14 THE NEANDERTHAL SKULL. 



your most attentive consideration. He 

 gives Aristophanes the credit of this 

 original suggestion, but we may suppose 

 without doubt that it is his own trans- 

 cendental idea; which he explains as 

 follows : 



Although men appear to be insensible 

 to the power of LOVE, since they build no 

 altars in its honour, as all priests ever will 

 do in honour of those whom they worship, 

 I will endeavour to explain its power 

 in order that you may teach others. 

 But you must first learn the nature of 

 man, and what sufferings it has under- 

 gone. For our nature of old was not what 

 it is now. Originally there was no such 

 thing known as difference of sex. Every 

 one was male and female alike, perfect in 

 form, faculties and spirit. The exact 

 shape of this being was a round ball of 

 flesh, with four hands and four legs, with 

 two faces upon a circular neck .alike in 

 every way, one head with four ears, and 

 only one brain not unlike one of your 

 early progenitors, according to the high 



