Our scepticism is confirmed by the extraordinary diversity of opinion
among scholars as to what the right analysis of old divine names is. Mr.
Max Muller writes (i. 18): 'I have never been able to extract from my
critics the title of a single book in which my etymologies and my
mythological equations had been seriously criticised by real scholars.'
We might answer, 'Why tell you what you know very well?' For (i. 50) you
say that while Signer Canizzaro calls some of your 'equations'
'irrefutably demonstrated,' 'other scholars declare these equations are
futile and impossible.' Do these other scholars criticise your equations
not 'seriously'? Or are you ignorant of the names of their works?
Another case. Our author says that 'many objections were raised' to his
'equation' of Athene=Ahana='Dawn' (ii. 378, 400, &c.). Have the
objections ceased? Here are a few scholars who do not, or did not,
accept Athene=Ahana: Welcker, Benfey, Curtius, Preller, Furtwangler,
Schwartz, and now Bechtel (i. 378). Mr. Max Muller thinks that he is
right, but, till scholars agree, what can we do but wait?