Chapter 25

The lower end of this wreath’d Cylinder being stuck upright in a little soft Wax, so that the bended part or _Index_ of it lay _horizontal_, I have observ’d it always with moisture to unwreath it self from the East (For instance) by the South to the West, and so by the North to the East again, moving with the Sun (as we commonly say) and with heat and drouth to re-twist; and wreath it self the contrary way, namely, from the East, (for instance) by the North to the West, and so onwards.

The cause of all which _Phænomena_, seems to be the differing texture of the parts of these bodies, each of them (especially the Beard of a wilde _Oat_, and of _Mosk-grass_ seed) seeming to have two kind of substances, one that is very porous, loose, and spongie, into which the watry steams of the Air may be very easily forced, which will be thereby swell’d and extended in its dimensions, just as we may observe all kind of Vegetable substance upon steeping in water to swell and grow bigger and longer. And a second that is more hard and close, into which the water can very little, or not at all penetrate, this therefore retaining always very neer the same dimensions, and the other stretching and shrinking, according as there is more or less moisture or water in its pores, by reason of the make and shape of the parts, the whole body must necessarily unwreath and wreath it self.

And upon this Principle, it is very easie to make several sorts of contrivances that should thus wreath and unwreath themselves, either by heat and cold, or by driness and moisture, or by any greater or less force, from whatever cause it proceed, whether from gravity or weight, or from wind which is motion of the Air, or from some springing body, or the like.

This, had I time, I should enlarge much more upon; for it seems to me to be the very first footstep of _Sensation_, and Animate motion, the most plain, simple, and obvious contrivance that Nature has made use of to produce a motion; next to that of Rarefaction and Condensation by heat and cold. And were this Principle very well examin’d, I am very apt to think, it would afford us a very great help to find out the _Mechanism_ of the Muscles, which indeed, as farr as I have hitherto been able to examine, seems to me not so very perplex as one might imagine, especially upon the examination which I made of the Muscles of _Crabs_, _Lobsters_, and several sorts of large Shell-fish, and comparing my Observations on them, with the circumstances I observ’d in the muscles of terrestrial Animals.

Now, as in this Instance of the Beard of a wilde _Oat_, we see there is nothing else requisite to make it wreath and unwreath it self, and to streighten and bend its knee, then onely a little breath of moist or dry Air, or a small _atome_ almost of water or liquor, and a little heat to make it again evaporate, for, by holding this Beard, plac’d and fix’d as I before directed, neer a Fire, and dipping the tip of a small shred of Paper in well rectify’d spirit of Wine, and then touching the wreath’d _Cylindrical_ part, you may perceive it to untwist it self; and presently again, upon the _avolation_ of the spirit, by the great heat, it will re-twist it self, and thus will it move forward and backwards as oft as you repeat the touching it with the spirit of Wine; so may, perhaps, the shrinking and relaxing of the muscles be by the influx and evaporation of some kind of liquor or juice. But of this Enquiry I shall add more elsewhere.

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Observ. XXVIII. _Of the Seeds of _Venus_ looking-glass, or _Corn_ Violet._

From the Leaves, and Downs, and Beards of Plants, we come at last to the Seeds; and here indeed seems to be the Cabinet of Nature, wherein are laid up its Jewels. The providence of Nature about Vegetables, is in no part manifested more, then in the various contrivances about the seed, nor indeed is there in any part of the Vegetable so curious carvings, and beautifull adornments, as about the seed; this in the larger sorts of seeds is most evident to the eye; nor is it lest manifest through the _Microscope_, in those seeds whose shape and structure, by reason of their smalness, the eye is hardly able to distinguish.

Of these there are multitudes, many of which I have observ’d through a _Microscope_, and find, that they do, for the most part, every one afford exceeding pleasant and beautifull objects. For besides those that have various kinds of carv’d surfaces, there are other that have smooth and perfectly polish’d surfaces, others a downy hairy surface; some are cover’d onely with a skin, others with a kind of shell, others with both, as is observable also in greater seeds.

