Editorial note — Chapter XII · (continued 2)

“The new cycle, which began in 1240 of our era, will come to the end of its first quarter in 4010 A.D.”

The Baron explains that “in round numbers, the most favorable epochs for our hemisphere since the great catastrophe in Middle Asia (Deluge 10,000 years B.C.) are: the 4,000 years before, and the 4,000 years after Christ; and the beginning of the first epoch, of which alone we can judge, as it alone is complete before us, coincides exactly with the beginnings of national history, or (what is identical) with the beginning of our consciousness of continuous existence” (“Egypt’s Place in Universal History,” Key, p. 102).

“Our consciousness” must mean, we suppose, the consciousness of scientists, who accept nothing on faith, but much on unverified hypotheses. We do not say this with reference to the above-quoted author, earnest scholar and noble champion that he is, of freedom in the Christian Church, but generally. Baron Bunsen has well found for himself that a man cannot remain an honest scientist and please the clerical party. Even the little concessions he made in favor of the antiquity of mankind, brought on him, in 1859, the most insolent denunciations, such as “We lose all faith in the author’s judgment ... he has yet to learn the very first principles of historical criticisms ... extravagant and unscientific exaggeration,” and so on—the pious vituperator closing his learned denunciations by assuring the public that Baron Bunsen “cannot even construct a Greek sentence” (“Quarterly Review,” 1859; see also “Egypt’s Place in Universal History,” chap. on Egyptological Works and English Reviews). But we do regret that Baron Bunsen had no better opportunity to examine the “Kabala” and the Brahmanical books of the Zodiacs.