
throughout the whole Mofaic Narra¬
tive of the Deluge ; evincing that
every Thing happen’d in the very
Manner that the Sacred Writer hath
there reprefented. In particular the
DeftruCtion of the Primitive Earth :
and, from Reflections on the Condi¬
tion and various Phenomena of the
Bones,
The Tranflators Introduction.
Bones, 1 eeth, and Shells of Sea-Fifhes,
of the Plants, and other Remains of the
ProduCtions'of that Earth, preferv’d in
this, ’tis made evident that the Fabrick
and Confutation of it was direftly fuch
as Mofes has fet forth : and that thofe
who have prefum’d to recede from
his Account of it, have at the fame
Time receded as far from Nature
and Fadt. f By conferring his Re¬
lation of the primitive Earth with
what follows from Obfervations made
on the prefent Earth, ’tis made ap¬
parent that the Procefs in the For¬
mation of both was the very fame.
Then, from comparing the two Earths,
the old, and new, and thereby dis¬
covering that the Difference lay only
in Degree of Fruitfullnefs, ’tis made
evident that the Defign of the De¬
luge was the very fame that Mofes
has affign d, viz* to deftroy, not on¬
ly that profligate Race of Men, but
likewife the Earth itfelf, in Order
to retrench the greater Fruitfullnefs
of it j which, how rightly foever it
might fuit a State of Innocence, after
c 3 the
t Nat. Eift. Earth. Part. z. and 6.
38
The Tranflators Introduction '.
the Fall, furnifti’d forth fo plenti¬
ful! and exuberant Supply of what
was then fo unhappily turn’d to the
Luxury and Vices of its then Inha¬
bitants. In which whole Tranfadtion
we have a moft illuftrious Inftance
of the Goodnefs of God? and of his
efpecial Regard to humane Kind.
For, after Man, for whofe Ufe it was
firft form’d, had made fo great a
Change in his Nature and Difpofition,
It was of the higheft Importance that
the Difpofition and Conftitution of
the Earth fhould be changed too,
its Fertility abated, and Things iiiited
to his now frail laps’d State. From
the fame Obfervations ’tis made clear
that the Deluge was brought on at
the very Seafon and Time of the
Year that Mofes has fet forth : that
it was Univerfal, and that all the
high Hills that were under the whole
Heavens were cover d: t and that,
as the Syftem of Nature then was,
and now is, eftablifli’d, nothing of
all this could ever poffibly have hap¬
pen’d without the immediate Con-
courfe
f Gen- vii, 19.
39
The Trctnflators Introduction.
courfe and Interpolation of a Super¬
natural Power ; all which Mofes had
before alferted.
-
This Atteftation of Nature to the
Mofaic Account, and the ftriCt Ac¬
cord that there is betwixt them in eve¬
ry individual Article, duely weigh’d,
gives juft Grounds for what the Author
of thefe Papers elfewhere * fuggefts,
that both came from the fame Hand .
I confefs, when I began rightly to
confider this, it caus’d in me not a
little Surprize,* which yet increas’d
on my conferring with the Author
upon the Occalion, and reflecting on
thofe Things that he then imparted to
me, which, ’tis4 to be hop’d, will be
one Day communicated to the Publick.
Among, thefe was a Palfage out of
his larger Work ; which, giving me
great Satisfaction, I perfwade my felf
’twill give not lefs to others, and
therefore I take the Liberty to com¬
municate it, as I have done three al¬
ready, in his own Words.
cc ’Tis not poffible for any rational jccouuTof
Man to think that Mcfes could ever the Deluge
fall into the Particulars of the Ac- nftjtfrom
Chance, or
‘The Mofaic
<c
cc
c 4
count
Fancy
* Nat . Hi ft. Earth . Part, vi. Sub . fin .
40
j The Tranjlators Introduction.
count he hath fet forth of the De-
* luge, by meer Chahce : or advance
C 6 it oniy from Conjecture and Fan~
* cy, We need no further Proof of
this, than duely to reflect on thofa
** two great Articles of that Account,
** the Univerfality of the Deluge, and
*c the Deftru&ion of the Earth. So
far would thefe be from coming of
themfelves into the Thoughts of
** any Man, that they are more like-*
ly" oven to amaze and aftonifh him
2 when propofed. The Truth is, he
“ who can bring himfelf to think
2 that Mqfes could ever (tumble or
pitch on thefe by meer Chance,
u may as eafily, and with full as
u great Shew of Probability, think
<£ that he could draw all the Fea-
44 tures of fome Man, or the Map of
a Country, without ever having
<c feen or heard of either : nay, that
fC an Handfull of the Letters of the
*c Alphabet, call in Metall, and
flung out at Random, might, by
'c Chance, fall into fuch a Series,
and Order of Words as exactly to
c< compofe his Narration and Account
of the Deluge,
Nor
The Tranflators lntrodu'ction. 41
tc Nor could Mofes receive that Norfrom
Account from Tradition : or from ‘Tradition,
any Records, or Hiftorys then rc-or Records;
maining and extant. There could
not any fuch he poiflbly made, or
drawn up. In fuch a Deluge as,
f( we fee plainly, from Nature, real-
ly happen’d, no Creature, in which
f( was the Breath of Lite, could ever
“ be preferv’d, but by fome fuch
Means as Mofes has fet forth. 'Tis
“ true, Men floating in an Ark, or
other like Veflel, might fee a few
Miles round them ; tho’, according
to the Mofaic Relation, which is
“ highly confentaneous to Reafon,
“ the better to guard and fecnre thole
“ fliut up in it, from the Rain and
“ horrible Tempefts without, the Ark
“ was fo clos’d that Noah could not
“ do even that. But, if all had been
“ open, they could never fee to any
“ great Diftance : and much lefs dif-
“ cern that the Water overflow’d and
* ‘ inviron’d the whole Globe. Now
“ what they could not poiflbly attain
“ any Knowledge, or Information
“ of, themfelves, they could not
tranfmit to others, or hand down
V. Records of it to Pofterity. Far
cc more
\
c
i
i
t
t
c
(
c
Nor from
Obferva- «
tions ofNa-t c
*
€
€
(
£
CC
cc
CC
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
The Tranflatofs Introduction.
more impracticable was it ftill for
them to judge of what was tranf-
aCting underneath that mighty Mafs
of Water, or to get Intelligence
of the Definition of the Earth,
that was at the Bottom of it, vaft-
ly out of all humane Reach and
View.
“ Neither could Mofes collect
thefe, and the other Propofitions
that he has 'deliver’d, as we, at
this Day, evidently^ may, from
Obfervation of the prefent State of
Things in the Earth, and Inferen¬
ces from them. Our Commerce,
and Navigation quite round the
whole Globe, gives us Opportunity
of examining, and fearching into
it, in every Quarter, and on all
Sides : and the Shells, and other
Spoils of the Sea, that thofe Searches
fhew, in even the firmed Stone,
and hardefl Foffils, to the very
Tops of the higheft Mountains,
and to the Bottoms of the deepeft
Mines, in every Part of the Globe,
give Proof, and Evidence, of the
Unlverfality of the Deluge, and
of the Definition of the Earth,
beyond all Queflion or Doubt. But
“ Mofes
j the Tranflators Introduction*
€c Mcfes could not know this. For
ec if, as he might, he had made fuch
cc Obfervations in /Egypt , Midi an •>
cc and Arabia , the only Countrys
cc where he ever was, in all which
thefe Marine Bodies are, to this
cc Day, actually found, yet, from
cc View and Examination of fo fmall
cc a Part of it, he could reafonably
cc infer Nothing as to the whole
<c Globe, the umiverfai overflowing
cc of it, the Deftruftion of its Frame,
€c and total Diffolution of the Com-
cc Pages of it. . 'Eratofthenes , Hero -
cc dotus , and others amongft the An-
cc tients, took Notice, as well as we,
cc of thefe Marine Bodies at Land,*
cc but they never dream’d of an Uni-
cc verfal Deluge, or extended their
<c Thoughts farther than meerly the
<€ Places where they were found ;
tC which thofe Authors prefently con-
“ eluded had been formerly the Bot-
<c tom of the Sea, and that this, re-
<c treating' thence, had left thefe Bo-
<c dyes behind. As Mofes's own Ob-
<c fervations could give him little
cc Light into this Affair, fo he could
u receive as little from others then
*c Living. Studyes of this fort had
44
The 'TranJIators Introduction.
tc not obtain’d in thofe early Times.
<c The World was not then thorow-
“ ly fettled. Things fuflficiently efta-
“ blifh’d, or Arts fo far advanc’d as
<c to afford Leifure to Curiolity, or
*' fuch Kinds of Speculation. Thefe
tc prevailed not till many Ages after-
“ wards. Tho’ indeed, had Mo/es
tc been ever fo curious or inquifitive,
“ it would have been to little Effebt,
<c as he mud have wanted A'fiftance
<c to carry his Enquiries on to a fuffi-
“ cient Extent. Navigation was then
cc in its Infancy, and the Sailing, in
cc thofe Times, and a great while
K afterwards, chiefly near the Shores,
<c from Port to Port; the Mariners
cc Compafs, by which we are con-
cc dudted in our long Voyages, be-
16 ing not found out. Indeed there
‘c was then only a fmall and very
tf inconfiderable Part of the World
K known ; whereas Mofes could not
tc have Intelligence fufficient to found
tc Propofitions of fo great Extent up-
“ on without Accounts and Obferva-
“ tions procur’d from Countries the
“ mod diftant, and even Antipodes
tl- to thofe he had feen, from the re-
“ moteft Part of Jfrica , and Europe ,
<c from
T’he Tranflators Introduction . 4 j
<c from China, and even from Jbne~
“ Wtf itfelf J in all which Parts
“ thefe Marine Bodies are found in
cc great Numbers j tho’ ’twas altoge-
“ ther impracticable for him to ob-
tc tain the leaft Notice of them.
“ Now ’tis plain, if Mofes could hutfrom
not tall into thele two great im -Revelation*
cc portantand wonderfull Propositions,
by Chance : if he could not come
to the Knowledge of them from
<<r Records, Hiftory, or the Tradi-
<c tion of former Ages : or by Infe¬
rence from perfonal Observations,
cc and Searches made in his own Times,
€c which ’tis evident he never could,
there remains only one \Vay more
<c of coming to the Knowledge of
them, which is by Divine Reve¬
lation, and their being comunica-
ted to him by the great Author of
all this mighty and even ltupen-
cc dous TranfaCtion, along with tho
cc weighty Motives that lead to it,
the Extirpation of an enormoufly
wicked Generation, and making
cc fuch a Change in the Earth and
its Productions as Should difpofe the
cc enfuing Race to Better. Nor does
Mofes any where go about to re-
cc ferr
4 6
CC
cc
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
*fhe fame
further e- cc
vine' d from cc
the Mofaic, cc
Jlccount of
the Abyfs : cc
and of the cc
immenfe cc
Quantity ,
of Water
fent thence u
at the 2)e- cc
luge.
CC
1 he Tranjlator's Introduction.
ferr to Tradition, or Obfervations ;
but openly acknowledges that the
Light, he had into this whole
Affair, was from the Source here
affign’d, and no other ; of which
there is, we fee, the nrmeft Proof
that can be had of any Thing
whereof we have not abtuai Evi¬
dence of Senfe, and which is not
now in TranfaCtion before our Eyes.
Nor is this, by many, the only
Inftance we have how directly and
almoft unavoidably a right and ac¬
curate Contemplation of the Works
of Nature leads us to the Difcovery
and Knowledge of the Author of it.
tc To the two Inftances alledg’d
above, the Univerfalitv of the De¬
luge, and the Deltrubtion of the
Earth, may, with equall Juftice,
and Certainty, be added a third,
I mean what Mofes has deliver’d
concerning the great Jl/jfs, the
exceeding Prevalency of its Waters,
and the vaft Height to which they
rofe above the Earth*. He could
no -more have fallen into the No-
“ tion
* Gen . viii. iB. i 24.
1
47
The Tranjlators Introduction]
“ tion of this Propofition by Chance* •
cc than of either of the others. Nor
tc could he obtain Notice of it from
“ Tradition or Records : nor from
cc Obfervations ; any more than he
“ could the Notice of thofe two.
tC The Abyfslyes wholey in the Dark,
*c Unit up and conceal’d from all Mor-
<c tal Eyes. Arijlotle , and the reft
<c of even the mod fagacious of the
cc Greek Philofophers, knew nothing
<c of it : and the very firft Difcovery
tc of it is owing to the Mofaic Wri-
<c tings. As to the Water being fent
<c thence out of the Earth, in fo great
tc Quantity, and rais’d to fuch Height,
<c they who were in the Ark could
<c not be confcious or any ways fenli-
<c ble of it themfeives : and there-
<c fore could not fend down any Ac-
“ count of it to others, or to Pofteri-
“ ty. Nor could Mofes inferr this
<c from Obfervation, any more than
cc either of the other Propolitions.
cc The firft fure Intelligence we had
cc from Nature of fuch an Abyfs was
<c drawn from comparing the Hiftoryes
cc of the Earth-quakes that have hap-
tc pen’d in all Ages, and confidering
* the Operations of the Jbyfs in the
“ Production
<fhe 'franjlators Introduction .
« Production of them f. The won-
« derfully great Height to which the
tc Water of the Jbyfs mult have
tc rifen, above the Surface of the
** Earth, is made out from Reflection
<c on the regular Difpofition of the
“ Strata, on every Side the G lobe, each
<c upon other, to the greateft Depth
“ we ever d;g or mine. To range
tc all thefe, in fuch Method, by means
K of Water, in Quantity fufficient
cc for all the Materials that compofe
<c thofe Strata to fublide in, fo as to
cc be repoflted in the orderly Manner
£C we now find them, would require
<c a Bulk of that Fluid fo immenfely
“ great as would furpafs all humane
K Thought, and Imagination, were
“ there not at this day extant fo clear
cc and unqueftionable Proofs of it as
“ thofe Strata themfelves every where
cc give*. Nor was Mofes aware mere-
££ ly of the Exiftence of the great -
tc SDeep, or Jbyfs : and this enor-
“ mous Excurfion of it. at the De-
“ luge.
t Nat. Hijl. Earth. Part. iii. . #
* Of this, there isfomething offer'd in the Nat.
wji: Earth iliuftrated pag. 9 6 £5? Seq. infra.
cc
cc
CC
CC
cc
cc
cc
The Tranflators Introduction .
luge. He was as well appriz’d of
the whole Theory of it : its Inter*
courfe with the Atmofphere : its
cc numerous and great Ufes in the
Natural World : and, particularly,
cc how far it contributes to the Pro*
<c dudtion of Things ferviceable to
cc the Life of Man 4 which he there-
C£ fore files Tlejfmps of the Abyfs or
‘Deep that lyeth under the Earth
an Expreffiom of high Emphafis,
but little hitherto underftood, by
any of his Interpreters, by Reafort
of their Want of Knowledge of
the OEconomy and Operations of
this great Subterranean Referva-
tory *
Now that my hand is Iri, and that
the Author, of his wonted commit
nicative Difpofition, has given me
Leave, I fhall take, out of the fame
*Work, two Paragraphs more; the one
relating to the Curfe of the Ground, \
and the Production of Thorns and
Thiftles , fet forth by Mofes on Oc-
cafion of the Fall of Adam : the
other, to the Life of Animals beini
featei
cc
cc
cc
cc
% Gen. xlix. 2 5. Confer. N. H. Barth illuflr a*
ted, pag, 106", to kii? infra.
5°
Of theCurfe
denounc'd
upon the
Earth, on
Account of
the Fall of
Adam.
The ‘Tran/lators Introduction.
feated in the Blood. In this laft are
feveral Experiments and Obfervations
made in the Diife&ion of Live-Ani¬
mals. The Author, judging thefe too
long to be printed here, would have
retrench’d them. I have taken the
Liberty to differ from him : and flat¬
ter my feif that I fhall be join’d
by every Reader who is curious, and
inquiiitive into a Matter that I cannot
but think highly worthy of Confidera-
tion.
cc Gen. III. 17, 18, 1 9. U?ito
a Adam he faid , becaafe thou baft
cC eaten of the Tree of which I com*
cc manded thee faying^ thou jh alt not
cc eat of if curfed is the Ground
cc for thy Sake , in Sorrow (halt thou
cc eat of it all the Days of thy Life .
CG Thorns alfo and I hifiles jhall it
<c bring forth to thee : and thou (halt
cc eat the Herb of the Field . In the
cc Sweat of thy Face (halt thou eat
cc "Bread till thou return unto the
cc Ground. I cannot readily fall in-
cc to their Sentiments t who imagin
“ that
| Vide Bafil. Hexam. Horn. 5. D. Augu
ftin de Geneii contra Manich. 1. i. c. 13.
*The T ranflators Introduction* 5 1
cc that Thorns and Thiftles were firft
produced upon this Occafion : and
that there were none, in Being, till
after the Fall of ddam; any more
than that the Rainbow had never Ooeafionaly
appear’d till the Covenant, ma fetftheOri-
with Noah, after the Deluge, which SZaJow:
fome have likewife fancy’d. This and its be -
tc is a Phenomenon produc’d ac»*»£ appoin-
cording to the ordinary and efta -teAifor a 7
blifh’d Laws of Nature : and muft, o/th^Cove*
of Courfe, happen, as well before nant made
the Deluge, as after it, as often w^N°ah*
as the Rays of the Sun were return’d
back to the Eye refra&ed and re¬
flected by innumerable Drops of
falling Rain, in the Manner fet
forth and demonftrated by the great
M. Des Cartes* , and fome others
cc fince. Nor could there ever have
been appointed a more proper To¬
ken, and Sign of that Covenant,
than this is. There was no need
cc of produceing a Thing that had
€C never had Exiftence before : or of,
cc every now and then, working a
“ Miracle in Confirmation of that
€c Covenant. This was not at allrea-
d 2 Cf fonable
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
* Meteoric, 8. Dioptric, c. 6. Se£h 5.
52
6c
/ cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
Cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
CC
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
l
cc
cc
'Thorns cc
and Thifiles cc
/'« cc
gree, to put “
the Curfe , cc
c/z £C
Earth, in
Execution.
cc
! The Tranjlators IntroducU on*
fonable, or agreeable to the Me¬
thods us’d in the Adminiftratioii
and Government of the World.
Any great illuftrious (landing na¬
tural Token would be fufficient,
fuch as the Sun, for Example : and,
as often as that was feen in the
Heavens, it might have well ferv’d
as a Monument of this perpetual
Covenant, lb long as that glorious
Body (Ball fhine and ejdff. But
nothing could have been pitch’d up¬
on that was fo natural, fo fit, and
dired to the Piirpofe, as the Rain¬
bow ; which is wont to be exhi¬
bited in the Conclufion and Going
off of Rain. For ’twas Rain that,
comeing on, ufher’d in that great
Cataftrophe, the Deluge : and the
Rainbow, happening on the Cefla-
tion of Rain, was the moft proper
Memorial of fuch a Covenant as
could ever poflibly have been made
Choice of As to Thorns and
Thirties, tho’, in my Subterranean
Searches, among the various nume¬
rous Vegetable Remains of the Ori¬
ginal Earth that I met with inclos’d
and preferv’d in the Stoney and other
Strata, I cannot recoiled that I oh-
u ferv’d
53
! The Tran/Iators Intrcchiclioii *
k*
'c ferv’d any of thefe; yet I do not
[* doubt but, if Inquiry was again
'C made, with particular Regard to
^ thefe, great Numbers would be
‘c found. The rather, becaufe there
are daily difcover’d, under-Ground,
:c Plants of thofe Kinds that now as
:c much incumber the Earth, and are
:c of full as little Worth. I might
I£ allege others, but (hall pitch upon
c the Fern-Kind for Example of this;
;c fince no Plant whatever occurrs in
,c Stone in greater Plenty, or Variety,
Ethan fhe Fern. Which yet is o£
c as little known Ufe as perhaps any
:c the meaneft upon Earth. Notwith-
c handings it is fo very exuberant,
c produces a Cron, of Seeds, fo mcre-
c dibly great, and fpreads fo fall, that
,c neither 1 horns, nor Thirties, nor
,c indeed any one Kind of Weed
,c whatfoever, has fo great a Share
c of the Globe in its Poifeliion as this
c has. But, tho’ Thorns and Thirties
c were not iirrt brought forth inline-
c diately after the Curfe, ’twas eafy
c to God, and they might be then
c render’d more mifchievous, trouble-
4 fome, and molefting than before.
c They might have new Powers and
d 3 Property es
*
54. The Tran/lators Introduction .
- ec Propertyes fuperadded : and, in par¬
se ticniar, fuch as fhould render them
« more prolific than the better. Kinds
cf of Vegetables and thofe of greateft
' cc Ufe, more apt to propagate, dif-
iC perfe tremfelves abroad, and over-
tc run the Ground, And ’ris but too
cc obvious to obferve with how great
cc Eafe and Freedom Weeds, and
“ worthlefs Vegetables, nay fome
M that appear to have little in them
cc befides what is noxious and hurt-
‘c full, run on, and multiply : and
“ with how much Pains and Difficul-
c£ ty, the more necelfary and ufefull
tc are rais’d and increas’d. Indeed
“ ’twill be eafy to difcern how this
cc comes about if we look a litle up-
w on the Seeds of the one, and the
u other : and obferve how much grea-
“ ter natural Provifion is made for the
tc Growth of Weeds, and the Diftri-
tc bution and Conveyance of their
(C Seeds to all Places, than for the
“ Seeds of Plants of the higheft Ufe,
fifties per- cc and Benefit. For Example hereof
ticnlarty fc j wj}[ it;ch
upon the Seeds of
$°pj cr , Cc an(j j-hofe of Thirties ; the
{C one the mort ferviceabie, the other
?c the mort detrimental to Mankind,
and
\
Tbe Translator s Introduction.
<c and particularly pointed out by
<c Mojes , fo that it is the more pro-
cc per to inftance in. For the Growth
4C of the Seed or Grain of Wheat, it
cc requires that it be lodg’d at fome
ec Depth in the Earth ; to which it
‘c cannot eafily get without humane
<c Affiftance. ’Tis plain it can only
Cc fhead, and fall down, from the
xc Ear, directly upon the Surface of
<c the Ground ,• where it would be ex-
cc pos’d, and ready to be prey’d upon
cc and devour’d by Birds, Field-Mice,
cc and various other Vermin : or per-
cc haps, ly till it perilh’d and rotted,
Cc without ever fructifying, or coming
Cc up,* mifcarrying for want of being
u cover’d with Earth. But the Seeds
cc of Thirties prefently ftrike down
Cc Roots into the Ground, where-ever
cc they happen to light: and need no
cc fuch. Care and Aid. Then thefe
cc Seeds have greatly the Advantage
cc of thofe of Wheat, as to their na-
cc tural Difpofition to be fow’d, diftri-
cc buted about, and convey’d to all
cc Places. The Grains of Wheat are,
cc we know, much larger, and more
£C ponderous, than the Seeds of Thi-
€C files are: and have not, like them,
d 4 cc an
I
5 6 7* he Tranjlators Introduction*
<c aa Appendage to remove and carry
cc them from the Spot where they
<c grow. So that they muft all fall
down, like a dead Weight, at the
cc Root of the Plant, that bore them,
,.-*c without being inabled to ftir farther,
cc or fliift each to a Place proper for
cc their Reception, and Growth. But
cc the Cafe is much otherwife with the
cc Seeds of Thiftles. Thefeare (mail,
cc and light. Nay, which is more,
cc they have a fine downy Train, a
4C fort of very light Plume, extended
to many Times the Dimenfions of
cc the Body of the Seed. By means
cc of this they are buoy’d up, and
£c wafted about, by any the leaft Puff
£c of Wind : born from Place to Place,
and tranfplanted to every Quarter
and Corner of the Field where the
<c Parent^Thi file grew. Infomuch that,
cc at fueh Time as this Plant is at Ma-
cc turity, the Seeds loofe, and dif-
£c pos a to fall off, ’tis common to fee
large Fields cover’d all over with
*c them, after any little Wind : and a
tc White Mantle, difplay’d over the
H whole Surface of the Ground, con-
filling only of thefe Seeds with their
white downy Appendages. Indeed
"tis
57
The Tranflators Intro chief ion.
‘c ’tis the final and only Ufe of thofe
cc Appendages thus to wing and con-
a vey their Seeds about every where.
<c Nor ought it to be pafs’d over with-
“ out Regard, that there are vaft
“ Odds as to the Multiplication of
<c their Seeds ; a much greater Num-
(i ber of them being ordinarily pro-
duced by one fmall Seed of a Thi-
<c file, when planted in the Earth,
“ than by a Grain of Wheat. We
c need not go far for Example and
“ Proof of this. The Carlina Syl-
cc veftris , a Thi/He, that abounds ex-
• (C ceedingly in Kent, and likewife,
<c on the other Side the Thames, in
“ Ejjex, bears ordinarily 20, nay 30,
ee or 40 Heads, each holding in it
100, or perhaps 150 diliintt Seeds.
cc The Acanthium Vulgar e, is ftill
“ nearer us, and in View of all, pre-
<c fenting itfelf every where in the
<c Neighbourhood of. this City: and
tc with yet more numerous Heads,
“ fometimes to above an Hundred,
<{ each of the larger holding in it be-
tc twixt 3 and 4 Hundred Seeds. In
*c Order to the palling fome Judgment
of the Propagation of this, let it be
“ fuppo-
8
j The 'Tranflator s Introduction*
cc fuppofed, at a Medium, that one
<c Seed produces only bo Heads : and
“ that each of them holds but 300
<c Seeds. Now, in Cafe thofe all
€C take rightly, come up, and frutti-
“ fy, then one Seed will produce, at
<c the firft Crop, 24 Thoufand. Thofe,
cc fucceeding in like Manner, will
cc produce 57 6 Millions of Seeds for
“ the fecond Crop. This is an In-
“ creafe fo enormous as could hardly
“ be imagined : and ’tis plain that,
cc from a very few Crops more, would
£c be furnifh’d forth a Number of Seeds
<c fo immenfely great as, if not hin-
<c dered by fome Means, but carryed
“ regularly on, every Way, would,
cc in a very fhort Time, flock the
“ whole Globe fo as fcarcely to leave
“ Room for the Growth of any Thing
cc elfe : and all thefe the Defendants
“ of only one fingie original Seed.
“ Than which there needs not a more
“..firm and convincing Proof how tru-
“ ly Thirties are, in their Nature,
“ difpofed to put in Execution that
cc Curfe : any more than how great
“ and fignal the Provocation mud
“ have been that drew it down fo
unhap^
!
CC
cc
fC
<c
cc
CC
CC
cc
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
cc
cc
<C
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
•
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
The Tranjlators Introduction.
unhappyly on the Earth, and Hu¬
man-Kind. The Carduus ‘Polya-
canthus ' Parkinfoni is as frequent
and obvious in the Grounds about
T 'own, and falls not fhort of even
the precedent in the Number of its
Heads. But fome Thirties, belides
that of their Seeds, have alfo other
Wayes of planting and propagating
themfelves. Thus the Ceanothosy
or Carduus Vulgcitijfimus Tdarum,
befides the numerous and almoit
infinite Seeds it carts forth, all
plumed and prepared for Flight,
hath its Roots fpreading and fhoot-
ing to great Lengths, even for fe-
veral Yards, all round, and fend¬
ing up Suckers, or new Plants, on
every Side. In a little while thefe
fend up others: and they, more,
without Tale or End. Infomuch"
that, by this Method alone, and
befides the Seeds, one Plant will
over-run a vaft Trad of Land, in
a very fhort Time ; fuppreffing fti-
fleing and deftroying all other, •
however good and ufefull Herbage,
wherever this once gets Footing.
But, befides, ’tis not every Soil, or
Trad of Land, that contains in it
cc terre-
59
(Jo
The Tran/lators Introduction.
cc terreftrial Matter fit for the Forma-
cc tion and Nouriihment of Wheat:
tc nay fcarcely any will fend it forth,
cc in fufficient Quantity, without Com-
<c pofl and Manure, whereby the
cc Land is furnifti’d with a freih Sup-
cc ply of that peculiar Sort of Matter
cc out of which the Body of this Com
cc is form’d. * Whereas there is hard-
cc iy any Ground or Soil whatfoever,
cc high or low. Hill, Valley, or Plain,
cc where Thirties will not take and
cc flouri ill faff enough. Which Oiews
cc us plainly that there is far greater
cc Plenty and Provision made, every
cc where, of that fort of Matter which
<c ferves for the Conftituteing of Thi-
<c files, and Weeds, than of Corn,
cc and other the mod noble ufefuli
cc and excellent Vegetables. Thus
cc Things apparently are, as we all
tc find to our Sorrow, in the prefent
CG Earth. In the primitive, ’tis very
cc likely they were quite otherwife:
and Plants of the better Kinds had
'cc the Advantage ; the terreftrial Ve-
u ge table
*Vi<h T)ifc<mrfc of Vegetation — Philos.
Tranfaet. June 169$.
tfhe Tran/lator 's Introduction. Ci
£* J
c getable Matter, that ferv’d for the
“ Formation and furnifhing forth of
fuch, being then much iupenor in
“ Quantity to that which ferv’d for
u the Formation of thofe which were
“ of lefs Value and Ufe. At ieaft
“ the Animal and Vegetable Remains
<c of that Earth fliew it to have been
*' much more fruitfull and produ&ive:£
than ours is: and the Curfe, pro-
<c nounc’d upon it, was compleated,
tc and finally accomplifh’d, at the
Deluge, f by the Diminution and
tc Retrenchment, which was then
made, of that terrefrrial vegetable
*' Matter, which before caus’d fo
“ great and exceeding Fruitfullnefs.
« “1,M;lnyJ father Inftances might be 0f Thorns,
alledged, but thefe are fufficient :
and indeed fo much hath been laid,
“ of Thirties, that I ilrall be the
" fhorter as to Thorns j the rather
becaufe a great deal of what has
“ been offer’d of thofe, as to their
“ growing in almoft any kind of
tc Soil, their running on and increafing
“ without
4: Nat. Hi ft. Earth . Part VI.
t Ibid. Part II.
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
Cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
CC
CC
cc
cc
cc
• -
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
T'be T r an flat or s IntrodiicUoiu
without Number, the troublefome
Nature and mifchievous Qualities
of thofe, holds true like wile
of Thorns. We need go no
further for Proof of this than to
the Bramble, which occurrs eve¬
ry where, and is but too forward
to Ihew itfelf in ail our Grounds,
to the Damage, Incumbrance, and
Confounding of all the Good they
produce. For this runs on amain :
and throws itfelf about without
Meafure. The Berries, it bears,
are innumerable : and each contains
in it many Seeds. Belides the
Roots pulh forwards, very faft,
under-ground, and fend up Suck¬
ers, on every Side, in great plen¬
ty ; each becomeing, in a little
Time, a Plant of itfelf. Nay
the very Branches, and Sprayes,
running on to great Lengths, and
lying upon the Ground, fend down
Roots into it ; by that means diffu-
fing themfelves about, and multi¬
plying beyond all Bounds. But, as
to Thorns, the Example I make
Choice of fhall be the Genifta
Spincfa Vulgaris-, call’d in fome
Countryes Gorfe, in others Furze ,
or
The Tranflator s Introduction,
(( or Whins. This is the vileft and
moft mifchievous Shrub on the Face
I; of the whole Harth. ’Twill let no!
<c thing thrive, or profper, or even
much as grow, near it. ’Tis fo
(c clofe fet with Pricks, that ’tis hard-
cc ly. pollible to approach it, any way,
(c without Hurt. One of our moft
eminent Botanifts* rightly obferves
(t that its Hr cinches are fet with
l fiarP tong Thorns , on all Sides, fo
cc Wick that it feemeth nothing but
cc Thorns. Another, f that on its
c Tranches are Jet, in Numbers in¬
finite, moft Jharp Trickles hurting
‘c tike Needles. ’ l'vvas for this Rea-
“ fon that the firft Writers of Plants,
very fitly, gave it the Name of
‘‘ the Scorpion, f as one of the moft
“ noxious and pernicious of them all.
<C And yet this is fo prolific that,
*' f°r almoft half the Year, ’tis even
*' loaded with Flowers, going off in
“ Pods charg’d with Seeds. Nay,
“ befides this Way of propagating it-
“ felf
* Parkinfon Theater of Plants, Tribe ?.c. to.
t Gerard. H/ft. of ‘Plants Lib. 3. c. 10.
t nQ-. Theophratf,-
H
cc
tc
cc
cc
*c
cc
CC
tfhe ^Tranjlcttors Introduction*
felf by Seeds, it fhoots forth Roots
far and near, from which fpring up
Suckers, and young Plants. Thefe,
in a little Time* fend up others, as
cc faft as the Parent whence they were
cc firft derived. So that we need the
fc iefs wonder to fee this odious Ve¬
getable, fo plentifully abounding
a! molt every where : and vaft Trades
of Land, wholey cover’d and over-
cc run with it. To all which ought
cc to be added that Tis extreamly
difficult, indeed hardly pradticahle,
ever wholey to extirpate and clear
the Ground of it, where once it
hath obtain’d and got Footing.
cc Thefe Things duely refiedted on*
Marks of a a it mu ft be allow’d that the Sen-
Curfeonthe cc |-ence upon Adam, cur fed is the
liable World cc Ground for thy Sake0 — 7 horns and
* cc cjbiftUs fcaU it bring forth to thee, ,
cc — - in the Sweat of thy Face
Jhalt thou eat 'Bread* t was effe¬
ctually put in Execution : and not
only upon him, but upon his Pofte-
rity, thorow all Ages. In the
whole Vegetable OEconomy there
. “ are
cc
cc
cc
cc
*Plahi
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
f Gen. iii. 17. 18. 19.
The Tranjlators Introduction.
H‘ are plain Indications, that Things
<c are contriv’d, difpos’d, and defign*
tc edly order’d in fuch fort that the
<c vileft and Worft of Plants fhould
tc have vaftly the Advantage of the
“ reft : that they fhould fpread, flou-
cc rifh and grow up a-main, and this
“ upon the ordinary Eftabliftiment of
u Nature, of their own Accord, and
‘c without any Alliftance ,• whilft the
'c ufefull ones require great Care,
Management and Culture. Nor is
,Q" there need of Labour and Induftry
■c meerly in the Railing and Order-
c ing of thefe,- but like wife in the
‘c Extirpating and carting -out the
c others, which not only incroach up-
c on the Ground and take up the
c Place where thefe fhould grow, but,
c running up much eafier and farter,
c ftifle and deftroy them, if not pie-
c vented by humane Toil and In-
c durtry ; which therefore is con-
ftantly neceflary and wanting. This
c is what hath been loudly complain’d
c of in all Times : and is fo finely fet
forth, by amort elegant Writer of
c Agriculture, amonft the Antients,
c that I cannot well contain myfelf
e “ from
The Iranflatofs Introduction*
cc from giving it in his moft beautifull
€i Lxpreffion.
Mox dr Fr ament is Labor additas ,
at mala culmos
EJJet rubigo . Segnifque horreret
in Arvis
Cardans. Inter emt Segetes > fa-
bit afpera Syha ,
Lappteque-) 7 ribulique. Inter que
nitentia Calta
Infelix Lolium , CJ Steriles domi¬
nant ar Aven<e*.
56 Upon the whole, ’tis but too evident
cc that Thorns and Thiftles ferve for
cc little other than to give Trouble and
€c Toil, to caufe Sweat and Sorrows
u and were fent as a Curfe and Puniili-
4C ment to the World ; fo ftrong Lines
£c of Nature, and fuch unqueftionable
cc Marks of Truth and Exa&nefs are
4C there in this, as in all the other
<c Parts of the Account of the great
cc Writer of the Hiltory of the Crea-
cc tion, the Apoftacy of the firft Man,
cc and the Punilliment confequent
cc thereunto”.
cc Flejh
* Virg. Georgic* L. i
*?he TranJIators Introduction. 6n
“ Flefh ‘with the Life thereof \fhe Mofaic
£c which is the "Blood thereof (hairPofui™>
<c you not eat. Gen. IX. 4. All the thJ '
“ Principles, that fupply and con -Jm/sfs'
cc ftitute the Blood, are fent into it wboleyin
cc out of the Stomach; which is the tloe ^L00^%
“ firft Source and Fountain of them *r°of'the
£c In this Organ are certain Sets of confmuent
tc Salts, of like Sort with thofe which "Ports of
cc conftitute the Bile. They are O{the/Bi°oj t
" Nature very different, fome Am- TnnJpies
moniac and Volatil : others fixt and °f Animal
tc alkalious, others Acid, others Bit-
fC ter, Sweet, Muriatic. Thefe, con-
<c flirting together, as ’tis the Nature
tc oflike Salts, fend up Fumes, Steams,
“ or Wind ; which, inflating and dif-
cc tending the Stomach, caufes it to
'' prefs upon the defending Trunk
“ of the great Artery, which is plac’d
'c behind it, upon the very Ridg of
x the Back-Bone, fo as to be fubjeft-
,c ed directly to the Preflure and Ac-
‘ tion of the Stomach ; by which
c means the Defcent of the Blood be-
c ing check’d and impeded more or
c lefs, in Proportion to the greater
‘ or leffer Inflation and Prefiure of
c Stomach upon that Blood-Veflel,a
‘ greater or lefs Quantity of Blood is
e i fent
The Tranflator s Introduction*
€C fent up to the Brain, there to an-
€C fwer the various Claims and Exi-
“ gences of that important Organ. The
Cc Salts, acting in the Stomach, make
Cc various Impreffions upon it, upon
Cc the great Artery whereon it prefies,
Cc and the Blood which this contains;
whereby a various Xmpulfe, Modu-
Cc lation, and Adion is produc’d in
the Brain. Thefe Salts therefore
concurr to the Produdion of the
<c Thoughts : as they do alfo, of the
PalTions. Falling upon the folid
Part of the Aliment, fent down in-
u to the Stomach, they divide atte-
ce nuate diffolve and digeft it; by that
means rendering it capable of pai-
cc fingtheLadeal-Veffels ; and thence
on into the Blood- Vefiels. By their
cc Confiids and Colludations, in the
^ fame manner that we obferve of
cc like Salts in our Chymical Tryals,
cc they incite and produce an Eftervef-
<c cence and Heat. Detachments of
cc them, from the Stomach, attend
a the Aliment palling into the Blood i
u and, from the Heat, arifing from
cc their Colludations, accompanying
€C them thro’ all the whole Frame,
cc the Heat of the Blood and Body
<c proceeds.
'I he TranJIators Introduction.
ct proceeds. To that Aliment, diftri-
<c buted to the various Parts, is owing
4C the Growth the Support and Nourflv-
Sc ment of the Body. The Fumes,
“ attending the Salts, hurry ’d on in the
<c Blood- VeiTels, and agitated, froath
“ up and form, out of the Gelatinous
cc Part of the Aliment, Bubbles, Veil-
<c cles, or, as they are commonly
<c call’d, Globules. Thefe expand,
“ or contract themfelves, as the Heat
<c and Fumes, included in them, are
“ more or lefs intenfe : and thefe are
tc the Inftruments of Mufcular and
<c other Motions, and of all the Action
<( of the Members, Organs and Parts.
cc By the fame Fumes the Blood-
“ VeiTels are, all over the Body,
w kept up to a natural 1’enfion : and
“ the Nerves, every where attending
“ them, render’d tight as fo many
c‘ Chorda tenfa. By this Mechanifm
“ Senfation is induc’d : and in this,
“ with the Warmth, and the Power
“ of Action and Motion, confilts the
“ Animation and Life of the Whole.
“ So that it is plain the Life is in-
w tirely in the Blood : and ’tis this,
f and the Principles contained in it,
e ] ‘‘ that
69
70
tc
CC
ci
cc
a
tperturba- CQ
tions of the ^
Animal M
fife, and f c
0 Economy *
it
Cc
cc
tC
cc
c
cc
CC
Ci
cc
<c
Ci
Cc
cc
cc
cc
<c
cc
CThe Yranjlator s Introduction.
that animates invigorates and moves
the Frame, the Members, Organs *
and Parts 5 which are wholey paf-
{ive, cold, without Senfe, lifelefc, and
impotent, whenever the Blood de-
ferts them, and is wanting. Nay,
where this happens to be vitious,
and, inllead of the genuine, and
legitimate, to have receiv’d into it
Principles that are not natural , Life
is affedted, and incommoded : and
the Heat, Senfe and Vigour,
chang’d, in Proportion to the Pre¬
valency of thofe unnatural Princi¬
ples. Thus, in Cafe of Indigeftion,
and the Aliment being not duely
attenuated, but much of it fent,
into the Blood- Velfels, in Form of
Phlegm ; in the Extremities of
the Parts, that are mod remote
from the Power of the Heart, and
where the Blood Veffels are the
fmaileft, this Phlegm, being crafs,
and vifeid, frequently impadts, and
makes Glutts and Stops in thofe
Veffels ; upon which the Part lofes
of its Heat, its Senfe, and its
Strength, in Proportion to the Quan¬
tity of Phlegm, fo impacted, and
“ to
tC
CC
The Trcinflators Introduction. 7 1
a to the N umber of V eftels obftruded.
cc By whatever other Means the
** Palfage of the Blood is intercep-
€c ted, and its Accefs to the Part de-
cc barr’d, whether internal, or exter-
€C nal, as by a Ligature, or the like,
cc the fame Symptoms and Accidents
cc conftantly infue ; as certainly as
cc they recede, and the Heat, Senfe,
<c and Strength of the Part, recurr, up-
u on the Impediment being remov’d,
and the Blood recovering due Paf-
cc fage, as before. Unlefs, by too great
<c Sufpenfe, and Delay, the Organs
cc have buffer’d, and the Texture of
cc the Part be damag’d and hurt. ’Tis Occafionaly
cc true a Ligature, being made upon the of the Ner -
u Nerve, will bring on fome of them*
fame Symptoms ; which fhews,
sc what no Man ever doubted of, that
the Nerve mu ft concurr, and a if ft,
cC in Action, and Motion > but the
Power of the Nerve is nothing
<c alone : and it is utterly incapable
of exerting itfelf, in any Action,
cc further than juft as fupported, by
cc its Neighbour Artery, with natu-
€C ral and rightly conftituted Blood
V in it,
e 4 “ Tho’
7 % TranJIatofs Introchifflion .
Jn fiances of cc Tho’ any Part, when united and
£lfe re~ . u continu’d to the Body, and right-
^he^artT 2 join’d with the reft, will be
when fepa- CC difabled from doing its Office, when
rated from cc the Blood is thus intercepted, yet the
^ “ very fame Part, having the Blood
6C in it, being cut off, and quite fe-
parated from the Body, will con-
tinue to aft afterwards, to do its
cc Office, in fome Degree, and in
Cc Proportion to the Blood that re-
<c mains, fo long as this retains any
cc Thing of its Heat and Fluidity ;
cc than which there cannot be a fir-
tc mer Proof given that the Life is
foley in the Blood, But this will
cc better appear from Inftances, and
cc Hiftoryesof Faft,* of which I fhall
here fubjoin feme, out of my Notes,
cc and Papers. '
cc Jan. 2 6, i6p8 . Diffefting a
€t D°g? chiefly with Intention to
u make fome Obfervations in the Tho-
rax, I took the Sternum quite off,
and laid it afide. Happening, ac-
2 cidentally, to caft my Eye upon
it, almoft a Quarter of an Hour af-
J rterL* obferv’d various Startings,
1 witch ings, and convulfive Jerks
!* m Ihe Mufcles. Thefe Commo-
Ct tions
The Tran/lators Introduction.
44 tions continu’d for fome Time, till
<c the Part was near cold : and, when
c< afterwards they ceas’d, upon my
<c pricking it, with my differing Knife,
<c the Fibres made very brifk Contra-
sc dions anew, fhewing as quick and
cc plain Signs of Senfe of acute Pain as
they poiiibly could have done while
cc the Sternum was united with the
cc Body, and the Creature alive,
cc Which they did feveral Times, af-
terwards, upon my repeating the
u Pundure, at Intervalls. Only, after
u about an Hour more, they began to
cc flacken, and gradualy decline, as
<c the Mufcles became more and more
cc cold, ftiif and dry ; the Heat being
cc tranfpir’d, as alfo the thinner Parts
cc of the Blood, and the reft being
€C coagulated, and wholey ufelefs.
cc Sept . 20, 1709. From a fat Ox,
<c which had been knock’d down near
£c an Hour, and his Head cut off half
cc an Hour. At 29 Minutes paft 5,
cc in the Evening, I cutt, off the Malfa-
cc ter Mufcle, a Piece about 8 Inches
in Length, 4 in Breadth, and 1 in
<c Thicknefs. Having laid it upon a
cc Plate, I obferv’d all the Fibres
V Work’d, agitated, and ftrugled ve-
74
The Tranflators Introduction.
