enter naked into the world, and naked must they leave it: and since Ishtar has decided to accept their lot, she too must be prepared to divest herself of her garments.’” The guardian went, he opened his mouth: ‘Enter, my lady, and may Kutha rejoice--may the palace and the land without return exult in thy presence! ‘He causes her to pass through the first gate, divests her, removes the great crown from her head:--‘Why, guardian, dost thou remove the great crown from my head?’--‘Enter, my lady, such is the law of Allat.’ The second gate, he causes her to pass through it, he divests her--removes the rings from her ears:--‘Why, guardian, dost thou remove the rings from my ears?’--‘Enter, my lady, such is the law of Allat.’” And from gate to gate he removes some ornament from the distressed lady--now her necklace with its attached amulets, now the tunic which covers her bosom, now her enamelled girdle, her bracelets, and the rings on her ankles: and at length, at the seventh gate, takes from her her last covering. When she at length arrives in the presence of Allat, she throws herself upon her in order to wrest from her in a terrible struggle the life of Dumuzi; but Allat sends for Namtar, her messenger of misfortune, to punish, the rebellious Ishtar. “Strike her eyes with the affliction of the eyes--strike her loins with the affliction of the loins--strike her feet with the affliction of the feet--strike her heart with the affliction of the heart--strike her head with the affliction of the head--strike violently at her, at her whole body!” While Ishtar was suffering the torments of the infernal regions, the world of the living was wearing mourning on account of her death. In the absence of the goddess of love, the rites of love could no longer be performed. The passions of animals and men were suspended. If she did not return quickly to the daylight, the races of men and animals would become extinct, the earth would become a desert, and the gods would have neither votaries nor offerings. [Illustration: 226.jpg ISHTAR DESPOILED OF HER GARMENTS IN HADES] Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a Chaldaean intaglio in the Hague Museum. Salomon Reinach has demonstrated that the naked figure is not the goddess herself, but a statue of the goddess which was adored in one of the temples.