105 



of which we are indebted to our immortal 

 Davy. I say this with the deepest venera- 

 tion for the brilliant talents and undaunted 

 perseverance of those who have devoted 

 themselves, or who still do devote them- 

 selves, to sciences of the first importance 

 to the existence of man and the honour 

 of his Creator ; and with a heartfelt dis- 

 gust at those who, pluming themselves 

 on their progress in lower but more cer- 

 tain science, presume to taunt with their 

 want of success philosophers who have 

 attempted a labour, perhaps superhuman, 

 — to throw light on the hitherto impe- 

 netrable darkness which has enveloped 

 the processes of vitality,^ — to delineate 

 the actually progressing operations of the 

 hand of the Almighty in his noblest, most 

 finished, most complicated works. 



H 



