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LETTER XXIII.

Of the New Planet, and other Discoveries.

I T is a general and immemorial tradition,which is countenanced both by sacred andprofane history, that prodigious changes andrevolutions have taken place in our globe sinceits first formation: and the bare inspection ofthe earth gives great weight to this opinion.We can perceive, in many instances, that thewaters of the ocean have not always been con-fined within their present bounds. The vege-tables and fishes of India, which are found inthe petrefactions of Europe-, and the numberof {hells, and other marine productions, disco-vered in ranges of mountains very remote fromthe sea, can be accounted for upon no otherprinciple. This was a doctrine which was taughtboth by Pythagoras and his followers; andOvid, in explaining the tenets of that sect, speaksin the name of all the Oriental Philosophers,when he fays,

" The face of places, and their forms, decay;

And what was solid earth converts to sea;

Seas, in their turn, retreating from the lhore,

Make solid lands what ocean was before;

And