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he queen of the gods； she who knows Ra and his true name。
From this story it appears that the real name of the god； with which his power was inextricably bound up； was supposed to be lodged； in an almost physical sense； somewhere in his breast； from which Isis extracted it by a sort of surgical operation and transferred it with all its supernatural powers to herself。 In Egypt attempts like that of Isis to appropriate the power of a high god by possessing herself of his name were not mere legends told of the mythical beings of a remote past； every Egyptian magician aspired to wield like powers by similar means。 For it was believed that he who possessed the true name possessed the very being of god or man； and could force even a deity to obey him as a slave obeys his master。 Thus the art of the magician consisted in obtaining from the gods a revelation of their sacred names； and he left no stone unturned to accomplish his end。 When once a god in a moment of weakness or forgetfulness had imparted to the wizard the wondrous lore； the deity had no choice but to submit humbly to the man or pay the penalty of his contumacy。
The belief in the magic virtue of divine names was shared by the Romans。 When they sat down before a city； the priests addressed the guardian deity of the place in a set form of prayer or incantation； inviting him to abandon the beleaguered city and come over to the Romans； who would treat him as well as or better than he had ever been treated in his old home。 Hence the name of the guardian deity of Rome was kept a profound secret； lest the enemies of the republic might lure him away； even as the Romans themselves had induced many gods to desert； like rats； the falling fortunes of cities that had sheltered them in happier days。 Nay； the real name； not merely of its guardian deity； but of the city itself； was wrapt in mystery and might never be uttered； not even in the sacred rites。 A certain Valerius Soranus； who dared to divulge the priceless secret； was put to death or came to a bad end。 In like manner； it seems； the ancient Assyrians were forbidden to mention the mystic names of their cities； and down to modern times the Cheremiss of the Caucasus keep the names of their communal villages secret from motives of superstition。
If the reader has had the patience to follow this examination of the superstitions attaching to personal names； he will probably agree that the mystery in which the names of royal personages are so often shrouded is no isolated phenomenon； no arbitrary expression of courtly servility and adulation； but merely the particular application of a general law of primitive thought； which includes within its scope common folk and gods as well as kings and priests。
Chapter 23。 Our Debt to the Savage。
IT would be easy to extend the list of royal and priestly taboos； but the instances collected in the preceding pages may suffice as specimens。 To conclude this part of our subject it only remains to state summarily the general conclusions to which our enquiries have thus far conducted us。 We have seen that in savage or barbarous society there are often found men to whom the superstition of their fellows ascribes a controlling influence over the general course of nature。 Such men are accordingly adored and treated as gods。 Whether these human divinities also hold temporal sway over the lives and fortunes of their adorers； or whether their functions are purely spiritual and supernatural； in other words； whether they are kings as well as gods or only the latter； is a distinction which hardly concerns us here。 Their supposed divinity is the essential fact with which we have to deal。 In virtue of it they are a pledge and guarantee to their worshippers of the continuance and orderly succession of those physical phenomena upon which mankind depends for subsistence。 Naturally； therefore； the life and health of such a god…man are matters of anxious concern to the people whose welfare and even existence are bound up with his； naturally he is constrained by them to conform to such rules as the wit of early man has devised for averting the ills to which flesh is heir； including the last ill； death。 These rules； as an examination of them has shown； are nothing but the maxims with which； on the primitive view； every man of common prudence must comply if he would live long in the land。 But while in the case of ordinary men the observance of the rules is left to the choice of the individual； in the case of the god…man it is enforced under penalty of dismissal from his high station； or even of death。 For his worshippers have far too great a stake in his life to allow him to play fast and loose with it。 Therefore all the quaint superstitions； the old…world maxims； the venerable saws which the ingenuity of savage philosophers elaborated long ago； and which old women at chimney corners still impart as treasures of great price to their descendants gathered round the cottage fire on winter eveningsall these antique fancies clustered； all these cobwebs of the brain were spun about the path of the old king； the human god； who； immeshed in them like a fly in the toils of a spider； could hardly stir a limb for the threads of custom； light as air but strong as links of iron； that crossing and recrossing each other in an endless maze bound him fast within a network of observances from which death or deposition alone could release him。
Thus to students of the past the life of the old kings and priests teems with instruction。 In it was summed up all that passed for wisdom when the world was young。 It was the perfect pattern after which every man strove to shape his life； a faultless model constructed with rigorous accuracy upon the lines laid down by a barbarous philosophy。 Crude and false as that philosophy may seem to us； it would be unjust to deny it the merit of logical consistency。 Starting from a conception of the vital principle as a tiny being or soul existing in； but distinct and separable from； the living being； it deduces for the practical guidance of life a system of rules which in general hangs well together and forms a fairly complete and harmonious whole。 The flawand it is a fatal oneof the system lies not in its reasoning； but in its premises； in its conception of the nature of life； not in any irrelevancy of the conclusions which it draws from that conception。 But to stigmatise these premises as ridiculous because we can easily detect their falseness； would be ungrateful as well as unphilosophical。 We stand upon the foundation reared by the generations that have gone before； and we can but dimly realise the painful and prolonged efforts which it has cost humanity to struggle up to the point； no very exalted one after all； which we have reached。 Our gratitude is due to the nameless and forgotten toilers； whose patient thought and active exertions have largely made us what we are。 The amount of new knowledge which one age； certainly which one man； can add to the common store is small； and it argues stupidity or dishonesty； besides ingratitude； to ignore the heap while vaunting the few grains which it may have been our privilege to add to it。 There is indeed little danger at present of undervaluing the cont