<c ry ftrongly, and in a Manner not
u a little furprizing. Viewing it an
Hour after, tho’ it lay in a Win-
<c dow, and was almoft cold, I found
tc many of the Fibres continu’d yet
“ ftirring, but not near fo brilkly as
tc before. Being prick’d, it ftill
fhew’d a very exquiiite Senfe : and
u ftirr’d with fomewhat greater <<uick-
nefs. W hen afterwards it was cold,
c‘ and did not ftir at all upon pricking,
tc I heid an hot Iron over it, upon
€c which it renew’d its Struggles,
<(m twitching almoft as intenfely and
tc nimbly as at firft. This was an
cc Hour and half after it was cut off.
At 25 Minutes part 7, upon hold-
<c ing an hot Iron near it again, it
<c ftill fhew’d as acute Senfe, and
cc the Agitations and Struggles, were
cc near as ftrong as before. At 4 6
Minutes after 8, upon holding the
cc hot Iron near, it ftirr’d ; but not
“ fo much as the laft Time. At 10,
u the Iron being held, as before, it
Cw ftirr’d not at all ; but then it was
<c become ftiif, Stone-cold, and pretty
<c dry. From thefe Experiments
€c ’twas eafy to fee, that to the
cc Warmth, and Humidity, or remain-
cc ^
»ng
'T’he Tvanflators Introduction.
z ing Blood, in the Part, were ow-
c ing its Senfe and Power of Action,
£ theie fiackning, gradualy, and in
c Proportion as the W armth decreas’d,
c and the Humidity went off.
cc 9. Sept. 170 <5. In a fat Ox,
c three Quarters of an Hour after he
c was knock’d down, and half an
c Hour after the Head was cut off, I
f obferv’d the Membrana carnofa, and
£ exterior Mufcles of the Abdomen,
c and Thorax, twitch’d, trembled,
c and were convuls’d. Being prick’d,
c or llightly wounded, they contradt-
c ed as bnikly, and difcover’d as
c quick a Senfe, as they well could
c if the Creature had been living.
‘ I caus’d two Scewers to be Buck
;c in one of the Maffeter Mufcles, an
1 Hour after the Head of the Beaft
cc was off: and fo (trong thereupon
:c was the Motion, and Contraction,
:c of that Mufcle, caus’d by the Pun-
dtion and Pain, that it vibrated,
:c tofs’d, and fhook the Scewers very
much. I obferv’d this Motion con-
pc tinuing, but with fome Diminution,
cc two Hours after : and the Mufcles
of the Thorax and Abdomen con-
-c tinu’d {till likewife twitching, tho*
* very
7 6
j The clranJIatof s Introduction*
£C very feebly, they being now near
cc cold. Upon opening the Abdo-
<c men, half an Hour after the Head
GC of the Creature was off, I took
£C Notice that the Periftaltic Motion
cc of the Gut ts continu’d pretty ftrong-
C€ ly. I have obferv’d the like, in a
£C Calf, half an Hour after the Head
was cut off: and, in Sheep, at a
££ fomewhat longer Diftance. Nay,
in feme Creatures, the Periftaltic
€Q Motion will continue, after the
€C Gutts are taken quite out of the Bo-
cc dy, till they begin to grow cold.
cc From numerous Inftances, that
46 there are extant, and that may, one
Day, be produced, in their Place,
<c it appears that Nature has been,
from the firft Intelligence, Notices
<c and Records that we have of it,
cc ever invariably the fame, as having
cc been ever under the fame fteady
cc Adminiftration. ’Tis likewifemoft
evident that the Powers and Proper-
c<r tys of Matter, and of Bodys, orga-
cc nized, and others, have been con-
cc ftantly the fame thorow all Ages.
cc So that it cannot be thought ft range
tc that this Phenomenon, of the Vel-
a lications and Tremors of the Parts,
“ of
The 7 ranflators Introduction:
<c of Animals frefti-kill’d, when fe-
“ parated from the Body, fliould have
u been obferved, and mention’d by.
“ by a molt correct Writer near 1800
“ Years agoe.
Tergora diripimt Cojlis C7 Vis¬
cera nudant.
Tars in Frufta fecant , Verubufque
Trementia figunt.
yEneid. L. r.
T rementia , Servius interprets, pal-
pitantia ad hue.
cc November 2 6. 1709. Opening
sc the Thorax of a Cat, two Months
<£ old, I inftantly cut out the Heart,
<c and laid it, having firft ftripp’d off
<c the Pericardium, upon a warm Pew-
cc ter-Plate. There the Ventricles and
‘c Auricles continu’d to beat, alternate-
,r ly, but every Pulfe gradualy flow-
“ er than the precedent, for 1 2 Mi-
“ nutes; when the Pulfations who ley
“ ceafed. About 5 Minutes after,
“ ftrikeing a larger Needle into the
“ Heart near the Apex, the Ventri-
“ cles made a briik Syftole once ; as
“ they did, upon feveral other like
‘c Functions, fuccelfively. Afterwards,
“ pouring
7»
I he Trnnflators Introduction*
<c pouring upon the Heart warm Wa~
u ter, the Ventricles ftirr’d not, but
the Auricles renew’d their Pulfati-
“ onsf very regularly, and brifkiy,
cc as often as the warm Water was
cc pour’d on, for a quarter of an Hour,
u and till the Heart had been cut
<c forth 27 Minutes 5 when all wholey
<c ceas'd, tho’ the Water was conti-
<c nu’d to be pour’d on fome Minutes
u longer. This ferv’d, before, only
u to moiften the exterior Membrane,
u of the Auricles, become gloflty, dry,
cc and fo Hark as not eafily to yield
cc to the Adion of the little Blood yet
cc continuing within, till this Water
cc had foften’d it, and render’d it more
cc pliable and obedient to that remain-
“ ing Adion. But, after this Blood
cc was quite fpend, the Water avail’d
* nothing. Heat is all of the fame
4C Kind : and fome, palling from the
Water, might reinforce that in the
€C Blood of the Auricles. The Parietes
c‘ of the Ventricles being more denfe
<c and crafs, feem to have refus’d Ad~
4 million to it : and, being withall
<c very thick and ftiff were not ren-*
*c der’d, by the Water, fulficiently
u pliable
79
£C
cc
(C
C(
<c
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
Cc
cc
CC
cc
cc
cc
cc
cc
€i
cc
cc
cc
cc
ct
cc
*Ibe Trctnflator s Introduction*
pliable flexil and capable of Pulfa-
tion. Or perhaps there was not
remaining a fufficient Quantity of
Blood in thefe ; they requiring more*
to move and work them ,* the
Thicknefs and Subftance of thefe
being greater than that of the Au¬
ricles.
tc 6. Nov. 1708. A large tame Pi¬
geon. At 1 2 Minutes after Ten o’
Clock, having taken off the upper
Part of the Scull* 1 took out the
Brain, excepting only a Part of it fo
very little that it could not eafily be
rais’d : and this I mafh’d and con-
fufs’d, fo as to fpoil and deftroy
the Mechanifm and ufe of it. At
32 Minutes after x, the Creature
difgorg’d, out of its Crop, fome
Tare, and Peas, which it had eaten
a while before. This is one of
many Inftances that I have ob-
ferv’d of the ftrift Intercourfe and
Reciprocation betwixt the Sto¬
mach and Brain, the one feldotn
being affe&ed without the other
bearing its Share, and difcovering
fome Perception of it. T he Bird
was {fill pretty brilk and lively ;
but clos’d its Eyes, except when
u mokfted.
/
8o
Cfhe Tranjlators Introduction.
£t molefted. At xi, and fo on till
cc 5 Minutes after xi, it opened its
eC Eyes : and gave feveral Proofs
cC that it faw, tho’ not then with
cC its ufual Quicknefs, At io Mi-
cc nutes after xi, it fell down, lay
€C on one Side, and was frequently
<c convuls’d. At 41 Minutes after
cc iv, it dyed.
tC 6. Ncv. 1708. A large Chicken.
cc The greateft Part of the Brain was
cc taken out, and the reft maili’d, at
iC 18 Minutes after x. It fhew’d no
€C Sign of being very uneafy, or in great
cC Pain : and was lively, opening its
rc Eyes, commonly, till 35 Minutes
cc after xii, when it fell down con-
vuls’d : and, about 1, after feveral
* ftrong Convulsions, it dyed.
tC 2 9. Aug. 1707. A Carp, cut
cc up alive. The Heart continu’d
Cc beating, ftrongly, tho’ flowly, for
<c above an Hour after ’twas taken
cc forth of the Body, and laid upon a
cc Plate. Longer I had not Leifure
Ci to obferve it.
“ 27. Aug. 170 6. A large Eel,
cc cut up alive at x*o’ Clock in the
cc Morning, mov’d and ftirr’d brifkly,
*c for 2 Hours, while I was traceing
iC the
The Tranjlators Introduction.
cc the Biliofc and other Duds, and
u making various Qbfer various on the
cc Bowels, Then, at xii o7 Clock, I
cc cut out the Heart, and laid it upon
cc the Table ; after which the Body
“ continu’d (lining, and pretty adtive,
Cc for near a quarter of an Hour^
cc when, the Head being cut off, and
cc the Body cut into 5 Pieces, thefe
£c fhew’d Signs of Life, and mov’d
cc for fome Time after. Both the
£c Auricle and Ventricle of the Heart
u continu’d to beat, in Time, and
Strength, much as before ’twas cut
out, for 500 Pulfes ; when I left
uC telling. Three Quarters of an Hour
£c after, I obferv’d it (till bearing, but
very languidly. In about a Quarter
cc of an Hour more, at i o’ Clock,
cc the Ventricle, being become (tiff,
tc and dry, ceas’d to beat any longer ;
€G but the Pulfe of the Auricle was
cc near as intenfe as ever. Upon moift-
“ ning the Ventricle, with warm
u Water, it renew’d the Pulfations
a again, but faintly, and with fome
£C Appearance of Diforder and Con-
vulfion. At half an Hour after iii
£C o’ Clock, the Auricle continu’d (till
€C beating, tho’ ftifly, being much
£ cc dry’d*
The Tranjlators IntroduUionl
cc dry’d. The Ventricle had ceas’d
cc beating now about half an Hour ;
it being become ftiff, dry, and fhri-
4C vefd. Upon dropping warm Water
on the Ventricle, it fhew’d ftill
<c fome fmall Signs of Senfe and Life $
tc the exterior Membranes moving,
cc (lightly contracting and relaxing ;
*c but it did not beat. At half an
Hour part iv, I could not, by a
Live-Coal, PunCtion with a Needle,
<c nor any other Means, excite any
(c Signs of Life or Senfe in the Ven-
€C tricle. But one fmall Speck in the
<c Auricle, of a Colour more red than
€C the reft, as haveing accidentaly
cc more Blood in it, continu’d yet
cc beating, regularly, and at due In-
fC tervalls, the’ very faintly. This
€C was 6 Hours and an half after open-
€C ing the Eel : and 4 Hours and an
cf half after the Heart was cut out and
cc laid upon the Table.
<c 6. 'Nov. 1708. The common
€C Snake, or Natrix torquata. The
cc Head was cut off, at x, 25 '. By x,
cc 35 '•> there were remaining no Signs
ce of Motion in the Head ; but the
€C Body ftirr’d pretty brifkly. It ftirr’d
*c in like Manner at x. 55', Atxu, 3',
The Tranjlators IntroduUioiu
*[ the whole Body was in a con-
“ tinual flow periftaltic Motion, tho’
“ nothing touch’d or molefted it. If
“ ptefs’d, or ftruck, it ftirr’d with fo
■ ( much Activity, that I could per-
“ ceive, now, little Difference from the
tc Motion us’d by it before the Head
“ was cut off. Nor did it fliew
'4 any Signs of Pain, or Convulfions.
At io Minutes after ii, it mov’d
c with as much feeming Vigour as
c ever* ’Twas about 3 Foot longs
* and the Body, being cut in two,
,c in the Middle, each Piece continu’d
c to move till about v, when both
c Parts loft all Senfe.
“ 6. May 1705. A pretty large
e Snake, caught 3 dayes before. At
' x, 9, the Head was cut off, the
c Heart taken out, and laid upon
E a Table, the Ventricle and Au-
: ricle then beating 13 Pulfes in a
: Minute. At x, 14, the Ven-
: tricle and Auricle beat but 7 Pulfes
in a Minute. At x, a-o', the
Eyes mov’d in the Head. At x,
22', the Body mov’d fpontaneoufly,
very freely. The Auricle and
Ventricle beat now only 3 Pulfes
in a Minute. At x, 30', the
f » “ Mouth
$4
j the Tranjlator s Introduction •
cc Mouth open’d pretty wide, and
cc had done fo, before, feveral Times,
cc At x. 33'. The Auricle ceas’d
cc beating ; but the Ventricle flill
cc continu’d to beat, tho’ very flowly.
44 At x. 53', The Ventricle beat not
fiC more than two Fulfes in a Minute.
cc At x. 5 5 On pouring warm Water
cC upon the Heart, which had now
<c aimolt left beating, both the Aii-
4C ride and Ventricle renew’d their
cC Pulfations, in a Manner really
cc ftronger than when firft taken out
cc of the Body, and likewife fafter,
cc viz. 32 Puifes in a Minute. At
cc xi, r. The Neck being prick’d,
cc the Mouth open’d, and the Tongue
cc mov’d very quick and fart. At xi.
cc 4 . Being ftruck on the Tail, the
Body mov’d with a good deal
u of Activity. At xi. 14', The Au-
cc ricle and Ventricle renew’d their
cc Pulfation upon warm Water being
/CC pour’d on : and beat now 19 Puifes
€C in a Minute. At xi. 35'. The
cc Head had loft all Power of Senfe
cc and Motion. Atxi. 55*. pouring
on Water feme what warmer than
€C before, both the Ventricle and
Auricle beat, afrefh, ftrongly;
: , ' Puifes
LThe Tran/lators Introduction'.
2 6 Puifes in a Minute. Atxii. 20'
the Body being ftruck, Birr’d
u little : but3 being prick’d with a
cc diifeding Knife, near the Tail,
cc mov’d that much and freely. At
“ xii. 30b the Heart retain’d but
cc very little Motion, till, pouring on
cc fome warm Water, it beat, tho’
cc not regularly, 1 o Puifes in a Mi-
[c nute ; when it again ceas’d, and
‘c Brew’d but little Sign of Senfe
,c or Motion, unlefs the Water was
cc repeated. At xn. 40'. the Au-
ricle ceas’d, tho’ warm Water was
c pour’d on : and the Ventricle did
c not beat, but was convuls’d, and
c twitch’d pretty ftrongly. Atxii.
c 55', on pouring warm Water into
c the Part that was open’d to take
e out the Heart, the whole Body,
mov’d about very brilkly: and
continu’d to do fo, till the Water
became cold. At xn. 5 6. the
Heart now Brew’d not the leaft
Motion upon pouring on warm
Water, or Pundure with a dif¬
fering Knife. At 1. 35'. Warm
Water being powr’d on, external¬
ly, incited the whole Body to move
pretty freely. At 1. 40'. it now
f 3 “ Brew’d
The T ranjlators Introduction.
u fhew’d not the leaft Sign of Senfe or
cc Motion on pouring on warm Water,
cc Pundure, or any other Means us’d,
a May. 3. 1705. An Englifh
*c Viper, or Adder, that had been
cc caught a Week, and kept without
ic eating any thing. At 35 Minutes
<c after ii, I cut off the Head, with near
a an Inch of the Neck : and imme-
diateiy after tpok out the Heart,
?c laying it upon a Table. The Auri*
<c cle and Ventricle beat, alternately,
<c with a Syftoie as ftrong as when
■c in the Body, juft 13 Pulfes in a
Cc Minute, The Head lay ftill ; but
<c the Body mov’d with as much
<c appearing Eafinefs, Freedom and
£C Strength as before the Head was
cut off. At 49 Minutes paft ii,
€C the Auricle and Ventricle beat 1 1
cc Pulfes in a Minute; but, prefently
cc after, the Auricle wholey ceas’d
beating. At 55 Minutes paftii, the
€<r Ventricle beat but 6 Pulfes in a
tc Minute. At iii o’clock, the Puife
a of the Ventricle was fo little as ta
cc be but juft perceiv’d. At 3 Minutes
after iii, the Puife of the Ventricle
ceas’d ; fo that, in this Subjed, the
Ventricle beat about 13 Minutes
cc after
The Iran/Jatcrs Introduction.
a after the Auricle had defifted. 2
“ Minutes after, pouring on warm Wa-
<c ter, the Ventricle renewing its Adti-
cc on, beat, in a Minute, 17 Pulfes,
<c which were quicker than at firft, but
<c much more feeble and languid. At
<f 1 1 Minutes after iii, warm Water
€C pour’d on, produc’d little fenfible Pul-
cc fation > but there were convulfive
Tremors in both the Auricle and
cc Ventricle. At 1 5 Minutes after iii,
€c on pouring on warm Water, the Pul-
cc fation of the Ventricle renew’d. At
18 Minutes, the Auricle made only
“ two feeble Pulfes. At 22 Minutes,
a tho’ nothing touch’d the Head, the
cc Mouth open’d, fuddenly, very wide;
€c but prefen tly Oiut again. At 3 3 Mi-
*c nutes after iii, the Body was lying
cc quiet and Bill ; but, on ftriking the
<c Tail with my diffe&ing Knife, it
cc mov’d with full as great a Shew of
Senfe, and of Activity, as at firfl,
cc and indeed as it poilibly could while
<c the Creature was well, and before
cc ’twas cut or hurt. At 24 Minutes
<c after iii, Iobferv’d the Mouth to open
<c pretty Wide. Tho’ warm Water
<c was continu’d to be pour’d on, the
u Puifeofthe Ventricle was now lan-
f 4 <c guid
1
88
The Tranjlator s Introduction.
« guid, and little. At 38 Minutes after
cc nt, the Pulfe of the Ventricle, in warm
cc Water, wholey ceas’d. I try’d to
K incite it again, by Punbtion with
4C a Needle, and with a Lancet, but
cc in Vain. At 41 Minutes after iii,
cc the Body, tho’ not touch’d or mo-
“ lefled, mov’d with great feeming
£C Eafe and Freedom, fpontaneoufly,
44 nothing giving it any Moleftation.
cc I could not perceive the ieaft Dif-
Cc order or Convulfion in this Motion.
ct At 47 Minutes after iii, the Head and
cc adjoining Neck, had wholey loft
cc all Sente ; none being to be inci-
“ ted by Pun&ion, or any other Means.
“ At 48 Minutes after iii, the Body
cc layftill; but, the Tail being ftruck,
cc the whole mov’d aimoft as ftrongly
cc asatfirft. Itdid the fame after wards
“ on ftrikeing it at the other Extreme.
cc At 2 5 Minutes after iv, ftrikeing it
- cc near the Neck, it mov’d, but more
C£ nimbly when ftruck near the Tail.
c' At 33 Minutes part iv, the Tail
cc being ftruck, the Body iEew’d little
e' Sign of Senfe or Motion, The Vi-
c: per is in its Nature comparatively
‘c cold ; but this was now become
JC fenfibly colder than at firft. At 40
cc Minutes after v, the whole Body
“ mov’d
j the Tranjlators Introduction. g $
a mov’d of its own Accord, and with-
cc out Incitement. But, immediately
cC after, it loft all Senfe and Power
a of Motion. Tho' it was put in
a warm Water, and ftimulated with
cC various Pundions, it difeover’d not
cc the leaft Perception, Upon the
cC whole, ’tis ohfervable that the Bo-
cc dy retain'd Life, and Senfe, with
€C a Power of Adion, above 3 Hours
cc after the Head was cut off, and the
Heart taken quite out: and near 2
“ Hours after the Head had loft all
cc Senfe : 3 Hours, within 1 o Mi-
cc nutes, after the Auricle had ceas’d
cc beating, and above 2 Hours and
cc an half after the Ventricle had
cc ceas’d. In this Computation, I have
sc no Regard to the Renovation of the
cc Pulfations of each, faintly, upon
cc pouring on warm Water.
cc Offiob. 5. 1705. I took the
cc Brains out of a Frog; clearing the
cc Skull of them with great Care.
This was at iii in the Afternoon:
cc and he lived near 6 Hours after,
ct viz. till within a few Minutes of
a ix. During which Time he gave
cc plain Proofs of his Hearing, Seeing,
? and Feeling. Upon any fudden
F Noife*
The Tranjlators IntreduUion.
£C Noife, he fhew’d Signs of Surprize,
$c and Fright. His Eyes were gene-
“ neraly open : and, as often as an
“ Offer was made of ftrikeing him,
u he ever avoided the Stroke, leap-
“ ing away, with pretty much Strength,
<c and not appearing in any Difbr-
“ der, till within an Hour of his
“ Death, when he began to be con-
« vuis’d.
cc 6 Nov. 1708. At Minutes
<c after x, in the Morning, Opening
“ the Heads of two feveral Frogs,
<c I took out as much of the Brain
ic as well I could ; mafhing and
“ confufing the little that remain’d.
<£ At 43 Minutes after xi, one of
£C thefe Frogs made feveral Leaps
£C about the F loor. At x i at Night,
<c both were alive : and leap’d about.
tc At xi, the next Night, they were
tc ftill alive.
8. Sept. 1714. 34 Minutes paft
<c x, I cut off the Head of a Frog,
w that was pretty lively and brim,
“ Immediately it had convulfive
<c Twitchings, and Subfuitus’s, all
u over. The Hinder Legs lay ex-
<c tended, and I ftabb’d them feve-
rai
<Ihe Tranjlator s Introduction .
tc ral Times, with the Point of my
c- Dififedting-Knife, as alfo the Fore*
^ Legs, he being ftunn’d, for the
cc prefent, and hardly fhewing any
a Sign of Senfe. But, at 42 Minutes
<c paft x, trying with a Knife again,
cc I found the Creature much recover’d.
Upon pricking his Hinder Legs, he
cc pluck’d them up brilkly : and rais’d
cc his whole Body, pufhing forward,
as if he intended to take a Leap.
The fame he did, as often as he
€C was prick’d in any Part at xi . 5 . At
cc xii he continu’d to do the like, but
cc not fo vigoroufly. At xit. 35', lit—
tie Alteration. At i. 9. he feem’d
<c to be dead : and fhew’d no Senfe
<c of Pain upon pricking his Legs,
cc or any other Part of his Body, till,
cc upon a Babb into his Gutts, he pull’d
*c up his Legs ftrongly. At ii o’clock,
iC no Life or Senfe appear’d. I held
cc the Creature fome Time near the
Fire, pour’d warm Water upon
cc him, and wrapp’d him in a warm
Cloth ; yet neither thefe, nor prick-
u ing, nor burning with a hot Iron,
made him fhew any Sign of Senfe
** or Motion,
cc Another
rfhe Tranjlators Introduction.
cc Another Frog, fomething lefs,
,c whofe Head I cut off, 5 or 6 Mi-
cc nutes after, from that Time for-
£c wards continu’d to fhew Signs of
cc Senfe, as often as ftimulated, for
cc 2 Hours longer than the former.
Ck 6. OCtob. 1691. Having cut off
cc the Heads of three common Flefli-
cc Flyes, one of them flew away,
<c the other two run about brifkly,
u rubb’d their Legs, as they were
tc wont whilft well, and no wayes
£C injur’d; only they fhew’d, now and
“ then, fome Signs of a tremulous
£C or convulfive Motion in their Legs.
cc 1 2 Hours after, they were flill a-
<c live : and, being touch’d, run on their
“ Legs much as before. Then I left
“ them ; but found both dead in the
<c Morning. The Heads never fhew’d
sc the leaf! Signs of Life or Motion
after they were cut off. This was
“ a Seafon of the Year when Flyes
“ begin to be torpid, and much lefs
“ vigorous than in the hotter Months.
“ Had the Experiment been tryed in
cf thefe, ’tis probable the beheaded
“ -B°dyes would have fhewn greater
“ vigour^ and have retait/d Life
longer.
“ 'M.
^The Tranflators Introduction:
cc July..** 1707 . With a Pair
cc of Sciflars I clip a a Wafp in two^
cc at the Ifthmus, betwixt the Thorax
cc and Abdomen. Both the upper and
Cc lower Parts Hir’d very brifkly for
cc fome Time after. Indeed the up-
cc per, the Head, with the Thorax,
a whence proceed the Legs, and
a Wings, got quite away, and was
loft. The lower Parts retain’d a
w very plain Sehfe 24 Hours after :
cc and, being touch’d, and molefted,
cc exerted the Sting very nimbly and
cc fiercely. I have frequently obfer-
cc ved the like in other Wafps that
cc had been long fo cut in two ; they
cc conftantly fhewing a quick Senfe,
cc and emitting the Sting as oft as
cc provok’d.— Another Wafp, feve-
cc ral Hours after its Head was cut
4C off, ftung a Cat, fo as to caufe in
cc her very great Pain. A young
cc Gentleman of my Acquaintance,
cc inadvertently refting his Hand, on a
cc Window, perceiv’d a fudden Pun-
€C (Sure and Pain in it. Looking up-
cc on it, there ftuck to it the Hinder-
cc Parts of a Wafp, with the Sting
cc infix’d into his Hand, It fetter’d
cc imme-
Of the 'Do¬
ff rine of
Jlnimal
Spirits,
*The Hranjlators Introduction.
cc immediately, fwelf d, and gave him
<c full as much Pain as he ever re-
cC ceiv’d from the Sting of a Wafp
<c that was intire and unhurt* The
iC Fore-Parts, the Head, and Thorax,
<c were gone : and he could find no-
cc thing of them upon fearch. What
<c is remarkable, in the Cafe, is, that
€C the Wafp fhonid be capable of ex-
cc erting fo much Senfe, with fo great
<c Pain on, and Rage, in its own De-
tc fence, when feparated both from
cc the Brain, and Heart j there being,
cc in this Part of the Body, little be-
<c fides the Stomach and Gutts*
<c Aug. 13. 1 659. Making fome
€C Obfervations, with a Microfcope,
cc on the Spider exhibited by Dr. Li-
fter, Hi ft or. Animal. Anplice , Hr,
“ de Araneis , Tab. I. Fig. V, by
<c accident one of its Legs were
tc pull’d off: and I obferv’d that Leg
“ afterwards contracting itfelf, and
tc relaxing, in Turns, upwards of fix-
cc ty Times.
u As the foregoing Experiments
<c ferve to fhew what is real in Na-
cc ture, and what the Blood and the
cc Salts in it actually do, fo they ferve
cc as furely to deteCt what is falfe
1
The Translator's Introduction*
and Suppofitirious; inparticular, the
*c Hypothefis of Animal Spirits, fet up,
“ in the laft Century, by the Carte-
lians * for folveing the ‘Phenomena
<c of Life, Senfation, and Animal
“ Action. ^ They fuppos’d thefe Spi-
“ rits form’d in the Brain : and dif-
cc patch’d thence, through the Ner-
“ ves, to all Parts of the Body, to
u anfwer there the various Exigences
“ of each. All this they will have
“ to be fleer’d and directed, in Man,
cc by the Soul ; which they imagin
£C torefidein the Glandula Penealis,
‘c there to ad that Part, to iflue out
<c her Orders, and execute all her Pur-
<c pofes, by Means of thofe her Emif-
“ faries, and Agents. Tho’, when
<c we come to examine the Strudure
<c of the Brain, the Glandula Pinealisy
tc and Nerves, we find nothing that
“ favours this Hypothefis in the lcaft ;
tc that Glandule ferving in a much
“ lower Office, the Secretion of an
“ Excrementitious Humour, and the
“ Nerves being not fiftulous, or fo
“ fram’d as to fuffer fuch a Fluid.
CC £L _ 1 /
* Vid. Ren, Des Cartes, Lib. de Homine
The Tranflators Introduction.
<c freely and quickly to pafs and
cc repafs* But, the Notion ferving
Ct their Turn, the Naturalifts of that
cc Age run generally into it : and
sc efpecially the Englijh . They found
cc thefe Animal Spirits ready to run
4C on all their Errands, mighty handy,
cc and fitted to do every Thing thorow-
<c out the whole Body ,that they pleas’d,
€C or that they could not otherwife
<c find any Solution, or afhgn any
cc Caufe of. Not that they have ever
gone about to lliew how thefe Spi-
cc rits were capable of that : nor even
cc fo much as to give Proof that they
cc really had any Exiftence, other
cc than in their Fancy, and that there
cc was, in the Body, any fuch thin
cc fubtil abtive Fluid as they define
cc thefe Spirits to be. Be that as it
cc will, the Notion taking fo much
cc with the Naturalifts of England ,
cc they grafted upon it another, of a
<c Sztccus Nutritius in the Nerves.
cc This was as meer a Fiction as the
<c other: and defervedlv reje&ed by
the Naturalifts abroad *. But that
“ had no Effect here. The Animal
cc Spirits
* Vid. G, Sc hd hammer de
j the (Yranflator s IntroduBion .
€€ Spirits are Bill in as much Vogue, and
C€ full Imploy, as ever ; even tho’ the
‘c Hypothecs be again!! common Senfe :
c& and the Experiments, recited above,
with many others that might be al-
<c ledg’d, give Ocular Demonftration,
that ’tis wholey without Grounds,
<c that Senfation may be continu’d, and
cg Animab-Abtion fucceffively repeated,
cc without any Intercourfe with the
<c Brain, and after all Communication
cc with that, and likewife the Heart, is
e<; perfebtly intercepted. There are,
cc indeed, great Numbers of Animals
cc that, after the Brain is taken quite
out, can fee, hear, feel: nay I
£c have Reafon to believe have the
Ufe of the other two Senfes, can
sc fmell, as alfo taft, did the Uneafi-
cc nefs they muft needs be under allow
cc them Inclination to do that. They
fc likewife are capable of Motion, and
cc of every Kind of Animal-Abtion.
cc They obferve, reflebt, fhew Signs
C£ of Paffion, Grief, Anger : and of
cc Fear, if moiefted, or attacked,
<c They take Care for their Preferva-
cc tion ; avoiding every Thing that
€C offends them, or that feems likely
€c to indanger or hurt them. But all
g “ this,
g 8 The TranJIators Introdiiction.
4£ this, only for a while ; tho’ in-
t£ deed long enough to evince that
“ the Dependence of the Parts upon
4C the Brain is not fo abfolute, and
tc mediant, as has been generaiy ima-
“ gined ; tho’ that Organ be of too
“ great Ufe and Importance to be
“ difpenfed with for any confidera-
5C bleTime: and, much more, to be
“ wholey difmifled, as feveral Ana-
cc tomical Tryals have taught us the
“ Spleen, and feme other Parts, may.
€C Nay, from the fame Experiments,
“ ’tis apparent that Senfe, and the
41 Power of Motion, are fo far from
“ depending intirely upon the Brain,
that this Organ itfelf, and the Parts
<c neareft it, frequently lofe all Power
c‘ of Senfe and Adtion, fome l ime be-
K fore even thofe that are the molt
tc diftant and remote from it. I am
“ a little the more particular on this
sc Subject, becaufe fome of the Par-
u tizans of Animal Spirits, fill’d with
Opinion of their own Theory es, are
“ wont to treat the Mofaic Philofophy
in a Supercilious Manner and with
“ pifregard. W hereas, we fee, when
“ brought to the Standard of Nature,
“ Aeirs appears to be wholey with-
out
The Tranflators IntrodvMion.
tc out other Foundation than meer
c‘ Prefumption, and a forward Ima-
tc gination; while Mofes has Evidence
tc of Senfe on his Side : and there
£C cannot be firmer Proof defir ’d, that
‘c the "Blood is the Life of the Fkjh,
“ than thefe Experiments give, in
£c which Pieces of the Fiefhof Ani-
“ mals, of various Kinds, exhibit
tc plain Signs of Life remaining, with
tc a Capacity of Senfe, and fpontane-
£C ous Motion, fo long as they have
u in them any Blood remaining, warm,
cc fluid, and not wholey indifpos’d to
“ anfwer thofe Ends. I fliall only
tc now further add, that tho’ Mcjes
u was thus pofitive, and finely ap-
£c priz’d of this Doftrine of the Princi-
£c pie of Life in Animals, it had lain
tc hid to Ages, and was known to
£C no Mortal befides Himfelf. Nor
“ has it, that I know, been ever
“ hitherto explain’d, or let in a due
£c Light. It may not be impoflible,
“ but the Advocates of Animal Spirits
“ may retort, and demand of me
“ what Proofs I have to offer in be-
“ half of my Dodrine of the Biliofe
££ Salts ? To which I freely anfwer,
“ obfervation. Fad, and the Attefta-
g 2 “ tion
1 oo
cc
CC
((
< c
u
ct
CL
(C
sc
Cfc
«C
cc
cc
CC
cc
Some De¬
gree of Mo- cc
2?70/Z of the cc
the 'Blood c c
continuing ,
/er ^ Jbortcc
cTimey in a
Darts cut a
of from the
Body. “
cc
CC
cC
! The Tranflatof s Introduction «
tion of our Senfes. Thefe Salts ap¬
pear aftualy exiftent in all Parts
of the Body : and prefent where-
ever thofe Effe&s, Actions and O-
perations, that I afcribe to them*
appear. This any one, that will
beat the Trouble, may inform him-
fell of; fo that there’s the lefs Need
for me to refer, for more particular
Information, to the Thyfiological
Treat if e of the StruUure and Ufe
of the Tarts in Animals , * men¬
tion’d in my EJfay of the Nat.
Hi ft . Earth Part IV. pag. 235.
3d. Edition.
u ’Tis a T hing of very high Spe¬
culation, tho’ never hitherto taken
Notice of, that the Blood retains a
Motion, at lead: in the capillary
Extremityes of the Vefiels, for fome
Time after the Part is cut off, and
feparated from the reft of the Body.
That Motion is perform’d in the very
Manner that it is in the ordina¬
ry Circulation, tho’ it, indeed, be¬
comes commonly fomewhat flower
cc prefently
biom this Treat fe feveral confiderable
Draughts have been made fi nee : and parti¬
cularly for the Idea of the Nature of Man ,
where this Do<ftrine is fet in a Light fome-
what fuller than it is here.
IOI
The Tranjlators IntroduBion.
iC prefently after the Part is fo fepa-
“ rated, and gradualy llakens till it,
4C at laft, iinaly ceafes. But in feme
Subjects, and particularly in the
*c Gills of aMufcie, cut out, I have,
*4 with a good Microfcope, obferv’d
cc the Globules of the Blood move as
44 nimbly ^ as is ever feen in any like
€C tranfparent Part whileyetunited with
44 the Body : and continuing to move
4C fo long as, I confefs, much to fur-
cc prize me. The fame may be ob-
cc ferv’d, tho’ not quite fo well, in
<c the Gills of a clear young Oyfter :
cc and in the Tails of Fifties that are
cc thin and diaphanous. Thefe Ob-
cc fervations make it evident that the
cc Blood- Veffels have, in themfelves,
cc feparately and independent of the
cc Heart, or Brain, a Power of tranf-
cc mitting and pufhing forward the
4C Blood when transferred into them.
4C ’Tis hardly needfull for me to ad-
g 3 vertifo
p For both the Space, and the Veflels, be-
sng immenfe y magnifyed, as well as the
Blood-Globules, they feem to mo e very
fwift, and thro’ a great Space of Velfel, in
an Inftant of Time.
101
The Tranjlators Introduction*
€C verttfe that Care ought to be ta~
cc ken that fuch Subjects be chofen
cc for thefe Obfervations as are lively,
cc in Vigour, and as little impair’d,
cc fpent, or hurt, as may be. For tho’
that Motion may be obferv’d in
cc thefe, it cannot be with near equal
€C Advantage. I have obferv’d the
Blood continuing its Motion in the
Veflfels of the Tail of a Gudgeon
cc ro Minutes after it was cut oft and
a parted from the reft of the Body;
tho’ the Fifh had been caught
feveral Dayes, and kept only in
cc a Bafon of Water. I have not
iC ail the Notes, which I have ta-
*c ken of thefe Things, at Hand : nor
indeed made fo many and vari¬
ous Obfervations on this Subjed: as
it merits. Whoever flhall have
Leifare to do that, with the Appli-
cc cation that it requires, will find his
“ Labour well repay’d by the Intelli-
** gence and the Light it will give him
“ into feveral Things, very confidera-
i° the Animal OEconomy, that
“ have been hitherto obfcure, and little
underftood. I content myfelf herp
“ with only giving a Hint of this;
chiefly with Delign to iliew feme-
what
The Tranflators Introduction .
€c what of the Mechanifm whereby
<c the Senfe and Action of a Part i s,
cc in fome Degree, preferv’d, after ’tis
cc feparated from the reft ; as we have
cc feen in the Cafe of the Maflfeter
£c Mufcle, and fome other Inftances
cc recounted above.
£C I am well aware I have run out
cc out into a much greater Length
cc than I at firft intended ; which yet,
cc on a Subjedt fo fruitfully ’twas not
€C eafy to avoid. That I may not
cc tranfgrefs further, I fhall only take
€C Notice that ’tis plain, from the re~
cc cited Experiments, that the Princi-
<c pie of Life, Senfe, and Animal Adi-
cc on, exifts, and is adualy prefent in
£C the very Parts that live perceive
“ and adt : and that it is not fucceflive-
<c ly derived from the Brain, as has
<c been generaly imagin’d. ?Tis as
“ evident that the Life of the whole
cc Animal, and its Power of Senfe,
<c Adtion, and anfwering the Ends of
cc Life, in every Refped, and of each
c c particular Member, Organ , and Part,
is exadly commenfurate to the Quan-
£C tity of rightly conftituted Blood in
cc it: and that the Life, and thofe
€C Powers, fail and diminifh only in
g 4 “ Proper-
103'
i£4
The Iranjlators Introduction*
cc Proportion to the Failure and DL
'c minution of the Bloody fo folid
*£ Foundation in Fa Ct, and Expert-
ment, hath this great Proposition^
cc that the is in the Blood”
As there are thofe who, tho’ with*^
out any real Caufe, fo far as I am
able to perceive, are forward to cri¬
ticize upon, and cenfure Scripture-Phi-
lofophy, and the Accounts of Nature
there deliver'd, I was the more folL
Citous to obtain the Author’s Leave to
fet forth the foregoing Papers ; in
which we have Instances how far
thofe Accounts are from being juftly
liable to fuch Cenfure, when once fet
In a true Light, and brought to the
proper Left, that of Nature, and
Things.
But, befides Papers of this Sort, I
have in my Eye feveral Treatifes con^
ducing to the Service of the fame ex^
cellent Defign, J hefe the Author
has had by him fome Years: and, fine©
his other Affairs and Studies do not
allow him Leifure, 'twill be a great
Satisfaction to me, and I iliall be forr
ward to do the belt in it I am able,
to hand them into the Light: parti-
t*tl) l. Nous m ,hAfi cZ%
ter
\
The Tranflators Introduction'.
ter of Genefis; wherein he has jufti-
fied the Mofaic Account of the Crea¬
tion : and, occafionaly, repuls’d the
Infults of Mr. Wbifton ; his fo vehe¬
ment Oppofition to it, and his Endea¬
vours to pervert that Account, pro¬
ceeding wholey from its Inconiiftence
with his new Theory ; which is fhewn
to be altogether fictitious, and with¬
out any foiid Foundation, or Counte¬
nance from Obfervation.
z. A Reprefentation of the State
of Mankind in the firfi Ages after
the Deluge ; with an Hiflorical
Difcourfe wherein the Manners , Cu-
Jloms , Opinions and Traditions , as
alfo the Arts , Utenfils , Inflrwments ,
and Weapons , of all the moft Antient
Nations, are carefully compared ; in
Order to the Dtfcovery of the Ori¬
gin of Nations, but more parti mlar -
ly of the Americans , Negroes, and
Indians. Tho’, in the Compafs lam
confin’d to, it be not eafily practica¬
ble to give an Idea of a \\ ork of the
Variety and Extent that this is, yet
I cannot but take Notice that it
makes out very plainly, from Re¬
flexion on their Notions, and Practi¬
ces, from their chief Culloms Reli-
*The 'Tranflator s Introduction •
gious and Civile from the Difpofition
of their Minds, and the Conftitution
of the Bodyes of Americans , Negroes ,
and Indians , that they, with the reft,
came all originaly from one and the
fame Stock : and that the prefent
Difference, as to Stature, Shape, Fea¬
tures, Hair, and Complexion, is ow¬
ing wholey to the Diverfity of Heat,
Ciimes, Soils, afid their various Pro¬
ductions, Diet, and the different Me¬
thods of Living. As to the Ameri¬
cans , in particular, ’tis here fhewn
that they believ’d in one Supreme
God ; but, withall, paid fome Sort
of Worship to the Sun : they offer’d
S acrifice:of Animals, and fometimes
of Men: they had g Notion of the
Immortality of the Soul, which they
thought maintain d by a Tranfmigra-
tion of it from one to another : they
retain d a clear I radition of the Crea¬
tion of the World, and of the Uni-
verfal Deluge: they kept their Re¬
cords, and preferv d the Memory of
Things, by Hieroglyphic Reprefenta-
tions ; all which the moft antient
Afiatic, African , and European Na¬
tions, the Chinefes , the /Egyptians ^
and the reft, like wife did* "Thus- far
the
io7
Lhe Tranflator s Introduction.
the Americans agree exactly with
the moll early Inhabitants of the Old
World. But they knew Nothing of
Letters, of Coyn’d-Money, of Iron,
of the Plough, or of Horfes. Where¬
as all thefe Things are of that mighty
Service in Life that, had they once
known the Ufe of them, ’tis not to be
conceiv’d they could ever poilibly have
loft it again. So that ’tis evident the
Americans were departed and gone
off before any of thefe were found out.
Now we have certain Accounts, from
Hiftory, and Chronology, of the Time
when Letters firft obtain’d, when Mo¬
ney was firft coyn’d, when the Ufe of
Iron was difcover’d, as alfo of the Plow
and Agriculture, and when Horfes, till
then running wild, were firft taken up,
broken, tam’d, and turn’d to the Ser¬
vice of Mankind. This Time there¬
fore being afcertain’d there is no Diffi¬
culty in adjufting the JEra. of the De¬
parture of the American Colony. 3 •
Of the JVifdom of the antient EEgyp-
tians, a Difccurfe concerning their
Arts , their Learning^ and their Re¬
ligion; with occasional Reflections
on the State of Learning amongft
the Jews, and fome other Nations.
The Tfranftators Introduction.
In this, befides other Things, the
Mofaic Inftitudon is vindicated : and
the Charge, of Sir John Marjham , f
and Dr. Spencer * * that fome Parts
of that Inftitudon were taken from the
^Egyptians 5 is refuted.
Foftfcript.
AS I am putting an End to this
Introduction, I have happen’d to
light on fome of the Letters mentioned
Nat. Rift. Earth illitft rated , p. 1 1 z
infra. I add them to the foregoing
Papers^ with the Author’s Leaver
which was the more difficulty obtain¬
ed, as they were wrote merely for the
private Satisfaction of a Friend, with¬
out any View of their ever appearing in
Publick. Sir Robert Southwell \ whofe
Name is at the Head of them, was a
Man, as of real Virtue and Honour, fo
of a great deal of Curiofity, fine Parts,
and very folid Accomplishment,* and
there was, to the laft, a ftriCt Friend-
fhip betwixt him and the Author.
The Letters are as follows.
Letter L
«| — > »■ ■ r— —irwr^
| Chron. Canon. Sxc. 9.
* De Legib. Hebraeor. Lib. 3.
I
Letter I.
To the Honourable
Sir Roht. Southwell
At King’s TVefton.
Of the Alterations of the Barome¬
ter, and the Rife and Fall of
the Mercury in it, on the Alte¬
rations that happen in the Confli -
tution of the Atmojphere and
Change of Weather.
Grejh. Coll. July 4. 1698.
Choofe rather, relying on
your accuftomedGood-Na-
ture, to return you fuch an
Anfwer as the Condition of
my Atiairs will now permitt, than let
a Man, I pay the Deference to that I
do to you, ftay longer for what, when
it tmaly came, might not perhaps
much
1IO
If he Tfranfiator s Introduction*
much better deferve your Staying for*
You ask - How it comes to pafs
that a pure dir Jhouldraife the Mer¬
cury in the 1 "Barometer or Weather -
Glafs, and a foggy ormoift Jirjhoud
let it fink ? Or whether of the two
is heavyer , Air which is clear and
dry , or that which is thick and
moifi ? You know Sir ! very well,
and indeed it hath been demonftra-
ted by feveral late Writers of Hydro-
ftaticks. i That the Mercurial Cy¬
linder is born up in the Tube of the
Barometer by the Prelfure of the Air
upon the external ftagnant Mercury.
