not any other Vow to be accounted firm and inviolable; and therefore the Punishment to be inflicted (if any did perjure themselves,) was, that for certain Years they should be put out of Commons, and not to be admitted to the Table of the Gods.

This Fable feems to point at the Leagues and Pacts of Princes, of which, more truly than opportunely, may be faid, That be they never so strongly confirmed with the Solemnity and Religion of an Oath, yet are, for the most part, of no validity; infomuch that they are made rather with an Eye to Reputation and Report, and Ceremony; than to Faith, Security, and Effect. Moreover, add to these the Bond of Affinity, as the Sacraments of Nature, and mutual Deserts of each Part, and you shall observe, that with a great many, all these Things are placed a degree under Ambition and Profit, and the licentious defire of Domination; and so much the rather, because it is an easy Thing for Princes to defend and cover their unlawful Defires and unfaithful Vows with many outwardly seeming fair Pretexts; especially seeing there is no Umpire or Moderator of Matters concluded upon, to whom a Reason fhould be tendered. Therefore there is no true and proper Thing made choice of, for the confirmation of Faith, and that no celeftial Power neither, but is indeed Necessity (a great God to great Potentates,) the Peril also of State, and the Communication of Profit. As for Neceffity, it is elegantly represented by Styx, that fatal and irremeable River; and this Godhead did Iphi

crates, the Athenian, call to the Confirmation of a League; who because he alone is found to speak plainly that which many hide covertly in their Breasts, it would not be amifs to relate his Words. He obferving how the Lacedemonians had thought upon, and propounded divers Cautions, Sanctions, Confirmations and Bonds pertaining to Leagues, interpofed thus: Unum Lacedæmonii, nobis vobifcum vinculum et fecuritatis ratio effe poffit; fi plane demonftretis, vos ea nobis conceffiffe, et inter manus pofuiffe, ut vobis facultas lædendi nos, fi maxime velletis, minime fuppetere poffit. There is one Thing (O Lacedæmonians) that would link us unto you in the Bond of Amity, and be the occafion of Peace and Security; which is, if you would plainly demonftrate, that you have yielded up, and put into our Hands, fuch Things as that, would you Hurt us never so fain, you fhould yet be disfurnished of Means to do it. If therefore the Power of Hurting be taken away, or if by breach of League there follow the danger of the Ruin or Diminution of the State or Tribute; then indeed the Leagues may seem to be ratified and established, and as it were confirmed by the Sacrament of the Stygian Lake; seeing that it includes the fear of Prohibition and Sufpenfion from the Table of the Gods, under which Name the Laws and Prerogatives, the Plenty and Felicity of a Kingdom were fignified by the Ancients.

vi. Pan, or Nature.

HE Ancients have exquifitely defcribed Nature under the Perfon of Pan, whofe original they leave doubtful; for some say that he was the Son of Mercury; others attribute unto him a far different beginning, affirming him to be the common Offfpring of Penelope's Suitors, upon a Suspicion that every one of them had to do with her; which latter Relation doubtless gave occasion to some after Writers to Entitle this ancient Fable with the Name of Penelope, a Thing very frequent amongst them, when they apply old Fictions to young Perfons and Names, and that many times abfurdly and indifcreetly, as may be seen here: for Pan, being one of the Ancient Gods, was long before the time of Ulyffes and Penelope. Besides (for her Matronal Chastity) she was held venerable by Antiquity. Neither may we pretermit the third Conceit of his Birth: For some say, that he was the Son of Jupiter and Hybris, which fignifies contumely or disdain. But howfoever begotten, the Parca (they fay) were his Sifters. He is portrayed by the Ancients in this Guise; on his Head a pair of Horns that reach to Heaven, his Body Rough and Hairy, his Beard long and fhaggy, his Shape biformed, above like a Man, below like a Beaft, his Feet like Goat's hoofs, bearing these Enfigns

of his Jurifdiction, to wit, in his Left-hand a Pipe of feven Reeds, and in his Right a Sheep-hook, or a Staff crooked at the upper end, and his Mantle made of a Leopard's Skin. His Dignities and Offices were these: He was the God of Hunters, of Shepherds, and of all Rural Inhabitants: Chief Prefident alfo of Hills and Mountains, and, next to Mercury, the Ambaffador of the Gods. Moreover, He was accounted the Leader and Commander of the Nymphs, which were always wont to Dance the Rounds, and Frisk about him; he was accofted by the Satyrs and the old Sileni. He had Power alfo to ftrike Men with Terrors, and those especially Vain and Superftitious, which are termed Panick Fears. His Acts were not many, for aught that can be found in Records, the chiefeft was, that he challenged Cupid at Wrestling, in which Conflict he had the Foil. The Tale goes too, how that he caught the Giant Typhon in a Net and held him faft. Moreover, where Ceres (grumbling and chafing that Proferpina was ravished) had hid herself away, and that all the Gods took Pains (by difperfing themselves into every Corner) to find her out, it was only his good Hap (as he was hunting) to light on her, and acquaint the reft where fhe was. He prefumed alfo to put it to the Trial who was the better Mufician he or Apollo, and by the Judgement of Midas was indeed preferred. But the wife Judge had a pair of Afs's Ears privately chopped to his Noddle for his Sentence. Of his Love-tricks, there is nothing reported, or at least not much, a Thing to be won

dered at, especially being among a Troop of Gods so profusely amorous. This only is said of him, that he loved the Nymph Echo (whom he took to Wife) and one pretty Wench more called Sirynx, towards whom Cupid (in an angry and revengeful Humour, because so audaciously he had challenged him at a Wrestling) inflamed his Defire. Moreover, he had no Iffue (which is a Marvel alfo, feeing the Gods, especially those of the Male kind, were very Generative) only he was the reputed Father of a little Girl called Iambe, that with many pretty Tales was wont to make Strangers Merry ; but fome think that he did indeed beget her by his Wife lambe. This (if any be) is a noble Tale, as being laid out and big-bellied with the Secrets and Mysteries of Nature.

Pan (as his Name imports) represents and lays open the All of Things or Nature. Concerning his Original there are two only Opinions that go for Current; for either he came of Mercury, that is, the Word of God, which the Holy Scriptures without all Controversy affirm, and such of the Philofophers as had any fmack of Divinity affented unto; or else from the confused Seeds of Things. For they that would have one fimple Beginning, refer it unto God; or if a materiate Beginning, they would have it various in Power. So that we may end the Controverfy with this Distribution, That the World took Beginning, either from Mercury, or from the Seeds of all Things.