THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 39 



His flock or herd seems to be nothing but the 

 ordinary species of sensible creatures, plants, and 

 metals, in which matter seems to diffuse and, as it 

 were, spend itself; so that after the forming and per 

 fecting of these kinds, having ended as it were her 

 task, she seems to sleep and take her rest, not at 

 tempting the composition of any more species. And 

 this may be the moral of Proteus counting of his 

 flock, and of his sleeping. 



Now this is said to be done, not in the morning 

 nor in the evening, but at noon ; to wit, at such time 

 as is most fit and convenient for the perfecting and 

 bringing forth of species out of matter duly pre 

 pared and predisposed ; and in the middle, as it were* 

 between their beginning and declinations, which we 

 know sufficiently, out of the holy history, to be done 

 about the time of the creation ; for then by the power 

 of that divine word (producat) matter at the Creator s 

 command did congregate itself, not by ambages or 

 turnings, but instantly, to the production of its work 

 into an act and constitution of species : and thus 

 far have we the narration of Proteus, free and unre 

 strained, together with his flock complete ; for the 

 universality of things, with their ordinary structures 

 and compositions of species, bears the face of matter 

 not limited and constrained, and of the flock also of 

 material beings. Nevertheless, if any expert minister 

 of nature shall encounter matter by main force, vex 

 ing and urging her with intent and purpose to re 

 duce her to nothing, she contrariwise, seeing anni 

 hilation and absolute destruction cannot be effected 



