cropt Bean into thin Slices croffwife, one may fee in every fuch Slice the Course of the little SeedRoots (reprefented here by little Points or Dots) quite to the end; (fee Tab. XVIII. Fig. 5.) where bb fhew the Dots through which the Seed-Root is cut across; and if you fhould cut off thin Skins lengthwife from the faid Bean, you may fee the little Branches of the faid Root that were just before cut across. Tab. XVIII. Fig. 6. fhews the faid white Lupin, as it appeared to Dr. Grew, of which c is the Pluma, b the Root, dd the Pith, and a a the Branches of the Seed-Root. Fig. 7. is the Seed of a Gourd, where the faid Gentleman fays, that one need only split it in two, in order to fee within it the faid Seed-Roots clearly and accurately in all their Branches. In other Seeds, where these Roots are not quite fo vifible, either because they are of the fame Colour with the rest of the Body, or for other Reasons, yet the Root-Sprout, or the Feathers, may be always feen plain enough. [Vide Grew, Cap. I. of his Anatomy of Plants.]

SECT. VI. The Cavity in the Bean for the
Pluma.

ONE might here add other Particulars; as for Inftance, that in Fig. 4. the little Pluma e, is the Origin of the future Trunk, or rather the Trunk itself in miniature; for which reason those that know how very neceffary it is to the Existence of the Plant, and who likewife obferve the Tendernefs thereof, muft they not be convinced, that it was with fome View and Defign, that in each Part of the Bean there was form'd a fmall Cavity to place the faid Pluma, and to preserve it from all Inconveniences, in fuch a manner, that the Beans may be handled, thrown together in Heaps, and

toffed

toffed into Sacks, without the leaft prejudice to the faid tender Trunk?

SECT. VII. The Hole in the Skin of the Root-Sprout.

BESIDES all this, we fee in the great Seeds, fuch as Beans, even with the naked Eye (and in those that are fmaller, with the Microfcope) that the external Coat or furrounding Membrane is always pierced or bored through with a very little Hole, directly oppofite to the Point of the Root-fprout e; to the end, that when the Seed is fown, and begins to fhoot forth, this RootIprout may not be hinder'd by the Thickness of the clofed Bark or Skin, from growing out and fpreading itself in the Earth; in order, as we have faid before, to ferve afterwards for an Earth-Root to the Plant. Infomuch, that even Nuts, and hard Peach-ftones, have the like Orifice or Hole to make room for the putting forth of the faid Root-fprout.

SECT. VIII. The Nutricions Juice or Sap changes its way in the Seed.

THOSE that defire to be informed of other Particulars, in which the Wisdom of the Creator does appear, may confult the aforefaid laudable Authors, concerning the Structure of the Seed itfelf, and learn thereby to acknowledge a higher Direction of Him that has adapted the Inftruments of the Seed thereto; among which there is one that cannot be contemplated without Wonder, namely, that the Nutricious Juice, which proceeding firft from the Matter of the Body of the Seed aa aa, Fig. 4. through the Seed-root bd, caufes the Root-fprout dc, to fix itself below in the Ground; after which it changes its Course VOL. II.

U u

as

as foon as ever this Root becomes ftrong enough to draw its Nourishment from the Earth; and then on the contrary, taking its way upwards, it caufes the Pluma e to fhoot forth, in order to become a Trunk.

SECT. IX. The Seed-leaves, and their Ufe.

IT is remarkable, befides all this, that in most Seeds, when the Root is big enough to feed the Plant, thefe Seeds-particles a a, a a, are carried upwards with the Trunk out of the Earth, after which they compofe the Seed-leaves, fo called, becaufe thefe firft Leaves, in almost all Plants, have a different Figure from the fubfequent Leaves of the faid Plants. This is very visible in fome Seeds, as for Inftance, in Cucumbers, in which the Seed itfelf, with its white Colour, does first appear above Ground; and afterwards by little and little, becomes vifibly yellow, and then is turned into green Seed-leaves; the fame are as many in Number, as the Parts of which each Seed confifts.

