Varenius was reluctant to include the human side of geography in his system, and only allowed it as a concession to custom, and in order to attract readers by imparting interest to the sterner details of the science. His division of geography was into two parts--(i.) General or universal, dealing with the earth in general, and explaining its properties without regard to particular countries; and (ii.) Special or particular, dealing with each country in turn from the chorographical or topographical point of view. General geography was divided into--(1) the _Absolute_ part, dealing with the form, dimensions, position and substance of the earth, the distribution of land and water, mountains, woods and deserts, hydrography (including all the waters of the earth) and the atmosphere; (2) the _Relative_ part, including the celestial properties, i.e. latitude, climate zones, longitude, &c.; and (3) the _Comparative_ part, which "considers the particulars arising from comparing one part with another"; but under this head the questions discussed were longitude, the situation and distances of places, and navigation. Varenius does not treat of special geography, but gives a scheme for it under three heads--(1) _Terrestrial_, including position, outline, boundaries, mountains, mines, woods and deserts, waters, fertility and fruits, and living creatures; (2) _Celestial_, including appearance of the heavens and the climate; (3) _Human_, but this was added out of deference to popular usage. This system of geography founded a new epoch, and the book--translated into English, Dutch and French--was the unchallenged standard for more than a century. The framework was capable of accommodating itself to new facts, and was indeed far in advance of the knowledge of the period. The method included a recognition of the causes and effects of phenomena as well as the mere fact of their occurrence, and for the first time the importance of the vertical relief of the land was fairly recognized. The physical side of geography continued to be elaborated after Varenius's methods, while the historical side was developed separately. Both branches, although enriched by new facts, remained stationary so far as method is concerned until nearly the end of the 18th century. The compilation of "geography books" by uninstructed writers led to the pernicious habit, which is not yet wholly overcome, of reducing the general or "physical" part to a few pages of concentrated information, and expanding the particular or "political" part by including unrevised travellers' stories and uncritical descriptions of the various countries of the world. Such books were in fact not geography, but merely compressed travel. Bergman.