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Blackmore； shrugged their shoulders mysteriously； and said； 〃Poor
fellow！〃 till they opened the book itself； and discovered to their
surprise that it read like any novel。 And then came a burst of
confused； but honest admiration； from the young squire's 〃Bless me！
who would have thought that there were so many wonderful things to
be seen in one's own park！〃 to the old squire's more morally
valuable 〃Bless me！ why； I have seen that and that a hundred times；
and never thought till now how wonderful they were！〃
There were great excuses； though； of old； for the contempt in which
the naturalist was held； great excuses for the pitying tone of
banter with which the Spectator talks of 〃the ingenious〃 Don
Saltero （as no doubt the Neapolitan gentleman talked of Ferrante
Imperato the apothecary； and his museum）； great excuses for
Voltaire； when he classes the collection of butterflies among the
other 〃bizarreries de l'esprit humain。〃 For； in the last
generation； the needs of the world were different。 It had no time
for butterflies and fossils。 While Buonaparte was hovering on the
Boulogne coast； the pursuits and the education which were needed
were such as would raise up men to fight him； so the coarse；
fierce； hard…handed training of our grandfathers came when it was
wanted； and did the work which was required of it； else we had not
been here now。 Let us be thankful that we have had leisure for
science； and show now in war that our science has at least not
unmanned us。
Moreover； Natural History； if not fifty years ago； certainly a
hundred years ago； was hardly worthy of men of practical common
sense。 After； indeed； Linne； by his invention of generic and
specific names； had made classification possible； and by his own
enormous labours had shown how much could be done when once a
method was established； the science has grown rapidly enough。 But
before him little or nothing had been put into form definite enough
to allure those who （as the many always will） prefer to profit by
others' discoveries； than to discover for themselves； and Natural
History was attractive only to a few earnest seekers； who found too
much trouble in disencumbering their own minds of the dreams of
bygone generations （whether facts； like cockatrices； basilisks； and
krakens； the breeding of bees out of a dead ox； and of geese from
barnacles； or theories； like those of elements； the VIS PLASTRIX in
Nature； animal spirits； and the other musty heirlooms of
Aristotleism and Neo…platonism）； to try to make a science popular；
which as yet was not even a science at all。 Honour to them；
nevertheless。 Honour to Ray and his illustrious contemporaries in
Holland and France。 Honour to Seba and Aldrovandus； to Pomet； with
his 〃Historie of Drugges；〃 even to the ingenious Don Saltero； and
his tavern…museum in Cheyne Walk。 Where all was chaos； every man
was useful who could contribute a single spot of organized standing
ground in the shape of a fact or a specimen。 But it is a question
whether Natural History would have ever attained its present
honours； had not Geology arisen； to connect every other branch of
Natural History with problems as vast and awful as they are
captivating to the imagination。 Nay； the very opposition with
which Geology met was of as great benefit to the sister sciences as
to itself。 For； when questions belonging to the most sacred
hereditary beliefs of Christendom were supposed to be affected by
the verification of a fossil shell； or the proving that the
Maestricht 〃homo diluvii testis〃 was； after all； a monstrous eft；
it became necessary to work upon Conchology； Botany； and
Comparative Anatomy； with a care and a reverence； a caution and a
severe induction； which had been never before applied to them； and
thus gradually； in the last half…century； the whole choir of
cosmical sciences have acquired a soundness； severity； and fulness；
which render them； as mere intellectual exercises； as valuable to a
manly mind as Mathematics and Metaphysics。
But how very lately have they attained that firm and honourable
standing ground！ It is a question whether； even twenty years ago；
Geology； as it then stood； was worth troubling one's head about； so
little had been really proved。 And heavy and uphill was the work；
even within the last fifteen years； of those who stedfastly set
themselves to the task of proving and of asserting at all risks；
that the Maker of the coal seam and the diluvial cave could not be
a 〃Deus quidam deceptor；〃 and that the facts which the rock and the
silt revealed were sacred； not to be warped or trifled with for the
sake of any cowardly and hasty notion that they contradicted His
other messages。 When a few more years are past； Buckland and
Sedgwick； Murchison and Lyell； Delab坈he and Phillips； Forbes and
Jamieson； and the group of brave men who accompanied and followed
them； will be looked back to as moral benefactors of their race；
and almost as martyrs； also； when it is remembered how much
misunderstanding； obloquy； and plausible folly they had to endure
from well…meaning fanatics like Fairholme or Granville Penn； and
the respectable mob at their heels who tried （as is the fashion in
such cases） to make a hollow compromise between fact and the Bible；
by twisting facts just enough to make them fit the fancied meaning
of the Bible； and the Bible just enough to make it fit the fancied
meaning of the facts。 But there were a few who would have no
compromise； who laboured on with a noble recklessness； determined
to speak the thing which they had seen； and neither more nor less；
sure that God could take better care than they of His own
everlasting truth。 And now they have conquered： the facts which
were twenty years ago denounced as contrary to Revelation； are at
last accepted not merely as consonant with； but as corroborative
thereof； and sound practical geologists … like Hugh Miller； in his
〃Footprints of the Creator；〃 and Professor Sedgwick； in the
invaluable notes to his 〃Discourse on the Studies of Cambridge〃 …
have wielded in defence of Christianity the very science which was
faithlessly and cowardly expected to subvert it。
But if you seek； reader； rather for pleasure than for wisdom； you
can find it in such studies； pure and undefiled。
Happy； truly； is the naturalist。 He has no time for melancholy
dreams。 The earth becomes to him transparent； everywhere he sees
significancies； harmonies； laws； chains of cause and effect
endlessly interlinked； which draw him out of the narrow sphere of
self…interest and self…pleasing； into a pure and wholesome region
of solemn joy and wonder。 He goes up some Snowdon valley； to him
it is a solemn spot （though unnoticed by his companions）； where the
stag's…horn clubmoss ceases to straggle across the turf； and the
tufted alpine clubmoss takes its place： for he is now in a new
world； a region whose climate is eternally influenced by some fresh
law （after which he vainly guesses with a sigh at his own
ignorance）； which renders life impossible to one species； possible
to another。 And it is a still more solemn thought to him； that it
was not always so； that aeons and ages back； that rock which he
passed a thousand feet below was fringed； not as now with fern and
blue bugle； and white bramble…flowers； but perhaps with the alp…
rose and the 〃gemsen…kraut〃 of Mont Blanc； at least with Alpine
Saxifrages which have now retreated a thousand feet up the mountain
side； and with the blue Snow…Gentian； and the Canadian Sedum； which
have all but vanished out of the British Isles。 And what is it
which tells him that strange story？ Yon smooth and rounded surface
of rock； polished； remark； across the strata and against the grain；
and furrowed here and there； as if by iron talons； with long
parallel scratches。 It was the crawling of a glacier which
polished that rock…face； the stones fallen from Snowdon peak into
the half…liquid lake of ice above； which ploughed those furrows。
AEons and aeons ago； before the time when Adam first
〃Embraced his Eve in happy hour；
And every bird in Eden burst
In carol； every bud in flower；〃
those marks were there； the records of the 〃Age of ice；〃 slight；
truly； to be effaced by the next farmer who needs to build a wall；
but unmistakeable； boundless in significance； like Crusoe's one
savage footprint on the sea…shore； and the naturalist acknowledges
the finger…mark of God； and wonders； and worships。
Happy； especially； is the sportsman who is also a naturalist： for
as he roves in pursuit of his game； over hills or up the beds of
streams where no one but a sportsman ever thinks of going； he will
be certain to see things noteworthy； which the mere naturalist
would never find； simply because he could never guess that they
wer