rejudice and bigotry of
every kind--I found my opinion of the man upon this book. Had he done
nothing else, he would have immortalized his name. Philosophy and
Science have hitherto borne him out in all his theories--will continue
to bear him out, and eventually compel posterity to regard him as
nothing short of the prophet and seer of nature. You may rely upon it,
Z---- has, by the very force of intellect, arrived at conclusions which
the discoveries of centuries will duly make good and establish."

I speak the simple truth when I aver, that these words of the baron gave
me infinite distress, and for a moment deprived me of speech. I hardly
knew what to say or do. At first I suspected that I had made some
unaccountable mistake, and brought my letter to the wrong individual.
H----, who was almost a Puritan in religious matters, could ever have
spoken of his friend in such favourable terms, if he had been aware of
the views which he so unscrupulously supported. A little reflection,
however, convinced me that a mistake was impossible. There is nothing in
this world more embarrassing than to sit in the presence of a superior,
and be compelled to listen to statements which you feel to be false, and
yet know not how with propriety to repel. My own youth, and the baron's
profound learning and attainments, were barriers to the free expression
of my thoughts; and yet I was ashamed to remain silent, and, as it were,
a consenting party to the utterance of sentiments which I abhorred.

"I cannot hope," I managed to say at last, "that science will ultimately
uphold his arguments, and prevent our relying as strongly as ever on our
old foundations."

"And why?" replied the baron quickly. "Why should we always be timid and
blind followers of the blind? Is it a test of wisdom to believe what is
opposed to reason upon the partial evidence of doubtful witnesses? Is it
weakness to engage all the faculties of the mind in the investigation of
the laws by which this universe is governed? And if the perception of
such immutable add eternal laws crushes and brings to nothing the fables
of men whom you are pleased to call _writers by inspiration_, are we to
reject them because our mothers and fathers, who were babes and
sucklings at the breast of knowledge, were ignorant of their existence?"

"Newton, sir," I ventured to answer, "made great discoveries, and he
revered these fables."

"Bah! Newton directed his gaze upwards into a mighty and