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yet in Humanity commiserate Offenders, and pity their Distress, it being the Extremity of Evil when Mercy is not suffered to have Commerce with Mifery. Yea, even in the Caufe as well of Religion as Impiety, many Men may be noted and obferved to have been compaffionate. But on the contrary the Complaints and Moans of Diomedes' Followers, that is, of Men of the fame Sect and Opinion, are wont to be shrill and loud, like Swans or the Birds of Diomedes. In whom also that part of the Allegory is excellent to fignify that the last Words of those that suffer Death for Religion, like the Songs of dying Swans, do wonderfully work upon the Minds of Men, and strike and remain a long time in their Senses and Memories.

XIX. Dædalus, or Mechanick.

ECHANICAL Wisdom and Industry, and in it unlawful Science perverted to wrong ends is shadowed by the Ancients under the perfon of Dedalus, a Man ingenious, but execrable. This Dadalus (for murdering his Fellow-fervant that emulated him) being banished, was kindly entertained during his Exile in many Cities and Princes' Courts: for indeed he was the Raiser and Builder of many goodly Structures, as well in Honour of the Gods, as for the Beauty and Magnificence of Cities, and other public Places, but for his Works of Mifchier he is most notorious. It is he that framed the

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Engine which Pafiphae used to satisfy her Luft in company with a Bull; fo that by his wretched Industry, and pernicious Device, that Monster Minotaur (the Destruction of so many hopeful Youths) took his accurfed and infamous Beginning, and studying to cover and increase one Mifchief with another, for the Security and Prefervation of this Monster he invented and built a Labyrinth, a Work for intent and use most nefarious and wicked, for Skill and Workmanship famous and excellent. Afterward, that he might not be noted only for Works of Mischief, but be fought after as well for Remedies as for Inftruments of Destruction, he was the Author of that ingenious Device concerning the Clew of Thread, by which the Labyrinth was made paffable without any let. This Dadalus was perfecuted by Minos with great Severity, Diligence, and Inquiry, but he always found the means to avoid and escape his Tyranny. Laftly, he taught his Son Icarus to fly, but the Novice, in Oftentation of this Art, foaring too high, fell into the Sea and was drowned.

The Parable feems to be thus: In the beginning of it may be noted that kind of Envy or Emulation that lodgeth and wonderfully fways and domineers amongst excellent Artificers, there being no kind of People more reciprocally tormented with bitter and deadly hatred than they.

The Banishment alfo of Dedalus (a Punishment inflicted on him against the Rules of Policy and Providence) is worth the noting: For Artificers have this Prerogative to find entertainment and

welcome in all Countries, fo that Exile to an excellent Workman can hardly be termed a Punishment, whereas other Conditions and States of Life can scarce live out of their own Country. The Admiration of Artificers is propagated and increased in foreign and strange Nations, seeing it is a natural and inbred Disposition of Men to value their own Country-men (in respect of Mechanical Works) less than Strangers.

Concerning the use of Mechanical Arts, that which follows is plain. The Life of Man is much beholding to them, seeing many things (conducing to the Ornament of Religion, to the Grace of Civil Difcipline, and to the beautifying of all Human Kind) are extracted out of their Treasuries: And yet notwithstanding from the fame Magazine or Store-house are produced Inftruments both of Luft and Death; for to omit the Wiles of Bawds, we well know how far exquifite Poisons, Warlike Engines, and fuch like Mischiefs (the Effects of Mechanical Inventions) do exceed the Minotaur himself in Malignity and favage Cruelty.

Moreover that of the Labyrinth is an excellent Allegory, whereby is shadowed the Nature of Mechanical Sciences; for all fuch handicraft Works as are more ingenious and accurate, may be compared to a Labyrinth in respect of Subtilty and divers intricate Passages, and in other plain Resemblances, which by the Eye of Judgement can hardly be guided and difcerned, but only by the Line of Experience.

Neither is it impertinently added, that he which

invented the intricate Nooks of the Labyrinth, did alfo fhew the Commodity of the Clew: For Mechanical Arts are of Ambiguous ufe, serving as well for hurt as for Remedy, and they have in a manner Power both to loose and bind themselves.

Unlawful Trades, and fo by confequence, Arts themselves are often perfecuted by Minos, that is, by Laws, which do condemn them and prohibit Men to use them. Nevertheless they are hid and retained every where, finding lurking Holes and places of Receipt, which was well obferved by Tacitus of the Mathematicians and Figure-flingers of his time, in a thing not fo much unlike: Genus Hominum quod in Civitate noftra femper et retinebitur et vetabitur.1 There is a kind of Men that will always abide in our City, though always forbidden. And yet notwithstanding unlawful and curious Arts of what kind foever, in tract of time when they cannot perform what they promise, do fall from the good Opinion that was held of them, (no otherwise than Icarus fell down from the fkies,) they grow to be contemned and scorned, and fo perish by too much Oftentation. And to say the Truth, they are not so happily restrained by the Reins of Law, as bewrayed by their own Vanity.

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xx. Ericthonius, or Imposture.

HE Poets fable that Vulcan folicited Minerva for her Virginity, and impatient of denial, with an inflamed Defire offered her Violence, but in ftruggling his Seed fell upon the Ground, whereof came Ericthonius, whose Body from the middle upward, was of a comely and apt Proportion, but his Thighs and Legs like the Tail of an Eel, small and deformed. To which Monftrofity he being conscious, became the first Inventor of the use of Chariots, whereby that part of his Body which was well proportioned might be seen, and the other which was ugly and uncomely might be hid.

This ftrange and prodigious Fiction may seem to fhew that Art which (for the great use it hath of Fire) is fhadowed by Vulcan, although it labour by much striving with corporeal Subftances to force Nature, and to make her subject to it, (fhe being for her industrious Works rightly represented by Minerva ;) yet feldom or never attains the end it aims at, but with much ado and great Pains (wreftling as it were with her) comes short of its Purpofe, and produceth certain imperfect Births and lame Works, fair to the Eye, but weak and defective in use, which many Impoftors, (with much Subtilty and Deceit) set to View, and carry about, as it were in Triumph, as may for the most part be noted in Chemical Productions, and other Me

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