Chapter VII: Appendix: The First Part (6)

_Vegetables_ are of numerous sorts, and every sort of very different Natures: as for example, Some are Reviving Cordials; others, Deadly Poyson; some are Purgers, others are Nourishers: some have Hot Effects, some Cold; some Dry, some Moist; some bear Fruit, some bears no Fruit; some appear all the year Young; others appear but part of the year Young, and part Old; some are many years a producing; others are produced in few hours; some will last many hundred years; others will decay in the compass of few hours: some seem to dye one part of the year, and revive again in another part of the year: some rot and consume in the Earth, after such a time; and will continue in perfection, if parted from the Earth. Others will wither and decay, as soon as parted from the Earth. Some are of a dense Nature, some of a rare Nature; some grow deep into the Earth; others grow high out of the Earth; some will only produce in dry Soyls, some in moist: some will produce only in Water, as we may perceive by some Ponds; others on Houses of Brick or Stone. Also, some grow out of Stone; as, many Stones will have a green Moss: some are produced by sowing their Seed into the Earth; others, by setting their Roots, or Slips, into the Earth: others again, by joyning or engrafting one Plant into another: so that there is much variety of Vegetables, and those of such different Natures, that they are not only different Sorts, but are variety of Effects of one and the same sort; and it requires not only the study of one Human Creature, or many Human Creatures; but, of all the Human Creatures in all Nations and Ages, to know them; which is the reason, that those that have writ of the Natures of Herbs, Flowers, Roots, and Fruits, may be much mistaken. But I, living more constantly in my Study, than in my Garden, shall not venture to treat much of the particular Natures, and Natural Effects of Vegetables.

CHAP. X. Of the Production of Vegetables.

Tis no wonder, that some sorts of _Vegetables_ are produced out of Stone or Brick, (as some that will grow on the top of Houses) by reason that Brick is made of Earth, and Stone is generated in the Bowels of the Earth; which shows they are of an Earthly Nature or Substance. Neither is it a wonder that Vegetables will grow upon some sorts of Water, by reason some sorts of Waters may be mixt with some Parts of Earth. But, I have been credibly informed, That a Man whose Legg had been cut, and

a Seed of an Oat being gotten into the Wound by chance, the Oat did sprout out into a green Blade of Grass: which proves, that Vegetables may be produced in several Soyls. But 'tis probable, that though many sorts of Vegetables may sprout, as Barly in Water; yet, they cannot produce any of the off-spring of the same Sort or Kind.

But, my Thoughts are, at this present, in some dispute; as, Whether the Earth is a Part of the Production of Vegetables, as being the Breeder? or, whether the Earth is only Parts of Respiration, and not Parts of Production; and so, rather Breathing-Parts, than Breeding-Parts, as Water to Fishes?

But, if so, then every particular Seed must encrease, not only by a bare Transformation of their Parts into the first Form of Production; but, by division of their united Parts, must produce many other Societies of the same sort; as Religious Orders, where one Convent divides into many Convents of the same Order; which occasions a numerous Encrease. So the several Parts of one Seed, may divide into many Seeds of the same sort, as being of the same _Species_; but then, every Part of that Seed, must be encreased by additional Parts; which must be, by Nourishing Parts: which Nourishing Parts are, in all probability, Earthy Parts; or, at least, partly of Earthy Parts; and partly, of some of the other Elemental Parts: but, as I have often said, all Creatures in Nature are Assisted, and do Subsist, by each other.

CHAP. XI. Of Replanting Vegetables.

_Replanting of Vegetables_, many times, occasions great Alterations; in so much as a Vegetable, by often Replanting, will be so altered, as to appear of another sort of Vegetable: the reason is, that several sorts, or parts of Soyls, may occasion other sorts of Actions, and Orders, in one and the same Society. But this is to be noted in the Lives of many Animals, That several sorts of Food, make great alterations in their Temper and Shape; though not to alter their Species, yet so as to cause them to appear worse or better: but, this is most visible amongst Human Creatures, whom some sorts of Food will make weak, sick, faint, lean, pale, old, and withered: other sorts of Food will make them strong, and healthy, fat, fair, smooth, and ruddy. So some sorts of Soyls will cause some Vegetables to be larger, brighter, smoother, sweeter, and of more various and glorious Colours.

CHAP. XII. Of Artificial Things.

