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|lotlg the narrow Canals of thefe excefnvely hard Bodies, as well as through thoie of Plants, which are much leis hard. See Shell.
Some Stones, then, mult be allow'd ro vegetate and grow like Giants : But this is not all ; probably they are generared in the fame Manner ; at ieait there arc abundance of Stones, whofe Generation is inconceivable, without luppofing they ccme from a kind of Seed, wnerein the organical Parrs of (he Stones are wrapped up in little; as thoie of the largeft Plants are in their Grains.
The Stones, cart'd Cornii Ammonis, Zapis Judakus, Mroit.es, thole of Cologne and Florence, the ieveral kinds of Pyrites, Sea Mufhrooms, Cryitals of the Rock, and an infinity of other Stones, fuppofe their fevcral Seeds ; as much as Mumrooms; Truffles, and various Kinds of Mofl'es, whole Seeds were never yet diicovered. See Mushroom, Crystal, Coral, $§g.
How mould the CernU Ammonis, which is conftantly in Figure of a Volute be fonn'd without a Seed, containing that lame Structure n little ? Who moulded it fo artfully ? And where are the Moulds 1 Far from this, thefe Kinds of Stones are found in the Earth, like common Flints. Nor were either Mould* or any thing like them, ever difcover'd. SteCoRNu Ammonis.
M. 'T'ournefcrt examines the feveral Kinds of Stones above- mentioned, and finds them under the lame NecefTiry of Seed. Again, that immenfe Quantity of Flints, wherewith the CraiK/f Aries is cover'd, is a ftrong Argument in behalf of this Theory, _ .
The Country there, for 20 Miles round, is full of roundifii Flints ; which are full found in equal abundance, to whatever Depth you dig. M. Tereifc, who firlt propofed the Gene- ration of Stones by means of Seeds (though he took the Word Seed in a very different Senfe from M. Tournefort') firft brought this extraordinary Campagne as a Proof thereof. In effect, how could io many iimiiar Flints be form'd I There is no laying they are coeval with the World, with- out aflerting at the lame time, That all the Stones in the Earth were produced at once; which were to go direcfly con- trary to the Obfervations above-mentioned.
Among the Seeds of Stones, M. %ournefbrt obferves, there are fome, which don't only grow lofr by the Juices of the Earth, but even become liquid. Thefe, then, if they penetrate the Pores of certain Bodies, grow hard, petrify and a flu me the Figure or [tnpreffion of the Body: Thus what we call IPsStiwtes, Conchites, Mytulites, Ofiracites, Nnttilnes, Echi- nites, &c. are real Stones, the liquid Seeds whereof have infinuated into the Cavities of the Shells, call'd PeBen, Concha, Mytulus, Oftrea, Nautilus, Echinus.
On the contrary, it" thoie liquid Seeds fall on Flints, on Shells, Sand, &C. they indole thoie feveral Bodies, and fixing between them* form a kind of Cement, which yet grows like other Stones, 'Tis highly probable that fuch Rocks as are only an ftflembiage of matt tea ted Flints have been form'd by a Number of theft liquid Seeds; in like Manner as the Quarries full or Shells; unlels the Rocks have envellop'd thefe Bodies in their Growth.
He adds, that there are Seeds of re.if Siones nclofed in the Spawn of certain SbeH-fifn ; as well as that hard iolid Matter deftin'd to the forming their Shells.
There is a particular Kind of Shell-fifh, call'd tPfcolaSi which is never found any where but in Cavities of Flints, which are always found exactly fined to receive them. ISJow 'tis hignly improbable the Fifh fliould come and dig fuchaNitch toipawn in; 'tis much more likely, the Stones they are found inclofed if, were at firfl foft ; and that the Matter they are form'd of, was originally found in the Spawn, in like Manner as the Matter which forms the Egg-fhell, is really found in the Seed thereof.
From the whole, he concludes, that the Seed of Stones, and even of Metals, is a kind of Dult, which probably falls from them while they are alive, i. e. while they continue to veoetate as above. This Duff may be compared to the Seeds of^feveral Plants, as thole of Ferns, Capillaries, MofTes, Truffles, &c. which no Microfcope e'er yet difcover'd; though their Exigence is not ar all doubted.
Probably Flints and Pebbles are among Stones, what Truffles are among Plants : Nor is this Opinion new ;
- PUn$ affures us, That Theoj>braftus and Mutianus believed,
that Stones produced Stones : And Gregory Nazianzen adds, that there were Authors who even believed that Stones made Love ^Ttx-At d^x wt J* 1 /*©"**' fWftU fyw&i Toem.de Virgin-
M. GeoWroy accounts for the Origin and Formation of Stones, in a different Manner.
He lays it down as a Principle, that all Stones, without Exception, have been Fluid; or ar leaff a i oft Parte, now dried and harden'd ; witnefs the Stones wherein are found foreign Bodies ; witnefs, alio, figured Stones, &c.
