s child." At the time of his birth,
Nimrod, king of Babylon, was informed by his soothsayers that "a child
should be born in Babylonia, who would shortly become a great prince,
and that he had reason to fear him." The result of this was that Nimrod
then issued orders that "all women with child should be guarded with
great care, _and all children born of them should be put to
death_."[169:2]

The mother of Abraham was at that time with child, but, of course, _he_
escaped from being put to death, although many children were
slaughtered.

_Zoroaster_, the chief of the religion of the Magi, was a "dangerous
child." Prodigies had announced his birth; he was exposed to dangers
from the time of his infancy, and was obliged to fly into Persia, like
Jesus into Egypt. Like him, he was pursued by a king, his enemy, who
wanted to get rid of him.[169:3]

His mother had alarming dreams of evil spirits seeking to destroy the
child to whom she was about to give birth. But a good spirit came to
comfort her and said: "Fear nothing! Ormuzd will protect this infant. He
has sent him as a prophet to the people. The world is waiting for
him."[169:4]

_Perseus_, son of the Virgin Danae, was also a "dangerous child."
Acrisius, king of Argos, being told by the oracle that a son born of his
virgin daughter would destroy him, immured his daughter Danae in a
tower, _where no man could approach her_, and by this means hoped to
keep his daughter from becoming _enceinte_. The god Jupiter, however,
visited her there, as it is related of the Angel Gabriel visiting the
Virgin Mary,[170:1] the result of which was that she bore a
son--_Perseus_. Acrisius, on hearing of his daughter's disgrace, caused
both her and the infant to be shut up in a chest and cast into the sea.
They were discovered by one Dictys, and liberated from what must have
been anything but a pleasant position.[170:2]

_AEsculapius_, when an infant, was exposed on the Mount of Myrtles, and
left there to die, but escaped the death which was intended for him,
having been found and cared for by _shepherds_.[170:3]

_Hercules_, son of the virgin Leto, was left to die on a plain, but was
found and rescued by a maiden.[170:4]

_OEdipous_ was a "dangerous child." Laios, King of Thebes, having been
told by the Delphic Oracle that OEdipous would be his destroyer, no
sooner is OEdipous born than the decree goes forth that the child must
be slain: but the servant to whom he is intrusted cont