1814.] on Transh'ion Rocks. ?9l 



tion ; and therefore I must think that Mr. Allan expected his 

 paper would be talked of, and its merits discussed, among the 

 mineralogists of Ediuburgii. But if this was the case, can he be 

 surprised that * sentiments' (I suppose by sentiments in this place 

 lie means objections to his paj)er), which are obvious to every atten- 

 tive reader who understands the subject, should have reached him 

 from more quarters than one. VVhat would Mr. Allan think of 

 the state of my intellects, were I to argue that he could not be the 

 sole author of the answer to me, which bears his name, because 

 some of the sentiments it coniains have long since reached me 

 from another quarter ? I have however^ notwithstanding this, no 

 doubt at all of his being " the only one engaged in writing the 

 answer which bears his name." In the concluding words of his 

 own postscript, — " It speaks for Itself." 



I wish Mr. Allan had told us what quarter he alludes to. He 

 deals in dark and oracular speeches : — 



Aio te, JEacida, Romanos vincere posse^ 



IS scarcely more ambiguous than some of his expressions. As to 

 his assertion that 1 am " not the only one who was engaged in 

 drawing up the communication which bears my name," he must 

 permit me to tell him that he is grievously mistaken, and ought, 

 in his own words, " to feel ashamed" of having said so. 1 do 

 not know whom he alludes to as having been engaged along with 

 me ; but if he does allude, as some tell me he does, to Professor 

 Jameson, I must beg leave to decline so high a compliment. That 

 any of my poor peribrmances should have seemed to Mr. Allan to 

 indicate tlie hand of so great a master, is what ] could never have 

 dreamt of. Surely the occurrence of some of the Professor's ideas 

 in my paper will not prove him to have been engaged in the writing 

 of it. Nothing certainly was more likely to happen than that 1 

 ihould liave adopted more or less the sentiments of the master 

 under whom I studied. 



With regard to the second proof adduced by Mr. Allan, to show 

 that I was not the sole author of the communication bearing my 

 name; viz., that " you had been pressed by some gentlemen in 

 this place to insert his paper," your answer. to that appears to me 

 most satisfactory, and certainly as you state, I was not consulted by 

 you, nor could I possibly know that you had such a paper in your 

 possession. 



Mr. Allan favours us, at the beginning of his answer, with a 

 statement of the motives which may induce " men of science" to 

 I publish their works, and talks feelingly of " the critic unjustly 



' garbling and interpolating the works of an unfortunate author." 



'i'he critic, it seems, often shews " acrimony" and " mis-states 

 facts merely to give weight to hi.s own argument." 1 heartily agree 

 with Mr. Allan in this sentinient. It is true, inost true, as many 

 of us unfortunate authors can, to our cost, bear witness. But 

 what is the object of this Icarmd preface? Necne non tiut his locus. 



T 1 



