70 NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



riments are going on at present ; no such energy 

 operates as that which is here supposed, and which 

 should be constantly pushing into existence new 

 varieties of beings. Nor are there any appearances 

 to support an opinion, that every possible combi- 

 nation of vegetable or animal structure has for- 

 merly been tried. Multitudes of conformations, 

 both of vegetables and animals, may be conceived 

 capable of existence and succession, which yet do 

 not exist. Perhaps almost as many forms of plants 

 might have been found in the fields as figures of 

 plants can be delineated upon paper. A countless 

 variety of animals might have existed which do 

 not exist. Upon the supposition here stated, we 

 should see unicorns and mermaids, sylphs and cen- 

 taurs, the fancies of painters, and the fables of 

 poets, realized by examples. Or, if it be alleged 

 that these may transgress the bounds of possible 

 life and propagation, we might at least have na- 

 tions of human beings without nails upon their 

 fingers, with more or fewer fingers and toes than 

 ten, some with one eye, others with one ear, with 

 one nostril, or without the sense of smelling at all. 

 All these, and a thousand other imaginable varie- 

 ties, might live and propagate. We may modify 

 any one species many different ways, all consistent 

 with life, and with the actions necessary to pre- 

 servation, although affording different degrees of 

 convenicncy and enjoyment to the animal. And 

 if we carry these modifications through the differ- 

 ent species which are known to subsist, their num- 



