146 
ADAM SEDGWICK AND WILLIAM BUCKLAND. 
Buckland quickly awakened great admiration for, and interest in 
Geology in the University, which led to the appointment of a reader 
for Geology in 1819. At that period the science of Geology was 
looked upon with great suspicion, and most people held that its 
teachings were contrary to the ^losaic Record. The eloquence and 
straightforwardness of Buckland in confuting these ideas served to 
render the science much more popular. In his Vindiciw Geologiee, 
Dr. Buckland observes : — If by utility is meant subserviency to the 
common purposes of life (though it may be easily shewn that geology 
had shrunk from a comparison with few other sciences even in this 
respect), yet such views should be altogether objected to in limine as 
unworthy and unphilosophical. The claims of geology may be made 
to rest on a much higher basis. The utihty of science is founded 
upon other and nobler views than those of mere pecuniary profit and 
tangible advantage. The human mind has an appetite for truth of 
every kind, physical as well as moral, and the real utility of science 
is to afford gratification to this appetite. The real question, then, 
more especially in this place, ought surely to be, how far the objects 
of geology are of sufficient interest and importance to be worthy of 
this large and rational species of curiosity, and how far the investiga- 
tions are calculated to call into action the higher powers of the 
mind." He then proceeded to dwell on those wonderful phenomena, 
organic and physical, which are the objects of the geologists' study, and 
adds : — " Surely these will be admitted to be objects of sufficient 
magnitude and grandeur to create an adequate interest to engage us 
in their investigation." 
In 1818, Dr. Buckland was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, 
and in 1824 was President of the Geological Society of London. In 
April, 1825, a Charter of Incorporation of the Geological Society 
was obtained from George III, and in it Dr. Buckland was appointed 
first President. Soon after he married Miss Moreland, of Abingdon, 
an estimable lady, who shared and appreciated his scientific toil, 
whilst she lightened the anxieties of life and spread a charm over 
home occupations by her devoted aff'ection. In 1832 he was Presi- 
dent of the British Association at the second meeting, which was 
held in Oxford, and in 1847 was appointed a Trustee of the British 
