of various sorts;
that these Shells in many, from the particular nature of the containing or
enclos'd Earth, or some other cause, have in tract of time rotted and
mouldred away, and onely left their impressions, both on the containing and
contained substances; and so left them pretty loose one within another, so
that they may be easily separated by a knock or two of a Hammer. That
others of these Shells, according to the nature of the substances adjacent
to them, have, by a long continuance in that posture, been _petrify'd_ and
turn'd into the nature of stone, just as I even now observ'd several sorts
of Wood to be. That oftentimes the Shell may be found with one kind of
substance within, and quite another without; having, perhaps, been fill'd
in one place, and afterwards translated to another, which I have very
frequently observ'd in _Cockle_, _Muscle_, _Periwincle_, and other shells,
which I have found by the Sea side. Nay, further, that some parts of the
same Shell may be fill'd in one place, and some other caverns in another,
and others in a third, or a fourth, or a fifth place, for so many differing
substances have I found in one of these _petrify'd_ Shells, and perhaps all
these differing from the encompassing earth or stone; the means how all
which varieties may be caus'd, I think, will not be difficult to conceive,
to any one that has taken notice of those Shells, which are commonly found
on the Sea shore: And he that shall throughly examine several kinds of such
curiously form'd stones, will (I am very apt to think) find reason to
suppose their generation or formation to be ascribable to some such
accidents as I have mention'd, and not to any _Plastick virtue_: For it
seems to me quite contrary to the infinite prudence of Nature, which is
observable in all its works and productions, to design every thing to a
determinate end, and for the attaining of that end, makes use of such ways
as are (as farr as the knowledge of man has yet been able to reach)
altogether consonant, and most agreeable to man's reason, and of no way or
means that does contradict, or is contrary to humane Ratiocination; whence
it has a long time been a general observation and _maxime_, that _Nature
does nothing in vain_; It seems, I say, contrary to that great Wisdom of
Nature, that these prettily shap'd bodies should have all those curious
Figures and contrivances (which many of them are adorn'd and contriv'd
with) generated or wrought by a _Plastick virtue_, for no higher end, then
onely to exhibite such a form; which he that shall throughly consider all
the circumstances of such kind of Figur'd bodies, will, I think, have great
reason to believe, though, I confess, one cannot presently be able to find
out what Nature's designs are.
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