Book II. Creatures (a). There are fo many Beafts, fo many Birds, fo many Infects, fo many Reptiles, fo many Trees, fo many Plants upon the Land; fo many Fishes, Sea-Plants, and other Creatures in the Waters; so many Minerals, Metals, and Foffiles in the Subterraneous Regions; fo many Species of thefe Genera, fo many Individuals of thofe Species, that there is nothing wanting to the Ufe of Man, or any other Creature of this lower World. If every Age doth change its Food, its way of Cloathing, its way of Building; if every Age (b) hath its Variety of Difeafes; nay, if Man, or any other Animal, was minded to change thefe Things every Day, ftill the Creation would not be exhaufted, ftill nothing would be wanting for Food, nothing for Phyfick, nothing for Building and Habitation, nothing for Cleanlinefs and Refreshment, yea, even for Re

(a) Non dat Deus beneficia? Unde ergò ifta qua poffides? Unde hac innumerabilia, oculos, aures & animum mulcentia? Unde illa luxuriam quoque inftruens copia? Neque enim neceffitatibus tantummodò noftris provifum eft ufque in delicias amamur. Tot arbusta, non uno modo frugifera, tot herba falutares, tot varietates ciborum, per totum annum digefta, ut inerti quoque fortuita terra alimenta praberent. Jam animalia omnis generis, alia in ficco, &c. ut omnis rerum natura pars tributum aliquod nobis conferret. Senec. de Benef. 1. 4. c. 5. ubi plura vide.

Hic, ubi habitamus non intermittit fuo tempore Calum niteseere, arbores frondefcere tum multitudinem pecudum partim ad vefcendum, partim ad cultus agrorum, partim ad vehendum, partim ad corpora veftienda; hominemque ipfum quafi contemplatorem cœli ac deorum, ipforumque cultorem. Hac igi

·que con

tur, & alia innumerabilia cùm cernimus, poffumufne dubitare, quin his prafit aliquis vel Effector, fi hac nata funt, ut Platoni videtur: vel fi femper fuerint, ut Ariftoteli placet, Moderator tanti operis & muneris ? Cicer. Tufc. Quæft. 1. 1. c. 28, 29. (b) Sunt & gentium differentia non mediocres templatio aufert rurfus nos ad ipforum animalium naturas, ingenitafque iis vel certiores morborum omnium medicinas. Enim verò rerum omnium Parens, nullum animal ad hoc tantum ut pafceretur, aut alia fatiaret nafci voluit: artefque falutares iis, inferuerit. Plin. N. H. 1. 27. c. 13.

creation

creation and Pleasure. But the Munificence of the Creator is fuch, that there is abundantly enough to fupply the Wants, the Conveniencies, yea, almost the Extravagancies of all the Creatures, in all Places, all Ages, and upon all Occafions.

And this may ferve to answer an Objection against the Excellency of, and Wisdom fhewed in the Creation, namely, What need of fo many Creatures (c)? Particularly of fo many Infects, fo many Plants, and fo many other Things? And efpecially of fome of them, that are fo far from being ufeful, that they are very noxious; fome by their Ferity, and others by their poisonous Nature, &c?

To which I might anfwer, that in greater Variety, the greater Art is 'feen; that the fierce, poifonous, and noxious Creatures ferve as Rods and Scourges to chaftife us (d), as means to excite our

Wisdom

(c) This was no very easy Queftion to be answered by fuch as held, that all Things were made for Man, as most of the Ancients did; as Ariftotle, Seneca, Cicero and Pliny, (to name only fome of the chief). And Cicero cites it as the celebrated Chryfippus's Opinion, Praclare enim Chryfippus, Catera nata effe Hominum Causâ, & Deorum. De fin. bon. & mal. 1. 3. And in his De Nat. Deor. l. 2. fin. he feriously proves the World it felf to have been made for the Gods and Man, and all Things in the World to have been made and contrived for the Benefit of Man (parata & inventa ad fructum Hominum, are his Words). So Pliny in his Preface to his 7th Book faith, Nature made all Things for Man; but then he makes a doubt, whether the fhewed her felf a more indulgent Parent, or cruel Step-Mother, as in Book IV. Chap. 12. Note 2. But fince the Works of God have been more difcovered, and the Limits of the Universe have been found to be of infinitely greater Extent than the Ancients fuppofed them; this narrow Opinion hath been exploded. And the Anfwer will be found easy to these Questions, Why fo many ufelefs Creatures? In the Heavens, Why fo many fixt Stars, and the greateft part of them fcarce vifible? Why fuch Systems of Planets, as in Jupiter, Saturn, &c. (See my Aftro-Theology.) In the Earth and Waters, Why fo many Creatures of no use to Man?

