OLYMPIC DIALOGUE, 2?ty 



known, have their natural courfe in the world. The 

 mafs of fnow, that falling from the fummit of a moun- 

 tain overwhelms a whole village, was at firfi: but a little 

 fnow-bail ; and a ltream that bears large Hups, is, at 

 its fource, but a gurgling rill. Why fhould not the 

 defcendants of a gallilaean fl flier in the courfe of a few 

 centuries become- lords of Rome ; and, by means of a 

 new religion, of which they made themfelves the hi&h- 

 priefts ; and, by the affiftance of an entirely novel fyf- 

 tem of morality and politics which they had the art to 

 graft upon it, at kit be able to make themfelves for along 

 time mafters of one half of the world ? Didft thou not 

 keep the herds of the king of Alba, who was a very petty 

 potentate, ere thou madeft thyfelf chief of all the ban- 

 dits in Latium, and congregated that little nefr. of 

 thieves which in the fequel became the capital and queen 

 of the world ? Saint Peter, in facl', during his life 



made no great figure : but he will fee the time when 

 emperors mall hold the ftirrup of his fuccefTors^ and 

 queens and empreffes humbly kifs their feet. 



^uirinusi] What ftrange things one lives to fee when 



©ne is immortal ! 



Apollo. ~] It requires indeed much time and no final! 



degree of art to bring the man-rime ry to fuch a pitch : 



but the fifh will be ftupid enough to allow themfelves 



to be caught by them. 



§)uirinus.~] In the mean time, we are all depofed, are 



we not ? 



Mercury ••_] That is molt inconteftably true. 

 Several of the celejtials.~] Better not be immortal than 

 live to fee fuch things ! 



Jupiter.} 



