are destinated to this inferior globe, as may manifestly appear in clouds and meteors.

The two ensigns which Pan bears in his hands do point, the one at harmony, the other at empiry. For the pipe consisting of seven reeds doth evidently demonstrate the consent and harmony and discordant concord of all inferior creatures, which is caused by the motion of the seven planets; and that of the sheep-hook may be excellently applied to the order of nature, which is partly right, partly crooked; this staff therefore or rod is especially crooked in the upper end, because all the works of divine providence in the world are done in a far fetched and circular manner, so that one thing may seem to be effected and yet indeed a clean contrary brought to pass, as the selling of Joseph into Egypt, and the like. Besides in all wise human government, they that sit at the helm do more happily bring their purposes about, and insinuate more easily into the minds of the people by pretexts and oblique courses than by direct methods; so that all sceptres and maces of authority ought in very deed to be crooked in the upper end.

Pan's cloak or mantle is ingeniously feigned to be the skin of a leopard, because it is full of spots. So the heavens are spotted with stars, the sea with rocks and islands, the land with flowers, and every particular creature also is for the most part garnished with divers colours about the superficies, which is as it were a mantle unto it.

The office of Pan can be by nothing so lively conceived and expressed as by feigning him to be the god of hunters, for every natural action, and so by consequence motion and progression, is nothing else but a hunting. Arts and sciences have their

works and human counsels their ends which they earnestly hunt after. All natural things have either their food as a prey, or their pleasure as a recreation which they seek for, and that in most expert and sagacious manner.

Torva leæna lupum sequitur, lupus ille capellam,
Florentem cythisum sequitur lasciva capella.

The hungry lioness with sharp desire
Pursues the wolf; the wolf the wanton goat;
The goat again doth greedily aspire

To have the trifol juice pass down her throat.

Pan is also said to be the god of the country clowns, because men of this condition lead lives more agreeable unto Nature than those that live in the cities and courts of princes, where

VOL. I.

F

nature by too much art is corrupted. So as the saying of the
poet (though in the sense of love) might be here verified:
Pars minima est ipsa puella sui.

The maid so trick'd herself with art,
That of herself she is least part.

He was held to be lord president of the mountains, because in the high mountains and hills nature lays herself most open, and men most apt to view and contemplation.

Whereas Pan is said to be (next unto Mercury) the messenger of the gods, there is in that a divine mystery contained, for next to the word of God the image of the world proclaims the power and wisdom divine, as sings the sacred poet, Ps. xix. 1. "Cœli enarrant gloriam Dei, atque opera manuum ejus indicat firmamentum. The heavens declare the glory of God, and firmament sheweth the works of his hands."

The Nymphs, that is, the souls of living things, take great delight in Pan. For these souls are the delights or minions of Nature, and the direction or conduct of these Nymphs is with great reason attributed unto Pan, because the souls of all things living do follow their natural dispositions as their guides, and with infinite variety every one of them after his own fashion doth leap and frisk and dance with incessant motion about her. The Satyrs and Sileni also, to wit, youth and old age, are some of Pan's followers; for of all natural things there is a lively, jocund, and (as I may say) a dancing age, and an age again that is dull, bibling, and reeling. The carriages and dispositions of both which ages to some such as Democritus was (that would observe them duly) might peradventure seem as ridiculous and deformed as the gambols of the Satyrs or the gestures of the Sileni.

Of those fears and terrors which Pan is said to be the author, there may be this wise construction made; namely, that Nature hath bred in every living thing a kind of care and fear, tending to the preservation of its own life and being, and to the repelling and shunning of all things hurtful. And yet Nature knows not how to keep a mean, but always intermixes vain and empty fears with such as are discreet and profitable; so that all things (if their insides might be seen) would appear full of Panic frights. But men, especially in hard, fearful and diverse times, are wonderfully infatuated with superstition, which indeed is nothing else but a Panic terror.

Concerning the audacity of Pan in challenging Cupid at

wrestling; the meaning of it is, that matter wants no inclination and desire to the relapsing and dissolution of the world into the old Chaos, if her malice and violence were not restrained and kept in order, by the prepotent unity and agreement of things signified by Cupid, or the god of love; and therefore it was a happy turn for men and all things else, that in that conflict Pan was found too weak and overcome.

To the same effect may be interpreted his catching of Typhon in a net: for howsoever there may sometimes happen vast and unwonted tumors (as the name of Typhon imports) either in the sea or in the air, or in the earth, or elsewhere, yet Nature doth intangle it in an intricate toil, and curb and restrain it, as it were with a chain of adamant, the excesses and insolences of these kind of bodies.

But for as much as it was Pan's good fortune to find out Ceres as he was hunting, and thought little of it, which none of the other gods could do, though they did nothing else but seek her, and that very seriously; it gives us this true and grave admonition; that we expect not to receive things necessary for life and manners from philosophical abstractions, as from the greater gods; albeit they applied themselves to no other study, but from Pan; that is, from the discreet observation, and experience, and the universal knowledge of the things of this world; whereby (oftentimes even by chance, and as it were going a hunting) such inventions are lighted upon.

