DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. 79 



fary to generation. It is a fpirlt, fays our phl- 

 lofopher, fimilar to that of the element of the 

 liars. The heart is the firft produdion of this 

 foul, which is the cauie of its own growth, and 

 of the growth and difpofition of all the other 

 members. The menllrual blood contains the 

 capacities of all the parts of the foetus; the foul 

 or fpirit of the male femen makes the heart be- 

 gin ioadi, and communicates to ic the powers of 

 beftowing adion on the other vifcera; and, in 

 this manner the different parts of the animal are 

 fucceiTively unfolded. All this appears clear and 

 luminous to our philofopher. He has only one 

 doubt, namely, whether the blood or the heart 

 is firfl realized. And of this he doubted not with- 

 out reafon ; for, though he adopted the opinion 

 that the heart received its exiftence tirfl:, Harvey 

 has fmce alledged, from arguments fimilar to 

 thofe of Ariilotle, that the blood, and not the 

 hear[, is firfl: realized. 



Thus have I given a fhort view of what A- 

 riftotle has delive-ed on the fubjedt of genera- 

 tion, and fliall leave the reader to coniider whe- 

 ther any fyftem of the ancients be more obfcure, 

 or more abfurd, than that which he has endea- 

 voured to eftablifli. His fyltem, however, has 

 been adopted by moft men of learning. Har- 

 vey has borrowed many of Ariftotle's notions; 

 but he has alfo adopted fomeof his own, which 

 are by no means better founded. It is not fur- 

 prifaig that Ariftotle's theory of generation, 



which 



