containing a most curious mixture of superstitious notions and good sense. "Though plants," he says, "be chopt in pieces, brayed in a mortar, and even burnt to ashes; yet do they nevertheless retaine, by a certaine secret and wonderfull power of nature, both in the juyce and in the ashes the selfe same forme and figure that they had before: and though it be not there visible, yet it may by art be drawne forth and made visible to the eye, by an artist. This perhaps will seem a ridiculous story to those who reade only the titles of bookes; but those that please may see this truth confirmed if they but have recourse to the workes of Mr. Du Chesne, S. de la Violette, one of the best chymists that our age hath produced, who affirmes, that himselfe saw an excellent Polish physician of Cracovia, who kept in glasses the ashes of almost all the hearbes that are knowne: so that, when any one out of curiosity, had a desire to see any of them, as for
