i THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES 63 
A contemporary of Newton and of Leibnitz, 
sharing therefore in the intellectual activity of the 
‘remarkable age which witnessed the birth of 
modern physical science, Benoit de Maillet spent 
a long life as a consular agent of the French Gov- 
ernment in various Mediterranean ports. For 
sixteen years, in fact, he held the office of Consul- 
General in Egypt, and the wonderful phenomena 
offered by the valley of the Nile appear to have 
strongly impressed his mind, to have directed his 
attention to all facts of a similar order which came 
within his observation, and to have led him to 
speculate on the origin of the present condition of 
our globe and of its inhabitants. But, with all 
his ardour for science, De Maillet seems to have 
hesitated to publish views which, notwithstanding 
the ingenious attempts to reconcile them with the 
Hebrew hypothesis contained in the preface to 
“Telliamed,” were hardly likely to be received 
with favour by his contemporaries. 
But a short time had elapsed since more than 
one of the great anatomists and physicists of the 
Italian school had paid dearly for their endeavours 
to dissipate some of the prevalent errors; and 
their illustrious pupil, Harvey, the founder of 
modern physiology, had not fared so well, in a 
country less oppressed by the benumbing in- 
fluences of theology, as to tempt any man to follow 
_ his example. Probably not uninfluenced by these 
considerations, his Catholic majesty’s Consul- 