Of these seeds I have onely described four sorts which may serve as a _specimen_ of what the inquisitive observers are likely to find among the rest. The first of these seeds which are described in the 17. _Scheme_, are those of Corn-Violets, the seed is very small, black, and shining, and, to the naked eye, looks almost like a very small Flea; But through the _Microscope_, it appears a large body, cover’d with a tough thick and bright reflecting skin very irregularly shrunk and pitted, insomuch that it is almost an impossibility to find two of them wrinkled alike, so great a variety may there be even in this little seed.

This, though it appear’d one of the most promising seeds for beauty to the naked eye, yet through the _Microscope_ it appear’d but a rude misshapen seed, which I therefore drew, that I might thereby manifest how unable we are by the naked eye to judge of beauteous or less curious _microscopical_ Objects; cutting some of them in sunder, I observ’d them to be fill’d with a greenish yellow pulp, and to have a very thick husk, in proportion to the pulp.

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Observ. XXIX. _Of the Seeds of _Tyme_._

These pretty fruits here represented, in the 18. _Scheme_, are nothing else, but nine several seeds of Tyme; they are all of them in differing posture, both as to the eye and the light; nor are they all of them exactly of the same shape, there being a great variety both in the bulk and figure of each seed; but they all agreed in this, that being look’d on with a _Microscope_, they each of them exactly resembled a Lemmon or Orange dry’d; and this both in shape and colour. Some of them are a little rounder, of the shape of an Orange, as A and B, they have each of them a very conspicuous part by which they were join’d to their little stalk, and one of them had a little piece of stalk remaining on; the opposite side of the seed, you may perceive very plainly by the Figure, is very copped and prominent, as is very usual in Lemmons; which prominencies are express’d in D, E and F.

They seem’d each of them a little creas’d or wrinckled, but E was very conspicuously furrow’d, as if the inward make of this seed had been somewhat like that of a Lemmon also, but upon dividing several seeds with a very sharp Pen-knife, and examining them afterward, I found their make to be in nothing but bulk differing from that of Peas, that is, to have a pretty thick coat, and all the rest an indifferent white pulp, which seem’d very close; so that it seems Nature does not very much alter her method in the manner of inclosing and preserving the vital Principle in the seed, in these very small grains, from that of Beans, Peas, &c.

The Grain affords a very pretty Object for the _Microscope_, namely, a Dish of Lemmons plac’d in a very little room; should a Lemmon or Nut be proportionably magnify’d to what this seed of Tyme is, it would make it appear as bigg as a large Hay-reek and it would be no great wonder to see _Homers Iliads_, and _Homer_ and all, cramm’d into such a Nutshell. We may perceive even in these small Grains, as well as in greater, how curious and carefull Nature is in preserving the seminal principle of Vegetable bodies, in what delicate, strong and most convenient Cabinets she lays them and closes them in a pulp for their safer protection from outward dangers, and for the supply of convenient alimental juice, when the heat of the Sun begins to animate and move these little _automatons_ or Engines; as if she would, from the ornaments wherewith she has deckt these Cabinets, hint to us, that in them she has laid up her Jewels and Master-pieces. And this, if we are but diligent in observing, we shall find her method throughout. There is no curiosity in the Elemental kingdom, if I may so call the bodies of Air, Water, Earth, that are comparable in form to those of Minerals, Air and Water having no form at all, unless a potentiality to be form’d into Globules; and the clods and parcels of Earth are all irregular, whereas in Minerals she does begin to _Geometrize_, and practise, as ’twere, the first principles of _Mechanicks_, shaping them of plain regular figures, as triangles, squares, &c. and _tetraedrons_, cubes, &c. But none of their forms are comparable to the more compounded ones of Vegetables; For here she goes a step further, forming them both of more complicated shapes, and adding also multitudes of curious Mechanick contrivances in their structure; for whereas in Vegetables there was no determinate number of the leaves or branches, nor no exactly certain figure of leaves, or flowers, or seeds, in Animals all those things are exactly defin’d and determin’d; and whereever there is either an excess or defect of those determinate parts or limbs, there has been some impediment that has spoil’d the principle which was most regular: Here we shall find, not onely most curiously compounded shapes, but most stupendious Mechanisms and contrivances, here the ornaments are in the highest perfection, nothing in all the Vegetable kingdom that is comparable to the deckings of a Peacock; nay, to the curiosity of any feather, as I elsewhere shew; nor to that of the smallest and most despicable Fly. But I must not stay on these speculations, though perhaps it were very well worth while for one that had leisure, to see what Information may be learn’d of the nature, or use, or virtues of bodies, by their several forms and various excellencies and properties. Who knows but _Adam_ might from some such contemplation, give names to all creatures? If at least his names had any significancy in them of the creatures nature on which he impos’d it; as many (upon what grounds I know not) have suppos’d: And who knows, but the Creator may, in those characters, have written and engraven many of his most mysterious designs and counsels, and given man a capacity, which, assisted with diligence and industry, may be able to read and understand them. But not to multiply my digression more then I can the time, I will proceed to the next, which is,

