66 



The Solar Theory of Myths. 



But to them death is uot as to mere mortals. Arthur is 

 not only " Kex quondam," but " Rexque futurus," king 

 again to be : Moses sleeps at I^ebo but appears in glory- 

 on Tabor ; Elijah is to rise and lead the Arabs against 

 Antichrist ; Hercules is endowed with immortality ; Rom- 

 ulus reappears and gives new vigor to the wavering legions ; 

 Boabdil sleeps in the mount by the Alhambra, and will 

 one day lead the faithful to reconquer Spain ; the Tells 

 slumber at Riitli, to come forth whenever Switzerland 

 shall be oppressed, and Barbarossa, in the heart of the 

 Thuringian mount, waits till Germany needs a champion. 



Each of these glorious personages is connected with 

 an inferior, either as a brother, son or friend, bearing the 

 same attributes in less marked foi-m. Heracles the Hel- 

 lenic Hercules, is accompanied by Iphicles ; Patroclos dimly 

 reflects Achilles ; Phsethon is the son but not the equal of 

 Phoebus ; Theseus is associated with the less famous Peiri- 

 thoos ; Castor is twin to his superor Pollux ; Prometheus 

 blesses the world, only to be thwarted by the folly of 

 Epimetheus ; Aaron is the brother, but not the peer of 

 Moses ; Remus is twin, but inferior to Romulus, and, 

 preceding the divine child of Mary, came the inspired 

 son of Elizabeth. It may here not be amiss in addition 

 to these general comparisons, to follow out in detail, a 

 parallel between two passages. In the second book of his 

 Metamorphoses Ovid tells the story of Phaethon ;^ in the 

 fourth chapter of Revelations,iS'^. John describes a vision of 

 the throne of God in heaven. In the twenty-third line of 

 Ovid's story, he describes Phoebus as " purpurea veste 

 velatus," clad in purple robes. In describing the Lord of 



' " Purpurea velatus veste sedebat 



In solio Phcebus, Claris lucente smaragdis. 

 A dextra Icevaque, Dies, et Mensis, et Annus, 

 Secula.que, et positoe spatiis aqualibus Horce ; 

 Verque novum stabat, cinctum fiorente corona ; 

 Stdbat nud/j. Aestas, et spicea serta gerebat ; 

 Stabat et Autumnus, calcatis sordidus uvis ; 

 Et gladalis Hiems, canos Mrsuta capiMos." 



