to take Marsh-Herbs and Plant them vpon Tops of Hills and Champaignes And such plants as require much Moisture vpon Sandy and very drie Grounds As for Example Marsh-Maltowes and Sedge vpon Hills Cucumber and Letâ—nce Seeds and Coloworis vpon a Sandy Plas So contrariwise plant Bushes Heath Ling and Brakes vpon a Wet or Muâ—sh Ground This I conceiue also that all Eâ—câ—lent and Garden-Herbs set vpon the Tops of Hills will proue more Modicinall though leffe Eâ—â—â—lent than they were before And it may be likewise some Wilde-Herbs you may make Sallel-Herbs This is the first Rule for Transâ—â—ction of Plants The second Rule shall be to burie some few Seeds of the Herbe you would change amongst other Seeds And then you shall see whether the luyee of those other Seeds doe â—â—â— so qualifie the Earth as it will alter the Seed whereupon you worke As for Example Put Parflyâ—â—â— amongst Onion-Sâ—â—t Or Lettuce Seed amongst Parthy-Seed Or Baâ—â—-Seed amongst Thyme-Seed And see the Change of Taste on otherwise But you shall doe well to put the Seed you would change into a little linnen Cloth that it mingle not with the forraine Seed The third Rule shall be the Making of some Medley or Mixture of Earth with some other plants Braised or Shanes either in Leafe or Root As for Example make Earth with a Mixture of Calmert-Leaues stamped and set in it Artisâ—â—â—kes or Parsâ—ips So take Earth made with Maiâ—â— or Origaâ—â—m or Wilde Thâ—â—â— bruised or stamped and set in it Fennell-Seed c. In which Operation the Processe of Nature still will be as I conceiue not that the Harbe you worke vpon should draw the Iuyce of the Foâ—â—ne Herbes For that Opinion was haue formerly reiected But that there will be a New Confection of Mould which perhaps will alter the Seed and yet not to the kinde of the former Herbe The foâ—â—â— Rule shall be to â—â—â— what Herbs some â—â—â— doe put forth of themselues And to take â—â—â— Earth and to Pat it or to â—â—â—â—â—â— it And in that to set the Seed you would change as for example sake from vnder Walls or the like where Nettles put forth in abundance the Earth which you shall there finde without any String or Root of the Nettles And Pot that Earth and set in it Stock-gilly flowers or Wall Flowers c. Or sow in the Seeds of them And see what the Euent will be Or take Earth that you haue prepared to put forth Mushromes of it selfe whereof you shall finde some Instances following And sow in it Purslane Seed or Lettuce-Seed For in these Experiments it is likely enough that the Earth being accustomed to send forth one Kinde of Nourishment will alter the new Seed The fifth Rule shall be to make the Herbe grow Contrary to his Nature As to make Ground-Herbes rise in Heighth As for example Carry Camomill or Wilde-Thyme or the Greene Strawberry vpon Sticks as you doe Heps vpon Poles And see what the Euent will be The sixth Rule shall be to make Plants grow out of the Sunne or Open Aire For that is a great Mutation in Nature And may induce a Change in the Seed As barrell vp Earth and sow some Seed in it and put it in the Bottome of a Pond Or put it in some great hollow Tree Trie also the Sowing of Seeds in the Bottomes of Caues And Pots with Seeds sowne hanged vp in Wells some distance from the Water and see what the Euent will be It is certaine that Timber-Trees in Coppice-Words grow more vpright and more free from Vnder-Boughs than those that stand in the Field The Cause whereof is for that Plants haue a Naturall Motion to get to the Sunne And besides they are not glutted with too much Nourishment For that the Coppice shareth with them And Repletion euer hindreth Stature Lastly they are kept warme And that euer in Plants helpeth Mounting Trees that are of themselues full of Heat which Heat appeareth by their Inflammable Gumms as Firrs and Pines mount of themselues in Heighth without Side-Boughs till they come towards the Top. The Cause is partly Heat And partly Tenuitie of Iuyce Both which send the Sap vpwards As for Iuniper it is but a Shrub and groweth not bigge enough in Body to maintaine a tall Tree It is reported that a Good Strong Canuas spread ouer a Tree grasted low soone after it putteth forth will dwarfe it and make it spread The Cause is plaine For that all Things that grow will grow as they finde Roome Trees are generally set of Roots or Kernells But if you set them of Slips as of some Trees you may by name the Mulberry some of the Slips will take And those that take as is reported will be Dwarfe-Trees The Cause is for that a Slip draweth Nourishment more weakly than either a Root or Kernell All Plants that put forth their Sap hastily haue their Bodies not proportionable to their Length And therefore they are Winders and Creepers As Iuy Briony Hops Woodbine Whereas Dwarsing requireth a slow Putting forth and lesse Vigour of Mounting The Scripture saith that Salomon wrote a Naturall History from the Cedar of Libanus to the Mosse growing vpon the Wall For so the belt Translations haue it And it