Groxall, Samuel

The secret history of

pythagoras

PR
3383
C22S4
1751

THE SECRET

HISTORY
O F

PTTH^GOR^S.
Tranflated from the

ORIGINAL COPY,
Lately found at

OTRANTO

ITALY.

in

0eaV,

voft

05

Jiotx.ei]oti

Pyth. Carm. Aur.

LONDON:
Printed for R.

GR

in 5/. Ptf a/* J

F F

T H

s,

at the

Church-Tard.

[Price

One

Shilling.]

Dunciad

1751.

175)

THE

PREFACE.
TH

Traaflation of this venerable

of Antiquity is undertook
upon a double Score ; being defigned as well to entertain the Curiofity of
the Learned, as to fupply the Defeats of
Piece

the Ignorant.

If the original

Language
would have been more acceptable to the
one, it would have been lefs intelligible to
the other.

without uttering a

cannot,

fo fingular
Falfity, venture to affirm that

and valuable a Piece

at leaft as
yet
fhall flatter

may

my

And
felf,

contribute in

will be
in the

that this

fome

made Public,
mean Time I

little

Effay

fort or other to the

Diver-

PREFACE.

The

Diverlion, if not Inftru<9;io%, of People in

every Condition of Life*

If this
will

is

make

ftances

well received, the other Parts

their

Appearance

proper Di-

no more

at

would not be thought

to

of Time.

prefent, becaufe I

at

I publifh

much upon any one's Patience ;

lofing my own Labour, I am under

impofe too
as for

no bad Apprehenfions about

Reader cannot

that

for the

with a greater Difdain,

than I have tranflated with Pleafure, the
rejeft

Contents of this Book.

I fhall fay little by
the Subject Matter of
Bufinefs to think

it

way of Apology

for

not

my

it,

lince

wants any,

Nature of the Thing fpeaks

itfelf.

it is

fo

and the

amply

for

That Pythagoras, who held the

Tranfmigration of Souls, pretended to re

tranfafted in the Bodies

member Things

which he had formerly animated, has been

Ovid in the fifteenth
univerfally allowed.
Book of his Metamorphofes, introduces him
iff

PREFACE.

The

in a Ledlure to his Difciples,

of himfelf

Ipfe

faying thus

Ego (nam memini)

^Trojani tempore belli

Panthoides Euphorbus eram> &c.

and he proceeds to mention fome Particularg

which happened

to

him

at that

Time.

may he

not as well be fuppofed to have recorded the great Variety

Why therefore

of Incidents which he muft have met with

which he inhabited ?
One would almoft fupeft that Ovid had feen
the other Bodies

in

following Memoirs, and taken his

Hints from them ; fince he makes our

the

Philofophers, fpeaking of the Depravity of

Mankind,

fay

Infcripfere

Deos

fceleri,

Numenque fupernum

Qcede laboriferi credunt gaudere juvenci.

But there

is

no

Room

we
Mouth

prefently after
into his

find

to queftion

it,

when

he puts thefe Words

The

PREFACE.

O Gemis attonitum gtlid* formidine mortis

Quid Styga^ quid tenebras, quid nomina vana

Materiem Vatum ?
[timetis,

So

little

Reafon

at the Revival

is

of

there for being furprized

this

Hifiory now, that

we might be reckoned ftrangely

we 'had not concluded there had

infipid, if

once been

fuch a Thing extant, though it had utterly

periflied among the Ruins of Time.

The

Greek Sentence which I have put in

the Title-Page for a Motto, and which is

Pythagoras his own, being the Beginning

of

his

cept

Golden

Verfes, feems to be a Pre

which he would have us think he had

been taught in the Perfon of JEtbaKdes;

for

it is

in Englift> y

Worfhif the immortal Gods as by Law

eftabliftfd.

Human Laws

refpe&ing altogether the

external Behaviour and Deportment, and

not being capable in their Nature of aftakes

fedting the Heart:; this Philofopher

Occafion

The

PREFACE,

Occafion more than once to excite us to an

Obfervance of them.

which

The Laws

of God,

the inward Regulation

and are not of a Quality

alfo regard

of the Mind,

under the Cognizance of human

Judges, he refers to the Arbritation of
Reafon ; and queftions not, if we are de

to

fall

termined by that, but they will meet with

a ready Compliance.
If any one, to fhew his Skill in Criticifm,
fhould remark that this Secret Hiftory, becaufe of the Inaccuracy and Uncertainty
of its Style, does not feem to have been

compiled by fo learned a Philofopher: I

have one Thing to obferve to him, which
ought in Reafon to out-ballance all the Occafions for Cavil

upon

that

Account

he

is

not to look upon this as a regular Perform

ance, but as what undoubtedly it was,
Minutes taken in Short-Hand by fome

Sympofiac or Difciple, and

filled

up

after-

Wards, upon a leifurely Recollection.

Befides

The

PREFACE.

Befides, as the fhortnefs

of a Profpedl

fometimes thought to be a Difadvantage

to it, fo poffibly this may be the lefs
pleafing
is

upon the fame Account.

Therefore I

am

to acquaint the Reader, that the whole

Vifta will be opened by Degrees, which I

more

furprizing : Brown
Shades, and flowry Meadows, the winding
Stream, and the old Ruins, the diftant

hope

will be the

Woods

gilded with Sunihine, and

beyond

all, the blueifh Mountains, will fucceffively

I have given no more here than
appear.

what may be

feen without {training the

afcending an Eminence; it is
not defigned to take off the Eye from
Sight,

or

Things of greater Confequence, but may

be perufed at the Repaft of the Tea-Table,
or in a Coffee-Houfe Vacation.

INTRO-

INTRODUCTION.
the Learned are already fuffi-

SINCE

ciently apprized,

by their refpeftive
from Italy, of the

Correspondents
of Curiolities
great Treafure

been

there in
lately difcover'd

which has
the Garden

of an ancient Palace, which flands upon

the Ruins of the old Town of Croton y I
ihall detain the Reader no longer with a
Account of that Matter, than
what is juft neceflary to illuftrate the Sub
to communicate.
ject I am going
particular

In a Part of the Wildernefs belonging to

the Gardens of a decay'd Palace of a cer
tain Cardinal, near Otranto, there has been,

for

fome Generations

paft, a large

Cafcade

almoft naturally form'd, which falls down

the Sides of a broken Rock into a Bafon

of no fmall Circumference

Want

in

which, for

of due Infpeftion and Repair, (the

Cardinal

INTRODUCTION.

ii

Cardinal refiding moftly at another Palace

fituated more conveniently in Refped to

Diftance from Rome] there has been,

long fince, a Rupture, or Chafm on one
its

Side near the

Bottom

at

which the Water

having, for fome Time, emptied

itfelf, did,,

and wafh away the con

crete Particles of which the Cement confifted, which held the Stones of the Foun

at laft, fo dilute

dation together,

that

the whole Fabrick

funk in one Night.

The Depth of this Sinking made thofe

who faw it the next Day, apprehend it to
have been the EfFedts of an Earthquake

being fearched into not long after,

by
fome Workmen who were fet to repair it,,
it was difcovered to be caufed
by the fall
ing in of an Arch, over which the Bafon was built. This Arch, by the Frag

till,

ments of it, appeared to have been defigned for the Roof or Covering of fome Grot
and, from the Pieces of Carving, ftill
curi
remaining upon it, fome of the more
to

ous Spectators concluded

Upon

clearing

it

to be antique.

the Place of

its

Rubbifh,

they were foon, to their great Satisfaction,

con-

INTRODUCTION.

iii

confirmed in their Opinion. For the whole

was found to be a handfome large Room,
near upon fquare, about forty Foot
each way, and as many in Height.