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Observ. XXX. _Of the Seeds of _Poppy_._

The small seeds of Poppy, which are described in the 19. _Scheme_, both for their smalness, multiplicity and prettiness, as also for their admirable soporifick quality, deserve to be taken notice of among the other _microscopical_ seeds of Vegetables: For first, though they grow in a Case or Hive oftentimes bigger then one of these Pictures of the _microscopical_ appearance, yet are they for the most part so very little, that they exceed not the bulk of a small Nitt, being not above ¹⁄₃₂ part of an Inch in Diameter, whereas the Diameter of the Hive of them oftentimes exceeds two Inches, so that it is capable of containing near two hundred thousand, and so in all likelihood does contain a vast quantity, though perhaps not that number. Next, for their prettiness, they may be compar’d to any _microscopical_ seed I have yet seen; for they are of a dark brownish red colour, curiously Honey-comb’d all over with a very pretty variety of Net-work, or a small kind of imbosment of very orderly rais’d ridges, the surface of them looking not unlike the inside of a Beev’s stomack. But that which makes it most considerable of all, is, the medicinal virtues of it, which are such as are not afforded us by any Mineral preparation; and that is for the procuring of sleep, a thing as necessary to the well-being of a creature as his meat, and that which refreshes both the voluntary and rational faculties, which, whil’st this affection has seis’d the body, are for the most part unmov’d, and at rest. And, methinks, Nature does seem to hint some very notable virtue or excellency in this Plant from the curiosity it has bestow’d upon it. First, in its flower, it is of the highest scarlet-Dye, which is indeed the prime and chiefest colour, and has been in all Ages of the world most highly esteem’d: Next, it has as much curiosity shew’d also in the husk or case of the seed, as any one Plant I have yet met withall; and thirdly, the very seeds themselves, the _Microscope_ discovers to be very curiously shap’d bodies; and lastly, Nature has taken such abundant care for the propagation of it, that one single seed grown into a Plant, is capable of bringing some hundred thousands of seeds.

It were very worthy some able man’s enquiry whether the intention of Nature, as to the secundary end of Animal and Vegetable substances might not be found out by some such characters and notable impressions as these, or from divers other circumstances, as the figure, colour, place, time of flourishing, springing and fading, duration, taste, smell, &c. For if such there are (as an able _Physician_ upon good grounds has given me cause to believe) we might then, insteed of studying Herbals (where so little is deliver’d of the virtues of a Plant, and less of truth) have recourse to the Book of Nature it self, and there find the most natural, usefull, and most effectual and specifick Medicines, of which we have amongst Vegetables, two very noble Instances to incourage such a hope, the one of the _Jesuite powder_ for the cure of _intermitting Feavers_, and the other of the juice of _Poppy_ for the curing the defect of sleeping.

