84 REVIEWS. 



designed to be partly scientific and partly theological, and so it is. As 

 such it presents a just reflection of its author's gifted mind, viewing, as 

 was his wont, all subjects in the light of that revealed truth which he was 

 taught in childhood, and the reverence for which he carried to his myste- 

 riously premature grave. In making this statement we entertain no 

 scruples, nor yet any fear of raising an imputation on the Christian religion, 

 which the late Hugh Miller, in common with ourselves, professed. The 

 deep-toned manly piety which runs through this remarkable volume from 

 its commencement to its close, were there no other proof forthcoming, 

 would in itself be sufficient evidence that the sad act which terminated at 

 once life and his brilliant literary career, was not chargeable on his religious 

 opinions, but the result of an over- wrought brain, ending in bona fide phy- 

 sical derangement, and, therefore, the act of one who was at the time 

 morally not accountable. 



While this characteristic of the volume, as we have said before, so 

 greatly adds, in one point of view, to its interest, we are free to confess 

 that we should have greatly preferred to see its elements separately handled 

 by its late gifted author. The circumstances under which it was composed 

 and given to the public may have rendered its present form necessary ; yet, 

 we cannot but regret that its distinctly scientific portions have not been 

 treated rather more apart from its theological views. And this leads us to 

 observe, on the character of the volume, generally, that it would, in our 

 judgment, have been much more effective, as regards its avow r ed objects, 

 had it been thrown into one condensed and continuous essay, instead of 

 being allowed to retain the form of so many distinct lectures. These 

 lectures are twelve, and the preface informs us that they were nearly all 

 composed and delivered during a period of about five years, and before 

 very different auditories. Four were read before " the Edinburgh Philoso- 

 phical Institution," one "at Exeter Hall" before "the Young Men's Chris- 

 tian Association," and the substance of two others before " the Geological 

 Section of the British Association" at Glasgow. Three of the remaining 

 five were also, we are informed, addressed viva voce to popular audiences, 

 so that but two appear in print, for the first time, in the volume before us. 



Now, without saying a word to disparage the admirable tendency of the 

 whole, or to depreciate the valuable geological facts which abound in the 

 volume (especially in the two concluding lectures on the Fossil Flora of the 

 author's native land), we must, in candour, say that we have laid down the 

 work, as well on its first perusal, as after a second and more careful review, 

 with a feeling of regret, if not of disappointment, that the author's mag- 



