Chap. Vr. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 113 



Thus it appears, that in every fpecies of animals there is a fyfleni, 

 not only of the individual but of the kind, by which the animals of 

 that fpecies are more or lefs connedled together ; and the end pro- 

 pofed by that fyftem is the prefervation both of the individual and 

 the kind. But this is not all ; for we find that feme fpeciefcs are 

 connefted together fo as to make but one lyftem ; which is the cafe 

 of the animals of prey and thofe they prey upon: And all of every 

 kind are infeparably connedted with the earth and the other three 

 elements, the air, the water, and fire, that is heat. 



Befides the common relation that animals and vegetables have to 

 INlother Earth, they have refemblances to one another, of which 

 we are daily difcovering more and morej and many fubftances, that 

 were believed to be vegetables, are now with great certainty difco- 

 vered to be animals. Thefe come fo near one another, and have iucli 

 refcmblance, that they may be faid to run into one another by degrees 

 hardly perceptible. This, as I have faid-, is the cafe of the coral, 

 which was formerly believed to be a vegetable, but it is now fouad 

 to partake of the animal nature j io that it is that kind of fubftance 

 which, by the antients, was called a Zoophite ; for fo great is the 

 union of the fyftem, that things, appearing at firft fight quite diiTe- 

 rcnt, fuch as animals and vegetables, come as near as poflible to one 

 another, and fometimes run together fo as to make but one fvftem. 



Thus, I think, I have proved, that the things of this univerfe, as 

 far as we know^ or can know of it, are moft intimately connected 

 being divided into genufes, fpeciefes, and individuals, which are 

 all fo many fyftems ; for not only the genufes and fpeciefes are 

 fyftems, of which no man can doubt, but every individual, as I 

 have fhown f, is alfo a fyftem. The univerfe, therefore, as I have 



Vol. VI. P f^ij^ 



• Page 97. I Pa„e S^J. 



