Bacon, Francis, Sylva sylvarum : or, a natural history in ten centuries

Table of contents

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[141.] THE BOOK-SELLER UNTO THE READER.
Page: 352
[142.] FINIS.
Page: 352
[143.] NEW ATLANTIS.
Page: 355
[144.] A VVork unfinished. Written by the Right Honorable, FRANCIS Lord Verulam, Viſcount St. Albans.
Page: 355
[145.] TO THE READER
Page: 357 (3)
[146.] NEW ATLANTIS.
Page: 359 (5)
[147.] The reſt was not perfected.
Page: 383 (29)
[148.] Magnalia Naturæ præcipue quoad uſus Humanos.
Page: 384 (30)
[149.] FINIS.
Page: 385 (31)
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          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4773" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="111" file="0145" n="145" rhead="Century VI."/>
            them in Water gently boiled; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4774" xml:space="preserve">and if they be good, they will ſprout within half
              <lb/>
            an hour.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4775" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4776" xml:space="preserve">It is ſtrange which is reported, That Baſil too much expoſed to the Sun,
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0145-01" xlink:href="note-0145-01a" xml:space="preserve">521.</note>
            doth turn into Wilde Time: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4777" xml:space="preserve">Although thoſe two Herbs ſeem to have ſmall
              <lb/>
            Affinity; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4778" xml:space="preserve">but Baſil is almoſt the onely hot Herb that hath fat and ſucculent
              <lb/>
            Leaves; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4779" xml:space="preserve">which Oylineſs if it be drawn forth by the Sun, it is like it will make
              <lb/>
            a very great change.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4780" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4781" xml:space="preserve">There is an old Tradition, that Boughs of Oak put into the Earth, will put
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0145-02" xlink:href="note-0145-02a" xml:space="preserve">522.</note>
            ſorth Wilde Vines; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4782" xml:space="preserve">which if it be true, (no doubt) it is not the Oak that turneth
              <lb/>
            into a Vine, but the Oak-bough putrifying, qualifieth the Earth to put forth a
              <lb/>
            Vine of it ſelf.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4783" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4784" xml:space="preserve">It is not impoſſible, and I have heard it verified, that upon cutting down
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0145-03" xlink:href="note-0145-03a" xml:space="preserve">523.</note>
            of an old Timber-Tree, the Stub hath put out ſometimes a Tree of another
              <lb/>
            kinde; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4785" xml:space="preserve">as that Beech hath put ſorth Birch: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4786" xml:space="preserve">Which if it be true, the cauſe may
              <lb/>
            be, for that the old Stub is too ſcant of Juyce to put forth the former Tree;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4787" xml:space="preserve">and therefore putteth forth a Tree of ſmaller kinde, that needeth leſs Nou-
              <lb/>
            riſhment.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4788" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4789" xml:space="preserve">There is an opinion in the Countrey, That if the ſame Ground be oft
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0145-04" xlink:href="note-0145-04a" xml:space="preserve">524.</note>
            ſown with the Grain that grew upon it, it will, in the end, grow to be of a
              <lb/>
            baſer kinde.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4790" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4791" xml:space="preserve">It is certain, that in Sterile Years, Corn ſown will grow to an other
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0145-05" xlink:href="note-0145-05a" xml:space="preserve">525.</note>
            kinde.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4792" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
        </div>
        <div xml:id="echoid-div585" type="section" level="1" n="29">
          <head xml:id="echoid-head42" style="it" xml:space="preserve">Grandia ſæpe quibus mandavimus Hordea Sulcis,
            <lb/>
          Infœlix Lolium, & ſteriles dominatur Avenæ.</head>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4793" xml:space="preserve">And generally it is a Rule, that Plants that are brought forth by Culture,
              <lb/>
            as Corn, will ſooner change into other Species, than thoſe that come of them-
              <lb/>
            ſelves: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4794" xml:space="preserve">For that Culture giveth but an Adventitious Nature, which is more
              <lb/>
            eaſily put off.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4795" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4796" xml:space="preserve">This work of the Tranſmutation of Plants, one into another, is inter Mag-
              <lb/>
            nalia Naturæ: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4797" xml:space="preserve">For the Tranſmu
              <unsure/>
            tation of Species is, in the vulgar Philoſophy, pro-
              <lb/>
            nounced impoſſible: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4798" xml:space="preserve">And certainly, it is a thing of difficulty, and requireth
              <lb/>
            deep ſearch into Nature: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4799" xml:space="preserve">But ſeeing there appear ſome manifeſt inſtances of
              <lb/>
            it, the opinion of impoſſibility is to be rejected, and the means there of to
              <lb/>
            be found out. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4800" xml:space="preserve">We ſee that in Living Creatures, that come of Putrefaction,
              <lb/>
            there is much Tranſmutation of one into another. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4801" xml:space="preserve">As Caterpillers turn into
              <lb/>
            Flies, &</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4802" xml:space="preserve">c. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4803" xml:space="preserve">And it ſhould ſeem probable, that what ſoever Creature having
              <lb/>
            life, is generated without Seed, that Creature will change out of one Spe-
              <lb/>
            cies into another; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4804" xml:space="preserve">for it is the Seed, and the Nature of it, which locketh
              <lb/>
            and boundeth in the Creature, that it doth not expatiate. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4805" xml:space="preserve">So as we may
              <lb/>
            well conclude, that ſeeing the Earth of it ſelf, doth put forth Plants with-
              <lb/>
            out Seed; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4806" xml:space="preserve">therefore Plants may well have a Tranſmigration of Species.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4807" xml:space="preserve">Wherefore wanting Inſtances, which do occur, we ſhall give Directions of
              <lb/>
            the moſt likely tryals: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4808" xml:space="preserve">And generally, we would not have thoſe that read
              <lb/>
            this work of Sylva Sylvarum, account if ſtrange, or think that it is an over-
              <lb/>
            haſte, that we have let down particulars untried: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4809" xml:space="preserve">For contratiwiſe, in our
              <lb/>
            own eſtimation, we account ſuch particulars more worthy than thoſe that
              <lb/>
            are already tryed and known. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4810" xml:space="preserve">For theſe latter muſt be taken as you
              <lb/>
            finde them, but the other do level point blank at the inventing of cauſes,
              <lb/>
            and Axioms.</s>
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