102 



ASSUMED DISCORDANCE OF 



[Ch. V. 



the habit of regarding all the sedimentary 



same 



him 



origin of the igneous class only. 



It was not an im 



some 



resembling that in which the geologist seems to stand at 



present. 



exam 



Amalfi 



pandects of Justinian, some ancient manuscripts filled with 



astronomical 



made by some 



sessed optical instruments as perfect as any in modern 

 Europe, they would probably, on consulting these memorials 



come 



ms 



' Many prin 

 enumerated 



tables, which exist no longer. Their positions are assigned 

 with such precision that we may assure ourselves that there 

 is nothing in their place at present but the blue ether. 

 Where one star is visible to us, these documents represent 

 several thousands. Some of those which are now single 

 consisted then of two separate bodies, often distinguished by 

 different colours, and revolving periodically round a common 

 centre of gravity. There is nothing analogous to them in 

 the universe at present ; for they were neither fixed stars nor 

 planets, but seem to have stood in the mutual relation of sun 

 and planet to each other. We must conclude, therefore, that 

 there has occurred, at no distant period, a tremendous ca- 

 tastrophe, whereby thousands of worlds have been annihilated 

 at once, and some heavenly bodies absorbed into the sub- 

 stance of others/ 



When such doctrines had prevailed for ages, the discovery 



of some of the worlds, supposed to have been lost (the satel- 

 lites of Jupiter, for example), by aid of the first rude telescope 

 invented after the revival of science, would not dissipate the 

 delusion, for the whole burden of proof would now be thrown 

 on those who insisted on the stability of the system from a 

 remote period, and these philosophers would be required to 





