LIFE of Dr HWrTON. 57 



according to a plan having no natural termination, but calcula- 

 ted to endure as long as thofe beneficent purpofes, for which the 

 ■whole is deftined, fliall continue to exift. 



This conclufion, however, was but a fuggeftion, till the me- 

 chanifm was inquired into by which this grand renovation may 

 be brought about, or by which loofe materials can be^ converted 

 into ftone, and elevated into land. This led to an invefligatlon 

 of the mineralizing principle, or the caufe of the confolidation 

 of mineral bodies : And Dr Hutton appears accordingly, with 

 great impartiality, and with no phyfical hypothefis whatever in 

 his mind, to have begun with inquiring into the nature of the 

 fluidity which fo many mineral fubftances feem to have pofTefT- 

 ed previous to the acquifition of their prefent form. After 

 a long and minute examination, he came to the conclufion, 

 That the fluidity of thefe fubfl:ances has been what he terms 

 SIMPLE, that is to fay, not fuch as is produced by combina- 

 tion with a folvent. The two general facfls from which this 

 conclufion follows, are, firfl:, that no folvent is capable of hold- 

 ing in folution all mineral fubftances, nor even all fuch va- 

 rieties of them as are often united in the fame fpecimen ; and 

 fecondly, that in the bodies compofed of fragments of other 

 bodies, the confolidation is fo complete that no room is left 

 for a folvent to have ever occupied. The fubftance, therefore, 

 which was the caufe of the fluidity of mineral bodies, and 

 prepared them for confolidation, muft have been one that could 

 acft on them all, which occupied no fpace within them, and 

 could find its way through them, whatever was the degree of 

 their compadlnefs and induration. Heat is the only fubftance 

 which has thefe properties ; and is the only one, therefore, 

 which, without manifeft contradid;ion, can be afligned as the 

 caufe of mineral confoUdation. 



Many difiiculties, however, were ftill to be removed before this 

 hypothefis was rendered completely fatisfadlory ; but in what 

 order Dr Hutton proceeded to remove them, the notes above 



H 2 mentioned 



