The commencement of the path was similar to that of the Virgilian Æneas in his descent to the regions of the unknown world:

Quale per incertam Lunam, sub luce maligna
Est iter in sylvis ubi coelum Jupiter umbra
Condidit et rebus nox abstulit atra colorem.

But the light has increased as I have gone on, and truths are now plain to me which, two years ago, were full of doubts and difficulties. Yet in my proof I must bespeak the good will and forbearance of my judges; for they must approach the consideration of such a subject with their judgment clouded by prejudices in its primary and not offensive meaning, and almost blocked up by foregone conclusions. In Aristotle's own words, previous to entering on a consideration of his metaphysical disquisitions:-"Men listen to proofs according to previous habit. For we wish to hear men speak in accordance with our usual opinions, and anything contrary to these does not appear consistent, but, from want of habit on our part, more strange and unknown. But what strength habit has, is seen in our laws and institutions, where things fabulous and childish have, through habit, greater power than a true knowledge of the principles on which they are founded. Some, therefore, will not attend to a speaker except he speaks mathematically; others, except he illustrates his case by examples; others require the authority of some known poet. Again, some require precision in all points; on the other hand, extreme precision is offensive to others, because they cannot follow it, or because it descends to minutiæ trifling in amount. Extreme precision has something of this effect. Hence, as in contracts, so in discussion, an attention to trifling minutiæ appears ungentlemanly." The difficulties which thus beset the path of every person who presumes to suppose that he knows some things in direct opposition to men's habitual opinions on the subject, are doubled by the popular disfavour into which etymological investigations had fallen during the last century, and from which, in this country at least, it can as yet be scarcely said to have emerged.

In the words of one of the ablest, if not the ablest, critical philologers of the day, "We have been careful to write thus much at length, in order to meet, on more than one ground, the objection of many able and patient scholars to all the novelties of the past which the present age is bringing to light. Men, too, who have laboriously investigated one particular branch of study, cannot generally be supposed to possess any inclination to undervalue it, or turn to researches tending to this end. But since all the learning that has been expended in the research, has failed to penetrate into the real sources of antiquity, may we not reasonably entertain a doubt, that the process hitherto employed has been somewhere defective?—that the authorities we have taken for our guides, though often undoubtedly a light in utter darkness, are also, too often, a pillar of cloud when we are able to see a wider horizon. The ancients may have told us all they knew, but were the ANCIENTS acquainted with antiquity? There is a fallacy in the terms, but we might often with justice answer in the negative. If the Greek or the Brahmin drew existence from a stone, a creation from a flower, are we to contract our inquiries accordingly, and this, too, when their aboriginal nationality is more than questionable, and the Hebrew Scriptures, if no other authenticated record, supply evidence of older races in other and more probable countries?"

It is in the face of such prima facie difficulties that I venture to state to the Society, that the Agaio and Пλio of Aristotle knew no more than Aristotle himself of the principles on which the language of the auraho was constructed. In the words of the same high authority, "As far as I am concerned, the ridicule that has so idly and ignorantly followed philological derivations may still continue its career, without deterring, as it has too often, the best-qualified judges from proceeding in the path of discovery thus laid open to them."

SELECTION

FROM CERTAIN

ARCHEOLOGICAL PAPERS,

WRITTEN BY THE

ARCHDEACON OF CARDIGAN,

To maintain, in opposition to the Arguments advanced by the Honourable ALGERNON HERBERT, in his work called

66

Cyclops Christianus," the conclusion of those Antiquarians who affirmed that Stonehenge and its Hierarchal Establishments were far older than the Christian Era, and early known to the Inhabitants of that Country which was afterwards called Hellas.

