Grew 1682

Grew, Nehemiah. The Anatomy of Plants. 1682.

Philosophical History of Plants

"To be Copartner in the Secrets of Divine Art. That which were very diserable, unless we should think it impertinent for us to design the Knowing of That, which God hath once thought fit to Do." (3, paragraph 5)

"Again, it may frequently conduct our minds to the consideration of the State of Animals; as whether there are not divers material Agreements betwixt them both; and what they are." (4, paragraph 8)

comparison "betwixt the Parts of several Plants, and the several Parts of one. And here again, either betwixt any Two of the Parts, or any One of them, and the Whole besides, or all the rest put together" (7, paragraph 13)

"So, it is not, simply, the Knowledge of many things, but a multifarious Copulation of them in the Mind, that becomes prolifick of further Knowledge." (8, paragraph 16)

"For although Men do everywhere with frequent pleasure, behold the Outward Elegancies of Plants; yet the Inward Ones, which, generally, are as Precise and Various as the Outward; we see, how usual it is, for the beholding of These, to be omitted by them." (8-9, paragraph 17)

Book I: The Anatomy of Plants Begun

dedication:

"I hope your pardon, if while you are holding That best of Books in one Hand, I here present some Pages of that of Nature into your other: Especially since Your Lordship knoweth very well, how excellent a Commentary This is on the Former; by which, in part, GOD reads the World his own Definition, and their Duty to him."

Book II: The Anatomy of Roots

dedicated to Lord Brouncker

"I have already prepared the Soil, and made some PLantation: what remaineth behind, and the Vintage of the whole, will depend much upon the continued influence of Your Beams: for how unpromising soever the Stock may be; yet the Fruit cannot but be somewhat matured, upon which You are pleased to shine."

Part I is the anatomy; Part II begins with defense of God's role in philosophy as prime mover / first cause; appeals to the watchmaker analogy of mechanistic philosophy in paragraph 5

Book III: The Anatomy of Trunks

also dedicated to Brouncker

again, Part I is an anatomy; Part II continues the tradition of Book II by using the anatomy to show the utility and purpose of these structures, particularly the motions of sap

Part II, Chapter VI, final chapter, shows "the Nature of Timber or Trunks, as they serve for mechanick Use"

Book IV: The Anatomy of Leaves, Flowers, Fruits and Seeds

dedicated to Robert Boyle; claims Boyle insisted tha the give "some Examples of the Mechanisme of Nature"