2 Sir Charles Lyell and Modern Geology. [Jan., 



form a correct and impartial estimate of what geology would have 

 been had the ' Principles ' never been published. The chief design 

 of the work was to uphold and strengthen the Huttonian doctrine 

 of uniformity in the causes which have operated, and the pheno- 

 mena which have been produced, throughout all geological time. 

 The antagonistic doctrine of cataclysms was dominant, if not 

 universally received, at the time of its publication, and is even now 

 not quite extinct amongst some of the older geologists ; although it 

 is altogether ignored by those to whom in early days the ' Principles ' 

 has been a geological catechism. Still, the chief geologists of that 

 day united in bearing testimony to the great value of the book, and 

 it may be useful to quote a few of the opinions then expressed by 

 men whose writings are still referred to with respect. 



Dr. Whewell, in his ' History of the Inductive Sciences,' fre- 

 quently discusses the ' Principles,' and in reference to causes of 

 change he remarks that it may " be looked upon as the beginning 

 of Geological Dynamics, at least among us. Such generalizations 

 and applications as it contains give the most lively interest to a 

 thousand observations respecting rivers and floods, mountains and 

 morasses, which otherwise appear without aim or meaning."* The 

 Kev. W. D. Conybeare, in his report on Geology to the second 

 meeting of the British Association, says that it is " in itself suffi- 

 ciently important to mark almost a new sera in the progress of 

 our science;"! and Dr. Fitton considered it one of the most 

 popular books, " and certainly one of the most valuable that has 

 appeared since Mr. Play fair's well-known ' Illustrations of the 

 Huttonian Theory.' "J 



Perhaps the most graceful allusion to the merits of the ' Prin- 

 ciples ' is contained in Mr. Poullett Scrope's dedication to Sir 

 Charles Lyell of the second edition of his work on Yolcanoes, 

 published in 1862. This distinguished geologist then wrote, 

 " When the first edition of this work [Yolcanoes] saw the light, 



now seven-and thirty years ago, you expressed a warmer 



interest in, and more agreement with, the views it contained than 

 they met with from the bulk of our associates. It was an attempt 

 to investigate one important class of the agencies of change now in 

 operation on the earth's surface, and to trace their analogy, or 

 rather identity, with those which have apparently prevailed through 

 earlier geological periods — a portion, in fact, of the great task at 

 which you have so long laboured, as respects the entire range of 

 terrestrial phenomena, with an originality, persistence, and success 

 that have placed you hy common consent at the head of the followers 

 of the science" This dedication was written only four years ago, 

 and is on that account more valuable, as showing the estimation in 



* Op. cit., vol. iii, p. 552. f ' Rep. Brit. Assoc.,' 1832, p. 406. 



X ' Edinburgh Review; vol. lxix., No. 140, p. 406. 1839. 



