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...to banish the coarseness original: Roheit; referring to a lack of refinement or the "primitive" state of society before Enlightenment of the customs of their century, and to transform the peoples into civilized nations. This was the purpose of an Osiris in Egypt, an Orpheus in Thrace, a Zoroaster in Persia, a Minos in Crete, Cinyras in Cyprus, and Erechtheus in Athens: such mysteries The "Mysteries" refer to ancient secret religious rites, such as the Eleusinian or Dionysian Mysteries, which were restricted to "initiates." were established only for the spreading of the knowledge of a single God, and for the attainment of that moral virtue which alone brings happiness to mankind.
"Very well, dear Doctor," said the yawning Shah Gebal—"but to the point, if I may ask—"
Danischmende, who was already accustomed to such interruptions original: Einfälle; literally "ideas" or "notions," but here referring to the Sultan's impatient outbursts, merely bowed deeply—and continued undisturbed—
"It was one of the most ingenious ideas of the ancients to make use of the human inclination toward the marvelous original: zum Wunderbaren; the human tendency to be fascinated by the supernatural or the extraordinary in order to lead them toward wisdom and virtue. For this reason, they established certain stages original: Stuffen; degrees or levels of progression within a secret society and ceremonies which no one who wished to be initiated could evade: this..."