70 .DOMAIN XII. VOLCANIC. 



bent masses of granite, itself regarded as 

 the fundamental rock. 

 candour As it is foreign to the nature of this work 



accessary, 



to examine with much attention the the- 

 ories of volcanoes, it shall only be observed 

 that the French authors, in treating the 

 origin of basaltin and amygdalite, seem to 

 be rather too much attached to the volcanic 

 influence ; yet we, on the other hand, seem 

 to be too violently prejudiced against the 

 admission of that influence. Prejudice, 

 on either side, is not only ridiculous, as 

 the subject is of no importance to human 

 life or happiness, but as a direct contra- 

 diction to the very spirit and nature of phi- 

 losophy, which ought to examine any topic 

 with complete candour and impartiality; 

 nay, a writer who means sincerely to serve 

 the sacred cause of truth, which must in 

 the end ever be victorious, would rather, 

 for a season, support an opinion the most 

 opposite to prejudice, that the light may as 

 usual be struck out by the collision of con- 

 tending powers. 

 Many extinct. When we consider the great number of 



