M COUNCIL OF THE GODS. OUNT OLYMPUS was the favorite abode of the gods, and it was there the twelve celestials assembled to deliberate on mundane affairs. Their names were, according to Ennius, Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jovi, Neptunus, Vulcanus, and Apollo. The Jews peopled their heaven only with " spirits masculine," entirely excluding the feminine. The Greeks and Romans, who entertained more rational ideas of happiness, included, like the Christians and Mahometans, both sexes in their "abodes of the blest." The barbarous Jewish belief, which exalts man and oppresses woman, found in Milton an able interpreter. So great was his repugnance to the female sex that he censures the Jewish deity for having created woman, and objects to the plan adopted for replenishing the earth. In the spirit of true monkish asceticism he mournfully sings: "Creator wise, that peopled highest Heaven " With spirits masculine, create at last This novelty on Earth, this fair defect "Of nature?-And not fill the world at once "Or find some other way to generate mankind." Homer shines resplendent in contrast with the English bard. The Pagan poet o'ertops the Christian misogynist. His invocation to the Muses attests his appreciation and reverence for "lovely woman, God's last, best gift to man.” "Achilles wrath to Greece, the direful spring "Of woes unnumber'd, heavenly Goddess sing!" Again, in describing the Council of the Gods: "Immortal Hebe, fresh with bloom divine, Jupiter presided with august dignity at these councils, and the gods and goddesses discussed with intelligence and decorum the most momentous affairs of the human race. It is a significant fact, showing the origin of these myths, that the number of these deities corresponds with the twelve signs of the zodiac; and also, with the twelve lunar months, which compose the lunar cycle or year. This natural truth, underlying a mass of fable, is the key which unlocks many Pagan and Jewish mysteries. These mysteries can be explained in a rational manner by calling to mind the Astronomical, or rather Astrological belief of the Egyptians, and remembering the mystic language the priests employed in teaching to the neophytes and explaining to the initiated, the sacred mysteries of Eleusis. This mystic lore admitted of two distinct and often opposite interpretations, like the Delphian oracles, or the prophecy of the witches in Macbeth, "That palter with us in a double sense," and the learned and initiated understood and approved what the ignorant and vulgar believed and adored. There were twelve tribes of Israel, twelve labors of Hercules, and twelve members composed the Amphictyonic Council of the Delphian Oracle. There were twelve articles in the apostle's creed, -twelve signs in the zodiac, — twelve months in the year, twelve hours in the day. The twelve great apostles of Christianity, correspond with the twelve gods of Olympus. There were twelve gates in the heavenly Jerusalem, and twelve pillars in the temple of Heliopolis. There were twelve shields of Mars, and twelve altars were erected to Janus, (one for each month). The twelve foundations for the walls of the New Jerusalem were garnished with twelve different precious stones, and twelve angels presided in heaven over the twelve gates named after the twelve tribes of Israel.-E. THE CONDUCT OF THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT TOWARD THE CHRISTIANS, FROM THE REIGN OF NERO ΤΟ THAT OF CONSTANTINE. IF Christianity persecuted by the Roman emperors. F we seriously consider the purity of the Christian religion, the sanctity of its moral precepts, and the innocent as well as austere lives of the greater number of those who, during the first ages, embraced the faith of the gospel, we should naturally suppose that so benevolent a doctrine would have been received with due reverence even by the unbelieving world; that the learned and the polite, however they might deride the miracles, would have esteemed the virtues, of the new sect; and that the magis *Oceanus, according to Hesiod, was one of the Titans, and ruler of the exteri waters encompassing the earth, while the interior seas were assigned to Nept The above engraving is from a statue dug up in Rome in the 16th century. represents the god as an old man, reclining on the waves, with a sceptre in right hand and a sea monster by his side.-E. Chap. XVI. Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empi The following note by Mackintosh is copied without comment by D Milman. It is perhaps too coarse for this learned author to have written not too coarse for him to publish; and illustrates the Christian spirit tha! vades his criticisms. Bohn's edition and that of Guizot are both free fr blemish. The great merit of Gibbon's writings consists in the fact that strictly impartial, and wrote as a historian, not as an advocate.