284 Epidemics. 



to Diocletian, a supremacy in an anthropological sense, and 

 a boundless sway over the civilized world, which mankind 

 has never seen realized since. Then, for the last 150 years of 

 this era, Roman power sank fast into the shades of increas- 

 ing darkness. 



From thence we see the Saracen arise, and Europe 

 growing darker and darker ; but in about 300 years to 350, 

 the Saracen begins to wane about goo A.D. and, by the time 

 his era is ended, the blight of decay fast passes over his 

 dominions. The Turk, the Tartar, and the hirelings in 

 Egypt, slowly crushed and damped his ardour, and crippled 

 his power on every side, and about 1237 to I2 58 the Saracen 

 fades away. And now Europe begins to progress slowly 

 indeed, but surely, till about 300 years from the time of the 

 new anthropological epidemic era of 1170 or thereabouts, 

 and the dawning star of awakening intellect bursts into the 

 sunlight of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, to go on with 

 a slow progress of onward expansion, till it ends, in the early 

 part of the nineteenth century, to take upon itself a wider and 

 more general expanse throughout the entire globe ; nursing, 

 protecting, and sustaining this onward spread, through the 

 agency of association, till consolidated strong enough, we may 

 hope, in the strength and vigour of its own great power, it 

 may stand upon foundations of merit and greatness suffi- 

 ciently strong not to require the constant care of association- 

 nursing, but be able to breathe the pure air of a more indepen- 

 dent, mental, and social empire which shall be more abiding, 

 and for the wider development of individual welfare and 

 security to mankind. 



Exception will be taken, in treating upon epidemics, that 

 ethics and anthropology are here introduced ; but as between 

 the animal and vegetable kingdoms there are culminating 

 points and strong points of analogy, as well as of contrast, 

 so between the vital and moral force there is a mutual appro- 



