Natural Histoiy. Ill 



philosopher will not be discouraged by such proofs 

 of the imperfection of human knowledge. The 

 builders of erroneous systems become indirectly 

 the promoters of truth, by contributing to the ex- 

 amination and rejection of falsehood. We can 

 only hope, in the present world, to be continually 

 approximating toward the point of complete phi- 

 losophic illumination, without ever reaching it; 

 and this approximation must always be made 

 through successive defiles of illusion, empiricism, 

 and false theory. In this course honesty, atten- 

 tion, and patient perseverance, are the great re- 

 quisites for obtaining success. With these, though 

 we cannot expect to develope all the mysteries of 

 nature, which is the prerogative of its Author 

 alone ; yet we may hope, in time, to detect ana- 

 logies, to ascertain laws, to systematize scattered 

 facts, and to unlock treasures of science, which 

 appear at present far removed from human scru- 

 tiny, and against the knowledge of which the 

 feebleness of our powers seems to raise everlast- 

 ing barriers. 



CHAPTER III. 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



1 HIS department of science scarcely yields to 

 either of the preceding in the extent and value of 

 the improvements which it has received within 

 the period under consideration. Many of the ob- 

 jects, indeed, to which natural history relates, 

 have been, in some degree, known and studied 

 by man, from the earliest ages, as means of sup- 



