482 OFOLDAGE 



the age of David, it has fufFered no variation. 

 If it Ihould be alked, why the firft races of men 

 lived 900, 930, and even 969 years ? we may, 

 perhaps, be able to give a fatisfadory anfwer. 

 The produdions of the earth were then of a 

 different nature. The furface of the .globe, as 

 we remarked when treating of the Theory of the 

 Earth, was, in the firft ages of the world, lefs 

 folid and compad: ; becaufe, gravity having 

 aded for a fliort time only, terreftrial bodies 

 had not acquired their prefent denfity and con- 

 fiftence. The produce of the earth, therefore, 

 muft have been analogous to its condition. The 

 furface being more loofe and moift, its produc- 

 tions would, of courfe, be more dudile and ca- 

 pable of extenfion : Their growth, therefore, 

 and even that of the human body, would require 

 a longer time of being completed. The foft- 

 nefs and dudility of the bones, niufcles, &c. 

 would probably remain for a longer period, be- 

 caufe every fpecies of food was more foft and 

 fucculent. Hence, the full expanfion of the_hu- 

 fiian body, or when it v/as capable of generating, 

 muft have required 120 or 13a years ; and the 

 duration of life would be in pi-oportion to the 

 time of growth, as is uniformly the caie at 

 prefent : For, if we fuppofe the age of puberty, 

 among the firft races of men, to have been 130 

 vears, as they now arrive at that age in 14 years, 

 the age of the Anledeluvians will be in exad 

 proportion to that of the prefent race; fmcc, by 



rnultipjyinu; 



