STUDY VII. 75 



Lucrethis, who afcribes the Creation of the 

 World to atoms, on a fyftem of Phyfics altogether 

 unintelligible, admits that it is quite a recent pro- 

 dudlion. 



Praeterea, fi nulla fuit genitalis origo 

 TerraY & cœli, femperque eterna fiierc. 

 Cur fupra bellum Thebanum, & funera Trojae, 

 Non alias alii quoque res cecinêre Poetae. 



De reruin Natura^ Lib. -v. ver. 325 *. 



*' Had Heaven and Earth known no beginning of 

 *' exiftence, but endured from eternity, why have 

 ** we no Poets tranfmitting to us the knowledge 

 '' of great events, prior to the Theban war, and 

 " the downfall of Troy ?" 



The Earth is filled with the religious traditions 

 of our Scriptures : they ferve as a foundation to 

 the religion of the Turks, the Perfians, and the 

 Arabians : they extend over the greateft part of 

 Africa : we find them again in India, from whence 

 all Nations and all Arts originally proceeded : 

 We can trace them in the ancient and intricate 



* Thus imitated : 



If genial Nature gave the Heavens no birth, 

 And from eternal ages roU'd the Earth, 

 Why neither wars nor Poets — Sages, tell, 

 Till Homer fung, how mighty Hedor fell ? 



religion 



