554 Reviews. [July, 
sit down and translate a book full of blasphemy, to give his sympa- 
thies to a writer who sneers at all that the mind of civilized man has 
held sacred, who perverts scientific truth, and drags through the mire 
such honoured names as Liebig, Lyell, Darwin, Faraday, Humboldt, 
Flourens, Schiller, Shakespeare, Lessing, and the Scriptures, levying 
black mail upon them in support of his atheistical views; how he 
dares to print his name on the title-page as the editor, is quite incom- 
prehensible to us. 
We cannot but commend Mr. Collingwood’s prudence in not 
“always” subscribing to the “alleged facts” contained in the work, 
and to the “inferences drawn from these facts,’ but we by no means 
envy him the great “ pleasure” which he experiences in introducing 
the work to English readers; and whilst we entirely disagree with 
him as to the desirability of its being “admitted to the rolls of 
English literature,” we feel sure that all classes of scientific readers, 
from freethinkers (in the more restricted sense of the term) to ortho- 
dox theologians, will pronounce it a vulgar, blasphemous book, full 
of absurd contradictions, and presumptuous, unscrupulous assertions, 
published, with its numerous prefaces, with a view to create a sensation, 
and the only persons to whom it will give unfeigned satisfaction are the 
small semi-educated sect of men calling themselves “ Naturalists,” or 
** Secularists,” who will no doubt use it, as Dr. Biichner has attempted, 
to abuse science. 
To us, the author appears to have done his very worst for science 
and for himself. Judging from observation and experience (and 
“whoever rejects experience rejects human conception” *), we shall 
expect him at some future time to be a rabid theologian ; one who, if 
he had been an Englishman, would be found lecturing on Redemption 
in some obscure tabernacle, ‘ all seats free, and discussion invited ; ” 
and infusing into his religious discourses about as much reason as 
he has thrown into his atheism. 
We have no desire to be severe or condemnatory in our epithets, 
and shall content ourselves with saying, that if the author is sincere, 
and has undertaken a scientific expedition, it has been another illus- 
tration of the old German saying :— 
“Es ging ein Gaenschen uber’s Meer, 
Und kam als Gans auch wieder her.” 
“A gosling crossed the sea, and a goose it returned.” 
The advantages which may arise from the publication of the work 
were referred to in our introductory remarks, and it is unnecessary to 
repeat them; but the moral it teaches, is one of the wisest that ever a 
wise man uttered, and we earnestly commend it to the consideration 
of the author and translator, and to all who feel disposed to sympa- 
thize with their doctrines. It was Lord Bacon who said, “ A little 
philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism, but depth of philosophy 
bringeth men’s minds to religion.” 
* P, 253. 
