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i»»»'!;| 
 
THE 
 
 TRAVELS 
 
 O F 
 
 CYRUS. 
 
 To which is annex'd, 
 
 A DISCOURSE 
 
 U P O N T H E 
 
 Theology and Mythology 
 Of the P A G A N S. 
 
 By the Chevalier RAMSAY. 
 The Fifth Edition much Enlarged. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed by James Bettenham : 
 
 Kiià. fold by A. Bettesworth and C. Hitch at 
 y the Red- Lion in Pater-nojier i^cw. 
 MDCCXXXVL 
 

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\nt>pfA 
 
 TO THE "7? I TS 1^ 
 
 RIGHT HONOURABLE 
 THE 
 
 Lord LANS DOWN- 
 
 MY LORD, 
 
 THE moft amiable virtues 
 and the brighteft talents 
 form'd the character of 
 that Hero whofe travels I re- 
 late : And to vs^hom cou'd I of- 
 fer a piâure of fo fiiie a genius 
 and fo generous a mind but to 
 a perfon of Your Lordship's 
 tafte ? 
 
 The fingular friendfliip with 
 which Your Lordship honours 
 
 A z me 
 
 
 il I 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 me gave rife to this undertak- 
 ing; and my obligations are of 
 fuch a nature, that to let pafs 
 the prefent opportunity of ac- 
 knowledging ;them, wou'd be 
 the higheft injuftice, as well as 
 ingratitude. Accept this mark 
 of the inviolable attachment and 
 profound refpeél of, 
 
 My LORD, 
 
 Your Lordship's moft obliged, 
 Moft obedient, and 
 
 Moft humble fervant, 
 
 Andrew Ramfay. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 EFER fince the firft edition of The 
 Travels of Cyrus, the Author 
 has liflen'd with refpe^l and deference 
 to the judgment of the Public , and as fc' 
 *veral fpecious objections have been made to 
 the work^ and many real faults difcover^d 
 in it^ his dejtgn in this ^ Preface is to give 
 the heft anfwer he can to the one^ and to 
 acquaint the reader with what he has dons 
 to corre6i the other. 
 
 The moji general defeat in the former edi- 
 tions is the inaâîion of Cyrus, who thro^ 
 the whole courfe of his travels has too 
 much of the indolent Philofophcr, and too 
 little of the Hero^ who was one day to he 
 the conqueror of Ajia. The nature of this 
 work not requiring the action of an epic 
 poem, this fault might have been excused \ 
 the Author has neverthekfs fuhmitied to 
 the judgment of the Public, and has made 
 Cyrus a 61 in the fever al countries thro'* 
 which hepaffes-y and this without departing 
 from the chara5ler of a young hero upon his 
 travels, cr fhockiyig the redder with tales 
 
 A 5. and 
 
 4S48S8 
 
vi PREFACE. 
 
 and fixions that have no foundation in an^ 
 tiquity. Be fide s this general defe^ there 
 are others peculiar to each book. 
 
 In the fir ft ^ the narration is toohafty and 
 
 concifie : T!he reader feels a tender concern 
 
 for Cafiandana^ loves her and fears to lofe 
 
 her -y neverthelefs (he difappears on afudden^ 
 
 and this epifode concludes too abruptly. It 
 
 has been likewife ohjerv'd^ that there is no 
 
 felatton between the virtuous love of Cyrus 
 
 for Cajfandana^ and the criminal paffion 
 
 of Stryangeus for Zarina, Nor is this all^ 
 
 Cambyfes and Mandana confient to their 
 
 fan's marriage contrary to all the rules of 
 
 good policy. The Author hopes he has coT" 
 
 reeled thefie faults^ by the additions made 
 
 to the firji hook^ where he gives a view of 
 
 the political ft ate of Jfiia in Cyrus'' s time. 
 
