340 A Century of /Science 



thinks it always necessary to vituperate, no matter 

 what they say, so there are others whom he finds it 

 convenient to quote, as foils to the former, and to 

 mention with praise on all occasions, though it is 

 difficult to assign the reasons for this preference, 

 except on the hypothesis that the lecturer has an 

 implicit faith in the simple and confiding nature 

 of his audience. Before giving these lectures Mr. 

 Cook had studied awhile in Germany, and his 

 citations of German writers show how far he deems 

 it safe to presume on New England's ignorance of 

 what the Fatherland thinks. It is nice to have 

 such a learned country as Germany at one's dis- 

 posal to hurl at the heads of people whose " out- 

 look in philosophy does not reach beyond the 

 Straits of Dover ; " it saves a great deal of trouble- 

 some argument, and still more painfid examination 

 of facts. This English opinion is all very well, 

 you know, but it comes from a philosopher " whose 

 star is just touching the western pines," and a Ger- 

 man professor whom I am about to quote, whose 

 book I " hold in my hand," and " whose star is in 

 the ascendant," does not agree with it. All this 

 is extremely neat and convincing, apparently, to 

 the crowd in Tremont Temple. With all Ger- 

 many at his disposal, however, it must be ac- 

 knowledged that our lecturer makes a very sparing 



