57 



tion of generative seeds becoming prolific. Divine 

 men, therefore, following the example of mathe- 

 maticians in the genitures of men, have prudently 

 devised this, as if it were the geniture of the world. 

 Hence I deem it expedient to explain the con- 

 trivance of that divine composition, in order that 

 the admirable reason of the conjectural scheme 

 may be unfolded according to the rules of art. 



" These divine men, therefore, wished so to con- 

 stitute the Moon [in the geniture of the world], 

 that it might conjoin itself with Saturn, and might 

 deliver the dominion of periodical revolutions. 

 Nor was this improperly devised. For because the 

 first origin of the world ( c ) [i. e. the beginning 

 of the first mundane period] was uncultivated and 

 rude, and savage through rustic association, and 

 also because barbarous men, having entered on 

 the first vestiges of light, and which were unknown 

 to them, were destitute of reason, in consequence 

 of having abandoned humanity*, these divine men 

 were of opinion, that this rustic and barbarous 

 time was Saturnian, that, in imitation of this star, 

 the beginning of life might be characterized by 

 barbaric and inhuman ferocity. After Saturn, 

 Jupiter received periodical power. For to this 



* In the original, "positse humanitatis ratio deserebat;" but 

 for positte humanitatis^ it appears to me to be requisite to read, con- 

 formably to the above translation, positd humanitate. 