On this Principle, he examines the Formation of the diffe- rent Kinds of Stones ; and fhews, that the Earth alone fuffices for the fame, independent of all Salts, Sulphurs, &c. The
metallic Particles contain'd inFlints, give them theirCoIouf • but thefe are only Accidents; for Proof of which he in' fiances the Saphirs and Emeralds of Auvergne, which Ioie ail their Colour by a moderate Fire confuming their metallic Parts ; but without any Damage to their 'Lranfparencc - they being hereby render'd mere Cryftals.
To view Rock Cryflal, indeed, one would not take it for Earth ; and yet Earth it muff be, not Water congeal'd, as the Ancients imagin'd. See Crystal.
Mr. Geofroy conceives two Kinds of little primitive Parts in the Earth : Thofe of the firft Kind, are exceedingly fine; thin Lamella:, equal to each other, or nearly ib. Now when thefe meet together, from any Caufe whatever, in a fuiHcient Quantity; the Regularity and Equality of their Figures determines them to range themfelves equally and regularly ; and thus to form a homogeneous Compound, which is very hard, from the immediate Contact of the Parts s and very traniparent, by f eafon of their regular Difpoiition. which leaves a free Paffage to the Rays of Light every Way; and this is Cryflal. See Crystal.
The Parts of the fecond Kind have all kinds of irregular Figures ; and muff accordingly form AfTemblages that are much opaker and lels. hard. Now Cryffal is form'd wholly of Parrs of the firit Kind ; and all other Stones of a Mix- ture of the two kinds of Parts together: This Mixture is abfolutely necefTary, in order to unite and bind together the Parts of the iecond Kind, and give them a Hardnefs and Coniiltencej without which they would onl) make a Sand or Duff. Water, now appears the fitteft Vehicle, to carry the Parts of the firft Kind. This is feen from feveral petri- fying Springs, which incruftate the Pipes through which their Waters are eonvey'd, or even folid Bodies laid in thern for fome time. The Water does not difTolve thofe earthy Parts: it only keeps them in Fufion, as it does the Juices wherewith Plants are fed.
This Water, thus charged with earthy Particles of the firft Kind, M. Geofroy calls the Stony or Cryfialline Juice, whereof thoie Bodies are primarily form'd.
Stones are of various Kinds, with regard to the Places they are produced in: the moft ordinary are under Ground; others in the Bodies of Men and other Animals ; others feem to be generated by the Sea, as Pumice, &c. and others, the Effect of a petrifying Virtue in certain Waters.
Of thefe, fome ferve limply for Magnificence and Orna- ment ; as ail thofe called
'Precious Stones ; which make the Commerce of Lapi- daries and Jewellers. See Precious Stone,
Others, much ufefuller, if one might credit all the Virtues attributed to them, are ufed in Medicine, fuch as Sezoards, Jews Stone, Eagles Stone, £*Tc. See Bezoard, &c.
Others, again, are ufed in Painting ; either to prepare Colours from, by calcining and grinding them, or ro be ufed as Crayons or Pencils for Defigning ; of which Number are the Armenian Stone, "Black Lead, Ruddle, &c.
Laflly, much the greater! Quantity, and thofe too of the moft immediate and common Ufe, are thofe employ'd in Building; fuch as Freefone, Marble, Lime-ftwne, Fire-Jim, i^c. each of which fee under their proper Articles.
A Scheme of the feveral Kinds of Stones from &ifho$ Wilkins.
Stones are either Vulgar, Middle-friced, or Precious.
1. Vulgar Stones, or fuch as are of little Price, are diftingu finable by their different Magnitudes, Ufes, and Con- fluence, into the
Greater Magnitudes of Stone, ufed either about ^Buildings, whether of
f Walls ; chiefly being of a r fofter Confluence, whether Natural or Factitious, ) c Free Stone
< 1 i Brick
/ Harder Confidence ; not eafily yielding to the Tool V- of the Workman, growing either in ( Great Mafles. ) Ragg
2 ^ LefTer MafTes 5 whether fuch as are fot V. their Figure,
/ \ /-More knobbed, and unequal ; ufed for the ftrildiig
' of Fire, either the more common, which is l e ^
heavy ; or thelefs common, which is tnore heavy,
as having fbmething in it of a metalline Mixture.
c Flint.
3 1 Marchafite, Fire-ftone. More round and even.
4 Pebble. Roof, or Pavement, being of a laminated Figure
either Natural or Factitious, c Slate
- cTfle
- » Metals, either for the
Sharpening