is true that Mosse is but the Rudiment of a Plant. And as it were the Mould of Earth or Barke Mosse groweth chiefly vpon Ridges of Houses tiled or thatched And vpon the Crests of Walls And that Mosse is of a lightsome and pleasant Greene. The Growing vpon Slopes is caused for that Mosse as on the one side it commeth of Moisture and Water so on the other side the Water must but Slide and not Stand or Poole And the Growing vpon Tiles or Walls c. is caused for that those dried Earths hauing not Moisture sufficient to put forth a Plant doe practise Gormination by Putting forth Mosse Though when by Age or otherwise they grow to relent and resolue they sometimes put forth Plants As Wall-Flowers And almost all Mosse hath here and there little Stalkes besides the low Thrumme Mosse groweth vpon Alleyes especially such as lye Cold and vpon the North As in diuers Tarrasses And againe if they be much trodden Or if they were at the first grauelled For wheresoeuer Plants are kept downe the Earth putteth forth Mosse Old Ground that hath beene long vnbroken vp gathereth Mosse And therfore Husbandmen vse to cure theit Pasture Grounds when they grow to Mosse by Tilling them for a yeare or two Which also dependeth vpon the same Cause For that the more Sparing and Staruing Iuyce of the Earth in sufficient for Plants doth breed Mosse Old Trees are more Mossy farre than Young For that the Sap is not so francke as to rise all to the Boughes but tireth by the way and putteth out Mosse Fountaines haue Mosse growing vpon the Ground about them Muscosi Fontes The Cause is for that the Fountaines draine the Water from the Ground Adiacent and leaue but
Mouldie or Rotten but were become a little harder than they were Otherwise fresh in their Colour But their Iuyce somewhat flatted But with the Buriall of a Forthnight more they became Putrified A Bottle of Beere buried in like manner as before became more liuely better tasted and Clearer than it was And a Bottle of Wine in like manner A Bottle of Vinegar so buried came forth more liuely and more Odoriferous smelling almost like a Violet And after the whole Moneths Buriall all the Three came forth as fresh and liuely if not better than before It were a profitable Experiment to presrue Orenges Limons and Pomgranates till Summer For then their Price will be mightily increased This may be done if you put them in a Pot or Vessell well couered that the Moisture of the Earth come not at them Or else by putting them in a Conseruatorie of Snow And generally whosoeuer will make Experiments of Cold let him be prouided of three Things A Conseruatorie of Snow A good large Vault twenty foot at least vnder the Ground And a Deepe Well There hath beene a Tradition that Pearle and Coraâ— and TurchoisStone that haue lost their Colours may be recouered by Burying in the Earth Which is a thing of great profit if it would sort But vpon Triall of Six Weekes Buriall there followed no Effect It were good to trie it in a Deepe Well Or in a Conseruatory of Snow where the Cold may be more Constringent And so make the Body more vnited and thereby more Resplendent Mens Bodier are heauier and lesse disposed to Motion when Sâ—â—ther â—â— Winds blow than when Northerne The Cause is for that when the Southerne Winds blow the Humours doe in some Degree melt and waxe fluide and so flow into the Parts As it is seene in Wood and other Bodies which when the Southerne Winds blow doe swell Besides the Motion and Actiuity of the Body consisteth chiefly in the Sinewes which when the Southerne Wind bloweth are more relaxe It is commonly seene that more are Sick in the Summer and more Dye in the Winter Except it be in Peslilent Diseases which commonly raigne in Summer or Autumne The Reason is because Diseases are bred indeed chiefly by Heat But then they are Cured most by Sweat and Purge which in the Summer commeth on or is prouoked more Easily As for Pestilent Diseases the Reason why most Dye of them in Summer is because they are bred most in the Summer For otherwise those that are touched are in most Danger in the Winter The Generall Opinion is that Yeares Hot and Moist are most Pestilent Vpon the Superficiall Ground that Heat and Moisture cause Putrefaction In England it is found not true For many times there haue beene great Plagues in Dry Yeares Whereof the Cause may be for that Drought in the Bodies of Islanders habituate to Moist Aires doth Exasperate the Humours and maketh them more apt to Putrifie or Enflame Besides it tainteth the Waters commonly and maketh them lesse wholesome And againe in Barbary the Plagues breake vp in the Summer-moneths when the Weather is Hot and Dry. Many Diseases both Epidemicall and others breake forth at Particular times And the Cause is falsely imputed to the Constitution of the Aire at that time when they breake forth or raigne whereas it procâ—edeth indeed from a Precedent Sequence and Series of the Seasons of the Yeare And therefore Hippocrates in his Prognosticks doth make good Obseruations