The Ancient World and Christianity. Translated from the French of
E. de Pressense,. D.D., by Annie Harwood Holman. (Hodder and Stoughton.)—In this volume, evidently the work of a man of great learning, M. de Pressenae traces what he conceives to be the indications of the divine law [of' duty] through all the religions of antiquity, as these have come down to us in their sacred books." He brings successively under review the religions of the ancient East, of the Aryans (especially as developed in the faith of Zoroaster), of India (as seen in its Vedic form, in Brahmanism, and in Buddhism), of Hellenic Paganism, and Grieco-Roman Paganism. This sketch, necessarily rapid as it ha is not superficial. On the contrary, it is full of real value. We should have been glad if the writer had pointed out more directly how these ancient religions were a- preparation for Christianity "All history before the Coming of Christ," he writes in his intro- duction, " has but this one end in view ; to prepare the way before Him by a series of dispensations, all designed to overcome the opposition of humanity." It is a noble thesis, and we believe it to be true ; we do not deny that- there are proofs of it in this volume ; but it would have been well to have had them more explicitly stated. Perhaps we are to have it in a future volume which is to deal with Judaism. Meanwhile, we may thank the author very heartily for a work in which the learning is not more manifest than is the wide human sympathy. One criticism he must allow :--0 In one grand verse he [Virgil]
likens great sorrow to the great sea, whose solemn surging makes echo to their sobs :—
' Cunctnque profundam Ponta= ad spectabant Routes:"
This is a very mystical reading of Virgil. The Trojan women are looking at the sea, of which they are thoroughly weary, but which nevertheless they are about to traverse again.
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