472 NATURAL HISTOKY OF MAN. 



conscience, and of all that is beautiful and sublime in the 

 world around; forming what Milton has well called c a 

 piece of divinity within us ; something that was before the 

 elements, and owing no homage to the sun.' 



The consideration of these higher attributes of Man, and 

 of that faculty of speech, which more than any other marks 

 his place and destiny in creation, carries us naturally to the 

 second, or philological part of the enquiry. Human language 

 is becoming one great index to the history of mankind. Its 

 numerous forms, as we find them in existence and maturity 

 among different communities of men forms, in many cases 

 so remote in the roots of words, in grammatical structure 

 and idiom, that the doubt might well arise whether they can 

 have any common origin these very diversities, as well as 

 the connections of languages, are all subservient to the 

 enquiry before us. We have already spoken of the many 

 eminent men who have devoted themselves to this part of 

 the subject; collating on philosophical principles the nu- 

 merous languages which crowd the globe; and giving to 

 the history of races and nations, irrespectively of all other 

 tradition, a new and wider basis than heretofore. The pro- 

 gress of such researches of late years is the best exponent of 

 what may be attained by their future prosecution. 



To the physiological and philological succeeds the historical 

 part of the argument. It might seem on superficial view 

 that this would be the most copious source of knowledge as 

 to the physical history of Man, and his original dispersion 

 over the earth. We might expect here to verify and extend 

 the conclusions derived from the former methods of enquiry, 

 and to give to the whole more certainty and completeness. 

 And so it is, whenever we can obtain concurrence, or even 

 approximation of results, from these different sources. But, 

 pursuing the investigation on this ground alone, we shall find 

 ourselves speedily and continually at fault. History, as we 



