xliv 



THE QUINARY SYSTEM. 



tural Theology, ought to be to trace effects to their causes, and 

 to investigate the providential design of the forms, structures, and 

 characters of animals. " It is the business," says Sir Isaac New- 

 ton, "of Natural Philosophy, to reason from phenomena to God;"* 

 but by following the doctrine of types and quinary groups, 

 we are led away from this high and philosophic pursuit, and in- 

 veigled in an endless labyrinth of critical trifling, whose object 

 is to ascertain in what particular circle a group or species should 

 be placed, to decide whether it should be considered typical or 

 aberrant^ and to trace the most fanciful and utterly worthless 

 analogies frittering down all the glorious beauties of exuberant 

 nature to the measured standard of a false and petty logic, in a 

 similar spirit, but much more blameable than the rules by which 

 Aristotle trimmed down the poetry of the drama. If I may judge 

 from the published essays of this new school, which lays claim to be 

 peculiarly English, I should be disposed, from the preceding facts 

 and documents, to conclude, that if it ever get into temporary 

 fashion, of which I think there is small chance, it will do more to 

 retard the progress of philosophic natural history, and check its 

 popularity and diffusion, than even the Linnsean school did, were 

 it no more than by the introduction of a farrago of technical 

 terms, the meanings of which are founded on metaphysical, and, 

 as it should seem, metaphorical imaginings. If I am told phi- 

 losophical works never can be popular, I have merely to refer to 

 the extensive sale of Ray's" Wisdom of God;" Derham's a Phy- 

 sico-Theology;" and Paley's " Natural Theology," as an unan- 

 swerable reply. 



The doctrine of analogy as distinct from affinity, is strenu- 

 ously contended for as a discovery of equal rank with that of 

 the harmony of the planetary system. " The diffusion," says Mr. 

 Vigors, "of these principles," [MacLeay's,] 6 4 wrought the same 

 change as may be supposed to have affected the views of the early 

 astronomer, when his attention was withdrawn from the mere 

 observation of the splendid orbs of the firmament, from conjec- 

 turing their apparent stations, and summing up their various 

 names, to the more sublime contemplation of the harmonious 

 system, in which they revolve through infinite space."f And 



* De Deo ex phscnominis diserere, ad philosophiam naturalem pertinet. 

 f Linn, Trans, vol. xiv. p. 398. 



