MYTHOLOGIC PHILOSOPHY. 57 



tainecT, must have for its origin some important facts in the constitu- 

 tion or history of mankind. Let us see what they are. 



In the history of every individual, the sports and joys of childhood 

 are compared and contrasted with the toils and pains of old age. 

 Greatly protracted life, in savagery and barbarism, is not a boon to 

 be craved. In that stage of society where the days and the years go 

 by with little or no provision for a time other than that which is pass- 

 ing, the old must go down to the grave through poverty and suffering. 

 In that stage of culture to-morrow's bread is not certain, and to-day's 

 bread is often scarce. In civilization, plenty and poverty live side by 

 side ; the palace and the hovel are on the same landscape ; the rich 

 and poor elbow each other on the same street : but, in savagery, 

 plenty and poverty come with recurring days to the same man, and 

 the tribe is rich to-day and poor to-morrow, and the days of want come 

 in every man's history, and when they come the old suffer most, and 

 the burden of old age is oppressive. In youth, activity is joy ; in old 

 age, activity is pain. No wonder, then, that old age loves youth, or 

 that to-day loves yesterday, for the instinct is born of the inherited 

 experiences of mankind. 



But there is yet another and more potent reason for ancientism. 

 That tale is the most wonderful that has been most repeated, for the 

 breath of speech is the fertilizer of story. Hence, the older the story, 

 the greater its thaumaturgics. Thus, yesterday is greater than to-day 

 by natural processes of human exaggeration. Again, that is held to 

 be most certain, and hence most sacred, which has been most often 

 affirmed. A Brahman was carrying a goat to the altar. Three thieves 

 would steal it. So they placed themselves at intervals along the way 

 by which the pious Brahman would travel. When the venerable man 

 came to the first thief he was accosted : " Brahman, why do you carry 

 a dog ? " Now, a dog is an unclean beast which no Brahman must 

 touch. And the Brahman, after looking at his goat, said : " You do 

 err ; this is a goat." And when the old man reached the second thief, 

 again he was accosted : " Brahman, why do you carry a dog ? " So 

 the Brahman put his goat on the ground, and after narrowly scrutiniz- 

 ing it, he said, " Surely this is a goat," and went on his way. When he 

 came to the third thief he was once more accosted : " Brahman, why 

 do you carry a dog ? " Then the Brahman having thrice heard that 

 his goat was a dog, was convinced, and throwing it down, he fled to 

 the temple for ablution, and the thieves had a feast. 



The child learns not for himself, but is taught, and accepts as true 

 that which is told, and a propensity to believe the affirmed is implanted 

 in his mind. In every society some are wise and some are. foolish, and 

 the wise are revered, and their affirmations are accepted. Thus, the 

 few lead the multitude in knowledge, and the propensity to believe 

 the affirmed started in childhood is increased in manhood in the great 

 average of persons constituting society, and these propensities are in- 



