284< STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



symbolical representation, is, therefore, the most 

 universal law of nature, because it embraces and 

 extends its influence over the natural, the moral, 

 and the spiritual world ; a property which no other 

 law, yet discovered, is known to possess. Hence 

 we may infer that, in its more restricted application 

 to natural history, it is equally paramount ; and that, 

 to this science, it is what the law of gravitation is 

 known to be to astronomy. 



(194.) It was, no doubt, from a perception of the 

 vast importance of analogy, that the immortal Bacon 

 so strongly recommends it in the investigation of 

 nature; when, among other things which demand 

 our attention, he enumerates, " parallelas, sive si- 

 militudines physicas" and, as an admirable reasoner 

 on the same subject has happily stated*, having 

 adverted to the practice of former philosophers in 

 noting and explaining the actual differences among 

 natural productions, as of little real use in con- 

 stituting the sciences, he requires that pains should 

 be bestowed rather in enquiring into, and noting, 

 the similitudes and analogies of things ; adding, at 

 the same time, the just caution, that the similitudes 

 should not be fortuitous and fanciful, but be real 

 and substantial, and merged into nature. 



(195.) The importance of analogical reasoning 

 as a medium of proof, has been no less inculcated 

 by one of the most profound philosophers of modern 

 days. Dugald Stewart, in adverting to the opinions 

 of Reid and Campbell on this subject, expresses his 

 doubts whether both of these ingenious writers have 

 not somewhat underrated the importance of analogy 



* Hampden, p. 107. 