Door

Window on

The

Foot high,

or Entrance near thirty

with a

over

each fide

it,

which

had, made this Front

of the Building look very fpacious and

were

all

the Lights

it

grand ; which yet altogether was plain, and

of the Doric Order. Within were feveral

Niches properly difpofed, each containing

a very fair Buft of Parian Marble, and the

am

Pedeftal of Egyptian. I

told that feveral

Medals were dug up under the Pavement,

which confifted of very thick hard red

An Ac
many other An

Tiles, about eight Inches fquare.

count, of

all

which, and

tiquities equally entertaining, will

foon be

publifhed in a Difcourfe or Treatife purpofely written by the Learned Sigmr Flo'

renting the Pope's Librarian 3 who was

fent thither by his Holinefs, at the Requeft
-

of the Cardinal, with. a fpecial CommifliQn

to take; the Care and
Cognizance of them.
Therefore, to
pofe,

come

to our prefent

J muft inform the

Pur-

World, that a
hopeful

INTRODUCTION.

xv

hopeful young Gentleman, Son to a moft

ingenious and obliging Friend of mine,
happening in the Courfe of his Travels to
Jye at an Inn in the Neighbourhood of this
Place, the third Night after the Difcovery

was made,

ftay'd there five

Days

hoping,

by indefatigable Induftry and Application,

to make himfelf Mafter of fome littl$
Piece of thefe Antiquities $ having a good
Relifh and Judgment for Things of that

Kind.
1

But Orders being fent from Rome, from

the Cardinal, that a
near the Place, and
ftrictly

kept

had but a

off

Guard fhould be
all

from Approaching

faint Profpedl

fet

Perfqns whatever

of

it,

he

accomplifhing

Evening, as he was
out
after
Sun-fet, he met a poor
walking
Labourer with a
and Mattock on

his Wiflies

Till one

Spade

his Shoulder, returning

from

The young Gentleman,

his

letting

Work.
flip

no

Opportunity of exercifing himfelf in the

Italian
Tongue, which the ordinary Pe^fant there (quite
contrary to what
in moft other Countries) fpeaks as
$s the beft bred Courtier at

happens
properly

Rome, took oc-

INTRODUCTION.
cafion to enter

upon Difcourfe with him

and foon with a

fecret Pleafure found, that

the Converfation he held was with one of

thofe

who were employed

in clearing

away

the Rubbifh of the Ruins in the Cardinal's

Garden.
Fired with frefh Expeditions upon fo
welcome an Interview, he firft warily found

ed the poor Man's Capacity, hoping he

might find him one of thofe experienced
Pioneers, who knew how to turn fuch fort

Work

fome Meafure to their own

Advantage 5 and from whom, moft of the
late-found Medals and Antiquities which
have been brought from ltalyy have, by

of

in

clandestine Practices,

been

In

obtained.

he appeared,

fine, this Ruftic, as

iimple as

was one of

and having taken his

thefe

Opportunity to conceal fomething which

he thought might be of Value, he after
wards, under Pretence of going to drink
at a little Fountain, which gufhed out of

2 Lyon's Hsad, fixed in the Garden Walk

threw his Prize unfeen into an adjoining

Megdowj from whence he had been

fetch

him,

it

juft as the

young Traveller

to

met

Thefe

INTRODUCTION;

vi

Thefe two had very luckily happened

\\pon each other, being the propereft Perfons they could mutally communicate their

For whenever any curious

Ddigns to
Value
or Antiquity is procured
of
Thing
by any Stranger, unlefs he ufes the utmoft
Precaution in conveying it out of the Coun
:

he

try,

is

fure to have

it

feized and taken

from him \ nay, though he has paid ever

fbfair a Price for it, and purchafed it of
the rightful Proprietor.

To be

the poor Peafant having a

juft Confidence in the young Gentleman,
without Hefitation drew out from under his
fhort

'Cloaths a Cylinder of about a Foot long,

-five

Inches Diameter.

It

and

was caked over

with a rough Cafe of Earth and Ruft in

termingled ; and by its Lightnefs feemed
-to

be hollow

Knife,

which attempting with a

they were foon certified of;

they found
raifo

up,

it

for

very thin, and

made

fhift to

feparate one

End,

as

arid

one

would open the Head of an Oyfter-Barrel.

There appeared to be nothing in it but a
'Roll of Parchment or Vellum,, curioufly
rolled

INTRODUCTION.
rolled

VJr

round a fmall Stick of black Ebo

ny, at each End of which was a little Bofs

of white Cornelian. Our young Virtuofo^

without ilaying to examine the Contents,

made

it

his

own

for five

ferred the Perufal of

Time and

it

Crowns, and

de->

more proper

to a

Place.

This Volume, imce the young Gentle

man^ Return, by the very obliging and
communicative Temper of his Father, is

now
fion

of

it

in

my

Hands ; and

from both

to publifh fuch

may

an Account

which now

prepare himfelf for, and

as follows.

The Writing
of an ancient
fo

have a Permif-

as I fhall think
proper

the Reader
is

is

fair

in the Greek

Character

Tongue,

but the Ink

decayed and faded by Time,

that at

prefent it is barely legible, and no more.

I have tranfcribed it with the utmoft Care

and Exaftnefs; and can aver, that I folemnly believe I have not omitted or miftaken
one Letter.
-

On

INTRODUCTION.

tiii

On

the outfide of the Roll

Codex Pompilianus

was written

meaning, that the Book

had belong'd to Numa Pompilius y the fecond King of Rome, which is moft proba
ble ; or to fome other Roman of that
Name. On the infide was the Title, To,
ITuSfleyop*

rS

Tys Soviets fite

a/sroppijU,

The

of Pythagoras the PhilofoAs indeed it has been hitherto. For

fecret Hiftory

pher

though Men of Learning have all along

been acquainted with that great Man's No
tions of the Tranfmigration of the Soul,
which he ufed to affert from his own par
ticular Experience ; profefling that his had
belonged firft of all to the Body of &tbalides, then to thofe of Euphorbus, Hcrmoti-

and Pyrrhus a poor Fifherman of

Debs, fucceflively; yet they never were
informed fufficiently of fuch co-temporary
Circumftaaces and Parts of Hiftory, as
the Mind of one fo obfervant upon all re
fflus,

markable PafTages muft needs have collefted, in the different Bodies or Stages of
Life in

which

it

refided.

Thefe

are the

Contents of this Pompilian Volume ; which

feems to have been in the keeping of fome
noble

INTRODUCTION.

ix

noble Inhabitant of Croton; though it is

not impoffible but Numa himfelf might

have had a Houfe there.

How long

it

has

been thus loft to the World, or whether

indeed

it

were ever publickiy known to

cannot; I think, eaiily be determined.

It was found under the Pavement, as if

it,

defignedly laid there

either before

the

Building was eredled, or to be concealed

upon fome Emergency which happened

after.
Poffibly upon that Irruption which
the Gauls made into Italy y under their
King Brennus, when they over-ran all be
fore them, and plundered even Rome itfelf.
For there being fcarce any thing extant of
the Romans till after that Time, in which

we

could expedt any mention of Pythagoras's Works, makes it not unlikely that this

was the only Book of that kind in being $

and by the unhappy Care of its Profeffor,
who might fall in that Time of Calamity,
came to be buried in fo long an Obfcurity.

The Ufe I {hall put it to at prefent, till

the prefent Proprietor refolves to make the
Original public, is to communicate to the

World

INTRODUCTION-

World

the Contents of

own Tongue

into our

it

in a Tranflation

which

intend to

keep the Appetites of my

Readers from being cloyed, in moderate
ferve up,

Parcels

to,

that

the

Whole may

laft

the

longer, and that proper Portions of it may

be fet before them from time to time as
their

Stomachs

may feem

to call for

it.

