The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 3Browne, Thomas, Sir
Religion
The Works of Sir Thomas Browne, Volume 3
Browne, Thomas, Sir
Christianity; Ethics; Religion and medicine
"If, therefore, thou Roman and Gentile Branch, which wert cut from the
wild Olive, art now, by the signal mercy of God, beyond the ordinary and
commonly expected way, grafted into the true Olive, the Church of God;
if thou, which neither naturally nor by humane art canst be made to
produce any good Fruit, and, next to a Miracle, to be made a true Olive,
art now by the benignity of God grafted into the proper Olive; how much
more shall the Jew, and natural Branch, be grafted into its genuine and
mother Tree, wherein propinquity of nature is like, so readily and
prosperously, to effect a coalition? And this more especially by the
expressed way of insition or implantation, the Olive being not
successfully propagable by Seed, nor at all by surculation."
[Sidenote: _Stork nesting on Firre Trees in_ Psal. 104. 17.]
33. _As for the Stork, the Firre Trees are her House._ This expression,
in our Translation, which keeps close to the Original _Chasidah_, is
somewhat different from the Greek and Latin Translation; nor agreeable
unto common observation, whereby they are known commonly to build upon
Chimneys, or the tops of Houses, and high Buildings, which
notwithstanding, the common Translation may clearly consist with
observation, if we consider that this is commonly affirmed of the black
Stork, and take notice of the description of _Ornithologus_ in
_Aldrovandus_, that such Storks are often found in divers parts, and
that they do _in Arboribus nidulari, præsertim in abietibus_; Make their
Nests on Trees, especially upon Firre Trees. Nor wholly disagreeing unto
the practice of the common white Stork, according unto _Varro_,
_nidulantur in agris_: and the concession of _Aldrovandus_ that
sometimes they build on Trees: and the assertion of _Bellonius_,[220]
that men dress them Nests, and place Cradles upon high Trees, in Marish
regions, that Storks may breed upon them: which course some observe for
Herns and Cormorants with us. And this building of Storks upon Trees,
may be also answerable unto the original and natural way of building of
Storks before the political habitations of men, and the raising of
Houses and high Buildings; before they were invited by such conveniences
and prepared Nests, to relinquish their natural places of nidulation. I
say, before or where such advantages are not ready; when Swallows found
other places than Chimneys, and Daws found other places than holes in
high Fabricks to build in.
[220] Bellonius _de Avibus_.
[Sidenote: _Balm, in_ Gen. 43. 11.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account