THE BEING OF GOD DEMONSTRATED. 385 



But how did elephants, and other animals of pon- 

 derous bodies, climb them ? How could thofe animals 

 who are, peculiarly adapted to the torrid zone, endure 

 the cold air of the higheft mountains ? 



If then, as it cannot be denied, the furface of the 

 globe was, for a long. period of time, overflowed and 

 uninhabitable for land-animals, the idea of an infinite 

 feries I parte ante of fathers and fons muft mecelTarily 

 fall to the ground, and the feries of propagation in the 

 human race, and in the other animal races, muft have 

 had a beginning. . 



Whence, now, did the firft, therefore unengendered, 

 men, the firft beafts of every kind, proceed ? Not 

 from eternal feminal-eggs — becaufe whatever is eter- 

 nal, is likewife neceffary and unalterable. 



Where are thefe eggs at prefent ? — Why do we 

 not fee in our times young elephants creeping up from 

 thefe eggs in the deferts of Africa ? — How were thefe 

 egofs rendered capable of fu6ftfting fo long under water 

 without corruption ? 



Juft as little capable was the earth of bringing forth 

 fpontaneoufly the firft living creatures. If it ever pof- 

 ferTed this procreative power, it muft ftill pofTefs it, 

 Still Ihould we fee, half or whole formed men, horfes, 

 &c. proceeding from the flime which the fun had 

 heated. 



For, if the nature of the world be eternal and unal- 

 terable, how could that procreative power for fake it 

 and go out ? What can be more childifh, than the 

 fentiment of la Mettrie, that the earth is like an old 

 hen that has left off laying ? — Columella thought 

 more juftly. In the foremoft pages of his book de re 

 vol. 1. c c ruftica, 