-E. The sixteenth chapter I cannot help considering as a very inge specious, but very disgraceful extenuation of the cruelties perpetrat M COUNCIL OF THE GODS. OUNT OLYMPUS was the favorite abode of the gods, and it was there the twelve celestials assembled to deliberate on mundane affairs. Their names were, according to Ennius, Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jovi, Neptunus, Vulcanus, and Apollo. The Jews peopled their heaven only with "spirits masculine," entirely excluding the feminine. The Greeks and Romans, who entertained more rational ideas of happiness, included, like the Christians and Mahometans, both sexes in their "abodes of the blest." The barbarous Jewish belief, which exalts man and oppresses woman, found in Milton an able interpreter. So great was his repugnance to the female sex that he censures the Jewish deity for having created woman, and objects to the plan adopted for replenishing the earth. In the spirit of true monkish asceticism he mournfully sings: 66 -Oh! why did God, "Creator wise, that peopled highest Heaven "With Men as Angels, without feminine? "Or find some other way to generate mankind." Homer shines resplendent in contrast with the English bard. The Pagan poet o'ertops the Christian misogynist. His invocation to the Muses attests his appreciation and reverence for "lovely woman, God's last, best gift to man." "Achilles wrath to Greece, the direful spring Of woes unnumber'd, heavenly Goddess sing!" Again, in describing the Council of the Gods : "Immortal Hebe, fresh with bloom divine, Jupiter presided with august dignity at these councils, and the gods and goddesses discussed with intelligence and decorum the most momentous affairs of the human race. It is a significant fact, showing the origin of these myths, that the number of these deities corresponds with the twelve signs of the zodiac; and also, with the twelve lunar months, which compose the lunar cycle or year. This natural truth, underlying a mass of fable, is the key which unlocks many Pagan and Jewish mysteries. These mysteries can be explained in a rational manner by calling to mind the Astronomical, or rather Astrological belief of the Egyptians, and remembering the mystic language the priests employed in teaching to the neophytes and explaining to the initiated, the sacred mysteries of Eleusis. This mystic lore admitted of two distinct and often opposite interpretations, like the Delphian oracles, or the prophecy of the witches in Macbeth, "That palter with us in a double sense," and the learned and initiated understood and approved what the ignorant and vulgar believed and adored. There were twelve tribes of Israel, twelve labors of Hercules, and twelve members composed the Amphictyonic Council of the Delphian Oracle. There were twelve articles in the apostle's creed, - twelve signs in the zodiac, - twelve months in the year, twelve hours in the day. The twelve great apostles of Christianity, correspond with the twelve gods of Olympus. There were twelve gates in the heavenly Jerusalem, and twelve pillars in the temple of Heliopolis. There were twelve shields of Mars, and twelve altars were erected to Janus, (one for each month). The twelve foundations for the walls of the New Jerusalem were garnished with twelve different precious stones, and twelve angels presided in heaven over the twelve gates named after the twelve tribes of Israel.-E. THE CONDUCT OF THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT TOWARD THE CHRISTIANS, FROM THE REIGN OF NERO TO THAT OF CONSTANTINE. F we seriously consider the purity of the IT persecuted by the Roman emperors. Christian religion, the sanctity of its moral Christianity precepts, and the innocent as well as austere lives of the greater number of those who, during the first ages, embraced the faith of the gospel, we should naturally suppose that so benevolent a doctrine would have been received with due reverence even by the unbelieving world; that the learned and the polite, however they might deride the miracles, would have esteemed the virtues, of the new sect; and that the magis *Oceanus, according to Hesiod, was one of the Titans, and ruler of the exterior waters encompassing the earth, while the interior seas were assigned to Neptune. The above engraving is from a statue dug up in Rome in the 16th century, and represents the god as an old man, reclining on the waves, with a sceptre in his right hand and a sea monster by his side. -E. Chap. XVI. Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The following note by Mackintosh is copied without comment by Dean Milman. It is perhaps too coarse for this learned author to have written, but not too coarse for him to publish; and illustrates the Christian spirit that pervades his criticisms. Bohn's edition and that of Guizot are both free from this blemish. The great merit of Gibbon's writings consists in the fact that he was strictly impartial, and wrote as a historian, not as an advocate.-E. The sixteenth chapter I cannot help considering as a very ingenious and specious, but very disgraceful extenuation of the cruelties perpetrated by the |