48 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Bookl. 



Bat the variety of nature is fo great, that I am convinced of the 

 truth of what Ariftotle fays, that every thing exifts, or did at fome 

 time exift, which is poflible to exift *. And though ic were certain 

 that fuch animals as the fphins, or the other animals that 1 have 

 mentioned, did no longer exift on this earth, it would not from 

 thence follow, that they never exifted. I do not believe that men 

 with eyes in their breafts, or with only one eye in their forehead, 

 are now to be found on the face of the earth : And yet I think we 

 cannot doubt that they once exifted in Ethiopia, where St. Auguf- 

 tine fays he faw them. We are fure that there are whole fpeciefes 

 of animals, which were once in certain countries, but are not now 

 to be found there, fuch as wolves in Britain. It is not probable that 

 fuch compounded animals, as the dog-headed man and the fphynx, 

 were ever very numerous ; and if fo, it is likely that they would be 

 confidered as monfters by the other men of the country, and fo 

 .would he .dellroyed by themf. 



Befides thefe varieties in the whole form of man, there is a va- 

 riety in one part of him, which I think wonderful, though, as it is 

 fo familiar to us, it be not commonly obferved. The part I mean 

 is the face, in which a man may obferve, in a crowd of people, or 

 walking the ftreets of a populous city, fuch a variety of form, and 

 figure, and features exprefling different difpofiiions and fentiments, 

 as is really wonderful. 



Thus I think I have fhewn, that man is more various In the form 

 of his body, than in any thing elfe; and that there is a peculiarity 



in 



■* See what I have faid in explanation of this maxim, in vol. Ill, of this work, 

 p. 261. 



f Vol. III. of this work, p. 263. 



