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tentively lend their Ears to his Mufick. Neither is this all; for fo great was the Power and alluring Force of this Harmony, that he drew the Woods, and moved the very Stones to come and place themselves in an orderly and decent Fashion about him. These Things fucceeding happily and with great Admiration for a time; at length certain Thracian Women (poffeffed with the Spirit of Bacchus,) made fuch a horrid and strange Noise with their Cornets, that the found of Orpheus's Harp could no more be heard, infomuch as that Harmony which was the Bond of that Order and Society being diffolved, all Disorder began again; and the Beasts (returning to their wonted Nature) pursued one another unto Death as before: Neither did the Trees or Stones remain any longer in their Places and Orpheus himself was by these Female Furies torn in Pieces, and scattered all over the Defert. For whofe cruel Death the River Helicon (facred to the Muses) in horrible Indignation hid his Head under Ground and raised it again in another Place.

The meaning of this Fable seems to be thus: Orpheus's Mufick is of two forts, the one appeafing the Infernal Powers, the other attracting Beasts and Trees; the firft may be fitly applied to Natural Philosophy, the second to Moral or Civil Discipline.

The most noble Work of Natural Philofophy, is the Reftitution and Renovation of Things corruptible; the other (as a leffer degree of it) the Prefervation of Bodies in their Eftate, detaining

them from Diffolution and Putrefaction; and, if this Gift may be in Mortals, certainly it can be done by no other means than by the due and exquifite Temper of Nature, as by the melody and delicate Touch of an Inftrument. But seeing it is of all Things moft difficult, it is feldom or never attained unto; and in all likelihood for no other Reason, more than through curious Diligence and untimely Impatience. And therefore Philofophy hardly able to produce so excellent an Effect, in a penfive Humour, (and not without caufe) bufies herself about Human Objects, and by Persuasion and Eloquence, infinuating the love of Virtue, Equity, and Concord in the Minds of Men, draws Multitudes of People to a Society, makes them fubject to Laws, obedient to Government, and forgetful of their unbridled Affections, whilst they give Ear to Precepts, and fubmit themselves to Difcipline; whence follows the building of Houses, erecting of Towns, planting of Fields and Orchards with Trees, and the like; infomuch that it would not be amifs to fay, that even thereby Stones and Woods were called together and fettled in Order. And after serious Trial made and fruftrated about the reftoring of a Body Mortal, this care of Civil Affairs follows in his due Place: Because by a plain Demonstration of the inevitable neceffity of Death, Men's Minds are moved to seek Eternity by the fame and glory of their Merits. It is alfo wifely faid in the Fable, that Orpheus was averse from the love of Women and Marriage, because the delights of Wedlock and the love of

Children do for the most part hinder Men from enterprising great and noble Designs for the public Good, holding Pofterity a sufficient step to Immortality without Action.

Befides, even the very Works of Wisdom (although amongst all Human Things they do most excel) do nevertheless meet with their Periods. For it happens that (after Kingdoms and Commonwealths have flourished for a time) even Tumults and Seditions and Wars arise; in the midst of which Hurly-burlies, first Laws are filent, Men return to the pravity of their Natures; Fields and Towns are wafted and depopulated; and then (if their Fury continue) Learning and Philosophy muft needs be dismembered; fo that a few Fragments only, and in fome Places, will be found like the scattered Boards of Shipwreck, fo as a barbarous Age must follow; and the Streams of Helicon being hid under the Earth, (until the Viciffitude of Things paffing) they break out again, and appear in some other remote Nation, though not perhaps in the fame Climate.

XII. Cœlum, or Beginnings.

E have it from the Poets by Tradition, that Cœlum was the Ancienteft of the Gods, and that his Members of Gen

eration were cut off by his Son Saturn. Saturn had many Children, but devoured them as foon as they were Born; Jupiter only escaped,

who being come to Man's Eftate, thrust Saturn his Father into Hell, and fo ufurp'd the Kingdom. Moreover he pared off his Father's Genitals with the fame Falchion that Saturn dismembered Colum, and caft them into the Sea; from whence came Venus. Not long after this, (Jupiter being scarce fettled and confirmed in this Kingdom) was invaded by two memorable Wars. The first of the Titans, in the fuppreffing of which Sol (who alone of all the Titans, favouring Jupiter's fide) took exceeding great Pains. The second was of the Giants, whom Jupiter himself destroyed with Thunder-bolts and fo all Wars being ended, he Reigned fecure.

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This Fable seems enigmatically to fhew from whence all Things took their Beginning, not much differing from that Opinion of Philosophers, which Democritus afterwards laboured to maintain, attributing Eternity to the firft Matter, and not to the World. In which he comes fomewhat near the truth of Divine Writ, telling us of a huge deformed Mass, before the beginning of the fix days' Work.

The meaning of the Fable is this: by Colum may be understood that vast Concavity or vaulted Compass that comprehends all Matter: And by Saturn may be meant the Matter itself which takes from his Parent all power of Generating; for the univerfality or whole Bulk of Matter always remains the fame, neither increasing or diminishing in respect of the quality of its Nature: But by the divers Agitations and Motions of it were first produced imperfect and ill agreeing Compositions of

Things, making as it were certain Worlds for Proofs or Effays, and fo, in Process of Time, a perfect Fabrick or Structure was framed which should still retain and keep his Form. And therefore the Government of the firft Age was fhadowed by the Kingdom of Saturn, who for the frequent Diffolutions and fhort Continuances of Things was aptly feigned to devour his Children. The fucceeding Government was deciphered by the Reign of Jupiter, who confirmed those continual Mutations unto Tartarus, a Place fignifying Perturbation. This Place feems to be all that middle space between the lower Superficies of Heaven and the Centre of the Earth; in which all Perturbation and Fragility, and Mortality or Corruption are frequent. During the former Generation of things in the time of Saturn's Reign, Venus was not Born: for fo long as in the univerfality of Matter Discord was better and more prevalent than Concord, it was neceffary that there should be total Diffolution or Mutation, and that in the whole Fabrick. And by this kind of Generation were creatures produced before Saturn was deprived of his Genitals. When this ceased, that other which wrought by Venus immediately came in, confifting in fettled and prevalent Concord of Things, so that Mutation should be only in respect of the Parts, the univerfal Fabrick remaining whole and inviolate.

Saturn, they say, was depofed and cast down into Hell, but not destroyed and utterly extinguished, because there was an Opinion that the World should relapse into the old Chaos and interregnum

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