MEMOIR

MEMOIR

I.

The Hiftory of J&THALIDES.

MY

Name was

Mother's

Melidora

fhe lived in the Suburbs of

in the

phos,

and procured
Livelihood,

Ifland of

Pa-

Cyprus

herfelf an honeft unenvied

by furnifhing

Inhabitants with Milk,

feveral

Honey,

of

its

and

all

Sorts of delicious Fruits as the Seafon re

She rented a little Farm and Gar

quired.
den of a Merchant in the City, as her
Mother had done before her ; from whence
provided many Conveniences for the
Citizens* a comfortable Maintenance for
flie

herfelf,

me.

and

For fhe

School in the

handfome Education

Town

for

me

fent
5

to the
principal
where I was inftrudt-

ed among the Children of People of the

firft Rank, in all the Sciences that are
proper
C 2
tO

to adorn a

Man, and make him

ufeful to

his Country*

As my Age came
lege

increafed;

on,

my Love of Know*

and notwithftanding the

Matter, and tender Fond-

great Care of
nefi of
Mother,

ing

my
who were daily feed
my
Mind
with
all the Notions that
my

were adapted

and improve it, I

continually gave Inftances of fo inquifitive
a Temper, as rather afforded Pleafure than
to cherifh

.Trouble to thofe about me*

One Day,

perceiving I

was without a

Father, a Happinefs I could not fee, with

out repining, in fome of my Equals, I en
quired of my Mother concerning it, with

more than

ufual Importunity.
Young as
not
could
I was,
help obferving the fudden Blufh which overfpread her beautiful
I

Neck and Face

She was
not then above One and Twenty 5 and as
I have fince heard from many Reports > did
at this Queftion.

not yield to the

faireft

Woman

in that

City for the Charms of her Perfon.

ftrained me in her Arms with much
ture,

and

after

She

Rap

having overwhelmed me
with

with a thoufand

Rifles,

yesj

my

JEthalides (fays (he) I will tell

dearell

you

and

which has been the Caufe of your

be the Means of
prefent Being, and will
your future Welfare, fliall no longer be
that

kept fecret from you.

Know

then,

fhe, that I

when
Day,

my

was

deareft Child,

purfued

fearce thirteen Years old,

Evening of a hot Summer's

chanced to fall afleep under the

in the
I

which grows on the fide

Rivulet, which runs through
our Garden.
My Mother not being yet
returned from the Town, whither her
Bufinefs had carried her, and the Ser
vants employed in fome more remote Part
of the Garden, I lay thus till the Dufk of
the Night was far advanc'd. The Frefli-

Hedge of
of the

Rofes,

little

nefs of the cool Breezes,

and the

Stillnefs

of the Place, which was rendered mpre

agreeable by the warbling Notes of correfponding

Nightingales,

contributed

fo

down my Senfes with the

Cords of Morpheus, that I did not
awake before I found my feif irrecoverably

irrefiftibly to tie

filken

within the

Arms and Power

ctf

moft

'4

beautiful

young Man.

would have em

ployed my Strength in Refiftance, but the

fudden Surprize had deprived me of it 5
I would have raifed my Voice for
Help,

but Fear had difarmed

the Attention,

which

my Tongue And
:

could not avoid

new

giving to an Accident fo

me, confpired to complete my Undoing. For whe

ther Love had fo early begun to find the
way to my Heart, or whether it was only
a Childifh Prelude to
this

it,

to

the Features of

Perfon fo refembled thofe of a hand-

fome Youth of Paphos,

whom

gerly gazed at the

before,

came

Houfe

to our

Day
(as

had ea

when he

he frequently did)

buy Fruits, that, notwithftanding the

Anguifh I ought to have felt upon fuch
#n Occafion, by that fatal Prepoffeffion of
my Fancy, I was all over melted into TenThere was nothing to reftrain
dernefs.
to

him from

indulging the

Warmth

of his

Degree of Defire, but

the eternal and unalterable Rules of Na
Paffion to the laft

ture

which

at length,

ftances of his

to free

time

my

me

firft

from

after repeated In-

Provocation, confented
his

Embraces.

By

Senfes, having re-affembled

this

themfelves

felves to condole

tion of

my

with

Honour,

inexpreffible

Sorrow.

me upon this Viola

plunged me into an
I

lay

ftill

on the

Ground and I queftion whether my Grief

would ever have fuffered me to rife, if the
-,

charming Ravifher had not gently

me

lifted

up.

After having folded me in his Arms

with a forcible Tranfport, he addrefled
himfelf thus to me, in the fweeteft Ac

my Ears were bleflfed with

Farewell, my lovely Melidora and

cents that ever

"

al.

"

calm

to

your Troubles, remember

the Son of Jove was the Author of

<c

that

*'

them.

all

Yes, moft amiable

"

Nymph,

it

is Hermes, who has this

Night improved
" his
in
Immortality
your Fruition ; who
" has affumed the Perfon of Neant
bus,
" the Son of
to
the
eaiier
Chryfander y
gain
" Admittance to
Heart
and
in
his
;
your
"
will continue to
the kind

Shape

<c

"

perform
due to you and your Offspring
the Days of your Lives.".
He had

Offices
all

fcarce faid thefe

of the Servants,
for

me

all

Words, when the Voices

who had

been fearching
over the Garden, reached our

Ears i upon which the

God

your Father,
un-

unwilling to make any Difcovcry to my

Prejudice, flew to the little Wicket in the

Wall, and unlocked it with as much

if he had had the real Key.
terity, as

Dex
And

that NeanthitSy our Landlord the Merchant's

who

fond of you, and whofe

Roof, is in
deed nothing lefs than what he feerrjs to
be, but the artful Son of the Thunderer,
Son,

is

fo

Prefence fo often bleffes this

who

retains the

Form

of that Son of Chry-

fander, which was long

fince

fhipwrecked

near the Ifland of Rhodes, that he

may

the

more favourably continue

Dependants

Means

is

She

to his helpleis
the Protection, which by his

become

fo neceflary to

them.

fini/hed her Difcourfe with giving

me

a Charge of the ftrifteft Secrecy, which

my Part I kept inviolably ; but the
\yhimfical Conditions pf my half Immor
for

tality

Death being publifhed to the

gave undoubted Tokens of my

after

World,

If the Happinefs of
heavenly Extraction.
being let into fuch a Secret had made the

Head of giddy Childhood fwim with Va

would not have been unpardonable ;
had not that Effed upon me. In

nity, it

but

it

deed

darted a moft exquifite Pleafure into

Heart, and elevated all my Senfes with

deed

my

it

When I refleftmy Mind with

gentle Ebulitions of Joy.

ed
Birth, it fwelled

upon

my

it,

without

leaft Tincfture

of Pride.

an Ambition to be worthy of
infufing into

had been

me the

early inftru&ed in the Principles

of Religion and Morality, 5 and Eleutberiu*

my Mafter, that I might have a juft No
tion of the Gods,

make me

had taken care

firft

to

underftand their Attributes, that

I might not entertain any abfurd or contradidlory Opinions concerning their Nature.
All the Inhabitants of Foreign Nations
(Tays he) and the Generality of our own