I AM SO certain that I hold the truth upon this question, that I am quite ready to peril my reputation as a scholar and an archæologian upon the final result of this discussion, and deservedly to merit those calumnies which Mr. Herbert so copiously heaps upon our most respected Celtic scholars, and upon every Saxon also who has dared to think for himself upon this question. The gentleman is so calumnious in his charges, so full of suggestions of fraud, vileness, and forgery, on every author who advances any statement adverse to his own theories, that I am absolutely compelled to quote all my authorities at full length. The translations are my own, and if I entertain any doubt respecting any word or passage, I do not attempt to render it into English, but pass it over, indicating, however, by asterisks, that there is a hiatus.

Now to the question.

Early in the sixth century before the Christian era, was born Hecatæus the Milesian, a man of great learning, and the

author of many works, of which nothing but fragments has reached us. He took an active part in the revolt of the Ionians from King Darius, about A.c. 500, and was thoroughly cognizant of all the proceedings connected with the commercial enterprise of the Ionians in the earlier part of the sixth century B.C.

The Phocæans, one of the lonian states, had, in spite of the jealousy of the Carthaginians and Tyrrhenians, forced their way in war-galleys to Tartessus and Southern Spain, and established a commerce with the flourishing communities in that vicinity, which had proved a great source of wealth to them, both generally and individually. Arganthonius, a King of Southern Spain, was an especial friend of the Phocæans, and offered them, as a community, an asylum in his dominions, when the Ionian states were becoming alarmed by the increasing predominance of the Persians, a Scythian race, under their great king, Cyrus. The Phocæans refused the offer, but accepted gold, with which they fortified in vain their continental city.

It is clear from this statement that, whatever Arganthonius, the long-lived King of Tartessus, knew, was also known to the Phocæans; and a man of the inquisitive spirit of Hecatæus, who was a great traveller, and visited, among other regions, Egypt, must have known what the Phocæan merchants knew.

Here follows the famous quotation from one of his works, quoted by Diodorus Siculus, who flourished a short time after our Saviour's birth. It is in the second book of his mythological work:-" Now, after describing the parts of Asia lying northward, we think it not inappropriate to narrate the mythological stories concerning the Hyperboreans. Now, Hecataeus, and some other authors of ancient mythology, say that in the regions over against Celtica,' there is in the ocean an island, not smaller than Sicily; that this island is situated below the constellation of the Bears, and that it is inhabited by men called Hyperboreans, because they are placed beyond the blast of Boreas. They add, that the land, being fertile and producing everything necessary, and enjoying a fine temperature,

bears two crops in the year. Now, they mythologically state that Latona was born there, and that, on that account, Apollo is honoured by them above all other gods; that among them there are some men priests, as it were of Apollo, and that, consequently, he is daily and continuously hymned by them with lyric songs, and exceedingly honoured; that there is also in the island both a consecrated precinct of great magnificence, and a temple of corresponding beauty, adorned with numerous dedicated gifts, and in shape spherical; that there is also a city sacred to the god, and that the majority of its inhabitants are harpers, and that these, continuously harping in the temple, sing, lyrically, hymns to the god, and greatly magnify his deeds. They also state that the Hyperboreans have a peculiar dialect, and are very kindly disposed to the Hellenes, and especially to the Athenians and Delians, and that they have inherited this friendly feeling from ancient times. They also say that some of the Hellenes have passed over to the Hyperboreans, and have left there precious dedicated gifts, bearing Hellenic inscriptions; that in the same manner Abaris, in a former age, had passed into Hellas, and renewed with the Delians the bond of friendship and consanguinity. They also say that the moon from this island appears to be not far distant from the earth, and clearly shows certain earthly eminences. It is also said that every nineteenth year the god descends into this island. Now, every nineteenth year certain returns of the stars to fixed positions take place, and on this account a period of nineteen years is called by the Hellenes. the great year; that when the god makes his periodical appearance, he both plays the harp and dances during the night, from the vernal equinox to the rising of the Pleiades, taking great delight in his own successful efforts."

"They also say that a family called Boreadæ, descendants of Boreas, are the kings of this city and superintendents of the temple, and regularly succeed each other by birthright."

Now, if Hecatæus derived his information on this important subject from the Phocæan merchants, who frequented the court