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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
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Glaucus/or The Wonders of the Shore
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；
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Glaucus/or The Wonders of the Shore
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 were there to be found。
I do not speak merely of the rare birds which may be shot； the curious
facts as to the habits of fish which may be observed； great as these
pleasures are。 I speak of the scenery； the weather； the geological
formation of the country； its vegetation； and the living habits of its
denizens。 A sportsman； out in all weathers； and often dependent for
success on his knowledge of 〃what the sky is going to do；〃 has
opportunities for becoming a meteorologist which no one beside but a
sailor possesses； and one has often longed for a scientific gamekeeper or
huntsman； who； by discovering a law for the mysterious and seemingly
capricious phenomena of 〃scent；〃 might perhaps throw light on a
hundred dark passages of hygrometry。 The fisherman； too； … what an
inexhaustible treasury of wonder lies at his feet； in the subaqueous world
of the commonest mountain burn！ All the laws which mould a world
are there busy； if he but knew it； fattening his trout for him； and making
them ri