ON THE TRANSMIGRATION OF SOULS. 2^7 



Ok THE TRANSMIGRATION OP SOULS. 



Of all the doctrines of the myfterious philofophy 

 of Pythagoras, none is lefs worthy of a phi'Olo^her, 

 and yet there is noiie that has gained its promulgator 

 more fame, than that of the tranfmigration of fouls. It 

 \vould at moil have been exhibited as a monument of 

 an enthufiaftical imagination, and as an inflance of the 

 pliancy of reafon under the yoke of fancy, had not 

 Plato given it a frefh confequence by his captivating 

 eloquence, and by his authority over the parched 

 brain of the philofophers and monks of the torrid 

 zone. No fooner had they dialed it from the corners 



J oo 



of philofophy, to place it on the grand theatre of reli- 

 gion, than, like all other philofophical f peculations, it 

 was entered in the fluctuating remitter of herelies, and 

 became of importance both to thinking and thought- 

 lefs men, both to them that embraced, and to them 

 that rejected the chriftian faith. 



Plow did Pythagoras come by this airy hypothecs ? 

 was prefently made the queftion when the termina- 

 tion of angry debate had made room for calm reflection. 

 From the fyfiem itfelf of this great man nothing that 

 can fatisfy our curioliry is to be obtained ; as neither 

 Pythagoras nor his difciples thought it worth while to 

 demonstrate their doctrine on philofophical principles 

 to the great uninitiated multitude. If they adduced 

 any argument, it was no other than this : Pythagoras 

 yol. lit s himfelf 



