in reply to Mr. R. C. Taylor. 283 



caution in drawing conclusions from the specimens exhibited 

 in them. None are more easily imposed upon than the vir- 

 tuoso; — none look at Nature with a more contracted ken than 

 the mere student of curiosities. Let us for instance suppose, 

 that Mr. Taylor had presented to one of these repositories of 

 wonders a nicely fractured stone, neatly labelled " Granite, 

 from the Black Meg Rock, near Beeston, on the coast of Norfolk" 

 Some traveller in search of the scientific, espies this amongst 

 the other treasures of the geognostically stored glass-case, and 

 enters a minute description of it in his note-book. At the 

 next conversazione he details to his listening coterie the newly 

 discovered fact, that mountains of granite exist in Norfolk, and 

 silences every sceptical inquiiy, by appealing to this publicly 

 displayed portion of Black Meg as an "absolute proof" of 

 his assertion. I should wish to be informed how such an in- 

 ference would be more rash, more unfounded, more prepos- 

 terous, than the assumption, that the recent shells of the Nor- 

 wich Valley must belong to the Crag stratum, because " the 

 British Museum contains the tooth of a Mastodon," which was 

 found there, and because a few other " travelled fragments" 

 of a more ancient bed may perchance be dispersed amongst 

 them. In theone instance Mr. Taylor immediately perceives that 

 all the boulders and pebbles of primitive rocks, which lie on 

 the shores of Norfolk, were brought from a distance by power- 

 ful currents : — let him view the interior of our valleys with the 

 same good sense, unswayed by authority and unwarped by 

 prejudice; he will then admit, that no sound notions with re- 

 spect to their general character can be obtained from those 

 stray scraps of earlier remains — those rare morsels of anti- 

 quity — to which, as far as regards this question, a too ardent 

 enthusiasm has given an imaginary and deceptive weight. 



I am not so vain as to expect that I can shake Mr. Taylor's 

 faith, or that of any advocates of the Diluvian theory. I know 

 how tenacious our nature is of the creed which has once been 

 embraced, and how difficult it is to erase from the mind im- 

 pressions once received. But I have so lar confidence in the 

 truth of my opinions, as to believe that they will in time make 

 their way, where they have not to contend with the invete- 

 rate influence of a pre-adopted system; and it is in this hope, 

 that I have ventured upon the present reply to my opponents. 

 Those alone can enter upon this incjuiry with an unbiassetl 

 judgement, who are yet free to decide upon the general (jues- 

 tions with which it is connected ; and to such I feel assured 

 that I shall not address myself in vain. Let tlieiu first con- 

 sider well the arguments employed to prove the " anlcdilU' 

 .2 O 2 via?i" 



