The Secret History Of Pythagoras 1751

Groxall, Samuel The secret history of pythagoras

PR 3383 C22S4 1751

THE SECRET

HISTORY O F

PTTH^GOR^S. Tranflated from the

ORIGINAL COPY, Lately found at

OTRANTO

ITALY.

in

0eaV,

voft

05

Jiotx.ei]oti

Pyth. Carm. Aur.

LONDON: Printed for R.

GR

in 5/. Ptf a/* J

i

F F

i

T H

s,

at the

Church-Tard.

[Price

One

Shilling.]

Dunciad

1751.

175)

THE

PREFACE. TH

E

Traaflation of this venerable

of Antiquity is undertook upon a double Score ; being defigned as well to entertain the Curiofity of the Learned, as to fupply the Defeats of Piece

the Ignorant.

If the original

Language would have been more acceptable to the one, it would have been lefs intelligible to the other.

I

without uttering a

cannot,

fo fingular Falfity, venture to affirm that

and valuable a Piece at leaft as yet fhall flatter

may

:

my

And felf,

contribute in

will be in the

that this

fome

A

made Public, mean Time I

2

little

Effay

fort or other to the

Diver-

PREFACE.

The

Diverlion, if not Inftru<9;io%, of People in every Condition of Life*

If this will

is

make

ftances

well received, the other Parts

their

Appearance

proper Di-

no more

at

would not be thought

to

of Time.

prefent, becaufe I

at

I publifh

much upon any one's Patience ; lofing my own Labour, I am under

impofe too as for

no bad Apprehenfions about Reader cannot

that

$

for the

with a greater Difdain, than I have tranflated with Pleafure, the rejeft

Contents of this Book. I fhall fay little by the Subject Matter of Bufinefs to think

it

way of Apology

for

not

my

it,

lince

wants any,

Nature of the Thing fpeaks itfelf.

it is

fo

and the

amply

for

That Pythagoras, who held the

Tranfmigration of Souls, pretended to re tranfafted in the Bodies

member Things

which he had formerly animated, has been Ovid in the fifteenth univerfally allowed. Book of his Metamorphofes, introduces him iff

PREFACE.

The

in a Ledlure to his Difciples,

of himfelf

Ipfe

faying thus

:

Ego (nam memini)

^Trojani tempore belli

Panthoides Euphorbus eram> &c.

and he proceeds to mention fome Particularg

which happened

to

him

at that

Time.

may he

not as well be fuppofed to have recorded the great Variety

Why therefore

of Incidents which he muft have met with

which he inhabited ? One would almoft fupeft that Ovid had feen the other Bodies

in

following Memoirs, and taken his Hints from them ; fince he makes our

the

Philofophers, fpeaking of the Depravity of

Mankind,

fay

Infcripfere

Deos

fceleri,

Numenque fupernum

Qcede laboriferi credunt gaudere juvenci.

But there

is

no

Room

we Mouth

prefently after into his

$

find

to queftion

it,

when

he puts thefe Words

The

PREFACE.

O Gemis attonitum gtlid* formidine mortis

!

Quid Styga^ quid tenebras, quid nomina vana Materiem Vatum ? [timetis,

So

little

Reafon

at the Revival

is

of

there for being furprized this

Hifiory now, that

we might be reckoned ftrangely we 'had not concluded there had

infipid, if

once been

fuch a Thing extant, though it had utterly periflied among the Ruins of Time.

The

Greek Sentence which I have put in

the Title-Page for a Motto, and which is Pythagoras his own, being the Beginning

of

his

cept

Golden

Verfes, feems to be a Pre

which he would have us think he had

been taught in the Perfon of JEtbaKdes; for

it is

in Englift> y

Worfhif the immortal Gods as by Law

eftabliftfd.

Human Laws

refpe&ing altogether the external Behaviour and Deportment, and

not being capable in their Nature of aftakes fedting the Heart:; this Philofopher

Occafion

The

PREFACE,

Occafion more than once to excite us to an

Obfervance of them.

which

The Laws

of God,

the inward Regulation and are not of a Quality

alfo regard

of the Mind,

under the Cognizance of human Judges, he refers to the Arbritation of Reafon ; and queftions not, if we are de

to

fall

termined by that, but they will meet with a ready Compliance. If any one, to fhew his Skill in Criticifm, fhould remark that this Secret Hiftory, becaufe of the Inaccuracy and Uncertainty of its Style, does not feem to have been

s

compiled by fo learned a Philofopher: I have one Thing to obferve to him, which ought in Reafon to out-ballance all the Occafions for Cavil

upon

that

Account

$

he

is

not to look upon this as a regular Perform ance, but as what undoubtedly it was, Minutes taken in Short-Hand by fome

Sympofiac or Difciple, and

filled

up

after-

Wards, upon a leifurely Recollection.

Befides

The

PREFACE.

Befides, as the fhortnefs

of a Profpedl

fometimes thought to be a Difadvantage to it, fo poffibly this may be the lefs pleafing is

upon the fame Account.

Therefore I

am

to acquaint the Reader, that the whole Vifta will be opened by Degrees, which I

more

furprizing : Brown Shades, and flowry Meadows, the winding Stream, and the old Ruins, the diftant

hope

will be the

Woods

gilded with Sunihine, and

beyond

all, the blueifh Mountains, will fucceffively I have given no more here than appear.

what may be

feen without {training the

afcending an Eminence; it is not defigned to take off the Eye from Sight,

or

Things of greater Confequence, but may be perufed at the Repaft of the Tea-Table, or in a Coffee-Houfe Vacation.

INTRO-

INTRODUCTION. the Learned are already fuffi-

SINCE

ciently apprized,

by their refpeftive from Italy, of the

Correspondents of Curiolities great Treafure

been

there in lately difcover'd

which has the Garden

of an ancient Palace, which flands upon the Ruins of the old Town of Croton y I ihall detain the Reader no longer with a Account of that Matter, than what is juft neceflary to illuftrate the Sub to communicate. ject I am going particular

In a Part of the Wildernefs belonging to the Gardens of a decay'd Palace of a cer tain Cardinal, near Otranto, there has been,

for

fome Generations

paft, a large

Cafcade

almoft naturally form'd, which falls down the Sides of a broken Rock into a Bafon

of no fmall Circumference

Want

;

in

which, for

of due Infpeftion and Repair, (the

B

Cardinal

INTRODUCTION.

ii

Cardinal refiding moftly at another Palace fituated more conveniently in Refped to

Diftance from Rome] there has been, long fince, a Rupture, or Chafm on one its

Side near the

Bottom

;

at

which the Water

having, for fome Time, emptied

itfelf, did,,

and wafh away the con crete Particles of which the Cement confifted, which held the Stones of the Foun

at laft, fo dilute

dation together,

that

the whole Fabrick

funk in one Night.

The Depth of this Sinking made thofe who faw it the next Day, apprehend it to have been the EfFedts of an Earthquake

;

being fearched into not long after,

by fome Workmen who were fet to repair it,, it was difcovered to be caufed by the fall ing in of an Arch, over which the Bafon was built. This Arch, by the Frag

till,

ments of it, appeared to have been defigned for the Roof or Covering of fome Grot and, from the Pieces of Carving, ftill curi remaining upon it, fome of the more to

5

ous Spectators concluded

Upon

clearing

it

to be antique.

the Place of

its

Rubbifh,

they were foon, to their great Satisfaction, con-

INTRODUCTION.

iii

confirmed in their Opinion. For the whole was found to be a handfome large Room, near upon fquare, about forty Foot each way, and as many in Height.

