596 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



upper classes, repeating their genealogies and the exploits of their ances- 

 tors." 



Here, then, the priest is the narrator and his narrative is bio- 

 graphico-historical. It consists of leading facts in the lives of 

 persons, and these are so joined with accounts of tribal deeds as 

 to form a rudimentary history. 



In Africa where, for reasons before named, loyalty to the liv- 

 ing ruler has not usually given origin to worship of the dead 

 ruler, we meet with only the first stage in the development. 



The king of the Zulus has '* men who perform the part of heralds in the 

 dances, and who now, at every convenient opportunity, recounted the various 

 acts and deeds of their august monarch in a string of unbroken sentences." 

 In Dahomey, too, the union is between the courtier and the his- 

 torian. In that kingdom, where women play so dominant a part, 

 there are, as we have seen, female laureates ; and " these trouba- 

 dours are the keepers of the records of the kingdom of Dahomey, 

 and the office, which is hereditary, is a lucrative one." 



From Abyssinia we get an illustration of the way in which the 

 united germs of biography and history make their appearance 

 during burials of notables. 



"Professional singing women frequently attend the funeral meetings of 

 great people . . . Each person in waiting takes it by turn to improvise some 

 verse in praise of the deceased." But "the professional singers will give 

 minute details of the history of his ancestry, his deeds, character, and even 

 his property." 



When the deceased person is a conquering monarch, this funeral 

 laudation by professionals, the first step in apotheosis, begins a 

 worship in which there are united that account of his life which 

 constitutes a biography and that account, of his deeds which 

 forms the nucleus of primitive history. 



From the accounts of ancient American civilizations, facts of 

 kindred meaning come to us. Here is a passage from Bancroft 

 concerning the Aztecs : 



" The preparation and guardianship of records of the higher class, such 

 as historical annals and ecclesiastical mysteries, were under the control of 

 the highest ranks of the priesthood. 1 * 



Again we read : 



At this assembly the * Book of God ' was prepared. " In its pages were in- 

 scribed the Nahua annals from the time of the Deluge . . . religious rites, 

 governmental system, laws and social customs; their knowledge respecting 

 :igriculture and all the arts and sciences." 



It is instructive to observe how in this sacred book, as in other 

 sacred books, religion, history, and biography were mingled with 

 secular customs and knowledge. 



Early civilized societies have bequeathed similar proofs. The 

 biographico-historical nature of the Hebrew scriptures is conspic- 



