OF THE VEDAS. 
85 
time the simile involved in the action should have been for- 
gotten and Grod actually made to rise from the " golden 
embryo," or to be bom from the "golden egg," "gene- 
rated by the waters " ? 
And as the Teutonic Aryans carried away the primitive 
belief respecting the creation of the world to the north of 
Europe, so the Greek Aryans carried away the more recent 
to the south, or elaborated a similar theory there. Plato 
says, "that all wise men, with the exception of Parmenides, 
thought that all things proceeded from water, and that 
generation was a sort of flowing motion." Aristophanes 
gives the particulars as follows : — 
" First all was chaos, one confused heap ; 
Darkness enwrapped the disagreeing deep ; 
In a mixed crowd the jumbling elements were, 
Nor earth, nor air, nor heaven did appear ; 
Till in this horrid vast abyss of things, 
Teeming night spreading o'er her coal black wings 
Laid the first egg ; whence after time's due course. 
Issued forth love (the world's prolific source) 
Glistening with golden wings ; which fluttering o'er 
Dark chaos, gendered all the numerous store of animals 
and gods, &c." ' 
Here night and chaos are represented as the first sub- 
stances existing alone. They laid an egg, whence love was 
produced,— the " desire "' of R.Y., X. 129-4, and the " golden 
child " of R.V., X. 121-1, and the " Spirit of God " of Genesis 
i. 2, — which, fluttering o'er dark chaos, gendered heaven, 
earth, animals and gods. 
' Xaos Koi vv^, Ipeflos re fj.4\av irpuTov /ca! Taprapos evpvt. 
rij S, ovS' a^p, avS' ovpavhs f/V ipeBovs S' eu daireipo(n ({((Xttois 
TiKT6( TrpioriaTOV vTrrjyefiiov yv^ t) fif\av6impos w6v. 
2ti'A.6ci)1' vutou irrepvyoiy yi^pvaaiv e'lKuis avenuKeai Slvats 
OuTos Sc X"^' i'"rep6(VTt /jLiyels vvxi(f>, Kara TdpTapov evpvv, 
*Ey€<iTT€uire yevos rj/jeTepov, Koi wparov avTiyayev is <l>Ci>s, 
UpATepov 5' ovK T\v yivos aSapdruv, vpiv "Epws crvveixti^iv Airavra. 