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Observ. XXXI. _Of _Purslane-seed_._

The Seeds of _Purslane_ seem of very notable shapes, appearing through the _Microscope_ shap’d somewhat like a _nautilus_ or _Porcelane_ shell, as may be seen in the XX. _Scheme_, it being a small body, coyl’d round in the manner of a Spiral, at the greater end whereof, which represents the mouth or orifice of the Shell, there is left a little white transparent substance, like a skin, represented by BBBB, which seems to have been the place whereunto the stem was join’d. The whole surface of this _Coclea_ or Shell, is cover’d over with abundance of little _prominencies_ or buttons very orderly rang’d into Spiral rows, the shape of each of which seem’d much to resemble a Wart upon a mans hand. The order, variety, and curiosity in the shape of this little seed, makes it a very pleasant object for the _Microscope_, one of them being cut asunder with a very sharp Penknife, discover’d this carved Casket to be of a brownish red, and somewhat transparent substance, and manifested the inside to be fill’d with a whitish green substance or pulp, the Bed wherein the seminal principle lies _invelop’d_.

There are multitudes of other seeds which in shape represent or imitate the forms of divers other sorts of Shells: as the seed of _Scurvy-grass_ very much resembles the make of a _Concha Venerea_, a kind of Purcelane Shell; others represent several sorts of larger fruits, sweat Marjerome and Pot-marjerome represent Olives. Carret seeds are like a cleft of a Coco-Nut Husk, others are like Artificial things, as Succory seeds are like a Quiver full of Arrows, the seeds of _Amaranthus_ are of an exceeding lovely shape, somewhat like an Eye: The skin of the black and shrivled seeds of Onyons and Leeks, are all over knobbed like a Seals skin. Sorrel has a pretty black shining three-square seed, which is picked at both ends with three ridges, that are bent the whole length of it. It were almost endless to reckon up the several shapes, they are so many and so various; Leaving them therefore to the curious observer, I shall proceed to the Observations on the parts of Animals.

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Observ. XXXII. _Of the Figure of several sorts of _Hair_, and of the texture of the _skin_._

Viewing some of the Hairs of my Head with a very good _Microscope_, I took notice of these particulars:

1. That they were, for the most part, _Cylindrical_, some of them were somewhat _Prismatical_, but generally they were very neer round, such as are represented in the second Figure of the 5. _Scheme_, by the _Cylinders_ EEE. nor could I find any that had sharp angles.

2. That that part which was next the top, was bigger then that which was neerer the root.

3. That they were all along from end to end transparent, though not very cleer, the end next the root appearing like a black transparent piece of Horn, the end next the top more brown, somewhat like transparent Horn.

4. That the root of the Hairs were pretty smooth, tapering inwards, almost like a Parsneb; nor could I find that it had any filaments, or any other vessels, such as the _fibres_ of Plants.

5. That the top when split (which is common in long Hair) appear’d like the end of a stick, beaten till it be all flitter’d, there being not onely two splinters, but sometimes half a score and more.

6. That they were all, as farr as I was able to find, solid _Cylindrical_ bodies, not pervious, like a Cane or Bulrush; nor could I find that they had any Pith, or distinction of Rind, or the like, such as I had observ’d in Horse-hairs, the Bristles of a Cat, the _Indian_ Deer’s Hair, &c.

_Observations on several other sorts of _Hair_._

For the Brisles of a Hogg, I found them to be first a hard transparent horny substance, without the least appearance of pores or holes in it; and this I try’d with the greatest care I was able, cutting many of them with a very sharp Razor, so that they appear’d, even in the Glass, to have a pretty smooth surface, but somewhat waved by the sawing to and fro of the Razor, as is visible in the end of the _Prismatical_ body A of the same Figure; and then making trials with causing the light to be cast on them all the various ways I could think of, that was likely to make the pores appear, if there had been any, I was not able to discover any.

