THE GEOLOGIST. 



OCTOBER 1862. 



LIKES AND DISLIKES. 



We are told that Lord Chatham once excused himself for not pay- 

 ing due attention to the speech of a political rival by saying, that he 

 felt that man was responsible to the Creator tliat his time should not 

 be wasted by hearing discourses which neither conveyed profit or 

 amusement to the hearer, nor honour and dignity to the speaker. 

 We were reminded forcibly of this anecdote by reading in our es- 

 teemed contemporary the ' Partlienon,' a few weeks ago, a paper en- 

 titled " Likes and Similitudes," — a title very like tliat of an Adelphi 

 farce. 



It has been observed by metaphysical writers, tliat every object in 

 the world must be either like or unlihe some other object, and con- 

 sequently, there can be no difficulty in instituting either a comparison 

 or a contrast between any two things. Eor those readers then, who, 

 like the zoologists ridiculed by Eorbes, have a vivid perception of 

 analogy, but not of affinity, as well as for that far more numerous 

 class who can but perceive differences, without being able to decide 

 whether they are dependent upon analogy or affinity, the perusal of 

 " Likes and Similitudes" will afford insipid and innutritive mental re- 

 past, akin in nature to that which regales poetic minds entranced 

 over the pages of the ' Sentiment of Ilowers ' or * The Language of 

 Plants.' 



There may be writers who miglit find a congenial banquet in an 

 account of the gambols of a malevolent monkey, or in the descriptions 

 of the frauds practised on some of those bygone geologists whose works, 



VOL. V. 3 A 



