LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. 
497 
Jews.” We cannot agree with him on this point, thinking as we do that the 
anticipation of ultimate truth can never justify even the temporary promulgation 
of falsehood. Is it that truth in general can best be arrived at by factitious 
means; or that this falsehood of Moses in particular has so greatly promoted the 
cause of truth during a period of eighteen hundred years ? These expedients, 
fortunately, on whatever authority based, cannot produce permanent evil. But 
the lapse of centuries is often necessary to dispel a single error, when supported 
by bigotry and apparent interest. 
Prof. Powell then proceeds to observe that 64 to those whose views are such 'as 
to amalgamate all the different parts of the Bible into one, a difficulty found in 
one part will assume the character of an objection to all other parts, and seriously 
endanger the stability of the whole.” (p. 265.) That the discovery of an error 
in one part does not prove the falsity of the whole, either in the Bible or any 
other book, w r e perfectly agree with our author; but it obviously and at once 
deprives the volume of its supposed infallibility. 
But we must here, unfortunately, close our difficult and tantalizing task. 
Were we to impart a satisfactory idea of this work to our readers, it would be by 
presenting them with a copy of the volume itself. Rarely have we met with a 
book so truly candid, so logical, and so clear; but our pleasure increases ten-fold 
when we consider the sect, profession, and titles of our author. Nominally he 
belongs to the Church of England—actually he upholds no creed, sect, or party. 
Add to this his extensive knowledge and reading, and we at once admit him to be 
ably competent to the composition of such a work. 
But we must not part without a word to the Oxonians. Either the worthy 
inhabitants of the time-honoured city must have been firmly locked in the arms 
of Somnus when they suffered the elevation of such a man as Professor Powell to 
enter the chair of Geometry in their hallowed University, or else they elected him 
wholly ignorant of his religious opinions, and his unconditional devotion to truth. 
Will he be suffered to retain his dignity after writing such a book ? 
To the public generally we would respectfully hint, that it were indeed the 
44 eighth wonder of the world” should it so happen that the rest of mankind is 
alarmed at the uncompromising liberality and love of reason displayed by a 
Reverend Professor, A.M., in the University of Oxford. 
LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. 
We understand that the thirty-seventh number of Hewitson’s British Oology , 
completing that beautiful and accurate work, has been published.—It gives us 
pleasure to announce the appearance of a second edition of Dr. Mantell’s Won ¬ 
ders of Geology . 
