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Croll, Oswald - Preface of Signatures – 12

God hath created nothing in vain, but he hath endowed every creature, though never so abject, with peculiar virtues, according to his divine will and pleasure.

For which cause, they far otherwise understand, who observe Nature in the least and most abject creatures, to be most excellent, and where it seems to be deficient in body, to abound in virtues.

[Oftentimes under a dirty coat great wisdom lies hid.]

The worm and juice of murex give the purple, the most sumptuous colour of kings. Bees of unimitable industry yield most sweet honey. The weak reed bares wheat, the most desireable staff of life. The vine of all wood the most abject, yields wine, which moderately taken, wonderfully cheers the heart of man. The intellectual soul hospited [situated] in the body of man, as in an earthen vessel, and frail test: all which not without great reason of the eternal sapience are so appointed.

[Levit. 26., Psal. 104 ver 15, Ezech. Cap 15. The faithful soul is the Sanctuary of God. The heavenly signature is not from the form, but from the heart : that is, it manifests men by their works and fruits. So our saviour reproves the fox like the mind of Herod; and John Baptist taxeth the pharisees with viperine subtility.]