People are educated in

falfe

Principles of

Religion, the better to ferve the Interefts

and Defigns

f cheating

fo well fkilled in thefe

that they
their

The

are

Artifices,

an eftablifhed Ig
better to fupport and cherifh
as

they provide that

trained

kind of

who

Bails fo proper to build

Tyranny upon,

norance.
this,

know no

Priefts,

up from

Mankind fhould be

their

early

Childhood,

when

when,

like

Wax,

they are

to take Impreffions,

in fuch

ftaken Notions of the

moft fubfervient
fine

Scheme

to

fofteft

and

fittell

wrong mi-

Deity, as

may be
This

their Purpofes,

takes place before they can

well fpeak, and they are taught what they

muft believe of the Gods, before they are
capable of knowing them or any thing
All the Ideas they are made to con
elfe.
ceive of

only

them

are fuch as belong to

Men

that they are paflionate, revengeful,

jealous,

partial,

vain-glorious,

refolving,

that they are circumrepenting, miftaken,

fcribed in their Actions by Time and Place,

fometimes
pleafed

pleafed,

and

fometimes

whereas in Truth,

Child, there

is

one only

real

my

dif-

dearefl

and very God,

who ordained
Things, and on whom
all Things depend ; and the feveral Gods
all

and Goddefles, with

fo

many

feveral

Names

which the Vulgar are taught to worfhip,

are indeed no more than fo many feveral
Attributes and Qualities of this true

God,

With

With him, my

JEthalides,

you well acquainted

no more

To

muft make

which, there

is

than that you fhould

form a right Conception of his Attributes.
Take care that thefe may be always fuch
requifite^

as are confiftent

the Nature of

and keeps

it

him
in

and agreeable

with,
that

made

fo continued

Confider, that to do

this,

to,

the Univcrfe,

an Order.

he muft be All-

and All-powerful, Infinite, Immu

table and Eternal ; and fo abfolutely Per
wife,

Repeds, that neither his Wifdom nor his Power, his Goodnefs nor his
Happinefs, are capable of any Addition or

fect in all

Diminution.

When

you are convinced of this, (as

your Reafon will readily convince you of
it)

you can never

fuffer yourfelf to

think,

with the Vulgar, that a Deity abfolutely per

fect is liable to the Paffions and
Imper
fections

fuppofe

of us poor Mortals.

him

Can you

angry, or grieved, or jealous,

without implying

Diminution of his
2

Hap-

Happinefs? Can you conceive Him upon

any account partial, who is infinitely juft ?

Can

a Being, All-wife, and Good,

with

out great Abfurdity, be reprefented Vain

glorious,

making

Refolutions, and repent

of them, and fometimes miftaken ?

Can He be All-powerful, and yet be ima

ing

gined to want

and to
grofs

to complete his Work,

of
his Attempts ? How
many
the Idea of His being more in one

fail

is

Time

in

when com

part of Space than another,

pared with his Infinity ? How wretchedly

ftupid, thofe of His being paflionate and
revengeful,

when we

refled:

upon

mutability and great Perfection

Yet thus

Im

his

foolifh, thus abfurd, thus ig-

norantly profane is the poor deluded Mul

titude by the Impofitions of
mifreprefenting
Priefts.

The Men

of

this Profeffion

make

the credulous People believe that they converfe with the Gods with much
Familiarity,

and have a very good

Influence over,
vail

them

with them to do

Intereft

with, and

That they can

this,

or to deiift

pre

from
that,

that, juft as

or Evil

they pleafe

among Mankind,

fhall reprefent

and to fend

Good

according as they

Matters to them.

When

they think themfelves not treated with fufthey fay, that the Gods are
angry, and threaten the World with no
thing lefs than Plague or Famine to revenge

ficient Refpeft,

the Affront,

God, my deareft JEthatides, is indeed

the Author of all Things, iince nothing
can be done without him

and confequently Plagues and Famines happen as he ap

points But I think the ihallow Knowlege
;

of

Man

has

no Warrant

to

determine,

whether they are fent as Judgments or not.

The World was always too full of Wickednefs not to deferve Punifhment
But
:

thinkeft thou,

JEtbalides,

that the

raging

which laft Year fwept away

the
whole City of Athens, fell upon
almoft

Peftilence

the moft wicked Spot of all the Earth ; or

that the Gods defigned to fhew their Juftice,

when

Ariflus, Pbilaretes

and Polimedon

amdiftinguifhed in the Infection, and

fell

La-

No

and Mifander
efcaped ?
For Athens yielded to no

Autophllus

olefleS)

certainly:

World

City in the
ligion

and

for Pojitenefs

ArijkuS) Philaretes

medon were as

much

alted Virtues, as

and

Re

and Poll-

efteem'd for their ex

Artophilm and

Laoleftes,

Mifander were deteftable for their

flagitious

Enormities,

When

we

therefore

Men

fee

of fuch

different Characters, whofe Adtions were

as oppofite as Light and Darknefs, fhot

promifcuouiiy with the Arrows of Death,

tho' we can't deny it to be the Hand of

God,

it

his

geance,

Wrath

is

fhocking to

Refentment,

call

his

it

his

Ven

Anger,

his Fury, and thofe Expreffions which

I deas of his
being
give us fuch

peevifh

and implacable. How is it poffible

think worthily and truly of Him who
infinitely

ing

Him

to
i

Good, without always reprefentto our Minds as full of Love, Be

nevolence, Sweetnefs, Candour and

paffion

his

Com-

Have we

liv'd in a Purfuit

honourable Courfes

-,

of Virtue and

and do we expeft to
be

'3

be admitted into Elyjium after Death ? If

We do, then how can we be infeniible of
the great Good-will of Jove, who fends his
Meffenger Death to bid us leave off Labour

and go to Reft

is

compaffionate

he

is

fo

kind

How

very benevolent and

he to the Survivors, when

as to take off. the Injurious

and the Oppreffor, the lying Hypocrite and

the crafty Knave? Nay, how very good
to thefe Criminals themfelves, when by
intercepting

them

in the

midft of

their

he renders them capaple of a

milder Sentence from the infernal Judges?

Villanies,

Jove,thy Love

is

continual and thy Goodnefs

unbounded If we do our hearty Endeavour

to be goodlikeThee, and obeythofePrecepts
!

of Vitue which

Mind, we

Thou

haft written in our

are fure thouwilt not hurt us, but

command the Gates

for our Reception

-,

of Elyjium to be open'd
where we may be min

our virtuous
gled with the Company of
honeft Anceftors, and enjoy eternal Peace

and Pleafure

in thofe Fields of Joy,

Groves of Delight

But

if

we

and

aft contrary

to

to that Senfe

of Thee which our Reafbtt

dictates to us

not a Deluge of Water,

or a parch'd funburn'd Earth, the momen
the
tary Alarms of Famine, Peftilence, or
'tis

Sword, that we ought to fear, but an Eter

nity of Torments under the Hands of inde

Thou

fatigable Furies in Hell.

table

and fo

far

art

immu

the prefumptuous Prieft

is

from being able to change thy Decrees,

which are founded upon infinite Juftice, that it would be the higheft Impiety
to fuppofe

Thou
and

art juft

it is

Nature capable of it No
and true in all thy Actions,

Thy

fufficient that

we know our Doom

upon our Adions

hereafter depends

here,

without thy being reprefented in Statues of

Wood and Stone, with Arrows and Thun
derbolts lifted

up

wert an angy and

Wherefore,

at

our Heads, as

ill-natur'd

my

if

thou

God.

&thalides,

(continued

Guard over thy Mind,

he) keep
that thou conceiveft not any Thought of
the fupreme Being, which is not agreeable
a

ftridl

to his Attributes

nor

let

the

Examples of
others,

'5

others,

who

entertain fuch ftrange ridicu

lous Fancies about him, give any Bias to

thy Judgment
the Multitude
in a

for

Do

wrong Opinion.