Door

Window on

The

Foot high,

or Entrance near thirty

with a

over

each fide

it,

which

had, made this Front of the Building look very fpacious and

were

all

the Lights

it

grand ; which yet altogether was plain, and of the Doric Order. Within were feveral

Niches properly difpofed, each containing a very fair Buft of Parian Marble, and the

am

Pedeftal of Egyptian. I

told that feveral

Medals were dug up under the Pavement, which confifted of very thick hard red

An Ac many other An

Tiles, about eight Inches fquare.

count, of

all

which, and

tiquities equally entertaining, will

foon be

publifhed in a Difcourfe or Treatife purpofely written by the Learned Sigmr Flo'

renting the Pope's Librarian 3 who was fent thither by his Holinefs, at the Requeft -

of the Cardinal, with. a fpecial CommifliQn to take; the Care and Cognizance of them. Therefore, to pofe,

come

to our prefent

J muft inform the

B

2

Pur-

World, that a hopeful

INTRODUCTION.

xv

hopeful young Gentleman, Son to a moft ingenious and obliging Friend of mine, happening in the Courfe of his Travels to Jye at an Inn in the Neighbourhood of this Place, the third Night after the Difcovery

was made,

ftay'd there five

Days

j

hoping,

by indefatigable Induftry and Application, to make himfelf Mafter of fome littl$ Piece of thefe Antiquities $ having a good Relifh and Judgment for Things of that

Kind. 1

But Orders being fent from Rome, from the Cardinal, that a near the Place, and ftrictly

kept

had but a

off

Guard fhould be all

from Approaching

faint Profpedl

fet

Perfqns whatever

of

it,

he

accomplifhing

Evening, as he was out after Sun-fet, he met a poor walking Labourer with a and Mattock on

his Wiflies

:

Till one

Spade

his Shoulder, returning

from

The young Gentleman,

his

letting

Work. flip

no

Opportunity of exercifing himfelf in the Italian Tongue, which the ordinary Pe^fant there (quite contrary to what in moft other Countries) fpeaks as $s the beft bred Courtier at

happens properly

Rome, took oc-

INTRODUCTION. cafion to enter

v

upon Difcourfe with him

and foon with a

;

fecret Pleafure found, that

the Converfation he held was with one of thofe

who were employed

in clearing

away

the Rubbifh of the Ruins in the Cardinal's

Garden. Fired with frefh Expeditions upon fo welcome an Interview, he firft warily found

ed the poor Man's Capacity, hoping he might find him one of thofe experienced Pioneers, who knew how to turn fuch fort

Work

fome Meafure to their own Advantage 5 and from whom, moft of the late-found Medals and Antiquities which have been brought from ltalyy have, by

of

in

clandestine Practices,

been

In

obtained.

he appeared,

fine, this Ruftic, as

iimple as

was one of

and having taken his

thefe

;

Opportunity to conceal fomething which he thought might be of Value, he after wards, under Pretence of going to drink at a little Fountain, which gufhed out of

2 Lyon's Hsad, fixed in the Garden Walk threw his Prize unfeen into an adjoining

Megdowj from whence he had been fetch

him,

it

juft as the

young Traveller

to

met

Thefe

INTRODUCTION;

vi

Thefe two had very luckily happened \\pon each other, being the propereft Perfons they could mutally communicate their

For whenever any curious Ddigns to Value or Antiquity is procured of Thing by any Stranger, unlefs he ufes the utmoft Precaution in conveying it out of the Coun :

he

try,

is

fure to have

it

feized and taken

from him \ nay, though he has paid ever fbfair a Price for it, and purchafed it of the rightful Proprietor.

To be

the poor Peafant having a juft Confidence in the young Gentleman, without Hefitation drew out from under his fhort

5

'Cloaths a Cylinder of about a Foot long, -five

Inches Diameter.

It

and

was caked over

with a rough Cafe of Earth and Ruft in termingled ; and by its Lightnefs feemed -to

be hollow

Knife,

which attempting with a

they were foon certified of;

they found raifo

;

up,

it

for

very thin, and

made

fhift to

feparate one

End,

as

arid

one

would open the Head of an Oyfter-Barrel. There appeared to be nothing in it but a 'Roll of Parchment or Vellum,, curioufly rolled

INTRODUCTION. rolled

VJr

round a fmall Stick of black Ebo

ny, at each End of which was a little Bofs of white Cornelian. Our young Virtuofo^

without ilaying to examine the Contents,

made

it

his

own

for five

ferred the Perufal of

Time and

it

Crowns, and

de->

more proper

to a

Place.

This Volume, imce the young Gentle man^ Return, by the very obliging and communicative Temper of his Father, is

now fion

of

it

in

my

Hands ; and

from both

to publifh fuch

may

;

an Account

which now

prepare himfelf for, and

as follows.

The Writing of an ancient fo

have a Permif-

as I fhall think proper

the Reader is

I

is

fair

in the Greek

Character

;

Tongue,

but the Ink

decayed and faded by Time,

that at

prefent it is barely legible, and no more. I have tranfcribed it with the utmoft Care

and Exaftnefs; and can aver, that I folemnly believe I have not omitted or miftaken one Letter. -

On

INTRODUCTION.

tiii

On

the outfide of the Roll

Codex Pompilianus

;

was written

meaning, that the Book

had belong'd to Numa Pompilius y the fecond King of Rome, which is moft proba ble ; or to fome other Roman of that Name. On the infide was the Title, To, ITuSfleyop*

rS

Tys Soviets fite

a/sroppijU,

The

of Pythagoras the PhilofoAs indeed it has been hitherto. For

fecret Hiftory

pher

:

though Men of Learning have all along been acquainted with that great Man's No tions of the Tranfmigration of the Soul, which he ufed to affert from his own par ticular Experience ; profefling that his had belonged firft of all to the Body of &tbalides, then to thofe of Euphorbus, Hcrmoti-

and Pyrrhus a poor Fifherman of Debs, fucceflively; yet they never were informed fufficiently of fuch co-temporary Circumftaaces and Parts of Hiftory, as the Mind of one fo obfervant upon all re fflus,

markable PafTages muft needs have collefted, in the different Bodies or Stages of Life in

which

it

refided.

Thefe

are the

Contents of this Pompilian Volume ; which feems to have been in the keeping of fome noble

INTRODUCTION.

ix

(

noble Inhabitant of Croton; though it is not impoffible but Numa himfelf might

have had a Houfe there.

How long

it

has

been thus loft to the World, or whether indeed

it

were ever publickiy known to

cannot; I think, eaiily be determined. It was found under the Pavement, as if

it,

defignedly laid there

5

either before

the

Building was eredled, or to be concealed

upon fome Emergency which happened after. Poffibly upon that Irruption which the Gauls made into Italy y under their King Brennus, when they over-ran all be fore them, and plundered even Rome itfelf. For there being fcarce any thing extant of the Romans till after that Time, in which

we

could expedt any mention of Pythagoras's Works, makes it not unlikely that this

was the only Book of that kind in being $ and by the unhappy Care of its Profeffor, who might fall in that Time of Calamity, came to be buried in fo long an Obfcurity.

The Ufe I {hall put it to at prefent, till the prefent Proprietor refolves to make the Original public, is to communicate to the

C

World

x

INTRODUCTION-

World

the Contents of

own Tongue

into our

it

in a Tranflation

which

3

I

intend to

keep the Appetites of my Readers from being cloyed, in moderate ferve up,

Parcels

;

to,

that

the

Whole may

laft

the

longer, and that proper Portions of it may be fet before them from time to time as their

Stomachs

may feem

to call for

it.

