Of the < ProduBm of new Tlants *

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Chap. I.

How new kinds of Plants may be generated of pntref'aftion.

S we have shewed before, that new kinds of Living Creaturesmay be generated of putrefaction; so, to proceed in thefame order as we have begun, we will now shew thatnew kinds of Plants may grow up of their own accord,without any help of feed or l'uch like. The Antientsqneliion-less were of opinion, that divers plants were generated ofthe earth and water mixc together; and that particuiafplaces did yield certain particular plants. We rehearsedthe opinion of Diogenes before, who held that plants arc generated of water pn-trified in it self, ana a little earth tempered therewith. Theophrasttu held, thatthe rain causeth much putrefaction and alteration in the earth, and thereby plantsmay be nourished, the Sun working upon it with his heating, and with his dryingoperation. They write also, that the ground when it is stirred, brings forth suchkinds of Plants alwaies, as are usuall in the same place. In the isleCreta, theground is of that nature, that if it be stirred anywhere, and no other thing sownor planted in it, it Will of it self bring forth a Cypreffe-trec: and their tilledlands, those that are somewhat moist, when they lie fallow, bring forth thi-stles. So the herb Laser in Africa, is generated of a kind of pitchy or clammyrain and thick dirt; and the herb will shew it self out of the earth presentlyafter the rain is fallen. ‘Pltnj said, that the waters which fall from above,are the cause of every thing that grows upon the earth, nature shewing thereinher admirable work and power: and many such things they report, whichwe have spoken of in the books of the knowledge of Plants. And I my selfhave oft-times by experience proved, that ground digged out from under thelowest foundations of certain houses, and the bottom of some pits, and laidopen in some small vessel to the force of the Sun , hath brought forth diverskinds of Plants. And whereas I had oftentimes, partly for my own pleasure, andpartly to search into the works of Nature , sought out and gathered togetherearths of divers kinds, I laid them abroad in the Sun, and watered them of-ten with a little sprinkling, and found thereby, that a fine light earth wouldbring forth herbs that had flight strikes like a rush, and leaves full of fine lit-tle ragges ; and likewise that a rough and stiff earth full of holes, wouldbring forth a flight herbe, hard as wood, and full of crevises. In like man-ner, if I took of the earth that had been digged out of the thick woods,orout of moist places, or out of the holes that are in hollow stones , it wouldbring forth herbs that had smooth Newish strikes, and leaves full of juice andsubstance, such as Peny-wort, Puiflme, Sencgreek, and Stone-croppe. Wemade trial also of some kinds of earth that had been farre fctcht, such asthey had used for the ballast of their Shippes; and we found such herbs ge-nerated thereof , as we knew not what they were. Nay further also, even outof very roots and barks of Trees, and rotten seeds, powned and buried, andthere macccrated with water, we have brought forth in a manner the veryfame herbs; as out of an Oken root, the herb Polypody , and Oak-fern, andSplenewort, or at least such herbs as did resemble those, both in making andin properties. What should I here rehearse, how many kinds of toad-stools andpufT we have produced? yea, of every several mixture of putrified things, somany several kinds have been generated. All which I would here haveset down, if I could have reduced them into any method - or else if sochplants had been produced, as I intended: but those came that were never

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