4^ A Philological Effay concerning 



fuch Animals in A^Ica which the Ancients called Satyrs. And tho' they 

 fometimes called themMe», and for the moft part worlhipped them as 

 Gods, yet I (hall (hew, that they were only a fort of Monkey s^ and like wife 

 Evince, that the Orang-Oraang was not this fort o{ Monkey or Satyr of the 

 Ancients. 



Having propofed thefe as the Heads of my enfuing Difcourfe, it will 

 not be expected of me to give an Account of all that has been faid on 

 this Argument. I (hall rather apply ray felf to make out what I have 

 here aiferted. And tho' on this occalion, it may be,the Poets have Emg- 

 matically reprefented fome Nobler Secrets of Philofophy^ by what they 

 relate under the Fables they have made of thefe Satyrs^tht Fatmi^the Nym- 

 fhce^ Paft, JEgipafT, Sylvanm^ Silenus^ or any other Name they have gi- 

 ven of this fort of Animal-^ yet I think my felf no farther concerned at 

 prefent,than to (hew what might give the fir(t rife to and occafion of thefe 

 Inventions : or rather to prove that the Satyrs were neither Men, nor 

 Demi-gods^ nor Dttemons 5 but Monkeys or Baboons^ that in Jfika were 

 worfhipped as the Gods of the Country 5 and being fo , might give the 

 Poets the Subject of the Stories which they have forged about them. 



The Satyrs therefore are generally reprefented like Men in the upper 

 Parts, but with Horns on their Heads 5 and in their lower Parts or Legs 

 like Goats : hence they are called Capripedes^or Aiyi-TnSii; av^^i?, as Hero- 

 dotm exprefles it. And Pliny (as I (hall (hew) where he defcribes them 

 as Brutes j and faith, they are fometimes ^tadrupeds , fometimes Bipeds, 

 yet tells us, they are Humana Effigje. Djodorus Skulus (jT) informs us , 

 that when Ojtris went into lEwtopia, d-^^vauj Myam n^^ ouutvv to t^ 2a- 

 •n^ixvyiv^^, 8$ ipaoiv K^ ttJ? oa<pii(^ ?'^v itj:ifAa.c,^Q. 1. e. T>um in lEthio- 

 pia verfatur (Oprk) Gens Satyrorum ei adducitur , quas pilos in lumbk 

 (OJ^hye) habere ferunt. Rijus enim amatror erat Ojirk & Mufica Choreifq:^ 

 gaudebat., 8cc. Satyri igitur quia ad tripudia, & decantationem Carminnm, 

 omnemque hilaritatem & hifum apti erant^ in partem Militi£ venerunt. He 

 makes them likewife the Companions of B/?cc/j^, and for the fame rea- 

 fon (e)^ T8? 3 2a7£;f «? "ml^ 7r^\ ^Aa)7a avvi^y^szLic, '^^In^i^ffin ^^ooyA- 

 va?, 7m^<nc6L>a,^&iv tsT Aiovvasti liv Iv^iinjovct k^ mt^a^o^ivov iSiov' i. e. Jfa 

 Satyri Indicris & ad rifum compojitis gejiibus d^ aStionibus, vitam Dionyfo 

 beatam^ Gratiifque delibutam^ reddunt. And they are always reprefented 

 as Jocofe and Sportful, but Scurrilous and Lafcivious 5 and wonderful 

 Things they relate of their Revellings by Night, their Dancing, Mu(ick, 

 and their wanton Frolicks. For thus Pliny (/) defcribing the Parts a- 

 bout the Mountain Atlas in AJrica, informs us, Incolarum neminem inter" 

 din cerni : filere omnia, non alio quam folitndinnm horrore : fubire tacitam 



(i) DiodoYHf Skulm Eibliothec. Hifl. lib. i. p.m. I^. {e) Dhdorui S'mlHi ibid. \xh,^.)^.m. 21^, 

 ( f) Plini) Hift. Nat. lib. 5, cap. i. p. m. 523. 



