^l6 THE PHILOSOPHY 



morphofes from other caufes. In northern climates, if we 

 except a few evergreens, trees, during winter, are entirely 

 ftripped of their leaves. Inftead of the pleafanl emotions 

 excited by the variety of figures, movements, colours, and 

 fragrance of the leaves, flowers, and fruit, during the fpring 

 and fummer, nothing is exhibited in winter but the barO 

 ftems and branches. In this flate, the trees of the foreft 

 have a lugubrious appearance, and remind us of death and 

 of Ikeletons. Very different are the emotions we feel in 

 the fpring, when the buds begin to burft, and the leaves to 

 expand. When fummer approaches, another beautiful 

 change takes place. The flowers, with all their fplendour 

 of colours, and fweetnefs of flavours, are then highly de- 

 lightful to our fenfes. After performing the ofiice of cher- 

 ilhing and protedling the tender fruit for fome time, the 

 flowers drop off, and a new change is exhibited. When the 

 flowers fall, the young fruit appear, and gradually grow to 

 maturity, perpetually prefenting varieties in their magnitude, 

 colour, odour, and flavour. When the fruit or feeds are 

 fully ripe, they are gathered for the ufe of man, drop down 

 upon the earth, or are devoured by birds and other animals. 

 After this change happens, to which all the others were only 

 preparatory, the leaves begin to fhed, winter commences, 

 and the fame feries of metamorphofes gO on during the ex- 

 iftence of the plant. 



The changes juft now mentioned are ahnual, and are ulti- 

 mately intended to fupply men and other animals with food. 

 But plants are fiibjecSled to changes of form from caufes of a 

 more accidental nature. Varieties or changes in the figure 

 of plants are often produced by foil, by fituation, by culture, 

 and by climate. 



A plant is compofed of the bark, the liber or inner circle, 

 the wood, and the pith. The calyx or cup, the caroUa or 

 flower leaves, the ftamina, and piftils, are only expanflons of 



