THE NEANDERTHAL SKULL. 215 



A portrait of these boasters of the 19th 

 century has been so well drawn by one of 

 your own poets, that I cannot forbear 

 quoting some of the lines, in order to give 

 you a just idea of these would-be philoso- 

 phers, as entertained by every man en- 

 dowed with common sense, and unaffected 

 by the bold and glaring Atheism of that 

 much-lauded age. 



" Life and the Universe show spontaneity ; 

 Down with, ridiculous notions of Deity ! 

 Churches and creeds are all lost in the mists : 

 TRUTH must be sought with the Positivists ! 

 If you are pious (mild form of insanity), 

 Bow down and worship the mass of humanity ; 

 Other religions are buried in mists, 

 We're our own gods, say the Positivists. 

 There was an APE in the days that were earlier ; 

 Centuries passed, and his hair became curlier : 

 Centuries more gave a thumb to his wrist 

 Then he was Man, and a POSITIVIST." * 



You have heard now how the American 

 Positivists have elected FOKCE to be their 



* See Mr. Mortimer Collins' lines in his British 

 Birds, ly the Ghost of Aristophanes. 



