OB THE BURNING OF THE DEAIX 115 



" but when it sees the figure of the face changed, it goes away, 

 44 and leaves it *." 



The Greeks and Romans found this doctrine indispensably 

 necessary for the support of a very considerable branch of their 

 system of polytheism. As they ascribed to their heroes or de- 

 migods a corporeal substance that was partly immortal, they 

 founded this strange notion on another which was not less ab- 

 surd. They believed that this partial immortality proceeded 

 from their being in part descended from the gods. Hence, as 

 they supposed that their bodily frame originated partly from 

 mortal, and partly from immortal seed, they persuaded them- 

 selves that the fire of the funeral-pile effected a separation be- 

 tween these heterogeneous principles ; and that not only the 

 soul, but, as it was sometimes designed, the divine portion of 

 the body, was carried into heaven. Of this extravagant no- 

 tion we find many vestiges in their writings. Hercules, it is 

 said, consecrated himself by burning ; and was, in consequence 

 of this devotement, admitted into the number of the immortal 

 gods. Hence Callimachus says of him ; 



?-> 



'Ov yug bye <$>gvyi?i itif> vro ogvt' yviot, &ecd)e\$ 

 HctvarciT adqtyciyiqs. 



Hymn, in Dian. ver. 159. 



It is evident that the poet ascribes immortality to the mem- 

 bers of the hero. Some have confined the term yZw to his 

 soul. But the language will not bear this restriction. For 

 the very design of it is to shew, that Hercules did not lose his 

 appetite with his deification, but ate as keenly as he had done 

 during his mortal life, and even while he followed the plough $ 

 and that, therefore, it was necessary that the Amnisian nymphs 



P 2 should 



°* Bereshit Rabba, § 100. f. 88. 



