250 LAY SERMONS, ESSAYS, AND REVIEWS. [xn. 



of their animal and vegetable inhabitants embedded in the strata. 

 As the dry land appeared, certain of the aquatic animals are 

 supposed to have taken to it, and to have become gradually 

 adapted to terrestrial and aerial modes of existence. But if we 

 regard the general tenor and style of the reasoning in relation 

 to the state of knowledge of the day, two circumstances appear 

 very well worthy of remark. The first, that De Maillet had a 

 notion of the modifiability of living forms (though without any 

 precise information on the subject), and how such modifiability 

 might account for the origin of species ; the second, that he very 

 clearly apprehended the great modern geological doctrine, so 

 strongly insisted upon by Hutton, and so ably and comprehen 

 sively expounded by Lyell, that we must look to existing causes 

 for the explanation of past geological events. Indeed, the 

 following passage of the preface, in which De Maillet is supposed 

 to speak of the Indian philosopher Telliamed, his alter ego, might 

 have been written by the most philosophical uniformitarian of 

 the present day : 



&quot;Ce qu il y a d etonnant, est que pour arriver a ces connoissances il 

 sernble avoir pervert! I ordre naturel, puisqu au lieu de s attacher d abord a 

 rechercher 1 origine de notre globe il a commence&quot; par travailler a s instruire 

 de la nature. Mais a 1 entendre, ce renversement de 1 ordre a ete&quot; pour lui 

 1 effet d un genie favorable qui 1 a conduit pas a pas et comme par la main 

 aux decouvertes les plus sublimes. C est en decomposant la substance de 

 ce globe par une anatomic exacte de toutes ses parties qu il a premierement 

 appris de quelles matieres il ^tait compost et quels arrangeinens ces memes 

 matieres observaient entre elles. Ces lumieres jointes a 1 esprit de com- 

 paraison toujours n^cessaire a quiconque entreprend de percer les voiles 

 dont la nature aime a se cacher, ont servi de guide a notre philosophe pour 

 parvenir a des connoissances plus inte&quot;ressantes. Par la matiere et 1 arrange- 

 ment de ces compositions il pretend avoir reconnu quelle est la veritable 

 origine de ce globe que nous habitons, comment et par qui il a e&quot;te forme&quot;.&quot; 

 Pp. xix. xx. 



But De Maillet was before his age, and as could hardly fail 

 to happen to one who speculated on a zoological and botanical 

 question before Linnseus, and on a physiological problem before 

 Haller, he fell into great errors here and there ; and hence, 

 perhaps, the general neglect of his work. Robinet s speculations 

 are rather behind, than in advance of, those of De Maillet ; and 