 In the fiecond hook the Author had not 
 afijtgned a proper motive for Cyruses jour^ 
 ney to fee Zoroafter j the occafion of it at 
 frefent is this. The Prince of Perfia be- 
 gins to entertain a contempt for Religion^ 
 and in order to guard him againft this dan'- 
 ger^ Hyftafpes^ his governor^ engages him 
 to make a vifitt to the Magi : The reprefien* 
 tation which Zoroafter makes of the won^ 
 ders of nature^ and the amiable ideas he 
 gives him of the Divinity^fatisfy his doubts^ 
 and fettle his mind-y and while he is thus 
 
 inftru^ed 
 
PREFACE. vii 
 
 injlru6îed by plnlofopbical reafb?iings^ which 
 could not be f apposed very agreeable to a 
 young Princefs accuftom'd to the gayeties 
 and diver fions of the court of Ecbatan^ thi 
 Author to amufe Cajfandana has introduced 
 the wives, of the Magi celebrating the fefti' 
 val of the Gvddefs Mythra \ this defcrip" 
 tion relates the mind^ fer ve s for an intra* 
 du6lion to the Theology of the Perfians^ 
 and makes a proper divifion of Zoroafier'^s 
 difcourfe upon natural philofophy and re* 
 Ugion. 
 
 The third Book was all narration^ then 
 was no a6lion j the epij'ode of Amenophis 
 ivas thought interej/ing enough^ but Cyrus 
 feern'd to be forgotten^ and was remembered 
 only by reflection, ihe Author has found 
 means to make this Prince prefent at the 
 revolutions of Egypt, without becoming a 
 pri finer with A pries, or countenancing the 
 ufurpation of Amafis, difplaying occafionally 
 his military virtues and heroic fentiments. 
 
 In the fourth and fifth books the Spar* 
 tans and Athenians were put to a great ex* 
 pence of men and fhips only to amufe Cyrus. 
 Firgil kills and maims fome of the Athleta 
 in the games in order to give a luftre to his 
 heroes, but the Author had exceeded the li- 
 berty taken by the Latin poet. To correal 
 this fault he has related in his fourth book 
 
 A 4 tbî 
 
viii PREFACE. 
 
 ihe war h etwee n the Laceddemonians and 
 Tegeans^ mentioned by Herodotus^ and which 
 happen d precifely at the time when Cyrus 
 is Juppos d to he at Sparta, This epifode 
 has given the Author vccafion to unfold^ in 
 a more epitenjtve manner^ the political fiate 
 of Sparta^ and the different opinions of 
 Polybius and Plutarch concerning the de- 
 ftgns of Lycurgus in his laws and inftituti» 
 ons of government. In the fifth book afea 
 fight is fuppos^d between Megacles and Pi- 
 Jiflratus^ when the Perjian Prince went 
 into Attica. 
 
 In the Jtxth hook Pythagoras Jhewed clear-' 
 ly that thought could not be a property of 
 matter 'y but it was neceffary fome pages 
 Jloould be added to evince that ive have no 
 reafon to believe that extenfion and thought 
 are properties of the fame fubfîance j and 
 that the fyftem of Spinoza^ (who is meant 
 by Anaximander) is a feries of loofe fuppo^ 
 fitions without any demonflration. 
 
 The Author has made a confiderable addi- 
 tion to the feventh book with regard to the 
 religion of the Tyrians and the death of 
 Adonis. He thought he might take advan- 
 tage of this beautiful part of Mythology to 
 explain the ancient tradition common to al- 
 moft all nations concerning a middle God^ 
 who was to expiate and dejlroy moral evil 
 
 by 
 
PREFACE. ix 
 
 hy his own great fufferings. Ai the Phœ^ 
 nicians liv d near Judea^ they might pojjî- 
 hly have clearer ideas of religion than other 
 nations^ and this harepojjibility may perhaps 
 jujiify that new epifode. However it would 
 be unreafonahle to expe^l that what is put 
 in the mouth of each Philofopher relating 
 to the religion of his own country fJoould he 
 found word for word in the ancients, ^he 
 Author of Cyrus has only wrought into a 
 connected fyftem the moft beautiful hints of 
 antiquity^ in order to unfold the great priti' 
 ciples of religion^ and fhew that all nations 
 had from the beginning fome idea of thofc 
 principles more or lefs confus* d. 
 
