LECTURE THE THIRD;

ON

THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE

HUMAN RACE.

PART I.

HISTORY of this Science.-Division of Human Families among the Greeks.-Aristotle's Classification.- Who are his Egyptians?-Proofs that they represent the Negro race; the Scythians and the Thracians are Germanic and Mongul tribes.-Later writers. -System of Camper explained; its difficulties.— Blumenbach's System of Classification.-Division into three primary, and two secondary, families; first, by the form of the skull; secondly, by the colour, hair and iris.-Geographical distribution of families.-Distinction between Tartars and Monguls.—Labours of Dr. Prichard.-Opposers of the unity of the human race; Virey, Desmoulins, Bory de Saint-Vincent; Theory of Lamarck. RESULTS.-I. Remote examination of the subject by analogy of plants, and animals. Examples of varieties in these of a similar character to those observable in man. II. Direct examination of phenomena on a small scale.-Tendency of of one family to produce varieties possessing the characteristics of another.-Examples of more extraordinary peculiarities springing up among men.-Reflections on the identity of moral feelings in all races, as applicable to the proof of their common origin.

LECTURE THE THIRD.

IF St. Paul warns us to avoid perplexing ourselves with vain and endless genealogies, it might be thought that the study whereon we are now entering, belongs to the forbidden class. For, assuredly, the attempt to trace out the course and origin of each variety in the human species, back to one common progenitor, must seem an almost hopeless task; when we consider how the investigation it requires has been involved in numerous and complicated questions, by the contradictory statements of writers, and by the conflicting principles on which it has been conducted. Still, the successful results of the science last discussed, may well encourage us to undertake the examination of this its sister science-the history of the human race. It may, indeed, be said, that their objects are very nearly the same, even so far that a common name might perhaps be given them, descriptive of their object, with a distinctive epithet to mark the processes whereby they seek to attain it. And if the former was rightly called philological, this might be not unaptly styled physiognomical Ethnography.

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The former has already brought us to the satisfactory conclusion, that so far as languages in their comparative bearings, may be heard in evidence on the subject, the entire human race formed originally one family, or, in the words of the sacred penman, "were of one lip and one speech." But, if great difficulties had to be overcome for the vindication of this scriptural assertion, arising from the great variety of idioms which now divide the tribes of earth, a stronger and more complicated one yet remains, striking more directly at the unity of the human race, and its origin from one stock. This consists in the consideration of those physical differences that distinguish the human form, in various regions of the globe.

The Word of God hath always considered mankind as descended from one parent, and the great mystery of redemption rests upon the belief that all men sinned in their common father. Suppose different and unconnected creations of men, and the deep mystery of original sin, and the glorious mystery of redemption, are blotted out from religion's book. Is it not then important to answer their reasoning, who maintain, it is impossible to reduce the many varieties of human families into one species, or trace them to one common progenitor; who assert that natural history doth show such deeply-entrenched divisions between the physical characteristics of different nations, as that one could never have been derived

from the other; and that no conceivable action of causes, either instantaneous or progressive, could have ever altered the European's shape and colour into the negro's, or caused "the Ethiopian to change his skin," and produce the Asiatic race? And how shall this confutation be obtained? Assuredly by no other means than I have already suggested to you, and intend often yet to inculcate and exemplify-by the deeper study of that very science which has engendered the objection-by the collection of yet better evidence than has already been produced-and by a well-digested classification of phenomena, whence satisfactory conclusions may be drawn.

This task, pursuant to my engagements, I enter upon this morning. I will premise a historical view of this science, dwelling, perhaps more fully than may appear consistent with my plan, upon the earliest stages of its history, for motives which will easily be seen; I will then endeavour to classify and arrange the conclusions which the study in its present state may justly warrant us to draw, supporting them with such additional illustrations as I have been able to collect, and then will leave you to compare these conclusions with the history of the human race delivered to us in Genesis.

The mention of this sacred record brings before my mind, with regret, a passage, which being, as it were, preliminary to the very subject I am