36 THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 



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 universality 

 or whole bulk of matter always remains the same, 

 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 essays, and so in 

 process of time a perfect fabric or structure was 

 framed, which would still retain and keep his form : 

 and therefore the government of the first age was 

 shadowed by the kingdom of Saturn, who for the 

 frequent dissolutions and short continuances of things 

 was aptly feigned to devour his children. The suc 

 ceeding government was deciphered by the reign of 

 Jupiter, who confined those continual mutations unto 

 Tartarus, a place signifying perturbation. This 

 place seems to be all that middle place between the 

 lower superficies of heaven and the centre of the 

 earth, in which all perturbations, 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 so long as in the uni 

 versality of matter, discord was better and more pre 

 valent than concord, it was necessary that there 

 should be a total dissolution or mutation, and that in 

 the whole fabric ; and by this kind of generation 

 were creatures produced before Saturn was deprived 

 of his genitals. When this ceased, that other which 



