lays them and
closes them in a pulp for their safer protection from outward dangers, and
for the supply of convenient alimental juice, when the heat of the Sun
begins to animate and move these little _automatons_ or Engines; as if she
would, from the ornaments wherewith she has deckt these Cabinets, hint to
us, that in them she has laid up her Jewels and Master-pieces. And this, if
we are but diligent in observing, we shall find her method throughout.
There is no curiosity in the Elemental kingdom, if I may so call the bodies
of Air, Water, Earth, that are comparable in form to those of Minerals, Air
and Water having no form at all, unless a potentiality to be form'd into
Globules; and the clods and parcels of Earth are all irregular, whereas in
Minerals she does begin to _Geometrize_, and practise, as 'twere, the first
principles of _Mechanicks_, shaping them of plain regular figures, as
triangles, squares, &c. and _tetraedrons_, cubes, &c. But none of their
forms are comparable to the more compounded ones of Vegetables; For here
she goes a step further, forming them both of more complicated shapes, and
adding also multitudes of curious Mechanick contrivances in their
structure; for whereas in Vegetables there was no determinate number of the
leaves or branches, nor no exacly certain figure of leaves, or flowers, or
seeds, in Animals all those things are exactly defin'd and determin'd; and
where-ever there is either an excess or defect of those determinate parts
or limbs, there has been some impediment that has spoil'd the principle
which was most regular: Here we shall find, not onely most curiously
compounded shapes, but most stupendious Mechanisms and contrivances, here
the ornaments are in the highest perfection, nothing in all the Vegetable
kingdom that is comparable to the deckings of a Peacock; nay, to the
curiosity of any feather, as I elsewhere shew; nor to that of the smallest
and most despicable Fly. But I must not stay on these speculations, though
perhaps it were very well worth while for one that had leisure, to see what
Information may be learn'd of the nature, or use, or virtues of bodies, by
their several forms and various excellencies and properties. Who knows but
_Adam_ might from some such contemplation, give names to all creatures? If
at least his names had any significancy in them of the creatures nature on
which he impos'd it; as many (upon what grounds I know not) have suppos'd:
And who knows, but