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leaves of trees; and that fome kinds of them are from a dew left upon herbs or flowers and others from a dew left upon Colworts or Cabbages: All which kindes of dews being thickened and condensed, are by the Suns generative heat most of them hatch'd, and in three dayes made living creatures, and of feveral shapes and colours; fome being hard and tough, fome smooth and foft; fome are horned in their head, fome in their tail, fome have none; some have hair, fome none; fome have fixteen feet,some lefs, and fome have none: but (as our Topfel hath with great diligence obferved) thofe In his Hi for of which have none, move upon the Serpents. earth, or upon broad leaves, their motion being not unlike to the waves of the fea. Some of them hee also obferves to be bred of the eggs of other Caterpillers: and that those in their time turn to be Butter-flies; and again, that their eggs turn the H 2 fol.

following yeer to be Caterpillers. 'Tis endleffe to tell you what the curious Searchers into Natures productions, have obferved of these Worms and Flies: But yet I fhall tell you what our Topfel fayes of the Canker, or Palmer-worm, or Caterpiller; That wheras others content themselves to feed on particular herbs or leaves (for moft think, thofe very leaves that gave them life and shape, give them a particular feeding and nourishment, and that upon them they usually abide;) yet he observes, that this is called a Pilgrim or Palmer-worm, for his very wandering life and various food; not contenting himself(as others do) with any certain place for his abode, nor any certain kinde of herb or flower for his feeding; but will boldly and diforderly wander up and down, and not endure to be kept to a diet, or fixt to a particular place.

Nay,

Nay, the very colours of Caterpillers are, as one has obferved, very elegant and beautiful:I fhal(for a taste of the reft(describe one of them, which I will fometime the next month, shew you feeding on a Willow tree, and you fhal find him punctually to answer this very description: "His "lips and mouth fomewhat yel"low, his eyes black as Jet, his "fore-head purple, his feet and "hinder parts green, his tail two "forked and black, the whole body "stain'd with a kind of red spots "which run along the neck and "shoulder-blades, not unlike the "form of a Croís, or the letter X, "made thus crofs-wife, and a "white line drawn down his back "to his tail; all which add much "beauty to his whole body. And it is to me obfervable,that at a fix'd age this Caterpiller gives over to eat, and towards winter comes to be coverd over with a strange shell or cruft,and

View Sir

fo lives a kind of dead life, without eating all the winter, and (as others Fra.Bacon of feveral kinds turn to be fevera! exper. 728 kinds of flies and vermin,the Spring his Natu- following) fo this Caterpiller ther ral History turns to be a painted Butterflye.

& 90. in

Come, come my Scholer, you fee the River ftops our morning walk, and I wil alfo here ftop my difcourfe, only as we fit down under this Honey-Suckle hedge, whilst I look a Line to fit the Rod that our brother Peter has lent you, I thall for a little confirmation of what I have faid, repeat the observation of the Lord Bartas.

God not contented to each kind to give,
And to infufe the vertue generative,
By his wife power made many creatures breed
Of liveless bodies,without Venus deed.

So the cold humour breeds the Salamander, Who (in effect) like to her birth commander,

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With child with hundred winters,with her touch Quencheth the fire,though glowing ne'r fo much

So in the fire in burning furnace Springs The fly Peraufta with the flaming wings; Without the fire it dies, in it, it joyes, Living in that which all things elfe deftroyes.

Gerh.

Herbal.

Cam

So flow Boötes underneath him fees In th'icie Islands Gollings hatcht of trees, bden. Whofe fruitful leaves falling into the water, Are turn'd(tis' known) to living fowls foon after

So rotten planks of broken ships, do change To Barnacles. Oh transformation ftrange! 'Twas firft a green tree,then a broken hull, Lately a Mushroom, now a flying Gull.

Vi.Oh my good Master,this morning walk has been spent to my great pleasure and wonder: but I pray, when fhall I have your directior how to make Artificial flyes, like to those that the Trout loves best? and also how to use them?

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