LYELL. 315 



M. Provost, and subsequently went to his birth- 

 place and geologized in Scotland. 



Lyell was called to the bar in 1825, and went 

 the western circuit for two years, and in 1826 he 

 became a fellow of the Royal Society, and in 1827 

 he wrote an article in the Quarterly Review, show- 

 ing how thoroughly he identified himself with the 

 school of geology that taught the necessity of 

 studying the past from the modern example of 

 slow and gradual changes on the earth by forces 

 which have always been in existence. In 1828 

 appeared his papers on the excavation of valleys by 

 ordinary agencies, such as the sun's heat, frost, rain, 

 running water and the atmosphere. 



A very remarkable book on the Geology of 

 Central France, with especial reference to the extinct 

 volcanoes and lava flows of the Auvergne, was 

 written by Mr. Scrope, and its criticism was the 

 foundation of the article in the Quarterly Review 

 just noticed. Lyell was so impressed with the 

 grand descriptions in the book, that he determined 

 to persuade Mr. and Mrs. Murchison to accompany 

 him on a tour into the region. Two of Lyell's 

 letters to his father are so characteristic that they 

 may well find a place here. 



C lermont-Ferrand , 



May 26///, 1828. 



My dear father, 



I have just returned again to Clermont, 

 from an expedition of five days, and we have 

 discovered that there is no end to the work to be 



