308 Analysis of Scientific Books, 



thoughts ; but it is another important purpose, which he has 

 overlooked, to be a substitute for them. 



• There are always two terms, a good and a bad one, for every 

 human action; for every thing. Michael Angelo is grand, or 

 extravagant and absurd. M. Humboldt professes to generalize ; 

 his views are grand, broad, poetical ; or else they are fictitious, 

 slovenly, or dreamy. The mob has voted " the ayes ;" we are of 

 the " contrary opinion." In philosophy, in science, natural or 

 otherwise, we know of no generalization that is not a collation 

 and abstract of facts. -Without this, it is all guess and fancy; 

 and the fancies are commonly abundantly dull, moreover. Iso- 

 thermal curves may captivate the uninquiring herd, as do the 

 crotchets of algebra, since they look profound, like Lord Bur- 

 leigh ; but, like Lord Burleigh, it is to say nothing. We should 

 be much more grateful to M. Humboldt if he would particularize ; 

 we do not want pages of guessing ; and if we are to read 

 poetry, let it be John Gilpin or Childe Harold : nor "Goddess, 

 write, about it and about it." 



Can we now convince M. Humboldt that we are his friends and 

 well-wishers : if Ave tell him of his faults, where else will he 

 find sincerer ones ? But we must proceed to the " Gisement des 

 Jiociies. And here also we must premise that we find it utterly 

 impossible to translate the quotations which we shall be com- 

 pelled to make. No language but that of the original would jus- 

 tify our criticisms ; nor, while our translation of confusion into 

 order and sense, would disarm us, are we very willing to undergo 

 the toil of licking these cubs into a bear-like form. 



Upwards of sixty pages are occupied in something that looks 

 like an introduction, being a loose collection of facts, words, 

 and opinions ; and this is followed by an account of all the ac- 

 Icnowledged rocks, from granite upwards. Such is the plan of the 

 work, which is nearly as undigested as its materials are indi- 

 gestible. 



To give any thing like an analysis of the introductory matter, 

 •wliich seems intended as a sort of abstract of the science, is im- 

 possible- We are lost amid the vagueness of what might have 

 been compressed into half the space, or less, while it ought 

 to have been divided into paragraphs, or subjects. It is not 

 thus that philosophy is to be written or taught ; and if this be 

 Geognosy, we shall remain content with simple Geology. If 

 there is a want of precision, of definiteness, in the manner, there 

 is not less in the matter ; while, with a mixture of pedantry and 

 modernism, there is that antiquated phraseology, derived from 

 Freyberg, which shows that the author has not reached up to the 

 level of our present knowledge, but is merely ingrafting a few 

 facts from a better source, on the cant and dogmas of his school. 

 The want of purpose, the vagueness of ideas, the parade of 



