recognised. Lyell indeed has referred to 

 his "original and philosophical" views 

 on earthquake phenomena and has de- 

 clared that "some of his observations 

 anticipated in so remarkable a manner the 

 theories established forty years afterwards, 

 that his writings would probably have 

 formed an era in the science, if his re- 

 searches had been uninterrupted. He 

 held, however, his professorship only 

 eight years 1 , when hiscareer was suddenly 

 cut short by preferment to a benefice. 

 From that time he appears to have been 

 engaged in his clerical duties, and to have 

 entirely discontinued his scientific pur- 

 suits, exemplifying the working of a 

 system still in force at Oxford and Cam- 

 bridge, where the chairs of mathematics, 

 natural philosophy, chemistry, botany, 

 astronomy, geology, mineralogy and 

 others, being frequently filled by clergy- 

 men, the reward of success disqualifies 



1 His tenure of the office, as already shown, was 

 ess than two years. 



6 9 



