THE NEANDERTHAL SKULL. 27 



mankind were the descendants of a tribe 

 of sea monsters, who, on getting tired 

 of their proper element, crawled up the 

 beach one fine morning, and taking a fancy 

 to the land, either forgot or felt a disin- 

 clination to return. From- these terrestrio- 

 aquatic animals, Maillet considers the 

 human race to have sprung. 



Before Maillet had evolved this brilliant 

 idea respecting the origin of your race, 

 we meet with the germ of that theory 

 which took such firm hold of many of 

 your savanSy though not of the first class, 

 in the 19th century, viz., that monkeys- 

 were the ancestors of mankind. HENRY 

 MOORE, whose Conjecture Cabbalistiea was 

 published A.D. 1662, somewhat severely 

 condemns this theory by observing 

 " Of a truth vile epicurism and sensuality 

 will make the soul of man so degenerate 

 and blind, that he will not only be 

 content to slide into brutish immorality, 

 but please himself in this very opinion 

 that Tie is a real brute already, an ape or a 

 baboon, and that the best of men are- 



