SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST, &C. 283 



had four times altered the time of its rising and 

 setting. Twice it rose where it rose before ; and 

 twice it did set, where it was seen to rise before. 

 All this happened, they said, without the least al- 

 teration in the climate of Egypt. These enigmas, 

 or paradoxes,' were much admired formerly, and 

 they were not very willing to explain them. 



The same thing happened in Europe; for the sun, 

 shocked at the abominable repast of Atreus, turned 

 back, and set where it used to rise before ; that is to 

 say, an alteration took place in the application of the 

 denomination of before and behind, right and left, 

 with regard to the four cardinal points ; and 

 Atreus is represented as a famous astronomer, 

 who explained the yearly revolution of the Sun, 

 performed in a contrary direction ; in ronsequence 

 of which the Sun is said, by the BaKucfkists, and 

 also by Brahmens, to rise in the West, and to set 

 in the East: and the famous mountain of Asta- 

 gira, behind which the Sun disappears, is called 

 also the mountain of the rising Sun, or Udaya-glri^ 

 and even Mahodaya. In the extracts from manu- 

 scripts, in the library of the king of France, there 

 is one from the golden meadows of the famous 

 Masoudi, who lived in the tenth century. The 

 author says, that in the opinion of some philoso- 

 phers, the renewal of the world would happen, 

 when the circle of the ruling stars shall be accom- 

 plished ; then what had been North will be South. 

 But, according to the Indians, says he, the Sun 

 remains 3000 years in each of the twelve signs, 

 and performs his revolution in the heavens in 

 36,000 years. That, v/hen lie passes through the 

 meridional signs, the world will be reversed; North 

 will become South, and South will become North : 

 that is to say, as I take it to be, the North will 

 be considered as the right of the world, and the 



