Forlong - Rivers of Life

PREFACE
IT being now several years since the first part of these volumes was written, the
author craves the pardon of those who put their names down for copies in response
to a prospectus of 1876 which he issued on his intended return to duty in the
East. The work then contemplated was by no means as large or serious an undertaking
as the present, and it fell more easily from the author’s hand as the every-
day thoughts and observations of Indian life on the living faiths around him. But on
retirement from Her Majesty’s service in 1877, it seemed advisible to halt, and read
up further matter for which hitherto there had neither been opportunity in the way of
ancient literature, nor time, from the exigencies of heavy executive and administrative
work. He had long been anxious to take up more thoroughly and systematically the
earliest developments of Western faiths as founded on and closely interlaced with, all
the oldest as well as modern religions of Central and Eastern Asia. Indeed, the striking
parallelisms had always been an engrossing study especially during every visit to
Europe, and had led up gradually to the formation of divers synchronous charts of
all Religions or Faith-ideas, and to various Synoptical tables, such as that contained
in Appendix IV. of Vol. II, besides having entailed a good deal of correspondence in
Indian Journals. The writer fortunately has had not only leisure to study most of
what has been written regarding the ancient ruins, shrines or places sacred in the
religious and legendary histories of Egypt, Western Asia and Europe, but had personally
inspected these from the upper Nile to over most part of Syria; portions of Asia
Minor, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, and particularly the Keltic remains of the West;
while of the East and its faith, especially India and its surroundings, he felt able to
speak with the authority and confidence which is begotten by living among the people,
talking several of their languages, and closely studying their faiths, rites and customs
during the third part of a century. It has been urged upon the author that even at the
risk of being thought obtrusive he should here inform his readers of these and some
other little matters of personal history, necessay for them to understand the circumstances
which have directed his studies and given him a certain confidence in pursuing
them. From these it will he seen that he has enjoyed as favourable opportunities of