Moon and

that the Sun,

than they feem

of the

Day

apt

run into and perfevere

to

is

how

thou knoweft

they not believe

Stars are

no bigger

that the bright Luminary

falls into the Sea at Night, and
?

out of it in the Morning ; and that he

carried in a Chariot round this dirty Spot

rifes
is
*

on which we live

Are

there not

'

among

perftitious Strangers

habit

us,

fome fu-

which

in

fomewhere near the Confines of Af-

fyria,

who

boafl that this luminous

once ftopt in his

full

Orb

Career for fome Hours,

to anfwer the Defign of a certain Mortal

not Jove himfelf wickedly fuppos'd to

have bid him lye ftill for three Nights to
Is

have the longer time

gether, that he might
to revel in the Arms of Alcmena? Whereas

Thou haft
Light

is

been taught, that

Globe of

too great a Diftance from us to

fuch a Rotation in a thoufand mil
at

perform
lion of Years
as the

this

tho'

Arrows of

it

were

Hercules.

to

move

as ftftft

But the wicked

Pricfts,

Priefts,

my JEtbalides,

invent thefe Fables,

to fupport their Dignity,

and augment their

Gains.

What God, thinkeft Thou, mufl he be,

who our Priefts tell us is out of humour,
and difcontented without a Multitude of
Offerings and Sacrifices ? a Man of fuch a

Temper would be accounted

covetous,

and

What Idea
greedy, and unreafonable.
canft thou have of a God who loves to re
gale

his

Nofe with

roafted Bullocks,

and

carbonaded SKeep and Goats, and Libations

of rich Wine ? a Man with an Appetite fo

would be accounted a
But what is the God that thefe

continually difpos'd

Glutton.

Why

Offerings are ferv'd up to ?

Piece of Wood, or Stone,

perhaps a
or Brafs, or

fome fuch Material; carv'd fometimes

in a

like a
very ridiculous Shape,

or a

Woman,
as

Diana

Man,

or Monfter with three

is

Heads,
have Faces

reprefented : They
and Mouths, but can neither fee nor eat;

and Feet, and yet fome

they have Hands
times fall down, and are broken in pieces.

Who

Who therefore

'7

eats the roafted Beef,

the broil'd Cutlets of

Mutton

and

but the hun

the
gry voracious Prieft ? Who empties
but
fmiling Goblet of its fparkling Wine,
the thirfly tippling Prieft ?
fays the

Who

Gods

and require more

are yet difpleas'd,

Offerings

the artful Prieft

tributions to inhance his

raifmg

Con

own Dignity, from

the idle Superftitions and groundiefs Fears

of the giddy Multitude.

Thefe,

my

Mthajides y coniider as

Men

exercifing a Trade, to which they are edu

and by which they muft live. Take

care that thou affront not their Perfons, nor

cated,

for in
openly ridicule their Imployment
thou
offend
and
fo doing
mayft
provoke
the State, which for politic Ends did firft
*

inftitute,

and for the fame will continue to

proteft the

Men

mayft laugh

of

this Profeffion.

Thou

in private at all the Abfurdities

which they make the People fwallow, and

at the Vain Alarms by which they govern

Hopes and Fears But beware how

thou difturb or meddle with them in pub-

their

lie;

for they will echo their Refentments

to Temple, like
againft thee from Temple
a Neft of Hornets provok'd in the hollow
lie

Name

Rock, and wound thy good

with

the Stings of poifonous Language.

Yet

bound

let that

Power of thy

check

Ambition.
fign'd

by which Thou

for

Station,

their Pride

whatever

it

and controul their

Tho' they were originally deServants and Inftruments of the

Government, yet

are they very inclinable

to ufurp an Authority and

their

art

to ferve thy Country, exhort thee to

ufe the
be, to

Virtue,

Dominion of

own, and

Magiftrate,

them.
tereft

to tyrannize over the

very
who conftitutes and

Therefore, be affur'd,

of

all

Men, and Lovers of

honeft

their Country, to

appoints
the In-

it is

keep

down

the

afpiring

haughty Aims of thefe Cooks of State,

venerable Butchers

and never

truft

thefe

them

with any Power, but what they will rea

dily

acknowledge

to be confer'd

upon them

by the Magiftrate, in a limited Senfe, for

the good of the Public.

With

19=

With this View were the different Ritual^

and Modes of Worfhip firft eftablifh'd in
all

the Nations and Cities round about us

way which was moft

Genius, and moft conve

each following that

fuitable to their

to correfpond with their

Thus Crete think
of Government.

niently adapted

Form
ing

itfelf

holy above

all

Lands

for the Story

being born, educated, and bu

ried there, worfhips him chiefly ; and looks

of Jupiter

down with Scorn and Contempt upon other'

Nations, as People deftitute of equal Pri
vileges, if not quite excluded from the di
vine Favour.

But, JEthalides y canft thou

help fmiling at their Superftition, or doft

thou pity their Stupidity and Credulity ?

who

can be made to believe that Jove was

born

as

we Men are ; and that he was brought

thither to

be educated

ther Saturn (hould find

Nay, they

Fa
him ?

privately, left his

him and

fay too, that after

eat

he had

liv'd

his Term of Life out, he died and was bu

ried there ; and they think all thofe
very

profane and wicked People,

who

will not

believe this Npnfenfe, thefe

Impoffibilities.
It

by fome

my JEthalides, there might

a Man as Jupiter^ who

It is probable,

have been

20

fuch

extraordinary Occurrences in his

Life, fince

by fabulous Tradil

irnprov'd

may appear a very

extraordinary Perfon, and even an Objed of Worihip to a

tions,

World

fuperftltious bigotted
tural Fears are eafily

whofe na

wrought upon by the

Stratagems of Priefts, efpecially when they

are countenanced and authoriz'd by the Ma-

But

efteem fuch a one the great

Creator: and Arbiter of the Univerfe, (who
giftrate.

muft have

to

exifted, in the higheft Perfec

of every thing that is good, from all

Eternity) i&theEffedt of Ignorance, Super-

tion

and a

blind Reliance

upon old
Wives Stories, and the cunning Manage
ment and Policy of Priefts.
ftition,

Who,

but a moft befotted

filly

People,

could fuppofe a Being of fo exalted and reNature, as the high God muft be,
capable of having carnal Copulation with

fin'd a

mortal

Women

and

filling

Heaven with
his

his natural Offspring

One

of thefe

is

the

of religious Worfhip in
another in the City of
;

principal Object
the Ifland of Delos

Ephefus. Bacchus

is

Wine of his own

honour'd in Caroufels of

Inftjtution at Thebes

and

Venus the Goddefs of Love and Beauty

ador'd here in Cyprus.

is

If I could enumerate

all

the Religions

of the Earth with the Superftitions that at

tend them, it would only be giving you a
Detail

of the feveral Follies of credulous

Mankind, and the politick Contrivances of

States and Governments.
The bare men
tioning of thefe

may

fuffice to
give

you a

Tafte of their Impoftures; tho' however

monftrous and abfurd they appear, remem
ber to fpeak of them in public with a feeming Deference and Regard

-,

and where

it

expected you fliould be particular in de

claring for that fort of Worfhip which you

is

moft approve, you fhould, in Honour, diftinguifh and prefer that of your own Coun
try.

Here

22

Here

my Mafter

concluded his Lefture

upon Religion ; which was the firft I had

heard from him upon that Subject, fo
He had often given
plain and intelligible.

me

little

my

want of Capacity, or

Hints before

which
his>

made

fcurity in fpeaking,

preffion

But

upon me.

either thro'

defigned
or no

little

ObIm-

in this laft Leflbn

he had open'd his Mind with fuch an Air

of Tendernefs and Concern, that every
thing he faid had its due Weight, and funk
deep into my Mind. The more I thought
of it, the more I was convinced of the Truth

of his Difcourfe; and every Reflection which

arofe from it gave me a new and fecret
Pleafure.

