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NOTES. 271jecture to guide them. This is remarliably the case yiiih theGreek and Roman mythology.Whatever historian could invv.npthe most plausible story, was sure to be listenedsame time could not be detected, because there was nocriterion whereby his works could be tried.to, and at thecertainAt the christian aera a very different scene presented itself.The history of the world, from its creation, and an accuratechronology of all eventsdisplayed to mankind.recorded in the sacred scriptures, wasThe heathen nations, sensible that theirhistories could not stand the test of this criterion, made the necessaryalterations, principally in point of chronology. Theliistories of Greece and Rome were, however, at this period, sowidely disseminated, that it would have been madness to rlsquQthe attempt.Another cause of these alterations was the well meant, thoughmost unjustifiable conduct of early christians, who mouldedmany of their ancient books to prom^ote the cause of Christianity.Hence we have the prophecies of Zoroaster, Ilystaspes, and theSybills respecting the Messiah— the character and description ofthe person of Christ in Josephus, kc. &c.But these interpola^lions are so palpable that they are easily detected.On the other hand, when the Irish historians deduce their originfrom Csisarea, Ncah's niece, or from the three daughters otCain,and mark such events as took place prior to the christiansera, with the letters A. M.— 2. e. anno mundi^ or year of theworld, it is evident these alterations, additions, and interpolations^must have been made since the introduction of Christianity ;but it does not follow that the date of these manuscripts must beas late as the christian aera, otherwise it must follow that Zoroasterand the Sybills also wrote posterior to Christianity, which, weknow, was not the case.But an unquestionable proof of the antiquity of these manuscriptsis, that they contain the rites and formularies of theDruids, and must consequently have been written prior io thechristian a^ra; for it is a fact, that St. Patrick and his successors,instead of recording the rites of the Druids, did every tiling iaBi m 2