PART I.

An Examination of the Opinions of former Writers on this Subject. The Means whereby they thought these Marine Bodies brought out upon the Earth. Of certain Changes of Sea and Land, and other Alterations in the Terraqueous Globe, which they fuppofe to have happen'd.

T

HIS fo confiderable a Point being thus gained: the Legitimacy or Reality of thefe Marine Bodies vindicated and afferted and my Way fo far effectualy cleared by the foregoing Dissertation; I now re-affume my original

Defign,

Defign, and pafs on to inquire by what Means they were hurryed out of the Ocean, the Place of their native Abode, to dry Land, and even to Countries very remote from any Seas.

It is indeed a Question of great Antiquity and which hath, for many Ages, given no finall Fatigue to Learned Men. Nor hath the prefent been lefs inquifitive into this Affair than the former Ages were. We have seen feveral Hands imployed herein and many of them very excellent ones too. The great Number of the Undertakers, the Worth of fome of them, and their Zeal to bring the Matter to a Decifion, are fure Arguments of the Dignity and Importance of it: and, that it is not hitherto decided, is as certain a Proof of its Difficulty.

Some were of Opinion that these Shells were fetch'd from Sea by the ancient Inhabitants of thofe Countries where they are now found; who, after they had ufed the included Fishes for Food, flinging forth the Shells, many of them became petrified, as they fpeak; being D thereby

our

thereby preferved down to Times, and are the fame which we at this Day find in our Fields and Quarryes.

Others rather thought that they were only Reliques of fome former great Inundations of the Sea; which, furiously rushing forth, and overflowing the adjacent Territories, bore thefe Bodies out upon the Earth along with it but returning at length more leifurely and calmly back again, it left them all behind.

Many were of Opinion, that the Sea frequently flitted and changed its Place: that feveral Parts of the Globe which are now dry Land, and habitable, lay heretofore at the Bottom of the Sea, and were covered by it that particularly the very Countries, which prefent us with thefe Spoils of it, were anciently in its Poffeffion; being then an Habitation of Sharks and other Fishes, of Oysters, Cockles, and the like; but the Sea, in tract of Time, retreating thence, and betaking it self into new Quarters: gaining as much Ground on the oppofite Coafts, as it loft upon those, left thefe Shells

there

there as Marks of its ancient Bounds and Seat.

Amongst the reft there were in- . deed fome who believed thefe to be Remains of the General Deluge: and fo many Monuments of that calamitous and fatal Irruption. These laft affuredly were in the right; but the far greater Part of thein rather afferted than proved this rather deliver'd it as their Opinion, than offer'd any rational Arguments to induce others to the fame Belief. And for the reft, who did offer any, fo unhappy were they in the Choice, and unsuccessful in the Management of them, by reafon of the Shortnefs of their Obfervations, and their not having duely informed themfelves of the State of thefe Things, that none of the other Partizans appear'd with lefs Applaufe, none lefs ftrenuously maintain'd their Ground, than thefe did.

The Truth is, as Matters were order'd amongst them, no Man could receive much Light or Satisfaction from what was advanced by any of them. They little more than clash'd with one another. Each could demolish

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molish the others Work with Eafe enough, but not a Man of them tolerably defend his own; which was fure never to outftand the first Affault that was made. Yea upon fo equal Terms did they all ftand, that no one could well lay claim to a larger Share of Truth for his Side: no one had a fairer Pretence of Right, than the reft. And, it being impoffible to imagine that all could be in the Right, fome Learned Men began to fufpect that none of them were fo.

These thereupon laid out on all Hands for fome new Expedient to folve and put an End to the Perplexity. And 'twas this laft Effort that brought forth the Opinion, that thefe Bodies are not what they seem to be that they are no Shells, but meer Sportings of active Nature in this fubterraneous Kingdom, and only Semblances or Imitations of Shells. They imagined that this fhortned the Difficulty, because it spared them the Trouble of accounting for their Conveyance from Sea, which was what had fo feverely exercifed all the former. Though, in reality,