Page:Queen Moo and the Egyptian Sphinx.djvu/44

 no information could be obtained concerning the ancient history of the Mayas. He says: "Of the peoples who first settled in this kingdom of Yucathan, or their ancient history, I have been unable to obtain any other data than those which follow." The Spanish chroniclers do not give one reliable word about the manners and customs of the builders of the grand antique edifices, that were objects of admiration to them as they are to modern travellers. The only answer of the natives to the inquiries of the Spaniards as to who the builders were, invariably was, We do not know. For fear of wounding the pride of the pseudo-authorities, shall the truth learned from the works of the Maya sages and the inscriptions carved on the walls of their deserted temples and palaces be withheld from the world? Must the errors they propagate be allowed to stand, and the propagators not be called upon to prove the truth of their statements?

The so-called learned men of our days are the first to oppose new ideas and the bearers of these. This opposition will continue to exist until the arrogance and self-conceit of superficial learning that still hover within the walls of colleges and universities have completely vanished; until the generality of intelligent men, taking the trouble to think for themselves, cease to accept as implicit truth the ipse dixit of any quidam who, pretending to know all about a certain subject, pronounces magisterially upon it; until intelligent men no longer follow blindly such self-appointed teachers, always keeping in mind that "to accept any authority as filial, and to dispense with the necessity of independent investigation, is destructive of all progress." For, as Dr. Paley says: "There is a principle which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance; this principle is contempt prior to examination."