The Complacence and

of Spirit which

Elevation

I felt

upon believing myfelf

the Son of Hermes vanished ; or rather was
like

extinguifh'd,

lefler

Flame of Truth.

Light,

by the

Knowledge,
and demonftrable, that the Gene
of the World were wrong in this Re-

bright

certain
rality

fpeftj

and

the Error,

I,

young

gave

me

as I was, free

from

a folid and durable

Sa-

23

which

Satisfaction,

lafted the

whole time

of my- Life. I was fenfible that the

count my Mother had given me of

was

Birth,

own

Ac

my

either a plaufible Invention

of

Truth not proper

for her to mention, or that Neanthus had
by this Trick firft obtained, and fmce conher

to conceal a

tinu'd, to poffefs her

ther

me

Fame

But whe

Embraces.

had whifper'd

this Secret

whom me

trufted, or

female Friend

to a

the

herfelf

my Wit and Learning made

of

Countrymen conceive fomething of me

more than Mortal ; they look'd upon me
as the Son of that God fome time before my

my

Death, and

after

it

beftow'd Immortality

and divine Honours upon me. However I

kept Melidoras Secret, and my own Senfe
of it
as

intirely to

my

pious
as his
juftly

myfelf ; I regarded Neanthus

real Father, and lov'd him with a

and

grateful Affedtiori

fuch indeed

Fondnefs and paternal Care of me

For his Father Chryfander
claim'd.

and leaving him Heir to

a good Eftate and much Treafure, he
gene-

dying foon

after,

roufly fettled

upon

my Mother
F

the

Farm
and

24

and Gardens which (he rented, and made

her a Prefent of two Talents of Gold.

But my Mind was fo wholly engag'd in

the Purfuit of Knowledge, that I found lit
tle
Enjoyment out of the Company of my
and he was

Mafter Eleutherius

charm'd with

my

Parts,

Learning.

The

fition for

my

Schoolfellows,

as

much

and ready Difporeft

were

of the Youths,

fo

intent

upon
that they had the utmoft
and
Plays,
Sports

Averfion for his dry Philofophy (as they

call'd it) and took advantage of all the Fefti-

and Times of Solemnity to abfent themThen it was that I had the moft
felves.
vals

and eafy Accefs to his Inftru&ions, and

heard him dictate without Referve. It
free

would have been hard

to determine

whe

ther the Mafter expounded, or the Scholar

attended, with moft Pleafure.

One Day, when he had been

holding a
Difcourfe
our
favourite
To
upon
copious

and been expofing, with

and Strength of Reafon,

pic, Religion
his ufual Clearnefs
-,

the great Inconveniences that had and might

proceed

proceed from Multitudes pofiefs'd with Superflition,

and

artfully inflam'd

by wicked

defigning Priefts, he confirm'd it with aver

ring, that the more plain and natural any
Religion was, the better it would be for

more pleaiing to God.

For (fays he) if Mankind would but en
tertain thofe juft Notions of the Maker of
the World, which their own Reafon, his
faithful Interpreter, would tell them, and

the Public, and the

refolve not to be

impofed upon by Fables

and Traditions ;

'tis

certain that the Reli

gion flowing from thence muft be accepta

ble to

God, and

For

more

firft,

beneficial to

What

confiftent

is

more

Mankind.
reafonable and

with the Attributes and Ho

nour of God, than to conclude that he ex-

peds nothing from his Creatures, but

what he has given them Capacities to per
form
ftice,

If

we

think

him to be

God

of Ju-

we

When

are fure he can require no more.

therefore the Priefts, who declare

themfelves to be the Keepers of his

Myfteries and his Will,
in one
place pretend
that he ought to be
worflrip'd with
F 2

Corn

in

26

he expefts Wine ; in a
third, Sheep and Oxen ; and that here in
our City he is delighted to fee his Temple
in

another, that

made

a public

men

who

bid

fair

it)

Rendezvouz

for

lewd

Wo

fuch Devotion will produce

indeed for eternal Happinefs, by
(if

taking care never to mifs the ftated

Times

of Worfhip, and mortifying their Bodies

by a continual Proftitution Which of thefe
:

Prefcriptions

right

and

fon

none.

lar

God.

we

infallible

us, that

tell

are

to follow as the
only

one

If

we ask

If we ask the Prieft

our Rea;

he will

which belongs

And

as

many

to his particu
Religions as there

many hundred thoufand Priefts will

aver the fame.
What mufl be done then

are, fo

in this uncertain Labyrinth, where there are

fo many different Ways, and none

to be

Why

appears
(nor certainly is) the right one?
let us have Recourfe to our Reafon,

by which our
us from the reft of
what Information

that excellent Part of us,

Maker
his

we

has diftinguifh'd

Creatures, and try

can get from thence.

us, that, as

God

is

And

that tells

the Perfedlion of

Good, we can never do

better than

all

when

we

we

endeavour to

By

doing as
as

nefit

imitate,

him

and;be like

Hurt, and as much Be

can to our Fellow-Creatures :

little

we

in
keeping our Confciences clear and
nocent from evil Defigns and Intentions,
and forming new Refolutions of proceeding

By

in the

of Virtue.

Ways

furdity in this
at

any time

Will

Nay

him

this

Is there

any Ab-

make God angry

rather, will

it

not

al

If he were to fpeak to us
ways pleafe
in the Voice of a Man, and tell us his Will
?

Words, would he make it any other

than this? Could he indeed contrive any

in

? And
yet how plain, how na
how obvious to all Mankind is this ?

thing better
tural,

Secondly, As this cannot but pleafe God,

fo nothing can be more beneficial to Man
kind.

For of what

or

Profit

Ufe

to the

the great Variety of Rites and Ce

remonies which every Nation in it claims ?

World

Do

is

tljy contribute

Country where
to

to the

they

are

Trade of the
exercis'd,

the Strength and Defence

are they

in

any degree

of

it,

or
or

honourable, ad

vantageous or pleafureable to

its

Inhabi
tants

tants

28

If they are, they ought to be reGood of the Public ; if not,

ridiculous, nay often how dangerous,

tain'd for the

how
is it

to keep

into

Cuftom

them up, and

?

What

let

them grow

Cruelties

do

the

Kings of Ajfyria commit in forcing the

Nations which they conquer to worfhip
after

their

Manner

How

obftinate are

of thofe Nations, in chufing rather

to endure the fharpeft Tortures, than to

many

relinquiih the vain Superftitions in

which

they have been educated ? With what a

lowring evil Eye do the Prieftefles of our
Venus behold thofe chafteMen and Women,

who

will not fuffer their

Minds and Bodies

to be debauch'd with the abominable Lufts

of Paphos ? By their libidinous Geflures,

and loofe Inveftives, endeavouring to irri
tate and provoke their luftfully zealous Vo
branding them with
the odious Appellations of cold, impotent,

taries

againft

them

;'

or barren; perfecuting them with all manner

of Obfcenities ; and declaring that they

ought by wholefome Severities, fuch as

Whipping and Hanging, to be forc'd into
an Inclination to do Honour and Service
to

29

On

their Goddefs.

to

Priefts

who

muft be

ferve

the contrary, the

Cybek, Joves Mother,

it at the
Expence of

qualified for

and when they are carry

ing that old Goddefs about the Streets, take
an Opportunity to rob all they meet; for
when begging is made a Part of Religion,

Manhood

their

it is

reckon'd Profane to refufe to give.

