ON THEORIES OF THE EARTH. 407 



doubtful cause of its successful application. If I arn 

 to do justice to rny readers, I am bound to protect 

 them from the assertion that he always proceeded on 

 the legitimate principles of induction ; for thus, under 

 reputed authority, is the young mind misled. 



There is an equally unfortunate anxiety after the 

 hypothesis, where the present forms of the surface are 

 concerned : since, ever thinking of the slow action 

 of feeble forces, he forgets that elevations must have 

 produced inequalities, and therefore, that vallics must 

 have existed before rivers. To deny, also, any other 

 alluvia than those of rivers, is not only to deny pal- 

 pable facts, but to overlook some necessary conse- 

 quences of the very theory ; while, if we can pardon 

 the zeal of the original theorist, there is no excuse for 

 the commentator. The system wbich assumes to be 

 perfect, and whose pride will not yield, mistakes its 

 own interests. It is beaten at the bad outposts which 

 it is resolved to defend ; while, by retiring to the cita- 

 del, it might long have defied assault. 



Such is a sufficient view of this theory, and such is 

 all the criticism which appeared due to the student in 

 geology, while I desire to avoid what is superfluous. 

 It is sufficient, among other things, to prove that this 

 boaste,d theory is little more than an hypothesis, where 

 it is original ; yet fortunate in having borrowed a better 

 foundation, and thus far, almost only, a theory. Yet, 

 wishing to do justice to all, I must point out that which 

 I believe to be original, or if not always original, im- 

 portant. Such is the effect of pressure, but original as 

 to the carbonat of lime only ; and such is the igneous 

 origin of granite, since without that, there can be no 

 Theory of the Earth : though it may still be questioned 

 how far the hint was taken from Leibnitz and Buffon, 

 as it is easy to believe that Lazzaro Moro would have 



