THE WERNERIAN SOCIETY. 
43 
and afterwards in 1801, by bis Mineralogy of the 
Scottish Isles. In these works, be gave a flattering 
earnest of his accurate views in the study of science, 
and of his indefatigable zeal in the attainment of it. 
About 1804, Mr Playfair’s beautiful and eloquent 
Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory were first pub- 
lished. In this work, all that eloquence, fine taste, 
and infinite ingenuity, could do, were united to vin- 
dicate and establish the doctrines of which the 
author may be considered the most illustrious cham- 
pion. Public attention having been strongly excited 
on these topics by the impugning of Dr Hutton’s 
creed by Professor Jameson, the contest became 
keen ; and the result has been, to establish, very 
universally, the important fact, that the science of 
mineralogy is only to be acquired by patient labour, 
and that theory is as useless as contemptible, unless 
supported by a “ cloud of facts.” 
In this state of general scientific excitement, those 
who felt anxious to render it beneficial, naturally 
sought for channels through which its influence might 
be judiciously directed. The most obvious was the 
establishment of societies, which, while protecting 
and encouraging every branch of natural history, 
would afford due support to mineralogical science 
in all its parts, whether regarded as furnishing ma- 
terials for the philosophic inquirer, or as directing 
the operations of the practical mineralogist. To 
rouse a certain interest in the neglected though 
highly interesting walks of science, was an object of 
