142 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



will be found entirely confident with the 

 indivifiLility and unity of thinking fub- 

 ftance. They do indeed exhibit a re- 

 markable peculiarity in the manner of the 

 propagation of thefe animals ; and per- 

 haps give fame ground for conjeduring, 

 that a number of animals, or a fyftem of 

 thinking beings, may probably be con-, 

 joined together, under the form of one 

 animal. We were formerly acquainted 

 with inftances of two or more animals 

 connedled or adhering together, as in 

 worms of different kinds, though they do 

 not grow or extend themfelves to any larger 

 dimenfions upon feparation. Other ani- 

 mals were known, which, upon iofing a 

 iimb, had it regenerated again, as is the 

 cafe of craw-fifh and lobflers. May it 

 not then be fuppofed, that, in the polypus, 

 both thefe cafes concur together ? 



He who allows, that the fyftem of the 

 univerfe may proceed at prefent without 

 any guidance or diredlion, will find it dif- 

 ficult to afhgn to himfelf any good rea- 

 fon why it might not always, or from e- 

 ternity, have done the fame. The excel- 

 lency 



