48 
Proceedings of the Pioyal Society 
scope whose changes are incalculable, and whose results are so 
transmuted from the original type as to be unrecognisable. On 
these grounds, I feel myself bound to protest in the strongest 
manner against the fashion recently introduced by Max Muller 
and Mr Cox, of giving a new interpretation of Hellenic gods, 
founded on no firmer basis than slippery Sanscrit etymologies, and 
a few ingenious conjectures. After reading the distinguished 
German’s lucubrations on Hermes, and Athena, and Erinnys, I 
stand as unconvinced as before the portentous array of Protean 
“ Badicals,” in the first volume of Bryant; it is only another turn 
of the mythological kaleidoscope from the hand of a man who 
combines the erudition, the speculation, and the subtlety of his 
people, with an eloquence and a taste seldom surpassed by the best 
Englishmen writing their own language in the best way—a man 
whose character I respect, and whose instructive intercourse I have 
enjoyed now for a long series of years; but, with regard to whose 
speculations on curious points of G-reek mythology, I can only say, 
Amicus Plato sed magis arnica veritas. And etymology is not the 
only point on which I am forced to dissent from Max Muller and 
that large school of German thinkers of whom he is the spokesman 
in this century. A long familiarity with the writings of German 
scholars has convinced me that there is a particular idiosyncrasy 
in their minds which, when applied without qualification in mytho¬ 
logical research, is peculiarly apt to mislead. This idiosyncrasy 
leads them to believe in no facts that they are not able to construct 
from certain favourite presupposed ideas. Now, I believe in facts 
as having an independent value, and a right to he recognised alto¬ 
gether independent of any favourite ideas which an interpreter of 
facts may bring to explain them. I believe that one domain ot 
myths is to be explained by ideas; hut I believe also in a class of 
myths, of which the main root and stem are historical, and only 
the outer limbs and flourishes mythical. I see no presumption 
whatsoever that the TrojanWar represents a conflict between the 
powers of light and darkness; that Achilles is a degraded solar 
god, as Muller would indicate, or a water god, as is the fashionable 
idea of most Germans. The most improbable thing in the world 
is that a nation should have drawn a brush over all its human 
memories, and left nothing but myths of the Dawn and the Dark 
