68 BACON 



altogether united or silent for a time, because their influence either 

 does not reach so low as us, or leaves uninterrupted the harmony of 

 the seven pipes of Pan. His crook also contains a fine representation 

 of the ways of nature, which are partly straight and partly crooked: 

 thus the staff, having an extraordinary bend towards the top, denotes 

 that the works of Divine Providence are generally brought about by 

 remote means, or in a circuit, as if somewhat else were intended, rather 

 than the effect produced ; as in the sending of Joseph into Egypt. So, 

 likewise, in human government, they who sit at the helm manage and 

 wind the people more successfully by pretext and oblique courses than 

 they could by such as are direct and straight; so that in effect all 

 sceptres are crooked on the top. Nay, in things strictly natural you 

 may sooner deceive nature than force her, so improper and self-con- 

 victing are open direct endeavors, whereas an oblique and insinuating 

 way gently glides along, and secretly accomplishes the purpose. 



Pan's mantle, or clothing, is with great ingenuity made of a leopard's 

 skin, because of the spots it has : for, in like manner, the heavens are 

 sprinkled with stars, the sea with islands, the earth with flowers, and 

 almost each particular thing is variegated, or wears a mottled coat 



The office of Pan could not be more livelily expressed than by mak- 

 ing him the god of hunters: for every natural action, every motion 

 and process, is no other than a chase; thus arts and sciences hunt out 

 their works, and human schemes and counsels their several ends, and 

 all living creatures either hunt out their aliment, pursue their prey, or 

 seek their pleasures, and this in a skilful and sagacious manner: 



" Torva lesena lupum sequitur, lupus ipse capellam: 

 Florentem cytisum sequitur lasciva capella." Virgil.* 



He is also styled the god of the rural inhabitants, because men in this 

 situation live more according to nature than they do in cities and courts, 

 where nature is so corrupted with effeminate arts, that the saying of 

 the poet may be verified: 



" pars minima est ipsa puella sui." Ovid.t 



He is likewise particularly styled president of the mountains, because 

 in mountains and lofty places the nature of things lies more open and 

 exposed to the eye and the understanding. 



In his being called the messenger of the gods, next after Mercury, 

 lies a divine allegory; as, next after the word of God, the image of 

 the world is the herald of the divine power and wisdom, according to 

 the expression of the Psalmist: "The heavens declare the glory of 

 God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork.''^ 



Pan is delighted with the company of the Nymphs : that is, the souls 

 of all living creatures are the delight of the world, and he is properly 

 called their governor, because each of them follows its own nature as 

 a leader, and all dance about their own respective rings with infinite 

 variety and never-ceasing motion. Hence one of the moderns has 

 ingeniously reduced all the power of the soul to motion, noting the pre- 

 cipitancy of some of the ancients, who, fixing their thoughts prematurely 



