58 Abbe dicquem are’s 'Third EJfay 
mated beings. This grand myftery has always attracted 
the attention of the greateft philofophers ; but their want 
of fuccefs in their refearches may be eafily inferred from 
the deficiency of proper means of obfervation: and it 
feems an advantage referved for our age, to introduce a 
new fet of beings, which bids fair to throw great light 
upon our enquiries on that fubjedt. 
Had I only frefh proofs to add to thofe already given, 
and no new difcoveries to commmunicate, I fhould cer- 
tainly leave nature to eftablifh our opinion of her opera- 
tions : but having been fortunate enough to gather fome 
fcattered fruits in this wide field, which had efcaped the 
obfervation of others merely becaufe they were engaged 
in more plentiful harvefts, 1 have been ftruck with the 
increafing Angularity, number, and importance of the 
objedts, which have appeared to me to diffipate all doubt. 
I 111 all 
etres vivans : c’eft aufii vers cette merveille que les philofophes les plus diftin- 
gues ont dirige leurs regards ; mais leur manque de fucces refulte naturelle- 
ment des foibles moyens qu’ils avoient pour faire des obfervations; et c’eft 
un avantage qui paroit avoir ete referve a notre fiecle, de faire paroitre fur la 
fcene des etres jufqu’ici ignores, qui promettent de nous fournir des nouvelles 
lumieres fur ce fujet. 
Si je n’avois a prefenter ici que les memes decouvertes, quoique ce fut multi- 
plier les preuves, je laifferois a la nature le foin de fixer 1’opinion ; mais dans ce 
champ fertile j’ai ete aifez heureux pour recueillir quelques fruits a l’ecart, et 
^qui n’avoient echappe aux regards des autres que parcequ’ils etoient occupes de 
recoltes plus abondantes : j’ai vu la fingularite s’augmenter, et le nombre comme 
I’etendue des objets m’a paru propre a difliper les doutes, Je ne rappellerai pas ici 
ce 
