PYTHAGORAS. 211 



the earth has descended to us through the poet Ovid, 

 and it is most interesting. Pythagoras insisted 

 that there was a perpetual and gradual system of 

 change, inherent in the earth. This idea, which came 

 into his mind from the results of observation, he 

 did not apply to very remote ages, or to what 

 is now called the ancient history of the globe. 

 He simply insisted on modern changes. Really 

 this limiting of his thought was in the true scientific 

 spirit, and he dealt with what was true and prove- 

 able so far as he was concerned. It might be 

 supposed that the present changes cannot come 

 within the studies of the geologist, but they really 

 do so, because, as will be noticed further on in con- 

 sidering the life of Hutton, the past history of the 

 earth can only be comprehended by studying the 

 present state of things. Pythagoras cleared the 

 way, and made a path for the geologist. He is said 

 by Ovid to have taught as follows : — 



" Nothing perishes in this world, but things 

 simply vary and change their form. To be born 

 means simply that a thing begins to be some- 

 thing different from what it was before ; and 

 dying is ceasing from being the same things 

 Solid land has been converted into sea. Sea 

 has been changed into land ; marine shells lie 

 far distant from the deep, and the anchor has 

 been found on the summit of the hills. Valleys 

 have been excavated by running water, and floods 

 have washed down hills into the sea. Marshes 

 have become dry ground. Dry lands have changed 



