Archeology: Age of Rough Stone. 31 



gives us evidence which is immediate and conclu- 

 sive; but its application is limited to our surround- 

 ings, and cannot reach into the past or future, or 

 to things distant. To reach those things which do 

 not fall under observation or experiment, natural 

 science infers from what it does observe, from the 

 data which are thus supplied; but the evidence be- 

 comes then only indirect and inferential. If any 

 elements of mere theory or hypothesis are now 

 added to the inferential process, evidence ceases 

 and we have probability instead; and the final con- 

 clusion partakes more and more of theoretic prob- 

 ability 9 or even bare possibility, according as more 

 elements of theory are inserted in the premises. 

 And, if an ingredient of false theory is anywhere 

 added, the final precipitate of the compound pro- 

 cess will be anything but the truth. It may be an 

 agreeable doctrine, popular, fair to see; but not true. 

 29. Older than the neolithic age, with its man of 

 the ground and polished stone, is the 

 palaeolithic or ancient stone age, with A * * 

 its man of the chipped or flaked stone. 

 He helped himself to what utensils or weapons he 

 needed, by chipping rude stones into some shape or 

 other of axes, lance-heads, or the like. The man of 

 this time was probably a hunter or warrior, the van- 

 guard of coming immigration. He was overtaken, 

 apparently, by a period of such intense cold, that 

 it reduced the greater part of Europe to the con- 

 ditions of an Arctic climate, 



