182 Plants. 





ever be made to be perceptible to us, in- 

 variably proceed from other animated ob- 

 jects of the same kind, although they ap- 

 pear at times under such disguised forms 

 as not to be at first sight cognizable by us. 

 This rule applies to vegetables as well as 

 animals. The plant of mould, which, 

 even when it hath attained its full stature, 

 can scarcely be perceived as a point under 

 our microscopes of the highest magnify- 

 ing power, we have every reason to be 

 satisfied, produces its seeds in as regu- 

 lar order, which ripen at their appointed 

 period with the same regularity as those 

 of the mighty baobob ; but while this re- 

 mains a stately monument upon the sur- 

 face of this earth, and sees thousands of 

 generations of men succeed each other, 

 and successively shelter themselves un- 

 der the protecting shade of its spreading 

 branches, we observe the mould spring up, 

 perfect its seeds, scatter them in imper- 

 ceptible myriads in the air, and disap- 

 pear within the short space of one hour : 

 so that during the short period of our 

 existence here many myriads of genera- 

 tions of mould have succeeded each other. 

 Time itself then, when the universe is 



