Geology of England and Wales,^'' ^rc. 237 



pressing a wish, that this part of the work, especially, should 

 meet the eve of our divines ; since we know not anj other 

 work in which these points are exhibited more clearly and 

 candidly. 



Upon the whole, we cannot but look upon the work 

 whose analysis we have attempted, as among the ablest and 

 most interesting the age has produced ; and as exhibiting 

 much, which can no where else be found, in a connected 

 form. It clears away much of the obscurity that hung over 

 some parts of geology ; and brings forward the newer for- 

 mations, from the caves of oblivion, where they have too 

 long been suffered to lie. We rise from its perusal, with 

 an impression, that we are much better qualified to exa- 

 mine the rocks around us than before ; while we are more 

 sensible, how vast is the Held of American Geology, that 

 yet remains unexplored. We cannot judge of the accura- 

 cy of the local details in this work ; but from the charac- 

 ter of the writers; from their situation in the midst of an 

 host of able geologists, who will be jealous of misrepresen- 

 tation ; and from internal marks of verisimilitude, we place 

 much reliance upon their faithfulness. Their freedom 

 from doubtful theoretical views is not among the weakest 

 of these internal evidences of fidelity. It is astonishmg 

 how attachment to a particular system will warp the judg- 

 ment ofa geologist in his observations. It has caused ma- 

 ny "to see what was not to be seen ;" to discover particu- 

 lar strata, where no such strata existed ; to present us with 

 maps, and sectionsj and profiles, that would apply to the 

 moon, as well as to the district they were intended to illus- 

 trate. It was said by some one, we think by Hume, that 

 a man, in order to be an impartial historian, should be of 

 no religion and a citizen of no country. And the principle, 

 on which the remark is founded, applies to natural, as well 

 as to civil, history. We may learn something of the pro- 

 fessed views of the writers of the work before us on this 

 subject, from the following extract from the writings of 

 Lord Bacon ; which they, and the other members of the 

 London Geological Society, have chosen for their motto : 

 Quod si cui mortalium cordi et curae sit, non tantum in- 

 ventis haerere, atque iis iti, sed ad ulteriora penetrare ; at- 

 que non disputando adversarium, sod opere naturam vin- 

 cere ; denique non belle et probabiliter opinari, sed certo 



