As for longævity, that it liveth a thousand years or more; beside that from imperfect observations and rarity of appearance, no confirmation can be made; there may be probable a mistake in the compute. For the tradition being very ancient and probably Egyptian, the _Greeks_ who dispersed the Fable, might summ up the account by their own numeration of years; whereas the conceit might have its original in times of shorter compute. For if we suppose our present calculation, the PhÅnix now in nature will be the sixth from the Creation, but in the middle of its years; and if the _Rabbins_ Prophecie [SN: _That the World should last but six thousand years._] succeed, shall conclude its days not in his own but the last and general flames, without all hope of Reviviction.
Concerning its generation, that without all conjunction it begets and reseminates it self, hereby we introduce a vegetable production in Animals, and unto sensible natures, transfer the propriety of Plants; that is, to multiply within themselves, according to the Law of the Creation [SN: _Gen. 1._], _Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed is in it self_. Which is indeed the natural way of Plants, who having no distinction of sex, and the power of the species contained in every _individuum_, beget and propagate themselves without commixtion; and therefore their fruits proceeding from simpler roots, are not so unlike, or distinguishable from each other, as are the off-springs of sensible creatures and prolifications descending from double originals. But Animal generation is accomplished by more, and the concurrence of two sexes is required to the constitution of one. And therefore such as have no distinction of sex, engender not at all, as _Aristotle_ conceives of Eels, and testaceous animals. And though Plant-animals do multiply, they do it not by copulation, but in a way analogous unto Plants. So _Hermaphrodites_ although they include the parts of both sexes, and may be sufficiently potent in either; yet unto a conception require a separated sex, and cannot impregnate themselves. And so also though _Adam_ included all humane nature, or was (as some opinion) an _Hermaphrodite_, yet had he no power to propagate himself; and therefore God said, _It is not good that man should be alone, let us make him an help meet for him_; that is, an help unto generation; for as for any other help, it had been fitter to have made another man.