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known, it should be presumed to be the production of an angel.
The following statement is to be found in the author's book, p. 51:—"Busiris expressly declared: 'I am the author of Mahabharata, and I can answer for five thousand years of time, for I was then on earth'; and he goes on to give an inteaesting account of the civilization, and manners and customs of the inhabitants of his day, long antecedent to the system of caste which now prevails in India." We are now informed by Mr. Oxley that the words, "long antecedent to the system of caste which now prevails in India," were not uttered by Busiris, but that they were written by himself. Even then, Busiris has undoubtedly some connection with the statement. "The interesting account of the civilization, and manners and customs of the inhabitants of his day," given by Busiris, is either consistent with the existence of caste at that time, or it is not. If it is, the author's statement does not harmonize with the account of Busiris, and I do not suppose that the author will venture to contradict the statements of an angel. I should, therfore, assume that the aocount given by Busiris is incosistent with the existence of caste at the time he appeared in human form.
If so, the account in question flaty contradicts all the statements in Mahabharata itself, which refer to the system of caste (see Santiparvam and Anusasnikaparvam). The author's quotation of Professor Williams' opinion regarding Purusha Sukta does not show that it does not properly form a portion of Rig-Veda, and no reasons are given for holding that the system of caste mentioned in Bhagvat-Gita is not properly speaking a system of caste. And here again the author thinks it necessary to condemn orthodox Brahminism for the purpose of enforcing his arguments. If the author really thinks that he will gain his cause by abusing "orthodox Brahminism," he is entirely mistaken.
After giving us a brif account of the progress of the United States and predicting the future downfall of orthodox Brah-
