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〃I understand that；〃 said I； 〃because Frogs this enormous are；
according to our eminent geologists； who perhaps saw them in dreams；
said to have been distinguished inhabitants of the upper world before the
Deluge； and such Frogs are exactly the creatures likely to have flourished
in the lakes and morasses of your subterranean regions。 But pray；
proceed。〃 77 〃In the Wrangling Period of History； whatever one sage
asserted another sage was sure to contradict。 In fact； it was a maxim in
that age； that the human reason could only be sustained aloft by being
tossed to and fro in the perpetual motion of contradiction； and therefore
another sect of philosophers maintained the doctrine that the An was not
the descendant of the Frog； but that the Frog was clearly the improved
development of the An。 The shape of the Frog； taken generally； was
much more symmetrical than that of the An； beside the beautiful
conformation of its lower limbs； its flanks and shoulders the majority of
the Ana in that day were almost deformed； and certainly ill…shaped。
Again； the Frog had the power to live alike on land and in water… a mighty
privilege； partaking of a spiritual essence denied to the An； since the
disuse of his swimming…bladder clearly proves his degeneration from a
higher development of species。 Again； the earlier races of the Ana seem
to have been covered with hair； and； even to a comparatively recent date；
hirsute bushes deformed the very faces of our ancestors； spreading wild
over their cheeks and chins； as similar bushes； my poor Tish； spread wild
over yours。 But the object of the higher races of the Ana through
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The Coming Race
countless generations has been to erase all vestige of connection with
hairy vertebrata； and they have gradually eliminated that debasing
capillary excrement by the law of sexual selection； the Gy…ei naturally
preferring youth or the beauty of smooth faces。 But the degree of the
Frog in the scale of the vertebrata is shown in this； that he has no hair at all；
not even on his head。 He was born to that hairless perfection which the
most beautiful of the Ana； despite the culture of incalculable ages； have
not yet attained。 The wonderful complication and delicacy of a Frog's
nervous system and arterial circulation were shown by this school to be
more susceptible of enjoyment than our inferior； or at least simpler；
physical frame allows us to be。 The examination of a Frog's hand； if I
may use that expression； accounted for its 78keener susceptibility to love；
and to social life in general。 In fact； gregarious and amatory as are the
Ana； Frogs are still more so。 In short； these two schools raged against
each other； one asserting the An to be the perfected type of the Frog； the
other that the Frog was the highest development of the An。 The moralists
were divided in opinion with the naturalists； but the bulk of them sided
with the Frog…preference school。 They said； with much plausibility； that
in moral conduct （viz。； in the adherence to rules best adapted to the health
and welfare of the individual and the community） there could be no doubt
of the vast superiority of the Frog。 All history showed the wholesale
immorality of the human race； the complete disregard； even by the most
renowned amongst them； of the laws which they acknowledged to be
essential to their own and the general happiness and wellbeing。 But the
severest critic of the Frog race could not detect in their manners a single
aberration from the moral law tacitly recognised by themselves。 And
what； after all； can be the profit of civilisation if superiority in moral
conduct be not the aim for which it strives； and the test by which its
progress should be judged？
〃In fine； the adherents of this theory presumed that in some remote
period the Frog race had been the improved development of the Human；
but that； from some causes which defied rational conjecture； they had not
maintained their original position in the scale of nature； while the Ana；
though of inferior organisation； had； by dint less of their virtues than their
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The Coming Race
vices； such as ferocity and cunning； gradually acquired ascendancy； much
as among the human race itself tribes utterly barbarous have； by
superiority in similar vices； utterly destroyed or reduced into
insignificance tribes originally excelling them in mental gifts and culture。
Unhappily these disputes became involved with the religious notions of
that age； and as society was then administered under the government of
the Koom…Posh； who； being the most ignorant； were of course 79the most
inflammable class… the multitude took the whole question out of the hands
of the philosophers； political chiefs saw that the Frog dispute； so taken up
by the populace； could become a most valuable instrument of their
ambition； and for not less than one thousand years war and massacre
prevailed； during which period the philosophers on both sides were
butchered； and the government of Koom…Posh itself was happily brought
to an end by the ascendancy of a family that clearly established its descent
from the aboriginal tadpole； and furnished despotic rulers to the various
nations of the Ana。 These despots finally disappeared； at least from our
communities； as the discovery of vril led to the tranquil institutions under
which flourish all the races of the Vril…ya。〃
〃And do no wranglers or philosophers now exist to revive the dispute；
or do they all recognise the origin of your race in the tadpole？〃
〃Nay； such disputes；〃 said Zee； with a lofty smile； 〃belong to the Pah…
bodh of the dark ages； and now only serve for the amusement of infants。
When we know the elemen