( 143 ) 



They add, that one of thefe men afcended into 

 heaven in queft of a woman, called Atahentfic, 

 of whom he had carnal knowledge, and who foon 

 afterwards proved with child : that the mailer of 

 heaven perceiving it, threw her headlong from the 

 height of the Empyrean, and that me was re- 

 ceived on the back of a tortoife : that fhe was af- 

 terwards brought to bed of two children, one of 

 which killed the other. 



There is no more faid either of the five men, 

 or even of the hufband of Atahentfic, who accord- 

 ing to fome, had only one daughter, who was the 

 mother of Thaouitfaran and Joufkeka. This lat- 

 ter who was the eldeft, killed his brother, and in 

 a little time after his grand-mother refigned in 

 his favour the government of the world. They 

 fay likewife, that Atahentfic is the fame with the 

 moon, and that Joufkeka was the fun. There is 

 as you fee, Madam, very little connexion in all 

 this, the fun being often taken for Arefkoui, in as 

 much as he is the great genius ; but is there lefs 

 contradiction in the theology of the Egyptians 

 and Grecians, who are the firft fages of pagan 

 antiquity ? The reafon is, that it is efTential to 

 falfehood to contradict itfelf, and to have no folid 

 foundation. 



The gods of the Indians have bodies, and live 

 much in the fame manner with us, but without 

 any of thofe inconveniencies to which we are fub- 

 je£t. The word fpirit amongfl: them, fignifies 

 only a being of a more excellent nature than others. 

 They have no words to exprefs what pafTes the 

 bounds of their own understanding, their con- 

 ceptions being extremely limited, with refpeel: 

 to whatever is not the object of their fenfes, or to 



any 



