WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 463 



Horns arc given him, broad at the roots, but narrow and sharp at 

 the top, because the nature of all things seems pyramidal ; for indivi 

 duals arc infinite, but being collected into a variety of species, they rise 

 up into kinds, and these again ascend, and arc contracted into gene 

 rals, till at length nature may seem collected to a point. And no 

 wonder if Pan s horns reach to the heavens, since the sublimities of 

 nature, or abstract ideas, reach in a manner to things divine ; for there 

 is a short and ready passage from metaphysics to natural theology. 



Pan s body, or the body of nature, is, with great propriety and ele 

 gance, painted shaggy and hairy, as representing the rays of things ; 

 for rays arc as the hair, or fleece of nature, and more or less worn by all 

 bodies. This evidently appears in vision, and in all effects or opera 

 tions at a distance ; for whatever operates thus may be properly said 

 to emit rays. Hut particularly the beard of Pan is exceeding long, 

 because the rays of the celestial bodies penetrate, and act to a prodi 

 gious distance, and have descended into the interior of the earth so far 

 as to change its surface ; and the sun himself, when clouded on its 

 upper part, appears to the eye bearded. 



Again, the body of nature is justly described biform, because of the 

 difference between its superior and inferior parts, as the former, for 

 their beauty, regularity of motion, and influence over the earth, may be 

 properly represented by the human figure, and the latter, because of 

 their disorder, irregularity, and subjection to the celestial bodies, are by 

 the brutal. This bifonn figure also represents the participation of one 

 species with another; for there appear to be no simple natures ; but all 

 participate or consist of two ; thus man has somewhat of the brute, the 

 brute somewhat of the plant, the plant somewhat of the mineral ; so that 

 all natural bodies have really two faces, or consist of a superior and an 

 inferior species. 



There lies a curious allegory in the making of Pan goatfootcd, on 

 account of the motion of ascent which the terrestrial bodies have 

 towards the air and heavens ; for the goat is a clambering creature, 

 that delights in climbing up rocks and precipices ; and in the same 

 manner the matters destined to this lower globe strongly affect to rise 

 upwards, as appears from the clouds and meteors. 



Pan s arms, or the ensigns he bears in his hands, arc of two kinds 

 the one an emblem of harmony, the other of empire. His pipe, com 

 posed of seven reeds, plainly denotes the consent and harmony, or the 

 concords and discords of things, produced by the motion of the seven 

 planets. His crook also contains a fine representation of the ways of 

 nature, which are partly straight and partly crooked ; thus the staff, 

 having an extraordinary bend towards the top, denotes that the works 

 of Divine Providence arc generally brought about by remote means, or 

 in a circuit, as if somewhat else were intended rather than the effect 

 produced, as in the sending of Joseph into Kgypt, etc. So likewise in 

 human government, they who sit at the helm manage and wind the 

 people more successfully by pretext and oblique courses, than they 

 could by such as arc direct and straight ; so that, in effect, all sceptres 

 are crooked at the top. 



