and painted scenery all the more vividly at the dull desk of the Court of Sessions, excelled Dumas; but in grasp and breadth of view, in the fair and just estimate of men and events, required in the Historian, or Historical novelist, Dumas is immeasurably the superior of Scott. Compare 'Emmanuel Phillibert' or 'Margurite de Valois', with the 'Convenanters,' or 'Gaul et Prance,'[1] with the 'History of Napoleon.'
Not a few of the works of Dumas have reached American readers by the medium of translation and republication. Of their high merit it is sufficient evidence to say that three of them have been republished by the Appletons, as part of their selection of Standard Novels. It is a significant fact, however, that these very distinguished and very honorable publishers could not find room for the name of Alexander Dumas in their Cyclopedia of Biography, puplished in 1856. M. Dumas can be found in their catalogue with publishers' laudations—but in their Biography? 'And if not, why not?'
Civilization.
ITS DEPENDENCE ON PHYSICAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
BY JAMES M'CUNE SMITH.
'A full development of the reasoning faculty can only take place where physical circumstances conspire. It is to the climate of England and France that the human race is indebted for the intellect of Newton and Lapiace.'—Dr. Draper: Chemistry of Plants, p. 12.
An investigation of the physical circumstances that have contributed to civilization, is matter of importance in at least two points of view. First, an analysis of these circumstances will tend to decide whether human advancement be the result of the innate superiority of any portion of the human race, or whether it result from adventitious phenomena; and secondly, the same analysis may reduce civilization to the condition of a science, successful cultivation of which will rapidly promote human progress.
In the hope of attracting attention to this important investigation, the following views are respectfully submitted.
The essential condition of civilization is expressed in the etymology of the word, which is derived from civis, co-ivis, 'coming together' 'in unum co euntes vivunt'. Not only is the dwelling and assembling together of men an essential condition of civilization, but, the more men mingle, the larger the dwelling together, the greater is their advancement: and whatever has prevented men from coming together, whether self-imposed laws, difference of language, climate, or geographical position, these have, and do constitute barriers against civilization; and in proportion as these barriers have been broken down, mankind have advanced.
Climate, and geographical position being the prominent physical phenomena which affect civilization, we will look into their influences; beginning with
CLIMATE.
Extreme climates are not distinguished as the centres of civilization. In Russia as well as India, civilization is an exotic; but why? The reason may be found in the physical organization of mankind. The independent temperature of the human body is about 98° Fahrenheit: this temperature is maintained in the human being by the combustion which results from the process of breathing. By each breath we draw, the blood in our lungs is raised two degrees in temperature: and as all the blood in the body dashes through the lungs once in every three minutes, the heat lost in the circulation of the blood through the body, is constantly replaced by the combustion in the lungs.
- ↑ Translated and republished by the Langleys in 1841, under the title of 'Democracy in France.'
