The Delude. 327 



It was no fault of Aristotlc''s that this epoch was so long in 

 niaking its appearance. That great man, in fact, had assigned 

 its natural limits to each department of science ; but, unfortu- 

 nately, he left no successor worthy of such a master, and the 

 sect of Peripatetics, which he had formed, even fell into con- 

 tempt in a ieyf centuries. It was only after the long interval 

 of the middle ages, and towards tlie commencement of the six- 

 teenth century, that the change took place. Thus, the sciences 

 have, as yet, been regularly cultivated only for three cen- 

 turies. 



After thus marking the characters of the three scientific 

 epochs, the Professor reverted to the first, and, in endeavour- 

 ing to determine its origin, was led to speak of the antiquity of 

 human society. He shewed^ that notwithstanding the paucity 

 of the data which we possess on this question, we may yet ar- 

 rive at some satisfactory results, by having recourse at the same 

 time to history and geology, which severally present evidences 

 corroborative of each other. Thus, while the traditions of all 

 nations have preserved the remembrance of a great catastrophe, 

 the Delude, which changed the earth's surface, and destroyed 

 nearly the whole of the human species, geology apprises us, that 

 of the various revolutions which have agitated our globe, the 

 last evidently corresponds to the period which is assigned to the 

 deluge. 



We say, that by means of geological considerations alone it 

 is possible to determine the date of this great event with some 

 degree of precision. 



There arc certain formations which must have commenced 

 immediately after the last catastrophe, and which, from that 

 |x>riod, have been continued up to the present day with great 

 regularity. Such are the deposites of detritus observed at the 

 mouths of rivers, the masses of rubbish which exist at the foot 

 of mountains, and are formed of the fragments that fall from 

 their summits and sides. These deposites receive a yearly in- 

 crease, which it is possible to measure. Nothing therefore is 

 more easy than to calculate the time which it has taken them to 

 acquire their present dimensions. Thi.s calculation has been 

 made with reference to the debris of mountains, and in all cases 

 has indicated a period of about four thousand years. The 



