And the reasons for these conclusions as to a race too ancient to leave a history, but not too ancient to have left memorials, are briefly these:--First, that we cannot imagine a strong reason without attainments; and, plainly, pre-historic men had not attainments.
Bagehot presents reasons supporting the idea that ancient races lacked significant achievements, impacting their historical legacy.
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More from Walter Bagehot
These anomalies, in a hundred instances, mark the old boundaries of a constitutional struggle.
It is natural that those who by special and admirable culture have come to look at all things upon the artistic side, should start back from these queer peculiarities.
I own that I do not entirely sympathise with the horror of these anomalies which haunts some of our best critics.
The lessons are good where its primitive assumptions hold, but may be false where those assumptions fail.
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