18 MYTH AND SCIENCE. 



act, since they remain distinct and separate in their 

 respective orbits. To attain our object, it is necessary 

 that the direct personification of natural phenomena, 

 as well as the indirect personification of metaphor ; 

 the infusion of life into a man's own shadow, into 

 rrflex images and dreams ; the belief in the reality of 

 normal illusions, as well as of the abnormal halluci- 

 nations of delirium, of madness, and of all forms of 

 nervous affections ; all these things must be resolved 

 into a single generating act which explains and in- 

 cludes them. It must be shown how and why there 

 is found in man the possibility of modifying all these 

 mythical forms into an image supposed to be external 

 to himself, living and personal. For if we are enabled 

 to reply scientifically to such inquiries, we shall not 

 only have concentrated in a single fact all the most 

 diverse normal and abnormal forms of myth peculiar 

 to man, but we shall also have given an ulterior and 

 analytic explanation of this fact. 



I certainly do not presume to declare myself com- 

 petent to effect so much, and I am more conscious 

 than my critics how far I fall short of my high aim ; 

 but the modest attempt, made with the resolution to 

 accept all criticism offered with courtesy and good 

 faith, does not imply culpable presumption nor ex- 

 cessive vanitv. 



v 



I regret to say that it is not on this point only 

 that my theory of myth differs from that of others ; 

 I shall not be satisfied if I only succeed in discover- 



