said, Magnum eft habere fimul fragilitatem hominis, et fecuritatem Dei. It is a great matter for Human Frailty and Divine Security to be at one and the felf-fame time, in one and the felf-fame Subject.

But now we are to ftep back a little again to that, which by Premeditation we paffed over, left a Breach fhould be made in those things that were fo linked together. That therefore which I could touch here, is that laft Crime imputed to Prometheus, about seeking to bereave Minerva of her Virginity For queftionless, it was this heinous Offence that brought that Punishment of devouring his Liver upon him; which is nothing else but to fhow, that when we are puffed up with too much Learning and Science, they go about oftentimes to make even Divine Oracles fubject to Sense and Reason; whence most certainly follows a continual Distraction, and restless griping of the Mind; we must therefore with a fober, and humble Judgement, diftinguish between Humanity and Divinity, and between the Oracles of Sense, and the Mysteries of Faith, unless a Heretical Religion, and a commentitious Philofophy be pleafing unto

us.

Lastly, it remains that we say something of the Games of Prometheus, performed with burning Torches, which again hath reference to Arts and Sciences, as that Fire, in whofe Memory, and Celebration, these Games were inftituted, and it contains in it a most wife Admonition, that the perfection of Sciences to be expected from Succeffion, not from the Nimbleness and Promptness

of one only Author; for they that are nimblest in Course, and strongest in Contention, yet haply have not the luck to keep Fire still in their Torch; feeing it may be as well extinguished by running too fast, as by going too flow. And this running and contending with Lamps, seems long fince to be intermitted, feeing all Sciences feem even now to flourish most in their firft Authors, Ariftotle, Galen, Euclid and Ptolemy; Succeffion having neither effected, nor almost attempted any great Matter. It were therefore to be wished, that these Games, in honour of Prometheus, or Human Nature, were again restored, and that Matters fhould receive Success by Combat and Emulation, and not hang upon any one Man's sparkling and fhaking Torch. Men therefore are to be admonished to rouse up their Spirits, and try their Strengths and Turns, and not to refer all to the Opinions and Brains of a few.

And thus have I delivered that which I thought good to obferve out of this so well known, and common Fable; and yet I will not deny, but that there may be fome things in it, which have an admirable Confent with the Myfteries of Chriftian Religion, and especially that failing of Hercules, in a Cup, (to fet Prometheus at liberty,) feems to represent an Image of the Divine Word, coming in Flesh, as in a frail Veffel, to redeem Man from the Slavery of Hell. But I have interdicted my Pen all Liberty in this kind, left I fhould use strange Fire at the Altar of the Lord.

1

XXVII. Scylla and Icarus, or the
Middle Way.

101

EDIOCRITY, or the Middle-way, is moft commended in Moral Actions; in Contemplative Sciences, not fo celebrated, though no lefs, profitable and commodious; but in Political Employments, to be used with great heed and Judgement. The Ancients by the way, prefcribed by Icarus, noted the Mediocrity of Manners; and by the Way between Scylla and Charybdis (fo famous for Difficulty and Danger,) the Mediocrity of intellectual Operations.

Icarus being to cross the Sea by flight, was commanded by his Father, that he should fly neither too high nor too low; for his Wings being joined with Wax, if he should mount too high, it was to be feared left the Wax fhould melt by the heat of the Sun; and if too low, left misty Vapours of the Sea would make it less tenacious ; but he in a youthful Jollity foaring too high, fell down headlong, and perifhed in the Water.

The Parable is eafy and vulgar; for the way of Virtue lies in a direct Path between Excess and Defect. Neither is it a wonder that Icarus perifhed by Excefs, feeing that Excess for the moft part, is the peculiar Fault of Youth, as Defect is of Age, and yet of two evil and hurtful ways,

Youth commonly makes choice of the better, Defect being always accounted worst; for whereas Excess contains fome Sparks of Magnanimity, and, like a Bird, claims kindred of the Heavens, Defect, only like a base Worm, crawls upon the Earth. Excellently therefore faid Heraclitus, Lumen ficcum, optima Anima; a dry Light is the best Soul; for if the Soul contract moisture from the Earth, it becomes degenerate altogether. Again, on the other fide, there must be Moderation used, that this Light be fubtilized by this laudable Siccity, and not destroyed by too much Fervency. And thus much every Man for the most part knows.

Now they that would fail between Scylla and Charybdis must be furnished, as well with the Skill, as profperous Success in Navigation: For if their Ships fall into Scylla they are split on the Rocks : If into Charybdis they are fwallowed up of a Gulf.

The Moral of this Parable (which we will but briefly touch, although it contain Matter of infinite Contemplation) seems to be this: That in every Art and Science, and fo in their Rules and Axioms, there be a mean obferved between the Rocks of Diftinctions, and the Gulfs of Univerfalities; which two are famous for the Wreck both of Wits and Arts.

XXVIII. Sphynx, or Science.

HEY fay that Sphynx was a Monster of divers Forms, as having the Face and Voice of a Virgin, the Wings of a Bird, and the Talons of a Griffin. His abode was in a Mountain near the City of Thebes, he kept alfo the Highways, and used to lie in Ambush for Travellers, and fo to surprise them: To whom (being in his Power) he propounded certain dark and intricate Riddles, which were thought to have been given and received of the Mufes. Now if these miferable Captives were not able instantly to refolve and interpret them in the midst of their Difficulties and Doubts, fhe would rend and tear them in pieces. The Country groaning a long time under this Calamity, the Thebans at laft propounded the Kingdom as a Reward unto him that could interpret the Riddles of Sphynx, there being no other way to destroy her: Whereupon Edipus (a Man of piercing and deep Judgement, but Maimed and Lame, by reafon of Holes bored in his Feet,) moved with the hope of fo great a Reward, accepted the Condition, and determined to put it to the hazard; and fo with an undaunted and bold Spirit, presented himself before the Monster; who afked him what Creature that was, which after his Birth, went firft upon four Feet, next, upon two, then upon

Y