766 THE UNIVERSE. 



gi^'eat part the work of the learned men of these later times. 

 The most eminent men of the middle acjes and the Ke- 

 naissance, who could discuss all branches of human know- 

 ledge of that day with perfect clearness, seemed to become 

 struck with blindness so soon as ever the c[uestion turned 

 upon monsters : instead of dissipating error, they lent all 

 the Aveight of their authority to sanction it. And this 

 deplorable mass of superstition issued neither from the 

 smoky laboratory of the alchemist nor from the mysterious 

 cave of the cabala; the fountain-head is to be found in the 

 works of scholars the most esteemed and religious of 

 their epoch. 



In fact all these fabulous traditions, which credulity still 

 collects with such avidity, were put forth as so many reali- 

 ties by the naturalists of past ages. This is what we see 

 in the writings of Albertus Magnus, Olaus Magnus, Aldro- 

 vandus, Gesner, and Scheuchzer. Not content Avitli simple 

 recitals, they ornament their works with figures represent- 

 ing all these fantastic creatures, as if they had been drawn 

 from nature. Who could doulit after that ? 



When we analyze the works of all these writers we are 

 astonished to find side by side so much science and cre- 

 dulity, so much exactness and error! Thus Scheuchzer, 

 a naturalist deeply imbued with religion, in his Itinerarii 

 of StvitzerlaiKl describes with minute j^i'ecision all the 

 localities in the Alps, all the animals to be found there, 

 and every flower that blooms in their valleys. Every 

 object is drawn with extraordinary skill; there is so mucli 

 delicacy in his engravings that the humblest moss may lie 

 recognized. But along with these faithful representations 

 of nature, we find frightful aerial monsters; winged dragons 

 which swarm in the obscure windings of roads, and stop 

 the alarmed traveller. The perusal of the work of this 



