^ J ^ 



A NATURAL HISTORY 



Mother Olpnpias had confefl to his Father Philips that Akxan' 

 der was not begot by him, but by a Serpent of vajl Bulk ; where- 

 upon Philip was divorced from his Wife Olympias, and Alexander 

 was fainted Son oi Hanunon, and by Order of the Priefts, his Com- 

 panions were enjoin'd to worfliip him as a Gody and not as a 

 King. 



A L E X AN D E R,^ht\\ he hadconquer'dD^rmlll. furnam'd 

 Codomanhus^ and was pofTeft of the Ferfian Empire, writ to the 

 Grecians^ that they fliould decree hitn to be a God. Hereupon 

 feveral Decrees were made : The LacedetJionians expreft their 

 Compliance in this fhort Decree, viz. Forafmiich as Alexander 

 would be a God, let him be a God, Thus with Laconick Brevity, 

 fafhionable among the Lacedemonians ^ they humour'd and repro- 

 ved the Pride of their King at once *. 



^^i?i?0 was of Opinion, that all gallant and heroick Men 

 fliould believe themfelves, tho' falily, to ifTue from the Gods .... 

 that upon this Suppofition, they might attempt great things 

 with moreCourage, and profecute them with more Ardency ; and 

 tho' the Motive was but imaginary, yet might produce glorious 

 Effeds -f-. When Varro writ this, 'tis probable he had Alexander the 

 Great in his view. 



Such is their Opinion of their King in China^ that they think 

 he is defcended from the Race of fome Demi-God, and fo adore 

 him accordingly. They believe there is fome Divinity in his 

 Blood, in fo much that he never marries any but his next Rela- 

 tives, for fear of ftaining the Royal Blood %. 



Among the Antients, Serpents were Emblems of Power; 

 therefore Epaminondas, the brave Theban General, to encourage 

 his Army againfl a powerful Enemy, bruifcd the Head of a Serpent 

 before them as a Prognoftick of Vi(ftory. 



Thus King "James I. tho' the Dupe of all Chriflendom, fays a 

 certain Gentleman, yet was the grand Idol of the Court-Clergy. 

 That Pedantry which would have brought a School-Boy under 

 the juft Dilcipline of the Rod, in him was reprefented by his pa- 

 rafitical Preferment-hunting Ecclefiaflicks, as divine Eloquence, 

 and the Infpiration of the Almighty. . . . 



CHAP. 



• Et£<s^ AAeSai/jpo? /3ooA£t«/ ©ek Mcti 'iqa ©es';. iEliaiii varix Hid. lib. ii. c ip, xix. 

 f Kx Diis genitos — Aug. de Civitate Dei, cap. 4. 

 X Hoiuel's Londh/o^olis. p. 384. 



