Namque canebat uti magnum per inane coacta.
Semina terrarumque, animæque, marifque fuiffent,
Et liquidi fimul ignis: Et his exordia primis
Omnia, et ipfe tener mundi concreverit Orbis."

For rich-vein'd Orpheus fweetly did rehearse
How that the Seeds of Fire, Air, Water, Earth,
Were all pack'd in the vast void Universe:
And how from these, as Firstlings, all had Birth,
And how the Body of this Orbick frame,
From tender Infancy fo big became.

But, as touching the third Conceit of Pan's Original, it seems that the Grecians (either by intercourse with the Egyptians, or one way or other) had heard something of the Hebrew Myfteries; for it points to the State of the World, not confidered in immediate Creation, but after the Fall of Adam, expofed and made fubject to Death and Corruption: For in that State it was (and remains to this Day) the Offspring of God and Sin. And therefore all these Three Narrations concerning the manner of Pan's Birth may feem to be true, if it be rightly diftinguished between Things and Times. For this Pan or Nature (which we fufpect, Contemplate, and Reverence more than is fit) took beginning from the Word of God by the means of confused Matter, and the entrance of Prevarication and Corruption. The Deftinies may well be thought the Sifters of Pan or Nature, because the Beginning and Continu

1 Virg. Eclog. 6.

ances and Corruptions and Depreffions, and Diffolutions, and Eminences, and Labours, and Felicities of Things, and all the Chances which can happen unto anything are linked with the Chain of Causes natural.

Horns are attributed unto him, because Horns are broad at the Root and sharp at the Ends, the Nature of all Things being like a Pyramis, fharp at the Top. For individual or fingular Things being infinite, are first collected into Species, which are many alfo; then from Species into Generals, and from Generals (by afcending) are contracted into Things or Notions more general; so that at length Nature may feem to be contracted into an Unity. Neither is it to be wondered at, that Pan toucheth Heaven with his Horns, feeing the height of Nature or Universal Ideas do, in fome fort, pertain to Things Divine, and there is a ready and short Paffage from Metaphyfic to natural Theology.

The Body of Nature is elegantly and with deep Judgement depainted Hairy, representing the Beams or Operations of Creatures; for Beams are as it were the Hairs and Briftles of Nature, and every Creature is either more or lefs Beamy, which is most apparent in the faculty of Seeing, and no less in every Virtue and Operation that effectuates upon a distant Object, for whatsoever works upon any Thing afar off, that may rightly be faid to dart forth Rays or Beams.

Moreover, Pan's Beard is faid to be exceeding long, because the Beams or Influences of Celestial

Bodies do operate and pierce farthest of all; and the Sun, when his higher half is shadowed with a Cloud, his Beams break out in the lower, and looks as if he were Bearded.

Nature is also excellently set forth with a biformed Body, with respect to the differences between superior and inferior Creatures. For the one part by reason of their Pulcritude, and Equability of Motion, and Conftancy and Dominion over the Earth and Earthly Things, is worthily set out by the shape of Man: And the other part in respect of their Perturbations and unconftant Motions, (and therefore needing to be moderated by the Celestial) may be well fitted with the Figure of a Brute Beaft. This Description of his Body pertains alfo to the Participation of Species, for no natural Being seems to be fimple, but as it were participating and compounded of two. As for Example, Man hath fomething of a Beaft; a Beast something of a Plant; a Plant something of an inanimate Body, of that all natural Things are in very Deed biformed, that is to say, compounded of a fuperior and inferior Species.

It is a witty Allegory, that fame of the Feet of the Goat, by reason of the upward tending Motion of Terreftrial Bodies towards the Air and Heaven, for the Goat is a climbing Creature, that loves to be hanging about the Rocks and steep Mountains; and this is done alfo in a wonderful manner, even by those Things which are destinated to this inferior Globe, as may manifeftly appear in Clouds and Meteors.

The two Enfigns which Pan bears in his Hands, do point, the one at Harmony, the other at Empire: For the Pipe confifting of seven Reeds, doth evidently demonstrate the Consent and Harmony, and difcordant Concord of all inferior Creatures, which is caused by the Motion of the Seven Planets: And that of the Sheep-hook may be excellently applied to the order of Nature, which is partly right, partly crooked: This Staff therefore or Rod is fpecially crooked in the upper end, because all the Works of Divine Providence in the World are done in a far-fetched and circular manner, fo that one Thing may seem to be affected, and yet indeed a clean contrary brought to pafs; as the felling of Jofeph into Egypt, and the like. Besides, in all wise Human Government, they that fit at the Helm do more happily bring their Purposes about, and infinuate more easily into the Minds of the People, by pretexts and oblique Courses, than by direct Methods: So that all Sceptres and Maces of Authority ought in very Deed to be crooked in the upper end.

Pan's Cloak or Mantle is ingeniously feigned to be a Skin of a Leopard, because it is full of Spots: So the Heavens are spotted with Stars, the Sea with Rocks and Iflands, the Land with Flowers, and every particular Creature alfo is for the most part garnished with divers Colours about the Superficies, which is as it were a Mantle unto it.

The Office of Pan can be by nothing fo lively conceived and expreffed, as by feigning him to be the God of Hunters, for every natural Action, and

fo by confequence, Motion, and Progreffion, is nothing else but a Hunting. Arts and Sciences have their Works, and Human Counsels their Ends which they earnestly hunt after. All natural Things have either their Food as a Prey, or their Pleasure as a Recreation which they seek for, and that in most expert and fagacious manner.

Torva Leana Lupam fequitur, Lupus ipfe Capellam. Florentem Cityfum fequitur lafciva Capella.2

The hungry Lioness, (with fharp defire) Pursues the Wolf, the Wolf the wanton Goat: The Goat again doth greedily aspire

To have the Trifoil Juice pafs down her Throat.

Pan is alfo faid to be the God of the CountryClowns, because Men of this Condition lead lives more agreeable unto Nature, than those that live in the Cities and Courts of Princes, where Nature by too much Art is corrupted: So as the faying of the Poet (though in the fenfe of Love) might be here verified:

Pars minima eft ipfa puella fui.3

The Maid fo tricked herself with Art,
That of herself she is least part.

He was held to be Lord Prefident of the Mountains, because in the high Mountains and Hills, Nature lays herself most open, and Men most apt to View and Contemplation.

2 Virgil Buc. 2.

3 Martial Ep.