ON THEORIES OF THE EARTH. 409 



and repeated actions. To conclude, if I have adopted 

 neither one nor other of the rival terms of the two 

 theories, so idly opposed, it is because this is, on one 

 side, a censurable vanity, as, on the other, it is a perni- 

 cious flattery ; being, with "eloges," and laudatory 

 biography, an insult to truth, and a corruption of mo- 

 dern times. In this case, it is also an injustice to other 

 writers ; while its evil effect has been to substitute fac- 

 tion for philosophy, teaching men to enquire, as on a 

 far deeper subject, net what the truth is, but who is 

 the leader. 



This sketch, serving other needful purposes, was also 

 an indispensible preliminary to the following attempt. 

 I might otherwise have been suspected of wishing to 

 claim those things which, as far as my knowledge ex- 

 tends, I have attempted to award, in justice, to the se- 

 veral authors to whom they belong. It will thus be 

 seen to whom is due the merit of that, which, be the 

 additions and the corrections what they may, forms 

 the basis of the following sketch ; as well as the extent 

 of that for which I must be held responsible. It will 

 also be perceived, that even that which I have adopted, 

 as truth, has often been, in my predecessors, but a for- 

 tunate conjecture; that much has consisted in vague 

 generalities, often difficult of application, as unapplied 

 by their proposers, and often disputable : and further, 

 that with many truths, there are intermixtures of error, 

 ignorance, and misapplications, which have vitiated 

 their value and left them open to disputation. These 

 blanks I have tried to fill, as I have endeavoured to 

 furnish proofs of what was, formerly, conjecture: and 

 thence also, in desiring to see nothing accepted but 

 what rests on Evidence, I have attempted to distinguish 

 its different values, under the several propositions that 

 constitute that skeleton of a Theory. 