2P. That this Prelfure arifes merely
from the Weight of the Air, or At-
mofphere, that is, the Air, Watery
Vapours, and all other extraneous
Matter wherewith the Air is charged.
3 u. That the Weight of any one par¬
ticular Body or fort of Matter increa-
fes proportionably to its Increafe in
Bulk or Quantity ; e . gr . twocubick
Inches of pure Gold weigh twice as
much as one, fo two cubick Inches of
Water are double the Weight of one.
4°a That the Weight of Matter of
different Sorts, and different fpecifick
Gravities, put or added together, in-
creates
The Tranflators Introduction.
creafes in Proportion to the Quantity
of each feparately confider’d. Thus
one cubic Inch of Copper being added
to a cubic Inch of Gold, which is about
double the fpecific Gravity of Copper,
the Whole will weigh about -? more than
the Gold apart : and two cubic Inches of
Copper being added to one of Gold the
Weight of the Aggregate will be about
double. And the very Corpufcles which
conftitute thefe larger Maffes bear the
fame Relation to one another, as to
their Gravity, and to Corpufcles of
different Sorts, that the larger Maffes
themfelves do to other Mafles, of the
fame, and of different Sorts. From
what hath been laid down, you’ll
eafily refolve the latter Part of your
Queftion, and be fatisfy’d that a
Ma/s of dir that is clear and dry
is not fo heavy as when thick and
moift^ i. e. when charged with Wa¬
tery Vapours or other Exhalations, it
being manifeftthat the Air muft needs
be charged with as much Weight more
than before, as thefe Vapours and
Exhalations weigh apart, and confe-
quently muft prefs more upon all Bo¬
dies, folid and fluid, provided it
gravitate with its whole Weight. So
that the former, is the much more
difficult
The Iranf/ators Introduction*
difficult Part of your Queftion. For
fince it is moft certain that, before
Rain, the Air is charged with Vapours
and other additional Matter : and fince
confequently it muft weigh more, and
prefs more on Bodies, than it could be*
fore with its own {Ingle Weight : Iince
like wife the Mercury in the Tube is
born up by the Weight and Preffure
of the Atmofphere upon the external
ftagnant Mercury, and rifes in Pro^
portion to that Weight and Prefiure,
theQueftion is, why it falls or finks in
the Tube before Rain ? Which I think
may be fully refolv’d by a right Re°*
prefentation of the Circumftances and
State of the Air and Vapours before
Rain. It ought to be confider’d i°.
T hat the Water that falls down in
Rain was originaly, and before the
Emin happened, raifed from the Earth,
and born thence up to a confiderable
Height in the Atmofphere. 2 That
whiift it thus mounts up, it does not
prefs or bear either upon the Air or
other Bodies, or gravitate, itfelfi
30. That its Motion upward being di«
reftly oppofite to that Motion where-
unto the Air and other Terreftrial Bo¬
dies are determin’d by their Gravity,
viz .
The Tranflators IntroduUiOn,
mz downward, and towards the Ceil-
tre of the terreftrial Globe r and the
Mafs of Air near the Surface of the
Earth being very thick, clofe, or
denfe, ?tis impoffible the Watery and
other Vapours fhou’d afcend through
the Intervails of the Aereal Corpufcies
without hitting and linking upon them $
whence it muft needs follow that this
Counter-Impulfe made on the Air by
thefe afcending Vapours muft dimi^
nilla its Preffure or Weight, more or
lefs as the Vapours are more or fewer
in Number, and as their Afcent is with
a greater or lets Impetus. It may
not be amifs to iliuftrate this by fome
Inftance. Suppofe a Body defcending
thro’ the Atmofphere, with 500 de~
grees of Impetus, till, at laft, it was
met by 20 leffer Bodies that were af¬
cending each wifh 3 Degrees of Im¬
petus : that as foon as thefe 20 had
hit, and fpent their Force upon the
faid defcending Body, they were in-
ftantly fucceeded by 20 more, which
alfo hit upon it, after thefe 20 others,
and fo on continually to the End of its
Defcent ; ’tis plain this Body would,
after it was fo met and fmote incef-
fantly by thefe afcending Bodies, def-
(i 14 *Xhe TranJIator's Introduffiion.
cend with only 440 deg. of Impe¬
tus, there being 60 Degrees to be de¬
duced, from the original 500, by rea-
fon of the Counter-Impuife made by
the 2 o other Bodies each with 3 De¬
grees. * Or fuppofe a Body preffing
upon another with the W eight of 5 o
Ounces: or rather, if you pleafe, fup¬
pofe fuch a Body fufpended at one End
of the Beam of a Balance, and coun¬
terpois’d at the other End by 5 o Oun¬
ces. Then fuppofe a continual Steam
or Efflux of fmall Corpufcles amend¬
ing directly upwards, with an Impetus
equal to that made by the Weight of
1 o Ounces, and hitting inceffantiy up¬
on the faid Body fo fufpended ; ’tis ap¬
parent it wou’d be born up with 10
Degrees of Impetus, and that it might
be then counterpois’d with only 40 Oun¬
ces. As certain is it that the Vapours
afcending before Rain mud ftrike up¬
on the Aery Corpufcles, impede the
Force of their Gravity, and leffen their
Preflure. What is the Caufe of the
Afcent
* I do not here take any Notice of the con*
tinual Acceleration of the Motion of defend¬
ing Bodies. That is, indeed, nothing to the
prelent purpofs*
The Tranjlators tnWoiutiioin
Afcent of thefe Vapours is no Part of
your Queftion $ but it is Matter of Fabt
and indifputable that they do a&ualy
afcend, and that is all that I here lay
ftrefs upon. Now the Mercurial Cy-
Under in the Barometer depending in-
tirely on the Air’s Preflure, being taller
and higher when the Air’s Preffure is
greater, and fiiorter and lower whedt
the Prelfure is lefs : and the Air’s Pref-
fure being leilened before Rain by the
Counter^Impulfe of the afcending Va-
pours that form that Rain, we have a
very manifeft Reafon why the Merca*
ry finks in the l ube, and the Cy-
Under becomes fhorter before Rain*
You fee Sir ! how the Gravity of th^
Air, and fuperadded Vapours, is elu¬
ded and impeded. Gravity is a Pro¬
perty that always attends Bodies, and
is not, ever, iefifened* A Bullet, fhot
point blank, up into the Atmofphere5
is not at all aeferted by its natural
Gravity, tho’ forc'd up by the Explo-
lion with an Impetus fuperior to that
of its Gravity. The Body in the In-
fiance above, fufpended at one End of
the Beam of the Balance, is realy at¬
tended with as great a Degree of Gra^
vity, and bears downwards with ai
h % great
:i 1 6 The TranjJators Introduction.
great an Impetus*, after the Efflux and
Impulfes of the afcending Corpufcles,
as before^ tho’ a Idler Number of Oun¬
ces ferve now to counterpoife it; So
likewife when the Air is charg’d with
Vapours, the Gravity of the Aggre¬
gate, or Atmofph^re, is truly aug¬
mented, tho5 that be eluded, and it
do not prefs or gravitate with the Im¬
petus of its whole natural Weight.
T he Meafures therefore of the Air’s
Preflure upon the Mercury are not to
be taken only from the greater or lef-
fer Quantity of Matter in the Atmof-
pha?re, or its greater or leffer Gravity ;
but regard muff likewife be had to the
Tendency and the Direction of the
Motion of that Matter. ’Tis not a
Part of your Requeft that I lay down
the Canones of its Motion, nor indeed
is that eafy to be done ; befides that I
am now much reftrain’d by other Af¬
fairs. Only thus much may be added3
tis not probable that the Atmofphsere
ever preflfes with the Impetus of its full
weight ; there being other Steams and
Vapours, befides thofe Watery ones
which form Rain, perpetually fent
forth of the Globe, that fomewhat re¬
pel! and break the Force of the Air’s
Prdiure, Thefe may mount as well
at
*Tbe Tranjlators Introduction.
at fuch time as the others fail down in
Rain, as at any other. Nay the very
Watery Vapours themfeives not only
may 3 but actually do, mount up of¬
tentimes whilft the Rain fails ; which
may be proved as well other wife as
by the long Continuance of the Rain
in fome Countries; it falling incelfant-
ly for feveral Weeks together ; during
which Time the Earth fends it forth in
thofe Countries., not only in Form of
Vapour, but fpues and forces it out in
very great Quantities. Nor does all
the Watery Matter that arifes from
any Trad of Earth fall down again
upon that very Trad, but floats in
the Atmofpha^re, being moved on by
Winds, and is, let down again, in
Form of Rain, frequently in very
diftant Parts. * In a Word, the
Air’s Preflure will be greater or lefs
as the Vapours afcending are in
greater or lefs Quantity, and move
with more or lefs Force : and like**
wFe as the Quantity of them that
faiis down again in Rain, is greater or
lefs. ’ I is merely the Diredion of the
Motion of thefe Vapours that influen-
h 3 ces
* Confer. Nflt. Hifi. Ettrtfa* Part 3. Sed 1®
Coni! 3.
The Tranfuttor s Introduction,
ces the Air’s Preffure, and c6nfequent~
ly the riling and falling of the Mercu-
ry in the Barometer, In hot and dry
W eather the Mercury is fometimes low,*
which is an Indication of the Rife of
watery Vapours in thofe Parts, tho*
they happen to be born off, and do
not fall down there again. At other
times it hands high in hot and dry
Weather, an Argument there are few¬
er of thofe Vapours raifed then, as alfo
that the Heat without the Earth con¬
tributes little to the railing of them,
*Tis true that that Heat may bear up
Part of the Water that relides on the
Surface of the Earth ; but all, that pro¬
ceeds forth of the interior Parts of the
Globe, which is very much, owes
its Rife to another Caufe. In Frofty
and Cold Weather the Mercury Hands
frequently high, the Pores of the Sur-,
face of the Earth being then ufually
clofer, and the Eruptions fewer. Be¬
fore Rains the Mercury generally falls,
in proportion as the riling Vapours
contribute to the Repulfion of the Air’s
Preflure: and when thofe Vapours
ceafe to rife, the Mercury afcends in
the Tube , but they not always cea-
fmg upon the fall of the Rain, but
continuing to flow up for fome time,
and
The Tranflators Introdiiclioiu
and perhaps in great Quantity too, the
Mercury in fuch Cafe is not to be ex¬
pected to rife prefen tly upon the Fall
of the Rain. The Truth is, theRifeand
Fall of the Mercury in the Barometer
is obferv’d to be hardly certain and re¬
gular in any fort of Weather : nor can
that be thought ftrange when the
Caufe of its Rife and Fall is thus vari¬
ous, contingent, and uncertain. ’Tis
not more certain in any RefpeCt than
in its Fall before Rain ,• becaufe there
generally happens an Eflux of Va¬
pours, before Pvain, which affeCt it.
This Caufe is conftant, and the Effect
anfwers as conftantly. But for the
Quantity, and the Duration of the
Eflux, and whether it all, or part of
it only, fall down on the Tract
whence it rofe, is wholly contingent,
and fo confequently mull be the Mo¬
tions of the Mercury. Much more
might be faid, but ’tis not needful to a
Perfon of your Apprehenfion*
I am, SIR,
Your mod Humble Servant
Je Woodward.
h 4 Extras
The Tranfldtors IntroduUionl
- — in it * ~ n -- J.I.II ~-~m TTTTnrrr j m i *i uri-ujiji ublim— u.
Extract of Letter II.
Iiiril H lM|»iWHI«IIIM<nW,| - I I.n in. —
relating to the Prejfure of the At»
mojpiure’s being diminifhed , and
by that means the Mercury in
the Barometer made to fall , by
the Afcent of Steams and Vapours
out of the Earth and Abyfs $
briefly ftated.
\LL the Quantity of the
Impetus of the Atmofphaere’s
Preffure, caufed by its Gra¬
vity, 3 o. Call the Height
of tiie Column of Mercury, raifed up
into the 1 ube of the Barometer by
that Impetus, likewife 30, Then
call the Impulfes on the Atmofpha^re
made by the Steam, raised or buoy’d
Out of the Earth, and palling directly
pp into thg Atmofph^re3 for the For-
The TranJIator s Introduction.
mation of Rain there, 2. I fay,
whenever, by the Impulfes, or Coun¬
ter-Impetus, of that riling Steam, the
Column of the Atmofphaere, prelfmg,
gravitating and balancing the Column
of Mercury in the Tube of the Baro¬
meter, is render’d lighter by 2, the
Column of Mercury mu ft then of
courfe become fhorter by 2 : and
then the Height of it can be no greater
than 28.
When, by the Steam riling, either
in greater Quantity, or with greater
Swiftnefs, or buoy’d up with greater
Impetus, the Column of the Atrno-
fptuere is render’d lighter by 3, the
Column of Mercury mull fhorten, and
fall to 27.
When the Column of the Atmo-
fpha?re is render’d lighter but by 1 , the
Column of the Mercury will fhorten
but to
9*
Letter
1 22 the tranflators Introduction.
lij in m m«i ~i'> ' 1 — ~r~' r^-7
Letter Ill.
Of the (Economy of the Great Deep ,
or Ahyfs * in the Bowels of the
Earth : and the continual Inter -
courfe betwixt this and the At -
mofphere •
Cannot* 1 confefs* but think
that ’t would be more agree¬
able to your Purpofe Sir!
and I am fure* much eafyer
to me, to lay before you the Obferva-
tions themfelves* and the Collections*
which I have made, relating to the
OEconomy of the Aby is, and it’s Com¬
munications with our Atmofph ere ; but*
fince you are pleafed to command on¬
ly an AbftraCt, I here fend you One,
drawn up in fuch Manner as my pre«
lent Circumftances will give leave.
proofs of the 1 he Difphtches, of Principles* very
fDiffatches various, out of the Aby fs* up into the
zbiverjity Atmofphere, are almoft continual. Of
<®fTrinci - thefe fome are humid* others dry* fome
cold3
xaj
*The Tranflators Introduction.
cold, others hot, others of Saline, and/** out of
mineral Nature. But Sir ! as vour In- the
qmry is chiefly relating to Rain, I <ph<enome-
fhall have Regard more particularly m objerva-
to that : and there are both Proofs o{bieinMines%
its Rife out of the Aby fs, and, for fome
Time before there be any Apearance Depth in
of it above in the Atmofphere, Prefa- the Earth
ge$ of its Accefs, there, below, at the
Bottoms of great Coal-Pits, and deep
Mines of Metalls, in all Parts of the
World. The firft Notice, that the
Colliers and Miners have of its Rife,
is a Heat, under Ground, fomething
greater than ufual. This continuing,
the Air there becomes thick, mifly,
foggy, and finaly humid, and damp.
In Proportion to the Afcent Increafe
and Continuance of the Heat and Hu¬
midity, the Workmen below foretell
the Time of the Fall of the Rain above,
its Quantity, and Duration : and thofe,
that have frequently made thefe On-
fervations, and have Experience, fore¬
tell that with great Certainty • than
which there needs not a firmer Proof
of the Certainty of the Principle.
Much the fame Phenomena are oh-
ferved in Grottos and deep fubterra-
iie&n Caverns, Nay even our Vaults,
by
The TranJIator's Introduction.
by the Fumes and Stench that the
afcending Steams carry up along with
them, give fure Prefages of Rain to
infue, In fome of the deepeft
Mines, before long and great Rains,
Water is feen working forth of the
horizontal Filfures of the Strata, firll
attended with Froath; the Water
fometimes , flowing in thus in fuch
Quantity as, palling on into them,
coniiderably to raife the Springs, and
fill the perpendicular Filfures, to fuch
Degree as to drive the Workmen out.
This Phenomenon affords fome Light
to conduit us in forming a Judgment
of the Origin of Springs, and Rivers.
But, to proceed, the Thicknefs of the
Air and Fog increaling, in the Mines,
or Cole Pits, the Candles, ufed by
the Workmen, under Ground, burn lefs
clear than ufual. Nay, the Heat, Rife,
and Hurry, from beneath, continuing,
and becoming ftill greater, befides the
Humidity, various Sorts of mineral
Steams, nitrous, fulphurous, and others,
afcend and fly up, fometimes infuch
Quantity as to take Fire at the Can¬
dles, and, after the Manner of Gun¬
powder, which is compofed chiefly of
thofe two Ingredients, make Explo-
fions.
€Ihe(Tranjlator s Introduffiion.
(ions, fuffocate and kill the Work¬
men there, and do much Mifchief.
Thefe have obtained the Name of
‘Damps*. The mineral Steams, af-
ceiding to the Surface of the Earthy
and being farthered by the Heat there,
in Summer, and warm Weather, mount
up into the Atmofphtere, and form there
Lightning and Thunder f. They are
fometimes in fuch Quantity, in our Air,
as to be plainly perceived : and aful-
phurous Smell frequently attends thefe
Emergencyes. It will not be fo¬
reign to note that, befides thefe, other
mineral Steams arife, which, palling up
to the Surface, become there noxious,
injurious to Health, bring on Fevers,
and pehilential Diftempers which
are ever obferved to be the moft rife
and epidemical, in hot Weather, and
the rainy Seafons. So that they, who
would apprize themfelves of the Caufes
of the healthy or unhealthy State of
the Air, mult fearch for the Origin of
them in the Operations of this fubter-
raneous Refervatory.
The
* Coup Nat. Hift. Earth . Part. IV. Confi
f Ibid, | Ibid.
t*i& *Ihe Tranflators Introduction *
2. From The Strata of Mountains are bro-
*Ph<enoMe- ken*, and interrupted, fo as to have
na vbjerva- j them frequent Fiflures and Aper-
and high tures. 1 hen thefe Strata are eleva-
Mountains . ted ^ : and put into fuch Pofiure as to
difpofe them to give Pafiage, not on¬
ly to Steam s, and Humidity, but to
Water, fometimes in Quantity, very
freely, and directly, from the Abyfsj
efpecialy where the Strata are fo much
railed as to come near to a Perpendi¬
cular. Thorow thefe, the Water
pafles, all along, readyly, with the
Grain of the Stone : and thorow the
Fiffures that part the Strata. Nay,
here, even the Steams, that rife, by
Reafbn of the greater Cold in thofe
higher Regions, are more fuddenly
condenfed, and arrefted : and confer
quently fooner difcernible, than thofe
that arife from the Plains, and V alleys
beneath, where the Heat is greater®
Any Man, refie&ing on this fo mecha¬
nical a Compages and Structure of the
Mountains, will foon fee Tis fuch that
they mufi in courfe prefen t us with
very
* V. Nat. Hifi. Earth, Part, II. Conf. 6, 8,
£ Ibid.
*fhe Tran/Iators Introduction],
very early Notices of the Difpatches
from the Abyfs : and, in particular, of
the Humidity that, affembling and
uniteing into Drops, forms Rain. ’Tis
for this Reafon that we fee, ordinary-
ly, on the Tops of the higher and
larger Mountains, not only ours here,
but thofe of even the moft Northern
Countryes, quite to Greenland ; tho’
more commonly on the Southren of
America , Africa , and indeed all
Parts of the World, Mills and Fogs,
or, as they are commonly called.
Clouds, and Caps, for fome Time be¬
fore any Rain is collected and ready
to fall. This is fo certain, that the
Country People, inhabiting within
View of thefe, conftantly ground
their Prognolticks, with great Alfu-
rance, upon them : and, from the In-
creafe and Continuance of thefe, they
make their Judgment of the Quantity
and Duration of the Rain to infue.
In fome, efpecialy the more Southern
and hot Countryes, the humid Va¬
pours ilfue forth of the Mountains fo
fall, and in fuch Store, as there im¬
mediately to form Rain, and fall
down, on the Spot, in Showers. Nor
is any Thing more common than, in
[«*s
The 7* ranjlators Intreckiftiori;
thofe Country es, to obferve great
Rains, and, in fome, even Thunder
and Lightening, in the Mountains,
when all is clear below, and none in
the Plains or Valleys. Nay, at fome
Times, efpecialy in the hotter Seafons,
when the Power of the Sun joyns and
inforces that of the Subterranean Heat,
the Water is roufed in fuch Quantity
as to ftorm the Strata, make new
Breaches in them, and force its W ay
forth, fometimes in fuch Quantity as
to drown and drive away whole
Flocks of Cattle feeding in the neigh¬
bouring Paftures, overturn Houfes, and
make Deluges fo great as to lay con-
liderable Traits of Land, and almoft
whole Countries, under Water. T his
happens, not feldom, in the larger
Mountains of the North of England ;
where thefe Eruptions have obtain’d
the Name of Out-cBurfis •, but much
more frequently in the vaft Mountains
of Habajjinia, thofe of the Andes of A-
merica , and other Southern Country es.
3. From They, who inhabit Places near the
<Ph<enome- Sea, have fure Notices, ofevery coniide-
ZbkVthe rab!e Rain’ Siven them> before han(1’ bY
Sea, in great the various Noifes that proceed thence.
Lakes, in occafion’d by the various Agitations and
springs ^Commotions of the Sea at the l ime.
Thefe
Wells.
The Translators Introduction . i ig
Thefe are very different^ at fome
Times fuch as to imitate Water bub-5
ling up, as boiling : at others, to
raife it into a Swellings as the Seamen
term it, or Rowling, and Waves, fre¬
quently when there is little or no Wind
Hiring above. Sometimes the Sea
Water becomes fenfibly more warm,
than ordinary, before Rain; by which
Means the Porpuffes, and other Sea^
Fifh, are offended and difturbed, to
fuch a Degree as, in Shoals, to tofs
and fling themfelves above the Water,
with much Flutter, Noife, and Marks
of Difcompofure, on the Occafiom
In fome Places that Warmth is atten¬
ded by a Sparkling and Light of the
Sea- Water, but fuch as is only vilible
in the Night. In Loughs, and
great Lakes, Rain is likewife prefaged
by like Noifes and Commotions : and
by the Water becoming more turbid,
muddy, and foul. Of all which Phe¬
nomena we have Accounts from thofe
who have made Obfervations on the
great Lakes of Pen. j, of Habajfmia ,
of China , of Sweden , and Lapland ,
of the Alps and Switzerland , of Ire -
land) and of the North of England \
where the Natives are wont to afcribe
thefe Phenomena to what they call
i an
The Tranjlator s Introduction .
an Under-Wind^ or Vapour afcending
from the Bottom. Rain is prefa-
ged, in Springs, or Wells, by the
Water becoming more or lels Warm:
by its receiving fome adventitious Taft,
or being fomewhat more thick and
turbid : and, in fome Springs, efpe-
cialy thofe which rife in Hills, by an
Hilling, Chanting, Thumping, or o-
ther Sound: in others, by the Increafe
and Rife of the Water. This laft I
take to b e the Cafe of thofe common¬
ly call’d Ebbi ng-Spri ng r : and in par¬
ticular of the famous Tydes-Well in
the Teak) that is faid, tho’ very
wrongly, to ebb and flow with the
Sea: as alfo of fome other like Springs,
both in this Ifland, and in foreign
Parts, which have fo much and lb
long, in vain, exercifed the Con-
jedures and Speculations of Natura-
lifts and Men curious in fuch Inqui¬
res. Our Baths, here, at Hath, as
well as thofe abroad, become fome¬
what more hot than ufual before any
great Rain. Nay even the Vuicanos,
or Burning-Mountains, /Etna, Vefn-
vius , Hecla , and the reft, are more
noify, and fend forth more Fumes, and
Fire, before every extraordinary and
lafting Rain. The Acidnla , or vitrio-
The Tranflators tnirodu$ion. Iji
lie Springs, fuch as thofe of T unbridg,
become ordinarily ftronger, and more
highly faturated with that Salt, be¬
fore great Rains; quite contrary to
the common Notion, which fuppofes
them thinner and weaker.
In like Manner, before any confi- 4- Pr<M
derable Rain, moft Living Creatures Th<enome-
are affected in fuch Sort as to render ^Uei^AnU
them fome way fenfible of its Approach, mats.
and of the Accefs of fomething new,
to the Surface of the Earth, and to
the Atmofphere. Moles work harder
than ordinary, throw up more Earth,
and fometimes come forth. The
Worms do fo too. Ants are obferv’d
to ftir about, and buftle more than
ufualy, for fome Time : and then to
retire to their Burrows, a while before
the Rain falls. Garden and Field-
Spiders are feen likewife wandering
about, in Quell: of Coverture for the
Time. All Sorts of Infers, and
Flyes, are more Birring and buify
than ordinary. Bees are ever, ori
this Occaiion, in fulled Employ ; but
betake themlelves all to their Hives,
if not too far off for them to reach,
before the Storm arifes. The com¬
mon Flefh-Flyes are more bold, and
greedy. Snails, Frogs, Toads, ap-
13 2
‘ The 'Tranjlator s Introduction.
pear difturb’d, difquieted, and uneafy.
Fifh are fullen, and made qualmifh,
by the Water, now more turbid than
before. Birds, of all Sorts, are in
A&ion. Crows are more earned after
their Prey. As are alfo Swallows, and
other fmall Birds : and therefore they
fall lower, and fly nearer to the Earth,
in Search of Infects, and fuch other
Things as they feed upon. So foon as
ever the Mountains of the North begin
to be cap'd with Fogs, the Moor-
Cocks, and other Birds, there, quit
them, fly off in Flocks, and betake
themfelves to the lower Lands, for
the Time. Swine difcover great Un-
eafinefs. As do likewife Sheep, Cows,
and Oxen ; appearing more felicitous,
and eager in Pafture, than ufual.
Even Mankind are not exempted from
fome Senfe of a Change in their Bo-
dyes, occafion’d by the Change made
in the Atmofphere, by means of an
adventitious Heat, and Humidity : as
alfo of Mineral Principles, and Salts,
perhaps vitriolic, fulphurous, and, in
reality, the very fame to which I have
elfewhere f fhewn moft of the Difea-
fes.
f Idea of the Nature of Man, Difeafes, and
Hemedyes. 8vo»
*33
The TranJJators Introduction •
fes, Perturbations, and Diforders of hu¬
man Nature are owing. And, as the
Salts, derived from improper Diet, and
perhaps Intemperance, and Excefs, are
wont,firft,to affeCt theStomach,and thole
Parts that fuffer inConfort with it, chief¬
ly theLungs, and Head ; but, afterwards,
to defcend thence gradualy into the
Blood, where they are diffufed over and
affedt the whole Body; fo, on the
like Salts, and Mineral Principles, from
out the Earth, invading the Atmofphere,
Men, of the finer Conftitutions, become
afthmatic and fhortbreathed, have their
Heads cloudy, dizzy, and, as they call
it, vapoured : and perhaps their Limbs
pained; with feveral other Symptoms.
Nay, where the mineral Principles af-
cend in Quantity greater than ordinary,
the Stomach is fometimes fenfibly affect¬
ed : and I know feveral who become
maukifh, fick,and a&ualy vomit, before
Thunder and Lightening, fo conftant-
ly that they never fail of fuch W arn-
ings of thofe Meteors before their Ap¬
proach.
The Steams, afcending thus up into 5. From
the Atmofphere, muft, of- neceffity, 'Phtmme-
break and leflen the Preflu re-of it : and,“ obPr^
by that means, lower and fhorten the^w inani~
i 3 Mercurial mate 3 far-
i|4 The Tranjlators Introduction ,
tkularly Mercurial Cylinder of the Barome-*
'ligand ter‘ t The Humidity, rifmg, and
the Hygro- continualy increasing, Shews itfelf in
fietcr, various Ways. In Vaults, Cellars,
and Places under Ground, firft : and,
afterwards, continuing to mount up,
in Places that are higher, it cafts a
Damp and Moifture on Stones, and
fuch other hard polite and fpecular
Bodyes, as, happening to be in its
Way, flop, arrefi, coiled:, and fo
render it difcernible. The Humidi^
ty, infinuating itfelf into Bodyes that
are fungous and porous, fills their
Cells and Pores, diflends them, and
inlarges the Bodyes fo much, that they,
by that means, are made to give fen-
fible Evidence of its adual Arrival
and Prefence : and fo ferve for Hy¬
grometers.
6- Fr°m The Exhalations of the Abyfs, aft
^fy^cendmg, and intermixing with the
the Light , Air and Atmofphere, impact a various
and various, Manner, Hue, and Colour to it, an-
fwerable to the Different feature of
mofybere. eac^3 and, as they happen to be fuf-
pended, in the Atmofphere, in greater
or
f Confer, p. 105. feqq. fupra.
The TranJIators Intro duel ion. 1 3 f
or leffer Quantity. When they are in
leffer, thin, and near equaly diffufed
in all Parts, the Atmofphere obtains,
with fome, a Grey Call, with others,
a Sky, or Blue : when in greater, and
grofs, a white, a yellow, a red, or
black. The Light, call thorough
thefe Exhalations, Steams, Fogs, and
Clouds, and by them varioufly reflect¬
ed and refraCted, appears with a dif¬
ferent Complexion and Tenor, fuitable
to the different Conftitution of the
Matter whereof they confift. Th offhe Light
Light of even the very fame Day va-^
ryes much, according as the V apours nanly of
in the Atmofphere happen to vary in different
Nature and Qiiantity. Ire Summer,3^*
when the Sun’s Power is greateft, and
its Rayes nearelt to direct, here in
England, the Light of the Dayes,
that are cleared, and freed from
Clouds, is much varyed merely by the
various Interpofitioii of the common
afeending Steams. During the Cool
of the Night, they are ufualy much
leffen’d. So that, in the Morning, in
Cafe the Fogs of the foregoing Even¬
ing ^ are diflipated, the Light, for
i a. fome
i Confer 2hdt. Hi ft • Earth. Part IV. ConC
14. p. 2,33. 3d. Edit.
The IranJIators Introduction.
feme Hours, is bright, vivid, and
ftrong. As the Sun draws nearer to
the Meridian, the Light becomes more
faint and languid, and is of a different
Hue,- which rather increafes after¬
wards. The nearer the Sun is to the
Meridian, the more direct its Rays,
tnere, are : and the greater its Power
upon the Earth j in which Cafe, more
Vapours being continualy raifed, the
Light fhews itfelf fomewhat turbid,
and thick. In fultry hot Weather I
have frequently obferv’d, afeending’ in
the Atmofphere, an extremely tine
Matter, agitated, and in a continual
Undulation, much after the manner
of a very thin ;etherial lambent Flame.
This, doubtlefs, is no other than Heat,
or the Subterranean Fire, detach’d
forth in fmall Parcels, bearing up a-
long with it Fumes and Steams, which
are made the more vifible by their
Agitations, and their varioufly reflect¬
ing ^ the Light of the Sun. That the
Sun’s Power, to a£t upon any Part of
the Earth, increafes continualy as it
approaches the Meridian, there, is
certain ; which alligns a Caufe of the
railing of thefe Kinds of Steams chiefly
in the Middle of the Day. The Light
ihould
The Tranflator s Introduction . 137
fihould increafe in Proportion : and be¬
come continualy more vivid. That it
does not, mu ft be owing to the Inter-
pofition of fomething that thus fcreens
and impedes it. I had a Confirmation Various
of this, Jpril 22 d, 1715, in th o,cPh<£?iorM~
Morning, during the total Eclipfe ofmena r^°at
the Sun. The Light was, before, ve-^-^7
ry bright, clear, and brilkj but, a sttie Sun,
the Body of the Moon interpos'd, in a ^Pril 22^*
little Time, the Light appear’d of the I?I5‘
Hue ’tis wont, then, ordinarily, about
Noon. As the Moon advanced upon
the Sun’s Difk, the Light grew more
and more faint, and grey, till it ap¬
pear’d like the ordinary Light, call
obliquely through the Atmofphere, in
September . At laft the Light had a
faint blueifh Call. The Air became
cooler likewife, in Proportion : and a
fine flight Dew fell j occafion’d by the
Moon’s Interpofing, and impeding
the Adtion of the Sun upon the At¬
mofphere, the Earth, and the Abyfs.
’Tis to that A&ion that the Rife, of
Humidity, up into the Atmofphere, is
owing: and, upon this Interruption
and Sufpenfe of it, the Humidity now
fell back ; uniting, thickening, and
forming itfeif into Drops of Dewg as
138
7 he TranJIators Introduction «
it fell, and approached the Surface of
the Earth. vf was probably from this
that the Blue, then fo much taken
Notice of, in the Atmofphere, did
arife. Nor indeed can there well be
much Doubt but that the ordinary fine
thin Azure of the Atmofphere, is ow¬
ing, if not to humid, to fome other
Vapours in it. ’Twas aifo obferv’d at
CPunjiable^ where there happen’d to
be fome Clouds, that thefe became ap¬
parently bluer, indeed near black, and
thicker, during the Eclipfe. kt Lon¬
don ^ after the Eclipfe was over, the
Atmofphere was more dufky, gloomy,
and thick, than before. In the Gar¬
dens, all round, the finer and more
tender Flowers began to clofe, during
the Eclipfe, as they are wont after
Light, Sun-Sett. In like Manner the
cj- the dif- Light, of the different Seafons of the
fmsfconfi- Year, is very different. This happens
der'd. That from the different Power of the Sun,
of Autumn and its different Abtion on the Earth,
C°ldthTfhat the Atmofphere, and the Exhalations
of Winter, there. The Light of October about
Occafiona - 40 Dayes after the Autumnal ^Equi-
ly of the nox E not commonly fo clear t as
Tencr erf the J '
Light dll' that
f Confer, pag. *4*. infra.
The T r an flat or s Introduction. 13$
that of the End of January , about 4 o
Dayes before the Vernal ^Equinox.
As to Winter, in the hardeft Froft Zight du-
the Light is clearer than it is in the rag the
Midle of Summer. It is alfo brighter, & eat °f
ftronger, more vivid, and intenfe. ^>hat #eat
The Caufe, of this Difference, is, in lejjend.
Summer the Rays of the Sun are in-^«» by the
deed call more directly through th
Atmofphere, but then, by Reafon of7
the greater Heat of the Seafon, there
are Vapours, continualy rifing, or
ftagnating, which intercept and re¬
fract the Rays ; whereas, in Froft,
which happens in Winter, the R ys
of the Sun are caft obliquely thro'
the Atmofphere j but, then, the Ac¬
cent of the Exhalations from the
Abyfs are check'd, * and fo the Light
pure, clear, and free from Vapours.
For if there be the lead Appearance
of Vapour, Fog, or Cloud, tis a Sign,
the Froft is declining. So that, in
hard Froft, 'tis highly probable that
the Light is the 1110ft genuine and pure.
Our belt Metallin-Goncaves, and
Burning-
* Confer pag, 150. infra.
140
The T ranJJators Introduction.
Burning-Glaffes, colleding the Rays
of the Sun, ftiew that its Heat is full
as great, and does as much;, if not
more Execution., in the F ufion of Me-
tails, and the Diftolution of Bodyes
the moft firm, folid, and hard, £ du¬
ring the hardeft Froft, when the fubter-
ranean Heat is in great Meafure with¬
held, as in the moft exceffive and in-
tenfe Heat of Summer. * * So that the
Sun’s Heat is realy no more interrupt¬
ed than its Light is, during Froft :
and ’tis what I have ever obferv’d that
its Heat and Light are fo exaftly com-
menfurate, each to other, that I am
not fatisfy’d but that they are both
the very fame. By comparing
the extreme Heat of Summer, with
this of the Sun in Froft, may be afcer-
tain’d the Power, and Quota of the
fubterranean Heat : and how much it
is commonly fuperior to that of the.
Sun, in our Atmofphere. ’Tis indeed
evident that, to this fubterranean Heat,
and
\ In thefe Affayes Confi deration ought to
be had of the Change made, in thofe Bodyes,
by Froft.
* Confer. Hid.de £ Acad, des Sciences y 1705.
Ip* 0 P 9 40 ®
\
*The Tran/lators Introduction. 1
and the various Difpenfations of it, all
the many Viciffitudes of our Atmo-
fphere are owing.
In Autumn, and in theBegining of7^
Winter, Fogs are more frequent, thick,
and grofs, than in the End of Winter, Fogs, and
and the Spring. This fliews that the Vapours.
Heat of the Earth ads, not only con- ^hefifent
jundly with that of the Sun, as in Uiubterra-
Summer : but feparately likewife, and man Heat .
alone ; fending up Humidity and Steams
in Autumn,* and the Beginning of
Winter, which form Fogs, and fre¬
quently Magnate near the Surface of the
Earth, the Heat of the Sun then being
not fufficiently powerful! to take them
at the Surface of the Earth, to raife,
and carry them up, as before in Sum¬
mer, and the hotter Seafon. So that,
ftagnating in the Atmofphere, and in
the exterior Strata of the Earth, many
of the Pores and Paffages become there¬
by glutted and flopped : and, by that
means, the Vapours intercepted ; which
is the Reafon why Fogs, in the latter
Part of the Winter, are ordinary ly
lefs frequent : and, when they happen,
not
* Conf. p. 138. fupra.
142 The Tranjlator s Introduction.
Rain why llot fQ thick and grofs. Tis owing
in greater patjy to this Glutt of the Pores of the
m Summer Barth, and partly to the Interception
than in of the Rays of the Sun, by the Ob-
Winter. liquity of the Atmofphere, that there
is commonly fo much lefs Rain * in
the Winter, and colder, than in the
•the Red- Summer, andhotter Months. This
procations , Concurrence of the Power of the
betwixt the Subterranean with the Solar Heat, was
*Sun Wf ta^cn Notice of very early • and a Wri-
that of the ter, of great Rank amongft the Ro~
Abyfs , not mans, reprefents the Sun as i ncir-
unknown to cnng this our Globe, and dif pat eking
ms. n<l~ forth its Rays, which he ft ties Reins
of Fire , fo far till It joy ns them to the
Fire within the Earth t-
T’hc Heat As, when the Sun is in the fame
of the fame Sign, the Heat of the fame Place is
fonfim-lf dltFerent> ,in feveral Jear> ia !°fC
feveral Via- greater, in others lefs ; fo, tho the
ces m the Sun has the fame Afped on all Places
fame Lati* jn fame Latitude, yet thefe differ
much
* Conf. at. Sift. Barth. Part III. Seif, t*
Conf. 8.
^ - - ■Sol vagus igneas Habenas
Immittit propius, jugatq^ Terris.— NsevinSj,
ap* Maerob. Sat. I. i8«
The Tranflator' s Introduction. 145
much as to the Temperature of the tude, very
Air, the Heat being very different and vart'm •' °f
in feme of thofe Places much greater
than m others, the Fruits forwarder,^/-' ofva-
and the Productions of the Earth or •~riom Letti-
dinarily larger. On the contrary, in
very different Seafons, the Heat of the
fame Place is frequently nearly alike.
I have obferved the Thermometer, in
January } Handing at much the fame
Height that I have fometimes obferv’d
it at in May. In like manner there
are Inftances of Countrves in different
Latitudes, that yet agree pretty near¬
ly in the fame Degree of Heat, and
Temperature of the Air. So that, ’tis
plain, the lemper of the Atmofphere,
and Heat at the Surface of the Earth,,
cannot be owing merely to the Sun.
Of thefe 1 hings I have given feveral
Inftances where I treat of the Com¬
plexion of the Negroes: and (hew
that the Difference is caufed by the ir¬
regular and uncertain Difpenfationsand
Effluxes of the Subterranean Heat. phe Cer_
This Sketch, however, mean, con- taint y of
cife, and haftyly drawn, will, Sir! t0 this cDo£t-
? “a" CT>eicy ?»<< ?en e-Zglp
tration, luflice to give an Idea of thefe thefe <Ph<e-
Operations : and fhew that all Nature nome??a,and
eoncurrsr^^ m*‘
ri44 T& T’ranjlators IntroduUion.
verfalJgen- concurrs to affert and eftablilh the
€% °fsT%r r^rut^1 an<^ Certainty of this Dodrine*
theraffer- R has been, elfe where % fliewn,
ted , by from Obfervations, and Fads every
bringing of where vilible in it, that the far greatell
t0 Part of the Globe we inhabit is made
more e ^ ancj confifts of Water; the earthy
Part ferving only as a Skin, or Shell,
to contain that Water. Such a Con-
ftitution only, and fuch a Proportion
of the folid Parts of it to the Fluid,
could rightly anfwer the Ends of Provi¬
dence in the Formation and Well-
Being of all its Productions. Had
the Shell been thicker, that would not
have comported with the inceffant and
perpetual Intercourfe, that is requilite,
betwixt the Abyfs and Atmofphere,
for the Support and Maintainance of
thofe its Produdions. The Globe was
firft formed, and the Parts of it regu¬
larly arranged, by the Miniftry of
Water, and the Principles of the
Abyfs 9Twas, afterwards, at the
Deluge, for weighty Reafons, taken
to
* Id at. Hifi. Earth. Part. III. and Nat.
Hifi • Earth illufirated Part. II. SeB. 5.
$ Nat. Hifi . Earth. Part. II. Pag. rop.
%d. Edition .
The TranJIators IntroduUm *
to Pieces again, and formed anew, by
the fame Miniftry * : and, by ftiil the
fame, all Folfils, mineral and terre-
ftrial Bodyes, are formed f . ’Tis to
the Miniftry of the Humidity, conti-
nualy riling out of the Abyfs, traver¬
sing the Shell of Earth, and mounting
up into the Atmofphaere, that all Ve¬
getables owe their Formation and
Growth :£* How far Animals, of all
Kinds, and Man in particular, live,
feed, and fublift upon thofe, or the
fuperior Kinds of Animals upon the
inferior, and thefe finaly upon Vege¬
tables, is obvious to every One, and fo
well known as to need no Explication
here* vFis fufficient to have given
thefe Intimations that the Beginnings,
and firft Operations, of all, are the
Refult of the O Economy and Admi-
niftration of Things in the Abyfs. Of
the Magnitude of it, fufficient hath
been faid ; I fhall here only fubjoyn.
fome Inftances of the Extent of its Ef-
k (efts *
f Nat. Hi ft. Earth. Part IL Pag. 109* 3d*
Edit. { Ibid. Part. IV.
| Vid. !Z)ifc. of Vegetation. Philof! Tfanf
ffune 1 699. And Nat. Hi ft* Earth Part III*
1 * Conft 8, and 10,
rIhe TranJIator's IntroduUion.
fe£ls, and of the Principles wherewith
it acts, as they occurr to me, calling
my Eye over my Notes, and the Hif-
toryes of them that I have collected :
and then conclude. Barometers,
in Countryes the moll dillant, have,
by accurate Ohfervers, been found,
efpecialy upon all great extenfive and
lading Rains, to keep Time, rifing
and falling at the fame Inftant, in
each ; e. gr. at JJpminfter in Eng¬
land^ and at Zurick in Switzerland*
Hence we learn that the fame Princi¬
ple affe&s both : and, in this, we
have, of many, one Sample of the Di-
menfions and Extent of it. In the fame
manner, before any great Rain, the Phe¬
nomena that portend it under-ground,
are obferved, at the fame Time, in
Mines, and Cole Pits, how far foever
they happen to be from each other. So
likewife Mountains, very remote, but
of fuch Height that, from the one,
the other may be difcerned, appear
capp’d with Fogs, in Confort,* the
Fog rifing, increafing, declining, and
vanishing, in one, at the fame Time
that it does in the other. Of this there
are many Inftances, and one particu¬
larly mentioned by the excellent Au¬
thor
*Xhe ‘Tranjlator i* Introduction •
thor of the "Britannia * , of Skiddaw
In Cumberland \ joy ntly with Skruffelt ,
in Scotland. I his alfo is com¬
monly the Cafe of the Vulcanos , or
Burning-Mountains, thofeat the great-
eft Diftance keeping Time, as to their
Eruptions, and Difcharges of Flames,
Fire, Cinders, and other ignited Bo-
dyes. Of this there s one Example in
the famous Writer of the Life of M.
*Pieresk\ . ’Tis of an Eruption of
Vefuvius , in Italy, and Mount Semus
in Ethiopia , at the fame Time,- from
Which, tho’ not apprifed of this fo vaft-
ly extended Receptacle of the Abyfs,
he inferrs that there mult befome&^-
t err an eons Commit n i Cat ion betwixt
Vefuvius , Syria, Jrabia , and the
Country near the Red-Sea , which
Mount Semus is. In like manner,
the Shock of an Earth-quake has been
obferved, in feveral Country es, at eonfi-
derable and even the greateft Diftance,
in each, at the fame Moment. Thefe
are Inftances of Things of the fame
Kind ,* I fhall next offer fome others
k 2 of
* Cambden in Cumberland, p.
