78 THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 



&quot; caput instar junceti demittat T Is it such a fast 

 that I have chosen, that a man should afflict his soul 

 for a day, and to bow down his head like a bulrush ? 

 Having now touched the state of religion, the 

 parable converts itself to the manners and conditions 

 of human life : and it is a common but apt inter 

 pretation by Pandora, to be meant pleasure and vo 

 luptuousness, which, when the civil life is pampered 

 with too much art, and culture, and superfluity, is 

 engendered, as it were, by the efficacy of fire, and 

 therefore the work of voluptuousness is attributed 

 unto Vulcan, who also himself doth represent fire. 

 From this do infinite miseries, together with too late 

 repentance, proceed and overflow the minds, and 

 bodies, and fortunes of men ; and that not only in 

 respect of particular estates, but even over kingdoms 

 and commonwealths : for from this fountain have 

 wars, tumults, and tyrannies derived their original. 



But it would be worth the labour to consider 

 how elegantly and proportionably this fable doth 

 delineate two conditions, or, as I may say, two tables 

 or examples of human life, under the persons of Pro 

 metheus or Epimetheus : for they that are of Epi- 

 metheus sect are improvident, not foreseeing what 

 may come to pass hereafter, esteeming that best 

 which seems most sweet for the present ; whence it 

 happens that they are overtaken with many miseries, 

 difficulties, and calamities, and so lead their lives 

 almost in perpetual affliction ; but yet, notwithstand 

 ing, they please their fancy, and out of ignorance of 

 the passages of things, do entertain many vain hopes 



