Darwinism Tested by Language

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Rivingtons, 1877 - 224 pages

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Page 152 - The astonishment which I felt on first seeing a party of Fuegians on a wild and broken shore will never be forgotten by me, for the reflection at once rushed into my mind — such were our ancestors. These men were absolutely naked and bedaubed with paint, their long hair was tangled, their mouths frothed with excitement, and their expression was wild, startled, and distrustful.
Page xii - N'est-ce pas là traiter indignement la raison de l'homme et la mettre en parallèle avec l'instinct des animaux, puisqu'on en ôte la principale différence, qui consiste en ce que les effets du raisonnement augmentent sans cesse, au lieu que l'instinct demeure toujours dans un état égal? Les ruches...
Page 79 - We must, however, acknowledge, as it seems to me, that man with all his noble qualities, with sympathy which feels for the most debased, with benevolence which extends not only to other men, but to the humblest living creature, with his godlike intellect, which has penetrated into the movements and constitution of the solar system — with all these exalted powers, man still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his low origin.
Page xiv - De là vient que par une prérogative particulière, non seulement chacun des hommes s'avance de jour en jour dans les sciences ; mais que tous les hommes ensemble y font un continuel progrès à mesure que l'univers vieillit, parce que la même chose arrive dans la succession des hommes que dans les âges différents d'un particulier.
Page 17 - The great break in the organic chain between man and his nearest allies, which cannot be bridged over by any extinct or living species, has often been advanced as a grave objection to the belief that man is descended from some lower form; but this objection will not appear of much weight to those who, from general reasons, believe in the general principle of evolution.
Page 181 - Croesus, was, through ignorance of his person, about to kill him. The king, overwhelmed by his calamity, took no care to avoid the blow or escape death ; but his dumb son, when he saw the violent designs of the Persian, overcome with astonishment and terror, exclaimed aloud, " Oh, man, do not kill Croesus...
Page xiv - De là vient que, par une prérogative particulière, non-seulement chacun des hommes s'avance de jour en jour dans les sciences, mais que tous les hommes ensemble y font un continuel progrès à mesure que l'univers vieillit, parce que la même chose arrive dans la succession des hommes que dans les âges différents d'un particulier. De sorte que toute la suite des hommes, pendant le cours de tant de siècles, doit être considérée comme un même homme qui subsiste toujours et qui apprend continuellement...
Page 212 - What hast thou, Man, that thou dar'st call thine own ?— What is there in thee, Man, that can be known ? — Dark fluxion, all unfixable by thought, A phantom dim of past and future wrought...
Page 5 - I believe that animals have descended from at most only four or five progenitors, and plants from an equal or lesser number.
Page 7 - The early progenitors of man were no doubt once covered with hair, both sexes having beards ; their ears were pointed and capable of movement ; and their bodies were provided with a tail, having the proper muscles.

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