 In the laft book^ feveral important re- 
 flexions are added^ to give more accuracy 
 to the reafonings of Eleazar^ and more 
 flrength to the difcourfe of Daniel: ne 
 latter proves the fupernatural eftablifhment 
 of religion by the only proper method for it, 
 that is to fay^ by a relation of fa^ls ; but 
 his difcourfe at prefent contains feveral cor- 
 roborative hints^io fhew thatthefe fa6ls are 
 inc ont eft able. And laftly^ he refers Cyrus 
 to the accomplifhment of the prophecies in 
 his own perfon^ as an invincible proof of all 
 the truths he has told him. 
 
 The Author has made feveral additions 
 to his difcourfe on the ancient Mythology^ 
 
 A y m 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 in order to Jhew^ that as all the fiSthns of 
 the Pagans fuppofe the reality of the three 
 fiâtes of the worlds fo all the Pagan Divi- 
 nities may be reduced to one fupr erne Gody 
 the principle of all beings., a Goddefs his 
 nvife^ Jifter or daughter^ and a middle God 
 who is his fon^ his reprefentative or vice- 
 gèrent. B eft de s thefe additions^ which are 
 the mo ft important^ there are many others 
 Jefs conjtderable^ which the Author thought 
 neceffary^ to render the tranfitions more eafy 
 and natural^ the narration more conne^ledj 
 the principles more palpable^ and the rea- 
 fonings more concluftve. 'This is what the 
 Author has done^ to corredl the real faults 
 in the former editions of his work. The 
 chjs^ions.f to which he thinks he can give a 
 folid anfwer^ without changing any thing in 
 his plan^ are as follow, 
 
 t. To begin with the le aft important of 
 them, it has been objected, that the Author 
 is a plagiary, and that he has in fever al 
 places tr an/crib* d whole pages from the Bi- 
 /hop of Meaux's univerfal hiftoryy M de 
 Tourreiïs hiftorical preface. Dr. Cudworth^s 
 intelle 5lual fy ft em, and the life of Hay- 
 Ebn-Tokdaiif tranftated from the Arabic. 
 
 Thefe pretended thefts imposed at fir ft up- 
 on thofe who were not in a conditionto con- 
 I fuit 
 
PREFACE. xi 
 
 fuît the originals 5 hut upon a ftri5l exam'r 
 nation^ tht injuftice and ignorance of th^ 
 Critics appeared. The third book which 
 treats of ancient Egypt contains fever al re- 
 marks^ of which there is not the îeaft trace 
 in the Bijhop of Meaux's univerfal hiftory. 
 "The Author has indeed in fome places fol- 
 lowed the tranjlation made by that Prelate 
 of certain parages in Diodorus Siculus^ He- 
 rodotus and Strabo : But is a man a plagiary 
 hecaufe in his citations from the ancient s he 
 chufes rather to follow a good tranjlation 
 than a bad one ? So in comparing M. de 
 T'ourreiVs preface with the fourth and fifth 
 hooks of this work^ the reader will find 
 nothing common to them^ except certain paf 
 fages purely hiJloricaL The life of Hay- 
 Ebn-Tokdcin^ tranflated from the Arabic in* 
 to Latin by Dr. Pocock^ has no refemblance 
 with the Author's hiftory of Hermes the 
 fécond, unlefs it he the general idea of a 
 favage brought up in a defart ; there is not 
 the leaji likenefs either in the matter or in 
 the method of the reafoning. The Arabian 
 Philofopher begins with very refin'd difqui* 
 fit ions in anatomy^ P^ff'^^ thence to rneta* 
 phyfical difcufjions^ and concludes with the 
 dreams of the Mahometan contemplatives. 
 All the Author^ s reafonings are^ on the con- 
 trary^ fo managed^ that they don't exceed 
 