£ Gajfend . p* m, 395*
The Translator s Introduction.
of Things of different Kinds, concur¬
ring, and fhewing that all are acted
by the fame Principle. Thus Fogs,
on the neighbouring Mountains, at¬
tend thofe Commotions of the Sea that
forebode Rain, and Storms. The
Baths, here, at Eathe , were obferved
to be hoter, than ever was known, a
little before the Earthquake that hap¬
pened there in 1692. On another
Earthquake, that was preceded by an
Hurricane, and attended by an unufa-
ly great Heat, the Barometer funk
prodigioufly, quite down to 25 11';
which was lower than ever was taken
Notice of before. Great Heats, ful-
phurous Smells, Exhalations, and
ftrong and mifchievous Damps in
Mines, are wont to accompany Earth¬
quakes. ri he Vulcanos are much the
moll outragious, and the Waters of
the Therm* the mod hot and fulphu-
rous, during Earthquakes. To con¬
clude all in a Word, having been
more full and particular on this Sub-
jeit in my Effay towards a Nat.
Hi ft- of the Earth , f great Earth¬
quakes
| Part III. Se£f. 1. Conf. 12.
The T ranflators Introduction. 149
quakes are commonly attended with
Eruptions of Vulcancs, Ebullitions of /
the Therma , great Difcharges of Wa¬
ter out of the Bowels of the Earth, and
fometimes of Fire, Emiifions of Steams
fo noxious and pernicious as to kill
Cattle, Fowls, and Fifh : High-Tides,
violent Commotions of the Sea, Inun¬
dations, Rain, Wind? Storms very
furious, with Thunder and Lighten¬
ing, all in the fame unhappy Scene ;
than which I think there needs no o-
ther Proof that all derive their Origin
from one and the fame common Source
and Promptuary.
Much has been offered, above, in The T)If
Relation to the Action, and the feve-A^^u °f
ral Effects of the fubterranean Heat ; er~
but tis not fo eafy, to afcertain what Heat, to the
are the Rules and Laws of its A&ion, Atmof
for Want of Data, and fuflScient con~
floryes of Fact. ’Tis plain they ar ^binary fn'd
not fteady, regular, and uniform, varying.
The Accefs of Earthquakes, and Erup- dlence Tpe
tions of Vulcanos , are not periodical. ^t^^Sur-
The Heat at the Bottom of Mines, face of the
and in the Water of the Therm*, Earth, and
fenfibly varyes : and is not conftantly ln iff ^
to the fame Degree at the fame Sea-
fon. That likewife is the Cafe of the
k 3
Heat,
! The Tranflcttor slntroduUion*
Heat, and of the Humidity, in the AN
mofpha^re, railed by it. The Earth
has ever the fame Site, and Polition to
the Sun, at the fame Seafon. So that
the Sun cannot but be conftant and re¬
gular m its Action : and therefore thefe
Irreguiarityes muft be owing to fome
other Caufe •> which is apparently the
Heat of the Earth, and the Aby fs.
As this happens to be retrained, or
difpens’d forth, the Atmofphtere is pure,
and free, or charged with Heat, ex¬
traordinary Vapours, Exhalations of
all Kinds, and Humidity. Under the
greateft Reftraint f of it, Froft in-
foes ; but, as the Heat of the Abyfs
begins to reafcend to the Surface, a
Thaw commences: and this ever hap¬
pens, firft in the Parts nearelt the
Earth ; which lEews that the Princi¬
ple relldes within it. This is moft
evident when the warm Exhalations,
from out the Earth, are great, and
confequently the Thaw fudden. It
begins, of courfe, on the Parts, of the
Ice, or Snow, neareft the Earth, out
of which proceeds the Caufe ; for I
meddle
f Confer p, 139, fupra*
The Tranflators Introduction . 151
meddle not here with the Melting
wrought by the Sun, which is con¬
tingent, and only temporary : and the
Thaw underneath is frequently confi-
derably advanc’d, and great Quanti-
tyes of Water are oftentimes fent forth,
from the Bottom of the melting Ice or
Snow, where they happen to be very
thick, and to be lodged upon an Emi¬
nence, whence the Water may run on
a Defcent, fome Hours before any
Thing like a Liquation or Thaw is
perceived, above, at the Surface.
This the Country People call a
Ground , or Under-Thaw*
Such is the Precipitation in which oj the
I draw this up, that it cannot poffibly prime
be without Faults fo many and great String,
as Sir! much to need your Pardon and
wonted Indulgence. My only Hopes all thefi
are that You will have greater Re- Operations.
gard to the Dignity of the Subjed,
than to the Manner in which I am
conftrained to lay it before You. I
have the greater Reafon for this Apo¬
logy becaufe what I prefume here to
offer you, which has fcarcely hitherto
been touched by any One, is' far from
being filed, burmfhed, or brought to
k 4 its
The TranJIatois Introduction]
its due Luftre, tho’ it be, in Truth,
the Mafter-Key, in this Work, and
ferves rightly to open, and let us into
the Knowledge of the true Caufe of
the main Phenomena and Tran factions
of this our whole fublunary World.
But by what Means it is turned, act¬
ed, and managed, or what is the
prime Mover, and Director of this
Heat, and thefe Exhalations,* or what
is the Rule and Law by which all is
fleered and conducted, I will not pre-
fume to take upon me to determine.
But this I mull fay, that all the
Good or Bad of human Life, the
Happinefs or Unhappinefs of the State
of the Region in which we live, move,
and have our Being, and of all the
Productions of it, apparently depend
folely on its Government and Admi-
niftration : and, whenever that fhall
be given up, and the fubterranean
Fire once let loofe, any One may
prefently inferr, from what has been
before layd down, how eafyly, and
by what Means, in that great and
dreadful F)ay^ f the Elements. Jhall
be
f Mctlach. iy. 5,
The Tranjlators Introduction.
be brought to melt with fervent Beat ,
the Barth alfo , and the Works that
are therein, be burned up, diffohedf
and the Whole reduced to Confulion,
2nd abfolute Deitrucdon.
Under however ftridt Reftraint I
have here all along held my Pen, the
Subject is fo ample, that it has drawn
me on too far; fo that I fhall not
longer prefume on your Goodnefs
than only while I allure you that
I am, SIR,
Your mod obedient
humble Servant
J. Woodward.
Letter
* z *Pet* iii. io.
*54
'j’foe Tranflator s IntrodiMion .
Letter IV.
Of the Diffolution and DeflruElion
of the Earth , at the Deluge.
Why the Shells , and other like ex*
traneous Bodyes , were not dif*
folved, as well as the St one j,
and all native Fojfls.
S I R,
One grand
Impediment
of the cJPro-
grefs of
Knowledge
in the
World .
T muft be allowed that your
Reflection is very juft: and
that; of the many ufefull
Truths which have been
advanced in this Age, feveral have
not found fo ready Reception, as
affurediy they would, with the candid
and ingenuous, were they not difcou-
raged and kept from Examining them,
and by that Means their Judgment
band.
fthe Tranflators Introduction. 1 5 «■'
barr’d, by the Interposition and De¬
clamations of fome forward Adven¬
turers in the Commonwealth of Learn¬
ing. As to the Enterprizes of thefe
Gentlemen with Regard to me, I have
this to fay for myfeif, that the Dehgn
of my Studyes hath been ever iincere:
and, for the Fruits and Succefs of
them, I willingly fubmitt that to the
Opinion of the World ; which has been
Favourable to me beyond my Merits,
and indeed my Hopes. But Nothing
has ever incouraged me more than
your Approbation : and 1 have Rea-
fon to think this an Over-Balance to
all the Opposition that I have found
from fome, who are far from having
fhewn a Judgment, a Fidelity, and
Exadnefs like what you do on every
Occafion. With this Incourage- T’he Er-
ment I can eafyly bear the being rcr .</
wrongfully charged, in Print, and ha-f Z%rth
ving Objections rais’d againft my Nat.imbie to be
Hift. of the Earth , by fome, as if I diffbived by
there fuppofe the terrellrial Globe wasf^er> or
difiolved by a Menftnmm : by others,
quite contrary, as if I luppos’d it was
diffolved by the Water of the De¬
luge ; nay, and that this is one of the
main Articles of it, and the Qrou nds
which
The T ranjlators Introduction.
which I defign to build my Theory ,
as they are pleas’d to call it, upon ; f
when, in Truth, I am fo far from ha¬
ving ever offered any Thing like that,
or fuggefted that either Water , or any
i tyenftruuMy was the Caufe of that
DiJJblntion that I no where, thorow
that whole Difcourfe, go about to
aflign any Caufe at all ; * but referve
the doing that intirely to a future
Work. Not but that any One, who
fhall give due Attention to what I
have plainly delivered there, will foon
find enough to convince and fatisfy
him that I could never poffibly think
of either of thofe two. Indeed, Sir !
as you obferve, it cannot but be a great
Biemifh caft upon a Work, to be layd
under fuch Imputations ; fince Nothing
can well be more abfurd than to im¬
ply there is to be found any where in
all Nature a Menftruum in fuch Quan¬
tity as to receive into it and diflolve
the whole Earth, a Body of 8 Thou-
fand
f Dr. Ni choir s conf. with a j'heift. Part II.
p. 192. and M. 'Bernard Norn, de la Reftnh.
del Lettres . Mars. 1 704*
* Vid. Nat. Hi ft. Earth . Part II. p. 120. 1 zie
The Tranflators IntrodtiUion . V57'
fand Miles in Diameter: or that all
the Solids of the whole terreftrial
Globe fhouid be, in a lliort Time,
diffolved, and reduced to their Origi-
nal conftituent Principles, by meer
Water , that is not capable of difloi-
ving a Flint, which is far from being
one of the hardeft, in many Hundreds
of Years.
But what I perceive you are chiefly FoJJilsand
folicitous about, is a Difficulty that^ terre-
has prevailed amonaft fome, whom^f^?^,
you think realy impartial , fair, and ved at the
free from all flnifter Intention. They^e^b
cannot , you fay, underftand how Mar- nen^er
ble, and the hardeft terreftrial Solids, n^Animal
could be diflolved, while all Animal fiodyes.
and Vegetable Bodyes, Bones, Teeth,
Shells, Trees, Shrubs, Herbs, and
even the tendered Parts of them, fuch
as Leaves, remained intire, and alto¬
gether unhurt. As to the Impartia¬
lity of thefe Gentlemen, I will let it
pafs3* but ’tis furely hard for them to
make me anfwerable, becaufe they
cannot tmderjiand why thofe fhouid
be diffolved, and not thefe. None of
thofe Gentlemen, it feems, go about
to deny but that the Fa<ft a&ualy was
fo %
*Ihe Translator's Introduction.
fo : and that I have, from the things
themfelves, given unqueftionable Proof,
and even Evidence of Senfe, that the
terreftnal Bodyes were actualy dilTol—
ved : and that the Vegetable and Ani¬
mal were not. Now this is all that
I took upon me, or am anfwerable for.
So that they have not the lead Ground
of Objection, or any Reafon to think
I have not acquitted my feifofall that
lay upon me. T he Parts of V ege fa¬
ble and Animal Bodyes, dig’d up in all
Places, and on every Side of the Globe,
many of them fair, unaltered, and per¬
fectly well preferved, to this Day, are
Witneffes for themfelves : and fhew
how far they were from being diffol-
ved, or deftroyed while the Foifils
carry in them not lefs manifeft Proof
that they were all affuredly diflolved,
and hnce formed anew. The
Body of the Earth confifts mainly
of Strata, lying each upon other,
and all in fuch Manner as to fhew
plainly they are meerly fo many Sedi¬
ments fallen, fuccelhvely, rom Water.
Then, they have ordinary ly in them
extraneous Bodyes that are the natu¬
ral Products of Water, e. gr. the
Bones Teeth and Shells of Sea-Fifhes :
^Tbe Tranflator's lntroduBionl \ yp
and thefe are, not only in great Num¬
bers, but incorporated with the Sub-
ftance of the Stone, and other con ft i-
tuent Matter of the Strata, in fuch
fort as, together, to make up one com¬
mon Mafs. When broken, and par¬
ted, the Stone, and other folid Matter,
in which thefe Shells, and other extra¬
neous Bodyes, have been lodged, ap¬
pears commonly to have taken the Im-
prellions, and even the fmaileft and
fineft Lineaments of them, in a Manner
fo exquifite as to fhew the Diffoluti-
on was abfolute, and the Foffils re¬
duced all to their primary conftituent
Corpufcles. This is the true Condi-
dition of the Strata : and for their
Breaches and Fifliires, both they, and
the Metalls, Spar, and other Bodyes
now found concreted in them, muft
needs have been all formed lince the
Strata themfelves were. So that the
primitive Earth, and all the original
FoiTils, what ever, muft have been dif-
folved : and the prefent formed fince.
Nor indeed is it fo difficult, as thofe of the Tex-
Gentlemen may have fancy ’d, to fhew ture of the
by what Means, all this happened : cfp'e'
and why the Foffils underwent that ^mnafso*
Fate5 and were not preferved, as well dyes, ^the
as
1 5 6 The T fanflator's Introduction*
Cohefion of as the Vegetables and Animals. I long
thefe owing a,ro intimated that the Caufe of the
teCornpli- C°^on °f thi TmS °f F°^S WUS
cation of the quite different from that of Vegeta-
Fibres , of nes anf Animals * . Thefe latter,
which they aq our Qhfervations fhew, are made
tirely com- up wholey of Fibres : and thofe Fib-
fos'd. res are interwoven each with other,
tyed, twilled, and complicated toge¬
ther ; by which Means the Cohelion
of all the Parts’ is maintained, and
preferved.
Of the Soli- But the Cohefion of the Parts of
dityandCo- Folds is owing to a quite different
hefion of the caufe, x have not now, Sir ! that
gtoa that I once had of the THf-
caufed who- courjc of Gr rcivity^ or mat Of oOllcii -
ley by the fy ? fince they have been fo fortunate
tpc'wer of as t0 0btain y0ur Approbation. So far
ramt^ from it, that I could wifh there were
found feme Perfon, converfant in thofe
Studyes, who had Time and Leifure
to fit thofe two Difcourfes for View of
the Publick ; the rather becaufe you
are pleafed to admitt that the Experi¬
ments and Keafonings, in the former^
make out that Gravity is the Power
by
* Nat . Hijl. Earth, Part, IL
The Tranflators JntrochiUion.
by which al! Nature i> governed : and,
in the latter, that the Solidity of FollilS
and ail terreftrial Bodyes is undoubted¬
ly an Effect of Gravity. Ail the
Sorts of thefe Bodyes are compofed of
Granules, only apply ed, and conti¬
guous, to each other ; but independent,
and not any ways conneded, or tyed
together ,• which the Parts of Vegeta¬
bles and Animals are. This all our
Obfervations, 1 ryals, and Experiments,
concurr to make out : and they are all
held together merely by the Com-
preihon and Gravitation of the external
Ambient, the Air, .Tther, and other
component Parts of the Atmofpha’re,
Wherein they exift. So that Nothing
more wasneedfull, for the total Diflo-
lution of thefe, than the Snfpenhon of
the Caufe of their Solidity, I mean
Gravity. In that Gale they would ail
immediately fail to Pieces, of tbem-
feives, wholey of their own Accord,
and without Need of a Menftruum, or
any the leal! exterior Force, and Alli-
llance ; juft as the two flat Pieces
of Marble, which coharre, when ap-
piy’d Surface to Surface, in the fb
well known Experiment, fall afun-
der again when put into a Re-
1 ceiver,
161
'i6%
*Tbe Tranjlators IntrodnUion.
csiver, and only the groffer Air drawn
Gravity cea-
ftng, or the
Vovoer of it be-
fyipr remitted 5
there mu ft
happen, in
Conference,
a DeJlruBion
the 'Earthi
a total Cefja-
tion of the So¬
lidity ofFojfils,
and a Diffolu-
tion of them
all. But this
would no Way
affect the Ve¬
getable orAni -
But, on fuch aSufpenfion of Gravi¬
ty, the Parts of Vegetables and Ani¬
mals would not be afte&ed in the lealt.
The Fibres, of which they are com-
pofed, would no more untwift, un¬
weave, or untye, on the Sufpenuon or
Gravity, than a Cord, a Piece or
Cloth, a Gordian or other Knot, m
an exhaufted Receiver, on drawing out
the Air. Nor, when there was in A-
gitation and Defign fo great and im¬
portant a Change in Nature to be made
at the Deluge, can it be thought
it range.
* For thefe Marbles are ptefs’d together by only
the groffer Parts of the Atmofphxre , the reft being
.. ^ r> 1 - _ pvrliudpci bv fuch ciu Ap
the groiier Farts oi trie > — - A °
far too fubtil and fine to be excluded by ^ Ap¬
plication. So far indeed that the Planes, of thefe
two flat Marbles, can, by no Art be made fo regu¬
lar and true, nor is any Marble fo free from Pores
and fmall Caverns, as to take aPoliih fo o
be brought to be contiguous in fo Aen the'
acolv’d Surfaces, as neat to exclude all of even the
groffer Parts of the Atmofphwe. Whereas &
hules, or primary condiment Corpufcles, of mai y
Foffils, are fo regular, that they can, when apply d
riahtly each to other, come to be fo contiguous as to
exclude even the finer ; but feme Sorts of them,
fewer, others, more ; thofe which compofe the h -
deft, «. gr. the Diamond, perhaps excludm all,
except the luminous, or thofe which conltimte the
Light,
The Tranflator s Introduction* 162
ftrange, at all, that it fhould be brought ma\ Bodyes:
about by means of a Change made in
the Power, or Gravity, if it be conh- complication
dered that that Power is wholey in °f thc!v FihreS'
the Hand of the fupreme Governor
of the Univerfe, and is the very In-
ftrument whereby all Nature is re¬
gulated, and managed"": and that
Was that great Being who did then
faring a Flood of Water upon the Earth
to deftroy all Fie fid , wherein is the
[Breath of Life , from under Heaven ,
as aifo, at the lame Time to deftroy— the
Earth t; and indeed, as the Syftem
of Nature was then , and is Pill [up-
ported and eftablijhed , a Deluge nei¬
ther could then , nor can now , happen
naturaly ^ . It is not to be thought
that the Gravity, of Bodyes, in and
about the terraqueous Globe, was then
intirely fufpended, and withdrawn , for,
if it had, they would have been all
difperfed, and flung off by the diurnal
Rotation of the Earth ; in Cafe there
realy was then fuch a Rotation, of
I 2 which
* Conf. p. 12. Seqq. fttprci.
f Gen, vi. 13, 17.
4 Nat. Hijl. Earth. Part HI. Sett. 2. Con -
fiCi. 7.
The 7* ranflators Introduction. •
which I am not certain ; for the H,
Writer, Gen . viii, 21, 22, feems to
intimate that there was then, for the
Time,t a Sufpenfion not oniy of the
diurnal, but of the annual Motion' of
jt, and confequently of Summer and
Winter , as well as of T)ay and
Might. But, if there be fuppofed fuch
a Rotation, with a Remiihon or Di¬
minution of the Gravity of Matter on¬
ly fo far that fuch a DTperfion fhould
be avoided, and prevented, ’twill rea-
dyiy account for every Thing that
then fell out, and folve all the Phe¬
nomena j * e. gr« a Readynefs of the
Water of the Abyfs freely to afcend,
it being now not heavy as before : ^ a
Difpolition of the Parts of Fofi'ils
and the terreftrial Solids, to fepa-
rate, and difunite, ]■ the Gravity
and
f Conf. Nat. Bifi. Earth. Part VI. in fin.
* Which, to note that by the By, is, not only
a proper Tell to bring it to, but, its Abideing and
Anfwering this Tell, thus pundualy, in fo many
Refpeds, indeed in all Particulars, is, to wave all the
©ther Proofs, a llrong Prefumption in its Behalf. So
Itrong, that, in Truth, this, alone, is all thatfome of
the molt confiderable Theoryes of the prefent Age
have for their Jullification and Support,
4: Nat. Hift. Earth. Part III. Sed. z. Confed. 2j,
4 Ibid. P^rt9 II. Cogfe^t, j.
The 'Tranjlators IntroduUion .
and Prelfiire of the Ambient, that
caufed their Cohefion, ceafing fo
far as now not at all to prefs them
together, and only juft fo much of
it remaining, or very little more,
than would hinder the Diffipation of
tne Parts of the Globe : the terreftrial
Matter of ail Sorts, the Shells, and
other like Bodyes, formerly heavy er, fo
that they would then fink, would be
now difpofed to be eafyly afliimed up
and retained in the Water : * and that
Matter, at length, to unite again,
concrete, and form Nodules, f not
abfolutely folid, for that would re**
quire a Gravitation and Prelfure in the
Ambient to eff@6t it, but having their
Parts cohering together flightly, and
only fo far as the then ambient Fluid
would difpofe them to. But, when
the former Gravity totaly returned,
they would initantly become folid %
and fubfide, £ along with the common
conftituent Matter of the Strata, and
with the Shells, Bones, and other ex**
1 3 traneous
* Ibid. Content. 2.
| Ibid. Part IV. Confl 2.
4 } Vat. Hifi. Earth* Part II. Conf j*
1 66 The Tranflators Introduction.
traneous Bodyes then lodged in them :
and, by this Means, the Globe be
finilhed, and formed anew.
afloat the tvs to the Diflolution of the Earth,
tDefiruftwn to the greateil Depth we ever digg or
of i he Earth mme, there are, in it, every where,
was miner- proofS} not be’ contefted, and that
thatZi give ocular Demonftration that all
native Fof- Foifils whatever, the very firmed, Mar-
fihwhat ble ancj stone. Flints, cPyrit<e, and
ImZef the other Nodules, nay even Dia-
and reduced monds, and the hardeit of the preci-
te their pri- ous Stones, underwent all the fame
inary con- common pate. Indeed, befides all
Principles, other Arguments, thefe carry appa¬
rently, in their very Make and Con-
dilution, Marks of their having been
fo diflolved, and concreted anew.
Nor is there Reafon to doubt that
thofe Parts of the Sphere of Earth,
and the Foflils, that lye yet deeper,
and even quite down to the Abyfs,
were ail like wife as certainly diflol¬
ved. At the Beginning of the Deluge,
all the Fountains of the great Deep
were broken up ; * to that the whole
Sphere
* Gen. vii. ix®
j the TV an flat or $ IntroduUionl
Sphere muft have been torn, and fplit,
from the Abyfs, quite to the upper
Surface of the Earth, At the End of
the Deluge, fomething of like fort
muft have been done again : and
Breaches made, for the Water to re-* *
turn by, back, to the Abyfs. £ The
Sediments, and Strata, that were at
firft level, and continuous, f were af¬
terwards broken up, and difloeated,
feme elevated, and others depreifed. f
The Agent, or Force whereby this
wTas effected, was feated, under ail,
within the Sphere of Earth, in the
Abyfs. * So that thefe two Difrupti-
o ns were manifeftly thorow the whole
Thicknefs of the Sphere of Earths
That the Dilfolution was fo too, there
will be the lefs Caufe to doubt, if it
be confidered that no Agent can be
affigned to affeft fo great a Part of the
Earth, without equaly affecting all the
reft, I mean the whole Sphere: or
Reafon given why the Dilfolution
1 4 fhould
$ Nat. Hi ft. Earth . Part. II, Confeft. 0,
f Ibid. Conf 5.
f Ibid. Conf 6.
* Ibid. Conf 7,
The Tranflators Introduction*
fihould flop at any determinate Depth,'
Without going on quite to the Borrcmj
which, as has been fhewn in its Place ^
is no very great Way* that Sphere be¬
ing not of near the Thick nefi> that has
been generaiy thought. Be that as it
will, ’tis plain, if ail Foflils owe their
Solidity to the Abtion and Preilure of
the Ambient, in which they exift: and
that Action proceeds wholey from the
Gravity of that Ambient, in Cafe that
Gravity was abated, or conhderabiy
diminii) ed, for the Time, ail Foifiis
whatever mull lofe their Solidity, be
dilioived, and reduced to their origi¬
nal condiment Particles, as well thofe
that lay deeped, quite down to the
Abyfs, as thofe that happened to be
nearer to the Surface of the Barth.
You fee Sir! how great a Trouble
you have brought upon you, by that
generous Partiality you are pleafed al-
wayes to difcover towards what I
write. If, thorow the Whole, you
find any Thing that gives you the lead
Light
1 tsfat . Hi -ft. Earth illustrated. Part II,
Sea 5.
The Tran Patois Introduction,
Light or Satisfaction, I flatter myfelf
you’ll be fo good as to let that atrone
for all the Faults and Defects that
you’ll find in the reft : and believe
me, always, with great Integrity,
SIR, your moft faithfull
and moft obedient Servant
J. Woodward.1
THE
,V *'
THE
Natural History
OF THE
E A R T H,
Illu ft rated, and Inlarged:
AS ALS.O
DEFENDED ,
And the
Objections ag
it,
Particularly thofe lately publilh’d by
Dr. Carrier arius , anfwered.
Written originaly in Latin by JOHN
WOODWARD , M. D. Profeffof of
Phyfick in Grejbam College, Fellow of the
College of Pbyjicians , and of the Royal Society:
And now firft mad e Englijh by BE NJ
HOLLO WAT, L. L, B. and Fellow
of the Royal Society.
LON DON:
Printed and Sold by Tho. E6lin, at
Arms, over-againft Exeter- Exchange, in the
Strand. MDCCXXVI.
■ t • 'ii. •
The Author’s
PREFAG E.
Tvveral ‘Tears are now
pafs'd^ fince 1 fet forth
my Natural Hiftory of the
Earth, in our own Lan¬
guage , for the Ufe of Englifti
Leaders . This the learned Dr«
Scheuchzer, Profejfor of Mathema -
ticks at Zurich, publi/tid afterwards
to the learned World in Latin, un¬
der the Title of Geographia Phyfica.
As there were*> in that Work> f eve*
ral Things altogether new , it can *
not well be thought firange that
forne ‘People flmild entertain Doubts
concerning them. , and fet themf elves*
in Oppofititm to them ; which they
The Author’s PREFACE.
did, with great Tains and, Vehe¬
mence ; but not with that i'oi cc o)
Weight of Argument to deferve to be '
(evefctly twfwcr d by ihc- Hefid&s^ I
am of a Temper not difpofed to Re-
feutment , nor indeed to Controller-
fies oj any Kind. Rut when the
learned Dr. CamerariusV Differtati-
ons came abroad , , I prefently dijcern-
ed fo great Jcutenejs , ‘Diligence ,
and Happinefs of Invention in Him ,
that fcarce any Thing had been ob¬
jected by others that was not there
propojed by him , with fome Addi¬
tions of his own entirely new. So
that, in returning an Anfwer to
him, 1 jh all likewife refute all the
They who (hall expeCt to find, in
this Treatife , any Ofientation of
Skill in Difpnte, or Triumph over
my Jdverfaryi will be dif appointed.
The Catife I defend is fupported by
Nature itfelf \ and careful/ Obfer-
■ nations of Things ; nor will I any
where depart from thefe in this my
HDtefeiifc.
Refides the Arguments which are
now brought in '< Confirmation of my
DoCtrines formerly publijhed, here
are
The Author’s PREFACE.
are offered others not produced be¬
fore : and fuch as, I hope , will ap¬
pear to be of no f, mall Moment, nor in
any wife unworthy Conft deration.
The Subjeci of which I write cer¬
tainly demands the (IriUefl Exa¬
mination : and I Jhould not a little
rejoice could I be perfwaded 1 have
treated it with an ExaUnefs fuita-
ble to its TDignity. But , whatever
this my ‘Performance may be, it will
find ‘Pardon from Readers of Can¬
dour and Humanity, and all fuch
who rightly conjider with how great
Care and Concern , the Thoughts of
thoje are taken up> who apply them -
[elves to the Practice of Phyfick with
that Fidelity and "[Diligence it re¬
quires^ which I ever J hall do ,
A3 THE
4
- K
Vj: ■}.
\
THE
CONTENTS.
> i
Part I.
HE Reafon of my pub-
lifting this Anfwer . P. r
'The Method and T)e-
fign of my Studyes , p. 2
to trace and fet forth
the true Laws of Nature. ibid.
The Approbation of the Learned, p. 3
Hinderances to my Tejign in the
Natural Hiftory of the Earth, p. 4
A 4 After
\
The CONTENTS,
Jfter the pubUJhing my ‘Book) fever al
learned Men-> rejewing their for¬
mer Opinions 3 embrac'd mine ;
Page 4
i Particularly Dr. Seheuchzer, p. 5
Jnd many others , P* ^
JEfpecialy the Writers of Germany 3
P\?
Who are mo ft knowing in Foffils. ibid.
From thefe Dr. Camerarius diffents i
but without Re a f on. p. 9
Jddrefs to Dr. Camerarius. ibid.
Fart I. of this Differtation* where¬
in is confided d his unfair Way of
treating me , and his Mifrepre r
fentation of Things- P* 1 °
1. Examples of this in his Fnqui -
ryes relateing to the Belemnite. ib.
Of the ./Etites and Geodes. p. 1 1
2. Of the Ammonite. ibid.
3 . The Ammonite inhabiting the in¬
ner and deeper Farts of the Sea 3
is feldom flung upon the Shores by
Storms. ' p* 12
Defer Storms do not reach the deeper
Farts of the Main , and therefore
remove not the Shell~Filh which
refide there . P- 1 3
\
m
i
The GONTEN T S.
Tut greater Storms reach t h of e Tarts ,
and bring up Shells that are rare ,
and never other wife feen. Page 1 6
A Corollary relating to the p)rodigious
Deftruaion that was made at the
'Deluge. p. 17
4. Dr. Camerarius judged from
Shells fmall and not arriv'd at
full Growth , found in the Earth
with thefe that are large and
grown, that both were produced
there, but without juft Grounds.
p. 18
5. Shells , diggd up in other Coun¬
try es, in as great Tlenty as in
England, p. 19
Dr. Camerarius’ j firangelnconfiftency
in this Matter. p. 21
6. Of the Origin and Formation of
the Conchita^ and other like To¬
dy es. p. 27
Dr. Camerarius’ j Mijlake in this
Affair. p. 2 8
Occafionally of the Cavities in Stone
formed after the Model of Shells,
&c. p. 29
And of Spar , &c. formed in the
Shape of Shells, &c. p. 30
7. 7)r,
The CON T ENT S.
n, cDr. CamerariusV Objections, as
to the Site of Shells in the Earth,
refuted. P* M
Of the Situation of Met alls, ana
Minerals, in the Earth. P-33
Of the Site, and Order, of the Stony
and terrefirial Strata. P- 34
The Origin of the Strata affeited
front the Shells and other extt a-
neons "Bodies contained in the
Strata. Their covfiituent Mat¬
ter once diffohed, and fujiained in
the Water, of the Deluge, p- 3 7
That Matter being at laft brought
to fubfide by its own Gravity ,
the Strata were compofed of it.
The Laws and Order of that
Subjidence. . P-39
The Strata , fince the Time they
were form'd , have fuffered Jome
Changes ; i- The upper ones by
the Return of the Waters at the
Conclufion of the Deluge. P- 43
a. The lower Strata, by the Removal
of metallic and mineral Matter.
p. 44
Tit in many T laces Fojfils are found
difpofed, with wonderful Exacts
nefs, according to the Laws of
Gravity. Examples of this. p. 45
o9 Uj
The CONTENTS.
8. Of the Growth., and confolidating
of Stone. p. 49
Stone, in the Barth , faturated by
Moiflure there , and foft, being, at
length expcfed to the Air , and
dryed, becomes harder. p. 5!
The Argument, concerning the Vege¬
tation of Stone, taken from Dr.
Tournefort’x Obfervations, conji-
dered. p, 5 5
9- Of the Growth of Met alls. p. j 5
10 .Of the Origin of Cry flail, and of
■ Gemms. P. 56
1 1 . Water no fit Menflrumn of Sul¬
phur, Oil, or ‘Bitumen. p. 5 7
1 2. The Afcent, of Water to Springs,
not owing to the Breffure of the
Strata. • ibid.
1 3 . What Supply the Springs receive
from Rains. p. 58
14. Of Earthquakes. ibid.
iS- Of the Olive Tree from which
the Dove cropped the Leaf Jhe
brought to Noah. p. 60
Of Trees, and other Blants, fre-
quently digged out of the Earth.
ibid.
That Havock, of Vegetables, was
caufed by the Diffolution of the
Earth, at the Deluge. p. 61
The
The CONTENTS.
The Tradition of the Antients , con¬
cerning that Diffolution and Ha-
vock. ibid.
Some Taff ages of Holy Writ compar'd ,
and explain'd. p. 62
The Condition and Site of the Trees,
particularly of the Olive, after the
Return of the Waters of the Tie-
luge. P- 75
The Mofaic Account of this Affair
confidered. P-77
The Olive Trees were rooted up a-
bout Mount Arrarat, at the De¬
luge for none are found growing
in that Country now. p- 78
Part II.
II. The 2d Tart of this Differ tati-
on, wherein are confidered Dr.
CamerariusV Mi flakes, and care-
lefs Way of pajfing Judgment of
thefe Things. P- 8 1
1. He joyns and confounds Things
that are in their Nature very
different. P- 8 2
He gives unfit Names to Things.
ibid.
* s > •* *' • . • *
2. Dr. CamerariusV Inconfiftency as
to the Shells keeping themfelves
The CONTENTS.
whole , while moved and toffed by
the Waves amongft Stones p. 8 3
3. Of the Ghffopetrtf) their Nature *
and Origin . ' p. 8 <5
The Opinion 0/Fabius Columna,
cerning thefe Bodyes 3 ajferted , <2/2^
Reputation vindicated, p. 87
4. Of the Dijfolution of the Earthy
at the "Time of the Deluge, p. pH
Terr eft rial) and Mineral ,
Animal) or Vegetable Bodyes > dif-
folved at the Deluge . p. 93
5. Of the AbyfS) or that great Sub¬
terraneous Refer v at ory of Water,
p. 96
Of the Quantity of this Water, p. 97
0/ the Momenta of heavy Bodyes des¬
cending in a Fluid. p. 98
Of the twofold Increafe of the Wa¬
ters affigned by Mofes. Occa-
fionaly) of the Mofaic Origin of the
'Barth. Alfo of the Chaos of the
Antients. P* 100
Of the 'Place where thefe Waters arey
at this Day) ftored up. And
fomething further touching Earth¬
quakes. 104
The exact Agreement that there iS)
betwixt Nattire and Holy Writ)
concern -
The CONTENTS*
concerning the Ahyfs , and the
Structure of the terraqueous Globe.
p. 107
The Rife of Meteors , and of almoft
all the Changes , Phanomena^ and
AjfeUions of the Atmofphere , /m/2
the 'great Abyfs . p. 109
Oz#/* 0/ the Phenomena of
the 'Barometer . p. 1 1 1
Inflames of certain Tarts of the
Earth's Surface being undermined
by Earthquakes 5 and falling down
into the Abyfs beneath . p. 1 1 2
6. Of the Salts that [apply the Mi¬
neral Waters. p. 113
7. Mountains not raifed by Force
of Earthquakes , p. 1 1 5
8. The Origin of Iflands . Parti¬
cularly of that Heap of Rabble
raifed in the Pay of Santorini,
called by fome an I (land. p. 1 1 8
The Conclufion of this fecond Part .
p. 1 24
With what Difpofition of Mind 1
Jet myfelf to read Dr. Camerarius
his Differtations. p. ibid.
With what View , and in what Me¬
thod I have anfwered them . p. 1 2 %
Hindrances to the Search of Truth.
‘ '• p. 12 6
' The
The CONTENTS:
The Scope and Tefign of all my
Writings. p. 128
The Tottrines , by me formerly de¬
livered, confirmed by all Obferva-
tions made fince. . ibid.
The vain Attempts of my Adver-
faryes in Opposition to them. p. 1 2 9
My Readynefs to lifien to the Ad¬
monitions of thofe who are can¬
did : and to disregard thofe who
cavil , and are contentious. ibid.
_ ■ *'"-■* P--- *> - _ x ' \ ^
\ * v
Part III.
i V . .. •• ^ • O
i. < ,•
XII. The third Tart of this Diflerta-
tion5 wherein are examined Dr.
Camerarius his Conjectures, fet up
by him ■ in Oppojition to what I
have advanced \ p. 1 3 1
1. The Sea-Shells , now digged up in
all Parts , were not repo fit ed in
thb Earth at the Time of the fir (l
Separation of the Waters from the
dry Landy nor before the T)e -
luge. P-134
-2. Thofe Shells were not originaly
lodged in the Fiffuresy but inter -
, mingled and incorporated with
the Matter of the Stratay while
this
The contents;
this was foft , loofe, and in a State
of Tijfolution . „ p- i 3 8
3. Thofe Shells were not brought
out to Land by particular Inun-
, dations. P- I4I
4. Thofe Shells were not brought,
from Sea , into the ‘Bowels of the
Earth, by any Subterraneous ‘Paf-
fclf6S* 'V: ~ P* 1^-5
5. Thofe Shells were not created , by
Qody in the Bowels of the Earth ;
but bred at Sea. p*
The grcfs Mifiake of thofe who ima¬
gine, not only Shells , but federal
artificial Things , digd up, were
formed in the Earth , ' by Nature
playing and Sporting under Ground
p, 1 >4
♦ * ^ *
Of the fuppofed Analogy betwixt Jome
Marine , and Terrefirial Bodyes «
p. 1 6 1
rion to the Earl of Pern-
dfokc, • P-
4 . \ > ’S • ■ • -- • 5 * • . ' . . . . >.
f. \ .Jr * » * . t \ v ' -•
i v
* t
i T
r " *•
\ \ -i ■
r \
'V‘
The
V‘ '
/
i
THE
v, L ^ ’ i .. 'v> !
Natural History
O F T H E
EARTH
' * , f . .• <* • i- i t > , 1
Illufirated , and Inlarged : as alfb.
j 'ended, particularly againft the late
Objections of Dr. Camerarius.
Part I.
To the Marl ^/PEMBROKE.
My LORT),
HE learned Dr. Camera- The Reafon
ruts, Profeffor of Phyiick °J ntypub-
at Tubingen * having
tack d me with fo much
Eagernefsand Vehemence,
tho’, every where, with great Care
and Art concealed under a Shew of
B Complai-
* In Dijjertationibm \ Tanrinenjib . lit*
hingtf edit is, 8vo. 1712,
Nat. Hip. of the Earth Part I.
Complaifance and good Manners,
Your Lordfhip, and all others of like
impartial and ingenuous Difpofition,
would think me wanting to myfelf
fhould I negledt to give fome Account
of my Studies, and the Succefs of my
Ejfay towards a Natural Hijlory of
the Earth , publifh’d fome, Years
agoe; which otherwife there would,
have been no Occafion for me to
have done.
<?he Me- As to my Diligence in thefe Stu-
^efi Vtf ^ may be allow’d to affirm that
my Studies, for many years I have apply’d myfelf
to them with great Conftancy.- 1 have
' carefully fearch’d the principal Mines
of our Iiland, and the Bowels of the
Earth by what ever Means laid open
to View; obferving the Strata of eve¬
ry Sort of terreftrial Matter, the Man¬
ner in which the Minerals there lay,
with the Order wherein the feveral
Kinds of Foffils were found : and the
Main of what I difcover’d from thefe
Obfervations I fet forth in that Book
with the utmoft Truth and Exaft-
nefs.
to trace Nor did I take thofe Pains, or
and fet forth write that Book, with any View of
Laws of fupporting fome former Hypothefis of
Nature . . my
Part L Ittuftrated and hdargd \ j
my own, as that Gentleman fufpe&s*
and more than once charges me to
have done ; but to defcribe, to others,
with what Accuracy I could, the true
State of thofe Things which I had
myfelf obferved. And afterwards to
advance fome Propofitions, not fuch
as I might have framed in my Mind
before, or that flhould carry only fome
Shew of Truth, but that ftiould be *
certain, as following naturally and
plainly from the very Obfervations
themfelves,* without which, I con¬
ceived, the whole Defcription of thofe
Obfervations would not be of any
real Ufe.
As foon as I had publifh’d that "the Appro-
Treatife, impartial Judges, efpecially haUon °J
they who had apply ’d themfelves to earn
theie Studies, publickly confeffed this
Matter to be highly worthy of a more
attentive Con fi deration both of them¬
felves and of others: and that many
of my Propofitions were of the greateft
Importance. They, from that Time,
reprefented the Study of Minerals, as
moft beneficial to Mankind, and re¬
gretted its having lain fo long ne¬
glected. In a Word, that Book found
Fortune fo favourable, or the Learned
B 2 fo
/
/
4 Nat. Hi ft. of the Earth Part L
fo well inclined to it, that in a little
Time it was carried over the greatefl
Part of Europe , and every where
receiv’d with Candour, and not with¬
out Approbation.
.Hindrances This was fo great an Encourage-
n^iiTthe ment t0 me^ ^ mY own Private
Natural Affairs, and that conftant Attendance
Hiftory of which the Practice of Phyfick re-
the Earth. qUires, had not other wife engaged
me, and the pubiick Commotions,
occafion’d by the long and cruel War,
drawn off the Minds of Men from
the more liberal Arts of Peace, I had
certainly made a greater Progrefs in
it. What added ftill more to my
Satisfaction was, that from the firft
publifhing that Work, no Man of
Candour and Judgment ever made
any doubt of my Obfervations, or
ever went about to refute the Pro-
< pofitions drawn from them.
After the Indeed, before the publishing that
^wy'flook Work, Naturalifts were generally of
fever al ’ Opinion, that the Shells, found in
learned Stone, and digged out of the Earth,
fdeny re - were not the Produce of the Sea, but
'their for- meer Stones * form’d in the Earth,
mer Opini- and
cnSy em¬
brac'd
mine •
* See Mr. Ray's 3 Thyfico-dfkeol. Difc. p. 1 27.
Part I. Illuflrated and Inlargd. y
and of terreftrial Origin. But, I \
am perfuaded, there are now very
few, if any, who difpute their being
the real Spoils of the Sea, and left
behind, by the Deluge, at Land.
This is certain, that of thofe who N
have made the moft accurate Search
into thefe Things, with a View to
difcover their true Nature, not a few,
rejecting their former Opinion, have
imbraced mine : and even publiekly
defended and maintain’d it. Of the
many I could name, I fhali men¬
tion only one, whofe Authority is
equal to that of many, I mean Dr.
Scheuchzer , a Perfon of diftinguifh’d Tartim-
Parts and Judgment, confummate^r Z)r.
Learning, and who is defervedlySclieuctlzer
ranked among the firft Naturalifts of
Europe. He publifh’d, in the Year
1695, a Dilfertation T)e Generations
Conchitarum , wherein he endeavours
to prove that thefe Bodyes ought to
be reputed native and genuine Fof-
fils. But, afterwards, upon a carefull
Perufal of my Book, he publiekly ac¬
knowledged * his Miftake confeffing
he had too haftily embraced that Opi-
B 3 nion.
* In Epfi* Dedicat, Geogr, Thyf
'6
Nat. Bift . 0/ Part t*
nion. Thereupon, as became a fin*
cere Labourer in the Caufe of Truth,
he gave up his own, and came over
to my Sentiments : and the many
learned Works, wherein he has from
that Time aflerted and demonftrated
the Truth of this Opinion, beiides
his other Writings, abundantly lliew
the great Progrefs he has made in
thefe Studies.
gnd many In lhort, the Teftimonies of the
others, greateft Men that have wrote on the
* lame Subjects, and their Approbations
of my Natural Hiftory of the Earthy
are fo many, and confiderable, that
I fhould feem too much pleas’d with
the Fruits of my own Studies in this
Way, if I fhould particularly recount
them all. Neither is there any Need
that I fhould do that, feeing their
Works are in every Bodies Hands.
Nor had I faid any Thing of this
Kind, now, nor hereafter, either pri¬
vately among my Friends, or much
lefs thus in publick, had not the juft
Defence of myfelf, and of the Caufe,
which fo many great Men with me
have approv’d, required it.
But
Part I. lllufirated and Inlargd. ~f
But, after all, if what I wrote did specially
not feem of W eight to the learned
Dr. Camerarius , unlefs he thought erma'
himfelf more knowing than all thofe
Gentlemen, every where fo deferved-
ly famous for their Knowledge in na¬
tural Things, and could not acquiefce
in their Judgment, he fhould not fure-
ly have gone about with fo much Im¬
portunity to oppofe his own fingly
to all theirs. For , he acknowledges
of his own Accord, that I have ea¬
sily won over , to my Side , thegreateft
of thofe in Germany who are taken
with this Sort of Learning. * Af¬
ter which Declaration, he had ne¬
ver fet himfelf with fo much Vehe¬
mence again!! an Opinion, received
by them, jointly with me, had he not
thought himfelf much more intelligent
in thefe Things, than all of us.
