74 PAPERS, ETC. 
power and greatness of that extraordinary people. As 
might have been expected, however, the incessant tide of 
ages has washed away many of their works, and rendered 
faint and indistinet many of their footprints. But, as the 
geologist delights in the faintest impress of organic remains 
when they present themselves in the primsval rocks ; so 
does the antiquarian delight in every new discovery of the 
remains of ancient times, and in every new gleam of light 
from old discoveries, which helps to define and illustrate 
the great epochs of his country’s history. Each great 
geological period, we know, is distinguished by peculiar 
and characteristic forms of organized life; hence, the oceur- 
rence of even a fragment of shell, or coral, or bone, or 
plant, is sufficient to enable the experienced geologist to 
determine the exact place any particular formation holds 
in the great series of created being. That which is true 
of the phenomena of the material world, is not less true 
of those which present themselves in connexion with the 
human race, For here, likewise, the form of the earth- 
work ; the masonry of the wall ; the shape and design of 
the pottery ; the curve and mouldings of the arch; the 
tracery of the window, whether presented entire or in 
fragments; are, in reality, so many dates impressed upon 
these remains of antiquity, enabling us to assign each to 
its true period and its people. 
Besides, and in addition to, these, which may be called 
the material tokens left to us by former generations, we 
have in the elements of our language, and especially in 
the names of mountains and towns, of rivers and encamp- 
ments, another class of remains, not less deserving of our 
attention, nor likely to be much less profitable to those who 
are engaged in antiquarian research. It is to this—the 
application of Philology to Archzological investigation— 
