156 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



natural mode of classifying her productions ; that is, 

 in the true series or chain of being. We venture 

 these remarks, not in disparagement of the great 

 names who have gone before us ; and to whom, on 

 so many other points, science is highly indebted ; 

 but that the naturalist may clearly see the shallow 

 basis upon which his prejudices of opinion rest, 

 when they have been formed in favour of isolated 

 systems and arbitrary methods. Upon a subject, 

 however, of so much importance to the successful 

 prosecution of science, we may offer some further 

 considerations. 



(95.) It is a fact which the progress of human 

 knowledge has demonstrated, and which is conti- 

 nually receiving new and corroborative proofs, that 

 the more we understand of the primary laws of 

 nature, the more simple, universal, and harmonious 

 do we find them. To suppose, therefore, that a 

 theory of arrangement can be natural, which pre- 

 tends not to explain and to illustrate any one general 

 law of nature, is, in fact, either virtually to deny that 

 any such exist, or that, however other sciences may 

 be governed by general laws, that of natural History 

 is exempt from them. To adduce arguments against 

 either of these propositions would be a waste of 

 words : their futility being admitted, how strongly 

 will such considerations shake our faith, and destroy 

 our prejudices, in favour of such systems of nature 

 as are not founded on general laws. It may, perhaps, 

 be admitted, that analogical reasoning authorises 

 the supposition, that natural history, in this respect, 

 differs not from other physical sciences; but it may 

 be contended, these new theories, which have been 



