Wisdom, Care, and Industry, with more to the fame purpose. But these things have been fully urged

muribus fugatos In Italia Amyclas à ferpentibus delatas. Citra Cynamolgos Athiopas late deferta regio eft, à fcorpionibus & folpugis gente fublata à fcolopendris aballos Trerienfes, author eft Theophraftus. Plin. Nat. Hift. 1. 8. c. 29.

To thefe 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 Ilands. Hift. 1. 8. c. 2. If the Reader hath a mind to see a large Account of them, with a Difpute about their Generation, a handsome Cut of them, with the Prayers, and an Exorcism against them used in the Church of Rome, I fhall refer him, (it being too tedious to recite in thefe Notes) to Mufeum Wormian, 1. 3. C. 23. Quare patimur multa mala à creaturâ quam fecit Deus, nifi quia offendimus Deum?. -Depanâ tuâ peccatum tuum accufa, non judicem. Nam propter Superbiam inftituit Deus creaturam iftam minimam abjectiffimam, ut ipfa nos torqueret, ut cum fuperbus fuevit homo, fe jactaverit adverfus Deum, cum fe erexerit, Pulitibus fubdatur. Quid eft, quod te inflas bumana fuperbia? Pulicibus refifte, ut dormias. Cognofce qui fis. Nam propter fuperbiam noftram domandam creata illa que molefta funt: popu lum 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 ipf factum eft nihil. Auguft. Tra&t. 1. in St. Johan.

But although the infinitely wife Creator hath put it in the Power of fach vile Animals to chaftife us, yet hath he thewed no lefs Wisdom and Kindness in ordering many, if not most of them fo, as that it fhall be in the Power of Man, and d 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 venomous 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 queftion not, but the Flesh, especially the Head of Vipers, would be found a Remedy for their Bites.

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

urged by others; and it is fufficient to say, that this 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 (5), 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 inferiour Creatures themfelves ; even for which inferiour 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

common Puncture, immediately curing themselves by the Application of their Specifick. This though they keep a great Secret, I have upon ftrict Enquiry found to be no other than Axungia Viperina, prefently rubbed into the Wound. This Remedy the learned Doctor tried himself with good Succefs in a young Dog, that was bitten in the Nofe. Vid. Mead of Poifons, p. 29.

And as to the means to escape the Mischief 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 poifonous of any Serpent, who darts its poisonous Vapours to fome diftance, and in all Probability was the Bafilisk of the Antients, 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 Escape) before he can catch his Prey.

(5) Hec fola Nature placuerat effe remedia parata vulgo, inventu facilia, ac fine impendio, ex quibus vivimus. Poftea fraudes hominum & ingeniorum capture officinas invenere iftas, in quibus fua cui. que homini vænalis promittitur vita. Statim compofitiones & mistura inexplicabiles decantantur. Arabia atque India in medio aflimantur, ulcerique parvo medicina à Rubro mari imputatur, cum remedia vere quotidie pauperrimus quisque cœnet. Plin. I. 24. c. 1.

Non fponte fua ex tellure germinant Herba, que contra quofcunque morbos accommode funt ; fed ea voluntate Opificis, ad noftram utilitatem produ&a funt. Bafil. Afcet. Tom. 2.

Confult here, Book X. Note 23, 24, 25

1

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 witness. Many things alfo there are which in one Form, may be pernicious to Man, but in another, of great Ufe. There are many Plants (6), inany Animals, many Minerals, which in one Form deftroy, in another heal, The Caffada

Plant

(6) Among poisonous Vegetables, none more famous of old than Hemlock, accounted at this Day also 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 Bustards; and as Galen faith, to Starlings alfo. 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 most famed Remedies, cured himself of it in a fhort time, by eating HemLock, of which he eat greedily. Vid. Phil. Tranf. Nr. 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 Ufe 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 de fired Succefs. Mead of Poif. p. 144

