170 THE AQUAEIAN NATURALIST. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



ENCRINITES COMATULA. 



THE contemplative mind need never be in want either 

 of instruction or amusement, if it will only con- 

 descend to read the records of the past, so legibly 

 inscribed on the imperishable pages of creation, and 

 moreover will find the handwriting upon the rocky 

 walls which everywhere surround us by no means 

 difficult of interpretation. They possess, indeed, a 

 wonderful advantage over the most enduring legends 

 of what we call antiquity ; they are written for all 

 time, and in a language equally intelligible to all the 

 sons and daughters of Adam. No lexicons are here 

 required, for the Almighty himself is his own in- 

 terpreter. 



To any of our readers who thus, like ourselves, are 

 fond of finding sermons in stones, we heartily re- 

 commend a marble chimney-piece as a preacher of 

 matchless eloquence and most convincing argument ; 

 nay, more (and that quite independently of the fire 

 which usually warms such discourses), a most en- 

 livening and cheerful companion. It is true that all 

 marble chimney-pieces are not equally communicative 

 and conversationable : that, however, is common to 

 all sorts of society. Our friend and special fire-side 

 companion is that chimney-piece of Encrinitic lime- 

 stone hewn from some mountain-side in Derbyshire ; 