 A 6 the 
 
xîi PREFACE. 
 
 the capacity of a common good under ft and" 
 ingy ivho has no other tnftru5lor than na- 
 ture : He has endeavoured fo to introduce 
 his ideas as not to tranfgrefs the hounds of 
 probability^ to range each truth in its pro- 
 per place ^ to mix [peculation with fentimentj 
 and to raife the foul by eafy and natural 
 gradations to the knowledge and love of the 
 firft Being, Laftly^ as to Dr, Cudworth^ 
 notwithftanding his miftakes and want of 
 method^ he haj penetrated farther into the 
 myfteries of antiquity than the moft part of 
 Critics •, never thele/s this learned man fays 
 nothing of the three Jiates of the world ^ 
 which are the foundation of all that the 
 Author of Cyrus advances upon religion. 
 Far from being a plagiary he had not con- 
 fulted enough the DoUofs excellent remarks 
 concerning the three forms of the Divinity » 
 he has made more ufe of them in this edi- 
 tion^ but has always quoted him or the ori- 
 ginals, 
 
 IF. // is thought that the epifodeSj in 
 which the Author fpeaks of love^ are re- 
 lated with too much rapidity^ fo that the 
 reader has not time enough to be touch' dj 
 Tnov'd and tranfported. 
 
 To this it may be anfwer''d^ that thofe 
 fiories are related by perfons who ought not 
 
 t» 
 
PREFACE. xiii 
 
 to launch out into love fpeeches^ tender fen- 
 timents and fprightly images, The ancients 
 are 'uery /paring in words when the Jit na- 
 tion and circumftances [peak fufficiently of 
 themfelves. When Homer is to paint the 
 charms of Helen^ he does it by a fingle 
 ftroke ', JJje goes into the council of the old 
 men^ they fix their eyes upon her^ are dif^ 
 composed and fufpend their deliberations. 
 When Virgil makes Dido fpeak^ her words 
 are few^ but each word is a fentiment : The 
 tender pajjion s lofe their force and their de* 
 licacy when they become too eloquent. Be* 
 ftdes^ all the Author'' s fidlions^ where love 
 is the obje5l^ are in the two firfl books^ and 
 tend to preferve Cyrus from the follies of 
 youth^ by flnwing him^ not fo much the 
 fweets of love^ as the bitter effects of it : 
 As foon as he attains to a riper age^ Cajjan- 
 dana dies and the Hero begins his travels. 
 Thus hijlory fimply relates fa3s as they 
 happen^ without endeavouring after the 
 intrigues^ fpeeches and furpriftng adventures 
 of romance. 
 
 III. Some object that thetra'vels of Cyrus 
 are not well imagin'd^ and that any other 
 hero would have fuited better with the Au" 
 thor's project than the conqueror of Afia, 
 
 Conquerors 
 
xiv PRE FA C E. 
 
 Conquerors have generally no other view 
 in extending their dominion^ than to fatisfy 
 their unbounded ambition : Cyrus on the 
 contrary made ufe of his viSfories to procure 
 the happinefs of the conquered nations. 
 The Authors intention in making choice of 
 fuch a Prince was to Jhew^ that courage, 
 great exploits and military talents may in- 
 deed excite our admiration^ hut do not form 
 the c h araser of a true hero^ without the 
 addition of wifdom-, virtue and noble fen" 
 timents. In order to form fuch a hero^ it 
 was thought allowable to make him travel 5 
 and the filence of Xenophon^ who fays no- 
 thing in his Cyropdedia of what happened 
 to Cyrus from his fixteenth to his fortieth 
 year^ leaves the Author at liberty to ima^ 
 gine this fiâiion, The relation of the Prince's 
 travels furnifhes an occajion to defcribe the 
 religion^ manners and politics of the feve- 
 ral countries thro"* which he pajfes. Thefe 
 travels cannot furçly appear unnatural-., a 
 prudent Prince like Cambyfes^ a father who 
 is fuppos'd to be informed of the oracles 
 concerning the future greatnefs of his fon^ 
 a tributary King who knows the danger of 
 fending the young Prince a fécond time to the 
 court of Ecbatanj ought to be fenftble that 
 Cyrus at twenty five years of age could not 
 better employ his time during the interval of a 
 
