You find the fame Creature that is drawn at large, copied out in several Proportions, and ending in Miniature. It would be tedious to produce Inftances of this regular Conduct in Providence, as it would be fuperfluous to those who are verfed in the natural Hiftory of Animals. The magnificent Harmony of the Universe is fuch, that we may obferve innumerable Divifions running upon the fame Ground. I might alfo extend this Speculation to the dead Parts of Nature, in which we may find Matter difpofed into many fimilar Systems, as well in our Survey of Stars and Planets, as of Stones, Vegetables, and other fublunary Parts of the Creation. In a word, Providence has fhewn the Richness of its Goodness and Wisdom, not only in the Production of many Original Species, but in the multiplicity of Defcants which it has made on every original Species ¿n particular.

BUT to purfue this Thought ftill farther: Every living Creature, confidered in it felf, has many very complicated Parts, that are exact Copies of fome other Parts which it poffeffes, and which are complicated in the fame manner. One

:

One Eye would have been fufficient for the Subfiftence and Preservation of an Animal; but, in order to better his Condition, we fee another placed with a Mathematical Exactness in the fame most advantageous Situation, and in every particular of the fame Size and Texture. Is it poffible for Chance to be thus delicate and uniform in her Operations? Should a Million of Dice turn up twice together the fame Number, the Wonder would be nothing in comparison with this. But when we fee this Similitude and Resemblance in the Arm, the Hand, the Fingers; when we fee one half of the Body entirely correfpond with the other in all those minute Strokes, without which a Man might have very well fubfifted; nay, when we often fee a fingle Part repeated a hundred times in the fame Body, notwithstanding it confifts of the most intricate weaving of numberless Fibres, and thefe Parts differing ftill in Magnitude, as the Convenience of their particular Situation requires; fure a Man must have a strange Caft of Understanding, who does not discover the Finger of God in fo wonderful a Work. Thefe Duplicates in thofe Parts of the Body,

L 3.

1

Body, without which a Man might have very well fubfifted, tho' not fo well as with them, are a plain Demonftration of an All-wife Contriver; as thofe more numerous Copyings, which are found among the Veffels of the fame Body, are evident Demonftrations that they could not be the Work of Chance. This Argument receives additional Strength, if we apply it to every Animal and Infect within our Knowledge, as well as those numberless living Creatures that are Objects too minute for a human Eye: and if we confider how the feveral Species in the whole World of Life resemble one another in very many Particulars, fo far as is convenient for their refpe&tive States of Exiftence; it is much more probable that an hundred Milli.on of Dice fhould be cafually thrown a hundred Million of Times in the fame number, than that the Body of any fingle Animal fhould be produced by the fortuitous Concourfe of Matter. And that the like Chance fhould arife in innumerable Inftances, requires a degree of Credulity that is not under the Direction of common Senfe. We may carry this Confideration yet further, if we reflect on the two Sexes in every

living

living Species, with their Refemblances to each other, and those particular Diftinctions that were neceffary for the keeping up of this great World of

Life.

THERE are many more Demonftrations of a Supreme Being, and of his tranfcendent Wisdom, Power and Goodness in the Formation of the Body of a living Creature, for which I refer my Reader to other Writings, particularly to the fixth Book of the Poem, entitled Creation, where the Anatomy of the human Body is defcribed with great Perfpicuity and Elegance. I have been particular on the Thought which runs through this Speculation, because I have not feen it enlarged upon by others.

N° 544. Monday, November 24.

Nunquam ita quifquam bene fubducta ratione ad vitam fuit

Quia res,

novi

tas ufus femper aliquid apportet

Aliquid moneat, ut illa, que te fcire credas, nefcias

Et, quæ tibi putatis prima, in experiundo ut re

pudies.

Ter.

HERE are, I think,

Sentiments in the follow

T

ing Letter from my Friend Captain SENTRY, which difcover a rational and equal

Frame of Mind, as well prepared for an advantagious as an unfortunate Change of Condition.

Coverly-Hall, Nov. 15. Worcestershire.

SIR,

Am come to the Succeffion of the Eftate of my honoured Kinsman Sir ROGER DE COVERLY; and I affure you I find it no eafy Task to

• keep