ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 117 



and first known, the human capacity could scarce admit 

 them in their subtile state, or till they were brought nearer 

 to sense, by such kind of imagery and examples; whence 

 ancient times are full of their fables, their allegories, and 

 their similes. From this source arise the symbol of Py 

 thagoras, the enigmas of Sphinx, and the fables of .^Esop. 

 Nay, the apothegms of the ancient sages were usually dem 

 onstrated by similitudes. And as hieroglyphics preceded 

 letters, so parables preceded arguments; and the force of 

 parables ever was and will be great, as being clearer than 

 arguments, and more apposite than real examples. 



The other use of allegorical poetry is to envelop things, 

 whose dignity deserves a veil; as when the secrets and 

 mysteries of religion, policy, and philosophy, are wrapped 

 up in fables and parables. But though some may doubt 

 whether there be any mystical sense concealed in the ancient 

 fables of the poets, we cannot but think there is a latent 

 mystery intended in some of them: for we do not, there 

 fore, judge contemptibly of them, because they are com 

 monly left to children and grammarians ; but as the writings 

 that relate these fables are, next to the sacred ones, the most 

 ancient, and the fables themselves much older still, being 

 not delivered as the inventions of the writers, but as things 

 before believed and received, they appear like a soft whis 

 per from the traditions of more ancient nations, conveyed 

 through the flutes of the Grecians. But all hitherto at 

 tempted taward the interpretation of these parables proving 

 unsatisfactory to us, as having proceeded from men of but 

 commonplace learning, we set down the philosophy of 

 ancient fables as the only deficiency in poetry. But lest 

 any person should imagine that any of these deficiencies 

 are rather notional than real, and that we, like augurs, only 

 measure countries in our mind, and know not how to invade 

 them, we will proceed to subjoin examples of the work we 

 recommend. These shall be three in number one taken 

 from natural philosophy, one from politics, and another 

 from morals. 