 profound 
 
PREFACE. XV 
 
 profound peace^ than by travelling into E^ 
 gypt and Greece. It was necejfary to pre- 
 pare a Prince "who was to he one day the 
 founder and law- giver of a mighty empire ^ 
 to accomplifh his high dejiiny by acquiring 
 in each country fome knowledge worthy of 
 his great genius. Is there any thing firain'd 
 in all this ? No other hero could anfwerthe 
 Author's intention 5 had he made any other 
 Prince travel^ he would have lofi all the 
 advantages he has drawn from the choice 
 of Cyrus ^ as the deliverer of the people of 
 God^ as cotemporary with the great men 
 with whom he confults^ and as living in an 
 age^ the learnings manners and events of 
 which could alone he fuit able to the defign of 
 this work* 
 
 IV. Thofe who make no diflindiion be- 
 tween the plan of Telemachus and that of 
 Cyrus^ continually cry out^ that there is no 
 unity of action in the latter. 
 
 Nothing is more unreafonahle than to 
 compare two works of fuch different na* 
 tures-, infiru^ion is indeed the aim of both ^ 
 hut they are not formed upon the fame ori- 
 ginals \ the Author of Telemachus writes a 
 continuation of an epic poem j the Author 
 of Cyrus fills up the chafm in a philofophi- 
 cal bijtory j the one has imitated Homer 
 
 with 
 
xvî PREFACE. 
 
 with fuccefs^ the other has taken Xenophon 
 for bis model. M. de Cambray ftrezvs every 
 where the richejl flowers of poefy -, he paints 
 nature in all her variety^ and the objedis 
 themfelves become vifibky he defcribes all 
 the motions of the heart of man^ and makes 
 us feel them fuccefjively 5 he renders the 
 moft fublime truths palpable^ and never fa- 
 tigues the mind with abftraBed ideas j he 
 pajjes from beautiful images to noble fenti- 
 went s ^ and finds a fhorter way to the heart 
 than by reafoning \ he walks ^ he flies^ he 
 fighs^ he thunders^ he mourns^ he rejoices,^ 
 he affumes all forms by turns^ and never 
 fails to transform us with him. 
 
 ^be Author's utmofi ambition was to 
 unfold the principles of his mafter^ without 
 daring to attempt an imitation of his gra- 
 tes i he chofe a fubjeU more proportion d to 
 his capacity^ a work in which he was to 
 compare the phihfophical ideas of others ra- 
 ther than exert a poetic invention -y he 
 did not pretend to write an epic poem: In 
 this kind of fi^iion the hero fhould never 
 dif appear 5 // is he whom we hjien to^ it is 
 he only whom we love 3 the Poet grows 
 tirefome when he perfonates too much the 
 Philofopher : He is to inflru5i only by hints, 
 and not by long and elaborate difcujjions» 
 The obfervation of thefe rules was incom- 
 patible 
 
PREFACE. xvii 
 
 (atible with the Author* s views > his defign 
 was to Jloew the gradual progrefs of the 
 mind in the fearch of truth^ to compare 
 the religions^ governments and laws of dif- 
 ferent nations^ and to form the k giflât or 
 rather than the conqueror \ unity of a^ion 
 is by no means necejfary in a work of this 
 nature^ *tis fuffcient if there he unity of 
 de/ign. All the Author^s epifodes tend to 
 inflru5lion^ and the inflruBions are^ as he 
 apprehends^ proportion d to the age of Cyrus : 
 In his youth he is in danger of being cor* 
 rupted by vanity^ love and irréligion ; Man" 
 danaj Hyftafpes and Zoroafter preferve him 
 from thefe fnares. ^he biflory of Apries 
 lays open to him all the artifices of a per* 
 fidious courtier j that of the Kings of Sparta^ 
 the dangers of an exceffive confidence in 
 favourites^ or of an unjuft diffidence of mi^ 
 niftirs'y that of Periander^ the fatal mif- 
 cbiefs which attend defpotic power and the 
 difpcnfing with ancient laws-y that of Pi- 
 fftratus^ the puni foment of a bafe^ falfe 
 and crafty policy j and that of Nabuchodo' 
 nofor^ the dreadful confequences of relap- 
 ftng into impiety^ after due light and ad^ 
 monition. The Prince is at firft infiru&ed 
 by fables to preferve him from thepafJJons 
 of youth 'y he afterwards if?ftrti6ts himfelf 
 by his own r e fie Plions ^ by the examples he 
 
