116 SHEMITIC CIVILIZATION. 



lects of the Caucasus, the Greek aud Latin 

 languages, with their derivatives, the Sla- 

 vonic, German, and Celtic, form one vasl 

 family entirely distinct from the Shemitic 

 group, under the name of Indo- Germanic, 

 or Indo-European. 



The line of demarcation, revealed bv the 

 mparative study of languages, was soon 

 t rengthcned by the study of literatures, 

 institutions, manners, and religions. If we 

 know how to assume the right point of 

 view in such a careful comparison, it is seen 

 that the ancient literatures of India, Greece, 

 Persia, and the German or Teutonic nations, 

 are of a common stock, and exhibit deeply 

 rooted similarity of mind. The literature of 

 the Hebrews and that of the Arabs, have 

 much in common ; while on the contrary they 

 have as little as possible with those which 

 I have just named. We should search in 

 vain for an epic or a tragedy among the 

 Shemitic nations ; as vainly should v i 

 search among the Indo-European nations 

 for any tiling analogous to the Kasida of 



