WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 41 7 



ments. And even to this day, if any m.in would let new light in upon the humin 

 understanding, and conquer prejudice, without raising contests, animosities, oppo 

 sition, or disturbance, he must still go in the same path, and have recourse to the 

 like method of allegory, metaphor, and allusion. 



To conclude, the knowledge of the early ages was cither great or happy; great, 

 if they by design made this use of trope and figure ; happy, if, whilst they had 

 other \ie\vs, they afforded matter and occasion to such noble contemplations. Let 

 cither be the case, our pains, perhaps, will not be misemployed, whether we illus* 

 trate antiquity or things themselves. 



Th like has b fn attempted by others ; but to speak ingenuously, their great 

 and voluminous labours have almost destroyed the energy, the efficacy, and grace 

 of the tiling, whilst, lieing unskilled in nature, and their learning no more than that 

 of common-place, they have applied the sense of the parables to certain general 

 and vulgar n~.alte r r;, without retching to their real purport, genuine interpretation, 

 and full depth. For myself, therefore, I expect to appear new in these common 

 things, because, leaving untouched such as are sufficiently plain and open, 1 ihall 

 drive only at thoe that arc cither deep or rich. 



I. THE FABLE OF CCELUM. 



EXPLAINED OF THE CREATION, OR ORIGIN OF ALL THINGS. 



THE poets relate that Cerium was the most ancient of all the gods; 

 that his parts of generation were cut off by his son Saturn; that 

 Saturn had a numerous offspring, but devoured all his sons, as soon 

 a. they were born; that Jupiter at length escaped the common 

 fate ; and when grown up, drove Iris father Saturn into Tartarns ; 

 usurped the kingdom ; cut off his father s genitals, with the same knife 

 wherewith Saturn had dismembered Ccclum, and throwing them into 

 the sea, thence sprung Venus. 



Before Jupiter was well established in his empire, two memorable 

 wars were made upon him : the first by the Titans, in subduing of 

 whom, Sol, the only one of the Titans who favoured Jupiter, per 

 formed him singular service ; the second by the giants, whom being 

 destroyed and subdued by the thunder r.nd arms of Jupiter, he now 

 reigned secure. 



EXPLANATION. This fable appears to be an enigmatical account 

 of the origin of all things, not greatly differing from the philosophy 

 afterwards embraced by Dcmocritus, who expressly asserts the eter 

 nity of matter, but denies the eternity of the world ; thereby appro 

 ing to the truth of sacred writ, which makes chaos, or uninformed 

 matter, to exist before the six days works. 



The meaning of the fable seems to be this : Ccelum denote; 

 concave space, or vaulted root that incloses all matter, and Saturn 

 the matter itself, which cuts off all power of generation from his father ; 

 as one and the same quantity of matter remains invariable in n ire, 



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