The presumption of Pan in challenging Cupid to the conflict, denotes that matter has an appetite and tendency to a dissolution of the world, and falling back to its first chaos again, unless this depravity and inclination were restrained and subdued by a more powerful concord and agreement of things, properly expressed by Love or Cupid ; it is therefore well for mankind, and the state of all things, that Pan was thrown and conquered in the struggle. His catching and detaining Typhon in the net receives a similar explanation; for whatever vast and unusual swells, which the word typhon signifies, may sometimes be raised in nature, as in the sea, the clouds, the earth, or the like, yet nature catches, entangles, and holds all such outrages and insurrections in her inextricable net, wove as it were of adamant. That part of the fable which attributes the discovery of lost Ceres to Pan, whilst he was hunting-a happiness denied the other gods, though they diligently and expressly sought her-contains an exceeding just and prudent admonition; viz., that we are not to expect the discovery of things useful in common life, as that of corn, denoted by Ceres, from abstract philosophies, as if these were the gods of the first order, no, not though we used our utmost endeavours this way,but only from Pan, that is, a sagacious experience and general knowledge of nature, which is often found, even by accident, to stumble upon such discoveries whilst the pursuit was directed another way. The event of his contending with Apollo in music affords us a useful instruction, that may help to humble the human reason and judgment, which is too apt to boast and glory in itself. There seems to be two kinds of harmony-the one of Divine Providence, the other of human reason; but the government of the world, the administration of its affairs, and the more secret Divine judgments, sound harsh and dissonant to human ears or human judgment; and though this ignorance be justly rewarded with asses' ears, yet they are put on and worn, not openly, but with great secrecy; nor is the deformity of the thing seen or observed by the vulgar. We must not find it strange if no amours are related of Pan besides his marriage with Echo; for nature enjoys itself, and in itself all other things. He that loves desires enjoyment, but in profusion there is no room for desire; and therefore Pan, remaining content with himself, has no passion unless it be for discourse, which is well shadowed out by Echo or talk, or when it is more accurate, by Syrinx or writing. But Echo makes a most excellent wife for Pan, as being no other than genuine philosophy, which faithfully repeats his words, or only transcribes exactly as nature dictates; thus representing the true image and reflection of the world without adding a tittle. It tends also to the support and perfection of Pan or nature to be without offspring; for the world generates in its parts, and not in the way of a whole, as wanting a body external to itself wherewith to generate. Lastly, for the supposed or spurious prattling daughter of Pan, it is an excellent addition to the fable, and aptly represents the talkative philosophies that have at all times been stirring, and filled the world with idle tales, being ever barren, empty, and servile, though sometimes indeed diverting and entertaining, and sometimes again troublesome and importunate. A. INDEX. Apophthegms, a collection of, 256 Appendices to history, 63 Acquaintance, the kind of, that should be Archidamus, King of Lacedæmon, anecdote sought in travel, 185 Adam and Eve pools, 315 Adrian, the emperor, and the philosopher, 282 Advancement of learning, the, 9 274 Altabin, Isle of, 306 Ambition, essay on, 217 America, the Great Atlantis, 306 Ancients, Wisdom of, 467; Fables, 469518 Ancients, their objection to learning, 14 Annals and journals, importance of, in history, 61 Anne of Britanny, 328; betrothal, 365; marriage, 372 Anthromorphites, heresy of the, 98 Antoninus Pius, a learned prince, 39 Aphorisms, a method of delivering knowledge, 103; of King Solomon, 130; quoted, 131, 132, 133 of, 283 Aristippus, anecdote of, 280 Aristotle's derision of the Sophists, 94; his system of natural philosophy inferior to that of Democritus, 74; a conqueror in knowledge, 70; defects in his system, 108; his opinion of young men as students of moral philosophy, 125 Armada, the Spanish, 452 Arthur, King, his fabulous exploits inferior to the real deeds of Cæsar, 77 Arthur Prince