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this just reflection: A visible argument that the plastic capacities of matter are governed by an all wise and infinite Agent, the native strictnesses and regularities of them plainly shewing from whose hand they came. And then such as are too weak to stand of themselves, it is wonderful to see how they use the help of their neighbours, address them, embrace them, climb up about them, some twisting themselves with a strange convolving faculty, some catching hold with claspers and tendrils, which are like hands to them; some striking in rooty feet, and some emitting a natural glue, by which they adhere to their supporters.

Indeed all the plants in the whole vegetable kingdom are every one of them so useful, as to rise up for thy condemnation, O man, who dost little good in the world. But sometimes the uses of one single plant are so many, so various, that a wise man can scarce behold it without some emulation as well as admiration, wishing, that if a metamorphosis were to befall him, it might be into one of these. Plutarch reports, that the Babylonians out of the palm-tree obtained more than three hundred several sorts of commodities.

The cocoa-tree supplies the Indians with bread, water, wine, vinegar, brandy, milk, oil, honey, sugar, needles, thread, linen, clothes, caps, spoons, besoms, baskets, paper, and nails; timber, coverings for their houses; masts, sails, cordage for their vessels; and medicines for their diseases; and what can be desired more? This is more, expressively related in the Hortus Malabaricus, published by the illustrious Van Draakenstein.

The Aloe Muricata yields the Americans all that their necessities call for. De la Vega and

Margrave informs us how this alone furnishes them with houses, fences, weapons of many sorts, shoes, clothes, thread, needles, wine, honey, and utensils that cannot be numbered; and Hernandes assures us, that this plant alone furnishes every necessary of life. What a surprising diversity

from the cinnamon tree!

Some will have the plantain to be the king of all fruit, though the tree be little more than ten feet high, and raised not from seed, but from the roots of the old ones. The fruit a delicate butter, and often the only food that a whole family will subsist upon. Among the uses of plants, how surprising a one is that, wherein we find them used for cisterns, to preserve water, for the needy children of men! The dropping-tree in Guinea, and on some islands, is instead of rains and springs to the inhabitants. The banduca cingatensium, at the end of its leaves has long sacks or bags, containing a fine limpid water, of great use to the people when they want rains for eight or ten months together.

The wild pine, described by Dr. Sloane, has the leaves, which are each of them two feet and a half long, and three inches broad, so inclosed one within another, that there is formed a large. basin, fit to contain a considerable quantity of water (Dampier says, the best part of a quart) which in the rainy season falling upon the utmost parts of the spreading leaves, runs down by channels into the bottle, where the leaves bending inwards again, come so close to the stalk, as to hinder the evaporations of the water. In the mountainous, as well as in the dry and low woods, when there is a scarcity of water, this reservatory

is not only necessary and sufficient for the nour ishment of the plant itself, but it is likewise of marvellous advantage to men and birds, and all sorts of insects, who then come hither in troops, and seldom go away without refreshment.

What though there are venomous plants! an excellent fellow of the college of physicians makes a just remark: Aloes has the property of pro. moting haemorrhages; but this property is good or bad, as it is used; a medicine or a poison : and it is very probable that the most dangerous poisons, skilfully managed, may be made not only innocent, but of all other medicines the most effectual."

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What admirable effects of opium well smegmatised! even poisonous plants, may be reasonably supposed to draw into their visible bodies that malignant juice, which, if diffused through the other plants, would make them less wholesome and fit for nourishment.

In the delights of the garden it is not easy to hold a mediocrity. They afford a shadow for our celestial paradise. The king of Persia has a garden called paradise upon earth. The ancient Romans cultivated them to a degree of epicurianism. Some confined their delights to a single vegetable, as Cato, doting on his cabbage. The tulipists are so set upon their gaudy flower, that the hard name and crime of a tulipomania, is by their own professors charged upon them; a little odd the humour of those gentlemen, who affected plantations of none but venomous vegetables.

But finally, the vast uses of plants in medicine, are those which we have cause to consider, with singular praises to the merciful God, who so pities

üs under the sad effects of our offences. Among the eighteen or twenty thousand vegetables, we have at times a single one, which is a polychrest, and almost a panacæ.

Among the ancients there were several plants that bore the name of Hercules, called heracleum, or heraclea; probably, as Le Clere thinks, to denote the extraordinary force of the plants, which they compared to the strength of Hercules.

Cabbage was to the Romans their grand physic, as well as food, for six hundred years together. Mallows has been esteemed such a universal medicine, as to be called malva omnimorbia.

The six favourite herbs distinguished by Sir William Temple for the many uses of them, namely, sage, rue, saffron, alehoof, garlic, and elder, if they were more frequently used, would no doubt be found vastly beneficial to such as place upon health the value due to such a jewel. The French do well to be such great lovers of sorrel, and plant so many acres of it: it is good against the scurvy, and all ill habits of body.

The persuasion which mankind have imbibed of tobacco being good for us, has in a surprising manner prevailed; what incredible millions have imbibed an opinion, that it is a useful as well as a pleasant thing, for them to spend much of their time in drawing through a pipe the smoke of that. lighted weed! In the year 15 85, one Mr. Lane carried over from Virginia some tobacco, the first ever seen in Europe; and within an hundred years the smoking of it grew so much into fashion, that the very customs of it, brought four hundred thousand pounds a year into the English treasury. It is doubtless a plant of many virtues. The

ointment made of it is one of the best in the dispensatory. The practice of smoking it, though a great part of them that use it might very truly say, they find neither good nor hurt by it; yet it may be feared it rather does more hurt than good. "May God preserve me from the indecent, ignoble, criminal slavery, to the mean delight of smoking a weed, which I see so many carried away with. And if ever I should smoke it, let me be so wise as to do it, not only with moderation, but also with such employments of my mind, as I may make that action afford me a leisure for!"

Methinks tobacco is but a poor nepenthe, though the takers thereof take it for such an one. It is to be feared the caustic salt in the smoke of this plant, conveyed by the salival juice into the blood, and also the vellication which the continual use of it in snuff gives to the nerves, may lay foundations for diseases in millions of unadvised people, which may be commonly and erroneously ascribed to some other original. It is very remarkable, that our compassionate God has furnished all regions with plants peculiarly adapted for the relief of the diseases that are most common in those regions.

Yea, Sclenander affirms that from the quantity of the plants most plentifully growing in any place, he could give a probable guess what were the distempers which the people there were most of all subject to.

Benerovinus has written a book, on purpose to shew that every country has every thing serving to its occasions, and particularly remedies for all the distempers with which it may be afflicted.

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