THE STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY. 273 



faces. Scarcely less incredible does it seem that a man's affection 

 should be regarded as more fitly shown toward the children of others 

 than toward his own children. Yet the Hill-tribes of India supply an 

 example : 



"Among the Nairs every man looks upon the children of his sisters as his 

 heirs. ' And he would he considered as an unnatural monster were he to show 

 such signs of grief at the death of a child which ... lie might suppose to he 

 his own, as he did at the death of a child of his sister.' " ' 



"The philoprogenitiveness of philosophical Europe is a strange idea, as well 

 as term, to the JSTair of Malabar, who learns with his earliest mind that his uncle 

 is a nearer relation to him than his father, and consequently loves his nephew 

 much more than his son." a 



When, in the domestic relations, we meet with such varieties of 

 law, of custom, of sentiment, of belief, thus indicated by a few exam- 

 ples which might be indefinitely multiplied, it may be imagined how 

 multitudinous are the seeming incongruities presented among the so- 

 cial relations at large. To be made conscious of these, however, it is 

 not needful to study uncivilized tribes, or alien races partially civil- 

 ized. If we look back to the earlier stages of European societies, we 

 find abundant proofs that social phenomena do not necessarily hang 

 together in those ways which our daily experiences show us. Reli- 

 gious conceptions may be taken in illustration. 



The grossness of these among civilized nations, as they at present 

 exist, might, indeed, prepare us for their still greater grossness during 

 old times. When, close to Boulogne, one passes a crucifix, at the 

 foot of which lies a mouldering heap of crosses, made of two bits of 

 lath nailed together, deposited by passers-by in the expectation of 

 Divine favor to be so gained, one cannot but have a sense of strange- 

 ness on glancing at the adjacent railway, and on calling to mind the 

 achievements of the French in science. Still more one may marvel on 

 finding, as in Spain, a bull-fight got up in the interests of the Church 

 the proceeds being devoted to a " Holy House of Mercy ! " And 

 yet, great as seem the incongruities between religious beliefs and social 

 states now displayed, more astonishing incongruities are disclosed on 

 going far back. Consider the conceptions implied by sundry mystery- 

 plays ; and remember that they were outgrowths from a theory of the> 

 Divine government, which men were afterward burnt for rejecting; 

 Payments of wages to actors are entered thus 



" Imprimis, to God, ij* 

 Item, to Cayphas, iij"- iiij d 







Item, to one of the knights, ij 9- 



Item, to the devyll and to Judas, xviij d- 



1 Quoted in McLennan's "Primitive Marriage," p. 187. 

 8 Burton's " History of Sindh," p. 244. 

 VOL. II. 18 



