254 HASISADRA'S ADVENTURE vn 



there takes ship with a Chaldgean Charon, who 

 carries him within hail of his ancestor Hasisadra. 

 That venerable personage not only gives Izdubar 

 instructions how to regain his health, but tells 

 him, somewhat a propos des bottes (after the 

 manner of venerable personages), the long story 

 of his perilous adventure ; and how it befell that 

 he, his wife, and his steersman came to dwell 

 among the blessed gods, without passing through 

 the portals of death like ordinary mortals. 



According to the full story, the sins of mankind 

 had become grievous ; and, at a council of the gods, 

 it was resolved to extirpate the whole race by a 

 great flood. And, once more, let us note the uni- 

 formity of human experience. It would appear 

 that, four thousand years ago, the obligations of 

 confidential intercourse about matters of state were 

 sometimes violated of course from the best of 

 motives. Ea, one of the three chiefs of the Chal- 

 daean Pantheon, the god of justice and of practical 

 wisdom, was also the god of the sea ; and, yielding 

 to the temptation to do a friend a good turn, 

 irresistible to kindly seafaring folks of all ranks, 

 he warned Hasisadra of what was coming. When 

 Bel subsequently reproached him for this breach of 

 confidence, Ea defended himself by declaring that 

 he did not tell Hasisadra anything ; he only sent 

 him a dream. This was undoubtedly sailing very 

 near the wind ; but the attribution of a little 

 benevolent obliquity of conduct to one of the 



