18401881] EARTH-MOVEMENTS 117 



which, together with Lyell's never-failing kindness, will help Letter 480 



me on with South America, and, as my books will not sell, I 



sometimes want such aid. I have been lately reading with 



care A. d'Orbigny's work l on South America, and I cannot 



say how forcibly impressed I am with the infinite superiority 



of the Lyellian school of Geology over the continental. I 



always feel as if my books came half out of Lyell's brain, 



and that I never acknowledge this sufficiently ; nor do 



I know how I can without saying so in so many words 



for I have always thought that the great merit of the 



Principles was that it altered the whole tone of one's mind, 



and therefore that, when seeing a thing never seen by Lyell, 



one yet saw it partially through his eyes it would have been 



in some respects better if I had done this less : but again 



excuse my long, and perhaps you will think presumptuous, 



discussion. Enclosed is a note from Emma to Mrs. Horner, 



to beg you, if you can, to give us the great pleasure of seeing 



you here. We are necessarily dull here, and can offer no 



amusements ; but the weather is delightful, and if you could 



see how brightly the sun now shines you would be tempted 



to come. Pray remember me most kindly to all your family, 



and beg of them to accept our proposal, and give us the 



pleasure of seeing them. 



To C. Lyell. 2 Letter 481 



Down [Sept., 1844]. 



I was glad to get your note, and wanted to hear about 

 your work. I have been looking to see it advertised ; it has 



1 Voyage dans PAmerique Meridionale execute pendant les annees 

 1826-33 : six vols., Paris, 1835-43. 



2 Sir Charles Lyell, Bart., F.R.S. (1797-1875), was born at Kinnorcly, 

 the family home in central Forfarshire. At the age of seventeen he 

 entered at Exeter College, Oxford, and afterwards obtained a second 

 class in the final Honours School in Classics. As an undergraduate 

 Lyell attended Prof. Buckland's lectures on Geology. On leaving 

 Oxford Lyell was entered at Lincoln's Inn ; a weakness of the eyes soon 

 compelled him to give up reading, and he travelled abroad, finding many 

 opportunities for field work. He was called to the Bar in 1825, and in 

 the same year published some papers on geological subjects. From 

 1823-26 Lyell filled the post of Secretary to the Geological Society, and in 

 1826 was elected into the Royal Society. In 1830 the first volume of the 

 Principles of Geology was published ; the second volume appeared two 



