Hold all that enter thy unbreathing reign.

Far in thy realm, withdrawn,
Old empires sit in sullenness and gloom;
And glorious ages, gone,
Lie deep within the shadow of thy womb.

Full many a mighty name
Lurks in thy depths, unuttered, unrevered:
With thee are silent fame,
Forgotten arts, and wisdom disappeared.

W. C. BRYANT


Chapter I

INTRODUCTION.

Difficulties of the subject--Lesson to be learned--The pursuit
of knowledge--Recent Advances--Prehistoric past of the Old
World--Of the New--Of Mexico and the South--The Isles of the
Pacific--Similar nature of the relics--The wonders of the
present age--History of popular Opinion on this subject--The
teachings of the Bible--Nature of the evidence of man's
antiquity--Geology--Astronomy--Unfolding of life--Nature of
our inquiry.

Who can read the book of the past? Who can tell us the story of
Creation's morn? It is, not written in history, neither does it