«68 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



waters of the Deluge, and are allegories of the 

 peftilence, and of the volcanos, which were the firft 

 refults of the general dilTolution of animals and 

 vegetables. 



All that now remains is, to refute the opinion of 

 thofe who maintain, that the Earth is a fecretion 

 from the Sun. The chief arguments by which 

 they fupport it are it's volcanos, it's granites, the 

 vitrified flones fcattered over it's furface, and it's 

 progreflive refrigeration from year to year. I re- 

 fpeâ: the celebrated Author who has advanced this 

 opinion, but I venture to afîjrm, that the grandeur 

 of the images which this idea prefented to him, 

 has feduced his imagination. 



We have faid enough refpedting volcanos, to 

 demonftrate that they do not proceed from the 

 interior of the Earth. As to granites, they do not 

 prefent, in the aggregation of their grains, the re- 

 motefh veftige of the adtion of fire. I do not know 

 their origin ; but certainly there is no foundation 

 for referring it to that element, becaufe it cannot 

 be afcribed to the ad ion of water, and becaufe 

 fhells are not found in them. As this aflertion is 

 deflitute of all proof, it is unnecefTary to under- 

 take a refutation of it. I fhall obferve, however, 

 that granites do not appear to be the produdion 

 of fire, on a comparifon with the lavas of volca- 

 nos ^ 



