SUBDIVISIONS AND CONDITIONS 75 



peaceful and perhaps in part agricultural, that they 

 were succeeded by lawless, powerful, artistic and 

 savage peoples, and when the latter were swept away 

 that a remnant of the primitive stock repossessed the 

 land. If this proves to be the net result, it will 

 correspond exactly with our old historical beliefs. 



I was struck in reading this paper with a remark 

 of Dupont on the unprogressive character of the men 

 of the mammoth age, who seem to have made so little 

 advance in the arts of life during the period of their 

 occupation of Europe. Perhaps he makes too great 

 an estimate of the length of their residence, or does 

 not sufficiently consider how long men about their 

 stage of civilisation have remained at the same point 

 in the historic period. Nor does he consider the 

 possibility of the cave men belonging to ruder tribes 

 of a race which may have inhabited better if more 

 perishable residences elsewhere. In any case, all 

 experience shows that to such a people any great 

 advance in the arts could come only by missionary 

 influence from abroad, or by the appearance of some 

 great inventive genius among themselves ; and no 

 good fortune of this kind seems to have happened to 

 the Canstadt or Cro-magnon men, or if it did, they 

 rejected their opportunity, as so many others have 

 since done. 



Still, perhaps, we need not pity them too much. 

 They lived in a young and fresh condition of the 

 earth, enjoyed a vigorous health, and were gifted with 

 rare strength and energy. They were bountifully 