Now.

not

are

all

thefe

as

well

great

Inconveniences to the Public, as mighty

themfelves? How much
ridiculous in
better

would

it

be for thofe miferable Peo

whom

the Affyrians take in War,

if they had no fuch barbarous Cuftom as
burning them upon their Altars? What

ple

Cruelty, Rancour, Revenge, and Hardnefs

of Heart does this exprefs ? Are thefe Qua
lities

God

No

Emo

agreeable to the Attributes of

Or is it for the public
furely.

lument that fuch Tempers and Habits of

Mind

fhould be encouraged

contrary

is

of Venus,
fenfe

certain.

Do

pradtifed in

No

but the

the wanton Rites

this

City,

Good?

in

any

Do

promote publick
they
Mind, or invigorate the Body ?

redtify the

Do

Do

they

make

thofe that ftickle for

them

more Healthy or more Wife ? or in any

contribute to their Well-being ?
particular

No

but are evidently the Occafion of much

Detriment to the Commonwealth in gene
:

ral,

as well as very

Families.

How

pernicious

many

to private

Children of both

Sexes are initiated into the Myfteries of the

Goddefs by the Examples of their wanton

Mothers ? How many Wives, under Pre
tence of Devotion, take their Fill of furreptitious

and adulterate

Loves,

their

Huf-

band's Race with a fpurious Iffue? Arts

and Arms, the Bulwark and Ornament of
for thefe bafer fofter

Cities, are

negledted
Diverfions ; and the

ture has defign'd

cies,

whom

Women, whom Na

for keeping

he has form'd

fair

up our Spe
and tempt

ing with a thoufand agreeable Graces, de

feat the End of their Inftitution by being

too liberal of their Charms.

They

pleafe

the Eye, like a Valley of Corn fmiling with

But when we look to fee
a vernal Bloom
:

a full Harveft, behold

the Clouds

over-

fhadow it, the Drops fall thick into the,

Furrows ; and inftead of an impregnating
Shower,

1
"Shower,

3' ]

with a Deluge of

overflows

it

Rain.

But every Nation his its religious Rites,

and confequently its Follies and Inconveni
ences of fome

fome of

Kind

or other.

thefe are indifferent,

For

and innocent

in themfelves* yet through

they may become dangerous to a

enough

tho*

Abufe

Commu

nity.

Such

tinuance are

mean

by a too long Con

grown into Cuftom, and from
I

as

thence efteemed by the Vulgar as effential,

important and neceffary Parts of Religion.
If the Decency, or perhaps Grandeur with

which Religion ought

populous Cities

to be attended, in

efpecially, requires a fufr

Quantity of Pomp and Shew ; this

ihould be as changeable as the Fafhions of

ficient

our Drefs

might be pleafed as well with the Variety and Newnefs, as

Magnificence of them; and the Magiftrate
;

that the People

have it in his Power, if Reafons of State ihould

to alter as eafily as to continue

require

it,

them*

How

indecent

is it

to fee the Priefts

of

32
of Pan running naked about the

Women

to the
expofing themfelves

Virgins in a

Manner

be thought on

and

too immodeft even to

Yet

Streets

if the

State fhould

attempt to abolifh this vile Ceremony, what

a tumultuous Outcry would immediately

be

by the

raifed,

Women

efpecially

who

think they (hall never feel a Mother's Joys,

a Stroke from thefe
till they have had
frantic Gefticulators.

But

as thefe

Inftitution,
let

were

all

to ferve

certainly

fome

of

human

political

us afk our Reafon whether

End,

God ever

told

It tells

he expefts any thing of that Kind?

us he cannot, and that we fhould

think

him

it

that

ftrange God, if we
Is there any Ceremony

a very

thought he did.

equal to thinking juftly of God ? Is there

any Rite or Cuftom, though ever fo vene
rable for

its

Antiquity and Solemnity, fo

neceflary, fo truly religious,

to

God,

No

It

as a Series

of virtuous Adtions

would be the moft

nefs to fufped,

fo agreeable
?

ftupid Profane-

it.

How

[33

How then c^me

the one to be preferred

before the other, or even to take place at

Minds of

all in

the

How

came they

reafonable Creatures

to imagine, that a Preju

dice in Favour of a Parcel of idle Tricks,

would atone

for the

Sufpenfipji of their
the Intermiflipn of their Virtue?

Reafon and

For a bigotted Attention to Toys of this

Kind makes us, for a Time, lofe the Affiftance of thofe two noble Guides.
Why,

my JEthalides, as great a Riddle as this Teems

to be,

who

is

it

eafily

accounted for: Thofe

have the Advantage of Reafon, could

never ad: thus, unlefs that were

firft

blind

ed and perverted. If People, in Purfuance

of the Dictates of that excellent Faculty,

were tp

exercife

Virtue only,
Fopperies,

and

themfelves in Habits of
rejeft

thefe

ridiculous

what Occafion would there be

of Men,
to prove the Ncceflity and to enhance the
Dignity of their Office, pretend that the

for -.Prints

Therefore

this Set

Gods themfelvcs have ordained and comi^anded" thefe Things, and appointed them
G 2
Ad-

34

and

Adminiftrators

of their

Executors

They know that there is a Confcioufnefs of Duty in every Man's Heart,

which tells him that he ought to. endeavour
after Virtue, and lets him fee there is a
Will.

Pleafure in

doing Gopdj but fills his

Shame
Mind with
and Remorfe upon com
an
ill Action, and makes hirti a-*
mitting

doing that which is right.

This natural Fear the Arch^Priefts work

fraid to negledt

upon and improve by

ftures

People, find

it

tions,

no very

difficult

Talk.

The

when he
deliberately to weigh his own Ac
will incline him to believe, that

Balance of a
corqes

Ijnpothe vulgar ordinary

among

and,

own

their

Reafon,

IVJan's

according as they have tended to Virtue or

Vice in

this

Life,

he

fhall

meet with

Pu-r

'

mfhments or Rewards

And

in the Shades below.

as trie

more

Generality of Mankind leans

toward Vice than Virtue, and muft

confequently be often agitated

Fear; by
the

this

Means

defigning Prieft

their

Judgment

there

is

to ftep in

which

is

with

this

Room

for

and

biafs

commonly done,
by

[35
by

flattering

their Fears,

their

the

their

He

drooping

Hopes,

and

leffening

comforts and encourages

Spirits,

by

affuring

Gods may be appeafed and

them

reconciled

That
by fomething elfe befides Virtue
fuch a Thing as an Hecatomb of Bullocks
:

may go

a great

that building of a
dedicating it to fome par

way

Temple, and
ticular God, will do well ; and that
fettling
a good Revenue for the Maintenance of
the Priefts that muft belong to
effectual

Thus People who

it,

is

moft

are confcious of

ha
ving committed Injuries among Men, and
follicitous how they {hall efcape the Lafh
of the Furies, are very willing to believe
that find out Expedients for their
Security, though ever fo abfurd and un~

thofe

j-eafonable.

We have

neglefted (fay they)

to imitate the Attributes of

God,

Juft and

He

Good; but

in being

be pleafed
with Immolations and Viflims ? Will the
will

Blood of Bulls and Goats and Sheep enter

tain him fo much, that he will overlook
pur Injuftice for their Sakes, and

commute
our

36

our Punifhment for the Slaughter of Beafts?

If he

we

will,

are ready to
fatisfy his
to the one Half of our

Demands, even
Dilates

how

And how
his

Prisfts,

how

venerable,

Men

an Order of

ufefui

Attendants and

Interpreters.

who

facred,

are thefe

us thefe good Tidings, and <pan

fuch glorious Things for us

tell

e$el

8 mu

To think

my, Mthauaesy is natural

to a Mind diflurbed and perverted by Fear $
but Thou feeft how far it is from the Dic
tates

how

of

thus,

coql.

