THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 55 



which monstrosity, he being conscious, became the 

 first inventor of the use of chariots, whereby that 

 part of his body which was well proportioned might 

 be seen, and the other which was ugly and uncomely 

 might be hid. 



This strange and prodigious fiction may seem to 

 shew that art, which, for the great use it hath of fire, 

 is shadowed by Vulcan, although it labour by much 

 striving with corporeal substances to force nature, 

 and to make her subject to it, she being for her in 

 dustrious works rightly represented by Minerva, 

 yet seldom or never attains the end it aims at, but 

 with much ado and great pains, wrestling as it 

 were with her, comes short of its purpose, and pro- 

 duceth certain imperfect births, and lame works, fair 

 to the eye, but weak and defective in use, which 

 many impostors, with much subtilty and deceit, set 

 to view, and carry about, as it were in triumph, as 

 may for the most part be noted in chemical produc 

 tions, and other mechanical subtilties and novelties, 

 especially when, rather prosecuting their intent] 

 than reclining their errors, they rather strive to 

 overcome nature by force ; than sue for her embrace- 

 ments by due obsequiousness and observance. 



DEUCALION, OR RESTITUTION. 



The poets say that the people of the old world 

 being destroyed by a general deluge, Deucalion and 

 Pyrrha were only left alive; who praying with fer 

 vent and zealous devotion, that they might know by 

 what means to repair mankind, had answer from an 



