384 ON THEORIES OF THE EARTH. 



But, if I should ill employ my time in the comparison, 

 so the reader would not much admire the ingenuity or 

 inventive talents of the collected body : though it is in- 

 structive to remark, how often rival authors have been 

 compelled to agree, even when proceeding on different 

 or opposing views, and how much they have borrowed 

 under the assumption of novelty. But, through this 

 whole sketch, I shall limit myself to a few: enough, 

 however, to convince the reader how little he would 

 gain from more minuteness ; while noticing more fully 

 those only which have some peculiar claims on atten- 

 tion. To trace them in any chronological or other 

 connexion, would demand more space than the subject 

 merits or I can afford. 



Cosmogonies of the Antients. 



It belongs to the history of philosophy to trace this 

 subject as it might require : but they who desire what 

 exceeds my plan, will know where to seek, should they 

 not be satisfied with Cudworth or Lipsius. Yet they 

 who have sought for Greek allegories in the poetical 

 chaos, in the moral elements of strife and discord, in 

 Venus and Cupid, Eris and Eros, Night, Tartarus and 

 Ether, in the Orus and the Mundane egg, would have 

 been better employed in tracing these visions to their 

 Oriental fountains ; unless, indeed, they now choose to 

 believe that a phalanx of the Macedonians taught the 

 Sanscrit language to lands which it never visited, and 

 under an alphabet which it never knew. 



Every one knows the system of Epicurus. Let his 

 expounder be read, for he is worth reading: yet not 

 for his philosophy : while Lucretius is not the only 

 example of a good poet and a bad philosopher. I need 

 not quote that which relates to the present subject: it 

 is nearly nothing, 



But though I had not premised it, t choose to place 



