istinguished pupil of Werner,
paid a just tribute of praise to this remarkable performance, observing,
that "what many celebrated mineralogists had only accomplished for a
small part of Germany in the course of half a century, had been effected
by a single individual for the whole of England."[119]

Werner invented a new language to express his divisions of rocks, and
some of his technical terms, such as grauwacke, gneiss, and others,
passed current in every country in Europe. Smith adopted for the most
part English provincial terms, often of barbarous sound, such as gault,
cornbrash, clunch clay; and affixed them to subdivisions of the British
series. Many of these still retain their place in our scientific
classifications, and attest his priority of arrangement.

MODERN PROGRESS OF GEOLOGY.

The contention of the rival factions of the Vulcanists and Neptunists
had been carried to such a height, that these names had become terms of
reproach; and the two parties had been less occupied in searching for
truth, than for such arguments as might strengthen their own cause or
serve to annoy their antagonists. A new school at last arose, who
professed the strictest neutrality, and the utmost indifference to the
systems of Werner and Hutton, and who resolved diligently to devote
their labors to observation. The reaction, provoked by the intemperance
of the conflicting parties, now produced a tendency to extreme caution.
Speculative views were discountenanced, and, through fear of exposing
themselves to the suspicion of a bias towards the dogmas of a party,
some geologists became anxious to entertain no opinion whatever on the
causes of phenomena, and were inclined to skepticism even where the
conclusions deducible from observed facts scarcely admitted of
reasonable doubt.

_Geological Society of London._--But although the reluctance to theorize
was carried somewhat to excess, no measure could be more salutary at
such a moment than a suspension of all attempts to form what were termed
"theories of the earth." A great body of new data were required; and the
Geological Society of London, founded in 1807, conduced greatly to the
attainment of this desirable end. To multiply and record observations,
and patiently to await the result at some future period, was the object
proposed by them; and it was their favorite maxim that the time was not
yet come for a general system of geology, but that all must be content
for many years t