,

_

MEMOIR

MEMOIR

I.

The Hiftory of J&THALIDES.

MY

Name was

Mother's

Melidora

fhe lived in the Suburbs of in the

phos,

and procured Livelihood,

Ifland of

5

Pa-

Cyprus

;

herfelf an honeft unenvied

by furnifhing

Inhabitants with Milk,

feveral

Honey,

of

its

and

all

Sorts of delicious Fruits as the Seafon re

She rented a little Farm and Gar quired. den of a Merchant in the City, as her Mother had done before her ; from whence provided many Conveniences for the Citizens* a comfortable Maintenance for flie

herfelf,

me.

and

a

For fhe

School in the

handfome Education

Town

for

me

fent 5

to the principal where I was inftrudt-

ed among the Children of People of the firft Rank, in all the Sciences that are proper C 2 tO

to adorn a

Man, and make him

ufeful to

his Country*

As my Age came lege

increafed;

on,

my Love of Know*

and notwithftanding the Matter, and tender Fond-

great Care of nefi of Mother,

ing

my who were daily feed my Mind with all the Notions that my

were adapted

and improve it, I continually gave Inftances of fo inquifitive a Temper, as rather afforded Pleafure than to cherifh

.Trouble to thofe about me*

One Day,

perceiving I

was without a

Father, a Happinefs I could not fee, with out repining, in fome of my Equals, I en quired of my Mother concerning it, with

more than

ufual Importunity. Young as not could I was, help obferving the fudden Blufh which overfpread her beautiful I

Neck and Face

She was not then above One and Twenty 5 and as I have fince heard from many Reports > did at this Queftion.

not yield to the

faireft

Woman

in that

City for the Charms of her Perfon. ftrained me in her Arms with much ture,

and

after

She

Rap

having overwhelmed me with

with a thoufand

Rifles,

yesj

my

JEthalides (fays (he) I will tell

dearell

you

;

and

which has been the Caufe of your be the Means of prefent Being, and will your future Welfare, fliall no longer be that

kept fecret from you.

Know

then,

fhe, that I

when Day,

my

was

deareft Child,

purfued

fearce thirteen Years old,

Evening of a hot Summer's chanced to fall afleep under the

in the I

which grows on the fide Rivulet, which runs through our Garden. My Mother not being yet returned from the Town, whither her Bufinefs had carried her, and the Ser vants employed in fome more remote Part of the Garden, I lay thus till the Dufk of the Night was far advanc'd. The Frefli-

Hedge of of the

Rofes,

little

nefs of the cool Breezes,

and the

Stillnefs

of the Place, which was rendered mpre agreeable by the warbling Notes of correfponding

Nightingales,

contributed

fo

down my Senfes with the Cords of Morpheus, that I did not awake before I found my feif irrecoverably

irrefiftibly to tie

filken

within the

Arms and Power

ctf

a

moft

'4

[

beautiful

3

young Man.

would have em

I

ployed my Strength in Refiftance, but the fudden Surprize had deprived me of it 5 I would have raifed my Voice for Help,

but Fear had difarmed the Attention,

which

my Tongue And :

could not avoid

I

new

giving to an Accident fo

me, confpired to complete my Undoing. For whe ther Love had fo early begun to find the way to my Heart, or whether it was only a Childifh Prelude to this

it,

to

the Features of

Perfon fo refembled thofe of a hand-

fome Youth of Paphos,

whom

gerly gazed at the

before,

came

Houfe

to our

Day (as

had ea

I

when he

he frequently did)

buy Fruits, that, notwithftanding the Anguifh I ought to have felt upon fuch #n Occafion, by that fatal Prepoffeffion of my Fancy, I was all over melted into TenThere was nothing to reftrain dernefs. to

him from

indulging the

Warmth

of his

Degree of Defire, but the eternal and unalterable Rules of Na Paffion to the laft

ture

;

which

at length,

ftances of his

to free

time

my

me

firft

from

after repeated In-

Provocation, confented his

Embraces.

By

Senfes, having re-affembled

this

themfelves

5

t

felves to condole

tion of

my

with

Honour,

inexpreffible

Sorrow.

1

me upon this Viola plunged me into an I

lay

ftill

on the

Ground and I queftion whether my Grief would ever have fuffered me to rife, if the -,

charming Ravifher had not gently

me

lifted

up.

After having folded me in his Arms with a forcible Tranfport, he addrefled himfelf thus to me, in the fweeteft Ac

my Ears were bleflfed with Farewell, my lovely Melidora and

cents that ever

"

al.

"

y

calm

to

your Troubles, remember the Son of Jove was the Author of


that

*'

them.

all

Yes, moft amiable

"

Nymph,

it

is Hermes, who has this Night improved " his in Immortality your Fruition ; who " has affumed the Perfon of Neant bus, " the Son of to the eaiier Chryfander y gain " Admittance to Heart and in his ; your " will continue to the kind

Shape


"

perform due to you and your Offspring the Days of your Lives.". He had

Offices all

fcarce faid thefe

of the Servants, for

me

all

Words, when the Voices

who had

been fearching over the Garden, reached our

Ears i upon which the

God

your Father, un-

unwilling to make any Difcovcry to my Prejudice, flew to the little Wicket in the

Wall, and unlocked it with as much if he had had the real Key. terity, as

Dex And

that NeanthitSy our Landlord the Merchant's

who

fond of you, and whofe Roof, is in deed nothing lefs than what he feerrjs to be, but the artful Son of the Thunderer, Son,

is

fo

Prefence fo often bleffes this

who

retains the

Form

of that Son of Chry-

fander, which was long

fince

fhipwrecked

near the Ifland of Rhodes, that he

may

the

more favourably continue Dependants

Means

is

She

to his helpleis the Protection, which by his

become

fo neceflary to

them.

fini/hed her Difcourfe with giving

me

a Charge of the ftrifteft Secrecy, which my Part I kept inviolably ; but the \yhimfical Conditions pf my half Immor for

tality

Death being publifhed to the gave undoubted Tokens of my

after

World,

If the Happinefs of heavenly Extraction. being let into fuch a Secret had made the

Head of giddy Childhood fwim with Va would not have been unpardonable ; had not that Effed upon me. In

nity, it

but

it

deed

darted a moft exquifite Pleafure into Heart, and elevated all my Senfes with

deed

my

it

When I refleftmy Mind with

gentle Ebulitions of Joy. ed Birth, it fwelled

upon

my

it,

without

leaft Tincfture

of Pride.

an Ambition to be worthy of infufing into

J

had been

me the

early inftru&ed in the Principles

of Religion and Morality, 5 and Eleutberiu* my Mafter, that I might have a juft No tion of the Gods,

make me

had taken care

firft

to

underftand their Attributes, that

I might not entertain any abfurd or contradidlory Opinions concerning their Nature. All the Inhabitants of Foreign Nations (Tays he) and the Generality of our own

