a the whole system was
formed. There is in the French king's library a superb
volume of pictures of the Indian Gods, in which the ladder
is represented with the souls of men mounting it."

VI. Sixth System. The Animated World, or Worship of the Universe under
diverse Emblems.

"While the nations were wandering in the dark labyrinth of mythology and
fables, the physical priests, pursuing their studies and enquiries into
the order and disposition of the universe, came to new conclusions, and
formed new systems concerning powers and first causes.

"Long confined to simple appearances, they saw nothing in the movement
of the stars but an unknown play of luminous bodies rolling round the
earth, which they believed the central point of all the spheres; but as
soon as they discovered the rotundity of our planet, the consequences
of this first fact led them to new considerations; and from induction to
induction they rose to the highest conceptions in astronomy and physics.

"Indeed, after having conceived this luminous idea, that the terrestrial
globe is a little circle inscribed in the greater circle of the heavens,
the theory of concentric circles came naturally into their hypothesis,
to determine the unknown circle of the terrestrial globe by certain
known portions of the celestial circle; and the measurement of one
or more degrees of the meridian gave with precision the whole
circumference. Then, taking for a compass the known diameter of
the earth, some fortunate genius applied it with a bold hand to the
boundless orbits of the heavens; and man, the inhabitant of a grain of
sand, embracing the infinite distances of the stars, launches into the
immensity of space and the eternity of time: there he is presented with
a new order of the universe of which the atom-globe which he inhabited
appeared no longer to be the centre; this important post was reserved to
the enormous mass of the sun; and that body became the flaming pivot of
eight surrounding spheres, whose movements were henceforth subjected to
precise calculations.

"It was indeed a great effort for the human mind to have undertaken to
determine the disposition and order of the great engines of nature; but
not content with this first effort, it still endeavored to develop the
mechanism, and discover the origin and the instinctive principle. Hence,
engaged in the abstract and metaphysical nature of motion and its
first cause, of the inherent or in