38 APLLICATION OP THE 



every organized body which we see, are only so many ouf 

 of the possible varieties and combinations of being, which 

 the lapse of infinite ages has brought into existence ; that 

 the present world is the relic of that variety ; millions of 

 other bodily forms and other species having perished, be- 

 ing by the defect of their constitutions incapable of preser- 

 vation, or of continuance by generation. Now there is no 

 foundation whcitever for this conjecture in any thing which 

 we observe in the works of nature ; no such experiments 

 are going on at present ; no such energy operates as that 

 which is here supp<jsed, and which should be constantly 

 pushing into existence new varieties of beings ; nor are 

 there any appearances to support an opinion that every 

 possible combination of vegetable or animal structure has 

 formerly been tried. Multitudes of confirmations, both of 

 vegetables and animals, may be conceived capable of exist- 

 ence and succession, which yet do not exist. Perhaps, 

 almost as many forms of plants might have been found in 

 the fields, as figures of plants can be delineated upon paper. 

 A countless variety of animals might have existed which 

 do not exist. Upon the supposition here stated, we should 

 see unicorns and mermaids, sylphs and centaurs; the fan- 

 cies of pamteis and the fables of poets realized by exam- 

 ples. Or, if it be alleged that these may transgress th© 

 limits of j>ossible life and propagation, we might, at least, 

 have nations of human beings without nails upon their fin- 

 gers, with more or fewer fingers and toes than ten, some 

 with one eye, others with one ear, with one nostril, or with- 

 out the sense of smelling at all. All these, and a thousand 

 other imaginable varieties, might live and propagate. We 

 may modify any one species many different ways, all con- 

 sistent with life, and with the actions necessary to preserva- 

 tion, although affording different degrees of conveniency 

 and enjoyment to the animal And if we carry tiiese mod- 

 ifications through the different species which are known to 

 subsist, their number would be incalculable. No reason 

 can be given why ; if these deperdits ever existed, they 

 have now disappeared. Yet, if all possible existences have 

 been tried, they must have formed part of the catalogue. 



But, moreover, the division of organized substances into 

 animals and vegetables, and the distribution and sub-distri- 

 bution of each into general and species, which distribution 

 is not an arbitrary act of the mind, but is founded in the 

 order which prevails in external nature, appear to me to 

 contradict the supposition of the present world being the 



