Sec. 43.  And when by this Contemplation it appear’d to him plainly, that the true Essence of that Animal Spirit, which he had been so intent, was compounded of Corporeity, and some other Quality superadded to that Corporeity, and that it had its Corporeity in common with other Bodies; but that this other Quality which was superadded, was peculiar to it self:  Immediately he slighted and despis’d the Notion of Corporeity, and applied himself wholly to that other superadded Quality (which is the same that we call the Soul) the Nature of which he earnestly desired to know.  Therefore he fix’d all his Thoughts upon it, and began his Contemplation with considering all Bodies, not as Bodies, but as endu’d with Forms, from whence necessarily flow these Properties, by which they are distinguish’d one from another.

Sec. 44.  Now by following up this Notion, and comprehending it in his Mind, he perceiv’d that all Bodies had one Form in common, from whence one or more Actions did proceed.  And that there were some of these, which tho’ they agreed with all the rest in that one common Form, had another Form besides superadded to it, from whence some Actions proceeded.  And further, that there was another sort, which agreeing with the rest in those two Forms which they had, was still distinguish’d from them by a third Form, superadded to those other two, from whence also proceeded some Actions.  For instance, all Terrestrial Bodies, as Earth, Stones, Minerals, Plants, Animals, and all other heavy Bodies, do make up one in Number, which agree in the same Form, from whence flows the Property of_descending_ continually, whilst there is nothing to hinder their Descent:  And whensoever they are forc’d to move upwards, if they are left to themselves, they immediately, by the Power of their Form, tend downwards again.  Now, some part of this Number, viz.  Plants and Animals, tho’ they do agree with all that Multitude before mention’d, in that Form; yet still have another Form superadded to it, from whence flow Nutrition and Accretion. Now the meaning of Nutrition is, when the Body that is nourish’d, substitutes in the room of that which is consum’d and wasted from it self, something of the like kind, which it draws to it self, and then converts into its own Substance. Accretion, or Growing, is a Motion according to the three Dimensions, viz.  Length, Breadth, and Thickness, in a due Proportion.  And these two Actions are common to Plants and Animals, and do without doubt spring from that Form which is common to them both, which is what we call the Vegetative Soul.  Now part of this Multitude, viz. Animals, tho’ they have the first and second Forms in common with the rest, have still a third Form superadded, from which arise Sensation and Local Motion, Besides, he perceiv’d that every particular Species of Animals, had some Property which, distinguish’d it, and made it quite different from the rest, and he knew that this Difference must arise from some Form peculiar to that Species, which was superadded to the Notion of that Form which it had in common with the rest of Animals.  And the like he saw happen’d to the several kinds of Plants.