LECTURE VII. 339 



There are " Smellfunguses" and " Mun- 

 dunguses" * in science. I pity the man who 

 can survey all the wonders of the vegetable 

 and animal kingdoms, who can journey 

 through so delightful a district, and after- 

 wards exclaim, " all is barren." Still more 

 do I pity those, though the sentiment is 

 mixed with strong disapprobation of their 

 conduct, who, after having seen much to ad- 

 mire, shall, when they meet with a circum- 

 stance they do not understand, presump- 

 tuously dare to arraign the wisdom and be- 

 nevolence of Nature. In the progress of 

 science, many things which at one time ap* 

 peared absurd and productive of evil, have 

 afterwards, upon an accession of knowledge, 

 been found to be most wise and beneficent. 

 I deem no apology requisite, Gentlemen, 

 for endeavouring to impress on your minds 

 certain axioms relating to philosophy in 

 general, when they are directly deducible 

 from the subjects of our peculiar studies. 

 I have constantly and carefully avoided 

 every argument foreign to the subject, so 



* Characters thus denominated, and pourtrayed by 

 Sterne in his Sentimental Journey. 



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