People are educated in

falfe

Principles of

Religion, the better to ferve the Interefts

and Defigns

f cheating

fo well fkilled in thefe

that they their

The

are

Artifices,

an eftablifhed Ig better to fupport and cherifh as

they provide that

trained

kind of

who

Bails fo proper to build

Tyranny upon,

norance. this,

know no

Priefts,

up from

Mankind fhould be

their

G

early

Childhood,

when

8

[

when,

like

Wax,

]

they are

to take Impreffions,

in fuch

ftaken Notions of the

moft fubfervient fine

Scheme

to

fofteft

and

fittell

wrong mi-

Deity, as

may be This

their Purpofes,

takes place before they can

well fpeak, and they are taught what they muft believe of the Gods, before they are capable of knowing them or any thing All the Ideas they are made to con elfe. ceive of

only

;

them

are fuch as belong to

Men

that they are paflionate, revengeful, jealous,

partial,

vain-glorious,

refolving,

that they are circumrepenting, miftaken, fcribed in their Actions by Time and Place,

fometimes pleafed

;

pleafed,

and

fometimes

whereas in Truth,

Child, there

is

one only

real

my

dif-

dearefl

and very God,

who ordained Things, and on whom all Things depend ; and the feveral Gods all

and Goddefles, with

fo

many

feveral

Names

which the Vulgar are taught to worfhip, are indeed no more than fo many feveral Attributes and Qualities of this true

God,

With

9

[

f

With him, my

JEthalides,

you well acquainted

no more

]

To

:

I

muft make

which, there

is

than that you fhould form a right Conception of his Attributes. Take care that thefe may be always fuch requifite^

as are confiftent

the Nature of

and keeps

it

him in

and agreeable

with, that

made

fo continued

Confider, that to do

this,

to,

the Univcrfe,

an Order.

he muft be All-

and All-powerful, Infinite, Immu table and Eternal ; and fo abfolutely Per wife,

Repeds, that neither his Wifdom nor his Power, his Goodnefs nor his Happinefs, are capable of any Addition or

fect in all

Diminution.

When

you are convinced of this, (as your Reafon will readily convince you of it)

you can never

fuffer yourfelf to

think,

with the Vulgar, that a Deity abfolutely per fect is liable to the Paffions and Imper fections

fuppofe

of us poor Mortals.

him

Can you

angry, or grieved, or jealous,

without implying

a

G

Diminution of his 2

Hap-

Happinefs? Can you conceive Him upon any account partial, who is infinitely juft ?

Can

a Being, All-wife, and Good,

with

out great Abfurdity, be reprefented Vain glorious,

making

Refolutions, and repent

of them, and fometimes miftaken ? Can He be All-powerful, and yet be ima

ing

gined to want

and to grofs

to complete his Work, of his Attempts ? How many the Idea of His being more in one

fail

is

Time

in

when com

part of Space than another,

pared with his Infinity ? How wretchedly ftupid, thofe of His being paflionate and revengeful,

when we

refled:

upon

mutability and great Perfection

Yet thus

Im

his

?

foolifh, thus abfurd, thus ig-

norantly profane is the poor deluded Mul titude by the Impofitions of mifreprefenting Priefts.

The Men

of

this Profeffion

make

the credulous People believe that they converfe with the Gods with much Familiarity,

and have a very good Influence over, vail

them

with them to do

:

Intereft

with, and

That they can

this,

or to deiift

pre

from that,

that, juft as

or Evil

they pleafe

;

among Mankind,

fhall reprefent

and to fend

Good

according as they

Matters to them.

When

they think themfelves not treated with fufthey fay, that the Gods are angry, and threaten the World with no thing lefs than Plague or Famine to revenge

ficient Refpeft,

the Affront,

God, my deareft JEthatides, is indeed the Author of all Things, iince nothing can be done without him

and confequently Plagues and Famines happen as he ap points But I think the ihallow Knowlege ;

:

of

Man

has

no Warrant

to

determine,

whether they are fent as Judgments or not. The World was always too full of Wickednefs not to deferve Punifhment But :

thinkeft thou,

JEtbalides,

that the

raging

which laft Year fwept away the whole City of Athens, fell upon almoft

Peftilence

the moft wicked Spot of all the Earth ; or that the Gods defigned to fhew their Juftice,

when

Ariflus, Pbilaretes

and Polimedon

amdiftinguifhed in the Infection, and

fell

La-

No

and Mifander efcaped ? For Athens yielded to no

Autophllus

olefleS)

certainly:

World

City in the ligion

and

;

for Pojitenefs

ArijkuS) Philaretes

medon were as

much

alted Virtues, as

and

Re

and Poll-

efteem'd for their ex

Artophilm and

Laoleftes,

Mifander were deteftable for their

flagitious

Enormities,

When

we

therefore

Men

fee

of fuch

different Characters, whofe Adtions were as oppofite as Light and Darknefs, fhot

promifcuouiiy with the Arrows of Death, tho' we can't deny it to be the Hand of

God,

it

his

geance,

Wrath

,

is

fhocking to

Refentment,

call

his

it

his

Ven

Anger,

his Fury, and thofe Expreffions which

I deas of his being give us fuch

peevifh

and implacable. How is it poffible think worthily and truly of Him who infinitely

ing

Him

to i

Good, without always reprefentto our Minds as full of Love, Be

nevolence, Sweetnefs, Candour and paffion

his

Com-

?

Have we

liv'd in a Purfuit

honourable Courfes

-,

of Virtue and

and do we expeft to be

'3

t

1

be admitted into Elyjium after Death ? If We do, then how can we be infeniible of the great Good-will of Jove, who fends his Meffenger Death to bid us leave off Labour

and go to Reft

is

compaffionate

he

is

fo

?

kind

How

very benevolent and he to the Survivors, when

as to take off. the Injurious

and the Oppreffor, the lying Hypocrite and the crafty Knave? Nay, how very good to thefe Criminals themfelves, when by intercepting

them

in the

midft of

their

he renders them capaple of a milder Sentence from the infernal Judges?

Villanies,

O

Jove,thy Love

is

continual and thy Goodnefs

unbounded If we do our hearty Endeavour to be goodlikeThee, and obeythofePrecepts !

of Vitue which

Mind, we

Thou

haft written in our

are fure thouwilt not hurt us, but

command the Gates for our Reception

-,

of Elyjium to be open'd where we may be min

our virtuous gled with the Company of honeft Anceftors, and enjoy eternal Peace

and Pleafure

in thofe Fields of Joy,

Groves of Delight

:

But

if

we

and

aft contrary

to

H

[

]

to that Senfe

of Thee which our Reafbtt

dictates to us

;

not a Deluge of Water, or a parch'd funburn'd Earth, the momen the tary Alarms of Famine, Peftilence, or 'tis

Sword, that we ought to fear, but an Eter nity of Torments under the Hands of inde

Thou

fatigable Furies in Hell.

table

5

and fo

far

art

immu

the prefumptuous Prieft

is

from being able to change thy Decrees, which are founded upon infinite Juftice, that it would be the higheft Impiety to fuppofe

Thou and

art juft

it is

Nature capable of it No and true in all thy Actions,

Thy

:

fufficient that

we know our Doom

upon our Adions

hereafter depends

:

here,

without thy being reprefented in Statues of Wood and Stone, with Arrows and Thun derbolts lifted

up

wert an angy and

Wherefore,

at

our Heads, as

ill-natur'd

my

if

thou

God.

&thalides,

(continued

Guard over thy Mind, he) keep that thou conceiveft not any Thought of the fupreme Being, which is not agreeable a

ftridl

to his Attributes

;

nor

let

the

Examples of others,

'5

[

others,

who

]

entertain fuch ftrange ridicu

lous Fancies about him, give any Bias to

thy Judgment the Multitude in a

for

;

Do

wrong Opinion.