of the Diseases that ensue vpon the Nature of the Precedent foure Seasons of the Yeare Triall hath beene made with Earthen Bottles well stopped hanged in a Well of Twenty Fathome deepe at the least And some of the Bettles haue beene let downe into the Water some others haue hanged aboue within about a fathome of the Water And the Liquours so tried haue beene Beere not New but Ready for drinking and Wine and Milke The Proofe hath beene that both the Beere and the Wine as well within Water as aboue haue not beene palled or deaded at all But as good or somewhat better than Bottles of the same Drinks and Stalenesse kept in a Celler But those which did hang aboue Water were apparently the best And that Beere did flower a little whereas that vnder Water did not though it were Fresh The Milke sowred and began to Purrifie Neuerthelosse it is true that there is a Village neare Blois where in Deepe Canes they doe thicken Milke In such sort that it becommeth very pleasant Which was some Cause of this Triall of Hanging Milke in the Well But our proofe was naught Neither doe I know whether that Milke in those Caues be first boysed It were good therefore to try it with Milke Sodden and with Creame For that Milke of it selfe is such a Compound Body of Creame Curds and Whey as it is easâ—ly Turned and Dissolued It were good also to try the Beere when it is in Wort that it may be seene whether the Hanging in the Well will Accelerate the Ripening and Clarifying of it Diuers we see doe Stut The Cause may be in most the Refrigeration of the Tongue Whereby it is lesse apt to moue And therfore we see that Naturalls doe generally Stut And we see that in those that Stut if they drinke Wine moderately they Stut lesse because it heateth And so we see that they that Stut doe Stut more in the first Offer to speake than in Continuance Because the Tongue is by Motion somewhat heated In some also it may be though rarely the Drinesse of the Tongue which likewise maketh it lesse apt to moue as well as Cold For it is an Affect that commeth to some Wise and Great Men As it did vnto Moses who was Lingâ—epr apedita And many Stutters we finde are very Cholericke Men Choler Enducing a Drinesse in the Tongue Smells and other Odours are Sweeter in the Aire at some Distance than neare the Nose As hath beene partly touched heretofore The Cause is double First the finer Mixture or Incorporation of the Smell For we see that in Sounds likewise they are Sweetest when we cannot heare euery Part by it selfe The other Reason is for that all Sweet Smells haue ioyned with them some Earthy or Crude Odours And at some distance the Sweet which is the more Spirituall is Perceiued And the Earthy reacheth not so farre Sweet Smells are most forcible in Dry Substances when they are Broken And so likewise in Orenges or Limons the Nipping of their Rinde giueth out their Smell more And generally when Bodies are Moued or Stirred though not Broken they Smell more As a SweetBagge waued The Cause is double The one for that there is a Greater Emission of the Spirit when Way is made And this holdeth in the Breaking Nipping or Crushing It holdeth also in some Degree in the Mouing But in this last there is a Conâ—urrence of the Second Cause Which is the Impulsion of the Aire that bringeth the Sent
a wall the greatest Fruits towards the Bottome And in France the Grapes that make the Wine grow vpon low Vines bound to small Stakes And the raised Vines in Arbours make but Veriuyce It is true that in Italy and other Countries where they haue hotter Sunne they raise them vpon Elmes and Trees But I conceiue that if the French Manner of Planting low were brought in vse there their Wines would be stronger and sweeter But it is more chargeable in respect of the Props It were good to try whether a Tree grafted somewhat neare the Ground and the lower boughes onely maintained and the higher continually proined off would not make a larger Fruit. To haue Fruit in Greater Plenty the way is to graft not onely vpon young Stockes but vpon diuers Boughes of an old Tree for they will beare great Numbers of Fruit Whereas if you graft but vpon one Stocke the Tree can beare but few The Digging yearely about the Roots of Trees which is a great means both to the Acceleration and Melioration of Fruits is practised in nothing but in Vines Which if it were transferred vnto other Trees and Shrubs as Roses c. I conceiue would aduance them likewise It hath beene knowne that a Fruit-Tree hath beene blowne vp almost by the Roots and set vp againe and the next yeare bare exceedingly The Cause of this was nothing but the Looseming of the Earth which comforteth any Tree and is fit to be practised more than it is in Fruit-Trees For Trees cannot be so fitly remoued into New Grounds as Flowers and Herbs may To reuiue an Old Tree the Digging of it about the Roots and Applying new Mould to the Roots is the way We see also that Draught-Oxen put into fresh Pasture gather new and tender Flesh And in all Things