This Teflimony of his, that the ’who are
great eft Men in Germany were ea-™0fi
fily brought over to my Opinion ,
makes more for the Truth of it, and
may juftly be thought to add the
greater Confirmation to it, becaufe
there are in Germany more Sorts of
B 4 Mine-
•ft
* <DiJ]ert. I’aurin* p. 2 269,
Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part I.;
Minerals, more frequent and diligent
Searches after them, more exad Ex¬
periments and Allays of Each : and
confequently a more eafy and fure
,Way of attaining the true Knowledge
of the State and Nature of thofe
Things, than in any other Part of
Europe befides. For which Reafon,
as the Germans are moft addicted
to thefe Studies, they have been al¬
ways allowed to have the greateft
Skill in them. What Pains they have
taken, how fhrew’d Judgment they
have ufed in thofe Studies, and how
far the Germans , particularly the
later Writers, have kept up the Pre¬
rogative fo defervedly conferr’d on
their Nation, we have Proof beyond
all Exception in the Works, of this
Kind, which Dr. "Bayer * Profelfor
at Aldorf and Dr. Spener f of Ber¬
lin^ as dlib other learned Men of
that Country, have lately fet forth.
Now, fince thefe appear in Favour
of me, eftablilli my Do&rine by their
Authority, and confirm it with their
Arguments, I have certainly the lefs
Caufe
*
* Defer ip. Fojil. Territor. Norimberg. 4to,
1708. I jDifj de Crocodilo in , Lcipide s
aliifq 5 JLithozois Mifccll. fierolin* 1 7 ic . p. $>9 >
Part I. llluftrated and Inlargd .
Caufe of Apprehenfion from the At¬
tacks of Dr. Carrier drills alone, how¬
ever eloquent, and, as I am forward
to believe, knowing in other Mat¬
ters.
What moved him particularly to prm thefe
diffent, not only from me a Stranger, cDr. Cams-
and perhaps known to him merely
by Name, but from the molt noted ^fthml^
Perfons of his own Country, and de- Reafon.
fervedly celebrated, he beft knows.
But this I will be bold to fay, when¬
ever he has diffented, in that Work,
from mine and their Opinion con¬
cerning thefe Things, he has at the
fame Time departed from Obfervation
and Fad ; whereby he has given
great Caufe to doubt whether he has
fearch’d into Quarry es, Mines, and the
other interior Parts of the Earth, with
a Diligence needful to fupport fo large
a Share of Pofitivenefs.
If a Perfon of his Eloquence and Po- jddrefs to
litenefs, fhould here exped the fame ‘Dr. Came-
Accomplifhments in me, and thinkrarius*
himfelf a little too roughly ufed,
while I call in Queftion not only his
Candour toward myfelf, but his Skill
in the Things he treats of, and his
Induftry in examining into the Na¬
ture
.lQ
Part I. of
this Differ -
ration y
'wherein is
confider'd
his Unfair
Way of
treating me>
and his Mi f
reprefenta-
tion of
ffhings.
i. j Exam¬
ples of this
in his En¬
quiry es re-
iateing to
the Belem-
nite.
Nat. Hijl. of tide ’Barth Part I;
ture of them, I hope he will Par¬
don me, when he finds I affert no¬
thing in the following Difcourfe but
what I ftiall make clearly appear.
I. Firft, if he has read my Book
with due Attention, I have great
Caufe of Complaint of his Want of
Candour, almoft every where, to¬
ward me. For he often afcribes to
me Things I never faid, and fome-
times fuch as are apparently contra¬
ry to what I had exprefly fet forth.
There are Inftances of this almoft
without Number ; but I fhall con¬
tent myfelf with recounting only a
few of them.
i. Where he treats of the Nature
of Foffil Shells, contending earneft-
ly that they are not of Marine Pro¬
duction, he mentions the cBelemnitey
and alks me * under what Genus
of marine Animals I would rank
that ? as if I had aflerted it to be
of fome Genus of marine Animals.
Had I faid nothing of the Nature of
the HelemniteSy he might perhaps
have fancy’d I took them for Crea¬
tures
* P. 298. Conf. alfo P. 349.
Part I. Ithiftrated and Inlargd. t|
tures of the Sea. Tho’ that would
have been a little hard, from my Si¬
lence to judge of my Opinion. But
when, with the Confent of all Na-
turaliftS) I had expreily affirm’d,
that f the Belemnites were realy
Fojjihy and of mineral Origin , I can
impute his Sufpicion of my Opinion
in this Affair, which I have clearly
exprefs’d, to nothing but Prejudice,
and too much Precipitancy ,* being
unwilling to attribute it to any o-
ther Caufe in the leaft unworthy
the Chara&er of fo great a Man.
Hence alfo it is, that he confounds
the $ Altites , and Geodes , both mere of the
Stones, with Shells, and other
of marine Extract.
2. He like wife takes great Pains 2. Of the
to demonftrate the * Cornu Jmmo- Ammonite.
nis not to be a Nautilus : and in¬
deed, for what I have faid, he might
as well have ufed other Arguments
to prove it no Mur ex , or no Oyfter ;
for I never afcribed it more to the
Claffe of that, than of either of thefe.
But
Things 4£tites and
Geodes.
f Nat, Hi fi. Earth, fajftm . i ‘Differt .
tfaurin* p. 199* * P» *9$' *91* and 34°*
yg Nat. Hi ft* of the Earth Part I.
But yet t the Ammonite is realy a
Shell, of the wreathed or turbinated
Kind, produced at Sea, and brought
from thence to Land. It has the
Marks, and what we call Elfential
Propertyes, of a true Shell, tho’ of
a Kind plainly different from all
thofe.
tfhe 3. The Ammonites are indeed but
Ammonite, rarely light of upon the Shores. I
inhabiting never met with above one Speci es of
Im/deeper them found there ; whereas out of the
•parts of Earth there are dig’d very many. But
the Sea, is a]j the Kinds of Shells, that are to be
felaom flung pountj on every Shore, have not yet
Shores by been obferv’d and collected with due
Storms. Care. Befides, there are many which
are bred in the inmoft and deepeft
. Parts of the Sea, where they have
their Abode, and never of themfelves
come near the Shores, nor are flung
out of their native Seats, even by the
Violence of Tides or Storms. Of
fome Kind of thefe I take the Am¬
monite to be. Moft of thofe Shells
which are call upon the Shores, by
Tides, or Storms, are fuch as were
bred riot far off, and among the Shal¬
lows
* " “ mrnm «■ "■ "■ - ■ ■ J m
4 See Nat. Hifi. Earth, Trtflm Differ t . in fin.
\
Part I. Illuftrated and Inlargd. 1 3'
lows and Flats. The Difturbances
given by Tides, or Tempefts, never
reach the inner and deeper Recefles
of the Ocean. It is therefore lefs to
be wonder’d at, if the Shells pro¬
duced in thofe Places, and there re-
fiding, are feldom found call upon the
Shores. ru ■'
The learned Dr. Cameraritis indeed Lejjer
profeffes himfelf f doubtful of theSJ°P”*af°
conftant Calmnefs of the ‘Bottom (fntjoe deeper
the Sea. This, in fo great a Man^m ej
efpecially, I cannot but much wonder !‘je Mam,
at, fince the Thing is fo certain, and ^fe
fo generally known : and the Truth of not the
which he might have had throughly Shell-Fijh
confirm’d to him, from Books, as well r^ae
as from the very Perfons, who, when
the Surface of the Sea has been moft
tempeftuous, have dived to the Bot¬
tom. But fince there is perhaps none
of thele Perfons known to us both, to
whom I might refer Dr. Cameraritis,
I will recommend him at leaft to one
great Author, out of many, who has
wrote of this Matter ; one, of whofe Fi¬
delity the moll: fufpicious cannot doubt.
I mean Mr. Robert Royle^ the great,
and lulling Honour of his noble Fa¬
mily,
Wat. Hi ft. of the Earth Parti,
mily, who is defervedly ranked among
the higheft Philofophers of our Age,
and who has wrote a * Treatife on this
Subjeft, entitled, Relations about the
^Bottom of the Sea. In the third Sec¬
tion of that Treatife he may find,
that the Water at the Bottom of the
deeper Seas , is ever calm , nor in the
leaft difturb'd , even whilfi its Sur¬
face is mojl troubled , and tempeflu-
ous. He may alfo there learn that Di¬
vers take the Water , when the Sea is
fo very rough that fcarcely any Weffels
will hazard themf elves out of ‘Port ;
fo that he was under a very great mi-
ftake, when he haftily laid, f that
Divers never go under Water during
great Storms. But to the Queftion he
puts foon after, \ why Divers do not
bring on boards from the Bottom of
the Sea, fome of thcfe Shells call’d by
Naturalifts ‘Pelagia, becaufe they re¬
fid e only in the Deep of the Main ? I
return for Anfwer, in the firft Place,
what, tho’ it be eafy and obvious,
may defervedly be thought fatisfa&ory,
and
* Mr. Boyle’i 'Trails, 8vo. Oxon. 1671,
I Ttijfertat. ‘Tcmrin. p. 2,88. % Pag. 288.
Part I. llluftr cited and Inlargd.
and a fit Solution of fuch a Difficulty j
that thofe Perfons, not being Philofo-
phers themfelves, nor employed, by
fuch as are, with Defign to promote
natural Knowledge, but meerly in
Hopes of Gain, when they have dived
to fo great a Depth, with Hazard of
their Lives, look for Pearls, and
Things of \ alues but they neither
colled:, nor obferve others which
would be plainly of no Ufe to them,
nor, if they Hi ould bring them up, re¬
ward their Labour. But, if this An-
fwer fihould not fatisfy the curious
Camerarhts , he ought alfo to obferve,
that thofe Divers look for Pearls not
far from the Shores ; neither do they go
under Water but in fuch Places as
are meer Shallows, if compared with
the more remote and deep Parts of the
Main, which I fpeak of. No Diftur-
bance, as may be reafonably believ’d,
has ever been given to thofe inner Re¬
cedes of the Ocean, fince the univer-
fal Deluge,- at which Time thofe
Places were totally broken up, and
the Shells, inhabiting there, being
forced from their antient Dwellings,
born to the moft diflant Places, and
not a few left in thofe their new Seats
at
and never
other wife
feen.
[t 6 Nat. Hift. of the "Earth Part I;
at the Retreat of the W aters. Thofe,
in my Opinion, are what we now fre¬
quently find in the Earth, but very,
feldom on the Shores, and of the Ori¬
gin and Nature of which the learned
Camerarius has raifed this Difpute.
Tut greater After all, tho’ thofe Shells are never
Storms now moved from their native Places,
q>artsy andyzt there are others often flung upon
bring up the Shores by greater Storms, which
Shells that jefler never reach. The moft violent
are rarey ^ thefe Storms, by us called Hurri-
canes , are thofe which happen about
ySarbadoes , and other Iflands of the
fame Sea, and in the adjacent Parts
of America . Where thofe Storms
arife, they ufually rage more vehe¬
mently, than any 'European can eafily
Credit, or conceive to himfelf, and
difturb the Seas to a much greater
Depth than ufual. After thofe Storms,
Shells lie expos’d on the Shores, in
much greater Numbers, than are thrown
forth by lefler Storms, and of Kinds
quite different from them. Neither is
it to be doubted, but as thofe more
violent Tempefts call up Shell-Filli
very rarely otherwife feen, being fuch
as inhabit the inner Parts of the Sea,
where leffer Storms do not reach, fo,
if
i
Part I. lliujlrated and Inlargd .
If other yet more violent Tempefts
fliould happen, fufficient to difturb the
Bottom of the deepeft Seas, they
Would bring up the Ammonite , and
other Shells, fuchas, it is plain, were
heretofore brought up by the Deluge
and never fince.
From thefe Shells, found in fuch A Corollary
great Numbers, and of fuch various
Kinds, in Places far diftant from any gmliDeva*
Sea, even to the Tops of the high enftation that*
Mountains, and the Bottoms of the was
deepeft Mines, which neverthelefs, a s^ef e'
has been noted, are generated only in
the Middle of the Ocean, and are
never found near the Shores ; from
thefe, I fay, it is manifeft, what great
and furprizing Changes were then
made : and with what Tumult and
Confufion, dreadful beyond all De-
fcription and Imagination, all Things
were tofs’d and hurl’d about ,* which
they certainly never had, but for fome
moft weighty Caufe, fuch as was that
of bringing on the Univerfal De¬
luge.
1 8 Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part I.
4- 2)r. Ca- 4, It frequently happens* that* with
mcranus large and full grown Shells of Sea
^Shells!* °m Animals* there are digged up others
fmall, and of the fame Species* but fmaller, ten-
not arriv'd Jerer* and not yet arriv’d to Maturi-
^Growth, or ^e'lr Ju'ft anc^ compleat Bulk.
foimdinthe From thefe, efpecially of the fame
Earth with Magnitude, and Maturity* to which
arTlar^e u^ua^Y arrive about the End of
and grown, May* and from fuch Vegetables as
that fath we find in many Places in the Earth
were pro - arrived to the State they ufually at-
hit d wit h^ tain by the fame Skafon of the Year,
from thefe* I fay* I could certainly
form a Judgment of the Time of the
Year when the Violence of the De¬
luge coming on put an End to the
Growth of both *. There are alfo
digged up at Land, as well as found
at Sea* Shells * full f grown that yet
are thin and tranfparent : and others
alfo* which, by Length of Time are
become tender and friable, as tendirig
towards Decay, and finaly to De¬
finition ; but that any are ever found,
in the Earth* which even the molt
quick lighted Perfon* by only looking
out juft
Grounds .
on
* Nat. Hift . Earth. Part III. and VI*
f <RiJ]ertx of 'Dr. Camerarius. p. 22 ,6*
Part I. llluflrated and Inlarg'd. \ $
on them , can difcern to he fiill in a
Way of growing , tho’ Dr. Gamer a-
rins affirms this, I dare be bold to af-
fert the Contrary. If he hasanyfuch
Shells by him, from which he thinks
tie can demonftrate that, I do not ask
him to fend any of them over to me,
which might . be troublefome, but I
may at leaft expert he fhould fet forth
feme of thofe Signs from which he
makes that Inference. For if he can
fhew any fuch, I will immediately
publickly confefs my felf miftaken in
my Obfervations, about thefe Things,
and that I have err’d in my Judg¬
ment concerning them, I will come
over to his Opinion, and moft willing¬
ly embrace the Truth he fhall fo de-
monftrate.
5 . The learned Camerarhis indeed ?• Sbelh,
the more willingly admitts *, that dl'&&ed, t!P
great ‘Plenty of Shells may poffibly ’countries,
be digged up in England , becaufe it in as great
is an Ifland every where t furround- Plenty as m
ed by the Sea, from whence he fup- England'
pofes thofe Bodies to have been car¬
ried thither through fome fubterrane-
C 2 Oils
t Page 347-
* Page 282,
2 0
■ Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part L
ous ‘paffages-, by Inundations , and
< violent Changes , which he fancies it
has undergone ; of which I fhall fay
fomething hereafter j but he denies *,
that any Judgment can be made of
the State of other Countries , from
Arguments fetched from that Ifland.
He elfe where fays f, that in the Mid¬
land Parts, efpecially of larger Coun¬
tries, a like Quantity of them is not
to be found. But how unadvifedly
thefe Things are aflerted, tho’, by a
Perfon very intelligent in other Things,
all the moft Antient, as well as the
Modern W riters unanimoufly teftifie ;
the unquefiionable Accounts which I
my ' felf have procured from the moft
inland Parts of, AJia, Africa , and
America , as well as Europe , clearly
Ihew: and laftly the Things them-
felves, the Bones, Teeth, and Shells,
of Marine Animals, of which, toge¬
ther with many other Things, I have
by me great Numbers, collected
there, and brought thence hither, give
abundant Proof.
But
> * Ibid. | Page 281, 290,
I
Part I. llhift rated and Inlar?' d. 21
But why do I endeavour to con- Z)r. Came-
firm, by the Teltimonies of others, r,arin*’f r
What he confelTes to have obferved^jS^J'
and found Himfelf? For he lays, in in this Jf-
another Place *, there are wholefair'%
Mountains in Germany , which ap¬
pear to be nothing but Shells: and
that particularly about f Echt ending ,
great Numbers, and variety of them,
are found. And foon after he men¬
tions tj: whole Mountains , all where¬
of conjift of Stones figur'd or caft in
Shells , and which are , as it were,
formed and compil’d of them. Thefe
are his own Aflertions of the Plenty of
Shells, and of Stones moulded in them,
found in other Countries ; a Plenty of
both no way inferiour to what are any
where to be found in this our own
Ifland. Thefe Things are .indeed
fo contradictory one to another, and
his own Reprefentations of FaCt fo
totally inconfiftent with this his Opi¬
nion and DoCtrine, that how they can
be eafily reconciled I am not able to
fee,* he muft look to that himfelf.
But tho’ Shells abound fo much in
C 3 thofe
Tase 193. f 297, 298. $ 338,
Nat. Hijl. of the Earth Part I.
thofe Parts, that whole Mountains
feem to be made up of them, yet he
could find no Remains or Traces of
them about * 'Tubingen. But what
follows from thence ? Does he believe,
or any one elfe, has fo carefully
fearched thefe Parts too, as to be fa-
tisfy’d there are not ftill fome that may
lye concealed there, and be, fome
Time or other, at laft difcovered ?
Or what if, by Length of Time, and
having lain in a Soil containing Salts,
detrimental, and gradually deftrudtive
to the Texture of fuch Bodies, they
ax^e long fince perifhed ? Or finally
what if None at all were ever lodg¬
ed in thofe Parts? For I have not any
where faid, nor can it indeed be
thought, that they were left in all
Parts of the Earth, efpecially fince in
fome they are fo accumulated, and
heaped up as to compile whole Moun- *
tains. A little lower, as becomes a
Man fo ingenuous, he confeffes, there
offered themf elves to his View My¬
riads of f mall Shells , lodged very
deep in the Earth, in thofe very Places
about
"ll"" *' 11 ■■ ■■»"■ . . . . . . I . , „
#
* Page 283.
Part I. Illufirated and Inlargd. i $
about 'Tubingen , but , as he believes,
not of Marine Origin. And he won¬
ders, nor indeed without Reafon,
that [uch Numbers of them fimdd be
found at Jo great a Depth in the
Earth, Tince they muft have been.
Come Time or other, carried out of
their Native Seats, and by fome
means or other lodged there. So
that, altho’ thofe Shells were not rea-
ly of Marine Origin, of which yet
there is not the leal! Reafon to doubt,
becaufe the River and Terreftrial
Kinds are very light, and feldom or
never found at fo great a Depth in the
Earth, yet they prove at lead, that
the Earth, fo far, has been violently
difturb’d, and fuffered great Changes.
But he * enquired of thofe who break
and draw up Myriads <f Stones out
of Quarry es, and they were all alike
ignorant of fuch figured ‘Bodies , ex¬
cept one , who declared , he had twice
or thrice found a fmall Shell in the
Stone , the Shape of which he did
not remember. But if one or two
fuch Shells were obferved by a heed-
C 4 lefs
. - |,i,|iiiii ii Mini I H i WW— !■>■»■» ' iTTTn “
* Page 284,
Nat* Hift. of the Earth Part I.
lefs Digger, it is to be believ’d, many
more might be difcovered by thofe
who look more diligently after them*
For neither may we depend, more
on the Diligence or Curiofity of thefe
Diggers whom he rightly calls * rude
Labour ers> than of thofe j Divers >
both of which ufually have their
Mind, and Eye$, molt intent upon
that which they are in Search of, and,
even tho’ admonifhed, are blind to
the Reft, If any one therefore would
be furely inform’d of the Truth of
Things of this Nature, he fiiould,
while others digg, examine the Places,
and carefully .Purvey, with his own
Eyes, what they digg up. "But when
perhaps others may difcover thefe
\ Things , at leaft about the Neibour-
hood of Tubingen , by greater Dili -
gence than ordinary , they are abrupt¬
ly called away from thence in the
midfi of the Search Which in¬
deed I then begun to fufped, when I
faw he denied that he found any
Shells there of Marine Origin j nor do
I indeed doubt but, if at any Time
he
^tasagaayCTT |l^. rp— run ■uiiiwpL mm hub r nu ru
* Page 2.7(5". f Conf pag. 14. fugra*
J Page 284.
'A * , •
Part I. Illuftrated and Inlargd.
he would fearch the fame Places a-
gain, and only ufe greater Diligence
and Patience without fo fudden an
Interruption , he may find great
Plenty of them. But let us proceed
to what next follows. In all our
Journey , over fo many Mountains , in
Switzerland, and Valois and the
Alps, and Chains of Hills , we met
with nothing at any "Time figured in
that Manner , tho we locked over in¬
numerable Stones , on the higheft
Ridges of the Alps , particularly of
great Bemardus. This he tells us
p* 284, and not much after, viz. p . 2 97,
he attefts that Shells of many Kinds,
Univalves, and Bivalves, are to be
feen in Abundance on the Mountain
Randus in Switzerland , and in Places
every where round about it. Now to
deny, in that Part of his Differtation,
that any Shells were to be found in
thofe Places ; but to acknowledge in
this Part of it that many and various
Kinds were found there, made equal¬
ly for his purpofe. This great Man
might * indeed have properly in¬
form’d
* Page 284.
Z6
Nat. Hi ft. of the Earth Part I.
form’d his Readers, upon this Occa-
fion, that he had not yet feen the learn¬
ed Dr. Scheuchzer s Hook on that.
SubjeU , if that Book, had been pub-
lifh’d in fome remote and more ob-
fcure Part of Europe. But fince that
Book had been abroad nine Years and
more, before Dr. Camerarius had
wrote on the fame Subject, and de-
fervedly gained its Author fo great a
Reputation, that he then firft obtain¬
ed, among the Learned, the Title of
the Helvetian Tliny , the learned Ca¬
merarius might certainly, I do not
fay he ought to have feen it. If
indeed he had feen it , I do not in the
leaft doubt but, that if he had not
imrtiediately changed his Opinion, he
would not have defended it fo ftre-
nuoufly, after he had confidered the
great Number and Variety of Ma¬
rine Bodies found in the Mountains
of Switzerland, and other Places, and
delineated and defcribed in that Spe¬
cimen of T)r. ScheuchzerV Litho -
graphia Helvetica , publifhed at Zu¬
rich in the Year 1702.
i. I
Part I. ffluftrated and Inlargd. 27
6. I faid that at the Time of the <?. of the o-
.Deluge, while Shells, fuftain’d and riginmd
‘upheld in the Water, floated, toge- Ci¬
ther with Sand, and other the con- chitre, and
flituent Matter of Stone, Flint, Sparser like
and all other Minerals, reduced to bodies.
their primary Particles, the difolved
Matter of thefe, entering the Shells,
filled them up, fo that they gave
their own Form, or Figure, to
the Matter fo received into them,
and were as Matrices , and Moulds : o
it * : that of thefe Shells, whether
fo fill’d or empty, finking together
with the Matter of Stone, Clay, Chalk,
and all the reft that this terreftrial
Giobe is compos’d of, are made thofe
Strata, of which this our Earth con-
fifts : that the Strata of Mountains, af¬
terwards, being laid open by the
Force of Rains, Torrents, and Acci¬
dents which often happen in ail Parts,
were broke up, and the Shells, con¬
tained in them, which lay uppermoft,
with fome which lay deeper, were
thrown out, and left expofed at the
Surface :
* Nat. Hifi. Earth. Part II. and IV.
3 8 } Slat. Itift. of the Earth Part I.
Surface: that at length thofeShells, fo
laid open, thrown out, and expofed, f
were worn away, or broke, but the
Matter enciofed in thefe Shells, whe¬
ther Stone, Flint, Spar, or any other,
of a Conftitution firm and foiid, did
Hill retain, and reprefent the concave ,
d or interior Form of thofe Shells, in
which it was moulded. This, from
an accurate and often repeated Exami¬
nation, and diligent Coniideration of
thefe Things, I afferted to be the true
Origin of the Co n chit m, Cochlx-
t sf EchiniTje, and other like Bo-
‘Dr. Came- dies * But here this very learned
rarius’r mis- Man profelfes himfelf unable to com -
take m this pre)jenJ thefe Matrices, thefe Moulds.
$a‘r‘ p por thefe figured Stones bear , he
fayes, the outward Form of the Shells »•
not the inwards which they plainly
ought-, if they were formed in the
Eollow of them. Now thefe Ma¬
trices and Moulds , which he could
not yet comprehend, I believe he
eafily may hereafter, if he wnll on¬
ly look into thefe Matters, a little
more carefully. For my own Part I
have
f Nat. Uifi. Earth. Part. V. 1 Ibid.
* Ibid. | Camerar. Tnjfert. p. 338.
Part I. lllufirated and Inlargd, 29 1
have Nature my Guide in this whole
Affair j and fince I have offered No¬
thing, at any Time, but from the
Things themfelves, and have relyed
wholy on Obfervations of the fame
made with the utmofl: Accuracy, I
now appeal to them and to Nature ;
and, as of all other Naturalifts, fo
efpecially to the Obfervation of the
learned Camerarius himfelf on thefe
Things, but made with more Care than
hitherto. If indeed he had ufed fuch
Care and Diligence before, he would
certainly have had no Caufe to enter
into a Controverfy on this Subjed.
For among Thoufands and Myriads,
of thofe Bodies, which are found in
their Places, I dare take upon me
to fay he would not find one Stone,
or Flint, which bears the Convex
or outward Figure of the Shell. If
he fhall find any fuch hereafter, I
will then admitt the Force of this
Objection, and yield up my Opinion
to it.
One Thing indeed there happens Occafiomlly
in fome Places, which is not hereto tftbeCavi-
be pafied over. When Water, con
taining in it Vitriol, or other lik Q ter the Mo-
Salts, pervades any Strata, it dtifolvesdelof sbtik:
the
(
3°
md of
Sfary Sic,
formed in
the Shape
of Shells ,
Sic.
Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part I.
the Shells lodged in fuch Strata by
little and little, carries their dilfol-
ved Particles away with it, and leaves
the Spaces, before filled and poftefted
by thofe Shells, empty. Examples
of this are to be found in almoft
all Parts of the Earth. To fay No¬
thing of other Places, there is here,
in Portland- an huge Stratum of the
hardeft Stone, in which may be ob-
ferved an infinite Number of fuch
Cavities, or vacant Spaces, reprefent-
ing to View both the Shape, and
Size, of Turbinated Shells, and Bi¬
valves. Into thefe Cavities if there
be poured melted Lead, or any other
Metall, it will always take the moft
exaCt Figure of thefe Shells. ' So
where it happens, that the Water,
patfing through, carries with it, be¬
sides fuch Saits, Particles of Spar, or
other Minerals, it frequently lodges
them in thofe Cavities, - and there
leaves them till at laft it fills them
up. Wherever this happens, it al¬
ways follows, as of NeceiTity it mu ft,
that the Matter of Spar or other Mi¬
nerals fo formed, exhibits and repre-
fents the very Sizes, and perfect Fi¬
gures, interior, and exterior, of the
Shells
Part I. llluft rated and Inlargd. 3 r
Shells whofe Places it had filled
Nor are there feldom found Conchites ,
and other Stony and flinty Bodies
of that Sort, at length caft out of
the Strata, incrufled with the Sub-
fiance of fuch Spar, and other Mi¬
nerals, fupplying the Place of the
Shell that is worn away, and de-
ftroyed. If Dr. Carrier arius means
thefe Incruftations, as I think he does
not, I was not treating of them ; nor
indeed do thefe make out what he
wouid demonftrate, but rather fliew
the Contrary. For if thefe Incrufta¬
tions are broken off, the Surface of
the Stony Matter, contained within,
exhibits the interior Figure of the
Shell, in which it was firft moulded,
as exadtly as thofe other Stones, which
remain ftill covered with the Shells ;
which ever bear the Impreffion of the
interior Surface of the Shells, after
the Shells themfelves are decayed or
confumed.
7. Biit I come now to that part 7> %)r q
of the Book, where Dr. Carrier arms merariusV
treats of the Order wherein thefe Bo- Objections #
dies are found lodged in the Earth
He is not forward to admitt way shells in
Thing that I have offered on this Sub- the Earth ,
ject. refmed-
l : * K , . ■ *. ; ...
Mdt. Hijl. of the Earth Part I,
left. For to what I had writ he
returns, - * fhefe \ Things indeed
carry a great Shew of cProof as
to what relates to Crabs and Lob-
jlers , — but demonftrate Nothing with
Refpett to the Buccina, and Con¬
cha; Veneris ; fince thefe are found
fo very numerous on the Shores ,
and have not the f mall fpecifick
Gravity of Crabs , and therefore were
not lodged in the upper Strata , fo
that they ought to have been found
in the lower. I am realy very much
concerned when I cannot make this
learned and ingenious Gentleman’s
Obfervations, of Things, which re¬
quire no great Study, but only com¬
mon Senfe,and a meer View of them,
comport with my own, which were
not made without due Diligence and
Confideration. I have made Tryals
of many Crabs, as exactly as poffi-
bly I could ; and found fome of them
anfwer to Water, in Specifick Gra¬
vity, as i 4, to i, and others as 2 to
1 . But I have obferved many of the
! 'Buccina that have not the Proportion
of
* Page 290,
of 2 to i, and but Few that exceed
that Proportion, For the Concha Ve-
neris exigua alba ftriata, , this has
the Proportion of i ■£. Thefe the>fe-
fore coming fo near the fpecifick Gra¬
vity of Crabs, we cannot expect to
find thefe more commonly than Crabs
But laftly he fays, ^Buccina, and
Concha Veneris, occurr in very
great Numbers on the Shores. There
are indeed feme few of the \ Buccina ,
and but only one Species ■ of the
Conchy Veneris , which is that which
I mention d above, to be found on
the Shores of our I (land : and only
a very fmall Number on any of all
the Shores of Europe.
Nor indeed is he lefs doubtfull m of the St-
his Opinion concerning the Order of aiatien of
Metals, and Minerals, and their Difo
pofition in the Earth, * For he thinks
the Molecula , or minuteft Particles, of Earth*
Metalls and Minerals3too heavy to have
been fupported in the Water, or ming~
led with the Matter of the Strata of
St on e, fo that they flhould have been
precipitated down , fo as to confti-
JD tute
* P. ^07, $09, 3*5,
1
34 Nat. Hi(l. of the 'Earth Part I.
tute the ioweft Stratum of all, and
to reach the very Centre of the Earth .
But the Things themfelves, and
the dally Experience of Chymitts,
afford Arguments fufficient againft
this Opinion of his. For who knows
not, that Gold and Silver, which are
not the lighted: Sorts of thefe, are
fuftained in Aqua regia , and Aqua
fort is y fo as not to fink to the Bottom ?
This is a fufficient Anfwer to Dr.
Carrier arms. Nor indeed is it here
to be enquired, how fo great an
Abundance, as well of feparate Par¬
ticles, as of Nodules, or Lumps
of Metallic or Mineral Matter, be¬
came repofited in the Strata , among
Sand, and other lighter Matter. This
is a Subject foreign to the prefent
Inquiry, as I had intimated to my
Readers, Nat. Hift. Earth . Part. 4 :
and therefore Dr. Camerarius fihould
not have wholey neglected that Ad¬
monition of mine.
Of the Site , He moreover denies, * that Order ,
and Order, ^jfpofitien , and Dijlinffiion of the
andlerrTy Strata, with the extraneous "Bodies
final stra - contain -
Putt I. Ittuftr cited and Inlarg d.
contained therein , according to their
fpecifick Gravity , to he commonly oh-
J erv able • But on what Argument does
he chiefly rely when he does this >
From what Example of the Thing's
themfelves does he endeavour to de-
monhxate the contrary ? Why truly
from what Mountfaucon has fupply’d
him with from 1 Xamazhti* But, when
he objected this to me, he fhould have
ferioufly confider cl with himfelf, what
thofe learned Men thought of the
Strata about Modena , f who believe
ihofe Strata were not from the Tte-
luge^ but were formed at various
Times by the Mud of Rivers. Whe¬
ther this be true, or falfe, I do not
here enquire * but if Dr. Camer arias
takes it for Truth, and fuppofes that
thofe Strata have been the Work of
later Times, and thrown up by the
Rivers, then they are not thofe
which we are here treating of, and
confequently make Nothing to his
Purpofe. And therefore he fliould
make Ufe of other Arguments, fetch¬
ed from other Places. Nor indeed are
D 2 there
3 6 Nat. Hift. of the Barth Part L
there fuch other Places wanting, where
he imagins he finds Matter for Ar¬
guments of the fame Kind, and which
are not refuted by the Judgment
of any One, nor eafily to be refu¬
ted $ for Example, * The Qiiarry of
Biberax, and other Quarrys , and the
€Pits that are dig d thereabouts , con -
tradiU my Opinion , which prefent
fometimes to View Strata of Earthy
fometimes of Sandy fometimes oj Clay ,
and fometimes of Stone . In Cafe
I believe and acknowledge thefe to
be fo, depending upon his Fidelity
and Diligence, which indeed I eafily
do, becaufe they are often found fo
elfewhere, yet Nothing can be ga¬
thered from thence to deftroy my
Opinion, and overthrow the Do&rine
I have advanced relating to thofe
Things. Ho indeed fays, t but the
very View of the Strata Jhewsy they
were not formed , and land one over
another , by fuch an orderly Subfi -
dence , according to their fpecific
Gravity , becauje then the Strata of
Earth ,
— * \ -
* P. 291,
i P. 330,
j
Part I. llluflrated and Inlargd. j 7
Earth , Clay, Sand , Stone-, Chalk ,
Marble-, &c. could not be fc unequal¬
ly intermix'd ; the lighter Stratum
being often found under the heavier.
But this he feems to aifert only upon
Conjecture, and Obfervation of the
various Conftitution of the Strata ;
becaufe he does not fay that he has
made any accurate Experiment of this,
nor that he has made Tryal of the
Specific Gravity of any Stratum, and
found the Matter of the under Strata
to be lighter than that of the upper.
But, if he had done fo, and found die Origin
Things in that Manner, yet he could °f the Stra’
by no Means thereby have made out
what he thinks demonllrated with- Shells and
out any Examination at all either o father extra-
himfelf, or any One elfe. For that®"67" s°-
un equal Order of the Strata does no CaLeTin
in the leaft afireCt my Doftrine of the the Strata.
Subfidence of the dinolved Matter ofCbar con-
the Earth. For that Doctrine is S\m-^!f“ent
ported by the Evidence of Bodies diffciveT™
brought from the Sea into thofe Strata, mdfuftahp.
and now found in the fame all over if. m t!oe
the Earth, a Proof the molt certain meru
that could be required. I fay thofe
Bodies, bred in the Waters, which are
now found in the Strata, lodg'd among
D 3 Earth,
3 B Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part L
Earth, Chalk, Sand, Stone, and all
other Matter, as well that which is
now more loofe, as that which is
more folid, of which thofe Strata con-
lift : and the Order and Condition in
which thofe Bodies are found, plain¬
ly fhew that Matter to have been
once * all in a State of Solution,
all fuftained in the Waters, and at
laft, fuhfiding in thofe Waters, formed
thofe Strata. It is not here material
to enquire how that Diffoiution was
effected ,• it ought to fuffice, that the
Thing is certain, that there are every
where extant Proofs of it fo manifeft
that if any One, I will not fay in-
ftruCted in even the fir ft Rudiments
of Natural Philofophy, but who has
' only common Senfe, and the Ufe of
his Eyes, will but go into the next
Quarry, he cannot but immediately
acknowledge the Matter to be actual¬
ly fo, which thofe who fit contri¬
ving Hypothefes in their Studies, de*
ny to be poffible. From fuch a Con¬
templation of Things, and Obferva-
tion of the Strata in the Earth, it
was
* See Nat. Hifl. Earthy Prelim. Divert
£nd Part 2.
39
Part I. Ilhfl rated and lnlcir,gd.
was, that the ^ moft antient Philofo-
phers believed, and taught, the Earth
to he Nothing elfe but the Sediment
and T)reggs of Water.
Now thefe Things being proved 'That Mat -
according to Reafbn, and demon-
ltrated even to the Eyes, I defir tfubfide by
to know of the moft ingenious Ca^ tts own
merariusj what he thinks was
Caufe3 why thofe Marine Bodies, to -wlreZmp-
gether with Sand, and other Matter,^ of it.
diflfolved, and floating in the Water, ^oe. £aws.
fhould fink, and be formed into fuch
Strata? For my Part I think their fideme
Gravity was the Caufe. And if that
Matter, and thofe Bodies, owe their
Subfidence to Gravity, it is necefla-
ry that thofe Strata themfeives fhould
obey the Laws of Gravity, and be
difpos’d and formed according to the
fame Laws. If he would overthrow
my Do&rine on this Subject here he
ought to begin: this its Foundation
fhould be undermined. For thus I
wrote when I treated of this Matter,
D 4 and
$ TijV ft.lv ynv vnoTctrtv aval ^ T$vya t«
ScPdflot. Metrcdorm afud Plutarch, de *P ta¬
cit. T kilos. Lib. 3. c. 9.
Nat. Hifi . of the Barth Part I,
and never argued otherwife any where
elfe ; * ! This Subfidence happened
generally^ and as near as pofiibly
could be expended in fo great a Con-
fufion , according to the Laws of
Gravity. For in fuch a Confufion
of Matter difiolved, it could not be
imagined that the Subfidence fhould
be every where alike, or the Stra¬
ta, thereby Compofed, always placed
in the fame certain Order. They
therefore who look for that, look
for what I never promised to fbew
them. But when they read my Wri¬
tings without due Attention, they
thence frame Laws of Nature, as if
conceived according to my Opinion,
and devife to themfelves a Sort of Fa-
brick of the Earth exa&ly according
to thofe their Laws ; and if any of
them, entering upon that Fabrick, find
thofe Laws not juftly obferved, they
immediately pronounce mine wrong
and miftaken. But to return to the
Matter in Hand ; this is moft certain,
the Subfidence could not be every
where uniform, and the fame. Nay it
was.
«*»
I
* Jfidt. Hifi. Earth . Part 2. Confeft 3,
Part I. llhiftrated and Inlargd.
was neceftary, itfhould vary, in every
Place, according as the Quantity of
Matter fuftained, anfwered to the
Quantity of Water that fuftained it:
as the Water itfelf was more trou¬
bled, or more calm : as each Eody
fuftained was greater or lefs : as there
were more, or fewer, of any Kind,
in the fame Place: and finally, as the
Place, where each Body fluctuated be¬
fore it began to fink, was farther
from, or nearer to, the Bottom, and
as the Courfe of its Defcent was lon¬
ger or fhorter. For it could not o-
therwife happen but that a Particle
of Matter, however light in itfelf,
floating within fome few Feet of the
Bottom, when Things began to fet¬
tle, muft jeach the Bottom much
fooner, and fo lye deeper in the
Earth, than another, tho’ much hea¬
vier, which floating perhaps a thou-
fand, or more Paces above, began
to fink at the fame Time, * It is
therefore
* This Argument is more accurately treated
of in that Chapter of my greater Work , Tart
of which the ingenious and learned T)r. J. Har¬
ris has infer ted in his 'Book , entitled , Remarks
on fome late Papers relating to the Deluge,
and to the Natural Hiftory of the Earth.
iLondop pub lifted, in the Tear 1697, 8vo,
Nat. Hi ft • of the 'Earth Part I.
therefore neceffary, tho’ we fuppofe
this whole Affair to have been trans¬
acted exactly according to the Laws
of Gravity, that a great Part of that
Mafs fhou’d fink promifcuoufly, and
confufedly, and be laid without any
certain Method : that the Conftitution
of the Strata ftiould be various, and
uncertain : and that therefore lighter
Bodies fhould be often found lodged
under heavier. * ’Tis moft evident
that only that Matter, and thofe Bo¬
dies, which, when Things began to
fettle, were higher, and .fluctuated
nearer to the Surface of the Mafs,
and had confequently a longer Def-
cent to make, t could be difpofed
into any certain Method and Order.
It was alfo neceffary that thefe fhould
fink laft; and fo conftitute the up¬
per Parts of the Globe, and thofe
neareft to its Surface. Hence the
Reafon is plain why the Strata nearer
the Surface of the Earth, and the
Marine and other Bodies found there¬
in, lye in better Order than thofe
* Conf. Part 2. Se<fL 5. iff re.
] Ibid*
•Part I. Illujlrated and Inlargd. z ?•
• placed at a great Diltance lower.
But this more uniform Site of th e'T’he Strata,
upper Strata, and the Difpofmon o
the Bodies therein, I would have un -werejorm-
deriiood only of thofe Places where ed, have
the upper Strata, after the Subfidencefr^rfta?
or the Matter, and Confolidation ofg^f ®ian~
the Earth, were not removed, and i. the upper
born away, i or I fhall elfewhere ky tbt
fhew, by many remarkable Inftanc es,^fTT!^
that they were in feveral Places
removed, and born away, by th ^Deluge:
Force of the Waters returning from
orf the Earth, at the Conclunon of
the Deluge. rl Ire Matter fo forced
away was thrown eife where, and
there laid without any certain Me¬
thod, or Order. And truly this feems
to be the Stare of that Tract of Land
about Modena., * where Things iye
as the Current of the Water, fo re¬
turning, dilpofed them. In like Man¬
ner great Quantity of Gravel, Sand,
and other Matter lyes promifcuoufly,
in fome Places, at the Surface of the
Earth, nay even to very great Depths,
as well in England, as in all other
Countrys.
* See P. 35. Supra.
&. the low¬
er Strata,
hy the Re¬
moval of
Metallic
and Mine¬
ral Matter
tfat. Hifi. of the Earth Part I.
Countrys. But for the Strata them-
felves from which that Matter was
then taken away, and fo by that
Means were uncovered, and now ap¬
pear bare, and on the very Suiface,
which before lay under all that Mat¬
ter thefe Strata, I fay, commonly
prefentto View Things laid perplex¬
edly and confufedly together, and
that for the Reafons above alFigned.
Befides which? from the unequal
Sublidence of the diffolved Matter,
there muft of Neceihty be an Inequa¬
lity alfo of the Strata ; the Strata
themfelves, fxnce the Time they were
• firft formed, and compacted, have
apparently not remain’d in the fame
State but undergone coniideranle
Changes. To fay nothing of the o-
ther Matter of them, I will only re¬
cite here what I have fet forth in my
A Tat. Hi ft. of the Earth. Part IV.
Confeft. II. 7 here have and dofttll
happen T ranfitions and Removes of
the ‘Metallic and Mineral Matter ,
from one E art of the fame Stratum
to another : and- from the lowei Strata
to thofe which lye above them. From
which Tranfitions of that Matter,
Part I. Ufa ft rated and Inlargd. 45,
and Changes of it’s Places, the Gra¬
vity alfo of the Strata themfelves muft
neceflarily have been changed too.
For that heavier Matter, being extra¬
cted and removed, leaves its own
Strata lighter : and adds to the other
into which it has fhifced, the Gravity
taken from the former. So that from
the Gravity of the Strata as they now
are, a certain and exad Eftimate of
their original Gravity, cannot always
and every where be made; efpecial- *
ly in Countrys which moil abound in
Metalls. For, in others, the Strata re¬
tain their primitive and original State,
if not entire, yet much lefs changed/
This, as in other Parts of our ovmretinmmy
Country, may be obferved Flaces Fof-
inthofe Parts particularly of the Coun-^ are
ties of Qlocefter , Oxford , and NoJpS Stb
thampton , where Metalls and Mine-* wW
rals lefs abound : where the Strata fall ExaEt-
of Stone, and every other Matter arene^’ accord‘
found difpofed according to their re- zl/
fpettive Gravity, fo that they feem to Gravity.
have retained their primitive Cox\fti-F,xaml’les
tution to this very Day. Some Ex-
amples of this are now lately fet forth
in the learned Mr. Mortons, Nat.
Hift. of Nortbamptonjhire a Work
of
Uat. Hift. of the Barth Part 1
of many Years Labour, no way in¬
ferior to any of the Kind, and which
will give abundant Proof, to all who
are Judges of thefe Studies, of the
Author’s unwearied Diligence and
uncommon Knowledge in Natural
Things* It is alfo farther to be ob-
ferved, that thofe Counties, being
very remote from the Sea, diet not
fuffer fo much Damage by the Re¬
turn of the Waters at the End of
* the Deluge, and in many Places fewer
of their upper Strata were born away.
There are indeed many other Things
which might be offered here relating
to the Subfidence of the terreftrial
Matter, and the Formation, and Dif-
pofition, of the Strata, which, had I
not already exceeded the intended
Bounds of this Treatife, I might pro¬
duce here. But I fhall quit this Sub¬
ject after I have only put the learned
Camerariiis in Mind of one or two
very remarkable Inftances of lighter
extraneous Bodyes, found among light¬
er Terreftrial Matter, and of heavy er
lodged among heavyer ; which indeed
feems to be of great Moment towards
putting an End to this Controverfy, and
which
47
Part I. llluftr cited and Iiilcirg d.
which I have formerly mention’d in
my A at. Hifi. of the Earth* Prelim.
