nerated by Animal Parents of the fame Species with themfelves; that Noble Italian Vertuofo, Francifco Redi, having experimented, that no putrified Flesh (which one would think were the most likely of any thing) will of itself, if all Infects be carefully kept from it, produce any: The fame Experiment, I remember, Dr. Wilkins, late Bishop of Chefter, told me, had been made by fome of the Royal Society. No Inftance against this Opinion doth so much puzzle me, as Worms bred in the Intestines of Man, and other Animals. But feeing the round Worms do manifeftly generate, and probably the other Kinds too, it's likely they come originally from Seed, which how it was brought into the Guts, may afterwards poffibly be difcovered. Moreover, I am inclinable to believe, that all Plants too, that themselves produce Seed, (which are all but fome very imperfect ones, which scarce deferve the Name of Plants) come of Seeds themselves. For that great Naturalift Malpighius, to make Experiment whether Earth would of itfelf put forth Plants, took fome purpofely digged out of a deep Place, and put it into a Glafs-Veffel, the Top whereof he covered with Silk many times doubled, and ftrained over it, which would admit the Water and Air to pass through, but exclude the leaft Seed that might be wafted by the Wind; the Event was, that no Plant at all fprang up in it. Nor need we wonder, how in a Ditch, Bank, or Grafs-Plat, newly digg'd, or in the Fen-Banks in the lfle of Ely, Muftard

fhould

fhould abundantly fpring up, where, in the Memory of Man, none hath been known to grow; for it might come of Seed which had lain there more than a Man's Age. Some of the Ancients mentioning fome Seeds that retain their Fecundity Forty Years. And I have found in a Paper received from a Friend, but whom I have forgotten, That Melon-Seeds, after Thirty Years, are beft for raifing of Melons. As for the Mustard that fprung up in the Ifle of Ely, though there had never been any in that Country, yet might it have been brought down in the Channels by the Floods, and fo being thrown up the Banks, together with the Earth, might germinate and grow there.

And, indeed, a Spontaneous Generation of Animals and Plants, upon due Examination, will be found to be nothing lefs, than a Creation of them. For after the Matter was made, and the Sea and dry Land feparated, how is the Creation of Plants and Animals defcribed but by a commanding,that is,effectually causing the Waters and Earth to produce their feveral Kinds without any Seed? Now Creation being the Work of Omnipotency, and incommunicable to any Creature, it must be beyond the Power of Nature or natural Agents, to produce things after that manner. And as for God Almighty, He is faid to have rested from His Work of Creation after the Seventh Day. But if there be any Spontaneous Generation, there was nothing done at the Creation, but what is daily done; for the Earth and Water

pro

produc'd Animals then without Seed, and fo they do ftill.

Because fome, I understand, have been offended at my confident Denial of all Spontaneous Generation, accounting it too bold and groundless, I fhall a little enlarge upon it, and give my Reasons, in order to their Satif faction.

First, then, I fay, fuch a Spontaneous Ge neration seems to me to be nothing less than a Creation. For, Creation being not only a Production of a Thing out of Nothing, but also out of indifpofed Matter, as may be clearly inferred from the Scripture, and is agreed by all Divines; this Spontaneous Generation, be ing fuch a Production, wherein doth it differ from Creation? Or, what did God Almighty do at the first Creation of Animals and Plants, more than what (if this be true) we fee every day done? To me, I muft confefs, it seems almost demonftrable, that whatever Agent can introduce a Form into indifpofed Matter, or difpofe the Matter in an inftant, must be fuperiour to any natural one, not to fay Omnipo

tent.

Secondly, Thofe who have with the greatest Diligence and Application confidered and fearched into this Matter, as thofe eminent Virtuofi, Marcellus Malpighius, Francifcus Redi, John Swammerdam, Lewenhoeck, and many others, are unanimously of this Opinion, fave that Franc. Redi would except fuch Infects as are bred in Galls, and fome other Excrefcen

Part II. eies of Plants. Now their Authority weighs more with me, than the general Vogue, or the concurrent Suffrages of a thousand others, who never examined the thing fo carefully and circumfpectly as they have done, but run away with the Cry of the common Herd of Philofophers.

First of all, Dr. Swammerdam, who hath been, to the best Purpose of any Man I know of, bufied in fearching out and obferving the Nature of all Infects in general; all in general I fay, (for as to one particular Infect, to wit, the Silk-Worm, I must except Signior Malpighi ; and to one genus of them, to wit, Spiders, Dr. Lifter ;) in his general History of Infects, written in Low Dutch, and tranflated into French, p. 47. hath thefe Words, Nous disons, qu'il ne fe fait dans toute la nature aucune generation par accident, &c. We affirm, that there is not in all Nature any accidental [or Spontaneous] Generation, but all come by Propagation ; wherein Chance hath not the leaft Part or Intereft. And in p. 159. fpeaking of the Generation of Infects out of Plants, in Contradiction I fuppofe to Signior Redi, he faith, Nous croyons abfolument, &c. We do abfolutely believe, that it is not poffible to prove by Expe rience, that any Infects are engendred out of Plants: But on the contrary, we are very well informed and affured, that these little Animals are not shut up in or enclofed there for any other Reason than to draw thence their Nourishment. It's true indeed, that by a certain, constant, and

303 immutable Order of Nature, we fee many forts of Infects affixed to particular Species of Plants and Fruits, to which the refpective Kinds faften themselves as it were by Inftinct. But we are to know, that they all come of the Seed of Animalcules of their own Kind, that were before laid there. For these Infe&ts do thruft their Seed or Eggs fo deep into the Plants, that they come to be afterwards as it were united with them, and the Aperture or Orifice by which they entred, quite closed up, and obliterated; the Eggs being hatched and nourished within. We have often found the Eggs of Infects fo deeply funk into the tender Buds of Trees, that without hurting of them it was impoffible to draw them out. Many Inftances he produces in feveral forts of Infects making their way into Plants, which, though they be well worth the reading, are too long to transcribe.

Secondly, That Great and Sagacious Naturalift, and most Accurate Examiner of thefe things, Signior Malpighi, in his Treatife of Galls, under which Name he comprehends all Preternatural and Morbofe Tumors and Excrescencies of Plants, doth demonftrate in particular, that all fuch Warts, Tumors, and Excrefcencies, where any Infects are found, are excited or raised up either by fome Venenofe Liquor, which together with their Eggs, fuch Infects fhed upon the Leaves, or Buds, or Fruits of Plants, or boring with their Terebra, inftill into the very Pulp of fuch Buds or Fruits; or by the contagious Vapor of the very Eggs

them