Early History of the Science 



which extends from the middle of last century to the 

 earlier decades of this, or a period of about seventy years. 

 A few later conspicuous names will require some brief 

 notice in order to fill up the general outlines of our picture. 



Every geologist is familiar with the account of geological 

 progress sketched by Lyell in the first four chapters of 

 his Principles. I need not therefore offer even the briefest 

 summary of what preceded the period which is now to be 

 illustrated in fuller detail. Let me merely recall to your 

 memory the early work of the Italian observers who, with 

 the evidence before their eyes of active and extinct vol- 

 canoes, of upraised shell -beds and abundant traces of 

 former terrestrial vicissitudes, took broad views of the 

 history of the earth, and arrived at conclusions which have 

 been sustained and amplified by later generations. The 

 labours of Steno, Vallisneri, Moro, and Generelli furnished 

 a body of fact amply sufficient to disprove the current 

 fantastic theories of the earth and to lay some of the 

 foundation-stones of modern geology. Woodward, Lister, 

 Hooke and Eay may be quoted as notable writers in 

 England by whom, in spite of their imperfect knowledge 

 and frequent mistakes, the rise of geology was heralded. 

 Hooke is especially deserving of an honoured place among 

 the early pioneers of the future science. 



The true scientific spirit of observation and experiment 

 had long been abroad and at work in many branches of 

 inquiry before it became dominant in the geological field. 

 The necessity for a close scrutiny of nature as the basis of 

 sound deduction had for generations been recognized by 

 some of the more thoughtful minds before it was developed 

 into a system by Bacon. Even as far back as the latter 



