LIFE of Dr HUTTON 93 



the natural hiftory of the earth, he had an extenfive knowledge : 

 he had ftudied them with that critical difcuffion which fuch 

 books require above all others ; carefully collecting from them the 

 facts that appeared accurate, and correcting the narratives that 

 were imperfect, either by a comparifon with one another, or by 

 applying to them the ftandard of probability which his own ob- 

 fervation and judgment had furniihed him with. On the other 

 hand, he beftowed but little attention on books of opinion and the • 

 ory ; and while he trufted to the efforts of his mind for digefting 

 the facts he had obtained from reading or experience, into a fyftem 

 of his own, he was not very anxious, at leaft till that was accom- 

 plifhed, to be informed of the views which other philofophers 

 had taken of the fame fubject. He was but little difpofed to con- 

 cede any thing to mere authority ; and to his indifference about 

 the opinions of former theorifts, it is probable that his own 

 fpeculations owed fame part, both of their excellencies, and their 

 defects. 



As he was indefatigable in ftudy, and was in the habit of 

 ufing his pen continually as an inflrument of thought, he wrote 

 a great deal, and has left behind him an incredible quantity of 

 manufcript, though imperfect, and never intended for the prefs. 

 Indeed his manner of life, at leaft after he left off the occupations 

 of hufbandry, gave him fuch a command of his time, as is en- 

 joyed by very few. Though he ufed to rife late, he began imme- 

 diately to ftudy, and generally continued bufy till dinner. He di- 

 ned early, almoft always at home, and paffed very little time at 

 table ; for he ate fparingly, and drank no wine. After dinner he 

 refumed his ftudies, or, if the weather was fine, walked for two or 

 three hours, when he could not be faid to give up ftudy, though 

 he might, perhaps, change the object of it. The evening he al- 

 ways fpent in the fociety of his friends. No profefhonal, and 

 rarely any domeftic arrangements interrupted this uniform courfe 

 of life, fo that his time was wholly divided between the purfuita 



of 