better Nourishment than hath beene vsed doth helpe to renew Especially if it be not onely better but changed and differing from the former If an Herbe be cut off from the Roots in the beginning of Winter and then the Earth be troden and beaten downe hard with the Foot and Spade the Roots will become of very great Magnitude in Summer The Reason is for that the Moisture being forbidden to come vp in the Plant stayeth longer in the Root and so dilateth it And Gardiners vse to tread downe any loose Ground after they haue sowne Onions or Turnips c. If Panicum be laid below and about the Bottome of a Root it will cause the Root to grow to an Excessiue Bignesse The Cause is for that being it selfe of a Spungy Substance it draweth the Moisture of the Earth to it and so feedeth the Root This is of greatest vse for Onions Turnips Parsnips and Carrets The Shifting of Ground is a Meanes to better the Tree and Fruit But with this Caution That all Things doe prosper best when they are aduanced to the better Your Nursery of Stockes ought to be in a more Barren Ground than the Ground is whereunto you remoue them So all Grasiers preferre their Cattell from meaner Pastures to better We see also that Hardnesse in Youth lengthneth Life because it leaueth a Cherishing to the better of the Body in Age Nay in Exercises it is good to begin with the hardest as Dancing in Thicke Shooes c. It hath beene obserued that Hacking of Trees in their Barke both downe-right and acrosse so as you make them rather in slices than in continued Hacks doth great good to Trees And especially deliuereth them from being Hide-bound and killeth their Mosse Shade to some Plants conduceth to make them large and prosperous more than Sun As in Strawberries and Bayes c. Therefore amongst Strawberries sow here and there some Barrage-Seed And you shall finde the Strawberries vnder those Leaues farro more large than their Fellowes And Bayes you must plant to the North Or defond them from the Sunne by a Hedge-Row And when you sow the Berries weed not the Borders for the first halfe yeare For the Weed giueth them Shade To increase the Crops of Phâ—â—â— there would be considered not only the Increasing the Lust of the Earth or of the Plant but the Sauing also of that which is spilt So they haue lately made a Triall to Set Wheat which neuerthelesse hath beene left off because of the trouble and paines Yet so much is true that there is much saued by the Setting in comparison of that which is Sewen Both by keeping it from being picked vp by Birds And by Auoiding the Shallow lying of it whereby much that is sowen taketh no Root It is prescribed by some of the Ancients that you take Small Trees vpon which Figs or other Fruit grow being yet vnripe and couer the Trees in the Middle of Autamne with dung vntill the Spring And then take them vp in a warme day and replant them in good Ground And by that meanes the former yeares Tree will be ripe as by a new Birth when other Trees of the fame kinde doe but blossome But this seemeth to haue no great Probabilitie It is reported that if you take Nitre and mingle it with Water to the thicknesse of Honey and therewith anoint the Bud after the Vine is cut it will sprout forth within eight dayes The Cause is like to be if the Experiment be true the Opening of the Bud and of the Parts Contiguous by the Spirit of the Nitre For Nitre is as it were the Life of Vegetables Take Seed or Kernells of Apples Peares Orenges Or a Peach or a Plum Stone c. And put them into a Squill which is like a great Onion and they will come vp much earlier than in the Earth it selfe This I conceiue no be as a Kinde of Grafting in the Root For as the Stocke of a Graft yeeldeth better prepared Nourishment to the Graft than the Crude Earth So the Squill doth the like to the Seed And I suppose the same would be done by Putting Kernells into a Turnip or the like Saue that the Squill is more Vigorous and Hot. It may be tried also with putting Onion-Seed into an Onion-Head which thereby perhaps will bring forth a larger and earlier Onion The Pricking of a Fruit in seuerall places when it is almost at his Bignesse and before it ripeneth hath beene practised with successe to ripen the Fruit more suddenly Wee see the Example of the Biting of Waspes or Wormes vpon Fruit whereby it manifestly ripeneth the sooner It is reported that Alga Marina Sea-weed put vnder the Roots of Coleworts and perhaps of other Plants will further their Growth The vertue no doubt hath Relation to Salt which is a great Helpe to Fertilitie It hath beene practised to cut off the Stalkes of Cucumbers immediately after their Bearing close by the Earth And then to cast a prettie Quantitie of Earth vpon the Plant that remaineth and they will beare the next yeare Fruit long before the ordinary time The Cause may be for that the Sap goeth downe the sooner and is not
