40 THE COMING [CH. 



of the striking facts which I was prepared to produce from the 

 volcanic regions of Central France and Italy, in order to pave the 

 way for a favourable reception, or even a fair hearing, of the 

 theoretical views I had been led from these observations to 

 form 30 .' 



He adds that ' this obvious error was pointed out 

 in a very friendly manner ' in a notice of the memoir 

 on The Geology of Central France, which was 

 contributed by Lyell to the Quarterly Review in 

 1827 31 . 



Scrope's geological career however though one 

 of so much promise was brought to a somewhat 

 abrupt termination. In 1821 he had married the 

 last representative and heiress of the Scropes, the 

 old Earls of Wiltshire, and soon afterwards he settled 

 down at the family seat of Castle Combe, eventually 

 devoting his attention almost exclusively to social 

 and political questions. From 1833 to 1868, when 

 he retired from Parliament, he was member for 

 Stroud ; and though he seldom took part in the 

 debates, he became famous as a writer of political 

 tracts, thus acquiring the sobriquet of 'Pamphlet 

 Scrope.' He himself used to relate an amusing 

 incident at his own expense. His great friend Lord 

 Palmerston, on being greeted with the question, 

 'Have you read my last pamphlet?' replied mis- 

 chievously, ' Well Scrope, I hope I have ! ' 



It is sad to relate that, owing to a carriage accident, 



