Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 13, 1902.djvu/26

 14 Presidetittal Address.

and that it is not an exception to any general law of progress and of continuity, which may be found to prevail in any other part of man's nature.

I am well aware of the logical weakness of any argument based upon mere analogy. As Darwin says, " Analogy may be a deceitful guide." What we require in this branch of science, as in every other, is a large basis of facts for induction. Analogy, however, is a very useful handmaid to science ; and these particular analogies are led up to by the establishment of similar analogies in regard to the physical nature of man. It is seventy years since von Baer discovered that in the life of the embryo you have a represen- tation of all the stages of animal existence, from the lowest to the highest, and later observers have traced in the life of a single embryo the several appearances of animal life in, successive geological epochs. It is true in physical matters therefore, as well as in psychical matters, that the individual and the general pass through the same phases of continuity. In seeking to apply this analogy to the province of religion, I must ask you to allow as wide a boundary and as liberal a definition to that province as you can, so as to include all man's dealings with the unknown.

Our illustrious member, Mr. Frazer, between the writing of the first edition of the Golden Bough and that of the second edition, experienced some change of view on this subject, and with that candour which is the distinguishing characteristic of men like Darwin and himself, has frankly stated it. Originally, he was of opinion that magic was a part of religion ; lately, he has learned to distinguish between them. Now he defines magic as that which assumes the expected result to follow as a necessary consequence of the means prescribed to secure it ; religion, as that which seeks to obtain what it wishes by propitiation or conciliation of the higher powers who may either grant or withhold the gifts at their pleasure. May 1 venture to suggest that this definition is hardly a perfect one ? Does the idea of propitiatory in-