Let it then be now distinctly stated that the theory broached is impossible, with or without the additional evidence furnished by modern Astronomy. Physical Science can supply corroborative, though still very uncertain, evidence, but only as regards heavenly bodies on the same plane of materiality as our objective Universe. Mars and Mercury, Venus and Jupiter, like every hitherto discovered planet, or those still to be discovered, are all, _per se_, the representatives on our plane of such Chains. As distinctly stated in one of the numerous letters of Mr. Sinnett’s Teacher: “_there are other and innumerable __ manvantaric Chains of Globes which bear intelligent Beings, both in and outside our Solar System_.” But neither Mars nor Mercury belong to _our_ Chain. They are, along with other planets, septenary Units in the great host of Chains of our System, and all are as visible as their _upper_ Globes are invisible. If it is still argued that certain expressions in the Teacher’s letters were liable to mislead, the answer comes: Amen; so they were. The author of _Esoteric Buddhism_ understood it well when he wrote that such are “the traditional modes of teaching ... by provoking the perplexity,” they _do_ or _do not relieve_—as the case may be. At all events, if it is urged that this might have been explained earlier, and the true nature of the planets given out as they now are, the answer comes that: It was not found expedient to do so at the time, as it would have opened the way to a series of additional questions _which could never be answered on account of their Esoteric nature_, and thus would only become embarrassing. It had been declared from the first, and has been repeatedly asserted since: (1) That no Theosophist, _not even as an accepted Chelâ_, let alone lay students, could expect to have the secret teachings explained to him _thoroughly and completely_, before _he had irretrievably pledged himself to the Brotherhood and passed through at least one Initiation_, because no figures and numbers could be given to the public, for figures and numbers are the key to the Esoteric system. (2) That what was revealed was merely the Esoteric lining of that which is contained in almost all the exoteric scriptures of the world‐religions—preëminently in the _Brâhmanas_ and the _Upanishads_ of the _Vedas_, and even in the _Purânas_. It was a small portion of what is divulged far more fully now in the present volumes; and even this is very incomplete and fragmentary. When the present work was commenced, the writer, feeling sure that the speculation about Mars and Mercury was a mistake, applied to the Teachers _by letter_ for an explanation and an authoritative version. Both came in due time, and _verbatim_ extracts from these are now given.