477 



though I am acquainted with the perfonal refpeflability of thefe gen- 

 tlemen, and the high literary characters which each of them bears, I 

 cannot fuffer important facts in Natural Hiftory to be totally mif- 

 reprefented, for the purpofe of fupporting the wildeft opinions that 

 ever entered the brains of fpeculatifts. 



I hope Mr. Playfair will excufe me, when he finds he is not the 

 only perfon whofe ftatement of fads I have been under the necef- 

 fity of contradiding ; and that I have, on different oceafions, been^ 

 obliged to treat every naturalifl who has publiflied an account of 

 our bafaltic coaft, exaftly in the fame way, and to fliew where they 

 mifieprefented our facts for the purpofe of fupporting their own fyftems. 



I by no means infinuate, that an overweening zeal in fupport of 

 opinions, which have nothing to do with common life, affecls the 

 moral character. Lawyers are ufed to take great liberties, whea 

 warmly defending their clients. 



" Tunc immenfii cavi fpirant mendacia folks j"' 



without committing their own veracity; and I think it not unlikely 

 Xii-iX fyjiem-makers may think themfelves entitled to the fame latitude,, 

 which Ovid allows to another defcription of gentlemen. 



" Jupiter ex alto perjuria lidet amantum, 

 " Et jubet Eolios irrita ferre notos." 



In the common courfe of Natural Hiftory, faBs fliould regulate 

 tpinions ; the reverfe happens in modern times, as it appears opinions 

 have a great influence on the ftatement oi fads. 



1 have already difcuffed fo many wild opinions, broached by thefe 



gentlemen, that 1 might be excufed for not encountering another, 



which does not feem neceffarily conneded with the demonftration 



of their theory ; but when I find i\it fubierraneous fnfion and flowing of 



bafalt, adopted by a naturalift of Sir James Hall's refpedability, I will 



treat the opinion with a deference due to every thing countenanced. 



by him. 



With: 



