﻿I58 
  PRIMEVAL 
  MAN. 
  

  

  one 
  of 
  the 
  standing 
  wonders 
  of 
  the 
  world. 
  

   No 
  doubt, 
  the 
  ancient 
  civilizations 
  which 
  have 
  

   been 
  so 
  utterly 
  destroyed 
  were 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  

   brought 
  to 
  a 
  violent, 
  and 
  as 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  

   argued, 
  to 
  an 
  accidental 
  end. 
  They 
  were 
  

   overrun 
  and 
  swept 
  away 
  by 
  the 
  rush 
  of 
  

   barbarous 
  hordes. 
  But 
  these 
  are 
  accidents 
  

   which 
  did 
  not 
  happen 
  to 
  civilized 
  nations 
  so 
  

   long 
  as 
  their 
  civilization 
  was 
  yet 
  undecayed. 
  

   I 
  am 
  far, 
  however, 
  from 
  denying 
  the 
  powerful 
  

   influence 
  of 
  external 
  conditions 
  in 
  favouring 
  

   the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  peaceful 
  arts, 
  or, 
  on 
  

   the 
  contrary, 
  in 
  arresting 
  that 
  development, 
  

   or 
  even 
  in 
  destroying 
  it 
  when 
  it 
  had 
  been 
  

   long 
  established. 
  Nor 
  am 
  I 
  disposed 
  to 
  keep 
  

   in 
  the 
  background 
  the 
  effects 
  produced 
  on 
  

   ancient 
  civilizations 
  by 
  the 
  wars 
  and 
  the 
  great 
  

  

  