CHAP. I.] MISREPRESENTATION. 23 



stained from them as being of a sacred nature. How 

 this superstition was introduced into Syria or Assyria, 

 is not known ; but it is curious that the Russians, as 

 we are informed by Mr. Yarrell, should at this day re- 

 gard them with similar forbearance and even venera- 

 tion ; and we can hardly avoid guessing that the feel- 

 ing must be founded on some most ancient tradition 

 current amongst the Sclavonic races. 



The great modern instance in which the Pigeon has 

 been made the tool of religious imposture, is the tale, 

 generally supposed to be forged, of the Dove which was 

 said to be always seated on the shoulder of Mahomet, 

 communicating past, present, and coming events to the 

 false prophet. But an able writer in the " Edinburgh 

 Review " considers the story to be a simple misinter- 

 pretation consequent upon putting a literal construction 

 upon an imperfect pictorial representation : " The 

 great teachers of the Church had been held, not with- 

 out reason, to have derived their wisdom from above. 

 In order to call attention to this accredited doctrine, 

 artists placed the holy emblem of the Dove upon the 

 shoulder of each spiritually enlightened father. Some- 

 times the bird was drawn in the very act of whispering 

 wisdom into the sage's ear. The people had learned 

 what was meant by the juxtaposition of one of the per- 

 sons of the Trinity and the Dove ; but they were con- 

 fused and deceived by the same personification, in 

 connexion with a well-known doctor, or a pope. They 

 consequently soon put a literal construction upon it. 

 The rumour ran, that these holy men had been at- 

 tended each by his inspiring Dove ; and the writer of 

 legends, who must often have been driven hard for facts, 

 gladly accepted a tale already sanctioned by popular 



