THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 61 



if it should happen, that after a field fight, he prove 

 the victor, and as it were, break the horn of the 

 enemy, then certainly this follows, that his enemy 

 being stricken with terror, and abased in his repu 

 tation, presently bewrays his weakness, and seeking 

 to repair his loss, retires himself to some strong hold, 

 abandoning to the conqueror the spoil and sack of 

 his country and cities ; which may well be termed a 

 a type of the Amalthean horn. 



DIONYSUS, OR PASSIONS. 



They say that Semele, Jupiter s sweetheart, 

 having bound her paramour by an irrevocable oath 

 to grant her one request which she would require, 

 desired that he would accompany her in the same 

 form wherein he accompanied Juno: which he 

 granting, as not able to deny, it came to pass that 

 the miserable wench was burnt with lightning. But 

 the infant which she bare in her womb, Jupiter the 

 father took out, and kept it in a gash which he cut 

 in his thigh till the months were complete that it 

 should be born. This burthen made Jupiter some 

 what to limp, whereupon the child, because it was 

 heavy and troublesome to its father while it lay in 

 his thigh, was called Dionysus. Being born, it was 

 committed to Proserpina for some years to be nursed, 

 and being grown up, it had such a maiden-face as 

 that a man could hardly judge whether it were a 

 boy or girl. He was dead also, and buried for a 

 time, but afterwards revived: being but a youth, he 

 invented and taught the planting and dressing of 



