( 202^) 
the Earth : He fays, it feems incredible and abfurd to manjr 
that HeJFod^ Homer and Orphens were ever fe diligent, taith- 
fnl and fortunate fearchers into the Affairs 'that were ei. 
rher tranfafted, or recorded in Writings in the North, or 
that in their Writings they fet upon the Hiftory or 
Expofi ion- of things fo remote : Therefore he takes 
upon him here to (hew what the raoft ancient of the 
Greek and Latin Writers: have teftify'd concerning 
thefe very Poets, and whence men fo famous through^ 
out the World drew their rife : And proves by the 
Teftimony of Suidas and others, that Linus, Orpheus^ He- 
fod 2ii\d. Homer defcended from the Hyperboreans. And^ 
he fays, that even to this day, among the moft Northerly 
Inhabitants, among which he counts the IJlandersy the 
love, ftudy and care of preferving the Bopks of their Aor 
cient Genealogies^ and the Monuments left them by their 
Anceftors, is fo great, that it*s eafily feen they prefer them 
before Silver and Gold. No wonder then if the Poets be- 
fore mentiond labour'd to propagate toPofterity the names 
of their famouS' men of ancient Ages. 
He tells us, their Anceftors thought Ica^ or Sifen^ to he 
the firft Matter of all things, or, if you had rather, the 
principle, or firft baffs of them 5 . v/hich having a deadnefs 
of itfelf, the Fire, moving and .agitating all things by its 
force, frees it from its dead fort of State, and having di- 
vided it into moft minute Particles, compofes and fets it in 
order again after various ways : And he conceives they 
were led into this opinion from their general cuftom of 
beginning the year in tlip Winter 5. at which time the Sun 
and Moon paffing under the Horizon^ and darknefs prevail- 
ing, whatfoever was there Watery was turnd into Ice, 5 
the Earth being cover d with Ice, became as hard as Rocks.5 
the Reptiles, Infefts, and a good part of the little Birds 
lay benumm'd with Cold in their Nefts or Caves, the other 
Birds flew away to other Countries 5 and,, in (hort, all the 
Plants 
