INGENERAL. t^ 



animal or a plant ; and, confequently, that re- 

 produdtion or generation is nothing but a change 

 of form, effected folely by the addition of finii- 

 lar particles ; and the death, or refolution of 

 organized bodies, is only a feparation of the 

 fame particles. Of the truth of this doctrine, 

 not a doubt will remain, after the proofs de- 

 livered in the following chapters are perufed. 

 Befides, if we reflect on the growth of trees, and 

 confider what an immenfe mafs is produced from 

 fo fmall an origin, we muft be perfuaded that this 

 increafe of matter is efTedtcd by the fimple addi- 

 tion of organic particles which are fimilar to one 

 another and to the whole. The feed firft pro- 

 duces a fmall tree, which it contained in minia- 

 ture within its coats. At the top of this fmall 

 tree a hud is formed, which contains the tree 

 that is to fpring the next feafon ; and this bud 

 is an organized body fimilar to the fmall tree of 

 the preceding year. The fmall tree of the fe- 

 cond year, in the fame manner, produces a bud 

 •which contains a tree for j;he third year ; and 

 this procefs uniformly goes on as long as the 

 tree continues to vegetate : Buds are likewife 

 formed at the extremity of each branch, which 

 contain, in miniature, trees fimilar to that of the 

 firft year. It is evident, therefore, that trees arc 

 compofed of minute organized bodies fimilar to 

 themfelves, and that the whole individual is 

 formed by a numerous riOemblagcof minute and 

 fimilar individuals. 



Cub, 