in the rest And Triall would be made of Grasting of RoseMary and Bayes and Box vpon a Holly-Stocke Because they are Planes that come all Winter It were good to try it also with Grafts of other Trees either Fruit-Trees or Wilde-Trees To see whether they will not yeeld their Fruit or beare their Leaues later and longer in the Winter because the Sap of the Holly putteth forth most in the Winter It may be also a Mexerion-Tree grafted vpon a Holly will proue both an Earlier and a Greater Tree There be some Plants that beare no Flower and yet beare Fruit There be some that beare Flowers and no Fruit There be some that beare neither Flowers nor Fruit. Most of the great Timber-Trees as Oakes Beeches c. beare not apparent Flowers Some few likewise of the Fruit-Trees As Mulberry Wall-unt c. And some Shrubs as Iuniper Holly c. beare no Flowers Diuers Herbs also beare Seeds which is as the Fruit and yet beare no Flowers As Parslane c. Those that beare Flowers and no Fruit are few At the Double Cherry the Sallow c. But for the Cherry it is doubtfull whether it be not by Art or Culture For if it be by Art then Triall would be made whether Apples and other Fruits Blossomes may not be doubled There are some Few that beare neither Fruit nor Flower As the Elme the Poplers Box Brakes c. There be some Plants that shoot still vpwards and can Support themselues As the greatest Part of Trees and Plants There be some Other that Creepe along the Ground Or Winde about other Trees or Props and cannot support themselues As Vines Iuy Briar Briony Woodbines Hop 's Climatis Camomill c. The Cause is as hath beene partly touched for that all Plants naturally moue vpwards But if the Sap put vp too fast it maketh a slender Stalks which will not support the weight And therefore these latter Sort are all Swift and Hasty Commers The first and most Ordinary Holpe is Stercoration The Sheeps-Dung is one of the best And next the Dung of Kine And thirdly that of Horses Which is held to be somewhat too hot vnlesse it be mingled That of Pigeons for a Garden or a small Quantity of Ground excelleth The Ordering of Dung is If the Ground be Arable to spread it immediately before the Plonghing and Sowing And so to Plough it in For if you spread it long before the Sunne will draw out much of the Fatnesse of the Dung If the Ground be Grazing Ground to spread it somewhat late towards Winter That the Sunne may haue the lesse Power to dry it vp As for speciall Composts for Gardens as a Hot Bed c. we haue handled them before The Second Kind of Compost is the Spreading of diuers Kinds of Earths As Marle Chalke Sea-Sand Earth vpon Earth Pond-Earth And the Mixtures of them Marle is thought to be the best As hauing most Fatnesse And not Heating the Ground too much The next is Sea-Sand Which no doubt obtaineth a speciall Vertue by the Salt For Salt is the first Rudiment of life Chalke ouer heateth the Ground a little And therfore is best vpon Gold Clay-Grounds or Moist Grounds But I heard a great Husband say that it was a common Errour to thinke that Chalke helpeth Arable Grounds but helpeth not Grazing Grounds Wheras indeed it helpeth Grasse as well as Corne But that which breedeth the Errour is because after the Chalking of the Ground they weare it out with many Crops without Rest And then indeed afterwards it will beare little Grasse because the Gound is tired out It were good to try the laying of Chalke vpon Arable Grounds a little while before Ploughing And to Plough it in as they doe the Dung But then it must be Friable first by Raine or Lying As for Earth it Copasseth it Selfe For I knew a Great Garden that had a Field in a manner powred vpon it And it did beare Fruit excellently the first yeare of the Planting For the Surface of the Earth is cuer the Fruitfullest And Earth so prepared hath a double Surface But it is true as I coÌ„â—eiue that such Earth as hath Salt-Petre bred in it if you can procure it without too much charge doth excell The way to hasten the Breeding of Salt-Petre is to forbid the Sunne and the Growth of Vegetables And therefore if you make a large Houell thatched ouer some Quantity of Ground Nay if you doe but Plancke the Ground ouer it will breed Salt-petre As for Pond-Earth or Riuer-Earth it is a very good Compost Especially if the Pond haue beene long vncleansed and so the Water be not too Hungry And I iudge it will be yet better if there be some Mixture of Chalke The Third Helpe of Ground is by some other Substances that haue a Vertue to make Ground Fertile though they be not meerely Earth wherin Ashes excell In so much as the Countries about AEtna and Vesuuius haue a kinde of Amends made them for the Mischiefe the Eruptions many times doe by the exceeding Fruit fulnesse of the Soyle caused by the Ashes scattered about Soot also though thinne spred in a Field or Garden is tried to be a very good Compost For Salt it is too Costly But it is tryed that mingled with Seed-Corne and sowen together it doth good And I am of Opinion that Chalke in Powder mingled with Seed-Corne would doe good Perhaps as much as Chalking the Ground all ouer As for the Steeping of the Seeds in