Moon and

that the Sun,

than they feem

of the

Day

apt

run into and perfevere

to

is

how

thou knoweft

they not believe

Stars are

no bigger

that the bright Luminary falls into the Sea at Night, and ?

out of it in the Morning ; and that he carried in a Chariot round this dirty Spot

rifes is *

on which we live

Are

?

there not

'

among

perftitious Strangers

habit

us,

fome fu-

which

in

fomewhere near the Confines of Af-

fyria,

who

boafl that this luminous

once ftopt in his

full

Orb

Career for fome Hours,

to anfwer the Defign of a certain Mortal

?

not Jove himfelf wickedly fuppos'd to have bid him lye ftill for three Nights to Is

have the longer time gether, that he might to revel in the Arms of Alcmena? Whereas

Thou haft Light

is

been taught, that

Globe of

too great a Diftance from us to fuch a Rotation in a thoufand mil at

perform lion of Years as the

this

;

tho'

Arrows of

it

were

Hercules.

E

to

move

as ftftft

But the wicked Pricfts,

Priefts,

my JEtbalides,

invent thefe Fables,

to fupport their Dignity,

and augment their

Gains.

What God, thinkeft Thou, mufl he be, who our Priefts tell us is out of humour, and difcontented without a Multitude of Offerings and Sacrifices ? a Man of fuch a

Temper would be accounted

covetous,

and

What Idea greedy, and unreafonable. canft thou have of a God who loves to re gale

his

Nofe with

roafted Bullocks,

and

carbonaded SKeep and Goats, and Libations of rich Wine ? a Man with an Appetite fo

would be accounted a But what is the God that thefe

continually difpos'd

Glutton.

Why

Offerings are ferv'd up to ? Piece of Wood, or Stone,

perhaps a or Brafs, or

fome fuch Material; carv'd fometimes

in a

like a very ridiculous Shape,

or a

Woman, as

Diana

Man,

or Monfter with three is

Heads, have Faces

reprefented : They and Mouths, but can neither fee nor eat;

and Feet, and yet fome they have Hands times fall down, and are broken in pieces.

Who

[

Who therefore

'7

]

eats the roafted Beef,

the broil'd Cutlets of

Mutton

;

and

but the hun

the gry voracious Prieft ? Who empties but fmiling Goblet of its fparkling Wine, the thirfly tippling Prieft ? fays the

Who

Gods

and require more

are yet difpleas'd,

Offerings

the artful Prieft

?

tributions to inhance his

:

raifmg

Con

own Dignity, from

the idle Superftitions and groundiefs Fears of the giddy Multitude.

Thefe,

my

Mthajides y coniider as

Men

exercifing a Trade, to which they are edu

and by which they muft live. Take care that thou affront not their Perfons, nor

cated,

for in openly ridicule their Imployment thou offend and fo doing mayft provoke the State, which for politic Ends did firft *

inftitute,

and for the fame will continue to

proteft the

Men

mayft laugh

of

this Profeffion.

Thou

in private at all the Abfurdities

which they make the People fwallow, and at the Vain Alarms by which they govern

Hopes and Fears But beware how thou difturb or meddle with them in pub-

their

:

E

2

lie;

for they will echo their Refentments to Temple, like againft thee from Temple a Neft of Hornets provok'd in the hollow lie

3

Name

Rock, and wound thy good

with

the Stings of poifonous Language.

Yet

bound

let that

Power of thy

check

Ambition. fign'd

by which Thou

for

Station,

their Pride

whatever

it

and controul their

Tho' they were originally deServants and Inftruments of the

Government, yet

are they very inclinable

to ufurp an Authority and their

art

to ferve thy Country, exhort thee to

ufe the be, to

Virtue,

Dominion of

own, and

Magiftrate,

them. tereft

to tyrannize over the very who conftitutes and

Therefore, be affur'd,

of

all

Men, and Lovers of

honeft

their Country, to

appoints the In-

it is

keep

down

the

afpiring

haughty Aims of thefe Cooks of State, venerable Butchers

;

and never

truft

thefe

them

with any Power, but what they will rea dily

acknowledge

to be confer'd

upon them

by the Magiftrate, in a limited Senfe, for the good of the Public.

With

I

3

19=

With this View were the different Ritual^ and Modes of Worfhip firft eftablifh'd in all

the Nations and Cities round about us

;

way which was moft Genius, and moft conve

each following that fuitable to their

to correfpond with their Thus Crete think of Government.

niently adapted

Form ing

itfelf

holy above

all

Lands

for the Story

being born, educated, and bu ried there, worfhips him chiefly ; and looks

of Jupiter

s

down with Scorn and Contempt upon other' Nations, as People deftitute of equal Pri vileges, if not quite excluded from the di vine Favour.

But, JEthalides y canft thou

help fmiling at their Superftition, or doft thou pity their Stupidity and Credulity ?

who

can be made to believe that Jove was

born

as

we Men are ; and that he was brought

thither to

be educated

ther Saturn (hould find

Nay, they

Fa him ?

privately, left his

him and

fay too, that after

eat

he had

liv'd

his Term of Life out, he died and was bu ried there ; and they think all thofe very

profane and wicked People,

who

will not

believe this Npnfenfe, thefe Impoffibilities. It

I

by fome

]

my JEthalides, there might a Man as Jupiter^ who

It is probable,

have been

20

fuch

extraordinary Occurrences in his

Life, fince

by fabulous Tradil

irnprov'd

may appear a very

extraordinary Perfon, and even an Objed of Worihip to a tions,

World

fuperftltious bigotted tural Fears are eafily

whofe na

$

wrought upon by the

Stratagems of Priefts, efpecially when they are countenanced and authoriz'd by the Ma-

But

efteem fuch a one the great Creator: and Arbiter of the Univerfe, (who giftrate.

muft have

to

exifted, in the higheft Perfec

of every thing that is good, from all Eternity) i&theEffedt of Ignorance, Super-

tion

and a

blind Reliance

upon old Wives Stories, and the cunning Manage ment and Policy of Priefts. ftition,

Who,

but a moft befotted

filly

People,

could fuppofe a Being of fo exalted and reNature, as the high God muft be, capable of having carnal Copulation with

fin'd a

mortal

Women

;

and

filling

Heaven with his

his natural Offspring

?

One

of thefe

is

the

of religious Worfhip in another in the City of ;

principal Object the Ifland of Delos

Ephefus. Bacchus

is

Wine of his own

honour'd in Caroufels of

Inftjtution at Thebes

;

and

Venus the Goddefs of Love and Beauty ador'd here in Cyprus.

is

.

If I could enumerate

all

the Religions

of the Earth with the Superftitions that at tend them, it would only be giving you a Detail

of the feveral Follies of credulous

Mankind, and the politick Contrivances of States and Governments. The bare men tioning of thefe

may

fuffice to give

you a

Tafte of their Impoftures; tho' however monftrous and abfurd they appear, remem ber to fpeak of them in public with a feeming Deference and Regard

-,

and where

it

expected you fliould be particular in de claring for that fort of Worfhip which you

is

moft approve, you fhould, in Honour, diftinguifh and prefer that of your own Coun try.

Here

22

Here

my Mafter

concluded his Lefture

upon Religion ; which was the firft I had heard from him upon that Subject, fo He had often given plain and intelligible.

me

little

my

want of Capacity, or

Hints before

which his>

made

fcurity in fpeaking,

preffion

-

y

But

upon me.

either thro'

defigned or no

little

ObIm-

in this laft Leflbn

he had open'd his Mind with fuch an Air of Tendernefs and Concern, that every thing he faid had its due Weight, and funk deep into my Mind. The more I thought of it, the more I was convinced of the Truth

of his Difcourfe; and every Reflection which arofe from it gave me a new and fecret Pleafure.

