that there have been numerous bloody wars with France under the
dominion of the _Bourbons_: and we are now told that France is
governed by a Bourbon king, of the name of Lewis, who professes to be
in the twenty-third year of his reign. Let every one conjecture for
himself. I am far from pretending to decide who may have been the
governor or governors of the French nation, and the leaders of their
armies, for several years past. Certain it is, that when men are
indulging their inclination for the marvellous, they always show a
strong propensity to accumulate upon _one_ individual (real or
imaginary) the exploits of many; besides multiplying and exaggerating
these exploits a thousandfold. Thus, the expounders of the ancient
mythology tell us there were several persons of the name of Hercules,
(either originally bearing that appellation, or having it applied to
them as an honour,) whose collective feats, after being dressed up in
a sufficiently marvellous garb, were attributed to a single hero. Is
it not just possible, that during the rage for words of Greek
derivation, the title of "Napoleon," (Ναπολέων,) which signifies "Lion
of the forest," may have been conferred by the popular voice on more
than one favorite general, distinguished for irresistible valour? Is
it not also possible that "BUONA PARTE" may have been originally a
sort of cant term applied to the "good (i.e., the bravest or most
patriotic) part" of the French army, collectively; and have been
afterwards mistaken for the proper name of an individual?[23] I do not
profess to support this conjecture; but it is certain that such
mistakes may and do occur. Some critics have supposed that the
Athenians imagined ANASTASIS ("Resurrection") to be a new goddess, in
whose cause Paul was preaching. Would it have been thought anything
incredible if we had been told that the ancient Persians, who had no
idea of any but a monarchical government, had supposed Aristocratia to
be a queen of Sparta? But we need not confine ourselves to