118 ESSAY ON THE 



tern mythologists, which were three and one. This female tri-unityj?; 

 really the Tri-murtti of the Hindus, who call it the ^Sacti or energy of 

 the male Tri-murtti, which in reality is the same thing. Though the 

 male tri-unity be oftener mentioned, and better known among the un- 

 learned, than the other; yet the female one is always understood with- 

 the other, because the Tri-murtH cannot a(^l, but through its energy, 

 or ^Sacti, which is of the feminine gender. The male Tri-murtti was 

 hardly known in the west: for Jupiter, Pluto and Neptune have no 

 affinity with the Hindu Tri-murtti, except their being three in number. 

 The real Tri-jnurtti of the Greeks and Latians consisted of Cronus, Ju-=? 

 PITER and Mars, Brahma', Vishnu and 'SivAo To these three gods 

 were dedicated three altars in the upper part of the great circus at Rome, 

 These are brothers in th^iv Calpas; and Cronus or Brahma", who has no 

 Calpa of his own, produces them, and of course may be considered as 

 their father. Thus Brahma' creates in general; but Vishnu, in his own 

 Ciz/^^, assumes the char^6ler of Cronus or Brahma' to create, and be is 

 really Cronus or Brahma': he is then called Brahma -Ru'pi Jana'rdana, 

 or Vishnu the devourer of souls, with the countenance of Brahma': he 

 is the preserver in his own chara^pr, 



These three wer^ probably the Tripatres of the western mythologists, 

 called also Tritopatores ^ Tritogeneia^ Tris-^Eudaimon^ Trisoihioi, Tris-^ 

 r/iacaristoi ,jLnd Propatores, The ancients were not well agreed, who they 

 were : some even said that they were Cottusj Briareus and Gyges, the 

 sons of Tellus and the sun. Others said that they were Amalcis, 

 Frotocles and Protocleqs, the door keepers, and guardians of the 

 winds. Their mystical origin probably belonged to the secret do(5trine, 

 whitli the Ro?;z«« college/ like the Druids ^ never committed to writings 



