remembered, however, that some great men of both ancient and modern days deny this clearly-proved descent of man from geese, whether wild or tame. E. g. Shakspeare writes

"What was the opinion of Pythagoras concerning wild fowl ?" "That the soul of our grand-dam might haply inhabit a bird." "What thinkest thou of this opinion ?"

"I think nobly of the soul, and in no wise receive his opinion."

We suggest the probability of our ancestors having entertained the idea of their being descended from both beasts and birds, especially Geese, for this reason, that Julius Cæsar, on his arrival in these parts, particularly specifies the antipathy of the ancient Britishers to certain animal food. He observes that they

tr

hold it unlawful to eat either hare or fowl or goose, though they breed these for amusement or pleasure." Such abstinence can only be accounted for by supposing they were in dread of eating their ancestors. For, assuredly, they

* De Bell. Gall. Lib. v. § 10.

could not have known the delicious taste of a hunted hare, a Christmas turkey, or a Michaelmas goose, such as their less respectful descendants are periodically permitted to enjoy.

Having thus traced the true origin of Man up to Nonentity, we are enabled to mount up a few steps higher in the ascending scale than those philosophers who have modestly endeavoured, after the example of Moses, to confine his beginning to the dust of his Mother Earth. Apropos of this we have heard of a learned pedant, when invited to examine a village school, who was perfectly satisfied with the answer given by the boys one after another to his first. question, "What was man made of?" "Dust and ashes ""Dust and ashes "Dust and ashes" was the ste

reotyped reply which he received instanter. But he was somewhat taken aback with the answer to his next question, "And what wast woman made of?" by the chorus of the class, conveyed in a similar manner to his wondering ears," Ribs of beef"-"Ribs of

beef!” (? man) !!! The children of that school being evidently well up in the theory of the transmutation of species, so far as the transition stage is concerned from the quadruped to the biped-from the patient ox to laborious man.

Hence we may rightly conclude, with the illustrious German philosopher, Teufelsdröck, that "Man is a tool-using animal, of which clothes are but one example. And surely if we consider the first wooden dibble fashioned by man, and those Liverpool steam-carriages, or the British House of Commons, we shall note what progress he has made. He digs up certain black stones from the bosom of the earth, and says to them, Transport me and this luggage at the rate of five and thirty miles an hour; and they do it. He collects, apparently by lot, 658 miscellaneous individuals, and says to them, Make this nation toil for us, bleed for us, hunger, and sorrow, and sin for us; and they do it." *

* See Carlyle's "Sartor Resartus," Ch. v.

Could man, if a descendant of the ape or the fungus, do as much as this? Such is the grave question which our age is now called upon to decide.

Is it not the celebrated Pascal who has described the latter in the following felicitous style?" What a chimera is man! What a confused chaos! What a subject of contradiction! A professed judge of all things, and yet a feeble worm of the earth! The great depository and guardian of truth, and yet a mere huddle of uncertainty! The glory and scandal of the Universe!"

Has not our great cynical Poet delineated his character with deepest fidelity, in his memorable epitaph on a favourite dog, even though he exalted the quadruped at the expense of the biped?

"O man, thou feeble tenant of the hour!
Debased by slavery, or corrupt by power!

Who knows thee well must quit thee with disgust,
Degraded mass of animated dust.

Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat,

Thy smiles hypocrisy, and thy words deceit !"-Byron.

Lastly, has not our immortal bard portrayed him with equal truth, while he seemingly alludes to the relationship between Pithecus and Homo, which we have now conclusively shown must and does exist, however much prejudiced mortals may say to the contrary:

“O, but man, proud man!

Drest in a little brief authority;

Most ignorant of what he's most assured,
His glassy essence, like an angry ape,

Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven

As make the angels weep; who, with our spleens,

Would all themselves laugh mortal."

Shakspeare, "Measure for Measure."

So much for the ORIGIN Of Man.