296 ALT AT. 29. [1838. 



to you, who have so much geological sympathy that I do 

 not care how egotistically I write. . . . 



I have got so much to say about all sorts of trifling things 

 that I hardly know what to begin about I need not say 

 how pleased I am to hear that Mr. Lyell * likes my Journal. 

 To hear such tidings is a kind of resurrection, for I feel 

 towards my first-born child as if it had long since been dead, 

 buried, and forgotten ; but the past is nothing and the future 

 everything to us geologists, as you show in your capital 

 motto to the ' Elements.' By the way, have you read the 

 article, in the ' Edinburgh Review,' on M. Comte, ' Cours de 

 la Philosophic ' (or some such title) ? It is capital ; there are 

 some fine sentences about the very essence of science being 

 prediction, which reminded me of " its law being progress." 



I will now begin and go through your letter seriatim. 

 I dare say your plan of putting the Elie de Beaumont's 

 chapter separately and early will be very good ; anyhow, 

 it is showing a bold front in the first edition which is to 

 be translated into French. It will be a curious point to 

 geologists hereafter to note how long a man's name will 

 support a theory so completely exposed as that of De Beau- 

 mont's has been by you ; you say you " begin to hope that 

 the great principles there insisted on will stand the test of 

 time." Begin to hope : why, the possibility of a doubt has never 

 crossed my mind for many a day. This may be very un- 

 philosophical, but my geological salvation is staked on it. 

 After having just come back from Glen Roy, and found 

 how difficulties smooth away under your principles, it makes 

 me quite indignant that you should talk of hoping. With 

 respect to the question, how far my coral theory bears on 

 De Beaumont's theory, I think it would be prudent to quote 

 me with great caution until my whole account is published, 

 and then you (and others) can judge how far there is founda- 

 tion for such generalisation. Mind, I do not doubt its truth ; 

 * Father of the geologist. 



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