seuerall Mixtures with Water to giue them Vigour Or Watring Grounds with Compost-Water We haue spoken of them before The Fourth Helpe of Ground is the Suffering of Vegetables to dye into the Ground And so to Fatten it As the Stubble of Corne Especially PeaseBrakes cast vpon the Ground in the Beginning of Winter will make it very Fruitfull It were good also to try whether Leaues of Trees swept together with some Chalke and Dung mixed to giue them more Heart would not make a good Compost For there is nothing lost so much as Leaues of Trees And as they lye scattered and without Mixture they rather make the Ground soure than otherwise The Fifth Helpe of Ground is Heat and Warmth It hath beene anciâ—â—â—â—â— practised to burne Heath and Ling and Sedge with the vantage of 〈◊〉 Wind vpon the Ground Wee see that Warmth of Walls and Encloâ—â—â—es mendeth Ground We see also that Lying open to the South menâ—â—th Ground We see againe that the Foldings of Sheepe helpe Ground 〈…〉 ll by their Warmth as by their Compost And it may be doubted â—â—â—ther the Couering of the Ground with Brakes in the Beginning of the Winter where of we spake in the last Experiment helpeth it not by reasoâ— of the Warmth Nay some very good Husbands doe suspect that the Gathering vp of Flints in Flinty Ground and Laying them on Heapes which is much vsed is no good Husbandry For that they would keep the Ground Warme The
Sixth Helpe of Ground is by Watering and Irrigation which is in two Munners The one by Letting in and Shutti gout Waters at seasonable Tunes For Water at some Seasons and with reasonable dry deth good But at some other Seasons and with too long Stay doth â—â—â— And this serueth onely for Meadowes which are along some Rtuer The other way is to bring Water from some Hanging Grounds where there are Springs into the Lower Grounds carrying it in some â—â—â— Furrowes And from those Furrowes drawing it trauerse to spread the Water And this maketh an excellent Improuement both for Corne and Grasse It is the richer if those Hanging Grounds be fruitfull because it washeth off some of the Fatnesse of the Earth But howsoeuer it profiteth much Generally where there are great Ouerflowes in Fens or the like the drowning of them in the Winter maketh the Summer following more fruitfull The Cause may be for that it keepeth the Ground warme and nourisheth it But the Fen-Men hold that the Sewers must be kept so as the Water may not stay too long in the Spring til the Weeds and Sedge be growne vp For then the Ground will be like a Wood which keepeth out the Sunne And so continueth the Wet Whereby it will peuer graze to purpose that yeare Thus much for Irrigation But for Anoydances and Draynings of water where there is too much and the Helps of Ground in that kinde wee shall speake of them in another Place NATVRALL HISTORIE VII Century THe Differences betweene Animate and Inanimate Bodies we shall handle fully vnder the Title of Life and Liuing Spirits and Powers We shall therefore make but a briefe Mention of them in this Place The Maine Differences are two All Bodies haue Spirits and Pneumaticall Parts within them But the Maine Differences betweene Animate and Inanimate are two The first is that the Spirits of Things Animate are all Continued with themselues and are Branched in Veines and secret Canales as Bloud is And in Liuing Creatures the Spirits haue not only Branches but certaine Cells or Seats where the Principall Spirits doe reside and whereunto the rest doe resort But the Spirits in Things Inanimate are shut in and cut off by the Tangible Parts And are not peruious one to another As Aire is in Snow The Second Maine Difference is that the Spirits of Animate Bodies are all in some degree more or lesse kindled and inflamed And haue a fine Commixture of Flame and an Aeriall Substance But Inanimate Bodies haue their Spirits no whit Inflamed or Kindled And this Difference consisteth not in the Heat or Coolenesse of Spirits For Cloues and other Spices Naphtha and Petroleum haue exceeding Hot Spirits hotter a great deale than Oyle Wax or Tallow c. but not Inflamed And when any of those Weake and Temperate Bodies come to be Inflamed then they gather a much greater Heat than others haue Vn-inflamed besides their Light and Motion c. The Differences which are Secondary and proceed from these two Radicall Differences are First Plants are all Figurate and Determinate which Inanimate Bodies are not For looke how farre the Spirit is able to Spread and Continue it selfe So farre goeth the Shape or Figure And then is determined Secondly Plants doe nourish Inanimate Bodies doe not They haue an Accretion but no Alimentation Thirdly Plants haue a Period of Life which Inanimate Bodies haue not Fourthly they haue a Succession and Propagation of their Kinde which is not in Bodies Inanimate The Differences betweene Plants and Metalls or Fossiles besides those foure before mentioned For Metalls I hold Inanimate are these First Metalls are more Durable than Plants