The Complacence and

of Spirit which

Elevation

I felt

upon believing myfelf the Son of Hermes vanished ; or rather was like

extinguifh'd,

a

lefler

Flame of Truth.

Light,

by the

A

Knowledge, and demonftrable, that the Gene of the World were wrong in this Re-

bright

certain rality

fpeftj

and

the Error,

I,

young

gave

me

as I was, free

from

a folid and durable

Sa-

23

f

which

Satisfaction,

]

lafted the

whole time

of my- Life. I was fenfible that the count my Mother had given me of

was

Birth,

own

Ac

my

either a plaufible Invention

of

Truth not proper for her to mention, or that Neanthus had by this Trick firft obtained, and fmce conher

to conceal a

tinu'd, to poffefs her

ther

me

Fame

But whe

Embraces.

had whifper'd

this Secret

whom me

trufted, or

female Friend

to a

the

herfelf

my Wit and Learning made

of

Countrymen conceive fomething of me more than Mortal ; they look'd upon me as the Son of that God fome time before my

my

Death, and

after

it

beftow'd Immortality

and divine Honours upon me. However I kept Melidoras Secret, and my own Senfe of it as

intirely to

my

pious as his juftly

myfelf ; I regarded Neanthus real Father, and lov'd him with a

and

grateful Affedtiori

;

fuch indeed

Fondnefs and paternal Care of me For his Father Chryfander claim'd.

and leaving him Heir to a good Eftate and much Treafure, he gene-

dying foon

after,

roufly fettled

upon

my Mother F

the

Farm and

24

[

3

and Gardens which (he rented, and made her a Prefent of two Talents of Gold.

But my Mind was fo wholly engag'd in the Purfuit of Knowledge, that I found lit tle Enjoyment out of the Company of my and he was

Mafter Eleutherius

y

charm'd with

my

Parts,

Learning.

The

fition for

my

Schoolfellows,

-

as

much

and ready Difporeft

were

of the Youths,

fo

intent

upon that they had the utmoft and Plays, Sports

Averfion for his dry Philofophy (as they call'd it) and took advantage of all the Fefti-

and Times of Solemnity to abfent themThen it was that I had the moft felves. vals

and eafy Accefs to his Inftru&ions, and heard him dictate without Referve. It free

would have been hard

to determine

whe

ther the Mafter expounded, or the Scholar attended, with moft Pleafure.

One Day, when he had been

holding a Difcourfe our favourite To upon copious

and been expofing, with and Strength of Reafon,

pic, Religion his ufual Clearnefs -,

the great Inconveniences that had and might

proceed

proceed from Multitudes pofiefs'd with Superflition,

and

artfully inflam'd

by wicked

defigning Priefts, he confirm'd it with aver ring, that the more plain and natural any Religion was, the better it would be for

more pleaiing to God. For (fays he) if Mankind would but en tertain thofe juft Notions of the Maker of the World, which their own Reafon, his faithful Interpreter, would tell them, and

the Public, and the

refolve not to be

impofed upon by Fables

and Traditions ;

'tis

certain that the Reli

gion flowing from thence muft be accepta ble to

God, and

For

more

firft,

beneficial to

What

confiftent

is

more

Mankind. reafonable and

with the Attributes and Ho

nour of God, than to conclude that he ex-

peds nothing from his Creatures, but what he has given them Capacities to per form ftice,

If

?

we

think

him to be

a

God

of Ju-

we

When

are fure he can require no more. therefore the Priefts, who declare

themfelves to be the Keepers of his Myfteries and his Will, in one place pretend that he ought to be worflrip'd with F 2

Corn

.

in

[

26

]

he expefts Wine ; in a third, Sheep and Oxen ; and that here in our City he is delighted to fee his Temple in

another, that

made

a public

men

;

who

bid

fair

it)

Rendezvouz

for

lewd

Wo

fuch Devotion will produce indeed for eternal Happinefs, by (if

taking care never to mifs the ftated

Times

of Worfhip, and mortifying their Bodies by a continual Proftitution Which of thefe :

Prefcriptions

right

and

fon

none.

;

lar

God.

we

infallible

us, that

tell

are

to follow as the only

one

?

If

we ask

If we ask the Prieft

our Rea;

he will

which belongs

And

as

many

to his particu Religions as there

many hundred thoufand Priefts will aver the fame. What mufl be done then

are, fo

in this uncertain Labyrinth, where there are fo many different Ways, and none

to be

Why

appears (nor certainly is) the right one? let us have Recourfe to our Reafon,

by which our us from the reft of what Information

that excellent Part of us,

Maker his

we

has diftinguifh'd

Creatures, and try can get from thence.

us, that, as

God

is

And

that tells

the Perfedlion of

Good, we can never do

better than

all

when

we

we

endeavour to

By

doing as as

nefit

imitate,

him

and;be like

:

Hurt, and as much Be can to our Fellow-Creatures :

little

we

in keeping our Confciences clear and nocent from evil Defigns and Intentions, and forming new Refolutions of proceeding

By

in the

of Virtue.

Ways

furdity in this at

any time

?

?

Will

Nay

him

this

Is there

any Ab-

make God angry

rather, will

it

not

al

If he were to fpeak to us ways pleafe in the Voice of a Man, and tell us his Will ?

Words, would he make it any other than this? Could he indeed contrive any

in

? And yet how plain, how na how obvious to all Mankind is this ?

thing better tural,

Secondly, As this cannot but pleafe God, fo nothing can be more beneficial to Man kind.

For of what

or

Profit

Ufe

to the

the great Variety of Rites and Ce remonies which every Nation in it claims ?

World

Do

is

tljy contribute

Country where to

to the

they

are

Trade of the exercis'd,

the Strength and Defence

are they

in

any degree

of

it,

or or

honourable, ad

vantageous or pleafureable to

its

Inhabi tants

?

[

tants

28

3

If they are, they ought to be reGood of the Public ; if not, ridiculous, nay often how dangerous,

?

tain'd for the

how is it

to keep

into

Cuftom

them up, and ?

What

let

them grow

Cruelties

do

the

Kings of Ajfyria commit in forcing the Nations which they conquer to worfhip after

their

Manner

?

How

obftinate are

of thofe Nations, in chufing rather to endure the fharpeft Tortures, than to

many

relinquiih the vain Superftitions in

which

they have been educated ? With what a lowring evil Eye do the Prieftefles of our Venus behold thofe chafteMen and Women,

who

will not fuffer their

Minds and Bodies

to be debauch'd with the abominable Lufts

of Paphos ? By their libidinous Geflures, and loofe Inveftives, endeavouring to irri tate and provoke their luftfully zealous Vo branding them with the odious Appellations of cold, impotent,

taries

againft

them

;'

or barren; perfecuting them with all manner of Obfcenities ; and declaring that they

ought by wholefome Severities, fuch as Whipping and Hanging, to be forc'd into an Inclination to do Honour and Service to

29

[

On

their Goddefs.

to

Priefts

who

muft be

1

ferve

the contrary, the

Cybek, Joves Mother, it at the Expence of

qualified for

and when they are carry ing that old Goddefs about the Streets, take an Opportunity to rob all they meet; for when begging is made a Part of Religion,

Manhood

their

it is

;

reckon'd Profane to refufe to give.