We do not here difpute, whether the use of thefe Leaves is to communicate a more proper Food to the Pluma, or tender Trunk of the Plant, than the Root is capable to do at that time from the Earth, and to moisten the faid Trunk with the Dew and Water of Rain, which they receive by conveying it along their little Stalks, and fo hinder it from being too fuddenly dried up by the warm Air; or, whether thefe Seed-leaves help to defend the tender Plant from other Inconveniences, after the fame manner as we fee where in those Grains that have no Seed-leaves, the Pluma encompafs'd with a Membrane like a Sheath, probably for the fame purpose; and of which also, we may obferve two little Membranes in the great

Bean,

Bean, that have likewife no Seed-bladders. At leaft Dr. Grew obferves, that in Seeds, the Parts of which fpringing out of the Earth, are turned into Seed-leaves, none of thefe Membranous Sheaths are to be found. We fhall not determine any thing particularly in all thefe Matters; but that thefe Seed-leaves are abfolutely neceffary in preferving and nourifhing of the Trunk, and for the encrease of the Plant, is plain enough from the Experiments that the learned Malphigi has made concerning them, from whence he finally draws this Conclufion; The Effects and Ufes of thefe Seedleaves are fo necessary, that if they be pulled off and Separated from the Plant, it won't grow; and if it fhould any way increase, it won't be compleat, but remain always defective. [See his Treatife de Sem. Ve get. p. 16. of the London Edition.] Every one may likewise make the fame Obfervation.

SECT. X. Convictions from the foregoing Ob-
Jervations.

DEPLORABLE Atheists, who in order to quiet in fome Measure their uneafy Confciences, (which is terrify'd always, and in all Places where it expects to find a GOD,) and to harden it against its perpetual Pangs, are forced to afcribe all thefe admirable Properties that display themselves fo multifariously in the Body, and in the Operations of a little Seed, to Caufes that have no Knowledge, and which when they produced fuch Seeds, were Strangers to what they did, and even to their own felves too. Now if any of thofe Atheists had been able to have produced any thing of the like Nature, tho' incomparably lefs Perfect, and could have form'd a Seed from whence the very fmalleft Leaf of Grafs might fpring, would he not think that every one who fhould maintain that VOL.II. U u 2 there

there was no Skill nor Judgment neceffary thereto, would do him great Injuftice? And in cafe a Seed or an Acron were fhown to any Man who had never feen a Tree, and who having fet the fame in the Earth, fhould obferve a whole Oak growing out of it, would he not, tho' never fo much conceited of his own Wisdom; I fay, would he not look upon it as a moft amazing Phenomenon, efpecially when he found that fo many hundred Acorns were yearly brought forth thereby? But an unhappy Atheift muft judge quite otherwife in this Matter, and maintain a Notion contrary to that of all Men: With what Satisfaction, to his own Conscience, will be best known to himself, when he rightly confiders the Matter with himfelf, and difcovers how little Reafon or Ground there is to conclude, that each Seed contains the Stamen of the future Plant, and even of the greateft Trees (as far as can be observ'd) in all their Parts folded, or rolled up like a Clew of Thread; and that all this is purely accidental. Let him once more examine himself, and confider whether, if there were nothing but Chance and ignorant Causes in the World to produce fuch Effects, he could fatisfie himself in believing, that all these Wonders could ever happen, not to fay conftantly and regularly, in the vegetable Kingdom, and that one Tree could ever have been produced..

SECT. XI. Confiderations on the Texts in John xii. 24. 1 Cor. xv. 36. 7, 8. and Gen. ii. 4, 5, 6. with Obfervations on the last of 'em.

Now fince it is an experienced Truth with all Inquirers, that the Seeds of almoft all Plants do not remain nor perish in the Earth, but that its Parts fpring out of the Earth. under the Figure of Seed-leaves, the Grains of Corn and Beans being

the