122 ON THE FLEXURES AND 



that many cases of moderate curvature may have arisen 

 from the form of the basis on which these strata were 

 deposited; as it is not absolutely necessary that their 

 materials should have subsided on a horizontal plane. 

 But it must be apparent that this offers but a very 

 limited resource towards the explanation of the phe- 

 nomena of curvature. 



They who have chosen to imagine that strata have 

 been formed by crystallization, and not by deposition, 

 have also asserted that all the appearances in question 

 were results of that process ; supporting the weakness 

 of their arguments, if not founding their opinions, on 

 a casual expression of Saussure, which his better sense 

 and more extensive knowledge would probably not 

 have maintained for an instant, had the question 

 become a matter of real discussion. The laws of 

 crystallization are far too definite to admit of so lax 

 an application of the term. By these laws, the simple 

 atoms, or compound molecules of bodies, are arranged 

 under certain geometrical forms, from which they 

 vary only according to geometrical rules. Chemistry 

 knows nothing of a crystallization proceeding in de- 

 fiance of these; arranging mixed, not compounded 

 bodies, and disposing of strata, supercompounded in 

 every possible manner, over miles of space, in every 

 capricious mode of disarrangement. Philosophy here 

 recoils to destroy the ignorant hand that attempts to 

 use it. It may perhaps be said that we know nothing 

 of crystallization on the great scale; and that, in phe- 

 nomena of this extensive nature, it may have operated 

 by other laws than it does in a rhomb of calcareous 

 spar. This is to disclaim philosophy altogether, to 

 make and unmake laws at our pleasure. But, for- 

 tunately, it may be proved that this assumption is in- 