'DijTert. verfus fin. In feverai Coun-
tyes of England, e. gr. Kent , Surrey >
Hartfordjhire , Perks, and
Oxon , there occur almoft every "where
many and vaft Strata of Chalk. To
thefe, which are fufficient of them-
felves, I could add other Places, not
only in our Ifland, but in foreign
Countryes alfo, where Chalk much
abounds, in all which great Numbers
of Shells, and other marine Bodies,
very different indeed from one an¬
other, both of the Turbinated Kinds,
as alfo of Bivalves, and Echini, are
found ; yet all thefe are ever of the
lighter Kinds of Shells, and fuch as
come neareft the Specifick Gravity of
Chalk. But in Strata of Stone, a
Matter much heavier than Chalk, on-
. ly the heavier Shells are found, and
that too in not lefs Numbers or Va¬
riety. If any one ferioufly confiders
this, which could neither fall out by
Chance, nor any other Means than
what I have aflign’d, I can hardly
think it poflible, but he may of him-
felf from hence refolve all his Doubts
as to this Matter. Another Argu¬
ment,
. Nat. Hift- of the. Barth Part L
ment, for this, may be taken from the
Cruftaceous Kinds of Marine Ani¬
mals. It could not be otherwife, but
that Crabs, Lobfters, and other Ani¬
mals of the Cruftaceous Kind, muft
be call out of the Sea, with thofe of
the Teftaceous. But, tho’ the former
are ordinaryly the bigger, and,, were
they now extant, would be more e a li¬
ly found, yet I have almoft every
where met with Thoufands of the
Teftaceous, without haying been hi¬
therto able to find, with the utmoft
Diligence, above five or fix Remains
of the Cruftaceous, or to procure
them from any other Part of the
Earth. Nor indeed does this feem
ftrange to me, nay I lhould rather
wonder if it happened otherwife.
For thofe Cruftaceous Kinds, being
lighter than Chalk, and almoft every
other Sort of terreftrial Matter, and
fo fubfideing laft of all, muft lye upon
the Surface of the Earth, expofed to the
perpetual Injuries, of the Weather,
Rain, and other Cafualties, till being
totally decayed, and rotten, they left
behind no Signs of their ever having
been there. Nor indeed is this any
Thing other than what I wrote before.
Ill,
an
Part I.
in my Nat. Hiji. Earth , TrNivu
Uijjert. tn fine ^ and Part 2. ConfieW,
3 ' which Paflages and fome others
if the learned Camerarius had more
carefully attended to, I cannot fee
that he would have had any Grounds
to have railed a Controverly on this
Subjed.
8. In Oppofition to toy Opinion of* the g. of m
Origin of the Strata, the learned Came- Growth,
veil his fuppofes Stone to grow ; of an^
which if he can give any Proof front the dfn,& °t
Thing it felf, he fhall no longer find ‘
®e tenacious of my Opinion, or defend¬
ing my Doftrine, but I will immediate¬
ly give up both to the Truth which he
iliall fo demonftrate. Therefore he
ihould exert himfelf, to find fome Ar¬
gument in Confirmation of his Opi¬
nion. Let him turn over his Com¬
mon-place-book to lee if he has any
Examples of this Growth, which he
fpeaks of, obferved by himfelf, or
any other. Let him fearch all his
own Country, Germany , if he thinks
he can find any Proof of this. But if
he is difappointed in all thefe, let him
make Enquiry of the fame in any o-
ther Part of the Earth. Yes truly he
has a moll certain Proof from the
E Things
Nat. Hifi • of the 'Earth Part I.
Things themfelves, every where to be
found, both at Home, and Abroad,
and obvious to any one. For when
I aflfert that there is no Inftance of
Strata of Stone growing gradually
more and more hard, — -Jo as, by De¬
grees, finally to attain a complete fo-
lidity , Dr. Camerarius * thinks that
Examples occurr wry frequently, not
only in Germany, but in other ‘Places,
of Stone of a fofter Nature while in
its Quarry , and which mufi there¬
fore be wrought as foon as drawn out ,
becaufe otherwife it would be won¬
derfully hardened by lying fome Dime
abroad , expofed to the Weather.
Examples of this Matter are indeed
very frequent ; but does he fancy this
will prove, that Stone , in its Strata
under Ground, grows gradually more
and more hard , and by little and lit¬
tle attains a complete Solidity ? He
had furely fomething elfe in his Mind
when he wrote this. For if Stone,
drawn out of its Quarry, and expofed
to the Air a long Time, does actual¬
ly become hard, can he think it thence
follows
. . . I mini. mm Jill K ifc .Wn ■»—«■■■» I lf» I n
* P. ? 1 5-
1
JI
Part I. II lufi rated and Inlargd.
follows that they do the fame while
they lye in their native Seats dowfi in
the Quarrys, expofed to no fuch ex¬
ternal Caufes to harden them ? This
indeed I could not have in the leaft
expefted, nor have believed to have
been fo eafily received by fo great a
Man, and one fo acute at cenfuring
the Vv ritings of others. Did I ever
deny that Stone, when drawn out of
the Strata, becomes harder? Who sme^nthe
Was ever ignorant of this? I had Earth, fa-
a&ually made mention of the fame tnrateri by
Thing before *, not as a Matter j
difoovered by my felf, but to gwafift, being
the Reafons of that Hardening, which ttt length
perhaps the Generality of Readers c:cP°fi^ T0
had not obferved, and which alfo *£££'£*
feems to have been the Cafe of this cokes bar-
learned Gentleman when he wrote r*er •
againfl me. For in my Nat. Hi ft.
of the Barth , Bart 3d, and 4th,
treating of the great Plenty of Water
in the Earth, and the Power it has to
infinuate it felf, I faid fcarce any
Stone, nor indeed any Marble, is fo
clofe, that the Water does not at leaft
E 2 fo
* Nat. Hi ft . Earth. Part 3. Sect, 1. Con-
5 2
cfhe Argu¬
ment, con¬
cerning the
Vegetation
of Stone ,
taken,
from dDr.
Tourne-
forc’i Ob-
Jer vat ions,
conjidered .
Nat. Hijh of the Earth Part 1.
fo far penetrate, and pervade it, as to
infinuate it felf into its Pores, and
even moiften it throughout. So that
all Kinds of Stone, while in the Strata,
mull of NeceiTity be lefs folid, and
hard, than after they have been long
digged out, and dryed by tne Air,
and Sun.
But this Argument, fetched, as he
fancies, from the very Nature of
Things, he endeavours to confirm by
the Teftimony of the learned, and
defervedly famous Dr. Vournefort.
Out of his Obfervations Dr. Camera-
fins produces what follows, In the
Cave which is called Antiparos, TJr.
Tournefort faw a new Sort of a Gar¬
den , with Variety of Plants , of
Marble * {HU growing , ranging into
Eeds, and Species , and which , from
all the Circumftances of their For¬
mation, could not but have grown
after the Manner of Vegetables, p.
jij, 316. What {hall I answer to
this Remark of an Eye Witnefs? I
readily acknowledge him to be a
molt skillful Botanill, as he has ap-
plyed
* Of Stone, Pierre.
dc 'C Acad, des Sciences.
M- Tournefort^* Mem*
I 702. p. 2'2I.
53
Part I. lllujlrated and Inlargd.
plyed himfelf to thofe Studies, much
to his own Honour and the publick
Advantage; but he has acted fome-
what unadvifedly, and extended too
far the Bounds of thofe Studies, when,
in an Account of Vegetables, their
Nature, and Properties *, he adopted
Stones into the fame Family. Among
the many Calamities of the long and
tedious War, may be juflly reckoned
the Hinderance to all mutual Com¬
merce of Literature, when but few
French Books, as well as other Com¬
modities, could be brought over to
us, or few of ours fent over to them,
and thofe only privately. Whence it
is no Wonder if my Book was not
carried thither, or at leaf!; never came
to the Hands of the learned Dr.
I’ournefort , which I readily believe.
For had he feen that Book, he had
found what he treats of, accounted
for by me. For he might have there
learned, that it was not the Stone it
felf that was in a Way of Growth in
the Garden, but Spar affixing to the
Stone, in that molt beautiful Order.
■ E 3 * That
* Mem. de 1' Acad. 1708. p. 151.
54
Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part I.
That the Thing realy was fo* * ap¬
pears from Dr. %mrneforf s own
fcription * of it. And he himfelf might
have immediately difcovered this^ at
firft Sight, had he been more ufed to
make Obfer vat ions under Ground.
For there white Spars are commonly
found caft and fixed upon the Strata
of grey and other coloured Stone ; as
appears in almoft every Cavity,. and
Fiilure, where Water pervades, and
fparry Matter, or that of which Spar
confifts, abound. And I not only
have fhewn, that ‘Spars grow ex-
abtly after this Manner, but have fet
forth in the 4th Part of that Book,
the Reafon of their Formation,,, and
the Order of their Growth. When
therefore the celebrated Gamer nr ins
thus confounds Bodies, in their Na¬
ture and Original very different from
one another, and takes the Growth
of Spars in the Figures of the Strata,
for
. '' V
* Une efpece de Broderie, haute d’envi-
ron deux, ou trois Lignes.— - La Matiere en
eft blanchatre , quoique la Pierre d’ou elle fort
foit grifatre : & je regard comme une efpece
de Calus. ^A.Jgournefort , Memoires de TAcad.
de? Scienfes. 1702./. $21.
I
Part I. llluflrated and Inlargd. 5 5
for the Growth of Stones and Marble
Which conflitute the Body of the
Strata, he is fo far from producing any
Thing, as he imagines he does j,
again!! my Syftem , and the Account I
give of the 'Origin of all Stones , that
he reprefents my Dodrine very ill, if
not invidioufly, and difcovers his own
Unacquaintednefs with thefe Subjeds.
If by Chance his happy Genius, and,
great Elocution, fhould draw fome to
be. of his Opinion, yet he will not
gain many of the more intelligent
Readers, at leal! by the Strength of
thefe Arguments.
9. What fhall I fay , fays Dr, Ca- 9. of the
merarius , of the Growth of Metalls , Growth of
of their particular Way of ripenings Stalls,
their Regeneration-, and Generation
anew in Glebes long exhaufted , and
likewife of the lucre afe of pure and
/ olid Metall .What, learned Sir,
you would now, or hereafter, fay of
thefe Things, I know not, nor am
able to guefs. But this I will fay,
when you fhall demonflrate any other
Opinion, of the Generation and
E 4 Growth
t p- 3**- * p-
•y<5
to. Of the
Origin of
Cry fall ,
and of
Qermm ,
Nat. Hi ft* of the Earth Part L
Growth of Met alls , contrary to mine
oil the fame Argument, I will forth¬
with embrace it. But, in the mean
while, I would ask of you, where I
have ever faid, that Water can dif-
fohe all Met alls , contrary to all Chy-
mical Experiments f ? For unlefs my
Memory and Eyes very much de¬
ceive, me, I have faid no more on the
Subjed than that the Water takes
up the Particles of Metall, which
lay before loofe, and feparate, in the
Interfaces, and Pores, of the Strata
of Stone, and thence carries them
into the perpendicular Fiffures of the
Strata *. .
10. With the like Candour it is
that Dr. Camerarius -j- afcribes to my
Dodrine, fo numerous a Cryftalliza-
tion^ and Formation of fo many
Gemms , in the Waters, at the Time
of the Deluge. Whereas, tho1 1 well
knew that fome Cryfrallizations did
then happen, yet, as they were but
few, I pafied them over in Silence.
Nor indeed did I then fo much as
mention any one Cryftallized Body,
except
f P. 327. * is Jar. Hift. Earth . Partly,
I P. 32 6. , -
1
Part I. llhifir cited and Inlargd. 57
except the Selenites , and Echinated
Crystalline "Ball. But, on the con¬
trary, I declared, as exprefly as I
could, that the far greateft Part of
Cry fi alii zations^ and figured Gemms ,
has been produced fince the Deluge,
by Means of Water, in the Fiflures
of the Strata. Nat. Hift. Earth.
Part IV. Confeft. 6, 7, 8.
11. Another invention of the fame n-
Ingenious Gentleman is that Men-nr° J% Men~
ftrmmof Water , j&r Sulphurs , Oilsfstliphiir!
and Bitumen , which, of his Libera- Oil, or hi-
lity Dr. Carrier ar ins is pleas’d to af-
cribe to me. 328.
12. But where did I ever lay, the12,^e Af-
Waters are prefsd out of the Abyfs °f0 Wa~
by the Weight of the incumbent Str a- springs, not
ta*> and fo , contrary to the Laws offing to the
their own Gravity , rife up to their freJfure °f
Springs * ? I actually alfign a Caufe, f °e trata°
of this Afcent, very different from
that, but agreeable to Nature and
right Reafon. Nat. Hift . of the
Earth . Part III.
13. The
* Page 318,
5 8 Nat. Bi ft. of the Earth Part I.
13. What 13. The learned Camer arias , as
Supply the difcerning and quick-fighted as he is,
ctive frm . d°es * not fee how the Rains can be
Rains. wholey excluded from mixing with
the Water of Springs* and Rivers.
Nor realy do I fee why he wrote this.
For tho’ I have denied, that they owe
their Rife wholey to Rains, yet I have
no where excluded thefe. On the
contrary I have, in exprefs Words,
declared that the Water of Rains is
wont to fall into and mix with that of
Springs, and Rivers. Nat. Hift. of
the Earth. Part 3. Sed. 1. Con-
fed. 4.
14. Moreover, when he infinuates f,
that I deny that there ever were
Towns fw allowed up by Earth¬
quakes) Mountains broken , Rocks
Junk , and new Lakes formed , he
does not feem to have read what I
wrote of thefe, Nat . Hift. of the
Earth. Part III. S. 1. Confed. 12.
viz. that the Earthquake is fme-
fimes fo extremely violent- as to un¬
dermine and ruin the Foundations
of the Strata , fo that the whole
fraU
14. Of
Rarth'
* P. 310. f P* 303, 339*
Part I. Illuflrated and Inlargd .
TraU finks down to rights into
the Abyfs underneath^— the Water
thereof immediately rifeing tip and
forming a Lake in the *P lace where
t he f aid TraU before was . Several
confiderable Trails of Land , and
fome with Cities , and To w n s
fi an ding upon them> as alfo whole
Mountains, many of them vaftly
large and of a very great Height ,
have been thus totally fwallowed up.
Nor was there the leaft Reafon for
him to imagine, from what I have
any where written, that all Earth¬
quakes would be univerfal , if the
Waters of the Abyfs were fo rari-
fyed , and gave the Earth pitch Con *
cufiions *. For I have fliewed, that
it might, and commonly does, hap¬
pen, that by the Effort which caufes
thefe Concuilions, fome one Trad of
Land only is afifeded, yet fhould that
Effort extend it felt further, and ad
with greater Force, there might be,
and adually have been, fome Shocks,
which at leaft a great many Parts of
the Earth, if not the whole Globe,
have felt f.
15. Nor
* P. 322. | See Net. Hi ft. Barth. Part III,
leaf foe
brought to
£Ioah.
Of T’rees,
and other
hPlants,fre-
6 o Nat. Iltjl. of the Earth Part I.
15. of the j 5-. Nor does be ufe me with more
frm which Candour, where he fays *, I imagin-
the Dove ed the Olive Tree from which the
cropped the Dove croped the Leaf that fhe brought
to Noah , to have been that Time
jwiming in the Waters . For I wrote
nothing like that; but the dired con¬
trary. See Nat . Hifi . Earth . Part
VI. In the Strata of Stone, even to
the greateft Depths, are found Leaves*
quent ly dig- an^ other Parts, not only of the com-
ged out of mon and known Plants, but of others
the Earth. that are very firange, and of Kinds
whereof there are none at this Day
growing in thofe Countries where
thefe are found fo lodg’d in the Strata
underneath. In the very fame Man¬
ner, in moft, if not in all. Parts of
the Earth, Shrubs and Trees are dig¬
ged up, fome very large, and many
of Species not now found growing in
thofe Places. Nay there are found
buried Trees, in great Numbers, and
fome of huge bulk, in Iflands where
the Soil is either fo barren, or the
Air fo bleak and fharp, or elfe the
Winds there fo bluftering and tem¬
ped nous, as to fuffer none now to
grow
* Page
)
Part I. Illujir cited and Inlargd. 6 1
grow there ; nor can we learn either
from Hiftory, or from the Accounts
of the moft antient Inhabitants, that
any ever did grow there. So univer- That Ha»
fal a Devaluation could never have vock> °f?e-
been effected, w^out a Caufe equaly^^^V^
exteniive: and in Truth there are fo by the CDif
great a Variety of Circumftances and folution of
Phenomena, which plainly fhew the tJoe
univerfal Deluge to have been that^f5 e~
Caufe, that there can I think be no¬
thing offer’d in Contradi&ion or in
Objeilion to the Proof they give.
Now tis very remarkable, that thefe
Trees are found with their Roots ftill
adhering to them. For this plainly
fhews there was a Diffolution and
Failure of the Ground, where they
formerly flood and grew. Of this
there was alfo a long Tradition a-
mong the moft antient Nations *. ^!°e Fradi-
'Bacchus is by the Naturaiifts taken Uj]ltfen^e
for the Fruit of the Vine. ‘ He is concerning
feigned to have been born t a fecond that 'DiJJ'o -
f ^nt ion and
Havock .
* fyvoicKoyxTtt— t <t7w cty.'7T<i'hx x,£f7r&v A ibvw
ffvV Diodor. Sic. L p. 195. f Aif
<t' divTk r hV ytviaiv a tot JW ro JUl£ v
Up tzoV £nha)V I'/nrw yf r Azvkc tAicoVct >tctj ctx.XvO'
< vQetfiuctt ^ rzl up Tijv tTnpCffav
'jr^hiv cijeipviylxf. Ibid. p. 196.
6z Nat. Miji. of the Earth Part 1.
Some cjpaf- Time of Jupiter, becaufe in Deuca-
tl£e.s °fr . lion’s Flood , (which they ufuaily con-
compar'd f°u|U with Noah' s) the Vine is f up -
and ex- pofed to have perifhed with other
tidin' d. ‘Trees, and afterwards to have
fprung up a- new* But we have a
much fuller Defcription both of the
Earth’s dilfolving, and the falling of
the Trees, in Seneca, where he treats
of his Deluge, viz *. their Roots
being let loofe , every Shrub, in par¬
ticular the Vine, fell down, and
i every FI ant lofi its Support in the
Ground, which was become foft and
fluid . — The "Buildings fall and
are overpower d, and the Waters be¬
ing admitted into the Earth quite to
the very deepeft and ioweft parts of
it, their Foundations fink and fail,
and the whole Earth becomes a Bog .
In vain are Things tottering afiifted
by props , for every Foundation is in
a
* Nat. Quseft. Lib. 3. C. 27. Solutis
quippe Radicibus, Arbufta procumbunt &
vitis, atque omne virgultum non tenetur folo,
quod molle fluidumque eft.—Labant & ma-
dent Te&a, & in imum ufque receptis Aquis
Fundamenta defidunt, ac tota Humus itagnat 3
fruftra titubantium fulcra tentantttr, Omne
enim Fundamentum in iubrico figitur, & lu¬
rch* Humo nihil {labile eih *
a Jlideing State , and nothing can
ft and firm in Ground fo quaggy. And
afterwards, fpeaking of the Earth f
k, to have been changed \
dijjoh d and reduc’d to a Fluid: —
that ■ it was neceffdry its ‘Parts
Jhoud perijh , and be all perfectly de-
ftroyd, that they might be all again
formed anew, fimple and pure. There
had obtain d an Opinion, amongft
many of the Antients, that the very
Earth was corrupted , and was there¬
fore deftrcyd , purified , and formed
a new, at the Deluge. This is what
the Philofopher here points at. Per¬
haps there may fome Time or other
be published the Paflages of thofe an-
tient Writers to this Effedt, more ac¬
curacy collected out of their Wri-
tings, and illuftrated with Remarks.
But thus Seneca goes on to defcribe
the ‘Dijfolution of the Earth It
therefore begins to putrify , and the
Particles
t Terram efle mutabilem & folvi in Hu-
morem.--- Partes ejus interire debuerint, abo-
lireve funairus totse, ut de integro tota^ rudes
mnoxiceque* generantur. $ — Incipier ergo
putrefcere, dehinc laxata ire in Humorem, &
affidua Tabe defluere. - - Seneca . Nat.
L. 3. c. 27, ap. ~
Nat. Ilijt • of the Earth Part L
[ "Particles of it , being loofened , to
turn into a Fluid , and by a con¬
tinued Solution to be absolutely li¬
quated. To which Opinion of this
Philofopher Lycophron very much
agrees, v
* When Jove, in Tempejis r agings
fiormd the Earthy
He dafh'd the Whole into minuteft
Atoms . — -
Where the Scholiaft, If Tzetzes , ex¬
pounds hpA-Jvvs by cZfAjUov brims
7 icLlejcXms: and that very properly,
fince all Stone was reduced into Sandy
and the hardefl Bodies in the Earth
into foft and tender . So that, at the
Deluge, in fuch State of Things,
t The World was unmade or ta¬
ken to Teices again , as ^ Nonnus
in his Dionyfidca well obferves. We
have alfo fouie Footfteps of the Earth
being
* 'Or’ ii{j.a$ui'Z nsra,<TtLV ofiCp-Hretf %0om,
%wo$ va<7^o<;. — —
\ - — K Q(ry.os ctKOPiAQS iyWiTO. .
| Lib, 6.
F&rt I. 11 lujtr cited and Inlargd.
being fo diflolv’d, and melted as it
were, in Manilius §*
■ . • i
Th' Earth quivers now, before tho' firmly
And from their Feet ‘withdraws the treache*
rous Ground .
The melted Globe Jwims in it/elf : the
Main
Spews up a Sea > and fucks it in again .
Nor can the great Abyfs itf elf contain.
All Nature thus was in Confufion hurl'd
And the Deep gorg'd itfelf with all ’the
World .
Deucalion only then remain'd behind
The Solitary Heir of all Mankind \
The Knowledge and Tradition that
the Gentiles had of thele Thina*s c^ime
firft from the Baft. The Hebrews
of old had frequent Commerce with
F firft
§ Concutitur Tellus validis Compagibus
barrens,
Subducitque folum Pedibus^ natat Obi$
in ipfo 5
Et vomit Oceanus Pontum, iitienfque re-
forbet,
Nec fefe ipfe capit Sic quondam merfe-
rat Urbes,
Humani Generis quum folusconftitit Ha»r^
Deucalion.— Manil. Aftr . Lib. 4.—
Nat. Hift. of the Barth Part I.
the ‘Phoenicians, and /Egyptians, and
both thefe with the Grecians. And
thence was the Fountain and Origin
of many of thofe Notions, and Cu¬
stoms, which afterwards obtained a-
mong the Greeks and Rowans. That
the Deftru&ion of the whole Earth was
threatened, before the Deluge : and
that that Definition was effected da¬
ring the Deluge, we have the Autho¬
rity of Mofes , Gen. vi. Vulg. Lat. f
I will deftroy them , with the Barth .
So the <j LXX Verfion, And behold ,
I will deftroy them, and the Barth.
Gen. ix. \ ii. Nor (hall there hereaf¬
ter be a Deluge to deftroy the Earth .
So the Hebrew , as well as the Sa¬
maritan, Chaldee, and other Inter¬
preters. The * Vulgar Latin Tran-
1 flator
*9
f Ego difperdam eos cum Terra. Vulg.
Zat. Gen. the 6th. 13. „
§ VLdi IcfSf totlaipQJ ?*> $ T ynv.
LXX.
£ Neque erit deinceps Diluvium ad dii-
perdendum Terram.
* Keque erit deinceps Diluvium diflipans
omnem Terrain. Vulg, Lat* Rob* Stef h* €
. Par. 154&
flator hath it. Nor ) hall there here-
aft er he a Flood diffohing the Whole
Earth. The 4- LXX, and there
pall be no more a Deluge to diffoke
the Whole Earth. Diffipare , the
Word ufed here by the Vulgar In¬
terpreter, lignihes not only disjicerd
to fcatter, but liquare , and diffoherey
to melt , and diffolre. I hus Seneca ,
t the Showers wajh away the Snow
in the Spring ; and the firft Heat '
melts [diifipat] what remains behind \
And Cicero , (j Epicurus is againfi
the Notion, of ^Bodies Concreting ,
leaf} it fhoitd be inferrd that, on
the Contrary, there might be a Fe¬
tching and SDiJjolution [Diffipatio] of
them. To which the W ord K*rct$
ufed by the LXX, w7ell anfwers, fig-
nifying to melt , corrupt , putrefy j
from or rather from' p0e}*,
whence aifo QQeip/ctiris. So that that
F 2 Deftru-
+ K At xx, 'Hi l<peu K'pdLY.Kvjy.Q*; Settles KcflcZ-*
Spttpctt FIA2AN 7hv yny.
t Q^ippe vernis Temporibus Imbres nivem
diluunt : Reliquias ejus primus Caior diifipat,
Nat. £fiiceft. Lib. 4, C. z.
§ Epicurus Corporum Concretionem t,
ne Interitus & Diifipatio confequatur. LI)e
Nat . SDeor . Lib. 1.
Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part I.
Deftruition of the Earth was effected
by melting and diffolving //, and all
Fojfils. To this the Royal Pfalmift
* agrees. He uttered his Voice , the
Earth melted. For which Reafon
Thilo-Judceus thought the -whole
World , at the TDeluge , -was turned
into the Nature of Water, t
So the Pfeudo-Sibyll ,
Water is all , and all Things are
deftroyd by Water.\% And the
Author of the Book De T)ea Syria ,
* JU Things are become Water.
Among the facred W riters alfo there s
great Agreement, as in other Matters,
fo likewife in this. Habak. iii. 6.
t He flood and meajured the Earth j
he beheld , and drove afunder the
Nations-, and the ever lading Moun¬
tains were broken to ‘Pieces , [or
fcattered.
* Dedit in Voce fua^ liquefa&a eft Terra.
^Pfalrn xlvi. 6.
^ fNo^lcrcte T& {Apil T8 ^CLVT0<1 fMAV $V7tV
$ 0 £ct7o<; dvcLToixeixyAV* * * §. Oe Abrahamo. p.
§vTcP<yp i<rcu attauJa , ^ &/W# *&vTtivrok&ld,t*
* TLav]a v<T<yp zyivovlo.
I Stetit & menfus eft Terram : Vidit &
exfilire fecit Gentes: & contriti funt Mon¬
tes Perpetuitatis, incurvaverunt fe Colies Ssecu-
li, Habak. 3. 6.
Part I. llhtjlr cited and Inlargd.
fcattered, diftipati , Hebr.~\ the per¬
petual Hills did bow. So the LXX,
4- The ever lofting Mountains were
diffdved , the eternal Hills were
melted. The Chald. Paraphr, $ He
difcoverd himfelf and Jhook the
Earth , and brought on the Flood ,
&c. The Mountains that were from
all Antiquity are broken to Pieces ,
the Hills that were from the Begin-
ing are deprefs d or beaten down.
The Syr. V erfion, f The Mountains
are diffolved , and the Hills are
brought low. The Arabic , * *
The Mountains are diffolved , the
Hills are melted. And lower,
Verfe x. 41 The Mountains trem¬
bled : the Overflowing of the Wa-
F 3 ters
+ A ictQpvCn Tci o PM Cld9 ilctniurctv Cavlt d/aviofe
LXX.
ft Revel atus eft Sc commovit Terrain, Sc
adduxit Diluvium, &cj Fra&i funt Montes
qui erant ab antiquo, depreffi Colles qui ex-
titerant a Steculo. Chald. Paraphr.
t Diftipati funt Montes, Sc humilati Colies.
Syr . Verft
* Comminuti funt Montes : — -liquati funt
Colies. Jlrah
4; Tremuerunt Montes : Inundatio Aqua^
rum tranftit ; dedit Abyftus Sonitum fuura.
Verf. Xo
Nat. Biff. of tie Earth Part I.
ters paffed by : the Abyfs uttered
his Voice. In this Place the Be-
fir nation of the Mountains is par¬
ticularly treated of: and hence it is
plain the primitive Mountains were
[contriti~\ beaten to Pieces** or, as the
Commentators rightly explain it, /#-
quati^ comminuti , diffipati , melted ,
broken to Pieces , diffohed. Nor is
this any other than what I was lead,
by Observations of Nature, to let
forth, Nat. Hi ft. Earth , Part 2,
Thus like wife Amos ix, 5* 6. The
Lord God of Hcfis is he that touch eth
the Lands [or the Earth,] audit fhall
Melt, and all that dwell therein
fhall mourn. Is fhall rife up W holey
like a Flood, and fhall be drowned
as by the Flood of ./Egypt. The
Vulg. Lat. t The Lord God of
Hofts is he who touches the Earthy
and it fhall Melt, and all who dwell
therein fhall mourn: and All the
Earth fhall rife up like a Rivers
and
% Dominus Deus Exercituum qui tangit
Terra m, & tabefcet s & lugebunt Omnes ha-
bitantes in ea : & afcendet ficut Rivus om-
mss Sc deflue t ficut Flu-vim Mgyptv
*
Part I. Illufl rated and Inlargd.
and flow about like the Flood of
.(Egypt. This Paflage does not treat
of any new or future Deluge, as fome
imagine. For both the Prophet and
the People were allured by an Ora¬
cle, * of all others the moft infalli-
ble, that no fuch fhou’d ever happen
more, to the End of the World. The
dreadful Devaluation made by that
antient Deluge was in every Man’s
Mouth, and imprefs’d on every Mind.
Nor was there any more eafy and
fure Method to ftrike the People with
Horror and Difmay than by mention
of that Deluge, and Repetition of the
furprizing Phenomena of it. For this
Reafon the Jewifh Writers the often-
er made Ufe of this Method. As did
Amos alfo ; and indeed the diffolution
of the whole Earth could not be more
fully or happily exprefs’d by any Se¬
ries of Words, than thofe which this
Prophet has made choice of, nor could
the promifcuous Razfing of the Earth
fo diflolved, and the fuflaining it in
the Water be more clearly fet forth ;
of which alfo, traceing clofely the
F 4 Foot-
* Gen. ix. 8. & feq*
7i
Nat. Htjft: of the 'Earth Part I.
Footfteps of Nature, and fupported
by Obfervations made in the Bowels ©f
the Earth, I .treated Nat. Hi ft. Earth.
Part 2d. Confect. 2d. Of this like-
wife the Compiler of the Sibylline
Oracles,
The Mountains and the Earth
■ Jhallfwim. — -(•
As above,
— - - - He fbatt break up
Tfhe Earth's Recejfes, and dif-
folve her Walls.— f
Thus Ifaiah xxiv.' 18, 19, The
Windows from on High are open,
and the Foundations of the Earth
do Jhake, the Earth is utterly broken
down, the Earth is clean Dissol¬
ved, the Earth is moved exceedingly.
The Chaldee has * it. The Earth
is dijfolved by a TJiffolution : the
LXX, with Confufion fhall the Earth
be confounded. So Job xii. 15. (j
God fendetb out the Waters, and
they
I n hivvu yn, whiitivGiv oftf, Orac. Sibyll.
Gallaei. Lib. y. p. 133.
+ K iuQpcovAS T6 yarn (ntifarei, £ Ay-
?h. Ibid p. 122. *
* Diflolutione difTolvetur Terra. Chald.
^ LXX, ‘Ta.petyii rctpctyJxTiTctt « ytj,
§ Deus emittit A<juas? & fubvertunt Ter-
ram. Job. 12. if.
/
»
73
Part I. Il'luft rated and Inlargd.
they overturn the Earth . The lxx,
t* * He fent forth the Waters , which,
overturning (the Earth,) deftroyd
it. And this is that [ AmXeix ]
fDeftruUion of the Earth of which
Sr. Peter /peaks, § fly the. Word
of God the Heavens were of old,
and the Earth Jlanding out of the ' '
Water, and in the 1 fitter. Jfthere~~
ly the World .that then was, being
overflowed with . Water, perifked.
flat the Heavens , and the Earth,
which now are, &c. In which Ac¬
count indeed he gives a fliort, but
true Reprefentation of the Conftitu-
tion of the terraqueous Globe, or
of the Orb of Earth, with the Abyfs
Hint up in it, and the Ocean with¬
out. How exactly agreeable to Na¬
ture itfelf this is drawn, may be feen
in my Nat. Hift. of the Earth,
Part 3d. The Apoftle allerts that
primitive Earth to have been deftroy d:
as, after him, the Author of the Book
de
+* LXX. vtaf - iTsiipn dTraKivtv aurtiv
iyriv) xttTstrpi'^a.f.
y $ 'Ovpctvof r,(T&v I'MdLKeLl ^
*) ft vfetloc OVVeratTel 7J 7* A oyeo. Zv
0 T0T2 Koo-pot vJ'dfli x&]akKv&h{ ctWASTo. ’O / 4
yw tfdVoi, Xj vyn? &c*
/
74
Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part I.
de Egregoris , * * * § which is wrongly
afcribed to Enoch , The Whole
Earth is defir oyed. To conclude, he
makes a plain and manifeft Difference
betwixt the Antediluvian Earth, and
that which we now inhabit, betwixt
The World that then was , and the
Heavens and the Earth which now
are. t As Thilo like wife fitly and wife¬
ly obferves, a new Earth § fprang from
the Primitive, which was diffolved at
the Deluge: and St. Chryfoftom t*
alferts, that there was an Jbolifhing
or Definition, as of Men and Ani¬
mals, fo likewife of the Earth it-
felfi and that the fame was after¬
wards refiored and framed anew. <
Many of the Modern Jews likewife, as
well as the Antient, maintain directly
the fame Doctrine. For tho’ they did
not
* Ap. Grab, in Spicileg. Patmm. p. 551.
n yy} clttoEE v^) nA2A4
$ 6 tots — — ot q vuv Jpctro?, w
§ N icls ait&fecyeiJnf' De Vita Mo¬
lls, Lib. 2. p. 66 3.
Kcii clCtvs $ yn? t et^dVKT(/.ov. Homil. 22«
In Gen. v. Op. Tom. 2. p. 262.
*§ ’A vcLFoix&cofiv. Ibid. p. 2 66.
/
Parti. Illuftrated and Inlargd.
not know how far the Diflolution went,
yet they affirm that there realy was a
Diflolution. The Hebrews fay three
Talms of the Surface of the Earth
were dijfolved, and turned into Wa¬
ter ■, and therefore it is f 'aid , Gen. vi,
13, And I will deftroy them , with
the Earth . t To this is agreeable
-the Hebrews calling the Deluge 'TOO
which according to R. S. is derived
from nTf to confound-, becaufe all
earthly Things were confounded by
it. Hut Kimhi derives it from thp
Root * * which fignifies to
flow about , and rot to pieces. The
Rabbins alfo aflert, £ that all the
Trees on the Earth were rooted tip
by the Waters of the Deluge. The The Condi-
I rees therefore being thus delerted, tion and
by the Earth’s being diflblved, an &sAteofthe
they being all fallen down, $ many Sdarffoj
ot the bigger Sorts of them, having the olive,
large and fpreading Heads, lay up- After the
on the Departure of the Flood, with fZvleL
then Branches fh etched up to a great of the E)e-
Height^*
t Lyran. in Gen. vi. 15.
* Munfter in Gen. vi. 17.
$ Id. in Gen. vii. 18. and
§ Nat. Hi ft. Earth . Part. 6.
Nat. Hift . of the Earth Part I.
Height in the Water, and, after that
was withdrawn, in the Ain And
thus probably lay the Olive Tree, §
from which the Dove pluck’d the
Leaf, fhe brought to Noah^ Gen. viii.
ii. But Dr. Carrier arius earneftly
contends, t that even the Olive Leaf
alone , which the Dove returning
brought to Noah, fuffciently proves
that the Earth remained intire , and
the ^ ree continued fixed by its Roots
to the Earthy under the Waters of
the \ 'Deluge . The Reafon he gives
is this, for, lays l\e, * tf the Tree
had been floating about , a Leaf of
it had been no Proof to Noah, that
the Earth was become dry . Nor tru¬
ly did Noah infer any fuch Thing
from thence,- he only conjectured that
the Waters were fo far £ abated and
diminished, that the Trees began to
appear. And that he might with as
much Reafon have concluded from
thence, if the Tree lay along upon
the
$ Nat. Hift . Earth. Ibid,
t Differt. Epifi. p. 344.
* Ibid.
+ Gen. viii, 8. ji.
Part I. Illuftrated and Tnlargd.
the Ground, as if it had flood up¬
right. t For the Olive Tree isfome-
times very tall. , and large , {as T>r.
Stapel^ rightly obferves ,) with "Boughs
Spreading forth to a great Extent.
And therefore thofe Boughs, which
happened to extend upwards, while
the Tree lay along, might appear
as far above the Water, as any others
could if the Tree had been then Hand¬
ing. So that the Dove might pluck
a Leaf from one of thefe, as long
before the Waters were abated, as it '
could, if the Tree had then flood
upright, and rooted in the Ground.
Mofes himfelf gives no exprefs Ac- fke Mofaic
count of the Condition and Site o {Account of
the Olive Tree. But if his ¥ De- thh J$air
firuUion of the Earth implies i tsconflder’d’
Difjolution , which indeed I think I
have proved, () it is certain that Tree
cou’d not be Handing at that Time.
As for Noah , it is evident, from the
Hiftory itfelf, that he knew nothing
of what was done, at that Time, out
of the Ark. If he knew not ’that
the
t J- Raij. Hiftor. Plant. Vol. 2. p. IJ4,
* Gen. vi. 13. ix. ir.
§ Nat. Hi ft. Earth. Part id
1
78
Nat. Hift. of the Barth Part I:
the Waters were abated, ’till he fent
out a Dove to, difcover that, much
lefs cou’d he know that the Earth
was diifolved, and all the Trees dri¬
ven about as Chance directed. So
that had Noah believed the Olive Tree
to have been f landing , which yet
does not appear, that had realy made
Nothing to the prefent Purpofe ; nor
could that Miftake of his have been
brought as an Argument agaitift me.
cfhe Olive I cannot leave this Argument with-
‘jrees were- out obferving one Thing, which I
rooted up think, very material, i ho’ we learn
Mount Ara- from Okarius , Tavernier , Chardin ,
rat at the and others, that Olive Trees are found
Deluge ; growing in great Numbers in B er fi a >
~are ’fumd anc* other Places far remote, yet none
growing in now grow in all that Country where
that Conn- the Ark re fled ; * whence it happens,
try now. many have very much wondered ,
whence the Dove took the Leaf fie
brought to Noah. But that Difficulty
will
* II n’y a point d’Oliviers ; ce qui fait,
que plufieurs s’etonnent ou la Colombe peut
prendre la Rameau qu’elle apporte a Noe.
- Les Voyages & Obferv. du Sieur dela Boul~
laye 4to. p. 85.
r
Part I. llluftrated and Inhwgd.
will immediately vanifh, and the
Iruth of the Thing appear without
any Room for Doubt, if the Affair
be rightly confidered and reprefented.
F or probably thefe Trees might abound’
m that Country before the Deluge; and
yet be all then rooted up, and buried
deep in the Earth, or laid along upon
its Surface. Nonhould any one wonder
if the Olives of Jrarat had the fame
Fate with our f EngUJh Pines, which
we fo commonly find buried in our
Fenns and Marlhes, when yet none
are found now growing here, unlefs
planted, and raifed by Art. And
indeed, in this Cafe, ’tis plain, the
Olive Tree, from which the ‘Dove
cropped the Leaf^ could not be in a
Handing Pofture, but lying alone.
And very likely twas owing more
to Chance than Choice, that the Dove
took an Olive Leaf ; for any other
had ferved as well to fhew the Wa¬
ters were abated. But probably the
Olives there lay in greatefl Num¬
bers, and that Leaf offered itfelf firft.
And
1 See Diflert. 3. Seft. 3. Infra,
19
V
8o
Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part I.
And if it imported but little what
Leaf was brought, there was no Ne-
ceflity, that the ‘Dove ftiould take her
Flight into Terfia^ or fome other re¬
mote Country, to find out this. Be-
fides a Leaf brought from any other
Region had not fihewed the Thing
looked for. For the Earth was not
plain, but fome Parts of it lay higher
than others : and therefore a Leaf
brought from a very remote Coun¬
try had indeed fignifyed that the
Waters, if any ftill remain’d in thofe
Parts, were little, and of no confi-
derable Depth ; but not at all, in the
Parts where the Ark relied, and that
Leaf was not gathered.
i
THE
L.
*
Natural History
o F T H E
earth
llkftrated , and Intarged: as alfo, T)e~
fended. , particularly again ft the late
Objections of Dr. Camerarhis.
Part II.
H E Inftances ailedged d'he id.
in the former Part of?fn' °f
this Difcourfe, to which S
many more might h e wherein are
added, fufficiently fhew, conf,dered
with what Care the learned Camera- ~1>r- Gan’e"
Tins had read my Writings, and files' aid
what Regard he had to Truth, when eardefiWay
he undertook to refute what I had fpaffmg
therein fet forth. Nothing mor e^ff'
feems now to remain on my Part, but ‘Things.
to fttew, with all poiftble Brevity, in
fpme few Examples, what the Ex-
O tent
82 Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part II.
ten t of his Skill and Knowledge in
thefe Things, is.
i. He joins i. For wh§n he offers, as he does,
and con Natural Things confafedly, and pre-
fents m the fame Order and Clafs fuch
that are in as have not the leaft Relation to one
their Na - another, but are moft different in their
ture very Nature they who do not better know
if event. Qen^eman, might be apt to fuf-
pe£t this to have been the Effedfc of
his Ignorance in this Affair, or done
with Defign, and fome indirect Pur-
pofe to keep others in the Dark, as
to the Merits of the Controverfy be¬
gun by him. If any defire Proofs
hereof, fuch may be found, as in many
other Places, particularly in Page
2083 and 2 99; where he promifeu-
oufly brings in, together. Shells,
Bodyes formed in Shells, Stones, and
native Foinls, none of which have
any Agreement in Nature with the
other, or are Things of the fame
Clafs.
He gives To this confufed Way of rangeing
unfit Nantes Filings, may be added, thofe un-
to ‘things* coutj1 Names, he makes ufe of, de-
vifed, and impofed by fancyful Men •
fuch as Ombria , jBrontia , Gryphites ,
Hyfterclithos , 'Bit car elites , Bala
noides
3
fart II. llluftrated and Intargd .
noides , and others ,* which Names
communicate no real Ideas in them-
felves, nor in the leaft affift towards
undemanding the Gonftitution, or
Properties of the Things to which
they are applied* Tis certainly the
Bufinefs of a Naturalift, by fit and
defcriptive Names, to clear up Things
not well known ; but by no Means to
render them more obfeure, by a Cloud
of Names, which neither any Way
explain the Nature of the Things in
Queftion, or any others, nor indeed
convey any right Notion of them
to the Reader ;
i
/
(
Not with dark Smoak to [mother
up what's bright ,
'But out of Smoak to fend clear
Rays of Light*. /
2. But to fpend no more Time a- 2. ZDr. Ga
bout his Way of methodizing, and ofmerarius’i
naming Things, let us come to xhQInconfflen-
Things themfelves. Dr. Camerarius 1 ’belhkeep .
asks j with what Colour can it he i«g them •
fuppofed , that Shells , finking dcwnfelveS!Wh°le\
together , and forming the fame Stra- "atT toped
turn by Reafon of their being of the by the
G 2 fameWf-vtty
- . . — ■ ■ ■»- — — — _ mongjl
* Kon Fumum ex Fulgofe, fed ex Fumo SiQneit
dare Lucem. Herat.
t eP- 3 °9> 3 to- Couf. ipd, 297.'
84 Nat. Hift . of the Earth Part II.
fame fpecifck Gravity, Jhoitld not be
then broke to pieces ; for that muft of
Neceffity have happened from their
bein g dafhed each againft other , as
they fubfided, in the confufed Com¬
motions of the Waves . Tfhe Stones ,
meerly by their Weighty mttft have
broke the Shells which were there
amongft them , and beat them all to
Hitts. He thinks it utterly impof
fible for them not to have been fo
broke : and therefore makes this Ob¬
jection more than once. But it Pure¬
ly is a fufficient Anfwer to this fo
often repeated Objection, that fo vaft
a Number of Shells are llill found en¬
tire, and not at all broken, even in the
firmed and hardeft Stone. Nor does
he himfelf deny that this is actual¬
ly fo. Shall I affert , fays he, that
no real Marine Eodyes are found
there ? * Far be it from me after fo
many Obfervations of that learned
Gentleman , and, he might truly have
added, of every other Man, in all
Farts of the Earth . He prefently
after this makes Anfwer to a Queftion
* of
* Page 3
8j
Part II. flluflrated and Inland d.
o
of his own, Ty what Means came
thefe Shells into the Earth , the Stra¬
ta, and thofe Tarts * / Many cf
them , fays he, if not all , were caft
there hy the Deluge, through the Fif-
fures of the Earth, while it was
gaping, and lodged in the Strata
while they were yet [oft and fluid.
