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Whereas Pan is said to be (next unto Mercury) the Meffenger of the Gods, there is in that a Divine Mystery contained, for next to the Word of God, the Image of the World proclaims the Power and Wisdom Divine, as fings the Sacred Poet, Pfal. xix. 1. Cæli enarrant Gloriam Dei, atque opera manuum ejus indicat Firmamentum. The Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the Firmament fheweth the Works of his Hands.

The Nymphs, that is, the Souls of Living Things take great delight in Pan. For these Souls are the Delights or Minions of Nature, and the Direction or Conduct of these Nymphs is with great Reason attributed unto Pan, because the Souls of all Things Living, do follow their natural Difpofitions as their Guides, and with infinite variety every one of them after his own Fashion doth leap, and frifk and dance with inceffant Motions about her. The Satyrs and Sileni alfo, to wit, Youth and Old Age, are fome of Pan's Followers: For of all natural Things, there is a lively, jocund, and (as I may fay) a dancing Age, and an Age again that is dull, bibling, and reeling. The Carriages and Difpofitions of both which Ages, to fome fuch as Democritus was, (that would observe them duly,) might peradventure feem as ridiculous and deformed, as the gambols of the Satyrs, or the geftures of the Sileni.

Of thofe Fears and Terrors which Pan is faid

4 Bibling is here used in the fenfe of tottering. The Latin is: "Omnium enim rerum eft ætas quædam hilaris et faltatrix: atque rursùs ætas tarda et bibula."

to be the Author, there may be this wife Construction made: Namely, that Nature hath bred in every Living Thing a kind of Care and Fear tending to the Preservation of its own Life and Being, and to the repelling and fhunning of all Things hurtful. And yet Nature knows not how to keep a Mean, but always intermixes vain and empty Fears with fuch as are difcreet and profitable: So that all Things (if their infides might be seen) would appear full of Panick Frights: But Men especially in hard, fearful, and diverse Times, are wonderfully infatuated with Superstition, which indeed is nothing else but a Panick Terror.

Concerning the Audacity of Pan in challenging Cupid at Wrestling: The meaning of it is, that Matter wants not Inclination and Desire to the relapfing and diffolution of the World into the old Chaos, if her Malice and Violence were not restrained and kept in order, by the prepotent Unity and Agreement of Things fignified by Cupid, or the God of Love; and therefore it was a happy turn for Men, and all Things else, that in their Conflict Pan was found too weak, and overcome.

To the fame Effect may be interpreted his catching of Typhon in a Net: For howsoever there may fometimes happen vaft and unwonted Tumours (as the Name of Typhon imports) either in the Sea or in the Air, or in the Earth, or elfewhere! yet Nature doth intangle it in an intricate Toil, and curb and restrain, as it were with a Chain of Adamant, the Exceffes and Infolencies of this kind of Bodies.

But forafmuch as it was Pan's good Fortune to find out Ceres as he was Hunting, and thought little of it, which none of the other Gods could do, though they did nothing else but seek her, and that very seriously; it gives us this true and grave Admonition, That we expect not to receive Things neceffary for Life and Manners from Philofophical Abstractions, as from the greater Gods; albeit they applied themselves to no other Study; but from Pan, that is, from the difcreet Obfervation and Experience, and the universal Knowledge of the Things of this World; whereby (oftentimes even by Chance, and as it were going a Hunting) fuch Inventions are lighted upon.

The Quarrel he made with Apollo about Musick, and the Event thereof contains a wholesome Inftruction, which may serve to restrain Men's Reafons and Judgements with the Reins of Sobriety, from Boafting and Glorying in their Gifts. For there seems to be a twofold Harmony, or Mufick; the one of Divine Providence, and the other of Human Reason; the Administration of the World and Creatures therein, and the more fecret Judgements of God, found very hard and harsh; which Folly, albeit it be well fet out with Affes' Ears; yet notwithstanding thefe Ears are fecret, and do not openly appear, neither is it perceived or noted as a Deformity by the Vulgar.

Laftly, It is not to be wondered at, that there is nothing attributed unto Pan concerning Loves, but only of his Marriage with Echo: For the World or Nature doth enjoy itself, and in itself all

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Things elfe. Now he that Loves would enjoy something, but where there is enough, there is no Place left to defire. Therefore there can be no wanting Love in Pan, or the World, nor defire to obtain anything (feeing he is contented with himfelf) but only Speeches, which (if plain) may be intimated by the Nymph Echo; or if more quaint by Syrinx. It is an excellent Invention that Pan, or the World is faid to make choice of Echo only (above all other Speeches or Voices) for his Wife: For that alone is true Philosophy which doth faithfully render the very Words of the World; and it is written no otherwise than the World doth Dictate, it being nothing else but the Image or reflection of it, not adding any thing of its own, but only iterates and refounds. It belongs alfo to the Sufficiency or Perfection of the World, that he begets no Iffue: For the World doth generate in respect of its Parts, but in respect of the whole, how can it generate, feeing without it there is no Body? Notwithstanding all this, the tale of that tattling Girl fathered upon Pan, may in very Deed, with great Reafon, be added to this Fable: For by her are reprefented thofe vain and idle Paradoxes concerning the Nature of Things which have been frequent in all Ages, and have filled the World with Novelties; Fruitlefs, if you refpect the Matter; Changelings if you refpect the Kind; fometimes creating Pleasure, fometimes Tedioufnefs with their overmuch Prattling.

5 Ovid. Metam. i. 691. The reference appears to be to the reed being formerly used as a pen.

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VII. Perfeus, or War.

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ERSEUS is faid to have been employed by Pallas for the destroying of Medufa, who was very infestuous to the Western Parts of the World, and efpecially about the utmost Coasts of Hiberia. Monster fo dire and horrid, that by her only Aspect she turned Men into Stones. This Medusa alone of all the Gorgons was Mortal, the rest not subject to Death. Perfeus therefore preparing himself for this noble Enterprise, had Arms and Gifts bestowed on him by three of the Gods: Mercury gave him Wings annexed to his Heels, Pluto a Helmet, Pallas a Shield and a Looking-Glass. Notwithstanding (although he were thus furnished) he went not directly to Medusa, but first to the Grea, which by the Mother's fide were Sifters to the Gorgons. Thefe Grea from their Birth were Hoar-headed, resembling old Women. They had but one only Eye, and one Tooth among them all; both which, fhe that had occafion to go abroad, was wont to take with her, and at her return to lay them down again. This Eye and Tooth they lent to Perfeus; and so, finding himself thoroughly furnished for the effecting of his Design, haftens towards Medusa. Her he found Sleeping, and yet durft not present himself with his Face towards her, left she should awake; but turning his Head afide, beheld her in Pallas's Glafs, and (by this means directing his

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