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XXIX. Proferpina, or Spirit.

LUTO, they fay, being made King of the Infernal Dominions, (by that memorable Divifion,) was in defpair of ever attaining any one of the Superior Goddeffes in Marriage, especially if he should venture to court them, either with Words, or with any amorous Behaviour: fo that of Neceffity he was to lay fome Plot to get one of them by Rapine: Taking therefore the Benefit of Opportunity, he caught up Proferpina (the Daughter of Ceres, a beautiful Virgin,) as she was gathering Narciffus-Flowers in the Meadows of Sicily, and carried her away with him in his Coach to the Subterranean Dominions; where she was welcomed with fuch Refpect, as that she was styled the Lady of Dis. But Ceres, her Mother, when in no place she could find this her only beloved Daughter, in a forrowful Humour, and diftracted beyond measure, went compaffing the whole Earth, with a burning Torch in her hand, to feek, and recover this her loft Child. But when she saw that all was in vain, fuppofing peradventure that she was carried to Hell, fhe importuned Jupiter with many Tears and Lamentations that she might be reftored unto her again; and at length, prevailed thus far, That if fhe had tafted of nothing in Hell, fhe fhould have leave to bring her from thence. Which Condition was as good as a Denial to her Petition, Proferpina having

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already eaten three Grains of a Pomegranate: And yet for all this, Ceres gave not over her Suit, but fell to Prayers and Moans afresh: Wherefore, it was at last granted, that (the Year being divided) Proferpina fhould, by alternate Courses, remain one fix Months with her Husband, and other fix Months with her Mother. Not long after this, Thefeus and Perithous, in an over-hardy Adventure, attempted to fetch her from Pluto's Bed; who, being weary with Travel and fitting down upon a stone in Hell to reft themselves, had not the power to rise again; but fat there for ever. Proferpina therefore remained Queen of Hell, in whofe Honour there was this great privilege granted, That although it were enacted, that none that went down to Hell, should have the power ever to return from thence; yet was this fingular exception annexed to this Law, That if any presented Proferpina with a Golden Bough, it should be lawful for him to go and come at his Pleasure. Now there was but one only such a Bough in a spacious and fhady Grove, which was not a Plant neither of itself, but budded from a Tree of another kind, like a Rope of Gum, which being plucked off, another would inftantly spring out.

This Fable seems to pertain to Nature, and to dive into that rich and plentiful efficacy and variety of fubterraneal Creatures, from whom whatfoever we have is derived, and to them doth again

return.

By Proferpina, the Ancients meant that Ethereal Spirit, (which being separated from the upper

Globe) is fhut up and detained under the Earth represented by Pluto) which the Poet well ex-reffed thus:

Sive recens Tellus, feductaque nuper ab alto Æthere, cognati retinebat femina Cæli.1 Whether the Youngling Tellus (that of late Was from the high-reared Ether separate) Did yet contain her Teeming Womb within The living Seeds of Heaven her nearest kin.

This Spirit is feigned to be rapted by the Earth, because nothing can withhold it, when it hath time and leifure to escape. It is therefore caught and taid by a fudden Contraction, no otherwise than f a Man fhould go about to mix Air with Water, which can be done by no means, but by a speedy and rapid Agitation, as may be seen in Froth, wherein the Air is rapted by the Water.

Neither is it inelegantly added, that Proferpina was rapt as fhe was gathering Narciffus's Flowers in the Valleys, because Narciffus hath his Name from Slownefs or Stupidity: For indeed then is this Spirit most prepared and fitted to be fnatched by Terreftrial Matter, when it begins to be coagulated, and becomes as it were flow.

Rightly is Proferpina honoured more than any of the other Gods' Bedfellows, in being stiled the Lady of Dis, because this Spirit doth rule and fway all things in those lower Regions, Pluto abiding ftupid and ignorant.

'Ovid Metam. i. 80.

This Spirit the Power Celestial (fhadowed by Ceres) ftrives, with infinite Sedulity, to recover and get again: For that Brand or burning Torch of Ether (which Ceres carried in her Hand) doth doubtless fignify the Sun, which enlighteneth the whole Circuit of the Earth, and would be of greateft moment to recover Proferpina, if poffibly it might be.

But Proferpina abides still; the Reason of which is accurately, and excellently propounded in the Conditions between Jupiter and Ceres: For, first, it is most certain there are two ways to keep Spirit in folid and terrestrial Matter; the one by Conftipation, and Obstruction, which is mere Imprisonment and Constraint; the other, by Administration, or proportionable Nutriment, which it receives willingly, and of its own accord: For after that the included Spirit begins to feed and nourish itself, it makes no hafte to be gone; but is as it were, linked to its Earth: And this is pointed at by Proferpina eating of a Pomegranate; which if he had not done, she had long fince been recovered by Ceres with her Torch compaffing the Earth. Now as concerning that Spirit which is in Metals and Minerals, it is chiefly perchance restrained by the folidity of Mafs: But that which is in Plants and Animals, inhabits a porous Body, and hath open Paffage to be gone, in a manner as it lifts, were it not that it willingly abides of its own accord, by reason of the Relifh it finds in its Entertainment. The fecond Condition concerning the fix Months' Custom, it is no other than an elegant Description

of the Divifion of the Year; seeing this Spirit mixed with Earth appears above ground in Vegeable Bodies during the Summer Months, and in he Winter finks down again.

Now as concerning Thefeus and Perithous, and heir Attempt to bring Proferpina quite away, the neaning of it is, that it oftentimes comes to pass hat some more fubtile Spirit descending with divers Bodies to the Earth, never come to fuck of any ubterraneal Spirit, whereby to unite it unto them, and fo to bring it away. But on the contrary are coagulated themselves, and never rise more, that Proferpina should be by that means augmented with Inhabitants and Dominion.

All that we can fay concerning that Sprig of Gold, is hardly able to defend us from the Violence of the Chymicks, if in this regard they set upon us, seeing they promise by that their Elixir to effect Golden Mountains, and the restoring of Natural Bodies, as it were, from the Portal of Hell. But concerning Chymistry, and those perpetual Suitors for that Philosophical Elixir, we know certainly that their Theory is without Grounds, and we fufpect that their Practice is alfo without certain Reward. And therefore (omitting thefe) of this last part of the Parable, this is my Opinion : I am induced to believe by many Figures of the Ancients, that the Confervation and Reftoration of Natural Bodies, in fome fort, was not esteemed by them as a thing impoffible to be attained, but as a thing abstruse and full of Difficulties; and fo they seem to intimate in this place, when they re

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