Next, the Figure of the Brisles was very various, neither perfectly round, nor sharp edg’d, but _Prismatical_, with divers sides, and round angles, as appears in the Figure A. The bending of them in any part where they before appear’d cleer, would all flaw them, and make them look white.

The Mustacheos of a Cat (part of one of which is represented by the short _Cylinder_ B of the same Figure) seem’d to have, all of them that I observ’d, a large pith in the middle, like the pith of an Elder, whose texture was so close, that I was not able to discover the least sign of pores; and those parts which seem to be pores, as they appear’d in one position to the light, in another I could find a manifest reflection to be cast from them.

This I instance in, to hint that it is not safe to conclude any thing to be positively this or that, though it appear never so plain and likely when look’d on with a _Microscope_ in one posture, before the same be examin’d by placing it in several other positions.

And this I take to be the reason why many have believed and asserted the Hairs of a man’s head to be hollow, and like so many small pipes perforated from end to end.

Now, though I grant that by an _Analogie_ one may suppose them so, and from the _Polonian_ disease one may believe them such, yet I think we have not the least encouragement to either from the _Microscope_, much less positively to assert them such. And perhaps the very essence of the _Plica Polonica_ may be the hairs growing hollow, and of an unnatural constitution.

And as for the _Analogie_, though I am apt enough to think that the hairs of several Animals may be perforated somewhat like a Cane, or at least have a kind of pith in them, first, because they seem as ’twere a kind of Vegetable growing on an Animal, which growing, they say, remains a long while after the Animal is dead, and therefore should like other Vegetables have a pith; and secondly, because Horns and Feathers, and Porcupine’s Quils, and Cats Brisles, and the long hairs of Horses, which come very neer the nature of a mans hair, seem all of them to have a kind of pith, and some of them to be porous, yet I think it not (in these cases, where we have such helps for the sense as the _Microscope_ affords) safe concluding or building on more then we sensibly know, since we may, with examining, find that Nature does in the make of the same kind of substance, often vary her method in framing of it: Instances enough to confirm this we may find in the Horns of several creatures: as what a vast difference is there between the Horns of an Oxe, and those of some sorts of Staggs as to their shape? and even in the hairs of several creatures, we find a vast difference, as the hair of a man’s head seems, as I said before, long, _Cylindrical_ and sometime a little _Prismatical_, solid or impervious, and very small; the hair of an _Indian_ Deer (a part of the middle of which is described in the third Figure of the fifth _Scheme_, marked with F) is bigger in compass through all the middle of it, then the Bristle of an Hogg, but the end of it is smaller then the hair of any kind of Animal (as may be seen by the Figure G) the whole belly of it, which is about two or three Inches long, looks to the eye like a thread of course Canvass, that has been newly unwreath’d, it being all wav’d or bended to and fro, much after that manner, but through the _Microscope_, it appears all perforated from side to side, and Spongie, like a small kind of spongy Coral, which is often found upon the _English_ shores; but though I cut it transversly, I could not perceive that it had any pores that ran the long way of the hair: the long hairs of Horses CC and D, seem _Cylindrical_ and somewhat pithy; the Bristles of a Cat B, are conical and pithy: the Quils of Porcupines and Hedghoggs, being cut transversly, have a whitish pith, in the manner of a Starr, or Spur-rowel: Piggs-hair (A) is somewhat _triagonal_, and seems to have neither pith nor pore: And other kinds of hair have quite a differing structure and form. And therefore I think it no way agreeable to a true natural Historian, to pretend to be so sharp-sighted, as to see what a preconceiv’d _Hypothesis_ tells them should be there, where another man, though perhaps as seeing, but not forestall’d, can discover no such matter.