NATURAL HISTORY. 85 



inanimated nature. The senses, the figure, and the 

 motions of animals, afford them a more intimate con- 

 nection with surrounding objects than vegetables pos- 

 sess. The latter, however, from their expansion, their 

 growth., and the variety of parts which compose them, 

 are more intimately related to external objects than 

 minerals or stones, which are perfectly inert, and des- 

 titute of every vital principle. It is this number of 

 relations alone which renders the animal superior to 

 the vegetable, and the vegetable to the mineral. 



What a variety of springs, of powers, and of me- 

 chanical movements, are included iu that small portion 

 of matter of which the body of an animal is composed ! 

 What a number of relations, what harmony, what cor- 

 respondence among the different parts ! How many 

 combinations, arrangements, causes, effects, and prin- 

 ciples, all conspiring to accomplish the same grand 

 design ! 



But how admirable soever this work may appear, 

 the greatest miracle is not exhibited in the individual. 

 It ii in the successive renovation, and in the continued 

 duration of the species, that nature assumes an aspect 

 inconceivable and astonishing. This faculty of repro- 

 duction, which is peculiar to animals and vegetables, 

 must, with regard to us, continue to be so profound a 

 mystery, that we shall probably never be able to inves- 

 tigate it with sufficient accuracy. 



Even inanimated bodies have some properties, and 

 the most imperfectly organized matter possesses many 

 relations with the other parts of the universe. We 

 will not assert, however, that matter, undc-r whatever 

 form it appears, is conscious of its existence, 

 and of its relative powers. We shall only say, 

 that being ignorant of th > extent of our own con- 



