(87) 



On the shores of Ihe Euxine pontus , then named 

 the sea of tempests, lived in an enchanted asylum, 

 one belonging both to the ancient and to the new 

 world , and of whom famé had variously reported. 

 A heavenly origin is sometimes given by nations lo 

 the heroes "whose glory dazzles them ; at other times 

 they bring down to their level Ihose shining beings 

 towards whom they cannot raise themselves. They 

 feel equally the want of explaining both effecls and 

 causes , or of plunging them quite into the^i depths 

 of the divinily. No one felt more this doubtfulness 

 of famé than the mysterious being who is to be the 

 object of my discourse , sage Evander. Let us pass 

 over the profane and vulgar reports , to come at 

 onceto those consecrated by highertestimony. In the 

 sacred dipticks, three successive âges of Titans are 

 enumerated : those of the Ihird âge were the bene- 

 factors of men, and their first initiators. At présent 

 we know that the initiators must retire when the 

 initiated are in possession of his science. The pow- 

 erful race of the Titans was then to end. The 

 new initiation , by which humanity commences ^ 



