The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-07
SOME NEW BOOKS.
The symboi,cni Language or Ancien, Art.

ness, not only to scholars but to all students OF
comparative mythology and the history OF art
is RICHARD PAYNE KNIGHTS treatise. first
printed under the above tito about sixty years
ago. and now rcpubished with copious notes
and additions by DR.. ALEXANDER WILDER u.
W. Bouton, We need not say that the tendency
Of modern investigation would assign n much
narrower scope than Mr.. Knight attributed to
symbolism in the religious conceptions and
rites Of the ancient world and for that reason
commentary such as DIR. Wilder has
supplied is an Indispensable supplement
to the authors ingenious and curious
speculations. Much. however. OF tho original
essay can mover DO superseded. II Is, indeed,
an astonishing monument OF scholastic ind is
try. treasure house Of multfarous and re-
conditc learning. not hcaped together with tho
| inuusitve. aimloss zeal Of the mere antiquary.
but weighed sifted. digosted and made to illu-
mino tho whole field OF life and thought in tho
! early Oriental. Greek. and Roman civilizations.
| Not only do his explanations afford in many in
stances a key to the religion and mythology
! OF those nations and expose the frivolous
! ness OF current ideas derived from superficial
recalling. but they signally assist our under
standing OF the canons and principles OF an
tique art which was in 30 strict sonse the in
terpretor OF theology. He has infused. too. n
new and surprising meaning into much that
|
man authors. az well as in the Hebrew Scrip
lures. We may add before directing attention
TO some Of his mere striking and paradoxical
eApostions. that tho labors of Bunscn, Layard.
| tho Rawlinsons and other explorers Of Egyp-
, tian and Assyrian remains have confirmed not
few OF his assertions which onco appeared
most fancifu
Mr. Knights work Is specially noteworthy
for the light 1t throws on the famous mysteries
which involved and perpetuated the esoteric
| principles Of the ancient worships. Among
those here studied and explained. SO far us the
fragmcntary and ambiguous references in
classical writer's. or the deductions from coins
are available for that purpose arc tho Roman
Saturnalia and Libcralia. supposed TO be per-
petuated in certain festivals Of tho Catholic
Church: tn" Greek Eeusinia, or rites Of tho
Coming One" derived. apparently. from
Chaldca; the Dionysiac and Orphic ceremonies
which Herodotus traced to an Egyptian source.
and the Thcsmophora. or assemblagcs OF wo-
men In honor Of tho Great Mother"
which therc IL reason 10 believe were
celebrated 10y the Israelites in Palestine as well
as throughout eastern Asia. There s also q
careful analysis Of all extant data relating TO the
mysteries OF Mithras. which. after the Roman
conquest of Pontus were carried into the coun-
tries of the West and survived among the Gnos-
tic sects many centuries after tho general dis
| somination OF Christianity. Nor does the iniu-
cnce OF this strange system Of secret dogma and
symbolic ceremonial end here on tho contrai "
there ia ground for pronouncing the Albg,
ses Of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries Man
icheans or Mithracising Christians. and for
referring TO the same origin some Of the
forms employed inlMasonic limitations. Writing
in England sixty years ago. Mr.. Knight seems to
have felt himself constrained 10 formulate his
1na l.,t
general effect OF his researches is to substan-
tlatc Rinans assertion that nearly everything
In Christianity not dependent on the Gospel is
mere baggage brought from tho pagan mys-
terics into the hostile camp Thus the whole
interior police OF the church. the degrees Of in
itiation. the command Of silence and a crowd OF
phrases in the ecclesiastical language are shown
to have been directly transferred We are not n
little assisted to comprehend the conluests OF
| Christianity when We learn that the revolution
which overthrow paganism was by no means m
open. trenchant, and absolute rupture with the
past. No doubt its dogmatic rigidty anu aus
tere moral tone were novelties. but in respect OF
worship and outward observances the change
was Effected by an nsensible transition and the
popular faith saved its most familiar symbols
amid the shipwreck
II is u remarkable fact that while the poetlcal
and popular mythology Of Greece comprised n
multitude of Dlvinitics the esoterc doctrines
taught at Elcusis and in Samothraco recognized
hut few. such " the Unknown one tKronos-
Zeus'. the First -Bcgottcn Love tDionysusl. and
the female. or passive power u production
worshipped under various names. Moreover.
in the mystic theology. those porsonaScs seem
to have sisnincd only different aspects
OF one entity. namely. tho Being that
fills Eternity and Innnity. The self
generated mind OF the Eternal Father says
an Orphic fragment. spread the heavy bond Of
love through all things. that they might endure
forever Tho primitive pcryaiing spirit is
affirmed in another Orphic ut,erance TO have
made the sun TO guard and govern all things
the solar heat not being conceived a. Deity
but rs the instrumental cause through which
the powers Of reproduction implanted IN
matter continue in efficient action. In
deed. distinct conception Of the solar sys.
TEN seems 10 have been contained in the
esoterc doctrines Of Pythagoras Among his
tcncts was one which he was supposed 10 have
brought from Egypt. namely. that the sun being
placed in the centre Of the universe with IN,
planets moving round about II. was. by its at.
trartve force. the cause Of all union and har.
mony in the whole. and by the carnations o.
IFS beams the cause ~ all motion and activity IN
its parts. And. according to Aristotle. tho
italian Swans called Pythagoreans denied tha
th' sun moved round the earth Affirming tina
fire is at the centre. and that the earth and star
turned about that centre in acircc. thus max na
day and night Mr.. knight points out that ono
Arstarchus, having subsequently attempted e
preach this doctrine openly was Indicted OF
: the ground OF impiety. charge which coul,
have no meaning unless his speculative thco
y ries tended 10 reveal the mysteries.
The effort to identify the cross and rosar,
y with non-Christian cmblems is supported by
10 much curious erudition. II Is shown for in
stance, that cross in the form of the Greek let
70 ter tdu attached to circle, thus 7. Is carried II
the left hand by many Of the figures OF Egyp
y tian deitios, both male and female. and wa
worshppcd by the Syrans as the characteristic
image or emblem of Astarte. The cross in hi
y form Is sometimes observable on coins. ana sev
, eral of these were found in temple Of Sorapi
: demolished at the general destruction of uagal
- edill'os by the Emperor Theolosius. II an
pears too. that in solemn sacrifices all the Lap
V land idols were marked with a cross from tn
blood of tho victims, and the same character pc
ours on many Runic monuments found il