Now.

not

are

all

thefe

as

well

great

Inconveniences to the Public, as mighty themfelves? How much ridiculous in better

would

it

be for thofe miferable Peo

whom

the Affyrians take in War, if they had no fuch barbarous Cuftom as burning them upon their Altars? What

ple

Cruelty, Rancour, Revenge, and Hardnefs of Heart does this exprefs ? Are thefe Qua lities

God

No

Emo

agreeable to the Attributes of Or is it for the public furely.

?

lument that fuch Tempers and Habits of

Mind

fhould be encouraged

contrary

is

of Venus, fenfe

certain.

Do

pradtifed in

?

No

:

but the

the wanton Rites this

City,

Good?

in

any

Do

promote publick they Mind, or invigorate the Body ?

redtify the

Do

[

Do

they

make

3

]

thofe that ftickle for

them

more Healthy or more Wife ? or in any contribute to their Well-being ? particular

No

but are evidently the Occafion of much Detriment to the Commonwealth in gene :

ral,

as well as very

Families.

How

pernicious

many

to private

Children of both

Sexes are initiated into the Myfteries of the

Goddefs by the Examples of their wanton Mothers ? How many Wives, under Pre tence of Devotion, take their Fill of furreptitious

and adulterate

Loves,

their

Huf-

band's Race with a fpurious Iffue? Arts and Arms, the Bulwark and Ornament of for thefe bafer fofter

Cities, are

negledted Diverfions ; and the

ture has defign'd cies,

whom

Women, whom Na

for keeping

he has form'd

fair

up our Spe and tempt

ing with a thoufand agreeable Graces, de feat the End of their Inftitution by being

too liberal of their Charms.

They

pleafe

the Eye, like a Valley of Corn fmiling with But when we look to fee a vernal Bloom :

a full Harveft, behold

!

the Clouds

over-

fhadow it, the Drops fall thick into the, Furrows ; and inftead of an impregnating Shower,

1 "Shower,

3' ]

with a Deluge of

overflows

it

Rain.

But every Nation his its religious Rites, and confequently its Follies and Inconveni ences of fome

fome of

Kind

or other.

thefe are indifferent,

For

and innocent

in themfelves* yet through they may become dangerous to a

enough

tho*

Abufe

Commu

nity.

Such

tinuance are

mean

by a too long Con grown into Cuftom, and from I

as

thence efteemed by the Vulgar as effential, important and neceffary Parts of Religion. If the Decency, or perhaps Grandeur with

which Religion ought populous Cities

to be attended, in

efpecially, requires a fufr

Quantity of Pomp and Shew ; this ihould be as changeable as the Fafhions of

ficient

our Drefs

might be pleafed as well with the Variety and Newnefs, as Magnificence of them; and the Magiftrate ;

that the People

have it in his Power, if Reafons of State ihould to alter as eafily as to continue

require

it,

them*

How

indecent

is it

G

to fee the Priefts

of

32 of Pan running naked about the

Women

to the expofing themfelves

Virgins in a

Manner

be thought on

and

too immodeft even to

Yet

?

Streets

if the

State fhould

attempt to abolifh this vile Ceremony, what a tumultuous Outcry would immediately

be

by the

raifed,

Women

efpecially

?

who

think they (hall never feel a Mother's Joys, a Stroke from thefe till they have had frantic Gefticulators.

But

as thefe

Inftitution, let

were

all

to ferve

certainly

fome

of

human

political

us afk our Reafon whether

End,

God ever

told

It tells

he expefts any thing of that Kind? us he cannot, and that we fhould

think

him

it

that

ftrange God, if we Is there any Ceremony

a very

thought he did.

equal to thinking juftly of God ? Is there any Rite or Cuftom, though ever fo vene rable for

its

Antiquity and Solemnity, fo

neceflary, fo truly religious,

to

God,

No

:

It

as a Series

of virtuous Adtions

would be the moft

nefs to fufped,

fo agreeable ?

ftupid Profane-

it.

How

[33

3

How then c^me

the one to be preferred before the other, or even to take place at

Minds of

all in

the

How

came they

reafonable Creatures

?

to imagine, that a Preju

dice in Favour of a Parcel of idle Tricks,

would atone

for the

Sufpenfipji of their the Intermiflipn of their Virtue?

Reafon and

For a bigotted Attention to Toys of this Kind makes us, for a Time, lofe the Affiftance of thofe two noble Guides. Why,

my JEthalides, as great a Riddle as this Teems to be,

who

is

it

eafily

accounted for: Thofe

have the Advantage of Reafon, could

never ad: thus, unlefs that were

firft

blind

ed and perverted. If People, in Purfuance of the Dictates of that excellent Faculty,

were tp

exercife

Virtue only, Fopperies,

and

themfelves in Habits of rejeft

thefe

ridiculous

what Occafion would there be

of Men, to prove the Ncceflity and to enhance the Dignity of their Office, pretend that the

for -.Prints

?

Therefore

this Set

Gods themfelvcs have ordained and comi^anded" thefe Things, and appointed them G 2 Ad-

34

[

and

Adminiftrators

]

of their

Executors

They know that there is a Confcioufnefs of Duty in every Man's Heart, which tells him that he ought to. endeavour after Virtue, and lets him fee there is a Will.

Pleafure in

doing Gopdj but fills his Shame Mind with and Remorfe upon com an ill Action, and makes hirti a-* mitting

doing that which is right. This natural Fear the Arch^Priefts work

fraid to negledt

upon and improve by ftures

People, find

it

tions,

no very

difficult

Talk.

The

when he deliberately to weigh his own Ac will incline him to believe, that

Balance of a corqes

Ijnpothe vulgar ordinary

among

and,

;

own

their

Reafon,

IVJan's

according as they have tended to Virtue or

Vice in

this

Life,

he

fhall

meet with

Pu-r

'

mfhments or Rewards

And

in the Shades below.

as trie

more

Generality of Mankind leans toward Vice than Virtue, and muft

confequently be often agitated

Fear; by the

this

Means

defigning Prieft

their

Judgment

;

there

is

to ftep in

which

is

with

this

Room

for

and

biafs

commonly done, by

[35 by

flattering

their Fears,

their

the

their

He

drooping

1

Hopes,

and

leffening

comforts and encourages

Spirits,

by

affuring

Gods may be appeafed and

them

reconciled

That by fomething elfe befides Virtue fuch a Thing as an Hecatomb of Bullocks :

may go

a great

that building of a dedicating it to fome par

way

;

Temple, and ticular God, will do well ; and that fettling a good Revenue for the Maintenance of the Priefts that muft belong to effectual

Thus People who

it,

is

moft

are confcious of

ha ving committed Injuries among Men, and follicitous how they {hall efcape the Lafh of the Furies, are very willing to believe that find out Expedients for their Security, though ever fo abfurd and un~

thofe

j-eafonable.

We have

neglefted (fay they)

to imitate the Attributes of

God,

Juft and

He

Good; but

in being

be pleafed with Immolations and Viflims ? Will the will

Blood of Bulls and Goats and Sheep enter tain him fo much, that he will overlook pur Injuftice for their Sakes, and

commute our

36

[

]

our Punifhment for the Slaughter of Beafts?

If he

we

will,

are ready to fatisfy his to the one Half of our

Demands, even Dilates

how

:

And how his

Prisfts,

how

venerable,

Men

an Order of

ufefui

Attendants and

Interpreters.

Q

who

facred,

are thefe

us thefe good Tidings, and <pan fuch glorious Things for us

tell

e$el

!

