232 Gleanings from the 



fpeculations. It is now generally recognised that 

 aftronomical phenomena, the fucceflion of day and 

 night, the proceffion of the fun through the figns 

 of the zodiac, and the like, underlie many of the 

 moft grotefque of thefe claflical beliefs. " By a 

 fucceflion of the moft fortunate circumftances, the 

 aftronomical books of three of the principal 

 religions of the ancient world have lately been 

 recovered the Veda, the Zend-Avefta, and the 

 Tripitaka. But not only have we thus gained 

 accefs to the moft authentic documents from 

 which to ftudy the ancient religion of the Brah- 

 mans, the Zoroaftrians, and the Buddhifts, but by 

 difcovering the real origin of Greek, Roman, and 

 likewife of Teutonic, Celtic, and Slavonic myth- 

 ology, it has become poflible to feparate the truly 

 religious elements in the facred traditions of thefe 

 nations from the mythological cruft by which they 

 are furrounded, and thus to gain a clearer infight 

 into the real faith of the ancient Aryan world." 1 

 It may, however, be reafonably doubted whether 

 the univerfal folvent of a folar myth has not been 

 too frequently applied. Many of the mythological 

 animals of the ancients appear to have been created 

 for a moral purpofe ; therefore it is out of place to 

 regard them as emblems of aftronomical phe- 

 nomena. " Upon deliberate confideration," fays 

 Lord Bacon, "my judgment is that a concealed 

 inftruction and allegory was originally intended in 

 many of the ancient fables." And the Jeaft 



1 Max Miiller, " Selefted Eflays" (Longmans, 1881), vol. i., 

 p. 5. 



