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should refolve that Problem of diftilling fresh Water out of Salt. That the Clouds fhould be fo carried about by the Winds, as to be almost equally dispers'd and diftributed, no part of the Earth wanting convenient Showers, unless when it pleaseth God for the punishment of a Nation to with-hold Rain by a fpecial Interpofition of his Providence; or if any Land wants Rain, they have a fupply fome other way; as the Land of Egypt, though there feldom falls any Rain there, yet hath abundant Recompence made it by the annual overflowing of the River. This Diftribution of the Clouds and Rain is to me (I fay) a great Argument of Providence and Divine Difpofition; for elfe I do not fee but why there might be in fome Lands continual fucceffive Droughts for many Years, till they were quite depopulated; in others as lafting Rains, till they were overflown and drown'd; and thefe, if the Clouds mov'd cafually, often happening; whereas fince the ancient'st Records of Hiftory we do not read or hear of any fuch Droughts or Inundations, unlefs perhaps that of Cyprus, wherein there fell no Rain there for Thirty-fix Years, till the Inland was almost quite deferted, in the Reign of Conftantine, which doubtless fell not out without the wife difpofition of Providence, for great and weighty Reafons.

Again, If we confider the manner of the Rain's defcent, diftilling down gradually and by drops, which is moft convenient for the watering of the Earth; whereas if it fhould fall down

in a continual Stream like a River, it would gall the Ground, wall away Plants by the Roots, overthrow Houses, and greatly incommode, if not fuffocate Animals: If, I fay, we confider these things and many more that might be added, we might in this refpect alfo cry out with the Apoftle, O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God!

Secondly, Another Meteor is the Wind ; which how many Ufes it doth ferve to, is not eafie to enumerate, but many it doth, viz. to ventilate and break the Air, and diffipate noisom and contagious Vapours, which otherwife ftagnating, might occafion many Difeafes in Animals; and therefore it is an Obfervation concerning our Native Country, Anglia ventofa, fi non ventofa venenofa: To transfer the Clouds from place to place, for the more commodious watering of the Earth. To temper the exceffes of the Heat, as they find, who in Brafil, New Spain, the Neighbouring Islands, and other the like Countries near the Equator, reap the bencfit of the Breezes. To fill the Sails of Ships, and carry them on their Voyages to remote Countries; which of what eminent advantage it is to Mankind, for the procuring and continuing of Trade and mutual Commerce between the most diftant Nations, the illustrating every corner of the Earth, and the perfecting Geography and Natural Hiftory, is apparent to every Man. That the Monfoons and Trade-winds fhould be fo conftant and periodical even to the 30th Degree of Latitude all round the Globe,

and

and that they fhould fo feldom tranfgrefs or fall fhort of those bounds, is a Subject worthy of the Thoughts of the greatest Philofophers. To this may be added the driving about of Windmills for grinding of Corn, making of Oil, draining of Pools, raising of Water, fawing of Wood, fulling of Cloth, &c. That it should seldom or never be fo violent and boisterous, as to overturn Houses; yea, whole Cities; to tear up Trees by the Roots, and proftrate Woods; to drive the Sea over the lower Countries; as, were it the effect of Chance, or mere natural Caufes not moderated by a fuperiour Power, it would in all likelihood often do. Hurricanes, Spouts, and Inundations would be more frequent than they are. All these things declare the Wisdom and Goodness of Him who bringeth the Wind out of bis Treafures.

Of Inanimate Mix'd Bodies.

I proceed now to fuch inanimate Bodies as are called Perfectè mixta, perfectly mix'd, improperly enough, they being many of them (for ought I know) as fimple as thofe they call Èlements. These are Stones, Metals, Minerals and Salts.

In Stones, which one would think were a neglected Genus, what variety? What beauty and elegancy? What conftancy in their temper and confiftency, in their figures and colours? I - fhall speak of first some notable Qualities wherewith fome of them are endued; Secondly, The remarkable

The Qua

remarkable Ufes they are of to us. lities I fhall inftance in are, First, Colour, which in fome of them is moft lively, fparkling, and beautiful; the Carbuncle or Rubine fhining with red, the Sapphire with blue, the Emerauld with green, the Topaz or Chryfolyte of the Ancients with a yellow or Gold-colour, the Amethyst as it were tinctur'd with Wine, the Opal varying its colours like changeable Taffata, as it is diverfly expos'd to the light. Secondly, Hardnefs, wherein fome Stones exceed all other Bodies, and among them the Adamant all other Stones, being exalted to that degree thereof, that Art in vain endeavours to counterfeit it, the factitious Stones of Chymifts in imitation being eafily detected by an ordinary Lapidift. Thirdly, Figure, many of them fhoot into regular Figures, as Crystal and baftard Diamonds into Hexagonal; others into those that are more elegant and compounded, as thofe form'd in imitation of the Shells of teftaceous Fishes of all forts, Sharks Teeth and Vertebres, &c. If these be originally Stones, or primary Productions of Nature in imitation of Shells and Fishes Bones, and not the Shells and Bones themfelves petrified, as we have fometimes thought. Some have a kind of vegetation and resemblance of Plants, as Corals, Pori, and Fungites, which grow upon the Rocks like Shrubs : To which I might add our ordinary Star-ftones and Trochites, which I look upon as a fort of Rock-Plants.

Secondly,

Secondly, For the Ufes; fome ferve for Building, and many forts of Veffels and Utenfils; for Pillars, and Statues, and other carv'd Works in relieve, for the Temples, Ornament of Palaces, Portico's, Piazza's, Conduits, &c. as Freestone and Marble; fome to burn into Lime, as Chalk and Lime-ftone; fome, with the mixture of Beriglia or Kelp, to make Glass, as that the Venetians call Cuogolo, and common, Flints, which ferve also to strike Fire; fome to cover Houses, as Slates; fome for marking, as Morochthus, and the fore-mention'd Chalk, which is a xensov, ferving moreover for manuring Land, and fome Medicinal Ufes; fome to make Veffels of which will endure the Fire, as that found in the Country of Chiavenna near Plurs. To these useful Stones I might add the Warming-ftone, digg'd in Cornwal, which being once well heated at the Fire retains its warmth. a great while, and hath been found to give ease and relief in feveral Pains and Difeafes, particularly in that of the internal Hæmorrhoids. I might alfo take notice that fome Stones are endued with an Electrical or attractical Vertue. "My honoured Friend Dr. Tancred Robinfon, "in his Manufcript Itinerary of Italy, relates "the many various Figures he obferv'd natu"rally delineated and drawn on feveral forts "of Stones digged up in the Quarries, Caverns "and Rocks, about Florence, and other parts "of Italy, not only reprefenting Cities, Moun

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tains, Ruins, Clouds, Oriental Characters, Rivers, Woods, Animals, but alfo fome

"Plants

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