ON THEORIES OF THE EARTH. 385 



here, a theory, for which the name of La Place or of La 

 Grange will equally suffice ; as I shall also make some 

 use of it hereafter. If it is not borrowed from Epicurus, 

 neither did he foresee that a view so resembling his own 

 in all but its bad metaphysics, would be produced at a 

 future period, under the evidence of facts and general 

 laws ; that atoms might concur to form an earth, yet 

 under the direction of the Deity, even though we can- 

 not prove that they have done so. It is a singular 

 coincidence between an unfounded guess, and what is, 

 at least, a theory. Arguing from the apparently gra- 

 dual condensation of comets, it is conceived that the 

 earth was, originally, a gaseous planet, while all else 

 follows in order, under the laws of heat and chemistry; 

 the first subsequent condition being that of a fluid globe. 



I need scarcely say that the system of Aristotle is 

 not thus atheistical: while, in accounting for the ar- 

 rangement of the earth, there is some attempt at a 

 theory founded on facts, though adapted to his meta- 

 physical views of the adolescence and decrepitude of 

 the globe. Where the necessary eternity of the earth 

 is deduced from the length of time required to pro- 

 duce these changes, we are reminded of some modern 

 speculations, formerly examined; as we thus discover 

 their want of claims to novelty. As far as the doc- 

 trine of the Stoics differs, in assigning understanding 

 to matter, I shall again refer to the originals, those 

 who may delight in Greek logomachies : while they 

 will at least find eloquence to supply the want of phi- 

 losophy ; a consolation wanting, to balance equal de- 

 fects in the Werners and the Kirvvans. If Plato, si- 

 milarly borrowing from India, considers the universe 

 as eternally co-existent with the Divine mind, yet as 

 created by it, we cannot much reverence his metaphy- 

 sical accuracy. But Plato's reputation was not to be 



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