Classical Theology.—Xxxviii.

stone like the horn of a ram , inscribed with cyphers or letters representing the word Hammon , should have been found in the sand . But this horn was said to-h ' ave testified of itself its miraculous significance ; that is , as the Comu Ammonis , or Sammonis Corrm , it was to be the typecrestand appellation of 'Ammonand the

, , , sanctity of the animal of Avhich it was an attribute . Undoubtedly , patriarchal kings , the chiefs of the Hammonians , vrere good shepherds ,- and , as a blessing to man , they thought the whole family flock should be taken good care of .

Synonymously regarded , Olympus , au exceeding high , mountain ( once supposed to be the highest in the Avorld ) , or the Mount of Heaven , was so named after heaven , Avhence Olympius , " heavenly . " Tet , still , Lapideus , Olympius , and 'Amnion ( 'Aiiuap , or 'Afiau ) , are names of the same god , Jupiter . Prior to the founding of the Assyrian emjiireand the inauguration of the statue of

, Belus , there is no historical eA-ideuce of image worship , except in the records of the Chinese , AVIIO pretend to builcl a bridge over the cataclysm . "We , however , Avith due respect , can go farther back for the existence of image Avorship . "When the Lord God commanded , " Thou shall have none other gods before ( or but ) me , " and

said that He "kneAV none other , " His words imply that He is the Lord of lords and God of gods , and the only one Lord and one God Almighty . He is not the Jupiter or Lord of this , or the Jupiter or the Lord of that . He is not the Diana or the Lady of one place or person ; or the Apollo or the Lord of another place or person . He

is not Bpovruos , or Jupiter Tonitralis ; the Thunderer , or the God of Thunder ; nor is he Jupiter Pranlitor , the God of Booty ; neither is He the goddess of the E phesians ; nor Diana Proserpina , the AeWmra , r the Lady of Hell neither is He Mars , the deity of a merely temporal , not sph'itual reli gion ; neither is his glory as the glory of the

stars , or of any one planet ; but as the sun by Avhich they shine , so He is the glory of the universe ; the Gocl in person of the Holy Spirit , and the Angel of the Lord , the Holy of holies . Hitherto the great similarity and yet vast distinctiveness of the Pagan and of the combined Jeivish and Christian religions have not been generally understood or explained ; other theories we have in AUCAV , which Ave hope to work out logically in progress with this subject .

In a more precise sense , the Eomans noticed usually but two descriptions of thunder { Ux . Gutli . De Jur . Man . ) , the diurnal and nocturnal . The first they attributed to Olympius , the celestial Jupiter ; and the second to Pluto Summanus , the Stygian Jupiter , who Avas the second , as Neptune was the third Jupiter . Some assert—( For . apud August . ) , and we record from the

legitimate stock of the mythologues ( for Ave are not fabricating theologies , but lifting the veil from the features and forms of their realities)—the number of the Muses ivere originally but three . This is explained as followssound , of Avhich the tones of song ancl music are formed , is naturally and simply of threefold developement , as

made by the voice by blowing and by striking ; that is , as in early times , in singing , in the winding of pipes , and the touching of citherns and tympanums . As of the tongue then are three intonations , so of other instruments there are three , the bass , the tenor , and the treble . Again , three is the most perfect of numbers ,

because , as it has often been said , it agrees with the person of the Godhead . And so , a form of government may be said to come the nearest to perfection whicli consists of three constitutions in one—the Sovereign in council , the Lords ( or sages ) in council , and the Commons ( or plebs ) in council . Or else , as has been stated (

Censor in . de Die Natali ) , itwas thought ( Plmr . de Deortim Natiira ) they were three , because all the sciences are generalised under three heads , philosophy , rhetoric , and mathematics ; these each comprising in themselves their three several constructive forms , namely , the first , logicethicsand physics ; the seconddemonstration

, , , , deliberation , ancl judication ; the third , music , geometry ( artistically considered ) , and arithmetic . "Wherefore , conformable with these attributes , the Aganippides , or Citherides , who were formerly called Mosre , or Moses , but now the Muses , were increased to nine . Plato and others ( JSfat . Com . ; "Far . ap . Aug . ; ex Lib . Gyr . 261 )

give another reason for the cause of their being nine . When , by agreement , the citizens of Sieyon appointed three of the most approved artists to make the statues of the three Muses , stipulating that of the nine the three selected as the best should be chosen , so well were they all accomplished there was no deciding

on a choice in preference . They brought them , therefore , together , and thus they were placed in the temples . Hesiod afterwards conferred on them the appellations as ' above subdivided ; and Bahusius ( 4 U p ig . i . ) , has connected then' separate names thus : —

" Calliope , Polymnia , Erato , Clio , atqne Thalia , Melpomene , " Euterpe , Terpsichore , Urania . " To which we will add , for the sake of their mother , Mnemosyne , though some ancient authors surmise they lived before Jupiter , their mythological father , and Avere the daughters of Cesium ( vide Mus . Ap . Lyl . Gyr . ) . Erom

the Cast alius Fans , a well or fount of lympid water , at the ascent of Parnassus , they were called Castalides . Also , from a river in Sicily , or another famous mountain not far from Parnassus , in Bceotia , knoAmias the Helicon , at the foot of which was the celebrated fountain Aganippe ( whence their name , AganippeaV ) , they were

styled Heliconides , or Heliconiades . Erom the name of the stream by the Greeks called Hippoerene and by the Latins Caballinus , or Pegasius , "'the horse-fountain" ( in allusion to the winged horse , Pegasus , who , rearing and striking the earth , opened the fountain there , whose waters became vocal ) , they received their names of

Hippocrenides , and Pegasides ( vide Oi'id , v . Metam . ; Siclon . Apollin . ) . They were called Parnassides , from the Phoeian hill ( Parnassus ) , some description of which we have already given , formed of two peaks or heads , the one named after Apollo , and the other after Diana . Whoever slept on the firstbecameas a- favourite of the

, , god of song , poetically inspired ; whoever fell asleep on the other , as denounced by the goddess of chastity , became afflicted Avith lunatic visions , though the poet only says -.

—"Nee in bicipiti somniasse Parnasso Memini , ut repente sic poeta prodirem . " Delphi , the city of Phocis , in Achaia , is notv called Castri ; and the Mons Parnassus . Heliocoro . This mountain is 5750 feet in hei ght , and from it may be seen the Acropolis of Corintheihty miles distant . Its more ancient

, g name was Larnassus , derived from Lamace the ark of Deucalion which rested there from the flood ; afterwards , in course of time , from the residence , or after the name of some pastoral potentate who made his stronghold in the mountain , it was called Parnassus . This may be so , as the etymology of the words are dissimilar ; but as the old

Greek A and n mig ht soon , inscribed on brass or stone , corrode into the appearance of either letter , it is more probable it may have been changed in this manner ; at any rate , the general confusion of names all the world over would at once account for such an alteration .