REFORM OF MINERALOGICAL SYSTEMS. 271 



I venture to speak of the failure of both the at- 

 tempts at framing a pure scientific system of mine- 

 ralogy, that founded on the chemical, and that 

 founded on the natural-history principle ; because 

 it is clear that they have not obtained that which 

 alone we could, according to the views here pre- 

 sented, consider as success, a coincidence of each 

 with the other. A Chemical System of arrangement, 

 which should bring together, in all cases, the sub- 

 stances which come nearest each other in ex- 

 ternal properties : a Natural-history System, which 

 should be found to arrange bodies in complete ac- 

 cordance with their chemical constitution : if such 

 systems existed, they might, with justice, claim to 

 have succeeded. Their agreement would be their 

 verification. The interior and the exterior system 

 are the type and the antitype, and their entire cor- 

 respondence would establish the mode of interpre- 

 tation beyond doubt. But nothing less than this 

 will satisfy the requisitions of science. And when, 

 therefore, the chemical and the natural-history 

 system, though evidently, as I conceive, tending 

 towards each other, are still far from coming 

 together, it is impossible to allow that either 

 method has been successful in regard to its proper 

 object. 



But we may, I think, point out the fallacy of the 

 principles, as well as the imperfection of the results, 

 of both of those methods. With regard to that of 

 Berzelius, indeed, the history of the subject obviously 



