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philosopher as to its extent or its causes； I had no doubt that Zee could
have brained all the Fellows of the Royal Society； one after the other； with
a blow of her fist。 Every sensible man knows that it is useless to argue
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with any ordinary female upon matters he comprehends； but to argue with
a Gy seven feet high upon the mysteries of vril；… as well argue in a desert；
and with a simoon！
Amid the various departments to which the vast building of the
College of Sages was appropriated； that which interested me most was
devoted to the archaeology of the Vril…ya； and comprised a very ancient
collection of portraits。 In these the pigments and groundwork employed
were of so durable a nature that even pictures said to be executed at dates
as remote as those in the earliest annals of the Chinese； retained much
freshness of colour。 In examining this collection； two things especially
struck me：… first； that the pictures said to be between 6000 and 7000 years
old were of a much higher degree of art than any produced within the last
3000 or 4000 years； and； second； that the portraits within the former
period much more resembled our own upper world and European types of
countenance。 Some of them； indeed reminded me of the Italian heads
which look out from the canvases of Titian… speaking of ambition or craft；
of care or of grief； with furrows in which the passions have passed with
iron ploughshare。 These were the countenances of men who had lived in
struggle and conflict before the discovery of the latent forces of vril had
changed the character of society… men who had fought with each other for
power or fame as we in the upper world fight。
The type of face began to evince a marked change about a thousand
years after the vril revolution； becoming then； with each generation； more
serene； and in that serenity more 75terribly distinct from the faces of
labouring and sinful men； while in proportion as the beauty and the
grandeur of the countenance itself became more fully developed； the art of
the painter became more tame and monotonous。
But the greatest curiosity in the collection was that of three portraits
belonging to the pre…historical age； and； according to mythical tradition；
taken by the orders of a philosopher； whose origin and attributes were as
much mixed up with symbolical fable as those of an Indian Budh or a
Greek Prometheus。
》From this mysterious personage； at once a sage and a hero； all the
principal sections of the Vril…ya race pretend to trace a common origin。
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The portraits are of the philosopher himself； of his grandfather； and
great…grandfather。 They are all at full length。 The philosopher is attired
in a long tunic which seems to form a loose suit of scaly armour； borrowed；
perhaps； from some fish or reptile； but the feet and hands are exposed： the
digits in both are wonderfully long； and webbed。 He has little or no
perceptible throat； and a low receding forehead； not at all the ideal of a
sage's。 He has bright brown prominent eyes； a very wide mouth and high
cheekbones； and a muddy complexion。 According to tradition； this
philosopher had lived to a patriarchal age； extending over many centuries；
and he remembered distinctly in middle life his grandfather as surviving；
and in childhood his great…grandfather； the portrait of the first he had taken；
or caused to be taken； while yet alive… that of the latter was taken from his
effigies in mummy。 The portrait of his grandfather had the features and
aspect of the philosopher； only much more exaggerated： he was not
dressed； and the colour of his body was singular； the breast and stomach
yellow； the shoulders and legs of a dull bronze hue： the great…grandfather
was a magnificent specimen of the Batrachian genus； a Giant Frog； 'pur et
simple。'
Among the pithy sayings which； according to tradition； the
philosopher bequeathed to posterity in rhythmical form and 76sententious
brevity； this is notably recorded： 〃Humble yourselves； my descendants； the
father of your race was a 'twat' （tadpole）： exalt yourselves； my descendants；
for it was the same Divine Thought which created your father that
develops itself in exalting you。〃
Aph…Lin told me this fable while I gazed on the three Batrachian
portraits。 I said in reply： 〃You make a jest of my supposed ignorance and
credulity as an uneducated Tish； but though these horrible daubs may be of
great antiquity； and were intended； perhaps； for some rude caracature； I
presume that none of your race even in the less enlightened ages； ever
believed that the great…grandson of a Frog became a sententious
philosopher； or that any section； I will not say of the lofty Vril…ya； but of
the meanest varieties of the human race； had its origin in a Tadpole。〃
〃Pardon me；〃 answered Aph…Lin： 〃in what we call the Wrangling or
Philosophical Period of History； which was at its height about seven
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thousand years ago； there was a very distinguished naturalist； who proved
to the satisfaction of numerous disciples such analogical and anatomical
agreements in structure between an An and a Frog； as to show that out of
the one must have developed the other。 They had some diseases in
common； they were both subject to the same parasitical worms in the
intestines； and； strange to say； the An has； in his structure； a swimming…
bladder； no longer of any use to him； but which is a rudiment that clearly
proves his descent from a Frog。 Nor is there any argument against this
theory to be found in the relative difference of size； for there are still
existent in our world Frogs of a size and stature not inferior to our own；
and many thousand years ago they appear to have been still larger。〃
〃I understand that；〃 said I； 〃because Frogs t