Peripateticall institutions. In the way of that eminent person and excellent philosopher Sr. Kenelm Digby. The theoricall part. Also a theologicall appendix of the beginning of the world. / By Thomas White Gent.

LESSON XIV.

Of the Accidents of Plants.

1. OUt of the figure of the parts, the figure of the whole Plant is fit∣ted and proportion'd. The Trunk, which is the principall part, most commonly grows up like a Cylinder, or rather like a Cone, because upwards still it grows smaller, and abates in latitude.

2. When it deviates from this figure, the reason may be easily collected out of the figure of the root or seed. Those which have a weak stock or Trunk do not grow erect, but either run upon the ground, or else are rais'd up and sustain'd by others, and get a spirall figure, like the winding about a Cylinder.

3. For, the naturall motion of Plants being upwards, by force of the heat and

sting out of the Earth; and the Trunk, by reason of its weaknesse, not being able to bear much: it bows towards the Earth, and strives to rise again as much as 'tis a∣ble; & so imitates the figure of a serpent creeping. But, if the stemme cling to some prop that may help it upwards; it elevates it self, not directly, or in a straight line, but, as well as it can, winding round about the sides on't.

4. Again; because we see ther's both a kind of annuall and diurnall, as it were, flux and reflux of heat from the Sun: some Plants are but of a day's life; as certain Flowers, which, the same day, blow and wither.

5. Very many last not above a year; and then are repair'd again, either by shed∣ding their seed, or by the reviving of their fountain, the root; or else by the very temperature of the soil. Others of a more constant substance, do not only sustain themselves, but increase for many years. Others, again, even out-last Ages.

6. All have the same reason of their life and death: their life and increase con∣sists in a due proportion of moisture with heat; where this fails, they faint and con∣sume away.

7. A Plant dies, either because the Sun, sucking the moisture out of the upper parts of the Earth, has not left wherewith to moisten the root: or, because too much moisture overflowing the root without a proportionable heat, has too much dis∣solv'd and diffus'd the vertue of it; so that the Sun supervening has extracted its ve∣ry radicall heat, before it could increase and supply it self:

8. Or else, because, by little and little, earthy and feculent parts, cleaving to the root, have obstructed the passage of the moysture to the inward parts of it: And this way of death, because it follows out of the very action of life, seems more pro∣perly to bear the denomination of old Age and a naturall way to death.

9. Out of the same principles, 'tis appa∣rent, why severall parts of the same Plant produce such contrary effects: For, since, in the nourishing of the Plant there is a kind of perpetuall streining and separa∣ting of the parts of the Aliment, most of the parts of the same nature must, of ne∣cessity, run together to one and the same place and part: Whence, the severall parts of the plant are compos'd of heterogeniall particles of the nutritive moisture; yet,

more or lesse sated, too, with the temper and seasoning imbib'd in the root: Thus, therefore, 'tis consonant to reason, that a Plant should be compos'd of contraries and things that have contrary vertues.

10. The same way we come to under∣stand the Sympathy and Antipathy which is found in divers Plants: for, since 'tis cer∣tain that every Plant, to its measure, has a certain Orbe of vapours always encom∣passing it, (as is evident, in some, by the fmell issuing from them,) and some Plants must needs consist of contrary natures; if the weaker happen to be planted within the Sphear of the stronger, that corrupts and kills it with the stroaks of its vapours which besiege it; but, if the stronger be of a nature that is a friend to it, by the same stroaks it grows more lively and fruitfuller.