[141-2] There is a carefully written essay on the views of the Romish Church on this subject, preceding _The Revelations of Saint Brigida_ (N. Y. 1875). [146-1] Chusco or Catherine Wabose, “the prophetess of Chegoimegon,” has left a full and psychologically most valuable account of her inspiration. It is published in Schoolcraft’s _History and Statistics of the Indian Tribes_, Vol. I., p. 390, sqq. [147-1] _The Koran_, Sura liii. This is in date one of the earliest suras. [147-2] _The Journal of George Fox_, pp. 59, 67, 69. [149-1] Wilhelm von Humboldt, _Gesammelte Werke_, Bd. iv., s. 278. [150-1] In his treatise _De Veritate_, itself the subject, as its author thought, of a special revelation, Lord Herbert of Cherbury, gives as one of the earmarks of a real revelation: “ut afflatum Divini numinis sentias, ita enim internæ Facultatum circa veritatem operationes a revelationibus externis distinguuntur.” p. 226. [151-1] Spinoza, _Espistolæ et Responsionnes_, Ep. xxxiv. THE MYTH AND THE MYTHICAL CYCLES. SUMMARY. Myths are inspirations concerning the Unknown. Science treats them as apperceptions of the relations of man and nature. Moments of their growth, as treated by mythological science. Their similar forms, explained variously, the topic of the philosophy of mythology. The ante-mythical period. Myths have centred chiefly around three subjects, each giving rise to a Mythical Cycle. I. The Epochs of Nature. The idea of Time led to the myth of a creation. This starting the question, What was going on before creation? recourse was had to the myth of recurrent epochs. The last epoch gave origin to the Flood Myths; the coming one to that of the Day of Judgment. II. The Paradise lost and to be re-gained. To man, the past and the future are ever better than the present. He imagines a Golden Age in the past and believes it will return. The material Paradise he dreams of in his ruder conditions, becomes a spiritual one with intellectual advancement. The basis of this belief. III. The Hierarchy of the Gods. The earliest hierarchy is a dual classification of the gods into those who help and those who hinder the fruition of desire. Light and darkness typify the contrast. Divinity thus conceived under numerical separateness. Monotheisms do not escape this. The triune nature of single gods. The truly religious and only philosophic notion of divinity is under logical, not mathematical unity. This discards mythical conceptions. CHAPTER V. THE MYTH AND THE MYTHICAL CYCLES.