LIFE of Dr HUTTON. 93 



the natural hiftory of the earth, he had an extenfive knowledge : 

 he had ftudled them with that critical difcuffion which fuch 

 books require above all others; carefully colleding from them the 

 fads that appeared accurate, and correding the narratives that 

 were imperfed, either by a comparifon with one another, or by 

 applying to them the ftandard of probability which his own ob- 

 fervation and judgment had furnilhed him with. On the other 

 hand, he beflowed but little attention on books of opinion and the- 

 ory ; and while he trufted to the efforts of his mind for digefting 

 the fads he had obtained from reading or experience, into a fyftem 

 of his own, he was not very anxious, at leaft iDl that was accom- 

 pliflied, to be informed of the views which other philofophers 

 had taken of the fame fubjed. He was but little difpofed to con- 

 cede any thing to mere authority ; and to his indifference about 

 the opinions of former theorifts, it is probable that his own 

 fpeculations owed fome part, both of their excellencies, and their 

 defeds. 



As he was indefatigable in ftudy, and was in the habit of 

 ufing his pen continually as an inftrument of thought, he wrote 

 a great deal, and has left behind him an incredible quantity of 

 manufcript, though imperfed, and never intended for the prefs. 

 Indeed his manner of life, at leaft after he left off the occupations 

 of hufbandry, gave him fuch a command of his time, as is en- 

 joyed by very few. Though he ufed to rife late, he began imme- 

 diately to ftudy, and generally continued bufy till dinner. He di- 

 ned early, almoft always at home, and palled very little time at 

 table ; for he ate fparingly, and drank no wine. After dinner he 

 refumed his ftudies, or, if the weather was fine, walked for two or 

 three hours, when he could not be faid to give up ftudy, though 

 he might, perhaps, change the objed of it. The evening he al- 

 ways fpent in the fociety of his friends. No profeffional, and 

 rarely any domeftic arrangements interrupted this uniform courfc 

 of hfe, fo that his time was wholly divided between the purfuits 



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