appeared that when one was so laid his or her legion
disappeared also. Long ago such phantasms ceased to
haunt my nerves, because I discovered their unreality;
I am now venturing to believe that their mythologic
forms cease to haunt my studies, because I have found
out their reality.
Why slay the slain ? Such may be the question that
will arise in the minds of many who see this book. A
Scotch song says, ' The Devil is dead, and buried at
Kirkcaldy ; ' if so, he did not die until he had created
a world in his image. The natural world is overlaid
by an unnatural religion, breeding bitterness around
simplest thoughts, obstructions to science, estrange-
ments not more reasonable than if they resulted from
varying notions of lunar figures, — all derived from
the Devil - bequeathed dogma that certain beliefs and
disbeliefs are of infernal instigation. Dogmas moulded
in a fossil demonology make the foundation of institu-
tions which divert wealth, learning, enterprise, to fictitious
ends. It has not, therefore, been mere intellectual
curiosity which has kept me working at this subject
these many years, but an increasing conviction that the
sequelae of such superstitions are exercising a still formid-
able influence. When Father Delaporte lately published
his book on the Devil, his Bishop wrote — ' Reverend Father,
if every one busied himself with the Devil as you do,
the kingdom of God would gain by it.' Identifying the
kingdom here spoken of as that of Truth, it has been
with a certain concurrence in the Bishop's sentiment
that I have busied^ myself with the work now given to
the public.
---- end of preface -----
DUALISM.
Origin of Deism — Evolution from the far to the near — Illustrations
from witchcraft — The primitive Pantheism — The dawn of
Dualism.
A COLLEGE in the State of Ohio has adopted for its
motto the words 'Orient thyself/ This significant ad-
monition to Western youth represents one condition of
attaining truth in the science of mythology. Through
neglect of it the glowing personifications and metaphors
of the East have too generally migrated to the West only
to find it a Medusa turning them to stone. Our prosaic
literalism changes their ideals to idols. The time has
come when we must learn rather to see ourselves in them :
out of an age and civilisation where we live in habitual
recognition of natural forces we may transport ourselves
to a period and region where no sophisticated eye looks
upon nature. The sun is a chariot drawn by shining
steeds and driven by a refulgent deity ; the stars ascend
and move by arbitrary power or command ; the tree is the
bower of a spirit ; the fountain leaps from the urn of a
naiad. In such gay costumes did the laws of nature hold
VOL. I. a