The quarrel he made with Apollo about music, and the event thereof, contains a wholesome instruction, which may serve to restrain men's reasons and judgments with reins of sobriety, from boasting and glorying in their gifts. For there seems to be a twofold harmony, or music; the one of divine providence, and the other of human reason. Now to the ears of mortals, that is to human judgment, the administration of the world and creatures therein, and the most secret judgments of God, sound very hard and harsh; which folly, albeit it be well set out with ass's ears, yet notwithstanding these ears are secret, and do not openly appear, neither is it perceived or noted as a deformity by the vulgar.

Lastly, it is not to be wondered at, that there is nothing attributed unto Pan concerning loves, but only of his marriage with Echo. For the world or nature doth enjoy itself, and in itself all things else. Now he that loves would enjoy something, but where there is enough there is no place left to desire. Therefore there can be no wanton love in Pan or the world, nor desire to obtain anything (seeing he is contented

with himself) but only speeches, which (if plain) may be intimated by the nymph Echo, or if more quaint by Syrinx. It is an excellent invention that Pan or the world is said to make choice of Echo only (above all other speeches or voices) for his wife for that alone is true philosophy, which doth faithfully render the very words of the world; and it is written no otherwise than the world doth dictate, it being nothing else but the image or reflection of it, not adding anything of its own, but only iterates and resounds. It belongs also to the sufficiency or perfection of the world, that he begets no issue; for the world doth generate in respect of its parts, but in respect of the whole how can it generate, seeing without it there is nobody? Notwithstanding all this, the tale of that tattling girl faltered upon Pan, may in very deed with great reason be added to this fable; for by her are represented those vain and idle paradoxes concerning the nature of things which have been frequent in all ages, and have filled the world with novelties, fruitless if you respect the matter, changelings if you respect the kinds, sometimes creating pleasure, sometimes tediousness with their overmuch prattling.

Another of the interpretations repeated with enlargements in the De Augmentis is that of the fable of "Perseus, or War: '

Perseus is said to have been employed by Pallas for the destroying of Medusa, who was very infestuous to the western parts of the world, and especially about the utmost coasts of Hyberia. A monster so dire and horrid, that by her only aspect she turned men into stone. This Medusa alone of all the Gorgons was mortal, the rest not subject to death. Perseus therefore preparing himself for this noble enterprise, had arms and gifts bestowed on him by three of the gods. Mercury gave him wings annexed to his heels, Pluto a helmet, Pallas a shield and a looking-glass. Notwithstanding (although he were thus furnished) he went not directly to Medusa, but first to the Greæ, which by the mother's side were sisters to the Gorgons. These Greæ from their birth were hoar-headed, resembling old women. They had but one only eye, and one tooth among them all, both which, she that had occasion to go abroad was wont to take with her, and at her return to lay them down again. This eye and tooth they lent to Perseus: and so finding himself thoroughly furnished for the effecting of his design, hastens towards Medusa. Her he found sleeping, and

yet durst not present himself with his face towards her, lest she should awake; but turning his head aside beheld her in Pallas's glass, and (by this means directing his blow) cut off her head; from whose blood gushing out, instantly came Pegasus the flying horse. Her head thus smote off, Perseus bestows on Pallas her shield, which yet retained this virtue, that whatsoever looked upon it should become as stupid as a stone, or like one planet-strucken.

This fable seems to direct the preparation and order, that is to be used in making of war; for the more apt and considerate undertaking whereof, three grave and wholesome precepts (favouring of the wisdom of Pallas) are to be observed.

First-That men do not much trouble themselves about the conquest of neighbour nations, seeing that private possessions and empires are enlarged by different means; for in the augmentation of private revenues, the vicinity of men's territories is to be considered: but in the propagation of public dominions, the occasion and facility of making war, and the fruit to be expected ought to be instead of vicinity. Certainly the Romans, what time their conquests towards the west scarce reached beyond Liguria, did yet in the east bring all the provinces as far as the mountain Taurus within the compass of their arms and command: and therefore Perseus, although he were bred and born in the east, did not yet refuse to undertake an expedition even to the uttermost bounds of the west.

Secondly-There must be a care had that the motives of war be just and honourable, for that begets an alacrity, as well in the soldiers that fight, as in the people that pay, it draws on and procures aids, and brings many other commodities besides. But there is no pretence to take up arms more pious, than the suppressing of Tyranny; under which yoke the people lose their courage, and are cast down without heart and vigour, as in the sight of Medusa.

Thirdly-It is wisely added, that seeing there were three Gorgons (by which wars are represented) Perseus undertook her only that was mortal; that is, he made choice of such a kind of war as was likely to be effected and brought to a period, not pursuing vast and endless hopes.

The furnishing of Perseus with necessaries was that which only advanced his attempt, and drew fortune to be of his side; for he had speed from Mercury, concealing of his counsels from Orcus, and Providence from Pallas.

Neither is it without an allegory, and that full of matter too, that those wings of celerity were fastened to Perseus his heels,