(d) Nec minus clara exitii documenta funt etiam ex contemmendis animalibus. M. Varro author eft, à cuniculis fuffoffum E 4

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Book II. Wisdom, Care, and Induftry, with more to the fame purpose. But thefe Things have been fully urged by others; and it is fufficient to fay, that this

great

in Hifpania opidum, à talpis in Theffalia: ab ranis civitatem in Gallia pulfam, ab locuftis in Africa: ex Gyaro, Cycladum infula, incolas à muribus fugatos; In Italia Amyclas à ferpentibus delatas. Citra Cynamolgos Ethiopas latè deferta regio eft, à fcorpionibus & folpugis gente fublata: & à fcolopendris abactos Trerienfes, author eft Theophrastus. Plin. Nat. Hift. 1. 8. c. 29.

To these Inftances may be added, the Plague they fometimes fuffer from a kind of Mice (they call Leming, Leminger, Lemmus, &c.) in Norway, which eat up every green Thing. They come in fuch prodigious Numbers, that they fancy them to fall from the Clouds; but Ol. Magnus, rather thinks they come from fome of the Iflands. Hift. l. 8. c. 2. If the Reader hath a mind to fee a large Account of them, with a Difpute about their Generation, a handfome Cut of them, with the Prayers, and an Exorcifm against them ufed in the Church of Rome, I fhall refer him, (it being too tedious to recite in thefe Notes) to Mufaum Wormian. 1. 3. c. 23.

Quare patimur multa mala à creaturâ quam fecit Deus, nifi quia offendimus Deum? De poenâ tuâ peccatum tuum accufa, non judicem. Nam propter Superbiam inftituit Deus creaturam iftam minimam e abjectiffimam, ut ipfa nos torqueret, ut cùm fuperbus fuerit homo, & fe jactaverit adverfus Deum, — cùm fe erexerit, Pulicibus fubdatur. Quid eft, quòd te inflas humana fuperbia? - Pulicibus refifte, ut dormias. Cognofce qui fis. Nam propter fuperbiam noftram domandam creata illa qua molefa funt: populum Pharaonis fuperbum potuit Deus domare de Urfis, de &c. Mufcas & Ranas illis immifit, ut rebus viliffimis fuperbia domaretur. Omnia ergo per ipfum. -facta funt;

fine ipfo factum eft nihil. Auguft. Tract. 1. in S. Johan.

But although the infinitely wife Creator hath put it in the Power of fuch vile Animals to chaftife us, yet hath he shewed no lefs Wisdom and Kindness in ordering many, if not moft of them fo, as that it fhall be the in Power of Man, and other Creatures to obviate or escape their Evils. For, befides the noble Antidotes afforded by Minerals, Vegetables, c. many, if not most of our European venemous Animals carry their Cure, as well as Poifon, in their own Bodies. The Oil, and I doubt not, the Body of Scorpions too, is a certain Remedy against its Stroke. A Bee, Wafp, or Hornet crushed and rubbed, and bound upon the Place, I have always found to be a certain Cure for the Sting of thofe Creatures. And I question not, but the Flesh, efpecially the Head of Vipers, would be found a Remedy for their Bites.

great Variety is a moft wife Provifion for all the Ufes of the World in all Ages and all Places. Some for Food, fome for Phyfick (e), fome for Habitation, fome for Utenfils, fome for Tools and Inftruments of Work, and fome for Recreation and Pleasure, either to Man, or to fome of the inferior Creatures themfelves; even for which inferior Creatures, the liberal Creator hath provided all Things neceffary, or any ways conducing to their happy, comfortable living in this World, as well as for Man.