Secondly they are more Solid and Hard Thirdly they are wholly Subterrany Whereas Plants are part aboue Earth and part vnder Earth There be very few Creatures that participate of the Nature of Plants and Metalls both Corall is one of the Nearest of both Kindes Another is Vitrioll for that is aptest to sprout with Moisture Another speciall Affinitie is betweene Plants and Mould or Putrefaction For all Putrefaction if it dissolue not in Arefaction will in the end issue into Plants or Liuing Creatures bred of Putrefaction I account Mosse and Mushromes and Agaricke and other of those kindes to be but Moulds of the Ground Walls and Trees and the like As for Flesh and Fish and Plants themselues and a Number of other things after a Mouldinesse or Rottensesse or Corrupting they will fall to breed Wormes These Putrefactions which haue Affinitie with Plants haue this Difference from them That they haue no Succession or Propagation though they Nourish and haue a Period of Life and haue likewise some Figure I left once by chance a Citron cut in a close Roome for three Summer-Moneths that I was absent And at my Returne there were grown forth out of the Pith cut Tufts of Haires an Inch long with little blacke Heads as if they would haue beene some Herbe The Affinities and Differences betweene Plants and Liuing Creatures are these that follow They haue both of them Spirits Continued and Branched and also Inflamed But first in Liuing Creatures the Spirits haue a Cell or Seat which Plants haue not As was also formerly said And secondly the Spirits of Liuing Creatures hold more of Flame than the Spirits of Plants doe And these two are the Radicall Differences For the Secondary Differences they are as follow First Plants are all Fixed to the Earth Whereas all Liuing Creatures are seuered and of themselues Secondly Liuing Creatures haue Locall Motion Plants haue not Thirdly Liuing Creatures nourish from their Vpper Parts by the Mouth chiefly Plants nourish from below namely from the Roots Fourthly Plants haue their Seed and Seminall Parts vppermost Liuing Creatures haue them lower-most And therefore it was said not elegantly alone but Philosophically Homoest Planta inuerse Man is like a Plant turned vpwards For the Root in Plants is as the Head in Liuing Creatures Fifthly Liuing Creatures haue a more exact Figure than Plants Sixthly Liuing Creatures haue more Diuersity of Organs within their Bodies and as it were Inward Figures than Plants haue Seuenthly Liuing Creatures haue Sense which Plants haue not Eighthly Liuing Creatures haue Voluntary Motion which Plants haue not For the Difference of Sexes in Plants they are oftentimes by name distinguished As Male-Piony Female-Piony Male-Rose-mary FemaleRose mary Hee-Holly Shee-Holly c. but Generation by Copulation certainly extendeth not to Plants The nearest Approach of it is between the Hee-Palme and the Shee-Palme which as they report if they grow neare incline the One to the other In so much as that which is more strange they doubt not to report that to keepe the Trees vpright from Bending they tye Ropes or Lines from the one to the other that the Contact might be enjoyed by the Contact of a Middle Body But this may be Faigned or at least Amplified Neuerthelesse I am apt enough to thinke that this same Binarium of a Stronger
more than the Fiue Senses Neither doe we well know whether some Beasts and Birds haue not Senses that we know not And the very some of Dogs is almost a sense it selfe Secondly the Pleasures of the Touch are greater and deeper than those of the other Senses As we see in Warming vpon Cold Or Refrigeration vpon Heat For as the Paines of the Touch are greater than the Offences of other Sense So likewise are the Pleasures It is true that the Affecting of the Spirits immediately and as it were without an Organ is of the greatest Pleasure Which is but in two things Sweet Smells And Wine and the like Sweet Vapours For Smells wee see their great and sudden Effect in fetching Men againe when they swoune For Drinke it is certaine that the Pleasure of Drunkennesse is next the Pleasure of Venus And Great Ioyes likewise make the Spirits moue and touch themselues And the pleasure of Venus is somewhat of the same Kinde It hath beene alwayes obserued that Men are more inclined to Venus in the Winter and Women in the Summer The Cause is for that the Spirits in a Body more Hot and dry as the Spirits of Men are by the Summer are more exhaled and dissipated And in the Winter more condensed and kept entire But in Bodies that are Cold and Moist as Womens are the Summer doth Cherish the Spirits and calleth them forth the Winter doth dull them Furthermore the Abstinence or Intermission of the Vse of Venus in Moist and Well Habituate Bodies breedeth a Number of Diseases And especially dangerous Impostumations The Reason is euident For that it is a Principall Euacuation especially of the Spirits For of the Spirits there is scarce any Euacuation but in Venus and Exercise And therefore