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ries to convey the Blood thither? It would (one might rationally think) be more likely, that as in the Abdomen of every Animal, fo here there fhould have been fome lacteal Veins form'd, beginning from the Placenta or Cotyledons, which concuring in one common ductus, fhould at laft empty themselves into the Veno cava. condly, I have obferved in a Calf, the Umbilical Veffels to terminate in certain Bodies divided into a multitude of carneous papilla, as I may fo call them, which are receiv'd into fo many Sockets of the Cotiledons growing on the Womb; which carneous papilla, may without force or laceration be drawn out of thofe Sockets. Now thefe papilla do well refemble the Ariftæ or radii of a Fishes Gills, and very probably have the fame use to take in the Air. So that the maternal Blood which flows to the Cotyledons, and. encircles thefe papilla, communicates by them to the Blood of the Fatus, the Air wherewith it felf is impregnate; as the Water flowing about the carneous radii of the Fishes Gills doth the Air that is lodg'd therein to them. Thirdly, That the maternal Blood flows moft copioufly to the Placenta uterina in Women, is manifeft from the great Hemorrhagy that fucceeds the feparation thereof at the Birth. Fourthly, After the Stomach and Inteftines, are form'd, the Fetus feems to take in its whole nourishment by the Mouth; there being always found in the Stomach of a Calf, plenty of the Liquor contain'd in the Amnios wherein he fwims, and faces in his Inteftines, and abun

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dance of Urine in the Allantoides. So that the Foetus in the Womb doth live as it were the life of a Fish. Laftly, Why elfe should there be fuch an inftant neceffity of Refpiration fo foon as ever the Foetus is fallen off from the Womb

I know that if the Fatus be taken out of the Womb inclos'd in the Secundines, it will continue to live, and the Blood to circulate for a confiderable time, as Dr. Harvey obferves. The reafon whereof I conceive to be, because the Blood ftill circulates through the Cotyledons or Placenta, which are now expos'd to the open Air, and fo from thence receives fufficient fupplies thereof, to continue its gentle Motion, and feed the vital Flame. But when upon exclufion of the Young the Umbilical Vessels are broken, and no more Air is receiv'd that way, the Plaftick Nature, to preferve, the Life of the Animal, peedily raifes the Lungs, and draws into them Air in great abundance, which caufes a fudden and mighty accenfion in the Blood; to the maintenance whereof a far greater quantity of Air is requifite, than would ferve to feed the mild and languid Flame before.

This way we may give a facile and very probable Account of it, to wit, because receiving no more Communications of Air from its Dam or Mother, it must needs have a speedy Supply from without, or elfe extinguish and die for want of it, being not able to live long

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er without Air at its firft Birth, than it can do afterward.

Upon this occafion give me leave to dif courfe a little concerning the Air's infinuating. it felf into the Water. I say therefore, That the Air, at least that part of it which is the Aliment of Fire, and Fewel of the vital Flame in Animals, eafily penetrates the Body of Water expos'd to it, and diffufeth it self through every part of it. Hence it is that we find Fill, in fubterraneous Rivers, and foffil Fish in the Earth it felf which can no more live withqut Air there than in the open Waters: Hence the Miners, when they come once at Water, are out of all danger of Damps. You'll fay, How gets the Air into the Water in Subterraneous Rivers, and into the Earth to the foffil Fishes I anfwer, The fame way that the Water doth which I fuppofe to be by its upper Superficies; the Water defcending by Pores and Paflages that there it finds into Chinks and Veins, and a by confluence of many of them by degrees fwelling into a Stream, the Air accompanies and follows it by a conftant fucceffion. As for foffil Fifhes, fome make their way into the Earth up the Veins of Water opening into the Banks of Rivers, where they lie till they grow fo great that they cannot return: In which Veins they find Air enough to ferve their turn, needing not much by reafon that they lie ftill, and move but little, Others in times of Floods are left in the Meadows, and with the Water fink into the Earth

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at fome Holes and Pores that the Water finds or makes, by which also they are supplied with Air. The reafon why the Miners are out of danger of Damps when they come to Water, I conceive is, because then prefently the Air that ftagnated in the Shaft finks into the Water, and fresh Air defcends and fucceeds, and fo there is a circulation; in the fame manner as by the finking of an Air-fhaft the Air hath liberty to circulate, and carry out the Steams both of the Miners Breath and the Damps, which would otherwife ftagnate there. Indeed, though there were no Damps, yet the nitrous part of the Air being spent and confum'd by the breathing of the Miners, the remaining part would be render'd altogether unfit for Refpiration, unless new and fresh Air could fucceed.

And here methinks appears a Neceffity of bringing in the Agency of fome Super-intendent intelligent Being, be it a Plaftick Nature, or what you will. For what else should put the Diaphragm, and all the Muscles ferving to Refpiration, in motion all of a fudden fo foon as ever the Foetus is brought forth? Why could they not have rested as well as they did in the Womb? What aileth them that they must needs beftir themselves to get in Air to maintain the Creatures Life? Why could they not patiently fuffer it to die? That the Air of it felf could not rush in, is clear; for that on the contrary there is requir'd fome force to remove the incumbent Air, and make room for the External to enter. You will fay, the Spirits do at this

time flow to the Organs of Refpiration, the Diaphragm and other Muscles which concur to that Action, and move them. But what rouses the Spirits which were quiefcent during the continuance of the Foetus in the Womb? Here is no appearing Impellent but the external Air, the Body fuffering no change but of Place, out of its clofe and warm Prifon into the open and cool Air. But how or why that should have fuch an influence upon the Spirits, as to drive them into thofe Mufcles electively, I am not fubtil enough to difcern. As for the Refpiration of the Chick in the Egg, I fuppofe the Air not only to be included in the White, but alfo to be fupply'd through the Shell and Membranes.

Thirdly, Water is one part, and that not the least of our Sustenance, and that affords the greatest share of Matter in all Productions; being not (as it exifts in the World) a fimple and unmix'd Body, but containing in it the Principles or minute component Particles of all Bodies. To fpeak nothing of thofe inferior Ufes of Washing and Bathing, dreffing and preparing Victuals. But if we fhall confider the great Concepticula and Congregations of Water, and the diftribution of it all over the dry Land in Springs and Rivers, there will occur abundant Arguments of Wisdom and Understanding. The Sea, what infinite Variety of Fishes doth it nourish! Pfal. 104. 25. In the Verfe next to my Text, The Earth is full of thy Riches: So is this great and wide Sea, wherein are things

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