THE EARTH. 29 



motion upon its axis at the very instant of its for- 

 mation ; and this motion being greatest at the 

 equator, the parts there acting against the force 

 of gravity, they must have swollen out, and given 

 the earth an oblate or flatted figure. 



As to its internal substance, our globe having 

 once belonged to the sun, it continues to be an 

 uniform mass of melted matter, very probably 

 vitrified in its primeval fusion. But its surface 

 is very differently composed. Having been in 

 the beginning heated to a degree equal to, if not 

 greater, than what comets are found to sustain, 

 like them it had an atmosphere of vapours float- 

 ing round it, and which, cooling by degrees, con- 

 densed and subsided upon its surface. These 

 vapours formed, according to their different den- 

 sities, the earth, the water, ' and the air ; the 

 heavier parts falling first, and the lighter remain-' 

 ing still suspended. 



Thus far our philosopher is, at least, as much 

 a system-maker as Whiston or Burnet ; and, in- 

 deed, he fights his way with great perseverance 

 and ingenuity through a thousand objections that 

 naturally arise. Having, at last, got upon the 

 earth, he supposes himself on firmer ground, and 

 goes forward with greater security. Turning his 

 attention to the present appearance of things upon 

 this globe, he pronounces from the view, that the 

 whole earth was at first under water. This water 

 he supposes to have been the lighter parts of its 

 former evaporation, which, while the earthy parti- 

 cles sunk downwards by their natural gravity, 

 floated on the surface, and covered it for a con- 

 siderable space of time. 



