284? AN ESSAY ON THE 



Soutli as the left. Some Hindus are of opimon, 

 that, at the end of the Calpas, a total renewal of 

 the world, will take place, and every thing will 

 be reversed ; the gods will hecome devils, and the 

 devils gods. The giants, they acknowledge, were 

 Purva-devas, or tiie first gods. .The Egyptians^ 

 perhaps, entertained the same notions, and the 

 mythologists in the \\'est certainly did. 



III. Another division of the world, is into a 

 mainland and islands, which is also that of scrip- 

 ture, in which the isles of the nations, or lie- 

 hagoim, are often mentioned. This division has 

 also been admitted by Musulmans, who call them 

 Jezair-alomam. Commentators understand by them, 

 not only the islands, but also the peninsulas in 

 the Western parts of the old continent ; for in 

 Sanscrit, duipa implies only a country, with waters 

 on both sides ; so that, like Jazirah in Arabic, they 

 may signify either islands or peninsulas; dwipa 

 'dnd jazirah are often used to signify countries bor- 

 dering upon the sea only, J]y the isles of nations,^ 

 the islands, peninsulas, and maritime countries in 

 the West, and particularly in Europe, are under- 

 stood : it is even so with the Paurcaiics, wlio are 

 very little acquainted with the Eastern parts of 

 the old continent, e\en to a surprising degree, and 

 much less then we could reasonably suppose. 



The most remarkable feature of this system is 

 mount Mtru in the centre, tlie Olympus of the 

 Hindus^ the place of abode of Brahma', and his 

 Sabhd congregation, or court. This mountain 

 made also part of the cosmographical system of 

 the Jcxcs', for Isaiah, making use of such notions 

 as were generally received in his time, introduces 

 Lucifer, in Samcrit Swareua'nu, or light of 

 heaven, boasting that he would exalt his throne 



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