Natui^al History, 165 



any regular motion, till it is again covered with 

 watery particles, collected from other planets, 

 when it will fix in the vortex of a new sun, and 

 again go through the same course of motions and 

 changes, being supplied with fresh inhabitants, re^ 

 sembling those by which it is tenanted at present; 

 that the earth has probably been undergoing revo- 

 lutions of this kind from all eternity, and will con- 

 tinue to go through a succession of them without 

 end. — ^This atheistical and absurd theory, if it de- 

 serve the name, not more hostile to revelation than 

 to all sound philosophy, seems to have gained but 

 few adherents, and but little celebrity. 



After M. Maillet, his countryman, the Count 

 De Buffon, formed a new theory of the earth, 

 which has been much celebrated, and, notwith- 

 standing its inconsistency with revelation, and the 

 visionary absurdities which it involves, has gained 

 many advocates and admirers. — According to this 

 ingenious theorist, a comet falling into the body 

 of the sun with great force, struck from its surface 

 a large mass of liquid fire. The comet commu- 

 nicated to this fragment thus driven off from the 

 sun, a violent impulsive force, which it still retains. 

 This fragment forms the globe we inhabit. It 

 assumed its present figure when in a fluid state. 

 As the heated mass gradually cooled, the vapours 

 w^hich surrounded it condensed, fell down in the 

 form of water upon the surface, depositing at the 

 same time a slimy substance, mixed with sulphur 

 and salts, part of which was carried by the waters 

 into the perpendicular fissures of the strata, and 

 produced metals; the rest remaining on the surface, 

 and 2:ivinG: rise to vefretable mould, with more 

 or less of animal and vegetable particles. Ihus 

 the interior parts of the globe were originally com- 

 posed of vitrified matter, and they continue so at 

 present. Above these were placed those bodies 