_Artificial Things_, are Natural Corporeal Figurative Motions: for, all Artificial Things are produced by several produced Creatures. But, the differences of those Productions we name _Natural_ and _Artificial_, are, That the Natural are produced from the Producer's own Parts; whereas the Artificial are produced by composing, or joyning, or mixing several Forrein Parts; and not any of the particular Parts of their composed Society: for, Artificial things are not produced as Animals, Vegetables, Minerals, or the like: but only, they are certain seral Mixtures of some of the divided, or dead Parts, as I may say, of Minerals, Vegetables, Elements, and the like. But this is to be noted, That all, or at least, most, are but Copied, and not Originals.

But some may ask, _Whether Artificial Productions have Sense, Reason, and Perception?_

I answer: That if all the Rational and Sensitive Parts of Nature, are Perceptive, and that no part is without Perception; then all Artificial Productions are Perceptive.

CHAP. XIII. Of several Kinds and Sorts of Species.

According to my Opinion, though the _Species_ of this World, and all the several Kinds and Sorts of _Species_ in this World, do always continue; yet, the particular Parts of one and the same Kind or sort of _Species_, do not continue: for, the particular Parts are perpetually altering their Figurative Actions. But, by reason some Parts compose or unite, as well as some Parts dissolve or disunite; all kinds and sorts of _Species_, will, and must last so long as Nature lasts. But mistake me not, I mean such kinds and sorts of _Species_ as we name Natural, that is, the Fundamental Species; but not such _Species_, as we name Artificial.

CHAP. XIV. Of Different WORLDS.

Tis probable if Nature be Infinite, there are several kinds and sorts of those Species, Societies, or Creatures, we name _Worlds_; which may be so different from the Frame, Form, Species, and Properties of this World, and the Creatures of this World, as not to be any ways like this World, or the Creatures in this World. But mistake me not, I do not mean, not like this World, as it is Material and Self-moving; but, not of the same Species, or Properties: as for example, That they have not such kind of Creatures, or their Properties, as Light, Darkness, Heat, Cold, Dry, Wet, Soft, Hard, Leight, Heavy, and the like.

But some may say, _That is impossible: for, there can be no World, but must be either Light or Dark, Hot or Cold, Dry or Wet, Soft or Hard, Heavy or Leight; and the like_.

I answer, That though those Effects may be generally beneficial to most of the Creatures in this World; yet, not to all the Parts of the World: as for example, Though Light is beneficial to the Eyes of Animals; yet, to no other Part of an Animal Creature. And, though Darkness is obstructive to the Eyes of Animals; yet, to no other Parts of an Animal Creature. Also, Air is no proper Object for any of the Human Parts, but Respiration. So Cold and Heat, are no proper Objects for any Part of a Human Creature, but only the Pores, which are the Organs of Touch. The like may be said for Hard and Soft, Dry and Wet: and since they are not Fundamental actions of Nature, but Particular, I cannot believe, but that there may be such Worlds, or Creatures, as may have no use of Light, Darkness, and the like: for, if some Parts of this World need them not, nor are any ways beneficial to them, (as I formerly proved) surely a whole World may be, and subsist without them: for these Properties, though they may be proper for the Form or Species of this World; yet, they may be no ways proper for the Species of another kind or sort of World: as for example, The Properties of a Human Creature are quite different from other kinds of Creatures; the like may be of different Worlds: but, in all Material Worlds, there are Self-moving Parts, which is the cause there is self-joyning, uniting, and composing; self dividing, or dissolving; self-regularities, and self-irregularities: also, there is Perception amongst the Parts or Creatures of Nature; and what Worlds or Creatures soever are in Nature, they have Sense and Reason, Life and Knowledg: but, for Light and Darkness, Hot and Cold, Soft and Hard, Leight and Heavy, Dry and Wet, and the like; they are all but particular actions of particular Corporeal Species, or Creatures, which are finite, and not infinite: and certainly, there may be, in Nature, other Worlds as full of varieties, and as glorious and beautiful as this World; and are, and may be more glorious or beautiful, as also, more full of variety than this World, and yet be quite different in all kinds and sorts, from this World: for, this is to be noted, That the different kinds and sorts of Species, or Creatures, do not make Particulars more or less perfect, but according to their kind. And one thing I desire, That my _Readers_ would not mistake my meaning, when I say, _The Parts dissolve_: for, I do not mean, that Matter dissolves; but, that their particular Societies dissolve.