L. 3-c' 4* -

yhe natural force of the Palm. Tree •
'^4 [mile from Hens and Fe¬ males that "want the Male.
Women will bring forth lumps without form.
The f pint of the world makes all things fruit¬ ful
L* 3 1 C, Ji
pionyfeed very comely to look
on.
Cantie. 7 •
Gen. jo.
Auguftine on Genefis.
whether Man- dr agora caufe conception .
tie embracements it grow fruitfully and being wedded with ir, fwels forth into feed and fruit j which Pliny faith, is done in the Palm Tree. For the Female by the vapour and influence of the Male, conceives and brings forth fruit : the Female bowing down her top and branches towards the Male, and fawning on it, and when the Male is cut down, (he grows barren, therefore the Ara¬ bians fay that the Females will not bear without the Males, the flowers and down of them, and fomedmes the powder and duft, being flrewed upon the Females. For the like happens to thefe plants, as doth to hens, that will lay Egs without the -Cock, but thefe Egs will never bring any Chicken, though the Heiis fit on them never fo long. The realon is not unlike in women, in whofe capacities of the Matrix, by a mixture of feed and bloud flowing thither, fomedmes limps are heaped together, without any mans cooperation, but becaule mans help was wanting, and the effici¬ ent caufe that affords life and form, and venue was not ufed, all that matte and heap is without form and life. Wherefore plants that have a vegetative faculty, no lefie than animals that are bred of a moift and llippcry feed, do fend a generative force and vital fpirit one into the ocher, and enjoy a mutual copulation, and that by a fecret confent of nature, and a hidden infpiration, that they have from the heat of the Ayre and the Sun, and the generative fpirit of the world, whereby plants do floarifh, are foflered, do bud, are quickened and enlivened, and conceive and bring forth feed and fruit ; which venue is infufed into the world and all the parts of it, whereby all things are continued, and fubfift in acon- ftanc order. Wherefore Theophrafm and other fearchers into the natures of plants, have wifely divided them into Males and Fe¬ males, by the reafon that Tome are fruiifull and bear feed, but others are barren and bring forth none. So Piony called the Male, the crooked bladders and busks opening by degrees, is very beau- tifull, here with black fhining feeds, there with red and Scarlet colour’d, and it refrefheth the eyes with a prefent efficacy, in cu¬ ring the Epilepfie ; the Female wants this comclineffe. So the Female Mandragora is cither barren or bears very fmall fruit. But the Male bears a lovely pleafantand fwc£t fented Apple, like to the yelk of a Hens Egg, by the enticement whereof, Rachel being allured, fuffered Leah to lie with the Patriarch Jacob , where¬ by, as fame Eccldiaftical writers fuppofe, fhe might be made fruitful. But I can fee no natural reafon for it, nor. is it likely thacMandragora fliould curebarrenncffe, fince it cools extream- ly, unlcfte it chance to be good for a hot fiery and torrefied Matrix, which being unfit to conceive, as is alfo the Matrix that is excee¬ ding moift, • as Hippocrates faith, may be helped by, and brought to itsdue temper, orelfe becaufe it is of a fleepy quality it may help the retentive faculty of the womb to hold the feed. We ob- fervethe fame diftindtion of fex in the Bay-tree, Cortjeil-tree, Olive, blew Violet, Oak, and many more : whereof fuch as are cal¬ led the Males, are fruitfull with flowers, fruir, and feed j but the iuf , Females
Chap. 1 1.
Of Lampreyes.
26 5
Females are barren, and bear nothing. Alfoamongft wild plants and Garden plants that are cultivated by mans induftry, we al¬ ways lee fuch a difference, yetfoas that the wild plants which corneup of themlelves, if they be drefied and tranfplantcd, will become as Garden plants. For as a country clown who is rude AJ failefrm and uncivil, if he be brought to the Court, and put into rich cloths, couatyy cLoVfn^ atrd ufed to dainty fare, in time and long cuftome, he will become a Courtier, and be like a Gentleman , though fometimes there will befoaieching obferved in him that will lmeli of his former condition, and rural behaviour , fo will plants lay afide their wild condition, and harih natures by dreffmg and manuring them by mans induftry. On the contrary, Garden plants will grow wild and degenerate, unlefle great care be taken to dreffe them, even Afimiefrm a as fome Noblemen, that frequent the company of Clowns in the Courtier^» Country ,and are commonly amongft them,lofe their AnceftorsNo- tciow*!** m* bility, and ingenuous behaviour, and fall from their liberal edu¬ cation, hcroick Majefty, and civility of life, and become rude and favage as many clowns are. And as Garden plants and fruits are the more bcautifull by mans induftry and care about them, and wl,d flams bea are fairer than the wild ones are ; yet they came from wild ones pZn ?s*rden at firft, lo that they will become like to them again, unlefle they be manured.
Hence, ftudious Reader, thou mayeft conje&ure, what force there is in manuring of all things, and of education el pecially for Fr om plants to man; wnat care will do to preferve thebody in health, that the men™e mu$ fafety of both parts and welfare may be preferved, than which nothing is more to be defired. '* . ; o
vt?v
CHAP. XI.
That Lampreys which the Hollanders commonly call Pricken, if they be dried in a Chimney, they will burn like Torches and Links if thy be lighted. -
LAmprrys chat are fo called in Lacine Lampttrx , from licking wh^cHhtfkre and fucking of Rocks, are like to thole called ^urienf CalledLmflw 1 .rm and figure of their bodies, but they are not fo great, ti.cy areflippefy final 1 fifh , with a long and round body^ like id tndfc fmalTEcIs the Hollanders call ^A.el ( for Talincks are longer) with feven holes that they are diftinguifhed by, on the left fide.
-•Tnere is in thofe fmall fifti from head to tail, not a back- mfenptUnof bone, as in che reit, bur a nerve that is fofeer than a Cartilage, the Lamprey. w itreby they turn chemfelves as they will, exceeding nimbly; for they turn and wind chemfcives round like a hoop-" they con¬ tract, uHUtc, and ftretch themfelves, they leap, and play, creep and go forward as they lift. For their vital! fpirit is in the Lampreys have,
treatuparc of their caily and they are fooner killed there than ^IntheWuiti
G o ' ' by
f
2 66
when Bath's are good.