22 
after a few unquiet years, himself overpowered by another 
Hain-ric, whose marriage with a princess of the Gear-ric or 
artisan party bearing a Hebrew, that is, a religious, name, 
appears to hint somewhat obscurely at a reconciliation effected 
between the two parties by the mediation of the ministers of 
religion. It is not improbable that the name of Tudor, given 
in the legend to him and his family, may be derived from twa 
and duru (two doors), and so may signify the access opened 
for both parties alike to the honours and emoluments of State 
offices.” 
This is all very ridiculous ; but I do not think it is a very 
gross caricature of the higher criticism, as it is proposed to 
apply it to the sacred records. Surely it is clear that to treat 
as legend what comes to us as history, and then call it un- 
liistorical because it has been so treated, is as great an error 
as to argue that 2 = 3, because d . ( x + 2) = d . (a* + 3). 
But the sceptic will not confess himself beaten. He pos- 
sesses that nvhig Oapaog, or bluebottle courage, which Homer 
so amusingly describes as inspired into one of his heroes ; he 
buzzes still about the point from which he has been repelled : 
just as though the base metal of confuted error, if only it be 
pertinaciously maintained, were, by some mystic process of 
sceptical alchemy, converted into the solid gold of undoubted 
truth. 
The historical discoveries of the earlier Egyptologers were 
for a time alleged against Revelation. But the force of the 
Egyptian arguments was not great. The most prejudiced 
sceptic could not refrain from seeing that the authority of the 
books of Scripture, even if they were looked upon as in a 
great part legendary, was quite as good as that of a half- 
understood, half-misunderstood inscription placed by a super- 
stitious king or priest in a heathen temple ; a discrepancy 
between the two did not necessarily prove the Bible to be in 
the wrong. The worshippers of Isis and Osiris, of Pa slit and 
Anoub, were quite as likely to exhibit prejudice, and indulgo 
in a little quiet manipulation of facts, as the votaries of the 
God of the Hebrews. Besides, it was soon found that the artil- 
lery brought from Egypt partook a little of the dangerous nature 
of rockets in warfare — it was apt to go off on the wrong side. 
As to the Assyrian and Babylonian discoveries, I am not 
aware that any one has had the hardihood seriously to allege 
them against the biblical records. On the contrary, they have 
put a new weapon of defence into our hands ; and, while con- 
firming the truth of Scripture history, have poured a flood of 
light upon its interpretation. 
The giant strides made by the positive experimental sciences, 
