old, or done more than changed the terms of the nomenclature. For inftance, I could never fee the difference between the antiquated fyftem of atoms, and Buffon's organic molecules. This philofopher, having made a planet by knocking off from the fun a piece of melted glafs, in confequence of the ftroke of a comet; and having fet it in motion, by the fame ftroke, both round its own axis and the fun, finds his next difficulty to be, how to bring plants and animals upon it. In order to folve this difficulty, we are to suppose the universe replenished with particles, endowed with life, but without organization or fenses of their own; and endowed alfo with a tendency to marshal themselves into organized forms. The concourse of these particles, by virtue of this tendency, but without intelligence, will, or direction, (for I do not find that any of these qualities are afcribed to them,) has produced the living forms which we now fee.

Very few of the conjectures, which philo fophers hazard upon these subjects, have more of pretenfion in them, than the challenging you to fhew the direct impoffibility of the hypothefis. In the prefent example, there feemed to be a positive objection to the whole scheme upon the very face of it; which was, that, if

the

the cafe were as here represented, new combinations ought to be perpetually taking place; new plants and animals, or organized bodies. which were neither, ought to be starting up before our eyes every day. For this, however, our philofopher has an answer. Whilst

fo

many forms of plants and animals are already in existence, and, confequently, so many “internal molds," as he calls them, are prepared and at hand, the organic particles run into thefe molds, and are employed in fupplying an acceffion of fubitance to them, as well for their growth, as for their propagation. By which means things keep their antient course. But, fays the fame philofopher, should any general loss or destruction of the present conftitution of organized bodies take place, the particles, for want of "molds" into which they might enter, would run into different combinations, and replenish the waste with new fpecies of organized fubftances.

"

Is there any hiftory to countenance this notion? Is it known, that any destruction has been fo repaired? any defart thus repeopled?

So far as I remember, the only natural appearance mentioned by our author, by way of fact whereon to build his hypothefis, the

only

only fupport on which it refts, is the formation of worms in the inteftines of animals, which is here afcribed to the coalition of fuperabundant organic particles, floating about in the firft paffages; and which have combined themselves into thefe fimple animal forms, for want of internal molds, or of vacancies in those molds, into which they might be received. The thing referred to is rather a fpecies of facts, than a fingle fact; as fome other cafes may, with equal reafon, be included under it. But to make it a fact at all, or, in any fort, applicable to the question, we must begin with afferting an equivocal generation contrary to analogy, and without neceffity: contrary to an analogy, which accompanies us to the very limits of our knowledge or enquiries, for wherever, either in plants or animals, we are able to examine the subject, we find procreation from a parent form; without neceffity, for I apprehend that it is feldom difficult to fuggeft methods, by which the eggs, or fpawn, or yet invifible rudiments of these vermin, may have obtained a paffage into the cavities in which they are found. Add to this,

I truft I may be excufed, for not citing, as another fact which is to confirm the hypothefis, a grave affertion

of

this, that their conftancy to their species, which, I believe, is as regular in these as in the other vermes, decides the question against our philofopher, if, in truth, any question remained upon the subject.

Lastly; these wonder-working inftruments, thefe "internal molds," what are they after all? what, when examined, but a name without fignification; unintelligible, if not felf-contradictory; at the beft, differing nothing from the "effential forms" of the Greek philofophy? One short sentence of Buffon's work exhibits his fcheme as follows. "When this nutritious and prolific matter, which is diffused throughout all nature, paffes through the internal mold of an animal or vegetable, and finds a proper matrix or receptacle, it gives rise to an animal or vegetable of the same species.' Does any reader annex a meaning to the expreffion" internal mold," in this fentence? Ought it then to be faid, that, though we have little notion of an internal mold, we have not much more of a defigning mind? The very contrary of this affertion is the truth. When we speak of an artificer or an architect,

of this writer, that the branches of trees upon which the stag feeds, break out again in his horns. Such facts merit no difcuffion,

we

we talk of what is comprehenfible to our un→ derstanding, and familiar to our experience. We use no other terms, than what refer us for their meaning to our consciousness and obfervation; what exprefs the conftant objects of both : whereas names, like that we have mentioned, refer us to nothing; excite no idea; convey a found to the ear, but I think do no more.

ANOTHER fyftem, which has lately been brought forward, and with much ingenuity, is that of appetencies. The principle, and the hort atcount, of the theory, is this. Pieces of foft, ductile, matter, being endued with propenfities or appetencies for particular actions, would, by continual endeavours, carried on through a long series of generations, work themfelves gradually into fuitable forms; and, at length, acquire, though perhaps by obscure and almost imperceptible improvements, an organization fitted to the action which their respective propenfities led them to exert. A piece of animated matter, for example, that was endued with a propensity to fly, though ever fo fhapelefs, though no other we will fuppofe than a round ball to begin with, would, in a course of ages, if not in a million of years, perhaps in a hundred millions of years,