The New York herald., 1869-05-14
LITERATURE.
Reviews of New Books.

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Reviews of New Books.
PRIMEvAL MAN-AN EXAMINATION OF SOME RECENT
SPECULArioNs. BY the Duke of Argyll. New
York: George Routledge Sons.
His Grace the Duke of Argyll, Is one OF the few
British noblemen whose writings source OF
pleasure and instruction to the reader. That de-
lightfu old toady to royalty and nobility. DR.. John
son, once said that when a nobleman condescended
to appear before the public an author his merit
should be handsomely acknowledged. Although
royal and noble authors are quite common now-a-
days and most frequently very fatiguing, we are
disposed to accord to the author Of this book
all the praise which his great abilities
undoubtedly deserve. "Primeva Man" reviews
the speculations of the late Archbishop
Whately, OF Dublin, and Of Sir j. Lubbock. Three
Of the four papers 1t contains are well written and
ably argued. The fourth seems faulty in its argu-
ments The Duke attacks Sir J. Lubbock's
opinion that there Is "no evidence of degra-
datiOn" in prehistoric He insists that reason
ing from the known for the purpose of reaching the
unknown, eve have the indisputable fact that man
is capable Of degradation" On another page he
says, "this is true of man both collect
lively and individually-Of men and Of societies
OF men," To illustrate this position he refers to the
fact that crude ana barbarous tribes stare with
wonder on the remains of temples, OF which they
cannot conceive the purpose and OF cities which are
the dens Of beasts" This sentence Is rather OBJ
scure, but we presume 1t to mean that these crude
and barbarous tribesn are descended from those
tnat built the temples and cities. This Is most
doubtful assertion. If there Is one fact which the
science OF geology teaches more convlncingly than
any others, 1t Is that the peoples OF prehistoric
days, with few exceptions, have utterly passed
away, at the same time or soon after their civIliza-
tion ceased Man, as community, is capable Of
degrading his fellow man. but cannot degrade him.
sell. BY this II Is meant that civilized community
cannot voluntarily descend TO the deDased condition
OF savages. We have daily and numerous instances
OF the voluntary degradation OF individuals or rac-
tons OF society, but nowhere Is there to be found
recorded the voluntary degradation OF societies.
Wherever we have found ancient civilization
destroyed and Its people degraded mot brutalzed,
US the Duke impes, there also have we found the
conqueror and the oppressor. The inhabitants OF
Romni and selaaik (ancient Macedonia and Thes-
saly) may be and have been accounted degraded,
but the degradation OF the pure Grecian stock
has not been voluntary. The peoples that CON-
posed the celebrated phalanx OF Philip and
Thessauan cavalry were, from the very nature
OF things, incapable OF falling as low as the
Macedoaans aud Thessalians Of the present
day have fallen. SO again with the Egyptians, Per-
slams and other Eastern peoples. Wherever we turn
lind this deterioration caused by the prosecutions
and brutalities OF conquerors. Restore the liberties
OF these people and their civilization will
Itself. We see ttis fact strikingly exempli1ed in
Egypt to-day and TO some extent in Persia and
the East Indies. Some nations have been
utterly destroyed. The nomadic trises of
Arabia that stare with wonder on the
beings that hover about the ruins OF Carthage
have nothing IN common not even by descent with
the nations tnat possessed "a great civilization.
Providence In his inscrutaDle wlsiom seems TO have
decreed that certain members OF the human family
say ever remain, because the known and traditional
history Of ve thousand years ever places the negro
precisely the same condition that he IL now In.
BY bringing him TO our midst and controlling his
brutal propens;ties we may give him certain civil
zation but when that association and ceases
he reapses INTO barbarism. This we seq In Hayti
an ba
said OF our nomadic tribes OF Indians. They EVIL
dentiy are not OF the same branch OF the
human family the Aztec3 OF Mexico, the
Aymares. Chnchas and Huancas OF Peru, and
the other ancient cvllizers OF America who,
it now seems almost certain, originally came In
colonies from Asa. on the whole, we are inclined
TO Sir J. Lubbocks view that there IL no evidence
OF tbs puKe m M n % ana inv we also
ment that man was born In state OF utter Darbar.
ism. The cycles OF destruction have swept away
many once powerful, civilized nations. Their com
merce has dwindled to nothIngness, their arts and
sciences have been lost, and fecundty itself has
pcrished But to compare them In their state OF de-
cav with the savages of Africa the natives OF Aus
tralia and the cannlbas OF the Pacific unjust not
onIy them but TO our present civilization. Retro
gression can scarcely be termed degradation.
TALES FROM ALsAcE. New York: Robert Carter
a. Brothers.
This Is a volnme OF delightful reading. IL Is a &C.
ries OF scenes and portraits from life In the day OF
tue Reformation, as drawn from the old Chronicles.
The stories, one and all, are admirable. We mention
especially "Master Nicholas" "Litte Mat" and the
ssTower OF st. Stephens We can imagine such a
mind as that Of Henry Wordsworth LOnRleloW read.
ing this book with passionate delight
GENERAL HISTORY, CYcLoPEDIA AND DICTIONARY
or PREEMAsoNRy. by Robert Macoy. New York;
Masonic Publishing Company.
Altogether this book Is probably the most com.
pletc history "of the rise and progress Of Free
masonry and Its kindred associations ancient and
MODERN" that has been published for some time
whether the Masonic order as old az claimed may
be open TO doubt but 1t is certain that history Is
OF great general interest. Mr.. Macoy appears TO
have performed his work admirably. Without pre-
tending to anything like literary excellence
account OF all that Is OF importance the order 80
that those who read tins book can readily under.
stanc It's science Included In the work IL "a die
tionary of symbolieal masonry" which Will be
found quite Interesting.