of Wales born, 334; wedded, 427; death, 428 Arts, intellectual, the, 91 Atheism, essay on, 182 Atlantis, the Great, 306; inundation, 307 Atlantis, New, 297; language of inhabitants, 298; account of, 303; trade of, 309; hospitality, 310; customs of, 310 Attainders made, 331; reversed, 330 B. Bacon, Lord, anecdotes of, 269 308; King of, 308; laws, 313; purity, 313; Adam and Eve pools in, 315 Blackheath, battle at, 409 Body, lineaments of, disclose the condition of the mind, 81; power of mind over the, 90 Boldness, essay on, 174 Cicero's laudation of Cæsar's virtue, 119; Books, good, compared to the serpent of Command, dignity of, according to the Moses, 54 Borgia, Alexander, anecdote of, 78 Borgia, Cæsar, anecdote of, 278 Bounty and magnificence, regal virtues, 250 Branding of clergy, 358 Britain (Britanny), 346, 348; invaded, C. Cæsar's deeds greater than the fabulous ex- Cæsar, Augustus, 466 Cato the Censor, on the effects of eloquence and learning, 14; deservedly punished, 18 Ceremonies and respects, essay on, 238 Charles the Fifth, his instruction to his son quoted, 146 Charles the Hardy, his secretiveness, 200 Charles, King of Sweden, a great enemy of the Jesuits, 271 Charles VIII., King of France, 329, 345; married, 372 Children, want of, fortunate or not, 452 Church, government of the, 156 dignity of the commanded, 47 Commentators, ignorance of, 109 Common-place books, use of, 99 Conversation, wisdom not to be over-much affected in, 129 Cornwall, rising in, 406, 414 Cosmus, Duke of Florence, anecdote of, 275 Courtenay sent to Tower, 432 Cusson, Sir R., 432 Custom and education, essay on, 220 Dam taken, 376 D. Death, nature of, discussed, 159; essay on, 252; a doleful messenger to a usurer, 254 Deformity, essay on, 226 Democritus, his natural philosophy better inquired into than that of Aristotle and Plato, 74 Demosthenes, his reply to Eschines, 281 Diogenes on philosophers and rich men, 23 Dissimulation but a faint kind of policy, 164 Divination, the art of, 88 Dudley, Edmund, unjust proceedings, 43°; made Speaker, 431; committed, 441 Duty of man to society, 118; exemplification of practice of, 120 E. Ecclesiastical history, divisions of, 62 Elenches, the doctrine of, examined, 97 Elizabeth, Queen of England, 449; accession, 450; character, 451; appearance, 452; religious principles, 453; moral character, 457 Elizabeth of York, 327; marries Henry VII., 332; crowned, 344; death, 430 Elizabeth, Queen, lauded for her statesmanship, 40; and Lord Essex, anecdote of, 258 Empire, essay on, 185 Empson, Sir Richard, 430; oppresses the people, 441; committed, 441 England, how history of, should be written, 60 England, conquest of, designed by Spain, 455 English banished from Flanders, 390 G. Gabato, Sebastian, 419 Good books compared to the serpent of Goodness and goodness of nature treated of, 175 Gordon, Lady Catherine, weds Warbeck, 401; received by the King, 417 Government, female, rarity, 449; eclipsed by marriage, 452 Grammar produced by speech and words, ΙΟΙ Great Britain, history begins, 459 Great men, errors of, serve as warnings, 16 Grenada, conquest of, 377 English make better soldiers than the Grief no evil, 255 French, 205 Envious men desire to excel in too many matters, 169 H. Envy, its nature analyzed, 168; allied with Hanno, the Carthaginian, anecdote of, 284 Henry IV. of France styled "King of the Faith," 259 Henry VII., reign of, 324; his titles, 325; ascends the throne, 327; journey to London, 327; enters the city, 328; crowned, 329; first parliament, 329; reverses the attainders, 330; his own attainder reversed, 331; attainders made, 331; passes new laws, 331; creates peers, 332; redeems his hostages, 332; his marriage, 332; quells Lovel's rebellion, 333; hears of Simnel, 337; his decrees, 337; apprehensions of, 341; battle of Stoke, 342; judicial progresses, 343; embassy to the Pope, 344; and to Scotland, 346; mediation respecting Britanny, 348; diplomacy, 350; helps Bretons, 356; laws, 357; quells rising in York, 359; wise laws, 361, 397; designs respecting Britanny, 364; presses marriage of Anne and Maximilian, 365 receives Trinity Commissioners, 367; embassy to Maximilian, 378; peace with France, 379; Warbeck's plot against, 381; Italian league, 396; defeats rebels at Blackheath, 409; Spanish match, 412; treaty with Spain, 423; his riches, 430; meets Philip of Castile, 438; contemplated second marriage, 440; his illness, 441; death and character, 442 Henry VIII., failure of issue of, 459 |