472 



the powers of his machinery to their full extent, Mr. Playfalr, of his own 

 authority, (for I find nothing fimilar in his mailer's theory) mud double 

 this operation, and make the ftrata of the world take another dive to the 

 unfathomable regions of the ocean, and then refume their elevated fituati. 

 ons ; he feems to think a world, 



demum votis refpondet avari 



Agricolas bis quce folera, bis frigora fenfit. 



or, in his own words, (feftion 109) " that has been twice heated in the 

 " fires, and twice tempered in the waters of the mineral regions." 



He takes care to be very explicit on this addition of his own, repeating, 

 (fection 121) "To this fucceeded a depreflion of the fame (trata, and a fe- 

 " cond elevation, fo that they have twice vifited the fuperior regions, and 

 " tvfice the inferior." 



It is difficult to find patience for the fober difcufllon of fuch a fuite of ex- 

 travagancies, thus announced with folemn pomp ; nor is it eafy to preferve 

 the gravity becoming a fubjeft of natural hiftory, when we find Mr. P/ay- 

 fa'ir making the mighty ftrata of the earth perform fuch gambols. 



He feems to have overlooked the fituation of the world, as reprefented by 

 Dr. Hutton (page 303 and 304) and to have forgotten, that at the very time 

 he is making the venerable matron fuftain fuch rude (hocks, (he is actually 

 pregnant with two worlds, in different jieriods of geftation. * I think Mr. 

 Playfair might be alarmed, leafl alma mater tellus, indignant at the unbe- 

 coming treatment flie was receiving, fhould again, (as when roughly hand- 

 led by Phaeton) expoflulate, and, in words far more appofite to her pre- 

 fcnt condition, exclaim, 



Hofne mihi fruflus, hunc fertilitatis honorem ? 



I muft 



* One of thefe worlds. Dr. Hutton fays, (page 308) " which is formed and ready to be 

 " brought forth, muft have been collefted from the deftruflion of an earth which does not 

 " now appear." While a younger embryo world is now forming from the detritus of our 

 own world, as faft as it can reach the unfathomable regions of the ocean. Thus, by Dr. 

 Hutton'^ account, we know of four worlds, one paft, one prefent, and two to come. Mr. 

 Playfair adds one more to the feries, as he has difcoyered marks and tokens of a world 

 antcwdent to the predeceffor of our prefent world. 



