Cuvler'^s Historical Eloge of ‘Werner. 
vated point of a mountain chain : from that point he consider- 
ed every dialect as descending, dividing itself according to the 
direction of the valleys, becoming soft or harsh according as it 
became stationary in a level or in a mountainous district, sepa- 
rating itself in process of time from the neighbouring dialects, 
and becoming always so much the more distinct, as the natural 
obstacles to communication became more insurmountable. 
He endeavoured even to trace the laws of the military art by 
those of geology ; and, if he had been to be believed, all gene- 
rals should have begun, by studying some time at Freyberg. 
In a word, he connected every thing with the object of his own 
passion ; and as Tournefort, the illustrious botanist, had fancied 
that stones vegetated, Werner imagined that stones could speak. 
He imagined that he might confidently interrogate them respect- 
ing the whole history of the world. 
Strangers who happened to be at Freyberg, and who expect- 
ed only to converse with a mineralogist, were astonished at his 
continual discussions respecting tactics, politics, and medicine. 
They were sometimes tempted to treat these discourses as reve- 
ries of madness. Indeed, we may allow that there was some- 
thing of exaggeration in generalizing so far the relations of one 
object : but we ought also to recollect how powerfully these 
ideas, so varied, and so inviting, presented always gracefully, 
and often with eloquence, must have 'warmed the imaginations 
of youth. At that age, when we naturally dislike exceptions, 
and when we pass so easily over difficulties, the disciples of Wer- 
ner plunged into a career, which, as he shewed it to them, was 
so vast and so profound. A mineralogy purely mineralogical, 
would probably have disgusted many of them : but they gave 
themselves up with eagerness to this mineralogy, which seemed 
to put into their hands the key of Nature: and although, as 
the result of the analysis, there might only remain to them the 
foundation of the science, would the}’ not still have had reason 
to bless the pleasant illusions by which they had been conducted 
to it? 
Several individuals, who have since obtained the rank of great 
mineralogists in Germany, had only wished to hear him, that 
they might gain a summary idea of the Science of Minerals; 
