28 THEOPHILUS G. PINCHES, ESQ., LL.D., M.E.A.S., ON 



are practically personified, we may use this pronoun) he also 

 employed to bring the net, which was the gift of his father Anu, 

 the god of the heavens. Other winds — " the hurricane (an evil 

 wind), the storm, the gale, the four(fold) wind, the seven(fold) 

 wind, the troubling (?) wind, the uncontrollable wind," — seven 

 in all, are described as having been made by him to be his 

 helpers, and these, rising behind him to confuse Kirbis-Tiamthu, 

 he took with him. Another of his means of defence was " the 

 storm-flood, his great weapon," but no clue as to the way in 

 which he made use of this appears in the legend. 



Having thus prepared for the fray, he mounted his irresistible 

 and terrifying chariot, with its fourfold yoke of steeds 

 "unsparing, sweeping down, swift of flight, sharp of tooth, 

 poison-bearing," such as knew how to overthrow and to dash 

 aside, not fearing battle, dreadful in resistance, attacking right 

 and left, and exceedingly steadfast. Nor did Merodach forget 

 his own appearance. He covered himself with the cloak of his 

 dreadful majesty, and placed his overwhelming brilliance on 

 his head. Being now ready, he sallied forth to meet the foe, 

 breathing defiance, grasping in his hand, as Jensen has it, the 

 plant of incantation, for evidently he wished to leave no stone 

 unturned in the accomplishment of his task. 



" In that day they clustered around him, the gods clustered around him — 



The gods his fathers chistered around him, they clustered around him. 



Then the lord advanced, the retreat of Tiamthu closely regarding, 



Noting the snarling of Kingu, her spouse. 



But whilst he looked, his mind (?) was troubled, 



His understanding cast down, and his intention wavered ; 



And the gods, his helpers, who went by liis side, 



Saw their leader's confusion — their glance was troubled too." 



Tiamthu, Merodach's opponent, stood firm and defiant, simply 

 uttering words to all appearance scornfu], but the mutilation of 

 this passage does no more than enable one to surmise that she 

 regarded them all — Merodach as well as his fathers — as rebels 

 or conspirators. In his turn the god makes answer to the 

 effect that she who was great and exalted had rebelled against 

 the gods, raising Kingu to be her consort, giving him command 

 of the "heavenly ones," and seeking and setting evil against the 

 gods of his fathers. Telling her to gather her host together, 

 and bind on her weapons, he ends with the challenge : 

 " Stand then — I and thou, let us make battle together ! " 



Furious, shouting wildly, trembling with rage, uttering 

 incantations and charms, whilst the gods of battle called upon 

 their weapons not to fail them, Tiamthu and the wise one of the 