And not only Hemlock, but many other, if not moft Plants ac counted poisonous, may have their great Ufe in Medicine. Of which take the Opinion of an able Judge, my ingenious and learned Friend Dr. Tanered Robinson, in a Letter I have of his to the late great Mr. Ray, of Nov. 7. 1604, viz. According to my Promife, I bere fend you a few Obfervations concerning fome Plants, feldom used in Medicine, being efteemed poisonous, which if truly corrected, or exaltly dofed, may perhaps prove the most powerful and effectual Medi eines 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 1. to 3. 2. The Radic. Alfari, Cicuta, aad the Napellus, in Agues, and periodical Pains. Dof. Dj. to 3B. 3. The Hyoscyamus in Hamorrhagies, violent Heats aud Perturbations of the Blood, and also in all great Inflammations. Dof. j. to 3. 4. The Semen Stramonia

Plant unprepared poifoneth, but prepared, is the very Bread of the Weft Indies (7); Vipers and Scorpions and many Minerals, as deftructive as they are to Man, yet afford him fome of his beft Medicines.

(

Or if there be many things of little immediate Ufe to Man, in this, or any other Age; yet to other Creatures they may afford Food or Phyfick, or be of fome neceffary Ufe. How many Trees, and Plants, nay, even the very Carcaffes of Animals, yea, the very Duft of the Earth (8), and the moft refufe, contemptible things to be met with; I fay, how many fuch things are either Food, or probably Medicine to many Creatures, afford them Retreat, are Places of Habitation,orMatrixes for their Generation,as fhall be fhewed in proper Place? The prodigious Swarms of Infects in the Air, and in the Waters, (many of which may be perhaps at prefent of no great Ufe to Man) yet are Food to Birds, Fithes, Reptiles, Infects themselves, and other Creatures (9), for whofe happy and comfortable Subfiftence, I have faid the bountiful Creator hath liberally provided, as well as for that of Man.

is a very good Anodyne, useful in Vigilia's, Rheumatisms, Hysterick Cafes, in all the Orgasms of the Blood or Spirits, and wherever there is an Indication for a Paregorick. Dof. Dj. to 3ß. 5. Elaterium thus corrected may be given from gr. x. to 15, in Hydropical Cafes, without any fenfible Evacuation or Disturbance. So may the Soldanella, and Gratiola in greater Dofes. 6. Opium corrected as afore-mentioned, Lofes its Narcotick Faculty, and may be given very fafely in great Dofes, and proves more than usually prevalent in Convulfive Cafes Fluxes, Catarrhs, and all painful Paroxyfms, &c.

(7) It is of the most general Use of any Provifion, all over the WeftIndies; efpecially in the hotter Parts, and is used to Victual Ships. Dr. Sloan's Nat. Hift. of Jamaica, Vol. 1. Chap. 5. §. 12.

(8) I have fhewn in the Phil. Tranf. that the Pediculus fatidicus, Mortifaga, Pulfatorius, or Death watch chere described, ,feedeth upon Duft; but that this Duft they eat, is powdered Bread, Fruits, or fuch like Duft, not powdered Earth; and is manifeft from their great Diligence and Curiofity in Hunting among the Duft. See more in Phil. Tranf. Nr. 291.

(9) Fid. Book IV. Chap.

BOOK

BOOK III.

Of the Terraqueous Globe in particular, more efpecially the Earth.

H

"Aving thus taken a general Profpect of our Terraqueous Globe; I fhall in this Book come to its Particulars. But here we have fuch an immenfe Variety presenting it felf to our Senfes, and fuch amazing Strokes of Power and Wisdom, that it is impoffible not to be at a Stand, and very difficult to know where to begin, how to proceed, or where to end. But we muft however attempt.

And for the more clear and regular proceeding on this copious Subject; I fhall diftribute the Globe into its own grand conftituent Parts.

I. The Earth and its Appurtenances.

II. The Waters and Theirs.

The first of thefe only, is what at prefent I fhall be able to take into this Survey.

And in Surveying the Earth, I intend,

1. To confider its conftituent Parts, or Things peculiar to its felf.

2. The Inhabitants thereof, or the feveral Kinds of Creatures that have their Habitation, Growth, or Subfiftence thereon.

1. As to the Earth it felf; the moft remarkable things that prefent themfelves to our View, are,