L I B. II. 5> Of the Advancement of Learning. 6^ 



amongfl: the Romans, a Nation in that Age not learned, reprefled a fe- 

 dirion by a Fable. And as Hierogljphicl^s were before letters 5 fo rar:i- 

 bles were before Arguments. So even at this day, and ever, there is 

 and hath been much life, and vigour in r arables 5 becaufe Arguments 

 cannot be fbfenfible, nor examples fo fit. There is another nfe ef Para- 

 bolical PoeJ), oppofite to the former^ tchich te»deth to the folding up ofthofe 

 things j the dignity whereof deferves to be retired^ and dijiingnipit, as 

 tpith a drawn Curtain : That is, vfihcn thefecrets andmyjierics of Religion^ 

 Policy, and Philofophy are veiled, and invcHed with Fables^ and Para' 

 bles. But v/hether there beany miftical fence couched under the anci- 

 ent Fables of the Poets, may admit fbme doubt : and indeed for our part 

 we incline to this opinion, as to think, that there v/as an infufed my- 

 ftery in many of the ancient Fables of the Poets. Neither doth it move 

 OS that thefe matters are left commonly to School-boys, and Gramma- 

 rians, andfoareembafed, that we fhould therefore make a flight judge- 

 ment upon them : but contrarywife becaufe it is clear, that the writings 

 which recite thofe Fables , of all the writings of men, next to (acred writ, 

 are the moft ancient ; and that the Fables themfelves, are far more an- 

 cient than they (being they are alledged by thofe writers, not as exco- 

 gitated by them, but as credited and recepted before) they feem to be 

 like a thin fine rarified Air, v/hich from the traditions of mote Ancient 

 Nations, fell into the Flutes of the Grecians* And becaufe that vvhat- 

 foever hath hitherto been undertaken for interpretation of thefe Para- 

 ^/ej, namely by unskilful men, not learned beyond common places,gives 

 Us no (atisfaftion at all 5 we thought good to refer Philofopy according 1^ 

 to ancient Parables, in the number of Df/iWe«f/. 



§ And we will annex an example or two of this work : not that the 

 matter perhaps l#offuch moment: but to maintain the purpose of our 

 defign. That's this j that if any portion of thefe works, which we re- 

 port as Deficient, chance to be moreobfcurethau ordinary ^ that We 

 always propofe, either Precepts, or Examples, for the perfefting of 

 that work , left perchance forae (hould imagine , that our conceit 

 hath only comprehended fbme light notions of them j and that we like 

 Augures, only meafure Countries in our mind, but know not how to 

 (et one foot forward thither. As for any other part defeftive in Poefy, 

 we find none 5 nay rather, P^e/y being a plant coming, as it were, from 

 the lufl: of a rank foil, without any certain feed, it hath fprung up, and 

 (pread abroad above all other kind of Learning. But now we will 

 propound examples, in number only three, one from things Natural y 

 dne from Political^ and one from Moral. 



The firft example of Philofophy, according to Ancient Parables iff 

 things Natural. Of the Univerfe, according to 

 the Fable p/Pan. 



IV. The Original o^Pan, the Ancients leave doubtful 5 for fome fay 

 that he was the Son of Mercury, others attribute unto him a far different h")^' u^, 

 beginning : For they affirm that all Penelopes fuitors had to do with her, rod.Eur. 

 and from this'promifcuous A61 Pan defcended, a common ofTfpring to 

 them all. There is a third conceit of his birth, not to bepaded over:- 

 fbr fome report that he was the fon o^ Jupiter and liybrk, which fignifies 



