412 SIR CHARLES LYELL 



supposition, perhaps, which he could make, if by the necro- 

 mancer's art he were placed in such a situation, would be, 

 that he was dreaming; and if a geologist form theories 

 under a similar delusion, we cannot expect him to preserve 

 more consistency in his speculations, than in the train of 

 ideas in an ordinary dream. 



It may afford, perhaps, a more lively illustration of the 

 principle here insisted upon, if I recall to the reader's recol- 

 lection the legend of the Seven Sleepers. The scene of that 

 popular fable was placed in the two centuries which elapsed 

 between the reign of the emperor Decius and the death of 

 Theodosius the younger. In that interval of time (between 

 the years 249 and 450 of our era) the union of the Roman 

 empire had been dissolved, and some of its fairest provinces 

 overrun by the barbarians of the north. The seat of govern- 

 ment had passed from Rome to Constantinople, and the 

 throne from a pagan persecutor to a succession of Christian 

 and orthodox princes. The genius of the empire had been 

 humbled in the dust, and the altars of Diana and Hercules 

 were on the point of being transferred to Catholic saints and 

 martyrs. The legend relates, 'that when Decius was still 

 persecuting the Christians, seven noble youths of Ephesus 

 concealed themselves in a spacious cavern in the side of an 

 adjacent mountain, where they were doomed to perish by the 

 tyrant, who gave orders that the entrance should be firmly 

 secured with a pile of huge stones. They immediately fell 

 into a deep slumber, which was miraculously prolonged, 

 without injuring the powers of life, during a period of 187 

 years. At the end of that time the slaves of Adolius, to 

 whom the inheritance of the mountain had descended, re- 

 moved the stones to supply materials for some rustic edifice : 

 the light of the sun darted into the cavern, and the seven 

 sleepers were permitted to awake. After a slumber, as 

 they thought, of a few hours, they were pressed by the 

 calls of hunger, and resolved that Jamblichus, one of their 

 number, should secretly return to the city to purchase bread 

 for the use of his companions. The youth could no longer 

 recognise the once familiar aspect of his native country, 

 and his surprise was increased by the appearance of a large 

 cross triumphantly erected over the principal gate of 



