THE NEANDERTHAL SKULL. 11 



dramatist, the " immortal" Shakespeare,* 

 for informing you what the great Grecian 

 thought on this subject. In one of his 

 comedies he represents one of his charac- 

 ters asking the following question 



" Clown. What was the opinion of 

 Pythagoras concerning wild fowl ? 



" Malvolio. That the soul of our great 

 grand-dam might haply inhabit a bird. 



" Clown. What thinkest thou of this 

 opinion ? 



" Malvolio. I think nobly of the soul, 

 and in no wise receive his opinion." f 



Let me remind you that Shakespeare's 

 own opinion respecting the origin of man 

 seems rather to coincide with that of 

 your distinguished Naturalist, Mr. Darwin, 

 whose philosophy I propose to consider at 

 length, rather than with that of Pytha- 

 goras, for he describes your simian ances- 

 tor in these words : 



* It is far too large a question to consider here, 

 but very grave doubts have been raised, chiefly by 

 the American critics, as to the real authorship of 

 Shakespeare." 



I Twelfth Night; or What you Will. Act iv., sc. 2, 1. 53. 



