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mous and excellent. Afterwards, that he might not be noted only for Works of Mischief, but be fought after as well for Remedies as for Inftruments of Destruction, he was the Author of that ingenious Device concerning the Clew of Thread, by which the Labyrinth was made paffable without any let. This Dedalus was perfecuted by Minos with great Severity, Diligence, and Inquiry, but he always found the means to avoid and escape his Tyranny. Laftly, he taught his Son Icarus to fly, but the Novice, in Oftentation of this Art, foaring too high, fell into the Sea and was drowned.

The Parable feems to be thus: In the beginning of it may be noted that kind of Envy or Emulation that lodgeth, and wonderfully sways and domineers amongst excellent Artificers, there being no kind of People more reciprocally tormented with bitter and deadly hatred than they.

The Banishment alfo of Dedalus (a Punishment inflicted on him against the Rules of Policy and Providence) is worth the noting: For Artificers have this Prerogative to find entertainment and welcome in all Countries, fo that Exile to an excellent Workman can hardly be termed a Punishment, whereas other Conditions and States of Life can scarce live out of their own Country. The Admiration of Artificers is propagated and increased in foreign and strange Nations, seeing it is a natural and unbred Difpofition of Men to value their own Country-men (in respect of Mechanical Works) less than Strangers.

Concerning the use of Mechanical Arts, that

which follows is plain. The Life of Man is much beholden to them, seeing many things (conducing to the Ornament of Religion, to the Grace of Civil Discipline, and to the beautifying of all Human Kind) are extracted out of their Treasuries: And yet notwithstanding from the fame Magazine or Store-house are produced Inftruments both of Luft and Death; for to omit the Wiles of Bands, we well know how far exquifite Poisons, Warlike Engines, and fuch like Mischiefs (the effects of Mechanical Inventions) do exceed the Minotaur himself in Malignity and favage Cruelty.

Moreover that of the Labyrinth is an excellent Allegory, whereby is fhadowed the Nature of Mechanical Sciences; for all fuch handycraft Works as are more ingenious and accurate, may be compared to a Labyrinth in respect of Subtilty and divers intricate Paffages, and in other plain Refemblances, which by the Eye of Judgement can hardly be guided and discerned, but only by the Line of Experience.

Neither is it impertinently added, that he which invented the intricate Nooks of the Labyrinth, did alfo fhew the Commodity of the Clew: For Mechanical Arts are of Ambiguous ufe, ferving as well for hurt as for Remedy, and they have in a manner Power both to loofe and bind themselves.

Unlawful Trades, and fo by confequence, Arts themselves are often perfecuted by Minos, that is, by Laws, which do condemn them and prohibit Men to use them. Nevertheless they are hid and retained every where, finding lurking Holes and

places of Receipt, which was well obferved by Tacitus of the Mathematicians and Figure-flingers of his time, in a thing not fo much unlike: Genus Hominum quod in Civitate noftra femper et retinebitur et vetabitur. There is a kind of Men that will always abide in our City, though always forbidden. And yet notwithstanding unlawful and curious Arts of what kind foever, in tract of time, when they cannot perform what they promife, do fall from the good Opinion that was held of them, (no otherwise than Icarus fell down from the fkies,) they grow to be contemned and fcorned, and fo perifh by too much Oftentation. And to fay the Truth, they are not so happily restrained by the Reins of Law, as bewrayed by their own Vanity.

xx. Ericthonius, or Impofture.

HE Poets fable that Vulcan folicited Minerva for her Virginity, and impatient of denial, with an inflamed Defire offered her Violence, but in ftruggling his Seed fell upon the Ground, whereof came Ericthonius, whofe Body from the middle upward, was of a comely and apt Proportion, but his Thighs and Legs like the Tail of an Eel, small and deformed. To which Monftrofity he being confcious, became the firft Inventor of the ufe of Chariots, whereby that part of his Body which was

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well proportioned might be seen, and the other which was ugly and uncomely might be hid.

This ftrange and prodigious Fiction may seem to fhew that Art which (for the great use it hath of Fire) is fhadowed by Vulcan, although it labour by much striving with corporeal Subftances to force Nature, and to make her fubject to it, (fhe being for her industrious Works rightly represented by Minerva ;) yet feldom or never attains the end it aims at, but with much ado and great Pains (wreftling as it were with her) comes fhort of its Purpofe, and produceth certain imperfect Births and lame Works, fair to the Eye, but weak and defective in use, which many Impoftors, (with much Subtilty and Deceit) set to View, and carry about, as it were in Triumph, as may for the most part be noted in Chemical Productions, and other Mechanical Subtilties and Novelties, especially when (rather perfecuting their Intent, than reclining their Errors) they rather strive to overcome Nature by force, than fue for her Embracements by due Obfequiousness and Obfervance.

XXI. Deucalion, or Reftitution.

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HE Poets fay, that (the People of the Old World being deftroyed by a general Deluge) Deucalion and Pyrrha were only left alive; who praying with fervent and zealous Devotion, that they might know by what means to repair Mankind, had anfwer from an Oracle that they should obtain what they defired, if taking the Bones of their Mother, they caft them behind their Backs; which at first ftruck them with great Amazement and Despair, feeing (all things being defaced by the Flood) it would be an endless work to find their Mother's Sepulchre, but at length they understood that by Bones the Stones of the Earth (feeing the Earth was the Mother of all things) were fignified by the Oracle.

This Fable feems to reveal a fecret of Nature, and to correct an Error familiar to Men's Conceits: For through want of Knowledge Men think that things may take Renovation and Reftoration from their Putrefaction and Dregs, no otherwise than the Phoenix from the Afhes, which in no cafe can be admitted, feeing fuch kind of Materials, when they have fulfilled their Periods, are unapt for the beginnings of fuch things: We must therefore look back to more common Principles.

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