Now what Part am I to ad here,
when he is at fuch Variance with
Himfelf, fhonld I interpofe as a Re¬
conciler? He grants that the Shells
are realy found in the Strata: and
points out the very Means of their
Conveyance thither ; viz. they were
lodged there by the Deluge, while
the Strata were yet [oft and fluid.
And yet he averrs he is entirely igno¬
rant, with what Appearance of Truth
it can be fuppofed that the Shells
finking together , and forming the
fame Stratum, flmild not lie then
broke to Tieces, and deftroved, by
the Dafling and Agitation of the
Stones. Let us therefore proceed to
fomething elfe.
G 3 3. What
* Page 34#,
86
%. Of the
Gloflbpe-
trae, their
flature,
and Origin.
Nat. Hijl. of the Earth Part II.
3. What they commonly call the
Ghffopetrty of which I my felf have
feveral digged up here in England ,
as well as others brought from the
Ifland of Malta , and various other
Country es, are apparently ri eeth of
Sharks, and fuch like Fillies. Nor,
indeed, according to any Judgment to
be formed from the Words of Dr. Ga¬
rner arias himfelf, can I make the leaft
Doubt, but that thofe he mentions, dig¬
ged up about Montpelier , are the.
Teeth of Marine Animals alfo, tho’
he is at fo great Uncertainty about
them. For, what Reafon does he
produce for his Doubts about thefe t ?
Only becaufe in Diftillation they did
not yield Volatile Salt , Spirit , and^
Oif in the Quantity he expeded ; tho’
they did afford an Urinous Phlegma ,
which alone might have ferved as a
clear Indication of a Volatile Ani¬
mal Salt J. But, tho’ from thefe To¬
kens they did not with any Certainty
appear to him to be the Teeth of Ani^
mals, yet, fmce even fuch a ‘Phlegm a
is not to be extracted from any Mine¬
ral
,11 1 .11111 mi 1, . I. T"JI..
t P< 111- t Uh
8?
Part II. lllnftr cited and lulargd .
< *
ral Body, it is thence highly probable
that thefe rather had their Origin
from any Part of Nature than from
the Earth. And indeed whoever
makes Searches of this Kind, with¬
out obferving the various Circum-
ftances of the Things, and comparing
them well together, will obtain little
Light or Advantage from them.
There is no one but knows how
ealily and how foon the Volatile Par¬
ticles, of almoft every Body, fly off of
their own Accord, and are exhaled.
Nor certainly can any one expebt fo
great a Plenty, of thefe, from thofe
Teeth which have lain buryed above
4000 Years in the Earth, as from
others of the fame Kinds juft taken
frefh out of the Mouths of the Ani¬
mals. If Dr. Camer arias fhould
doubt of this, let him try, if he can,
to extrabl a like Quantity of Salts
from human Bones and Skulls which
have been long buryed, as from thofe
of Bodyes but newly dead.
But to that Argument Dr. Came-tfje opini
rarhis adds another, which is, that * on of Fa-
the Ghffopetr <z do not (as Fabius Co-}31118 ^°"
t v , lumna, con
G 4 lumna
- - - - - - - - -
* Page 273.
g 8 Nat ; Hi ft. of the Earth Part II.
cernxng Imnna had , he fays, falfely pretend-
thefe So- gj\ turn jnt0 a Cinder , but into a
deT'SVhhCalxr-Eot thofe Gloffopetr <s which
Reputation F. Cohmna had procured from Mal-
vindicated. ^ did , he tells us *, when put
, into, the Fire> hum to a Cinder >
[Garbo] before they went into a Calx>
or JfoeS) as the Bones, Teeth, Horns,
and other like Subftances of Animals,
are wont to do : and for that Reafon J
he judged them to be of the lame
Subftance, and not of the Nature of
Stones, which do not turn firft into a
Cinder , but into a Calx . Dr. Camera -
rius charges F. Cohmna t _ with .
Falfehood for averting that the Glof¬
fopetr turn into a Cinder. But
how came he to any certain Know¬
ledge of that ? Did he learn it from
Tryals made on the Gloffopetr of
Montpelier , and finding that they
immediately turned into a Calx? If
he take upon him to affirm this, I will
give him Credit. Yet there are fome
other Things which he ought alfo to
have
* F. Col. De Gloffop . Dijfert, Pub fin. Lib .
de Turpura* p. $i, ^ Fab. Col, ibid.
' r
Part II. llluftr cited end Inlcirgd.
• have been well allured of, and care¬
fully to have considered, before he
had called in Queftion, not the Judg¬
ment, but the Fidelity, of J\ Colurn-
na. Not to mention others, he ought
certainly to have known, if the Glof-
fopetra are found lodged in very dif¬
ferent Places, and in different Sorts of
Matter, whether they would not, in
Trait of Time, be fo affected by that
Diverfity of Places, and of Matter,
as to turn, when committed to the
Fire, Some of them into a Cinder ,
and others prefently into a Calx. He
ought further to have obferved, that
the fame Body, put into the fame
Fire, burning flower, or remaining
there a Shorter Time, will turn intp a
Cinder : but, if in a Stronger Fire, or
continued longer, into a Calx. Which
is obvious of it felf: and indeed Co-
lumna has given fome Hints of it.
But to fay fomething here of the
Character of F. Coluwnci , he was a
Perfon of a noble Family, and Him-
felf a Man of extraordinary Inge¬
nuity. He was alfo eminent for his
great Learning : and for his Purfuit of
the Study of Natural Things with
more Diligence, Accuracy, and Suc-
cefs.
Nat. HiJi. of the Earth Part II.
cefs, than almoft any one of thofe
Times j as the Writings he has left
behind him, by which he has deferved
greatly of Pofterity, abundantly tefti-
fy. His Contemporaries looked up¬
on him as a very diligent Searcher
after Truth, and as a Man of the
greateft Fidelity ; which Reputation
he ftill retains, now at the Diftance
of almoft a Century from the Time of
his Death. When the celebrated Dr.
Camerarius therefore reproaches a
Perfon of that illuftrious Chara&er,
with Falfehood, as to an Experiment
that he made, and yet realy produces
no Proof of fuch a Charge, he furely
a£ts in a Manner unbecoming an inge¬
nuous and learned Man, and fuch as
can be very little agreeable to thofe
who are realy fuch. Nor has he
treated this Gentleman only, who is
of thofe early Times, with fo much
Liberty, in his <JDijfertations , but fe-
veral more modern Writers likewife,
and fome who are yet living, and of
the greateft Repute for Learning and
Judgment: and that, at leaft as ap¬
pears to me, and perhaps to all others
of candid Difpolition, not becaufe
what they have fet forth is any Ways
repog-
♦
Part II. Illuftrated and Inlargd. 9 f
repugnant to Truth, but meerly be-
caufe their Opinions do not fquare
with his own.
4. What I have written concerning 4. of the
the Diffolution of the Earth, and of Dijfolutim
all Foifils, the learned Carrier arius i s°t thl
very averfe to admit. Tho it be a/- thlfime of
lowed , fays he, that real Marine the ^Deluge.
Bodyes are found in the ‘Bowels of
the Earth , — -yet it does not follow
from thence , that the Earth was
diffohed at the Deluge *. Such a
Diffolution he pronounces f fuppcfed ,
without any ‘Proof: and treats it as
fupported by no Shew of Truth. But
before he had inveighed, with fo
much Vehemence, again!! this Propo¬
rtion, he ought to have fhewn, how,
without fuch a Diffolution, the Shells
of Conch 4”, Cochlea, Echini , and
other Marine Animals, came to be ex¬
actly filled with Stone, Flint, Spar,
and other Mineral and Metallic Mat¬
ter, as they are at this Day found to
be : how the Surfaces of Stones,
Flints, Spars, and other Mineral and
Metallic Bodyes, every where digged
up.
* P. *87.
f P. 3 z6.
1
\
>
91
Nat. Bift. of the Barth Part II.
up, came to have the very Forms,
and even the fineft Lineaments of
thefe Shells, imprelfed upon them:
and, finally, how it happened that
fo great a Plenty, and Variety, of
Marine Bodyes, were immerfed in
the Strata of Stone, and almoft every
other Kind of Terreftrial Matter, and
fo intimately and thorowly incorpo¬
rated with that Stone, and Matter,
as, together, to conllitute one common
Mafs ; and this in Places the moft re¬
mote from any Sea, and to the great-
eft Depths in the Earth that Men ever
dig; he ought, I fay, to have ex¬
plained by what Means ail thefe
Things could be efte&ed, without a
Diflolution of the Earth, and of Fof-
fils, before he had, upon his fingle
Opinion, and Authority, condemned
what I had advanced, wherein is
given an Account how all this was
brought about, and by a Method the
moft plain, eafy, fimple, and fuch
as is exactly conformable to the Pro¬
cedure of Nature it felf.
Dr. Came-
Part II. llhiftv cited and Inlcirgd
Dr. dewier evius neither believes %wyefirial9
himfelfj nor thinks any Body elfe an^ Mine-
eafily will, that fofter Matter remain- m*
ed entire, while the moft folid was Vegetable
diiiolved, at the Deluge. For who- Sodye!, dif~
ever fays he - Jh all compare the moftf^ea*
fohd Marble , and hardefi Stone ® g
with the tender Shells of Fijh , will
not be eafyly perfwaded that thefe
could r emain entire , and not be dif-
Jolved by that Agent that reduced ,
all Marble into ‘Powder. But this
perhaps will appear lefs wonderfull to
any one who has obferved, which
inay be eafyly done in many Places
or been informed from the Obferva-
tions of others, that the exterior Parts
of Marble, and of the hardeft Stone,
lying a long while expofed to the
Weather, or the fharp and fait Va¬
pours of the Sea, are, by Degrees,
worn, eaten, and confumed away’
while the Shells, contained in them,
not only continue to exift, but often
remain a long Time after entire, or
but little hurt by the fame Weather,
Salts, and Vapour. Which Fad had
this
* 307,
flat. Htft • of the Barth Part It
this Gentleman, fo very knowing in
all other Refpeds, been rightly ap¬
priz’d of, and duely confidered it.
I’m apt to think he would not have
infilled on this Argument. But, as to
the true Caufe of the DiiTolution,
. made at the Deluge, it cannot be fuf-
ficiently lliewn within the Compafs of
either that Effay, or of fuch a Trad
as this. My Defign in both is to
fliew, that the Earth it felf, and all
Foffils whatever were realy diffolvedj
but that Shells, and other Animal, and
Vegetable Bodyes were not ; and in¬
deed that the Thing actually was fo,
I think I have, from Obfervations,
fufficiently made out, v and proved.
But to add fomewhat further to what
I have, above, brought in Anfwer to
this Objection of the learned Came-
rarius , he ought alfo to confider
that the Texture, and Conftitution of
the former of thofe Bodyes, is very
different from that of the latter. For
the Parts of Animals, and of Vege¬
tables, are fibrous, and their Fibres
connected, complicated, and variouf-
ly interwoven each with other but
the Parts of Foffils, even the hardeft,
are only contiguous, and held toge¬
ther
9 5
Part II. llluttr cited and Inlargd.
ther by no common Tye. Whoever
rightly reflects upon this Difference of
thefe Bodyes, he will not think it fo
difficult perhaps to find theReafon why
all the Foffils were immediately dif-
folved, while the others were not in the
leaft hurt, but remained entire and in
theirQriginalCondition. If therefore the
celebrated Camerariits flhould, at any
Finie, refume this Argument, which*
in real Friendship, Iwouldadvife him
not to do, let him dream no more of
a Menftruum Jufficient to dijjbhe the
whole Globe of Earth . There are
others indeed who, like him, have be¬
fore done the fame, without being able
to touch any Point of what I have de¬
livered ,* but only betrayed their own
Ignorance, both of the Powers of
Nature, and the Operations of a ]\.len~’
ftrmim. He oojedts alfo to my
Doarine, that the Diffolution of the
Globe would have been the T)eftruc~
tion of the firfl Creation *. This I
readily grant him, it being no other
than what Nature fhews, and Mofes
teaches: and what indeed I my felf
have
* P. 544*
96 Nat. Hijf. of the Barth Part II,
have endeavoured to make out, viz.
that the Deluge was brought on, and
the DiHolution of the Globe effected,
by the Divine Appointment, in Order
to defiroy the firft Creation. Nat.
Hift. of the Barth. Part II. ’Twas
therefore his proper Bufinefs to have
examined, and try'd to have refuted
what I had there fet forth, and not
thus to have taken and drefled it up in
• Form of an Objection againft what I
had deliver’d.
5 . of the 5. The learned Camerarius con -
Jbyfs, cr ftjfes t that he very much defines to
that great rpg jrpuments to prove the Jbyfs, or
fcmeRefr- Central Sphere of Water. But 1 think
vatory of it needlefs to produce any- new Jlrgu-
Water. ments here, nor thofe in particular
with which, if God gives me Life and
Leifure, I am ready to render the
Truth of this Matter more evident ;
fince what I have propofed in my
Book has made it fufficiently clear,
and indeed put it out of Doubt. Nor
can I make any Quell ion but thofe
Arguments would have given Sa¬
tisfaction to this learned Writer,
had
1 P. 318.
v
*
Part IL Hhijl rated and Inlargd. 97
had he fufficiently attended to them.
Which fince he feems not to have done,
I will here propofe two of them a-
new ; one of which is to fhew the
Quantity of Water that overflowed
the Earth at the Time of the De-
luge, and the other to fhew the Place
where the Water is now referved.
Of the firft of thefe we may form of the
a Judgment from a Survey of the Quantity
Strata, and generaly of whatever elfe^
is found in the Earth, being, as ’tism%
eafy to obferve in very many Places,
all repohted in a regular Order and
Method, and indeed according to the
refpe&ive Gravity of each, f For
to effeG; this, ’tis moll: evident and
certain that an immenfe Quantity of
Water mufl needs be required. Such
a Difpohtion of Things, as we now
almoft every where fee, could, by
no Means, have been brought about
unlefs the Fluid, in whicbfall was
tranfabied, had been very thin: un¬
lefs the diflolved terreftrial Particles
had been confiderably diflant each
from other : and laftly, unlefs their
Defcent was very great, or the Place,
H from
t See page 41, Ft Seqq. fupra*
9%
Hat. Bijl. of the Barth Part II.
from which they firft began to fubfide,
very remote from that where they till
at length fettled in their Order. Foi
Nothing of that Regularity in the Set¬
tlement of the terreltrial Matter could
have happened, if thofe Waters had not
vaftly exceeded that Matter in Quan¬
tity. But, if we fuppofe this, the Ex¬
plication of this Phenomenon will be
Of the Mo- eafy. For, as the Velocity of Bodyes '
Jenta of fubfiding in Water is different, accord-
heavy 'Bo- jng t0 the different Gravity of thofe Bo-
dyes defend- ^ it was neCelfary that, of thofe
Fkifl a which were of the fame Magn itu de and
Figure, and began to fubfide together,
and from the fame Height, the heavyer
jl i oil Id link, faftell, and fo be placed at
the Bottom of all. Yet,_ tho’ thofe Bo¬
dyes differed fo much from each other
in Gravity, it could not otherwife hap¬
pen but that the Heavyer, in their De-
fcent, fometimes falling and hitting
upon the lighter, fhould be, by that
Means, much impeded, and retarded
in their Motion,- while the Lighter
were
* For this was abfolutely neceffary, that the heavyer
Bodyes, from fo great a Space of Defcent, might have
Time to get before the lighter, and leave them at feme
Diftance behind. For, without that, they had not been
placed deeper and below them.
Part II. Iliufir cited and Intcivgd »
were accelerated and puflied on
by fuch Impulfes of the Heavyer. *
But, after the Heavyer had reached
their Journey’s End/ or the Bottom
of the Water, the Lighter might pro¬
ceed to fubfide in their Order, unlefs,
when it fo happened, that, by fo great
a Quantity of terreftrial Matter, fub-
lideing between the Heavyer and the
Lighter, as to fill the intermediate Space
betwixt them, both fettled at the fame
Time. In Cafe no fuch Impediment
intervened, two fuch Bodyes would be
repofited at no great Diftance beneath
one another ; f tho’ if the Lighter of
them was fo impeded, it would be layd
at a gi eater Diftance above theHeavyer.
But if there happened to be two Bodyes,
not very different in Gravity, it was ne-
ceiTary that the Heavyer of thofe fiiould
linK thro a great Space of Fluid, before
it could leave the other, which was
'H 2 but
' From thefe their Collihons it was unavoidable
but there Ihould be fome Confufion and Diforder in
the Sediment they together conftituted.
t S° that, Heavyer and lighter Bodyes may fome
Times be found near one another, and lodged in the
\eiy fame Stratum, tho their Subsidence was exadHy
according to the Laws of Gravity, and tho’ thofe Bb-
dyes, fo different in Gravity, funk through a very
great Space of the Fluid,
IOO
Nat. Hi ft. of the Earth Part II.
but a little Lighter, at any confide-
rable Diftance behind it. And yet,
of thofe Bodyes, that are almoft equal
in Gravity, we frequently fee the Hea-
vyer lodged in the Strata far beneath
the Lighter ; whence ’tis mod evi¬
dent that thefe two Sorts of Bodyes
muft needs have funk through an im-
menfe Mafs of Fluid. If we conhder
all thefe Things, with due Attention,
’twill thence abundantly appear that
fo great a Work could not have been
tranfaded, without the whole Stores
of the Abvfs, or fuch an Orb of Waters
as I reprefented. * Which of itfelf
diffidently fliews that fuch an Abyfs
realy exifted.
of the two- After that the ‘Deluge had prevailed
fold increafe f0Y grq forty Days, and the Wa~
tenlfhnedters -were tncreafed greatly , fo that
by Mofes. all the high Hills tinder the whole
Occafiomly , JJerwen were covered ; and the Wci~
of the Mo- ters were fifteen Cubits above the
the Mountains , t which Inundation
Earth. was brought on, that Men, and all
Jlfo of the rerreftrial Animals, might perifh in
Chaos of the •
Ant tents*
* Nat'. Hi ft. .Earth. Part 3. Scd. 1. Con-.
fea 1. ' f Gen. vii. 17, i?>
10
Part II. Ulujirated and lnlargd.
it, the Waters prevailed anew, and,
very likely, for a much greater Num-
of Days, jin hundred and fifty
uDays * are mentioned in the Whole
In the firft forty of thefe, the Waters'
were brought out of the Abyfs, which,
together with the Rains that fell, co¬
vered the Mountains. But in the fol¬
lowing Days the primitive Earth was
diilolved : the Waters which then re¬
mained in the Abyfs were poured out :
the dilfolved Matter of the Earth
was taken up into and fuftained in
the Waters, and afterwards preci¬
pitated again downwards, difpofed,
and formed into a new terrellriai
Globe. But, hitherto, the Condi¬
tion of this new Globe, was the
fame of the old one when firft crea¬
ted ; § it was without Form , ^ that
is, not yet reduced to fuch Form as
might render it habitable, and fitted
for fuch Ends as it was made to an-
fvver. The Surface of it was plain,
even, and fphericaf not broken, fo
as to have any Hills, Valleys, Ca¬
verns, or F i flu res ; f all which were
H 3 abfolutely
* Gen. vii, 24. 5 Gen. i, 1. \ Gen. i. 2.
T Hat, Hi ft. Earth. P&rt z, ConfbcL
Nat. Hift • of the Earth Part II.
absolutely neceffary for the Producti¬
on, and Suftenance of Animals, Ve¬
getables, and Minerals. It was alfo,
like the primitive, void, * while all
the Waters, that were to be Suddenly
Sent back into the AbySs, which was
then void, or empty, and to be re¬
manded again into the Bowels of the
Earth, remained yet, without, upon
the Surface of it : and till this Sphere
of Earth, which was like a Cruft,
or Shell, wras broken, f Hills raifed.
Valleys funk, and Filfures made,
whereby the Waters were to return
down again into the Abyfs. After¬
wards the Waters, withdrawing at
the Divine Command, were gathered
together unto one ‘Place ■, t ttiz. into
the Abyfs, within the Earth, § and,
which is as a Kind of Appendage to
it, the Sea , 4- as before in the original
Earth ; and the dry Land appear¬
ed. [t] And the Earth at length
attained a Form compleat, fitted for
Habitation, and to anfwer the Ufes
of it. Of this whole Affair I may
Some
* Gen. i. 2. I Nat. Hift . Earth. Part 2.
Confeft 0. 8. S Gen. i. 9. § Nat.
Hift. Earth , Part 2 and 3. I Gen. 1. to.
[}j Gen.- i. 9.
fome Time treat more at large ; but*
till then, what I have already wrote
fufficiently /hews the Senfe of the
facred Writer, where he fayes, the
Earth was without Form , and
void . * From thefe Words of Mofes
the Heathens devifed their Chaos ;
and are herein followed by moft Mo¬
dem Philofophers. But neither the
Jewifh , nor Chriftian theological
Writers, feem to have rightly under¬
wood this Palfage ; they being not
throughly informed of the true Fa-
brick and Conftitution of the terre-
ftrial Globe : nor did they fufficiently
attend to the Mofaic Defcription of •
it, couched indeed in few, but the
moft proper and exprefs Words, that
could ever poffibly have been pitched
upon. To conclude, in fome Time of
the latter Part of this Space of 150
Days, the Waters were abated, and
withdrawn from off the Earth, fo far,
that their Surface was funk to about
the fame Degree, to which it had a-
rofe in the firft forty Days of the
Flood, and the Ark touched upon
H 4 Mount
* Gen . i. 2*
1 04 Nat. Hift. of the Barth Part II.
Mount Ararat ; * where, at length,
it refted.
Of the The other Argument, whereby I
<place proved that fuch a Mafs of Water
where thofe reau, ex;ft, and fhewed the Place
ZfthvJiay, where it is now referyed, is drawn
pored up- from Confideration of forue I hamo-
And pome- of Earthquakes. For that thele
'SlZh- are caufed by the Force of Waters
ing Earth- within the Earth I think I . have
quakes , proved by Arguments fufficiently
firm and convincing. Now fmce
there are, on Record, Earthquakes,
and indeed not a few, by which the
Globe, for many hundred Miles to¬
gether, has been fhaken, at the very
fame Moment of Time, it thence fol¬
lows, that the Waters, which caufed
thofe Concuflions, were not only e-
qual in Extent to that Space of the
Globe which was fo fhook, but one
• fluid Body continued, and not divided
into Parts, or diftinguifhed into Re¬
gions, fo that particular Portions
thereof fhould be confined each to
its proper Cavern.. Nay, there want
not
* Gen, viii. 4.
Part II. lllnflrated and Inlargd . 105
not Inftances of fuch an univerfal
Concujjion of the whole Globe, as mujl
needs imply an Jgitation of the whole
Abyfs> t For an Effect of fo vafl an
Extent could never have proceeded
but from a Caufe equaly extenlive;
fuch as might affeft the whole Earth
at once ; which cannot be done with¬
out fuch an Orb of Water, as I have
defcribed. We have had Accounts
from Writers of the moll: unqueftioned
Fidelity, and even from Eye-Witnef-
fes, that there have been Earth¬
quakes, in our own Times, fo that
it can hardly be thought that the learn¬
ed Camer arias could be ignorant
of them, wherein the Motion, given
to the Earth at the feveral Shocks,
perfectly refembled that of the Waves
of the Sea raifed by a flrong Wind.
Whoever fhall rightly attend to this
Phenomenon in particular, he mull,
not only acknowledge that the Earth
contains in it an Aby fs of Water,
and is moved by the fame : but muft
alfo readyly agree with me that this
terre-
f Nat. Hift. Barth . Part 3. Se£L 1. Con¬
fect iz. mfine.
io6
Mat. Hijh of the 'Earth Part II.
terreftrial Part of the Globe is No¬
thing but a thin Shell, which includes
in it, clofely on every Side, an im-
menfe Mafs of Waters, and whenever
thofe Waters happen to be put into
any extraordinary Motion, the Earth
is by them moved and agitated juft in
the fame Manner as the inclofed W a-
ters are moved and agitated. As of
the primitive Earth, in which no One
can doubt but that there was an Abyfs,
fo the Ufe and Defign of this fecond
Earth likewife was to lerve for an
Habitation to Men, to fend forth Ve¬
getables, and all thofe other Things,
which might ferve for the Nourifti-
ment, for the Defenfe and Conveni-
ence of Men, and Animals created
for their Ufe. To anfwer which Pur-
pofe there was no Need of a thicker
Cruft of Earth ; one more thin, fuch
as the prefent is, would beft anfwer
the End propofed, the Water making
up the far greateft Part of the Globe.
Nay, a thicker one would have per-
petualy obftru&ed the Paftage of Va¬
pours, t and intercepted all that Com¬
munication,
4— - - - - - — - —
f Confer, p. 105?, no, infra.
Part II. 11 luft rated avd lnlargd. 107
munication, betwixt the Abyfs and 1
the Atmofphere, which is fo necefla-
ry for the Prefervation of human Life,
and of all Things which grow out of
the Earth. *
To this Defcription and Account The extttt
of the terraqueous Globe, taken pure- Agreement
ly from Obfervation and Views of tfbefZt
Nature, that of the illuftrious Jr a- Nature /
hi an Philofophor Job , as well as tha t and Holy -
of Mofes , l^avid) and others of the^m’ C0T
Hebrew Nation, is exadtly eonforma- jhyfsf and
ble. Of w7hich two Accounts the Struc-
He who well knows either , wilimre °J ^oe
Horn both, t £2f~“
Both of them fet forth an Abyfs, a Mafs
of W aters very vaft ; on which this our
Globe, or Cruft of Earth, is founded,
expanded, and lyes built all round it.
£ Both alfo fhew that this Abyfs com¬
municates with the Ocean, fupplyes,
and gives Rife as well to Vapours,
Rains, Springs, and Rivers, as to the
various Phenomena, and Affe&ions,
of
* Confer, p. iop, no. infra,
f Qui utramvis re£te norit, ambas noverit,
Cerent.
$ Nat . Hi ft. Earth . Part z, 3.
Nat. Hifi . of the Barth Part II.
of the terreftrial Globe, and of our
Atmofphere. $ Thus likewife we find,
both from Nature, and from Holy
Writ, that this immenfe Abyfs of Wa- 1
ter, at the Time of the Deluge, .was
brought from out its Place, and pour¬
ed forth upon the Surface of the Earth :
and that afterwards the terreftrial
Cruft itfelf, being firft liquated and
diftolved, was taken up into and
fuftained in that mighty Mafs of Wa¬
ter : and that finaly all that Matter,
fo diftolved, afterwards fubfiding,
was compofed and formed anew into
a terreftrial Globe, after the Model
of that which was made in the Be-
gining , at the Creation, and built
and fixed upon a Void, a Place ca¬
pable of fuch an Abyfs, and fited
finaly to receive it : and that this ter¬
reftrial Sphere being at length burft,
and broken up, the Waters returning
back again down into that hither¬
to mid Place, left the Surface dry
Land , commodious, fit, and rightly
difpofed for the fending forth of all
natural
§ Ibid. Part 3, 4. Conf. p. 109 > no. infra.
* ■ I
Part II* * Ilkftrated ci h cl Iulctyg^ d* jo$
natural Productions : ^ and that all
thefe Things were not brought about
mechanicaly, by any Tendency of
their own, or the meer Powers of
Nature, but were now tranfa&ed, the
whole Fabrick formed, and finifhed
anew, by the fame Hand, and Di¬
vine Counfel, by which ’twas crea¬
ted in the Begining. * But I hope
to have hereafter Occafion to treat
of thefe, and fome other like Things,
more at large.
Nor was this fo mighty a Mafs oiBhe Rife of
Water created, and laid up there Meteor^
meerely for the Sake of fwelling out ZtffaUt'he
the Globe, and bringing it to its juft Changes,
and neceftary Dimenftons ; no, there ‘i'hosnome-
are other Ufes of this huge fubter-?V^#
raneous Work-houfe of Nature, that the At mo-
are not only exceeding proper, but fpkerejrom
abfolutely neceftary for the Produdti- the Sreat
on and Confervation of all natural
Things whatever. For in this Abyfs
of Water are feated the Origins, and
Initia, or firft Beginings of all that
is
i Nat. Hitt. Earth. Part 2, 2
* Ibid.
• *
Nat. Hift. of the Barth Part II.
is afterwards tranfadted, and brought
to Perfection, in the Earth itfelf a-
mong Mines and Minerals, as alfo
on the Surface, of it, and in this Re¬
gion of the Atmofphere in which Ve¬
getables grow, and whereon Man, and
Animals live and have Being. That
the fame Seafons, in different Years,
are fo various, in fome more cold,
or wet, lefs fertile, or healthfull : in
other Years, quite contrary, more
hot, dry, fruitfull, or more healthy ;
all thefe Variations, I fay, are ow¬
ing to the Operations of Nature, in
that great fubterraneous Promptuary
of Water. As to Earthquakes, Vul-
canos. Damps in Mines, the Ori¬
gin of Springs, Rivers, and Rains,
of Thunder, and Lightning, I fay,
I have offered my Sentiments, with
the Obfervations whereon they are
grounded, elfewhere ; f intending, as
I fhall fee Men’s Minds fettled, and
turning to thefe Studyes, if God fhall
give me Leifure, to methodife what
I have wrote, and to treat of the
fame Subjects more at large, toge- •
ther
t Nm. Hift. Earth. Part 3, 4.
(
Part. II. Illujirated andlnlargd mi
ther with fome others of like Sort,
e. gr. Meteors, Froft, Winds, Tem- .
pells, and Storms. Mean Time I
iliall only intimate here, in general,
that from numerous Obfervations made
by Perfons of great Senfe, and Fi¬
delity, in every Part of the World,
I am fatisfyed that all thefe take '
their Rife from the Jbyfs: and that,
whenever they are dilpoled to illue
out thence, they conflantly lend forth
before them fome fure Signs of their
Approach, very plain and3 difcernible
to all who attend and oblerve them,
in the Sea, in great Lakes, in Springs,
in deep Wells, in the Bowells of the-
Earth, in Caverns, and in Mines, be¬
fore ever they begin to ad, or fhew
themfelves on the Surface of the Earth,
and in the Atmofphere.
I fhall now make only this one The Caafe
fingle Remark further, when Exha -of the Thee-
lations, Vapours, and watry Particles, nomm °f
afcend in any extraordinary Quanti-
ty, from out the Abyfs, into the At¬
mofphere, till they are there colleded
and fo condenfed as to form Drops
and Rain, thefe Exhalations thus
taking a Courfe and Motion, and
exerting a Force, in a Direction quite
contrary
1U Kat. Hi ft -of the Earth Part II.
contrary to that of the gravitating
Atmofphere, they thereby io much
diminifh and break. tne Force jind
Preilure of the Atmofphere as fenfi-
bly to leffen and render it more lan¬
guid ; which is the true Caufe of the
Defcent of the Quick-fiber in the Ba¬
rometer-, as often as thole Circum—
fiances happen. Nor, fince ’tis now
agreed on all Hands, that the Afcent
and fuflaining of the Mercury in the
Barometer, is owing to the Preilure
of the gravitating Atmofphere, can
it be wondered that, when the Pref-
fure is, by the Caufes here recounted,
fo much lellened, that the Mercury
■ fhould thereupon defeend. This is
the real and conftant Reafon of that
Phenomenon, as I have fhewn in
fome Letters which I wrote feveral
Years ago, and which perhaps may
fome Time appear in Publick.
Instances oj What this learned Gentleman ur-
certain „es p> , jg tfat the Abyfs WOllld
U afford hut a weak Support to the
'surface be- terreftrial Strata , makes Nothing a-
ing under- gain ft me ; I ready ly allow the fame
7 Earth ^ Thing. For altho’ the Earth, being
quakes, and& Spnere or Speroidc, and confecjuent—
falling ly every Segment of it an Arch,
down into which 0f a\\ Kinds of Structure is
the Ahyfs rh
Part II. lllufirated and Inland. tii
the ftrongeft, yet, fince it is but thin,
and iubjeded to the Force of fuch
an Agent ns is within jtfclf, it may
happen to give Way to that Force.
Which is no more than I have de¬
livered in very plain Words. — The
Eat thquake is j emetine s fo extremely
. violent, that it plainly, forces the fu-
perincumbent Strata: breaks them
all throughout , and thereby perfectly
undermines and ruins the Founda¬
tions of them. So that , thefe failing,
the whole iT/ a'cl , as foon as ever the > -
Shock is over, finks down to Rights
into the Jbyfis underneath , and is
fw allowed up by it ; the JVciter there
of immediatly riling up, and ibrm — -
ing a Lake in the Place where the
fiaid Trallt before was. f
6. To what Purpofe the learned <?• Of the
Camerarius wrote that which I ataSahs-thgf
next going to take Notice of, I canno
fee, nor indeed avoid being much fur -Waters.
prized at it ; fince it realy makes
Nothing againft what I have offered,
neither is it indeed agreeable to Truth!
1 His-
t Nat. H/ft. Earth. Part 3. Sed. 1. Con-
fe£l, 1 a.
(
l<[at. Hiji. of the -E fifth Part II.
His Words are thefe, If the Water
of the Jhyfs had pervaded the Strata
contiimaly from the Time of the ©£-
. luge , it maft long ago have exhaujl ed
and drawn all the Salts out of them .
jSlor had there any now remained ,
to have given that Taft which we
find in Mineral Waters. * But have
I ever propofed any Thing that could
be refuted by this Argument, fuppo-
fing it was true in itfelf ? I have ad¬
vanced Nothing any where relating
to the Quantity of Salt which the
Water, palling through the Strata,
brings thence along with it, nor to
the Time wherein that Salt {hall be
totaly exhaufted. And therefore this
is a Subject that I leave to be treated
of by any who fhall hereafter write
of thefe Things. Yet I cannot but
take this Opportunity to obferve one
Thing, which is, that that Water,
whether it riles from the Abyfs, or,
if Dr. Camerarius will have it fo,
from any other Place, has adualy per¬
vaded the Strata ever fince the De¬
luge, and brought thence forth along
with
* DilTenat. p. 32B.
Part II. lllufi rated and Inlargd. j j
%vith it Salts, and hill continues to
bring them, without having yet, or
being perhaps ever likely to drain
them all forth. For they fo eafy-
ly liquate, mix with the Water,
and flow out along with it, and fo
great Abundance is there of them in
the Strata, that there is no Reafon
to fear that thefe Salts, fome of which
are of the greateft Ufe to human Life,
and the Conveniences of it, fhould
ever wholey fail. Whoever fhall ob¬
serve how great Quantity, efpecialy
of Vitriolick or acid Sals, there’s al-
molt every where found in the Earth,
will not have the lead Occahon to
apprehend there fhould not be a fuffi-
cient Supply, of thofe Salts, to fatu-
rate the Mineral Springs with all, tho-
row all future Ages.
. 7- When Dr. Comer, arms fays, It 7. Mouth
ts evident from Hiftory , that fo ma- tarns not
ny high Mountains have been formed , raifed
and caji up by Earthquakes , v he^Lf
fpeaks of what I confefs myfelf intire- f takes.
ly ignorant, having never yet feen
thofe Hifioryes ; fo that 1 fhould
I 2 efteem
* P- 3°S-
a
Nat. Hifi- of the Earth Part II.
efteem it as a very great Favour, if
he could help me to the Sight of fome
of them. Certainly, when I had
openly alferted, that there is not any
authentic Inftance , in all Hiftory,
of fo much as one fingle Mountain
that was heaved up by an Earth¬
quake, * he ought not to have afferted
the Contrary without producing at leaft
one Example in Favour and Support
of it. Till therefore he fhews he
can do that, while he is turning over
his Authors, and producing their Te-
ftimonyes, I may be allowed to give
my Judgment from Nature itfelf, and
the State of Things in the Earth. It
is needlefs to fay any Thing here of
the Monte di Cinere , in the King¬
dom of Naples , the Matter of which
I have fliewed was not railed by an
Earthquake, but thrown up by a V ul-
cano that then broke out there, f
From the Times that Men firft be¬
gun to write for the Service of Po-
llerity, there have not been wanting
Perfons to committ to writing, what¬
ever
* Nat. Hifi. Earth. Part 2. Sab fin.
j Ibid.
Part II. Ilhiftrated and Inlargd.
ever Works either of Art or Nature,
they thought worthy the Notice of
after Ages. Now, as they recorded
many other Things, not alwayes be-
caufe they appeared to be of great
Moment, but as they happened rarely,
it is fcarcely credible that they fhould
omitt thofe more remarkable Events,
’which could not happen without even
the Aftoniftiment of all who faw
them ; finch as the rctifing up fo ma¬
ny vaft Mountains muft certainly have
been. The Rife of that Heap of Cin¬
ders is taken Notice of by moft of the
Writers, of that Time, and by fome
fince >• but not a Man, at leaf! that I
know of, has ever committed to Me¬
mory the railing fo much as any one
Angle Mountain. Till therefore the
learned Camerarins , or tome other,
iliall fhew, from the Hiftorians he
talks of, not yet known to the learned
World, that the Alps^ the Apennines *
Mount Taurus , Atlas , or others, or
at lead fome one Mountain, was
formed and took its Rife from an
Earthquake, or any other like Force
in Nature, I muft ftill, relying on the
Arguments I have ailedged in De¬
fence of my own Opinion, believe
I 3 thofe
n$ Nat. Hiftf of the TLarth Part II.
thofe, and the other Mountains, were
formed all together, at the Time that
I have elfewhere affigned, f For if,
of the numberlefs Mountains that there
are in moft Countryes and Parts of
the Globe, feme of them very high,
aud of great Extent, he cannot prove
the Rife of any one in his Way,
’twill furely be what they call a*
good negative Argument of the Truth
of my Opinion in this Affair. For
if the Mountains, now fo frequent and
obvious, every where, were caft up,
one after another, in different Ages,
the Inhabitants of every Country had
been always in Danger, or at lead
under perpetual Fear ; nor would all
the Hiftoryes of thofe Times have been
* wholey filent in a Thing fo furprizing,
fo well worth Notice and being re¬
corded,
8. *2*he Ori- 8. I have afferted that, as Mom -
$in °f tains , fo all I [lands had their Ori~
<p*r^icu- from t^oe t But the ce-
krlyofthat lebrated Dr. Gamer arias fancyes that
lie $ of Nature has fupplyed him with a late
Inftance,
f Nat. Hijl. Earth. Part %.
i P- 347. 348.
Part II. Illiiftr cited and Inlargd. 119
«
Inftance abundantly capable of over- Rubble
throwing my Doctrine. Says hQ/^edlJ?the
Ehat new JJ l cind-y tn 1 he Jday of San— x.ox\x\\^cailed
torini, is enough of itfelf mojt terribly by fame an
to fhake the whole Woodwardian Sy- Iflwd.
ftem. * That is, if this formidable
Engine be managed by the moft gal¬
lant and brave Camerarius . Let us
therefore go on, to try his Strength.
It isy fays he, an Ijland formed by
a fiow Emerfion out of the Waters ,
put together by many Earthquakes ,
Noifes , and Flames becoming at l aft
fo large , and fo much raifed above
the Waters , and as it was joyned to
Hocks that rofe together with it,
and to thofe of the Neighbourhood . f
A huge and formidable Engine in¬
deed ! but fo far is it from fhakeing,
or giving any fuch Blow to the Wood -
wardian Syfiem , that it cannot, by
any Means, be fo much as levelled
at it. But to leave off talking, in
Figures, in the Way of the moft elo¬
quent Camerarius ; that Ifland, when
I wrote my Natural Hiftory of the
Earth , was not in Being. So that
I 4 certainly
* P- 347, 348‘
f Ibid,
f
%%0
Nat . llifl. of the 'Earth Part II*
certainly it could not be expefted
that I iliould predict its Rife to fol¬
low in fome fhort Time. I then made
mention of a Heap of Rubble like
this, I mean the Monte di Cinere ;
only that was not caft up in the
Sea. For is not this liland juft like
that Mountain, the Matter, and the
Caufe of the Rife of which I then
fully explained ? Are they not both
of the fame Kind, both thrown forth
by the fame Force of Vtdcanos ?
For thus I had reprefented the
Matter, and the Caufe of that Hill, .
Eh at it is Nothing hut a Heap
of Stones , Cinders , and dfloes^ fpued
cut of the Eowels of the Earthy by
the Eruption of a Vtdcano^ in the
Eear 1538,* t nor indeed did I ever
go about to deny, that there were
already, or might be hereafter, others
thrown up in the fame Manner. Nei¬
ther did I deny that Vulcanos may
as well rage with fuch Violence un¬
der the Sea, as in like Manner to
break up its Bottom, and throw forth
fo great . a Quantity of Matter as to
pile
| Nat. Hlfi. Earth* Part 2. fuh. fin.
Part II. Ilhiftrated and Inlargd. '
pile fuch a Heap of Rubble up to
and above the Surface of it ; for it
is reafonable to believe that, where-
ever the Eruption of a Vulcano hap¬
pens, whether at Sea or Land, its
Force and Effects will be the fame.
If therefore the ingenious Dr. Came-
rarius is pleafed to give the Name
of Mountains to Heaps of Rubbie,
call out of the Earth by fuch Means,
/he may, with all my Heart, call thofe
which are caff up at Sea, Iflands. But
whatever he fhall fancy, or take up¬
on, him to write, of thefe Things,
I intreat him not to imagine that I
was fpeaking of fuch Kinds of con-
fufed Heaps of meer Rubble, when
I referred the Origin of all Moun¬
tains and Iflands to the Time of the
Deluge. For all thofe which I call’d
Mountains and Iflands have the Mat¬
ter, of which they confift, laid in a
Method, certain, regular, and like
that of the reft of the Globe : and
are every where diftinguifhed into
Strata, lying commonly in an order¬
ly Manner each upon other. W here-
as both the Monte di Cinere , and
that Moles of Santorini , are Nothing
but rude indigefted Piles of Frag¬
ments
12
12%
Nat. Bift. of the Barth Part II.
merits of Stones, of Drofs, Cinders,
and Rubbifh. The Vulcano there¬
fore that flung out that Bomb at
Santorini , is fo far from Shaking my
Whole System, that it cannot fo
much as touch this one Angle Pro¬
portion, relating to the Origin of
Iflands j which, I hope, will be rea-
dyly admitted by every impartial
Reader, efpecialy a Perfon of fo great
Sagacity, fo well verfed in the Study
of 'Nature, and fo candid a Judge of
the Works and Performances of Wri¬
ters of all Kinds as your Lordfhip f
is univerfaly allowed to be. But if
this Part of my Syftem remains ftill
firm and unhurt by fo many Earth¬
quakes , fo many Fellowings , and
Flames , which Way will this ex¬
pert Ingeneer ply his Machine to
fhake and overturn all the reft of
' the Parts of it ? Let him try, if he
thinks fit, whether he can, by Ar¬
guments taken from this Phenome¬
non, refute what I have wrote of
Vulcanos, of Earthquakes, of the
Seafon
„ ' (■ t
f The E. of ‘Pembroke, to whom this Trea-
tife is addrefled.
i
Part II. lllufir, ctted and Inlargd.
Seafon of the Year in which I have prov¬
ed the Deluge happened, as alfo what
I have wrote of Amber, and of the
Situation of Paradife, with very ma¬
ny other Things. For #hat I have
propofed concerning every one of
thefe, he cannot deny to be ‘Parts
of that my Syftem. If that be what
he here contends for, I can indeed
willingly grant him, that the Argu¬
ments, he has drawn from this Phe¬
nomenon, as much afted any of my
other Propofitions, as they do this of
the Origin of Hands j which they
are fo far from having weakened,
that they rather have eftablifhed and
confirmed it. In a Word that whole
Sjftem appears, not only to myfelf,
but to not a few others of the moft
accurate Searchers into Nature, fo
well and effedualy fupported by Ob-
fervations, that I cannot think any
one that fhall apply hinifelf to thefe -
Searches, with like Accuracy and
Diligence, will ever go about to dif-
pute any Part of it. For all others,
they may go on, and pleafe them-
felves with their own Opinions.
When
124 Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part II.
