I04 Literary and PhilosopJiical Society, 



such classes are more likely to have exceptions of corre- 

 sponding increase of tenacity, because of a fundamental 

 characteristic being tenacity. It is true that Mr. Thorns 

 does not deny the possibility, but limits himself to want of 

 evidence ; but after all his exertions he can only show 

 that men sometimes exaggerate, and this is true in all 

 history. We must remember that Nature in her own way 

 exaggerates a great deal more, and laughs at the feebleness 

 and littleness of our incredulity. 



Our age is incredulous in some things, but frightfully 

 credulous in others, superstitious to an extent previously 

 unsurpassed regarding the power of nature, exactly showing 

 the character of the men from whom it has sprung. The 

 Saxon boor will believe nothing out of his sphere ; he will 

 not believe till he sees it, that steam can drive a coach, but he 

 knows that a bogle lives in the wood. We are not inclined 

 to the bogle because we have not seen it, but we are inclined 

 to think that men die about seventy, although perhaps we 

 never in our lives saw one die whose age we knew exactly ; 

 and if it be difficult to prove that any man is a hundred 

 years old, we must remember that it is also difficult to prove 

 any man to be sixty years old, when he is not a public 

 character, or a man who has lived long with his early com- 

 panions. 



Some people think that scepticism is a grand thing ; 

 they boast of a want of belief in anything wonderful. How 

 facts put down these men, accumulating wonder upon 

 wonder, with exceptions, anomalies, and eccentricities ! 

 There are unknown laws enough to account for all 

 wonders. 