Reafon

and confequently

from being agreeable

Behold Pandicaus,
Nature.
enters our profaned
at

our

how
hpw

to the divine

far

calm,

how

undifturbed

is

healthy and vigorous his

unreprovable

all .his

neither

Temples, nor attends

abominable Rites

how

who

Actions

chearful,

Mind

his

pody
?

He

how
walks

through the Streets, and, with an uncon

cerned failing Countenance, fees the En-trails

crackling and frying

He falutes

upon the

Altars,

the High-Pneft with a well-bred

and puts on an outward Gravity

when lie talks with him ; but laughs in
Civility,

wardly

37

wardly at the Farce he is a&ing, and admire^

The Deity,
at the Stupidity of Mankind.

whom

they fo grofly make Court to, as

if he had the Appetites and Paffions of a
Mortal, Pandicaus contemplates with the

Light of his Reafon, and ftudies to imitate

by the Practice of Juftice, Benignity, and
all

kind of

focial Virtues.

that this

him,

Creature

made

is

the

His Heart

his conftant Exercife of

tells

Duty of a reafonable
it

has

and the uninterrupted

Pleafure which flows from fuch a Redtitude
of Thoughts and Adions, confirms him
it

habitual

in his Opinion, that

joyful

what

is

thus good and

muft be Godlike,

For, what ill-natured Deities,

tides,

we

are the

Gods

are told that

unlefs

we

my

reprefented to be,

we

when

cannot pleafe them

torment ourfelves

Juftice

and

Temperance, Honefty and Sobriety, Comand Good- Will, are exceeding

plaifance
pleafant

and

delightful, as

and advantageous

well as ufeful

to that Society in

which

they are pradtifed: But Fear, Superftition,

Morofenefs, Paffion, Suspicion, Jealoufy

and

3S

and Vain-Glory, which are the Ingredient*

of moft People's Religion, are tormenting
to ones felf, and troublefome to others*

Which

of thefe Qualities

is

moft

likely to

pleafe God, the good-natured or

natured ? It needs no Anfwen

the

ill-

Thus, from time to time, did this wife

judicious Man fow the Seeds of Knowledge
Heart, and inoculate the Buds of
I had a Memory
Virtue in my Mind.

in

my

Things com
and though the Food with
was fupplied, might well be

which happily
mitted to

which

retained the

it ;

thought too ftrong for one of fuch tender*

Years, yet I had an Underftanding that
could digeft it> and turn it into the moft

wholfome Nourifhment.

rived to the twelfth Year of

I was admired

faw me

and

was

my

careffed

fcarce ar

Age, when

by

all

that

the graver Sort for my Learn*

ing and Knowledge ; by the Young, the
Spritely and the Gay, for my Wit and

Beauty.
fortified

By

As much
againft

the

as

was feafoned and

Attacks of

from the wife Inftru&ions of

my

Vanity,
Mafter,
I could

[39

could not, without being touched with

a fecret Pleafure, perceive the Eyes of the
I.

admiring City turned upon

along.

They

courted

me

me

as I palled

into their

Houfes

with Importunity ; and there was a vifible

Emulation among them about gaining my
Efteem by the Delicacy of their Entertain
ments.

But

in all thefe, there

was none whofe

was expreffed with fo much

Ardor, and even Impetuoiity, as that of
of the firft Rank ; and
tpbigenifr a Matron
who furpaffed the reft of my Admirers in

Fondnefs

Munificence, as much as in the Excefs of

her Love, and the Superiority of her Con

She bound a Bracelet of Pearl

many times round my left Arm, and faflened on Gems of great Price for the But

dition.

tons of

my

She retained

Sandals.

the tendereft Blandifhments

iible

me with

and the fen-

Tokens me

continually gave of the

her Kindnefs, difpofed me to

Reality of
return the Affection,

by devoting

Service thofc Intermiffions of Leifure,

arc fuch neceffary Reliefs to Study.

to her

which
Yet

could

ObMind

could not difcover which was molt the

jedt

of her Paffion, the

or

flie

Turn of

feemed to be

my

in

Raptures
Body
upon the Contemplation of either of them ;
but when I was fpeaking in the moft en
gaging Manner, would frequently break
;

her Attention to

Difcourfe by reiterated
She ob
Kifies, and convulfive Embraces.

my

tained leave of

my Mother, that I fhould

whole
Nights in her Houfe ; and Meftay
Kdora from a Senfe of the Obligations laid
y

on her by fo noble a Lady, contented her

felf fometimes a Week together without
feeing

To
all

my

me.
the Breaft of Eleutherim I committed
Secrets.

He

was become

rather a

Friend than a Mafter, and was as fincere

in affifting me with his Counfel now, a s
before he had been diligent in furnifhing

me

with his Inftruftions.

To him

com

municated every new Motion in this amica

ble Affair, and model'd my Behaviour ac
cording to his

Opinion.

He

confxdered

that IpKgenia was

paft that Age in
the Levities and Sallies of Youth

which
plead

Excufe

[4'

Excufe for unruly Paffions, and the Confequences which they produce That tho'
her Hufband had long fince been indifferent
to her, fhe avoided giving him
any de:

figned Offence ; as knowing that notwithftanding her Charms were not capable of
affefting

him now, he would have raged

with Jealoufy at the Thoughts of another's

poffeffing them. But Eleutherius perceived
that her Fondnefs for

me was

alarming him, that he

raged and given in to it

fo far from
had rather encou
and from thence
-,

concluded, that, thinking his Honour fafe,

he did not intend to deprive his Wife of fo
innocent a Pleafure as fhe feemed to enjoy
in a Boy's Company.
He thought too,
that Iphigema would compound by fuch an
Indulgence for all the fevere Reftraints her

had impoied upon

Affectations of Virtue

her

fire,

and that

which

all

the

little

Efforts of

for a long time fhe

De-

had check

ed and concealed, would break out with

united Forces,
for

and center

in her Paflion

me.

From

[M

From thefe Obfervations he formed a mofb

artful

which

Scheme

for

my

future

was contrived how

Conduct

in

might conwith Ipbigenia, without diminifhing

her Love and the Advantages flowing from
it, the good Opinion of her Hufband, or
it

verfe

my own

She was wealthy be

yond Account, and moft of her Riches be
to her Dowry
by the Death
ing fuperadded
of great Relations, remained in her own
Integrity.

She gave me every Day frefh

Testimonies of her Affection, by repeated
Difpofal.

Inftances cf her Liberality.

was

diftin-

had been

my Apparel
guifhed
her own Son, and fhe often carried
as if I

in

me

with

her to the Temples, and among the Aflemblies of honourable Women ; where I en
countered fuch a Variety of odd Adven
tures, as gave Occafion to many entertain
ing and inflrudtive Difcourfe.s of Eleutherius.
Religion, Gallantry, Politics, and Trade,
were the Topics I was required to be moft
obferyant upon : Thefe were the Supplies

by which our

private Difcourfes

time to time kept up

were from

which, by occafional

[43

fional Excurfions I took care

to provide

the Repaft of my retired Preceptor^

whofe Age and Station hindered him from

for

mingling in the Chace, and being a prefent

Various were the
Spectator of the Sport.

Mazes

I trod in tracing the different In

trigues

of Lovers, Statefmen,

Artificers.

Priefts

and

Impoftures, and
of what Kind foever

Affectations,

pernicious Defigns
were the Marks I

aimed at; and my

Haunts were contrived to be in thofe Places

where

Of

thefe

were moft

which an Account

likely to

'will be

be found.

given in this

Hi/lory in Order as they happened.

FINIS.

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