-1 6 8 Less originality in Literature than in Science. 



It falls to the lot of but comparatively few men to 

 discover or evolve important new truths. The great 

 majority of learned men also, have through all historic 

 '-time been occupied, and are still, not in evolving new 

 ideas, but in re-expressing old ones in different forms of 

 words; the literary spirit, is in civilised nations, almost 

 universal. In ordinary writings it is a rare circum" 

 -stance to meet with an important and really new idea; 

 it is usually in books written by men who are acquain- 

 ted or imbued with the great principles and truths of 

 : science, that the newest demonstrable ideas are most 

 frequently found. The difference between evolving 

 new ideas, and re-expressing and permutating old 

 <ones ; largely characterises the dissimilarity of the 

 scientific and the literary and theological minds. All 

 however are necessary to the welfare of mankind, the 

 former to advance and the other to maintain the con- 

 dition of man. If all were not necessary they would 

 probably not exist. 



There are two great artificial divisions of scientific 

 knowledge also, upon the development of which 

 national progress largely depends, viz., knowledge of 

 inanimate matter and knowledge of man ; the latter 

 <we have largely cultivated but the former we have 

 .greatly neglected : and even our study of man has 

 :been largely one-sided and literary. It is far less im- 

 portant to know what is man, than to know what are 

 the great principles which underlie the actions of all 

 living creatures, and in obedience to which man is 

 compelled to work out his destiny in the Universe 

 and the infinite future. 