8 mu

n

To think

\

my, Mthauaesy is natural to a Mind diflurbed and perverted by Fear $ but Thou feeft how far it is from the Dic tates

how

of

thus,

coql.

Reafon

\

and confequently

from being agreeable Behold Pandicaus, Nature. enters our profaned at

our

how hpw

to the divine

far

calm,

;

how

undifturbed

is

healthy and vigorous his

unreprovable

all .his

neither

Temples, nor attends

abominable Rites

how

who

Actions

chearful,

Mind

his

pody ?

?

He

?

how walks

through the Streets, and, with an uncon cerned failing Countenance, fees the En-trails

crackling and frying

He falutes

upon the

Altars,

the High-Pneft with a well-bred

and puts on an outward Gravity when lie talks with him ; but laughs in Civility,

wardly

37

[

1

wardly at the Farce he is a&ing, and admire^ The Deity, at the Stupidity of Mankind.

whom

they fo grofly make Court to, as if he had the Appetites and Paffions of a Mortal, Pandicaus contemplates with the

Light of his Reafon, and ftudies to imitate by the Practice of Juftice, Benignity, and all

kind of

focial Virtues.

that this

him,

Creature

made

is

the

His Heart

his conftant Exercife of

;

tells

Duty of a reafonable it

has

and the uninterrupted Pleafure which flows from fuch a Redtitude of Thoughts and Adions, confirms him it

habitual

;

in his Opinion, that joyful

what

is

thus good and

muft be Godlike,

For, what ill-natured Deities, tides,

we

are the

Gods

are told that

unlefs

we

my

reprefented to be,

we

when

cannot pleafe them

torment ourfelves

?

Juftice

and

Temperance, Honefty and Sobriety, Comand Good- Will, are exceeding plaifance pleafant

and

delightful, as

and advantageous

well as ufeful

to that Society in

which

they are pradtifed: But Fear, Superftition, Morofenefs, Paffion, Suspicion, Jealoufy

and

t

3S

and Vain-Glory, which are the Ingredient* of moft People's Religion, are tormenting to ones felf, and troublefome to others*

Which

of thefe Qualities

is

moft

likely to

pleafe God, the good-natured or natured ? It needs no Anfwen

the

ill-

Thus, from time to time, did this wife judicious Man fow the Seeds of Knowledge Heart, and inoculate the Buds of I had a Memory Virtue in my Mind.

in

my

Things com and though the Food with was fupplied, might well be

which happily mitted to

which

I

retained the

it ;

thought too ftrong for one of fuch tender* Years, yet I had an Underftanding that could digeft it> and turn it into the moft

wholfome Nourifhment.

I

rived to the twelfth Year of

I was admired

faw me

and

was

my

careffed

fcarce ar

Age, when

by

all

that

the graver Sort for my Learn* ing and Knowledge ; by the Young, the Spritely and the Gay, for my Wit and

Beauty. fortified

:

By

As much againft

the

as

I

was feafoned and

Attacks of

from the wife Inftru&ions of

my

Vanity, Mafter, I could

[39

1

could not, without being touched with a fecret Pleafure, perceive the Eyes of the I.

admiring City turned upon along.

They

courted

me

me

as I palled

into their

Houfes

with Importunity ; and there was a vifible Emulation among them about gaining my Efteem by the Delicacy of their Entertain ments.

But

in all thefe, there

was none whofe

was expreffed with fo much Ardor, and even Impetuoiity, as that of of the firft Rank ; and tpbigenifr a Matron who furpaffed the reft of my Admirers in

Fondnefs

Munificence, as much as in the Excefs of her Love, and the Superiority of her Con

She bound a Bracelet of Pearl many times round my left Arm, and faflened on Gems of great Price for the But

dition.

tons of

my

She retained

Sandals.

the tendereft Blandifhments iible

;

me with

and the fen-

Tokens me

continually gave of the her Kindnefs, difpofed me to

Reality of return the Affection,

by devoting

Service thofc Intermiffions of Leifure, arc fuch neceffary Reliefs to Study.

H

to her

which Yet

I

could

ObMind

could not difcover which was molt the jedt

of her Paffion, the

or

flie

Turn of

feemed to be

my

in

Raptures Body upon the Contemplation of either of them ; but when I was fpeaking in the moft en gaging Manner, would frequently break ;

her Attention to

Difcourfe by reiterated She ob Kifies, and convulfive Embraces.

my

tained leave of

my Mother, that I fhould whole Nights in her Houfe ; and Meftay Kdora from a Senfe of the Obligations laid y

on her by fo noble a Lady, contented her felf fometimes a Week together without feeing

To all

my

me. the Breaft of Eleutherim I committed Secrets.

He

was become

rather a

Friend than a Mafter, and was as fincere in affifting me with his Counfel now, a s before he had been diligent in furnifhing

me

with his Inftruftions.

To him

I

com

municated every new Motion in this amica ble Affair, and model'd my Behaviour ac cording to his

Opinion.

He

confxdered

that IpKgenia was paft that Age in the Levities and Sallies of Youth

which plead

Excufe

[4'

]

Excufe for unruly Paffions, and the Confequences which they produce That tho' her Hufband had long fince been indifferent to her, fhe avoided giving him any de:

figned Offence ; as knowing that notwithftanding her Charms were not capable of affefting

him now, he would have raged

with Jealoufy at the Thoughts of another's poffeffing them. But Eleutherius perceived that her Fondnefs for

me was

alarming him, that he raged and given in to it

fo far from had rather encou and from thence -,

concluded, that, thinking his Honour fafe, he did not intend to deprive his Wife of fo innocent a Pleafure as fhe feemed to enjoy in a Boy's Company. He thought too, that Iphigema would compound by fuch an Indulgence for all the fevere Reftraints her

had impoied upon

Affectations of Virtue

her

;

fire,

and that

which

all

the

little

Efforts of

for a long time fhe

De-

had check

ed and concealed, would break out with united Forces, for

and center

in her Paflion

me.

H

2

From

[M

3

From thefe Obfervations he formed a mofb artful

which

Scheme

for

my

future

was contrived how

Conduct

;

in

I

might conwith Ipbigenia, without diminifhing her Love and the Advantages flowing from it, the good Opinion of her Hufband, or it

verfe

my own

She was wealthy be yond Account, and moft of her Riches be to her Dowry by the Death ing fuperadded of great Relations, remained in her own Integrity.

She gave me every Day frefh Testimonies of her Affection, by repeated Difpofal.

Inftances cf her Liberality.

I

was

diftin-

had been

my Apparel guifhed her own Son, and fhe often carried as if I

in

me

with

her to the Temples, and among the Aflemblies of honourable Women ; where I en countered fuch a Variety of odd Adven tures, as gave Occafion to many entertain ing and inflrudtive Difcourfe.s of Eleutherius. Religion, Gallantry, Politics, and Trade, were the Topics I was required to be moft obferyant upon : Thefe were the Supplies

by which our

private Difcourfes

time to time kept up

were from

which, by occafional

[43

1

fional Excurfions I took care

to provide

the Repaft of my retired Preceptor^ whofe Age and Station hindered him from

for

mingling in the Chace, and being a prefent Various were the Spectator of the Sport.

Mazes

I trod in tracing the different In

trigues

of Lovers, Statefmen,

Artificers.

Priefts

and

Impoftures, and of what Kind foever

Affectations,

pernicious Defigns were the Marks I

aimed at; and my Haunts were contrived to be in thofe Places

where

Of

thefe

were moft

which an Account

likely to

'will be

be found.

given in this

Hi/lory in Order as they happened.

FINIS.

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