CHIMERICAL SCIENCES. 397 



there is of ever difcovering the fecret, and the 

 certain ruin that would attend a great number 

 of men who mould attempt it, and the very 

 trifling advantage the difcovery would be to fo- 

 ciety ; for perhaps there is no fubftance, no 

 metal more ufelefs than gold, confidered in its 

 own nature. What a celebrated author, whofe 

 memory we otherwife revere, has faid in his 

 letters on the fciences, with the regard to the phi- 

 lofophers (tone in particular, fills us with afto- 

 nilhment. Under a fpecious appearance nothing 

 is lefs conclufive than his method of reafoning. 

 For, i. Wether all matter be homogeneous, or 

 2. that all the parts of matter are reducible to a 

 certain number of principles, which form the e- 

 lements of all bodies, or 3. that all the parts of 

 matter are as various in themfelves as all the dif- 

 ferent bodies in nature , which ever of thefe be 

 the cafe, it is of no importance with regard to 

 the production and generation of compofite 

 bodies ; and the confequences which he draws 

 from thence may be equally applicable to 

 the production of plants, animals, &c. The 

 fourceofthis argument proceeds from a certain 

 fyftem in philoiophy applied to natural hiftory, 

 in which they luppofe that (tones and minerals 

 are not produced by a regular generation, com- 

 mon to all other material beings : a fyltcm 

 that we find very difficult to comprehend, and 

 concerning which we have elfewhcrc ventured 

 to propofe fome doubts. For what we might 

 further fay here on the fubject of alchymy we 



refer 