7 'he Conclti- W hen firft Dr. Camerarius hisfDif-
s\jT r ** • c y ) 7 _ . /? a ^ 71 /f" /» /* o in 0 t*
W m>' «anas> 1 mo.usut ‘7 vr. y; nf
2)$ofmon cularly concerned to take Notice ot
of mind I fQ much oP them as related to my
fit wyfijf Writings ; to the End that, it I found
Camerarius any Part of my Dodrme confirmed
his ‘Dijj'er - by the Judgment, and improved by
tations . ^e Wit, of fo great a Man, I might
have lefs Apprehennon from the Gen-
fure of others : or that, if he had can¬
didly and friendly corredted any Mi¬
stakes, or pointed them out to me, I
might have returned him Thanks for
fo obliging an Office, done me pub-
lickly, in a Manner as publick : or
finaly, that, if he had, as is the Cu-
ftom, not only with vulgar Readers,
but with the Generality of Animad-
verters, fee tried, which yet I could
not haye fufpedted in fuch a Man, to
have read my Writings, purely to
pick an Occafion of Cenfure, and,
relying on the Reputation he had ac¬
quired, and his own fprightly Ge¬
nius, to condemn thofe Things, which,
only becaufe they were new, he would
not affent to, and yet could not prove
them erroneous, I might take the Oc¬
cafion to vindicate and afcertain the
Truth
Part II. llluftr cited and Inlargd. 125
Truth of them. When, contrary With what
to my Expectation, I found I had fal- Vie™\ an ^
len into the Hands of fuch an Ani- lMefho7, j
madverter, tho’ I had many other have an -
Things which might advantagioufly/w^
have been offered here, I determined thm'
to produce only fuch Arguments as
might defend what was called in Que-
ftion, and at the fame Time difcover
the hafty Judgment of this Critick
upon me. Some Things indeed there
are brought by him into Difpute which
I have defignedly paffed over, but
they are only fuch as any Perfon, I
thought, befides himfelf, the leaf! con-
verfant in thefe Studyes, would not
raife any Difficulty about. Yet feve-
ral of thofe I have touched upon are
fuch as fhew how negligently the Au¬
thor hath run over my Book, how lit¬
tle converfant he has been in thefe
Studyes, and how far he was from
being {efficiently apprized of the State
of the Earth, and the Nature of Fof-
fils, the Subject he took upon him to
treat of. Had I fought after Inflan-
ces of this Sort, I fhould have found
Plenty enough of them every where.
But what I have done in that Way is
only fparingly, and that too by Con-
ilraint.
12 6
Nat. Hi ft. of the Barth Part II,
ftraint. I have only, defended my
feif, and the Truth, of what I had
laid down relating to the Earth, and
all Foffils, efpecially Metalls j which
I conceived would neither be unac¬
ceptable to Gentlemen who are cu¬
rious, nor difadvantagious to the fi¬
liates of thofe who had Mines in
them. • f rr u
ffinderances Mow that I am fpeaking of Truth,
to the Search \ can not well forbear making fome
of ‘Truth. few Remarks on this Subject. While
fome allow themfelves fo much Li¬
berty, and others are fo eafy to be
millead, and carryed away, by the
' Conceits of every One that fets up ror
an Author, the Condition of Truth
muft needs be very precarious, and
unfettled. And, as with the Romans
of old, fo is it at this Day with us,
We have impofed on us the Shew
inftead of the Subftance of Truth *.
It is frequently fo wrapt up in Clouds,
and the thickeft Darknefs, that but
few there are who know the Way ^ to
approach, or diftinguith it ; that tis
not
* Decipimur Specie Re£ti.— •
Hor * de -Arte Toet*
Part II. lllufl: rated and Intargd .
not to be wondered at that there’s in
Science fo little that is eftablifhed and
certain. If, as there are many, there
be thofe who make Obfervations of
Things with the greateft Diligence,
and afterwards publish them with not
lefs Care and Fidelity, there will
ftraitways Hart forth others, who,
buoyed up wholely with Opinion of
their own Genius, tho’ realy deftitute
of all true Knowledge of Things,
will yet be ever making fuch a Shew
of their Skill, fuch Confufion in the
Things they take upon them to treat
of, in a Word, rendering them fo
dark, fo perplexed and intricate, that
but few Readers are capable of de¬
termining whom to follow, or what
to depend on. By which Means it is -
that fuch Undertakers are fo far from
contributing to the publick Good, as
they would be thought, that they de¬
feat, and do it the greateft Injury
imaginable. Some alfo there are
who make it their Bufinefs to decry
the Works of others, without attempt¬
ing to furnifh forth any Thing that is
rational, or folid, of their own.
1 hefe are the Goths and Vandals of
the Common Wealth of Learning ;
I2g Nat. Hiji. of the Earth Part II.
they abting the very fame Part in this,
that thofe barbarous Nations did in
the polite Roman World.
•flie Scope As to my felf, the Truth has been
and ‘Defign ever w]iat j folely aimed at ; and in
of aU my thg compofingthat whole Work, which
Writings. Gentleman thus fets himfelf a-
gainft, 1 fteered my Courfe intirely
by Obfervation of Fabt, and of the
Things I treat of 5 nor have I therein
propofed any Thing, that does not
•thelDoc- rightly fquare therewith. Nay,
trines, by ever hnce the firft publifhing that
Book, 1 have taken Care to have the
confirmed by fame Obfervations carryed on, with
all obferva- ftiH as much Diligence as ever, all
tions made ^ orid over ; from which I have
-{lnce' received not only many, but thofe
the molt fubflantial Confirmations of
what I then offered : nor, in all this
Time, has the whole Field of
Nature prefented fo much as one
Angle Thing that has given me the
leaf! Caufe to doubt of the Truth of
any one of thole my Propofitions.
’Twas the Remark of a great Man
among the Antients, that Time ftrikes
out all Notions that are not 'well
grounded^ but efablijhes thofe which
are founded upon Nature ** No
Man living can be more confcious to
himfelf of his Weaknefs than I truly
am of mine j but that Work will re¬
main a lafting Teftimony and Monu¬
ment how far that Defed has been
fupplyed by my Diligence* and Faith-
fullnefs. There have not been^^
wanting thofe* who have not fpared
any Pains* nor left any Stone unturn- verjaryes,
ed* to find out Miftakes, if they /«
could, or any Thing that might de- tl°n t0
ferve Cenfure, in my Writings; but them'
all, hitherto, whoiely in Vain. Every
Attempt, to invalidate, has confirmed
them the more. For ftiil the more
candid, and thofe who were better •
Judges, have openly profelfed, they
never found any Thing alledged that,
when brought to the Teif , could de-
ferve the Name of an Objection.
Neverthelefs, if any One hereafter, My Reitd
upon diligent Perufal, and vtellnefs to tifteit
weighing what I have wrote, fhall 10 the Ad-
ferioufly think he has difcovered ini
any Errors, he can do Nothing more arfcmdidt
K agree-
* Opinionum Commenta delet Dies : Nature
Judicia confirmat. Qc< de Nat,-Dsor< L* a.
130
{■
and to dis¬
regard thofe
who cavil ,
and are
contentious .
Nat. Hifi. of the Earth Part II.
agreeable to me, than in a friendly
and candid Manner to admonilh me
of them. For by this Means he will
realy purfue the fame End with me,
who never propofed any Thing other
than to make all my Studyes and En¬
deavours fubfervient to the Caufe of
Truth. But if any one, out of a Spi¬
rit of Contradiction, or Hopes of rai¬
ling a Reputation, by publiftiing fome
Notions and Opinions contrary to
mine, without any Regard to Truth,
fhall hereafter take upon him to at¬
tack my Writings, he will have no
Reafon to expect that I fhould neg-
leCt my own Affairs, and my other
Studyes, to give him an Anfwer ; tho*
I am now doing it to a Gentleman,
in whom I fhould rejoyce to have
found a Candour, and Skill in the
Subject he has undertaken to treat of,
equal to the Politenefs, Wit, and
Happinefs of Invention that he every
where flhews himfelf fo much Mafter
THE
I
r ^
131
the
Natural History
o F T H E
EARTH
llluflrated , and Inlarged: as alfo, ‘De¬
fended, particularly againft the late
Objections of Dr. Camerarius. , .
Fart III.
*"• ■ ■■ ■ — — _
O much of what was III. ‘the
requifite for my own third ‘Part
juft Vindication, being °f r!lli
thus delivered in th/^rehare
two former Parts3 I now pafs on to examined
difpatch what yet remains further to <1)r- Came-
be fpoken to. Now, if this learned ComL
Gentleman would be thought to have fit Ip, by ’
dealt fairly by me, and at the fame him, in op-'.
Time to have given Proofs to others o{^'fitl0n t0
his own Abilityes, after having refuted IZanceT
what he thought in me Errors, he
K. 2 • ought
Nat. Hift. of the 'Earth Part III.
ought to have fet up his own Opini¬
ons, againft mine ; but thofe only
fuch as are attended with Evidence
very convincing, and much more pro¬
bable than mine. This indeed is no
more than what he well knew, and
confelfed, his Readers might juftly
expedi from him. For thus he ad-
dreffes * the Noble Berfon , to whom
he writes. Methinks 1 hear Ton ob-
jeU, that 1 have indeed rendered
thofe Things dubious , but have not
pointed out any other Way whereby
thofe figured FoJJils could be produ¬
ced , and brought into the Bowels of
the Earth. But that is not my Bu-
finefs: nor am I duely qualify ed for
■it. Expecf not therefore , fays he,
any Thing more of me than only fame
ConjeUures , and thofe perhaps fuch
as carry no Shew of Truth , and are
fupported by no folid Reafoning. But
furely, if any Thing was, this was
his Bufinefs : and what was apparent¬
ly expended from him. Now realy,
whatever fhew of Modefty this may
carry in it, thefe Expreffions compli¬
ment
* P* 34^
*3?
Part III. Illuflrated and Inlargd.
ment the great Parts of the Author
to the higheft Degree that well can
be fince they fhew he experts that
bare Conjectures of his, nay tho’
looked upon by himfelf as flight ones,
Ihould pafs current as fufficient An-
fwers to the ftrongeft Arguments of
others. To think that in thefe Words
of his he gives his real Judgment of
his own Performance, muft furely be
furprizing, and indeed hardly credible.
For how can it well be thought that
a Man fo ingenious, and difcreet,
Ihould go about to offer what carryes
120 Jhew of Truths in Lieu of, not
what realy is fo in it felf, but what
he only furmifes, he has rendered
dubmis ? to offer, as his Conjectures ,
what he confefles are fupported by no
folid Reafoning ? Or how could he
ever believe fuch would pafs upon his
Friend, who he reprefents to be as
eminent for his Judgment as his Qua¬
lity? But, after all, let us con¬
sider thefe Conjectures : and they are
fuch as follow,
" ■**'*■ t 1 _ . ,
K 3 i. Some
i
134 Nat. Hifi. of the Earth Part II.
i. I’keSea- I# Some fhells , fays Dr. Camera- .
fifttsy n0™ rius^ were perhaps lodged there , in
m%ans! the Earthy before the ^Deluge , at
were not re- the fir ft feparation of the Waters -
pofitedinthe jrom * j, 6m at the Crea-
f he Time Of^on* Now certainly this ConjeUure
the firfi Se- of the learned Author will never
faration of appear very probable to any One,
fromkedr ; w^° obferved what Plenty, and
Land, nor how great Variety, of thefeBodyes,
before the are found in the Earth ; efpeciaiy if
Deluge, ke jias feen {he whole Skeletons of
Whales, the Teeth and Bones of
Sharks, and of other Fifties, as alfo
Sea-fhells exceeding all Number and
meafure. Among others, of that
* Kind which Eab* Columna f calls
Concha Anomia , I my felf have
taken Notice of many Millions in
that one County of Glocefier ; not
to mention thofe which I have ob¬
ferved in other Countryes, and thofe
I have received Samples of from al~
moft all Parts of the World. That
fuch an Abundance of Shell-Fifties,
of the fame Kind, fliould have been
created, all at once, at the very
Beginning
* P* 34^*
(
| De Purpura. C. 12.
Part II. lUufl rated and Inlargd. 1 3 5
M *
Beginning of Things, can hardly
feem credible to any thinking Man :
and ffcill lefs credible is it that, with¬
out any Caufe, they fhould imme¬
diately be extripated, and deftroyed.
Dr. Camerarius , very ingenious, as
he certainly is, has not been able
to find out, at leaft has affigned no
Reafon for the Deftruction of them.
Whereas, what Exceptions foever he
may be pleafed to make to it, that
* Definition of the firft Creation ,
* which I fuppofed, t I have proved
was brought on with a Defign wor¬
thy of the Divine Wifdom. Befides,
there are almoft every where found,
ij: in the Earth, Shells, of the very
fame Kind, fome fmall, others large :
fome young, others old : fome imma¬
ture, others full grown : and, in a Word,
fmall Ones affixed to the larger, or
thofe which are young to the Old
Ones, juft in the fame Manner as
they commonly are found at Sea,
for their better Security againft the
K 4 Shocks
* Dr. Carrier. Differt. p. 344*
f Nat. Hifi , Earth . Part a.
4 Ibid.
Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part IIP
Shocks and Injuries of the Tides and
Storms. Thefe certainly give plain
Proof that they were not all created
together $ but generated fuccellively,
and at different Times. To this may
be added, that the very Order
which thefe Bodyes are often found
difpofed : and thofe Indications,
which fo many Shells and Plants
carry with them, of the Seafon of
the Year in which the Deluge be¬
gan, * fufficiently prove this Conjecture
of Dr, Carrier arius to be without apy
Grounds. I fball fay nothing here
concerning the Bones of Quadrupeds,
or about Vegetables, and in particu¬
lar the great Trees which are com¬
monly found lodged in the Strata,
none of which could ever be the Pro-
dudion of the Waters. But, if I
iliould, after all, afk by what Au¬
thority this learned Gentleman affirms
that, when the Earth was fir ft created,
it was covered with W ater, and that
afterwards the Waters were feparated
from the dry Land ? He muft im¬
mediately
II ' I wi I
i 45. to 49. fupra»
* Part 1. §. 4* fupra*
Part III. lllnfirat ed and lnlargd. i 3 7
mediatly anfwer, that of Mofes , Gen.
i. But then Mofes tells him likewife
that thofe Bodyes, which are now
found lodged to the greateft Depths
in the Earth, were none of them
created till after this Separation of
the Waters was made. For the
Waters withdrew on the third Day
of the Creation * ; but Fillies, and the
other Inhabitants of the Waters,
were not made till the fifth, f which
was two Days after. When therefore
a Perfon, who would feem to Write
with fo much Caution as Dr. Ca-
merarius , fays, that thefe Bodyes
were left at Land, upon the Retreat
of the Waters, when they were not
created, and had not fo much as
Being till two Days after that Retreat,
he fays a Thing which furpalfes not
only mine,but the Apprehenfion ofetfe-
ry Man of common Senle. Now,tho’
he cannot Blew us how this could
poflibly be, I will not ftraitways pro¬
nounce the whole Camerarian SyJlern ,
+ of which I have feen but a fmall
Part,
* Gen. i. 9, .13. t Gen. i. 20, 23.
$ Differ:. 19. p. 348. Confer. Part 2. §8.
fupra.
138 'Nat. Hifl. of the Earth Part II.
Part, quite overthrown, yet I cannot
well forbear thinking at leaft this
Propofition of it, to be moll terribly
Jloaken.
2. Thofe 2. But let us proceed to the fe-
Shells were cond ConjeUure of the famous
rrgT Camer arias, and fee if that be
rhe°Fif- ^ more fubftantial. Many of thefc
fares, but Marine Bodye s, fays he, * were hur-
intermmg- <j)eluge into the Earthy
‘corporated through its Chafms and Figures,
•with the For my Part, I allow that, not
Matter of only many, but all of them were
the. ■fcrfta'’ brought to Land by the Deluge.
was foft,* Dr. Gamer arias invented thofe Fif-
toofe, and in fures, the better to introduce the
a State of shells into the Bowels, and interiour
‘Xhffohiti- parts ^ £artjlj arKl to elude the
Dobtrine of the Dilfolution of the
Strata. But, if they were then thrown
into FilTures, they would be found in
FilTures now. Whereas, I never found
fo much as one of thofe Bodyes any
where in the FilTures, nor have I read
or heard, of any Man that ever did.
They are always found, either loofe
on the Surface of the Earth, or in¬
corporated
* p: 346'.
J
Part II. ' Bluft rated and Inlargd.
corporated with the very Subftance
of Stone, and even the moft foiid
Strata. If therefore he appeals to
Nature in this Affair, fhe certainly
gives her Suffrage for me. But, if he
argues that thofe Fiffures, and Chafms,
have been fince filled up in Trad of
Time ; neither has that any the
leaft Appearance of Truth in it :
and Nature her felf Shews the dired
contrary. For, was the Thing fo, the
Shells, and thofe other Bodyes, would
be now found in the perpendicular
and other Fiflures, and not in the
Strata themfelves, nor in that adven¬
titious Matter with which the Fiffures
arefuppofed to be filled. But the Fad is
quite otherwife ; they are found lodg¬
ed promifcuoufly, and without any
fuch Diftindion, indifferently in all
Parts of the Earth. To which may
be added, that, if there were former¬
ly any fuch Fiflures, and filled up
fince, fome Traces of them at leaft
would ftiilappear. That, the Variety
of the Matter, and of the Conftitution
and Hardnefs of it, in the fame Stra¬
tum, would readyly and manifeftly
difcover; which yet we no where
find it does. Another very ftrong
Argument
I
Nat. Bift. of the Barth Part III.
Argument likewife, to me, that thefe
Marine Bodyes were not originaly
thrown into, and lodged in Fiffures
of the Earth, is, that there are fuch
Multitudes of them, met with, even
in the moft midland Countryes, every
where all about for many Miles to¬
gether, particularly here in England ,
throughout almoft the whole Coun¬
ty es of Glocejfer, Oxford , Nor¬
thampton, Somerfet , and Wilts > in
the Fields, and on the .Hills. Or,
where they have been lodged fo
deep* that they cannot be now turn¬
ed up by the Plough, and call out
upon the Surface of the Earth, there
they are found by thofe that have
Occafion to dig down deeper, in
the Bowels of the Earth. If thefe,
and all other Parts of the Globe, in
which fuch Bodyes are now found,
were once Fiffures, and Chafms, fil¬
led with no folid Matter, thofe Fff-
fures muff have been furely of a pro¬
digious and even incredible Extent.
Finaiy, tho’ thefe Shells, everywhere
found, in the Strata, and never in the
Fiffures, fufficiently {hew how little
Dr. Carrier arius was acquainted with
this Affair, on which he ventured
thus
Part. III.
thus to pafs his Judgment, I will
prefume to add one Thing further
which muft render his Overfight ftill
more evident. In Mining, and Open¬
ing Quarryes, at the Filfures of the
Strata of Stone, it is common to
find fhelis fo broke in two, and
divided with the Stone, that one
Part of the fame iliells fhall remain
on this fide of the Fiflfure, and the
other Part on the other fide of that
Fiffure. Which, tho’ there were no
other Argument of the fame Thing,
plainly proves thofe Shells to have
been lodged in the foiid Strata,
while they were continuous, and be¬
fore thofe Fiffures were made : and
alfo that both thofe Shells, and the
' Strata, were broke, and divided, at
the fame Time, and by the fame
Means.
3. The third Conjecture of Dr. 3* TM&
Carrier arius, is that tbefe Shells were ^brmght
brought out of the Sea by particular m t0 jfand
Inundations * Now I ihould think by particu-
that, before he had publifhed this l&rlnunda-
ConjeUure^ he fhould have looked tL°'-^
for
'* P, $4#.
Hat. Hifl . of the 'Earth Part II.
for fome Support for it in Hiftory :
and if he had found any Accounts of
fuch Inundations, as they would have
been new, fo they would have been
very acceptable to the Republick of
Letters, if he had publiilied them. Or
he fhould at leaft have produced
from thence fome Inftances of Inun¬
dations, which have reached quite to
the midft of the greateft Continents :
which have laid his own Country, Ger¬
many, for two or three hundred Miles
under Water ; for, even there, at
fo great a Diftance from any Sea,
are thofe Marine Bodyes found: he
fhould have given us Examples of
fuch Inundations which have’convey-
ed Shells, peculiar to the American ,
and other the remote!! Seas, into the
very Midland Parts of England ,
where we, at this Day, commonly
dig them up : nay fuch as have
brought Animals, that are Natives
of the Land, or Rivers, into Coun-
tryes where it is not probable there
were ever any of the fame Kind be¬
fore, and certainly are not now the Na¬
tural Produd of thofe Countryesj fuch ,
as Crocodiles, the Skeletons of which
are
Part II. lllu ft rated and Inlargd.
are found under Ground in Germany *
Elephants in England, where their
Bones and Teeth are digged up in va¬
rious Places ; and that Kind of dme -
rican Deer, we call the Moofe-Deer,
in Ireland , the Skeletons, and Horns,
of which, of incredibly large Size,
are often digged up there : finaly,
which have fetched up by the Roots,
and thrown down Trees, fuch as
thofe large Pines, and Firs, which
are found, in fo great Numbers,
buryed in almoft all Parts of Eng¬
land , where no fuch, not only in
the Memory of Man, but in the
Records of any Hiftory, have been
known to grow ; it is certain, Ge-
far t teftifyes none were here in his
Time. Dr. Gamer arius fhould like-
wife have bethought himfelf of a
Way by which thefe Marine Bo-
dyes, brought from Sea, might, by
the Violence of thofe Inundations , be fo
intermixed, and incorporated with
the very Subftance of the Strata of
Marble, and all Sorts of Stone, in
fuch Manner that, when thefe come
to be now broke up, the Shells fhould
for
* Mifcell. Berolin. i 7i°. pag. 103.
4 Com. de Bello. Gall. L. 5,
Nat. Hiji. of the Earth Part III.
be found lodged in all Parts of thofe
Strata : he fhould have thought of a
Way by which forne of thefe Shells
could have been caft down to the
Depth of feveral Hundreds of Feet
in the Earth, while others were car¬
ry ed up to the Tops of the nigheft
Mountains, e.gr. of the Alps in Europe ,
and of other the loftyeft Ajiatic ,
Chinefe , and American Mountains.
When the learned Author framed
this his ConjeUure , he feems to have
had England particularly in View,
An Ifland encompajfed on all Sides
with the Sea *. But he certainly ought
to have confidered that this our Ifland
has Mountains, tho’ not equal to thofe
juft mentioned, very large, and high j
of which I fcarce know any, which
have not Shells lodged in them to
the very Tops. If therefore he can
imagine thofe Shells were carryed to
the Tops of thofe Mountains by any
particular Inundation , what Condi¬
tion does he think, France , and all
Europe , nay and the whole Globe,
were in, at that Time when the higheft
Hills in 'Britain were covered by the
W aters
* Page ipo, 347.
P^ft III. lllujlrated and Inlargd . ’i4l::
Waters of that Inundation ? For
Water cannot be piled up in Heaps*
but mufi flow about* till the Surface
of it is On all Sides equidiftant from
the Centre of the Earth : and confe-
quently all Parts of the Globe muft
be then laid as deep under Water as
England. All thefe Things being
ferioufly weighed* by any Man* I can
fcarcely believe he will eafyly come
into this Conjecture of the ingenious
Camerarius : or ever imagine that
thefe Marine Bodyes could be brought
from Sea, and lodged in all Parts of
the Earth, by any other Means than
the Noetic or Univerfal Deluge.
4. His fourth Conjecture is what 4- l%ofe
follows. Hence , fays he, it is that ™ere
fo many Marine "Bodyes are found infr0m°Sea*%
England. That Ifland^ being environ into the
lied by the Sea * admitts , by fubterra- Bowels of
neous ‘Paffages, the Waters of it into Of
i ts '’Bowels deeper and further than yott terraneous
Would imagine *. But before he had fug- ‘Pajfages.
gefted that thofe Marine Bodyes were
brought, through any PafTages, Subter¬
ranean into the Bowels of the Earth*
L or
* Pag. 347-'
/
\
14^' Nat. Rift . of the Earth Part III.
or its interior Parts, and fuch as are
very remote from the Sea, he fhould
have put it beyond all Doubt that
there are fuch fuhterraneous PaJJages
from the Sea. Certain it is no fuch
are yet difcovered. Whereas if there
realy were fuch, they would be eafy-
ly found out, fo fpacious | they
* muft be, to receive fuch vaft Bodyes
into them, and to give W ay for them
to pafs into the very Middle of this
Mand. Not to mention others, many
Shells of the Ammonite Kind, two
Foot over, are digged up in Port¬
land^ and fome broader in Qlocefter -
floire and Somerfetjhire. Belides the
Skeletons and Bones of Whales, and
other the largeft Fifties, are digged
up here. But for what Purpofe can
we think thofe Fifties fhould fwim up
thefe Paflages, if there were any
fuch ? And to Places fo far diftant
from the Sea? For Nature has not
aligned them any agreeable Way of
Living or Habitation under the Earth,
But fhould we fuppofe fo great Num¬
bers, feme- of them of fo vaft a
Bulk,
9
f Conf. p, 140 .Jiifra*
Part III. llhftr cited and Inlarg d.
Bulk, to have been hurryed and
thrown up hither, that could never
have been effected without a Force
far greater than is eafy for us to con¬
ceive or imagine. And why do not
we foe as great Numbers of them in
our Times forced up by the fame Vio¬
lence ? Some f, who defend this Opi¬
nion, think the Waters are carry ed
through thofo Pallages from the Sea
to fopply the Springs and Rivers; but
without any Proof, from Nature, or
Shew of Reafon. For was it fo, the
Spring and River Waters would be
fait, like thofo of the Sea. Tis plain
were thofo Pallages fo fpacious, as to
receive fuch great Bodyes, as feme of
thofo which we often find in the Earth
they could not foparate the Salt from
the Waters by Percolation, nor by any
other -Means hinder its attending of
them. In fhort, the Water could not
rife, through luch Pallages, above the
Altitude of the Surface of the Sea.
Whereas thofo Shells, and other Bo_
dyes, are found quite up to the very
f Ssg T. Laurence Mercur. Central, i2nx>
Lend, 1664.
Nat. Hi ft. of the Earth Part III.
1'ops of the higheft Mountains, fome
Miies higher than the Sea, if not in
England , at leaft in other Countryes.
Bur, laftly, there’s an Argument equi¬
valent to almoft all the reft, which is
that thefe Marine Bodyes are never
found, either in Fiftures, or fubterrane-
ous Paftages ; but lodged in the Very
Strata of Marie, Clay, and of Stone,
and every other even the raoft clofe
denfe and folid Matter. Are there¬
fore thofe Paftages, through which
the Springs and Rivers are fupplyed
with Water, ufualy damm’d, and fill’d
up with terreftrial Matter, and Ma¬
rine Bodyes ? If fo, whence have we
at this Day remaining any Springs or
Rivers? Or do thofe Paftages, and
fubterraneous Channels, frequently
change their Courfe, from one Part
of the Earth to another ? We certain¬
ly no where fee or obferve any Thing
of this Rind. Springs, and the Heads
of Rivers are at this Day in the very
fame Places that they antiently were.
Nor indeed does there any where ap¬
pear, in Nature, any Power that is
ordinaryly capable of effecting fuch
Changes in the Earth. If there were
ever any fuch Changes made, thofe
Marine
Part III. llhiftrated and Inlargd. 149
Marine Bodyes would be now found,
lying inacertain Method, and Track,
anfwering the former Courfe of thofe
Channels filled up fince ; which, as
I have fufficiently fhewed before, is
no where to be feen.
5. Thus far I have had under Con- 5. "Thofe
fideration what Confirmation from Shel'A <mere
Nature, and the Things themfelves, Godl^n
and what appearance of Truth, the the Bowels
four firlt CenjeUures of Dr. Camera - °f the
rius carry along with them. But ?ar!h ’ bm
what fhall I fay to his fifth Conjecture ? "
He thinks it no ahfurdity to fuppcfe
God to have made fome Analogy and
Kefemblance betwixt Marine and
terreftrial "Bodyes , by creating va¬
rious Kinds of Stones reprefenting
the Forms of Sea-Shells *. By the
fame Rule alfo Hazle Nuts, fuch as-
grow on Trees upon the Earth, Pine
Apples, nay even Oaks, and other
Trees, and Vegetable Bodyes, which
are found buryed to a very great
Depth in the Earth, were all* there
created by God. This is indeed an
eafy Way of folving all thofe Dilfi-
L 3 cultyes.
#.Pag. 348,
“S’**
Nat. Bift. of the Earth Part HL
cultyes, but founded on no Support of
Nature, or Atteftation of Holy Writ.
After all, fuppofing God did create
thefe Bodyes entire, did he likewifa
create Pieces and Fragments of them
in the Earth? For*’tis common to dig
up Fragments of Shells : and, in fome
Places, only the upper Shells of Bi¬
valves, in others, only the lower
Shells : nay Bivalves, turbinated, and
indeed Shells of all other Kinds*
without having in them the Animal or
Fifh belonging to thefe Kinds. But
perhaps we may fet this Conjecture of
Dr. Camerarius in a better Light, if
we imagine Jrifta or Beards of Corn
created without the Ear, the Bark of
Cedars without the Wood, the Hides
of Oxen without the Flefh and Bones,
the Skins of Men without their Bo-
dyes, and Hands or Legs without the
reft of the Limbs, or other Parts.
For in the fame Manner the Foflil-
Shells and other Things we treat of,
are often found in the Earth,- e. gr .
ail Sorts of Shells without the Fifh.
in them, fome one Bone without the
reft of the Skeleton, or a fingle
Tooth without the Jaw. But to pafs
c>yer thefe Things, and what I have
Part III. Illuftrated and Inlargd . * $ ; i
produced to the fame Purpofe in the
prelim . Hiffert. to my Nat . Hi ft. of
the Earthy there are many other
Things which much weaken this Con-
jeffitire: and which the Cameraman
HypothefiS) that allows only the Fir
gure and Similitude of Marine Bo-
dyes to thofe Foffils, cannot account
for. i ft. The Shells, which are dig¬
ged up in Places, and found lodged
in Matter, fit to preferve them, and
which therefore are firm, found, and
have lefs felt the Injuryes of Time,
yeild ftill a true Marine Salt, fuch as
recent Shells taken out of the Sea,
or caft on the Shores, are wont to
yeild. This is certainly worthy the
Confideration of the learned Author ;
and tis what I had long ago put him,
and my other Readers, in Mind of,
Nat.^Hifi. Earth , prelim. HijJert.
2. There are alfo found in the Earth
the Teeth of Fifties ground down,
and worn away, in the very fame
Manner as the Teeth of thofe Kinds
of Fifties, taken at Sea, ufuaiy are,
by chewing • their Food. 3. The
Shell-Fifti called the Purpttra , has'
a Tongue of a conliderable Length,
terminating in a hard boney fharp
L 4 Point,
Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part III.
Point, with which, as with an Augre,
he bores Holes thro’ the Shells of other
Shell-Fifh, and feeds on the Subftance
of them drawn forth thro’ thofe Holes.
This has been obferved of the 'Pur¬
pura by the antient Naturalifts, par¬
ticularly Jrijlotle , and Pliny. ^ rl hus
Jrijlotle writes concerning it, fuch is
the Strength of this Member , the
Tongue, in the Purpura, that he is
able therewith to pierce thorow the
Shells of Shell-Fifh, particularly
thofe of the turbinated Kind, with
the Meat whereof he is wonderful -
ly delighted * *. What Pliny t fays,
is, the Fong tie of the Purpura is about
a Finger s Length, with which he
feeds himfelf, by boring thorow the
Shells of other Shell-Fifh \ fo hard is
the Point of it. Now there are com¬
monly found in the Earth, among o-
thers.
t«t 9 to ubeiov, aVs h) r cou K ayyi'Kicoy <Pef;pu7rco(n
*ro cf^aitov, otov 'mu rqouCav, J czujct’’
Ariftot. dc Partib, Animal. Lib. 2.
C. 17. verfus finem.
f Lingua Purpuras Longitudine digitali, qua
pafcitur perforando reliqua Conchylia $ tanta
JJuritia Aculeo eft. Hift* Nat. Lib. 9. C. 3 6.
Part III, lttnflr cited and Inlargd.
thers. Shells bored thorow in the
Manner above defcribed ; whence it
is certain that thofe Shells had once
living Fifties in them, and that thofe
Fifties formerly lived in fome Place,
where all'o there were ‘Purpura to
feed on them : and that Place could
be no other than the Sea. 4. It is
common to dig up the Shells of Oy-
fters. Concha , Pe'ctines , and other
Bivalves, which retain plain Marks
of Tendons, and other Signs which
undoubtedly fhew that they had once
a&ualy the living Creatures in them.
5. Laftly, the Echinita , Conchita ,
Cochlita , and other Bodyes of that
Kind, confifting of Stone, Flint, Spar,
and other Mineral Matter, which
every Way match the Size, and ex¬
hibit the perfett Refemblance of the
interior Part of thofe Shells, from
which they have derived their Names,
could never have been fo formed,
moulded and fhaped, had not thofe
Shells been quite empty. But there
are other Bodyes alfo, of which I
have Samples by me, formed like-
Wife of Stone, Flint, and Spar, which
reprefent only Pieces, or fpme parti¬
cular Parts of the Ecbinita , Conchi-
, 54 Nat. Hi ft. of the Earth Part III.
U, and CochliU. Thefe, any One,
at' firft Sight, may plainly difcern
were formed in the Shells, while
they had yet their Fifhes aCtualy in
them: and therefore could receive
only fo much of the Stoney Flinty
or Sparry Matter, as would fill up the
Parts which were empty or vacant,
and not poffeffed or taken up by the
Fiik Thence it is, that thofe Stoney
Flinty and Sparry Bodyes bear only
the Refemblance of that Vacancy,
as having been moulded in it. Now
thefe Bodyes plainly fhew thofe Shells
to have had Fifties formerly in them:
and at the fame Time point forth to
us the true Origin of them , viz* that
they were not produced, in the Places
where they are now found, but were
at fome Time brought all from the
Sea*
ne grofs But let us confider . this Con-
Miftake of jeUttre of Dr. Carrier arias a little
thofe who more attentively, to fee if it may not
imagine, be applyed to other Ufes, and made
llellfbut ro explain fome Things, which have
feveral ar- afforded hitherto Matter of Difpute
tftcial tQ the Learned. Indeed I cannot
IfTnp, think that Dr. Carrier arius will take
were form- it ill, if I endeavour to improve, in-
in tbs large.
Part III. Illujirated and Inlargd. \ j j
large, and render more ufefull, what Earth, by
he had the Ingenuity, and good For Nature
tune firft to find out. It is common and
in many Places to dig up Coins having der Ground.
mfcrtbed on them the Names of Alex¬
ander the Great , Julius Cafar^ Cu-
nobeline , and other Emperors and
Kings. Should any fancy that thefe
were ftamped by fome Mint-Mafter
many Hundred Years ago, and after¬
wards loft, or hid and burved in the
Earth, and have lain there for fo long
a Time, he truly would feem to rea-
fon much after the common Rate, and
juft as thofe do who believe the
Shells, found in the Earth, were ori-
ginaly produced at Sea. ’Tis much
the fiiorter and eafyer Way of de¬
ciding fo difputable a Point, if, as the
Matter of the Coins mult, fo like-
wile the Forms of them, be afcribed
to the Workmanthip of God. And
he who thus happyly firft removed
this cruel Stumbling-Block, out of the
Way of the Students of Antiquity,
can never be thought lefs defervmg
our Praifos and Rewards than he who
fhall happyly find out
Where
Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part III.
Where there grow Flow rs inscrib'd
with Names of Kings *.
Nay farther, if it fo fall out that thofe
employed in digging, fhould, as they
frequently do, rind, under Ground,
Things carrying with them the Ap¬
pearance and Shape of Pots, and
Earthen Veffels, tho’ thofe Things
have been hitherto taken for antient
Roman Urns, Rat era, or Simpula ,
yet it would be intolerable, that we,
and all Pofterity fhouid run ftill on in
the fame Miftake. For in good Truth
it is to the full as likely that thefe Pots,
and other Things, were formed by
Nature in the Earth, as thofe Shells.
But leaft I fhould feem to propofe this
raflily, or to arrogate to my felf the
Honour of this Conjecture, fo much
of a Piece with that of Dr. Camera -
rius, there are fome Writers of Na¬
tural Hiftory, and indeed principaly
thofe, that will needs have it that the
Shells, found in the Earth, were pro¬
duced there, who advance the fame
Opinion concerning thefe Utenfils.
Whether
WW71 m.ir *1 . . . . . r - 111 1 Mi ~\
* Quibusin Terris infcripti Nomina Regum
Nafcantur Fiores,--—
*57,
Part III. Illuftrated and Inlargd.
Whether or no, if Dr. Gamer arms
gives Sanction to this Opinion of thofe
Writers, People may not go hereafter
to fearch for Earthen Ware, as now
they do for Ores of Metalls, in the
Bowels of the Earth, and fo finding
them there under Ground ready made
to their Hands, have no need to buy,
or have Recourfe to the Potters, they
may not be all undone by the Shift,
I cannot tell ,• let them look to that.
But, certain it is, that 'Bob. Balbinus ,
with great Elegancy, calls thefe Vef-
fels FoJJil Tots *. Conrad Kiefner
terms them Native Tots f. And Dr.
Jo. T)an. Major treats of them as of
Fojfil Urns Balbinus gravely and
wifely argues that Clay — - readyly ,
and of its own Accord , difpofes it
felf into the Shape of Tots , Nature
her felf directing what fhe would
have here done Finaly another
like
* Ollas Fofliles. Mifcell. Hift. Regni Bo-
hem. L. i. C. 49.
f Ollas Native. De Fig. Lapid. p. 87.
i Urnis Foffilibus. Divert. Epiih de Can-
cris & Serp. petrif. p. 43.
[ Exiftimat Argillam — ad figuram Ollarum
fponte fefe ac libenter componere, Narura
ipfa quod fieri veJit docente. Loco fupracirato.
ij8
Nat. Hift. of the Earth Part III*
like fagacious Writer, treating of
Pots digged up near Spremberg in the
lower Lufaiia, is of Opinion, That
the Pojfibility of fuch Tots being
formed by Nature is not to he dif*
pitted *. This W ay indeed of arguing
and making Inferences, having al¬
ready got Authors of fo ftanch Judg¬
ment, and Patrons fo mighty, if it
fhould at laft prevail as to the For¬
mation of Shells, Bones, Teeth, and
other like Bodyes in the Earth, it
would make the whole Matter fo
eafyly intelligible, that no Doubt or
Difpute can ever polfibly be raifed
about it hereafter. But yet I cannot
forbear telling them that there is one
Thing I would advife the Authors
that fhall take upon them this Task,
to write, not in Profe, but in Verfe,
nor were it amifs that it fhould be fet
alfo to fome fuitably merry Tune ;
fince that Nature , to which, they
afcribe fuch Works, can be only
fictitious* and ‘Poetical*, and that GW,
which
* Credit nature in ejufmodi fabricandis
Ollulis Poffibi'iTatem non eflfe derrahendam.
P. Ebr. Hagendon Mifcell. Cur, Ann, 3. Ob£
I} f «
Part III. llhftrated and Inland d.
which Camer arias brings in here meer-
ly imaginary, and Mechanical *. But
’twere to have been wifhed that this
fo confiderate a Writer had taken
here the Advice of one of the belt
Judges of Poetry that ever lived,
-—Ne'er introduce a God,
IB tit for a Caufe right worthy of a
God f.
With fo much Reverence did he, in
•thofe Days, think thofe his Gods, tho’
realy no better than fi dido us, ought
to be treated. But they who fuppofe
the One only true God, the great
Author of Nature, to be thus em¬
ployed, in making Toyes, and Things
of no Ufe, may be defervedly thought
either not rightly to know God, or
not to pay him due Reverence. So
that a Man of great W it and Learn¬
ing, Dr. Hier. Cardan , with good
Reafon, fharply reprimands that raili
Way of Conjeduring ; We forry idle
’Fellows, fays he, talk of God as of
one
* 0so< ctTrb (jwy eLVvf.
t Nec Deus interfit nifa dignus Vindice
Nodus
Incident* . . De Arte Poet,
*19
i
t !} :
'Knt, ffi ft. of the Earth Part 1IL
one of us\. Of the fame Sort alfo
is that other ConjeUure of the fatuous
Carrier arius , where he fays, he had
rather fnppofe the beneficent Creator
\ would have ) hewed Men the Ufe op
Letters, than believe he would have
let them lived for fifteen and more
Jges without the Knowledge of them ,
or that PiUure fhould be more an -
tient than fimple Writing * *. vTts
impoffible furely but that, from the
Time this lucky Conjecture was ftrft
advanced, cPolidore Vergil, Geo. Pap
chius , and others who have wrote of
the Inventors of Things and Arts,
muft lofe the Efteem they have hi¬
therto obtained, and be now finaly
wholely defpifed. Nor can it be well
wondered at if the late Author of
Mufcipula , who, in his facetious Man¬
ner, attributes the Invention of the
Moufe-Trap to his happy Welch Hero,
he reckoned fit Company for fuch
‘Poetical Writers.
But
t ^°s Nebulones loquimur de Deo tan-
«quam de uno e nobis,
* pag- 3°4- '
Part III. Nat. Hift. of the 'Earth 161
e ■
But Dr. Camerarius , not to feem °/
altogether deftitute of an Argument,
takes in one, and that only, from [ome Mn~
Analogy, fays he, God wilt rme, and
have Species of Vegetables in the*^id
Sea , perfectly analogous ana like ci¬
thers at Land , in that great Va¬
riety of Cor alls , Corallines , Spunges,
Jlga's , Tucus's , &c. what hinders
hut that there may be pitch a Vege¬
tation and Growth of Stores in the
Earth , as there is commonly at Sea ,
and as is efpecially obfervable in Co-
rails, that are of Stoney Nature *.
Moll certainly nothing hindered but
that God might have done fo ,• tho’
that he adtualy has done fo, does not
thence by any Means follow fo far as
I can perceive. But if it were fo that
God had made Bodyes at Sea analo¬
gous to others at Land , it doe>- not
thence follow, that he mull likewife,
on the other Hand, have needs cre¬
ated Bodyes at Land refembling thofe
at Sea, or that there Ihould be any
Vegetation of Stones , in the Earth ,
reprefenting Marine Bodyes. But not
M to
* Pag. 549.
x 6 2 Nat. Uiftn of the Earth Part III#
to Iniift upon this, let the learned
Camerarius , if he can, produce fuch
Bodyes growing in the Sea> either
Cor alls ^ Corallines , Spunges , or any
other, which are analogous to lfer~
reftrial IBodyes , either in their out¬
ward Form, or inward Texture*
For, in Truth, neither I, nor any
Body elfe^ ever faw any Samples of
fuch Things. But when he, from his
better furnifhed Cabinet, and Store,
fhall be able to produce any, I will
readyly come into, and embrace this
his Conjecture concerning them.
^je Conelu - 1 hefe, my Lord, are the Objec-
right h(h ^ons the learned Dr. Camera-
now able fills has been pleafed to offer againft
the Earl of what I have fet forth, in the Nat.
Pembroke, of
the Earth. Of what Force
and Weight they are, whether he
had realy any juft Caufe for writing
at all, and whether what I have here
reply ed may be admitted as a full
Anfwer to hirti, I willingly leave to
be determined by any impartial and
intelligent Perfon, but, above all,
your Lordlliip, to whole diftinguifh-
ed and uncommon Judgment, as in
all others, fo likewife in thefe Stu-
dyes
Part III. llluftrated and Inlarg'd,
dyes and Subjects, I pay a very great
Deference ; wifhing, moil fincerely,
that, as you have hitherto done, you
may long continue to live, with
Health, and Profperity, a Benefit,
and Blefling to this our Age, our Na¬
tion, and this great Metropolis.
* W *
Qrejham College
xi f Dec. 1713.
FINIS,
f
ERRATA,
i
Oceafion’d by the Editor’s being at
a Diilanee from the Prefs.
PAge i* line ult» after Art add (,) P. 5. 1. 14.
rea d— but whefe Authority. P. 12. inftead of
Vrelun , in the Reference at the Bottom, r. Vr&lim*
P. 17. 1. 8. r. From the/a firange Shells* P. 31.I. 17.
inftead of interior Figure 3 r. inward Form * ibid , 1. 2 6.
inftead of the Book, r, his Book. P. 6 1 . the laft Mar¬
ginal Title fhould Band higher againft 1. 19. P. 73*
in the Reference, 1. penult, r. eQ / ^ vvv* P. 74. in
the Reference, the Accents are wanting over
ctTroWiflou — tct5' yytf* P. 14$. 1. penult, r.
fuhterranean Pajfages. P. 156. in the Reference
after Flores add Virg. Bclog . 3.
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