The Solar Theory of Myths. 



65 



castle of Tintagil could not guard Igraine, as the citadel 

 of Corinth was no shield for Aithra ; so was the bri^zeu 

 tower of Acrisius poor protection for Dauae, and the tem- 

 ple of Yesta no guard for Rhea Silvia, and in Eomulus 

 and Perseus we see repeated Theseus and Arthur. As 

 Arthur was wrapped in cloth of gold, Apollo was 

 swathed in golden bands, Perseus locked in the wonder- 

 ful chest, Moses laid in the cunningly plaited ark, Rom- 

 ulus and his brother entrusted to the wooden trough, 

 Adonis enclosed in the wonderful chest and Dionysius in 

 like manner preserved, ^ot only Theseus and Arthur, 

 but Achilles, Moses, Romulus, Perseus, Hercules, Apollo 

 Saul and David pass their youth in a manner strangely 

 contrasting with their glorious future. Each has some all- 

 potent weapon. Theseus possesses the irresistible br^ind of 

 his father ; Sigurd and Achilles the lances that none but 

 they can wield ; Perseus the barbed weapon with which he 

 slays the monster ; Hercules the club deadly to the de- 

 mean lion ; Moses with his wand marshalled the plagues 

 of Egypt and cleft the waters of the Red sea ; Apollo's 

 shafts brought pestilence to the Grecian hosts and laid 

 the Python low, and with Excaiibur, Arthur slew the 

 giant. When Romulus has conquered the tribes about 

 him and settled the Roman state he is slain by his own 

 senators ; Arthur, though conqueror in the final battle, 

 dies by the hand of his son ; Achilles, when by his valor 

 Troy has been taken, is slain by a treacherous shaft at his 

 wedding feast ; Sigurd, the all-conqueror, is killed by the 

 wound of the thorn; Theseus returns from the successful 

 search for the golden fleece to lose kingdom and life by 

 the treachery of those whom he trusted ; Hercules, always 

 victor, dies by the arts of a jealous wife; Samson, the 

 irresistible, meets his end by the falseness of the woman he 

 loved. Each is never conquered but by treachery, each 

 meets his end whence he had the least reason to expect it. 

 Trans. ix.'\ 9 



