EARLY HISTORY OF MANKIND. 241 



peculiar external features, are distinguished by languages so 

 entirely set apart from each other by the principle of their 

 construction, that no kind of connexion amongst them can be 

 imagined as existing at least from the time when they began 

 to form a speech ; and it appears as by far the most probable 

 supposition that they are portions of the same species developed 

 in different parts of the globe. The hypothesis may in the 

 meantime be set up as that most worthy of attention, and 

 which it now befits Science to seek to prove or disprove. 



It is one of those things necessary to complete our view of 

 the world as wholly under law, that civilization should appear 

 to be capable of arising in a natural manner. The tendency 

 of the uninstructed mind is to suppose supernatural causes for 

 such phenomena, and there are even educated persons whose 

 habits of thinking predispose them to take similar views. By 

 one of these it has lately been argued, that facts are in favour 

 of a supernatural origin for civilization. We see, says this 

 authority, many examples of nations falling away from civili- 

 zation into barbarism, while, in some regions of the earth, the 

 history of which we do not clearly know, there are remains of 

 works of art far superior to any which the present unen- 

 lightened inhabitants could have produced. The appearances 

 are therefore in favour of a decline from some great and wide- 

 spread civilization of early times. To this it may be answered, 

 that these appearances are partial, compared with what we 

 know from history of an advance and an extension of civili- 

 zation from early times. The decadences from civilization in 

 such regions as Media or Greece are only such local instances 

 of failure or suppression as might be expected when civilization 

 was cradled amidst nations generally barbarous, and who had 

 an interest in attacking their wealthier neighbours. This, at 

 least, were as legitimate an inference from the facts which are 

 known. But it is also alleged that we know of no such thing 

 as civilization being ever self-originated. It is always seen to 

 be imparted from one people to another. This is considered 

 as demanding the inference that there has been no time with- 

 out civilization j consequently, that civilization was the earliest 

 condition of man. If the facts were as alleged, we should no 

 more be entitled to come to this conclusion, than we should be 

 to suppose that there never was a time without a church, 

 because for many ages we have seen one continually kept up 

 by apostolic ordination. Obviously it is not to be expected 

 that we should know of any of the ancient nations originating 







