$44 GENERATION. SECT. XXXIX. i, 



opinion, that our immortal part acquires during this 

 life certain habits of action or of fentiment, which 

 become for ever indiffoluble, continuing after death 

 in a future ftate of exiftence j and add, that if thefe 

 habits are of the malevolent kind, they muft ren- 

 der the porTeflbr miferable even in heaven. I would 

 apply this ingenious idea to the ^generation or pro- 

 duction of the embryon, or new animal, which par- 

 takes fo much of the form and propenfities of the 

 parent. 



Owing to the imperfection of language the off- 

 spring is termed a new animal, but is in truth a 

 branch or elongation of the parent ; fmce a part of 

 the embryon-animal is, or was, a part of the par 

 rent; and therefoie in ftiicl: language it cannot be 

 faid to be entirely new at the time of its produc- 

 tion ; and therefoie it may' retain fome of the habits 

 of the parent-fyilem. 



At the earlieft period of its exiftence the embryon, 

 as fecreted from the blood of the male, would feem 

 to confift of a living filament with certain capabi- 

 lities of irritation, fenfation, volition, and aflbciati- 

 on ; and alfo with fome acquired habits or propenfi- 

 ties peculiar to the parent : the former of theie are 

 in common with other animals ; the latter feem to 

 diftinguifh or produce the kind of animal, whether 

 man or quadruped, with the fimilarity of feature 

 or form to the parent. It is difficult to be conceiv- 

 ed, that a living entity can be feparated or produced 

 from the blood by the action of a gland ; and which 

 fhall afterwards become an animal iimilar to that in, 

 \vhofe velfels it is formed ; even though we mould 

 fuppofe with fome modern theories, that the blood 

 is alive ; yet every other hypothecs concerning ge- 

 neration refts on principles dill more difficult to our 

 comprehenlion. 



At the time of procreation this fpeck of entity 

 h received into an appropriated nidus, in which it 



mufl 



