New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-13
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
GERALD MASSEY AS AN EvoLUTIoNIsT.

4 NOrg2tc.)
III i the second part of a voluminous work un-
,.rtaleu nv Mr.. Massey for the purpose of estab-
,;L;o,, theory which certainly should have
,ohar examination. lie holds that the Origins
al utbe MYTHS aud mysteries, types and SYM
h,ls religions and languages" are to he tound IN
.frca alone and that Egypt is 4" the mouthplece'"
Proceeding on the evolutionary hypothesis TIC
eocl;s 10 demonstrate, to quote his own "oruS'
L" the Kaiatc origin of the re-Aryan matter eAtahI
in language and mythology found III the bll'isn
I.Icsfhc origin of the Hebrew and Christian thcol-
ocy in the mythology of Egypt,-the unity OF origin
for all mythology, and the Kamlte origin Oh th''t
,,c,tv-the common origin of the mythical GenitrM
aud her brood of seven elementary forces, found III
T,,vpt Akkad. India Britain and New-Zcaand,
who became krOnOtypes in their secondary ana
shirts or gods in their final psychotheisic phase
The Egyptian genesis of the chief celestial signs
zodacal and extra zodiaca,-the origin OF all myth
ology in the Kamite typology,-the origin OF typol-
oqy in ccsture-sgns-a the origin of language IN
African OnOmatOpGa."
II is clear that if on the one hand this is suli-
GENTLY audacious and ambitious conception on the
other hand il is u perfectly legitimate enterprise
and one the implications of which may be most I'M
portant. The author deliberately undertakes 10
proye all ChristcndOm the dupes OF sweeping
ami lonp-sustained decisions. lie challenges
scientists theologans, philologlstS, mthropoIo-
nists sociologists. But be proceeds upon
methods the soundness OF when no e'oiu-
ZIONIST at least can question; anu shcc no
nresents TO his readers all the testimony upon which
his conclusions rest it is not difficult 10 check nm
o no coas on and 70 ascertain how far if at ALL he
i making unwarrantable deductions. These vol
nmes represent an immense amount of labor and re-
search. Mr.. Massey has evidently sought cOnscicnt-
onsv 70 exhaust the field in regard to justification
for his views The abundance of his evidence, in
deed will have the effect of delaying the compre-
hepsion of his purpose, inasmuch as the ordinary
reader will soon become lost in the mass OF detail
and. bewildercd by this accumulation OF minute
proofs will fail to perceive the tendency the Sc
ouencc and the significance of the argument 10
the -cvolutiOnist the work Will probably appear
either uniutelligbc or wantOnly wicked, since IL
involves among other results, the reegatloh oil the
whole system Of Christianity to the realm of myth
ologv the very historical existence OF It's FOUNDER
being denied and the not altogether novel theory OF
the sunmytl being put forward as the origin OF the
ALLEGED delusion upon which the religion was based
Necessarily however this conclusion is only reached
after long and elaborate study of the typOlogy ana
primitive language of early mankind In these re-
searches it must be conceded that the author
has sifted the best authorities; that he
shows familiarity with q wide range OF scholar
shin: that he has not undertaken 10 thrust upon
the world an altogether crude theory, by straning
distoIting or mutatng the evidence used on ITS
behalf In fact he has succeeded III bringing TO-
,.tb,r q great number of Illustrations whose pecu-
Iiarity is that they appear quite naturally ana be-
canse of inherent accord, fortify his conclusions
The worst that can be said of any controversial
work * lat the theory first invented, ana that
the fact, have hccn selected to fit the theory Such
a description ought to be fatal 10 any work OF the
kind if true. But Nil Massey Is not open to that
accusation, 50 far We can perceive lie has quta-
toned facts 10 iud out what they meant, ana he
has eudeav Ored to pnt that meaning rs II appeared
10 HIM. plainly before his readers. And certainly
some of his suggest well calculated to approve
themselves 10 intelligent minds. The old notion
that primitive man began with monotheism and
gradually declined into pHlytheism, Is now
ernlodcd. But there still survives tend
encv 70 believe that primitive man was good deal o
q philosOpher capable of somewhat sub tie reasoning
upon physical phenomena and possessing an mag
jnation potent enough to create for himself COM
plctc mythology. Upon this subject Mr. Massey
argues forcbly. He Says: The world OF SENSE was
not a world of symbol tn the primitive or primcvai
man. lie did not begin as a Plaouist. II" was not
the rcali/cr of distractions pcIs0nitcr Of IDEAS,
percci,cr Of the INFINITE. III our groping' after the
beginnings We shall find the roots OF religious doc
trinc and dogma, with the common earth. or dirt
even sill olinging TO them, and showing The ground
in which they grew"
He deal, boldly with the theory that the ancient
mysteries concealed subtle and mystic teachings
occult secrets. That theory has OF late been re-
vivcd by some who desire to find new support for
belief in 4 modern adaptation of those mysteries
Mr.. Massey, however, does not hesitate to express
the opinion that the reason why the mysteries
SO carefully concealed from the MASSES in later times
vas the simple physical nature of the beginnings
ont of which the more abstract ideas had been grad
uallv evolved" He holds. in fact that the GnosiS
the Kabalah the eSotcIic evidence of all the ~"
called mysteries their origin To very simple and
transparent physical alcgOrics That Is be puts it,
IN, knowledge was concealed because of ts print
tveuc,s, and not on account of its proiuudity."
Certainly some of the partial explanations which
have come down to rs of the mysteries of Elcasis,
seem to bear cat this theory. The extent to which
symbolism has been employed, the natural progress
mad, by il from its beginnings in the crudy Of ger
turc language 10 its tyranncal sovereignty over
partially civilized minds during long periods OF
time is exhibited in a suggestive way and
with the usual wealth of illustration. Indeed, 80
far as the argument is concerned, Mr.. Massey
would in our Judgment, have done better had he
curtaed the illustrative portion of his book coasid-
cTably and even now he NAV find il worth while to
popularize the work 10y making condensed re-
vision of it, in which only bare Sufticcncy of evil
dence need be given, and not to interrupt the
free and steady progress of the argument
Patience and determination are required for the
perusal of such vouminOus works. and the author
evidently does not expect that his book will achieve
n large circulation. IT, however. IL Is read by
the small minority of thinkers who, after all. give
tone and tendency to the intellectual progress ot
the age his aim will have been attained; and this
limited range the work aSSurcdy deserves For II
is an honest, intelligent, panstaking effort 10 apply
the evolutionary principle to the beginnings OF
things. and to get at the real meaning of many mys
tcries by ascertaining how the beliefs which men
have hold have grown naturally No 0unht mOhCTn