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Thursday, _Novemb. 9. 1671_.
_At a Meeting of the Council of the ~R. Society~._
_Ordered_,
That the Discourse presented to the R. Society, Entitul’d, _The Anatomy
of ~Vegetables~ begun, with a General Accompt of ~Vegetables~ thereon_,
By _N. Grew_, M.D. be Printed by _Spencer Hickman_, one of the Printers
of the _R. Society_.
_Brouncker_ Pres.
THE
ANATOMY
OF
VEGETABLES
Begun.
With a
GENERAL ACCOUNT
OF
_VEGETATION_
Founded thereon.
By _NEHEMIAH GREW_, M. D.
and Fellow of the _Royal Society_.
_LONDON_,
Printed for _Spencer Hickman_, Printer
to the _R. Society_, at the _Rose_
in S. _Pauls_ Church-Yard, 1672.
TO THE
_Right Honourable_
&
_Most Illustrious_
THE
PRESIDENT & FELLOWS
OF THE
_ROYAL SOCIETY_,
_The Following_
DISCOURSE
_Is most Humbly_
Presented
_By_
The Authour
_NEHEMIAH GREW_.
[Illustration]
TO THE _Right Reverend_ JOHN _Lord Bishop of CHESTER_.
_MY LORD_,
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.
But if this Address, _my Lord_, may be thought congruous, ’tis yet more
just; and that I should let _your Lordship_, and others know, how much,
and how deservedly I resent your extraordinary Favours: Particularly
that you were pleased so far to animate my Endeavours towards the
publishing the following _Observations_. Many whereof, and most belonging
to the First Chapter, having now lain dormant near seven years; and yet
might perhaps have so continued, had not _your Lordships_ Eye at length
created Light upon them. In doing which, you have given one, amongst
those many Tokens, of as well your readiness to promote learning and
knowledge by the hands of others; as your high Abilities to do it by
your own. Both which are so manifest in _your Lordship_, that like the
first Principles of _Mathematical Science_, they are not so much to be
asserted, because known and granted by all.
The Consideration whereof, _my Lord_, may make me not only _just_ in
owning of your Favours, but also most _Ambitious_ of your _Patronage_:
which yet to bespeak, I must confess I cannot well. Not that I think what
is good and valuable, is alwaies its own best Advocate; for I know that
the Censures of men are humorous and variable, and that one Age must
have leave to frown on those Books, which another will do nothing less
than kiss and embrace. But chiefly for this Reason, lest I should so much
as seem desirous of _your Lordships_ Solliciting my Cause as to all I
have said: For as it is your Glory, that you like not so to shine, as to
put out the least Star; so were it to your Dishonour to borrow your Name
to illustrate the Spots, though of the most conspicuous.
_Your Lordships_ Most Obliged & Most Humble Servant
_Nehemiah Grew_.
[Illustration]
THE PREFACE.
_Of what antiquity the ~Anatomy~ of ~Animals~ is, and how great have been
its Improvements of later years, is well known. That of ~Vegetables~
is a subject which from all Ages to this day hath not only lain by
uncultivated; but for ought I know, except some Observations of some of
our own Countrey-men, hath not been so much as thought upon; whether
for that the World hath been more enamoured with the former, or pity to
humane frailty hath more obliged to it, or other Reasons, I need not
enquire._
_But considering that both came at first out of the same Hand, and are
therefore the Contrivances of the same Wisdom; I thence fully assured my
self, that it could not be a vain Design, though possibly unsuccessful,
to seek it in both._
_In the prosecution hereof, how far I have gone, I neither judge my
self, nor leave it to any one else to do it; because no man knows how
far we have yet to go, or are capable of going. Nor is there any thing
which starves and stinteth the growth of knowledge more, than such
Determinations, whether we speak or conceit them only._
_What we have performed thus far, lieth, for the most part, open to the
use and improvement of all men. Only in some places, and chiefly in the
Third Chapter, we have taken in the help of Glasses; wherein, after
we had finished the whole Composure, some Observations made by that
Ingenious and Learned Person Mr. ~Hook~, a Worthy Member of the ~Royal
Society~, my much Honoured Friend, and by him communicated to me, were
super-added: As likewise some others also ~Microscopical~, of my own,
which his gave me the occasion of making._
_Those that shall think fit to examine, as well as to peruse these
Observations, we advertise them, ~First~, That they begin, and so proceed
till they end again, with the Seed: For they will hardly be able to avoid
Errour and Misapprehension, if either partial or preposterous in their
Enquiries. ~Next~, That they confine not their Enquiries to one time of
the Year; but to make them in several Seasons, wherein the Parts of a
~Vegetable~ may be seen in their several Estates. ~And then~, That they
neglect not the comparative ~Anatomy~; for as some things are better seen
in one estate, so in one ~Vegetable~, than another._
_What, upon Observation already made, we have erected, as they are not
Sticks and Straws; so neither do we assure all to be of the best Oak. How
Dogmatical soever my Assertions may seem to be, yet do I not affect the
unreasonable Tyranny of obtruding upon the Faith of any. He that speaketh
Reason, may be rather satisfied, in being understood, than believed._