HISTORY OF MINERALOGY. 



by one who was more at home in mathematical generalization, proba- 

 bly this conld hardly have been done without making the subject less 

 accessible and less attractive to persons moderately disciplined in ma- 

 thematics. In all his reasonings upon particular cases, Hatiy is acute 

 and clear ; while his general views appear to be suggested rather by a 

 lively fancy than by a sage inductive spirit : and though he thus misses 

 the character of a great philosopher, the vivacity of style, and felicity 

 and happiness of illustration, which grace his book, and which agree 

 well with the character of an Abbe of the old French monarchy, had 

 a great and useful influence on the progress of the subject. 



Unfortunately Rome de Lisle and Hauy were not only rivals, but 

 in some measure enemies. The former might naturally feel some 

 vexation at finding himself, in his later years (he died in 1790), thrown 

 into shade by his more brilliant successor. In reference to Haiiy's use 

 of cleavage, he speaks 8 of " innovators in crystallography, who may 

 properly be called crystalloclasts" Yet he adopted, in great measure, 

 the same views of the formation of crystals by laminse, 9 which Hauy 

 illustrated by the destructive process at which he thus sneers. His 

 sensitiveness was kept alive by the conduct of the Academy of Sciences, 

 which took no notice of him and his labors ; 10 probably because it was 

 led by Buffon, who disliked Linnaeus, and might dislike Rome as his 

 follower ; and who, as we have seen, despised crystallography. Hatiy 

 revenged himself by rarely mentioning Rome in his works, though it 

 was manifest that his obligations to him were immense ; and by record- 

 ing his errors while he corrected them. More fortunate than his rival, 

 Hauy was, from the first, received with favor and applause. His lec- 

 tures at Paris were eagerly listened to by persons from all quarters of 

 the world. His views were, in this manner, speedily diffused ; and the 

 subject was soon pursued, in various ways, by mathematicians and 

 mineralogists in every country of Europe. 



CHAPTER III. 

 RECEPTION AND CORRECTIONS OF THE HAUIAN CRYSTALLOGRAPHY. 



T HAVE not hitherto noticed the imperfections of the crystallographic 

 J- views and methods of Hauy, because my business in the last section 



' Pref. p. xxvii. 9 T. ii. p. 21. :o Marx Gescli. d. Uryst. 130. 



