THE EARTH. 27 



globe was involved at the time of the deluge ; 

 and, as the earth still acted by its natural attrac- 

 tion, it drew to itself all the watery vapours 

 which were in the comet's tail ; and the internal 

 waters being also at the same time let loose, in a 

 very short space the tops of the highest moun- 

 tains were laid under the deep. 



The punishment of the deluge being thus com- 

 pleted, and all the guilty destroyed, the earth, 

 which had been broken by the eruption of the in- 

 ternal waters, was also enlarged by the same cause ; 

 so that upon the comet's recess, there was found 

 room sufficient in the internal abyss for the re- 

 cess of the superfluous waters ; whither they all 

 retired, and left the earth uncovered, but in some 

 respects changed, particularly in its figure, which, 

 from being round, was now become oblate. In 

 this universal wreck of nature Noah survived, by 

 a variety of happy causes, to repeople the earth, 

 and to give birth to a race of men slow in believ- 

 ing ill-imagined theories of the earth. 



After so many theories of the earth, which 

 have been published, applauded, answered, and 

 forgotten, M. Buffon ventured to add one more 

 to the number. This philosopher was, in every 

 respect, better qualified than any of his prede- 

 cessors for such an attempt, being furnished with 

 more materials, having a brighter imagination to 

 find new proofs, and a better style to clothe 

 them in. However, if one so ill qualified as I 

 am may judge, this seems the weakest part of 

 his admirable work ; and I could wish, that he 

 had been content with giving us facts instead of 



