INTRODUCTION. IX 



Lyell? If any young naturalist will read the 

 history of the lives of these great men, he will 

 find much that is very noble in them ; he will see 

 that they made their way through great difficulties, 

 by constant and great intellectual labour, and that 

 they led very good, and useful, and happy lives. 



It may happen that any one just commencing to 

 study nature, is anxious to make a great discovery 

 and to obtain a great name. The history of the 

 lives of these and other heroes of science, will prove 

 to him, however, that discoveries are not sudden 

 gains of knowledge, but are the result of very slow 

 and gradual accumulation of facts. If he is a real 

 student of nature, he will strive for truth and not 

 for personal distinction ; and the truth, brings a 

 better reward than the fleeting praise of man. 

 The true lasts. He will be able to glean that the 

 special gifts of men, if properly fostered and culti- 

 vated, advance knowledge in particular directions, 

 and that certain great changes and advances in the 

 method of learning, have been due to men who 

 have begun poor, have laboured hard, have been 

 persecuted and vilified, and who have nevertheless 

 lived happily in their consciences, and have often 

 become great men in every respect. 



