The Aryan Race
It is our purpose briefly to outline the history of the Aryan Race, — that great and noble family of mankind which has played so striking a part upon the stage of the world; to seek it in its primitive home, observe the unfoldment of its beliefs and institutions, follow it in its migrations, consider the features of its intellectual supremacy, and trace the steps by which it has gained its present high position among the races of mankind.
The story of these people, despite the great interest which surrounds it, remains unwritten in any complete sense. There are many books, indeed, which deal with it fragmentarily, — some devoted to its languages, others to its mythology, folk-lore, village communities, or to some other single aspect of its many-sided story; yet no general treatment of the subject lias been essayed, and the inquirer who wishes to learn what is known of this interesting people must painfully delve through a score of volumes to gain the desired information.
Any attempt, indeed, to tell the status of the Aryan race, even in outline, including the recent age of mankind would be equivalent to an attempt to write the history of civilization, — which is far from our purpose. Hut in the comparison of the intellectual populations and products of the several races of mankind, and in the consideration of the evolution of human institutions and lines of thought and action.
Somewhere no man can say just where; at some time, it is equally impossible to say when — there dwelt in Europe or Asia a most remarkable tribe or family of mankind. Where or when this was we shall never clearly know.
No history mentions their name or gives a hint of their existence; no legend or tradition has floated down to us from tliat vanished realm of life. Not a monument remains which we can distinguish as reared by the hands of this people; not even the grave of one of its members can be traced. Flourishing civilizations were even then in existence; Egypt and China were already the seats of busy life and active thought. no prophet of these nations saw the cloud on the sky “ of the size of a man’s hand,” — a cloud destined to grow until its mighty shadow should cover the whole face of the earth.
As yet the fathers of the Aryan race dwelt in the unconsidered barbarism, living their simple lives and thinking their simple thoughts, of no more apparent importance than hundreds of other primaeval tribes, and doubtless undreaming of the grand part they were yet to play in the drama of human history.
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