Chap. XX. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 289 



ken in pronouncing, that any natural event is from chance^ as we 

 fometimes are in thinking that events of human life are from chanccy 

 which are truly from intention. But there are natural events, that, we 

 know with great certainty, are befides the end propofed by nature. 

 Thus, for example, when a hanging wall falls upon a paflenger, and 

 cruflies him, the deftination of Nature was only, that the ftones of the 

 wall, being no longer kept together by the cement, fhould fall to the 

 ground, according to their natural movement ; fo that the crufluag of 

 the man was fomething that happened befides the purpofe of Nature. 

 Again, the end propofed by Nature, in the copulation of animals, is., 

 that they fhould produce an animal of the fame fpecies, with the form, 

 and all the members and parts belonging to animals of that fpecies. 

 But, if an animal of another fpecies is produced, or, if it be what is 

 called a mon/ler, the produdion is acknowledged by every body to be 

 bejides Nature^ or ^«^« <pvyiv^ as the Greeks exprefs it. And this is pro- 

 perly faid ; But it is not fo proper to fay, that, it is contrary to Na- 

 ture ; for, thoug,h many things happen contrary to the intention of 

 marii whofe power is fo much limited, nothing can be properly (aid to 

 happen contrary to the deftination of Nature. 



For underftanding of this, the reader will be pleafed to recolle£l: 

 what I laid before, that every thing in the univerfe is produced by 

 fixed and determinate caufes, operating regularly for a certain purpofe. 

 Whatever, therefore, in the cafe laft mentioned, hinders the natural 

 produd:ion of an animal, and diftorts or disfigures it, a<£ls as regular- 

 ly, and with as certain a deftination, as the caufes which promote a 

 natural birth ; fo that, in fome fcnfe, even a monfter may be faid to be 

 natural. In like manner, though a thing happen befides tlie intention, 

 or even contrary to the intention of a man, it will be according to the 

 deftination of Nature, or intention of fomc other man. Thus, in the 

 example above given, when I go to the market-place to purchafe any 

 thing, and fee a friend that 1 did not exped to fee, or, perhaps, an 



O a enemy, 



