SACRELP ISLES IN THE WEST, 115 



The Styx, says the friendly genius to Timarchus, is the road to hell, 

 and determines the last portion of all things. It leads in an opposite 

 dire6lion from Omis, to the superior parts. These four divisions and 

 regions belong, the j^r^^^ to life, the secmdXo motion, the third to birth, 

 and the/o«/t/f to death. These are again so combined, as to form three 

 new sets or divisions ; for unity, belonging to what escapes the sight, joins 

 the first and second; intelligence, belonging to the sun, unites the second and 

 third; and nature, belonging to the moon, joins the third 3.nd last. Over 

 each of these three combinations rules a Parca, daughter of necessity, 

 Atropos for Raudri] rules over the j^r^^; Clotho j^or Brahmi^ over the 

 second; and Lachesiis .'[[or Vaishnavi]] over the third, or 6*^/^;^^' the moon ; 

 and on her, rest the conversions of generation. This singular combina- 

 tion of the numbers three and /owr,. was in high estimation among the 

 followers of Plato and Pythagoras. Thus, the four elements, com- 

 bined together by three intervals, produced every thing that exists. 

 This combination was really the completion of things. Thus, when 

 Homer and VtRoai. exclaim, " O three and four times happy are they, 

 " who &c." they do not mean to say, that they were either seven, or three 

 or four times happy; but that they were made completely happy, through 

 the fortunate combination of whatever is requisite for that purpose. 



The other islands have certainly their peculiar deities ; but the moon, 

 which is the portion of the Genii, who live on earth, is not so much expo- 

 sed to the fury of the 5'/)'a:, being somewhat higher. (This is the ter- 

 restrial moon, or moon on earth, as mentioned by Lutatius " PhilosO" 

 " phi Lunam esse in terra dicimt, quce circa nostrum hoc solum circulo altiore 

 " suspensa."Y^'^ The Styx however, invades the moon (or rather the 



(0 Lutatius vetus Statii intcrpres in Thebaic!. I. 



