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91 





Ch. IL] 



PYTHAGOREAN SYSTEM. 



17 



of the illustrations are 

 derived from natural events which happened after the death 



ing his doctrine in person, some 



onisms 



of the philosopher. But notwithstanding these anach 



we may regard the account as a true picture of the tenets of 



the Pythagorean school in the Augustan age ; and although 



stance of the 



modified, it 

 ginal scheme 



Thus considered, it is ex- 



tremely curious and instructive ; for we here find a compre- 



of almost all the great causes of change 



summary 



confirma 



tion of a principle of a perpetual and gradual revolution 

 inherent in the nature of our terrestrial s^ 



stem 



These 



of 



nomena 



doctrines, it is true, are not directly applied to the explanation 



; or, in other words, no attempt is 

 ay have been in past ages, or what 

 regate amount of change brought 



estimate 



may 



about by such never-ending fluctuations. Had 



case, 



mi 



admire 



ordinary an anticipation with no less interest than astrono- 

 mers, when they endeavour to define by what 



means 



came 



system. 



Let us now examine the celebrated passages to which we 



have been adverting* : 



mer 



form. To be born, means sim 



thing begins to be som 



from what it was 



before ; and dying, is ceasing to be the same thing. Yet 



although nothin 



retains long the same ima 



sum 



the whole remains 

 are then confirmed 



These general propositions 

 ? examnles. all derived from 



natural appearances, except the first, which refers to the 

 olden age giving place to the age of iron. The illustrations 

 are thus consecutively adduced. 



1. Solid land has been converted into sea. 



2. Sea has been changed into land. Marine shells lie far 

 distant from the deep, and the anchor has been found on the 



summit of hills . 



vol. i. 



* Ovid's Metamor. lib. 15 



C 



