ITALY, AND INDIA. 229 



reprefented in the a6l of devouring years, in the form 

 of children; and fometimes encircled by the feafons, 

 appearing like boys and girls. By the Latins he was 

 named Saturnus : and the mod ingenious etymology 

 of that word is given by Fejlus the grammarian, who 

 traces it, by a learned analogy to many fimilar names, 

 d fatu, from planting; becaufe, when he reigned in 

 Italy, he introduced and improved agriculture : but 

 his diftinguifhing character, which explains, indeed, all 

 his other titles and functions, was exprefled allegori- 

 cally by the ftern of a fhip or galley on the reverfe of 

 his ancient coins; for which Ovid affigns a very unfa- 

 tisfaclory reafon, " becaufe the divine ftranger arrived 

 " in a fhip on the Italian coaft;" as if he could have 

 been expected on horfeback, or hovering through the 

 air. 



The account, quoted by Pomey from Alexander Po- 

 lyhiftor, cafts a clearer light, if it really came from ge- 

 nuine antiquity, on the whole tale of Saturn; " that he 

 M predicted an extraordinary fall of rain, and ordered 

 " the conftru&ion of a veffel, in which it was neceffary 

 ** to fecure men, beads, birds, and reptiles, from a ge- 

 " neral inundation." 



Now it feems not eafy to take a cool review of all 

 thefe teflimonies concerning the birth, kindred, ofF- 

 fpring,chara8:er,occupations, and entire life, of Saturn, 

 without afTenting to the opinion of Bochart, or admit- 

 ting it at. leaft to be highly probable, that the fable was 

 raifed on the true hiltory of Noah ; from whofe flood a 

 new period of time was computed, and a new feries of 

 ages may be faid to have fprung; who rofe frefh, and, 

 as it were, newly born from the waves ; whofe wife was, 

 in fa&, the univerfal mother; and, that the earth might 

 foon be repeopled, was early bleiTed with numerous and 



flourifhing 



