.2S ORIGIN AND DECLINE OF THE 



Sibylline books, and the decision of the sacred col- 

 lege of the Etru7na7i augurs, were all of opinion, 

 that this momentous event was at hand. This was 

 equally the case in the east, and a miraculous star di- 

 rected the holy men, who were living in anxious ex- 

 pectation, where to find this heavenly child. At that 

 time the Emperor o^ India, uneasy at these prophecies, 

 which, he conceived, portended his ruin and the 

 loss of his empire, sent emissaries to inquire whether 

 such a child was really born, in order to destroy 

 him: and this happened exactly the 3101st year of 

 the Cali-yiiga, which was the first year of the Chris- 

 tian Era. This traditionary account is known all over 

 India; and is equally current among the learned and 

 the ignorant. But the Hindus fancy, that these old 

 prophecies were fulfilled in the person of Ckishna. 

 What induced the Brahmens to adopt this idea, is 

 not so obvious. It is possible, ho.>vever, that they 

 saw plainly, that if they admitted these prophecies 

 to have been fulfilled about the time of Christ, 

 some material alteration must, of course, have taken 

 place in their religion. The Magi of scripture, who 

 came from the east, where equally expecting this reno- 

 vation ; and the star served only to guide their steps. 

 This expectation, of a renovation of the world, pre- 

 vailed also among the Gothic tribes in the north : but 

 after waiting patiently for some time, certain enterpris- 

 ing men set themselves up, for the promised Manu,, 

 or new Adam; and were acknowledged as such. 

 According to their traditionary accounts, they were 

 nettled, and puzzled with some strange reports from 

 the east, about the appearance of some JEsir, Asce, 

 Gods, or god-like men ; and Gylfe is supposed to have 

 been sent to inquire into the truth of these reports. 

 His embassy is the ground work of the Edda^ which 

 concludes with these remarkable words. "The new 



