""VEi.i] SOPHIC»L(KiV CLXXXIII 



ancient institutions, he is easily cDnvinced that his wartare is 

 holy. When he is the constitute*! and official defender on 

 whom the armor is buckled and l)v whom the sword is g-rasped, 

 he is watchful and ready for the tight. Then liis honor is at 

 stake and his emoluments threatened. 



One element of this controversy — the saddest of all — is the 

 passiou for thaumaturgy which mythology produces. Then 

 unknown beings with occult attributes people the world, and 

 the air reeks with mystery. Men who deceive themselves are 

 deft in the deception of others. The love of thaumaturgy 

 becomeo one of the monster passions of mankind that stifles 

 the pure love of truth. When thaumaturgy becomes a source 

 of gain, and greed is wed to wondercraft, there springs from 

 the union a progeny of devils that wreak on the teachers of 

 truth the tortures of rack and fagot. 



In savagery names are believed to be natural attri))utes of 

 the objects which they signify. The many significations which 

 the same word may have are usually related to one another, 

 but even when they are not redated they are so habitually 

 associated that affinities are constantly suggested. The 

 development of science to an important degree depends on 

 the distinct recognition of different meanings, and in order 

 that scientific reasoning may proceed it is always found 

 necessarv to define words with exactness and to adhere to 

 constant meanings; but mythological reasoning does not 

 observe these precautions, and often succeeds in making its 

 arguments plausible by the uncertain use of w'ords. It uuist 

 not be supposed that this is a device on purpose to deceive, 

 for it is often a potent agency of self-deception. 



Trope is not an unmixed evil, although it is a dangerous 

 device. When knowingly used and legitimately derived it 

 adds power and vigor to language, and we have a.lread3' seen 

 that it is a necessit}^ in nascent knowdedge. Ultimately it 

 becomes the foundation of the highest fine art known to man, 

 for it is an essential element in poetry; but that which is legiti- 

 mate and useful in poetry is the bane of scientific reasoning, 

 especially when it is used without comprehension. ^Mythology 

 is thus eminently tropic, ^^'hile it is held as science, its tropes 



