Recapitulation. 323 



find themselves refuted and confounded. And 

 though science, slowly advancing amidst the op- 

 posing hosts of prejudice, mistaken facts, and false 

 theories, will reach far beyond its present limits, 

 it must ever fall short of those extravagant expec- 

 tations, which, founded in ignorance of human 

 nature, and discarding the dictates of experience, 

 cannot avoid proceeding in errour, and ending in 

 disappointment. 



Philosojihers of the nineteenth century ! your 

 predecessors of the past age have bequeathed to 

 you an immeasurable mass both of good and evil. 

 Contemplate the labours aud the progress of your 

 fathers, and be animated in your course! Alark 

 the mistakes of those deluded and presumptuous 

 spirits wdio have misled and corrupted their spe- 

 cies, and learn caution and wisdom from their 

 errours ! Behold how much has been done by pa- 

 tient inquiry, by faithful observation, by accurate 

 experiment, and l)y careful analysis and induc- 

 tion J but how little by fanciful speculation, by 

 the dreams of hypothesis, by vain boasting, or by 

 waging war against Nature's God ! Learn to 

 distinguish that philosophy which is the friend of 

 truth, the handmaid of virtue, the humble inter- 

 preter of Jehovah's works, and the ornament of 

 rational minds, from that ignis fatuiis which shines 

 but to deceive, and allures but to destroy. Re- 

 member that by giving yourselves up to the 

 guidance of the latter you can gain nothing but 

 disappointment and sliame ; but that the sober, 

 diligent, and persevering pursuit of the former is 

 the plain and only road to those discoveries, which 



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