e powerful empire of Mogadha, in the Southern Bahr.[163:3]

R. Spence Hardy says, in his "Manual of Buddhism:"

"The ancestry of Gotama Buddha is traced from his father,
Sodhodana, through various individuals and races, all of royal
dignity, to Maha Sammata, the first monarch of the world.
Several of the names, and some of the events, are met with in
the Puranas of the Brahmins, but it is not possible to
reconcile one order of statement with the other; and it would
appear that the Buddhist historians have introduced races, and
invented names, that they may invest their venerated sage with
all the honors of heraldry, in addition to the attributes of
divinity."

How remarkably these words compare with what we have just seen
concerning the genealogies of Jesus!

_Rama_, another Indian _avatar_--the seventh incarnation of Vishnu--was
also of _royal descent_.[163:4]

_Fo-hi_; or _Fuh-he_, the virgin-born "Son of Heaven," was of _royal
descent_. He belonged to the oldest family of monarchs who ruled in
China.[163:5]

_Confucius_ was of _royal descent_. His pedigree is traced back in a
summary manner to the monarch _Hoang-ty_, who is said to have lived and
ruled more than two thousand years before the time of Christ
Jesus.[163:6]

_Horus_, the Egyptian virgin-born Saviour, was of _royal descent_,
having descended from a line of kings.[163:7] He had the title of "Royal
Good Shepherd."[163:8]

_Hercules_, the Saviour, was of _royal descent_.[163:9]

_Bacchus_, although the Son of God, was of _royal descent_.[164:1]

_Perseus_, son of the virgin Danae, was of _royal descent_.[164:2]

_AEsculapius_, the great performer of miracles, although a son of God,
was notwithstanding of _royal descent_.[164:3]

Many more such cases might be mentioned, as may be seen by referring to
the histories of the virgin-born gods and demi-gods spoken of in Chapter
XII.

FOOTNOTES:

[160:1] That is, a passage in the Old Testament was construed to mean
this, although another and more plausible meaning might be inferred. It
is when Abraham is blessed by the Lord, who is made to say: "_In thy
seed_ shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast
obeyed my voice." (Genesis, xxii. 18.)

[160:2] Vol. ii. p. 214.

[161:1] Matthew, i. 17.

[161:2] Scott's English Life of Jesus.

[162:1] Matthew, xiii. 54; Luke, iv. 24.

[162:2] Mark, ii. 35.

[162:3] "There is no d