the Omission of either of them breedeth all Diseases of Repletion The Nature of Viuification is very worthy the Enquiry And as the Nature of Things is commonly better perceiued in Small than in Great and in vnperfect than in perfect and in Parts than in whole So the Nature of Viuification is best enquired in Creatures bred of Putrefaction The Contemplation whereof hath many Excellent Fruits First in Disclosing the Originall of of Viuification Secondly in Disclosing the Originall of Figuration Thirdly in Disclosing many Things in the Nature of Perfect Creatures which in them lye more hidden And Fourthly in Traducing by way of Operation some Obseruations in the Insecta to worke Effects vpon Perfect Creatures Note that the word Insecta agreeth not with the Matter but we euer vse it for Breuities sake intending by it Creatures bred of Putrefaction The Insecta are found to breed out of seuerall Matters Some breed of Mud or Dung As the Earth-wormes Eeles Snakes c. For they are both Putrefactions For Water in Mud doth Puttifie as not able to Preserue it selfe And for Dung all Excrements are the Refuse and Putrefactions of Nourishment Some breed in Wood both Growing and Cut down Quare in what Woods most and at what Seasons We see that the Worms with many Feet which round themselues into Balls are bred chiefly vnder Logs of Timber but not in the Timber And they are said to be found also many times in Gardens where no Logs are But it seemeth their Generation requireth a Couerture both from Sunne and Raine or Dew As the Timber is And therfore they are not Venemous but contrariwise are held by the Physitians to clarifie the Bloud It is obserued also that Cimices are found in the Holes of Bed-Sides Some breed in the Haire of Liuing Creatures As Lice and Tikes which are bred by the Sweat close kept and somewhat are fied by the Haire The Excrements of Liuing Creatures do not only breed Insecta when they are Excerned but also while they are in the Body As in Wormes whereto Children are most subiect and are chiefly in the Guts And it hath beene lately obserued by Physitians that in many Pestilent Diseases there are Wormes found in the vpper Parts of the Body where Excrements are not but onely Humours Putrified Fleas breed Principally of Straw or Mass where there hath beene a little Moisture Or the Chamber and Bed-straw kept close and not Aired It is receiued that they are killed by Strewing Worme-wood in the Rooms And it is truly obserued that Bitter Things are apt rather to kill than engender Putrefaction And they be Things that are Fat or Sweet that are aptest to Putrifie There is a Worme that breedeth in Meale of the shape of a large white Magget which is giuen as a great Dainty to Nightingales The Moath breedeth vpon Cloth and other Lanifices Especially if they be laid vp dankish and wet It delighteth to be about the Flame of a Candle There is a Worme called a Wenill brad vnder Ground and that feedeth vpon Roots As Parsnips Carrets c. Some breed in Waters especially shaded but they must be Standing-waters As the Water-Spider that hath six Legs The Fly called the Oad-fly breedeth of somewhat that Swimmeth vpon the Top of the Water and is most about Ponds There is a Worme that breedeth of the Dregs of Wine Decayed which afterwards as is obserued by some of the Ancients turneth into a Gnat. It hath bin obserued by the Ancients that there is a Worme that breedeth in old Snow and is of Colour Reddish and dull of Motion and dieth soone after it commeth out of Snow Which should shew that Snow hath in it a secret Warmth For else it could hardly Viuisie And the Reason of the Dying of the Worme may be the sudden Exhaling of that little Spirit as soone as it commeth out of the Cold which had shut it in For as Butterflies quicken with Heat which were benummed with Cold So Spirits may exhale with Heat which were Preserued in Cold. It is affirmed both by Ancient and Moderne Obseruation that in Furnaces of Copper and Brasse where Chalcites which is Vitrioll is often cast in to mend the working there riseth suddenly a Fly which sometimes moueth as if it tooke hold on the walls of the Furnace Sometimes is seene mouing in the Fire below And dieth presently as soone as it is out of the Furnace Which is a Noble Instance and worthy to be weighed for it sheweth that as well Violent Heat of Fire as the Gentle Heat of Liuing Creatures will Viuifie if it haue Matter Proportionable Now the great Axiome of Viuification is that there must be Heat to dilate the Spirit of the Body An Actiue Spirit to be dilated Matter Viscous or Tenacious to hold in the Spirit And that Matter to be put forth and Figured Now a Spirit dilated by so ardent a Fire as that of the Furnace as soone as euer it cooleth neuer so little congealeth presently And no doubt this Action is furthered by the Chalcites which hath a Spirit that will Put forth and germinate as we see in Chymicall Trialls Briefly most Things Putrified bring forth Insecta of seuerall Names But wee will