408 ON THEORIES OF THE EARTH. 



come to the same conclusion, had he known this rock. 

 Let Hutton, however, have the merit ; though fur- 

 nished by his predecessors with all the analagous proofs, 

 in trap and in the volcanic rocks. Yet, on the former, I 

 must repeat, that his confusion, added to his an- 

 tipathy respecting their truly, if remote, volcanic na- 

 ture in many cases, must make us doubt those powers 

 of philosophical generalization, for which he has been 

 so lauded: an idol, like his predecessors, to his own 

 circle. Still, the practical effect of thus reviving the 

 forgotten Italian theory, with those improvements, was 

 great, though even yet limited : since it found all Eu- 

 rope believing that the ignorance of Werner and his 

 followers was philosophy and geology. 



But it is my duty also to render justice to those an- 

 tient writers, whose merits have been suppressed from 

 design, or overlooked through ignorance : and thus 

 must I question the praise of originality, united to splen- 

 dour of views, so loudly bestowed on this " theory." 

 These I have traced, even beyond Greece, to theBrahmi- 

 nical philosophy; as I have shown the remote distance, 

 in modern times, of some others of its chief doctrines. 

 Yet I must defend it also from certain attacks. If it 

 has been accused of drawing unjustifiably on time, 

 there is not a system which does not do the same, had 

 their defenders knowledge enough to see it, or honesty 

 enough to confess it ; though its frankness will still be 

 considered its condemnation. But, to grant this, and 

 to admit of the eternity of the Earth, so ill argued, are 

 different things ; while I need not repeat my former 

 objections to this speculation. As to the central heat, 

 this system, if guilty, is not the only one, by many: but 

 if there is not ample proof of this, I know not that 

 geology can furnish evidence of any thing, whatever 

 difficulties there may be in explaining its interrupted 



