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86 the latter to the apparent opposition of the practice to the precept, he denied that there was any opposition; it was only because my defective transcendental education disabled me from perceiving the perfect agreement between the precepts of the books and the practice of their interpreters. When my transcendental education was complete, he observed, I should be able to see the harmony of the books' precepts with the doctrines and practice of the professors. I felt that my transcendental education was still very far from perfect.

The books convey but little information respecting the physical geography of the unknown country, so little can be said about it; but the professors consider themselves perfectly free to discourse at any length on its metaphysical geography, for an account of which they make large draughts on their imagination; and as it is entirely a matter of fancy, the descriptions of the professors differ infinitely among one another and are often mutually contradictory. But this does, not seem to create any perplexity in their hearers' minds.

It is evident that the latitude the generality of the professors allow themselves in the interpretation of the records of the unknown country, enables them to vary their lectures ad infinitum. In fact, the subject of transcendental geography is used by many merely as a peg to hang all sorts of theories upon; an excuse for inculcating all the notions of the individual lecturer on morality, education, politics, science, or anything else equally irrelevant. Hence, probably, the reason why people can go on year after year nominally attending lectures on transcendental geography, while really they are listening to the views