And it is manifeft, that all the Creatures of God, Beafts, Birds, Infects, Plants, and every other Genus

Our Viper-Catchers have a Remedy in which they place fo great Confidence, as to be no more afraid of the Bite [of a Viper], than of a common Puncture, immediately curing themfelves by the Application of their Specifick. This though they keep a great Secret, I have upon strict Enquiry found to be no other than Axungia Viperina, presently rubbed into the Wound. This Remedy the learned Doctor tried himfelf with good Success in a young Dog that was bitten in the Nofe. Vid. Mead of Poifons, p. 29.

And as to the means to escape the Mifchief of fuch noxious Animals, befides what may be effected by the Care, Industry and Sagacity of Man; fome of them are fo contrived and made, as to give Warning or Time to Creatures in danger from them. Thus, for Inftance, the Rattle-Snake, the most poisonous of any Serpent, who darts its poisonous Vapours to fome diftance, and in all Probability was the Bafilifk of the Ancients, faid to kill with its Eyes, this involuntarily gives warning by the Rattle in its Tail. So the Shark, the moft rapacious Animal of the Waters, is forced to turn himself on his Back, (and thereby gives an Opportunity of Efcape) before he can catch his Prey.

(e) Hac fola Nature placuerat effe remedia parata vulgo, inventu facilia, ac fine impendio, ex quibus vivimus. Pofteà fraudes hominum ingeniorum captura officinas invenire iftas, in quibus fua cuique homini vænalis promittitur vita. Statim compofitiones & misture inexplicabiles decantantur. Arabia atque India in medio aftimantur, ulcerique parvo medicina à Rubro mari imputatur, cùm remedia vera quotidie pauperrimus quifque canet. Plin. l. 24. C. I.

Non Sponte fuâ ex tellure germinant Herba, que contra quofcunque morbos accommoda funt; fed ea voluntate Opificis, ad noftram utilitatem producta funt. Bafil. Afcet. Tom. 2. Confult here, Book X. Note 2, aq, bb.

have, or may have, their feveral Ufes even among Men. For although in one Place many Things may lie neglected, and out of Ufe, yet in other Places they may be of great Ufe. So what hath feemed ufelefs in one Age, hath been received in another; as all the new Difcoveries in Phyfick, and all the Alterations in Diet do fufficiently witnefs. Many Things alfo there are which in one Form may be pernicious to Man; but in another, of great Ufe. There are many Plants (f), many Animals, many Minerals, which in one Form deftroy, in another heal. The Caffada

Plant

(f) Among poisonous Vegetables, none more famous of old than Hemlock, accounted at this Day alfo very dangerous to Man, of which there are fome dismal Examples in our Phil. Tranf. Wepfer, &c. But yet this Plant is Food for Goats, and its Seeds to Bufards; and as Galen faith, to Starlings also. Neither is this, fo pernicious a Plant, only Food, but alfo Phyfick to fome Animals. An Horfe troubled with the Farcy, and could not be cured with the moft famed Remedies, cured himself of it in a fhort Time, by eating Hemlock, of which he eat greedily. Vid. Phil. Tranf. No. 231. And a Woman which was cured of the Plague, but wanted Sleep, did with very good Effect eat Hemlock for fome time; till falling ill again of a Fever, and having left off the Use of this Remedy, he [Nic. Fontanus] endeavoured to procure her Reft by repeated Dofes of Opium, which had no Operation, till the Help of Cicuta was again called in with defired Succefs. Mead of Poif. p. 144.

And not only Hemlock, but many other, if not most Plants accounted poisonous, may have their great Ufe in Medicine: Of which take the Opinion of an able Judge, my ingenious and learned Friend Dr. Tancred Robinson, in a Letter I have of his to the late great Mr. Ray, of Nov. 7. 1604, viz. According to my Promife, I here fend you a few Obfervations concerning fome Plants, feldom used in Medicine, being esteemed poisonous, which af truly corrected, or exactly dofed, may perhaps prove the most powerful and effectual Medicines yet known. Having then given an Account of fome of their Correctives, he gives thefe following Examples, viz. 1. The Hellebores incorporated with a Sapo, or Alkaly-Salts alone, are fuccessful Remedies in Epilepfies, Vertigo's, Palfies, Lethargies, and Mania's. Dof. a Dj. to B. 2. The Radic. Affari, Cicuta, and the Napellus, in Agues and periodical Pains. Dof. j. to B. 3. The Hyofcyamus in Hemorrhagies, violent Heats and Perturbation of the Blood, and al