74 MEMOIR OF PLINY. 



and the physical sciences. Its most obvious defect 

 is the want of any thing like system or classifica- 

 tion ; for it is impossible to conjecture on what prin- 

 ciple the different species of animals, birds, and rep- 

 tiles are arranged. Like almost every writer of emi- 

 nence, Pliny has found panegyrists who have lavish- 

 ed upon him the most extravagant praise, and ca- 

 lumniators who would allow him no merit whatever. 

 " It is astonishing (says Buffon) that in every depart- 

 ment he is equally great. Elevation of ideas and 

 grandeur of style give additional elevation to his pro- 

 found erudition. His work, which is as varied as 

 Nature, paints her always in a favourable light. It 

 may be said to be a compilation of all that had pre- 

 viously been written, a transcript of every thing use- 

 ful and excellent that existed ; but in this copy the 

 execution is so bold, in this compilation the mate- 

 rials are disposed in a manner so new, that it is pre- 

 ferable to the greater part of the originals which treat 

 of the same subjects." * 



The cool judgment of Cuvier, although in our opi- 

 nion occasionally too severe, is more to be depended 

 upon, in a scientific point of viexv, than the enthu- 

 siasm of Buffon. It were impossible, he remarks, that 

 in handling, even in the briefest manner, such a prodi- 

 gious number of topics, Pliny should not have made 

 known a multitude of facts, not only remarkable in 

 themselves, but the more valuable to us, as he is the 

 only author that records them. Unfortunately, how- 



* Buffon, Premier Discours sur THistoire Naturelle. 



