Outlines of Geology, 67 



vein of poetical diction, told him " that there went more to the 

 making of a world than a well-turned period ;" and Mr. Warren, 

 and Dr. Keill, of Oxford, eacli refuted and abused him as a 

 theorist. Yet Burnet's work continued to be read, not for its 

 philosophic truths or theoretic consistency, but for its splendid 

 imagery, noble sentiments, and sublime conceptions. 



Passing over several speculative authors, who, compared with 

 Bumet, are neither instructive nor amusing, we meet in geo- 

 logical history with the writings of Woodward, who flourished 

 in the latter half of tlie 17th century, and who must, I think, 

 be considered as the earliest geological theorist who has pro- 

 fessed minutely to examine the earth's external crust, and to 

 found his opinions upon the results of its detailed inspection. 

 In visiting the country about Sherborne, in Gloucestershire, 

 he was struck with the variety of shells and marine produc- 

 tions visible in the strata ; and he determined, with a degree 

 of zeal which was then not very common, to undertake a 

 geological tour, with a view of examining how far similar ap- 

 pearances were to be found in other quarries, and in remote parts 

 of the kingdom. Having satisfied himself upon these subjects, 

 and after registering in his journal a very copious account of his 

 observations, he drew up a series of queries which he distributed 

 amongst his friends and correspondents abroad ; and, as the result 

 of all his inquiries, he concluded that the earth's structure was 

 not materially different in any part of the world, but that a 

 general resemblance pervaded the contents and positions of its 

 various beds and strata. In 1695, he published a work entitled 

 *' An essay towards a natural history of the earth and terrestrial 

 bodies, especially minerals ; as also of the sea, rivers, and springs. 

 With an account of the universal deluge, and of the effects it had 

 upon the Earth." This essay which is scarcely so much known 

 as it deserves, excited a good deal of bustle amongst the philo- 

 sophers of the period in which it was written ; it was attacked, 

 canvassed, examined, and defended, and called forth all those 

 ephemeral answers, replies, and rejoinders, which flutter about 

 controversy. Woodward did not confine himself to geology, 



F2 



