THE NEANDERTHAL SKULL. 213 



every thing, whether of a celestial, terrestrial 

 or subterranean nature. These smatterers, 

 following in the wake of Louis Biichner, 

 the German doctor of FORCE, whom an 

 eminent savant once justly pronounced as 

 belonging to " the weaker brethren," affirm 

 that the real secret of life and growth is 

 the play of Force called Osmosis, i.e., 

 "nitration." 



Thus it appears that Osmosis is the new 

 religion of the Positivists of New York, 

 which is to decide every thing. They are 

 more advanced in scepticism than that 

 noted warrior, of whom it is related that 

 on going into battle he was wont to pray, 

 41 O God, if there be a God, save my soul, 

 if I have a soul ! " which elicited from the 

 Jacobite Bishop Atterbury, on hearing 

 this anecdote, another of a different na- 

 ture as it reminded him of a story told 

 of a braver warrior, who was wont at the 

 commencement of any engagement to offer 

 a prayer to the following effect " God, 

 if in the heat of battle I forget Thee, do 

 not Thou forget me ! " For these pseudo- 



