STUDY IX. 235 



means indicate to us the primitive origin of that 

 fubftance ; for they themfelves form their (hells 

 of the refufe that fwims in the Seas. The difficul- 

 ties increafe as you attempt to explain the forma- 

 tion of fo many various bodies illuing out of the 

 Earth, and nouriflied by it. In vain you call to 

 your affiftance analogies, affimilations, homoge- 

 neities, and heterogeneities. Is it not flrange, 

 that thoufands of fpecies of refinous, oily, elaftic, 

 foft, and combuftible vegetables, Qiould differ fo 

 entirely from the rugged and flony foil which pro- 

 duces them ? 



The Siamefe Philofophers eafily get rid of all 

 cmbarralTment on the fubjed, for they admit, in 

 Nature, a fifth element, which is wood. But this 

 fupplement is incapable of carrying them very 

 far; for it is flill more aftoniOiing, that animal 

 fubftance fhould be formed of vegetable, than that 

 this laft ftiould be formed of foffil. Which way 

 does it become fenfible, living, and impaffioned ? 

 They adm.it, I grant, the interpoficion of the Sun's 

 adion. But how is it poffible that the Sun fliould 

 be, in animals, the caufe of any moral affedion ; 

 or, if you like the phrafe better, of any paffion, 

 when we do not fee it exercifing a difpofing in- 

 fluence even on the component parts of plants ? 

 For example, it's general effed is to dry that 

 which is humid. How comes it to pafs, then, 



that 



