THE QUINARY SYSTEM. 
xlix 
tliese dreams are either avowedly atheistical, hy ascribing, 
with Robinet and Lamarck, the divine workmanship of the Cre- 
ator, to the self-originating efforts of animals, to get, by what 
is termed transition or progress^ into groups, having the assumed 
nearest affinity to themselves; or tacitly atheistical^ by adopt- 
ing this very language, while the Creator is at the same 
time distinctly, though most incongruously, acknowledged : it 
is my imperative duty, I conceive, when treating of the sub- 
ject of this volume, to enter my strongest protest, with the 
reasons thereof, against the innovation. Mr. MacLeay and 
his followers are obviously amenable to the latter charge ; for 
though they exhibit a tone of religious sentiment, sound, lofty, 
and enthusiastic, they seldom fail to follow it up, (incongruous 
and inconsistent as it so clearly is,) with the pernicious language 
of the French school, as promulgated by Lamarck, Cuvier, 
and their adherents, who are indeed men of undoubted talent, 
but it must not be disputed that they have deplorably misap- 
plied their powers, by leaving the path of observation, to flounder 
about in the Nilotic mud of atheistical metaphysics, though 
they might have learned from Lucretius, that, even in his time, 
the mud of the Nile had ceased to be spontaneously prolific.* 
If it were in my power, I should be most happy to clear 
Mr. MacLeay and his followers from the contamination of 
such writers, but he seems himself to be anxious to acknow- 
ledge his obligations to them. I have,” he says, peculiar 
reasons for stating that it is to the labours of these distinguished 
naturalists” [Cuvier, Lamarck, &c.] “ that I feel myself more 
particularly indebted.” f Again — I am so far removed from the 
scientific world, that I know not whether Lamarck be alive or 
dead ; but I revere him if still on earth, and respect his memory 
if he has ascended to a better place. Time has only shown me 
more and more the truth of what eight years ago I said of him. 
‘ His peculiar and very singular opinions have never gained 
many converts in his own country, and I believe none in this. 
They are indeed only to be understood by those who are already 
supplied with the means of refuting them ; so that the mischief 
^ De Natura Rerum, v. 826. f Horae EntomoL ii. 171, 
d 
