chanical Subtilties and Novelties, especially when (rather perfecuting their Intent, than reclining their Errors) they rather strive to overcome Nature by force, than fue for her Embracements by due Obfequiousness and Obfervance.

XXI. Deucalion, or Reftitution.

HE Poets fay, that the People of the Old World being deftroyed by a general Deluge, Deucalion and Pyrrha were only left alive; who praying with fervent and zealous Devotion, that they might know by what means to repair Mankind, had answer from an Oracle that they should obtain what they defired, if taking the Bones of their Mother, they caft them behind their Backs; which at first ftruck them with great Amazement and Despair, feeing (all things being defaced by the Flood) it would be an endless work to find their Mother's Sepulchre, but at length they understood that by Bones the Stones of the Earth (seeing the Earth was the Mother of all things) were fignified by the Oracle.

This Fable feems to reveal a fecret of Nature, and to correct an Error familiar to Men's Conceits: For through want of Knowledge Men think that things may take Renovation and Restoration from their Putrefaction and Dregs, no otherwise than the Phoenix from the Ashes, which in no cafe can be admitted, seeing fuch kind of Materials, when

they have fulfilled their Periods, are unapt for the beginnings of fuch things: We must therefore look back to more common Principles.

XXII. Nemefis, or the Viciffitude of Things.

EMESIS is faid to be a Goddess Venerable unto all, but to be feared of none but Potentates and Fortune's Favourites. She is thought to be the Daughter of Oceanus and Nox. She is portrayed with wings on her Shoulders, and on her Head a Coronet; bearing in her Right Hand a Javelin of Ash, and in her Left a Pitcher with the Similitudes of Ethiopians engraven on it; and lastly, she is described fitting on a Hart.

The Parable may be thus unfolded. Her Name Nemefis doth plainly fignify Revenge or Retribution, her Office and Administration being (like a Tribune of the People) to hinder the conftant and perpetual Felicity of happy Men, and to interpofe her Word, veto, I forbid the Continuance of it; that is, not only to chaftife Infolency, but to intermix Profperity (though harmless and in a mean) with the Viciffitudes of Adverfity, as if it were a Cuftom, that no mortal Man fhould be admitted to the Table of the Gods but for Sport. Truly when I read that Chapter, wherein Caius Plinius hath collected his Misfortunes and Miseries of Au

guftus Cæfar, whom of all Men I thought the most Happy, who had also a kind of Art to use and enjoy his Fortune, and in whose Mind might be noted neither Pride, nor Lightness, nor Niceness, nor Diforder, nor Melancholy, (as that he had appointed a time to die of his own accord,) I then deemed this Goddess to be great and powerful, to whose Altar fo worthy a Sacrifice as this was drawn.

The Parents of this Goddess were Oceanus and Nox, that is, the Viciffitude of things and Divine Judgement obfcure and secret: For the Alterations of things are aptly represented by the Sea, in refpect of the continual Ebbing and Flowing of it, and hidden Providence is well fet forth by the Night: For even the Nocturnal Nemesis (seeing Human Judgement differs much from Divine) was seriously obferved by the Heathen.

Cadit et Ripheus juftissimus unus,

Qui fuit ex Teucris, et fervantissimus æqui.
Diis aliter vifum.-
Virgil. Æneid. lib. 2.

That Day, by Greekish Force, was Ripheus slain
So just and strict Observer of the Law,

As Troy within her Walls, did not contain
A better Man: Yet God then good it saw.

She is defcribed with Wings, because the Changes of things are so sudden, as that they are seen before foreseen: For in the Records of all Ages, we find it for the most part true, that great Potentates, and wife Men, have perifhed by thofe Misfortunes which they most contemned; as may be observed

n Marcus Cicero, who being admonished by Deius Brutus of Octavius Cæfar's hypocritical Friendhip and Hollow-heartedness towards him, returns him this Answer, Te autem, mi Brute, ficut debeo, imo, quod iftud quicquid eft nugarum me fcire volufti: I must ever acknowledge myself (Dear Bruus) beholden to thee in Love, for that thou haft been fo careful to acquaint me with that which I esteem but as a needlefs Trifle to be doubted.

Nemefis is also adorned with a Coronet, to shew the envious and malignant Difpofition of the Vulgar, for when Fortune's Favourites and great Po:entates come to ruin, then do the common People rejoice, setting, as it were, a Crown upon the Head of Revenge.

The Javelin in her right Hand points at those whom the actually ftrikes and pierceth through.

And before thofe, whom she destroys not in their Calamity and Misfortune, fhe ever presents that black and dismal Spectacle in her left Hand: For questionless to Men fitting as it were upon the Pinnacle of Prosperity, the thoughts of Death and painfulness of Sickness and Misfortunes, perfidiousness of Friends, treachery of Foes, change of Estate, and such like, seem as ugly to the Eye of their Meditations, as those Æthiopians pictured in Nemefis her Pitcher. Virgil, in defcribing the Battle of Actium, speaks thus elegantly of Cleopatra.

Regina in mediis patrio vocat agmina fistro, Nec dum etiam geminos à tergo refpicit angues.1

1 Æneid. viii. 696.

The Queen amidst this hurly-burly ftands,
And with her Country-Timbrel calls her Bands;
Not spying yet, where crawl'd behind her Back,
Two deadly Snakes with Venom speckled black.

But not long after, which way foever she turned, Troops of Ethiopians were still before her Eyes. Lastly, It is wifely added, That Nemesis rides upon a Hart, because a Hart is a most lively CreaAnd albeit, it may be, that such as are cut off by Death in their Youth, prevent and shun the Power of Nemefis; yet doubtless such, whose Profperity and Power continue long, are made subject unto her, and lie as it were trodden under her Feet.

ture.

XXIII. Achelous, or Battle.

T is a Fable of Antiquity, that when Hercules and Achelous as Rivals contended for the Marriage of Deianira, the matter drew them to Combat,

wherein Achelous took upon him many divers shapes, for fo was it in his Power to do, and amongst others, transforming himself into the likeness of a furious wild Bull, affaults Hercules and provokes him to fight. But Hercules, for all this, sticking to his old Human Form, courageously encounters him, and fo the Combat goes roundly on. this was the event, That Hercules tore away one of the Bull's Horns, wherewith he being mightily daunted and grieved, to ransom his Horn again,

But