 fee^^ 
 
xviii PREFACE. 
 
 fees^ and by all the adventures he meet^^ 
 with in his travels y be goes from country 
 to country^ colle^ing all the treaj'ures of 
 ivifàom^ converfing with the great men he 
 finds there^ and performing heroic exploits 
 as cccajionprefents» 
 
 V. Some perfons^ to difiredit the Au- 
 thor* s voork^ have infinuated that far from 
 doing homage to religion he degrades it. 
 
 He fhould think himfelf very unhappy to 
 have produced a work Jo contrary to his 
 intentions. All that he advances upon re- 
 ligion may he reduced to two principal 
 points : The firft is to prove againjl the 
 Atheijis the exiftence of a fupreme Deity^ 
 ivho produced the world by his power^ and 
 governs it by his wifdom, To this end Zo* 
 roajler unveils to us all the wonders of na^ 
 ture^ Hermes confults the native and ge* 
 nuine tendency of the hearty and Pytha-» 
 goras afcends to firfi principles : And thus 
 the Author endeavours to unite the firength 
 cf all^ that fenfe^ natural fentiment and 
 reafon can afford us for the proof of the 
 firft and moft important of all truths. Tra- 
 dition ftr ike s in with phllofophy : The Au- 
 thor has endeavoured to fhew that the ear- 
 Heft opinions of the moft knowing and ci- 
 viliz d nations come nearer the truth than 
 
 thofe 
 
preface; xîx 
 
 thofe of latter ages \ that, the I'heology of 
 the Orientals is more pure than that of 
 the Egyptians^ that of the Egyptians lefs 
 corrupted than that of the Greeks^ and that 
 of the Greeks more estait ed than that of 
 the Romans *, that the primitive fyftem of 
 the world was that of one fupremc Deity 5 
 that in order to adapt this idea to the ca^ 
 pacity of the vulgar^ the divine attributes 
 were reprefented by allegories and hiero* 
 glyphics 5 that mankind Jinking into mat^ 
 ter quickly forgot the meaning of thofe fa- 
 cred fymbolSj and fell into idolatry 5 that 
 idolatry brought forth irreligion \ that rafh 
 and inconjiderate minds not being able to 
 diftinguijh between principles and the abufes 
 of them ran from one excefs to another. 
 Such have been the variations of the bu* 
 man mindy with regard to the Deity in 
 almoft all times and all countries, ^ht 
 Author^s intention throughout his whole 
 fyftem was to fhew the wild extravagance 
 of thofe who maintain that the dodlrines of 
 religion are only the effets of the ignorance 
 and ftupidity of the infant world 5 that the 
 fir ft men not knowing the phyfical caufeSy 
 had recourfe to inviftble powers to ex- 
 plain the phenomena of nature 5 and laftly^ 
 that politicians refm d and improved thefe 
 indigefted ideas ^ in order to compofe a 
 
 fyftem 
 
XX PREFACE. 
 
 fyftem of religion ufcful and necejfary to 
 fociety. 
 
 The fécond point is to fJnw^ in oppoft- 
 tion to the Delfts^ that the principal doc- 
 trines of reveaVd religion^ concerning the 
 fiaies of innocence^ corruption and renova- 
 tion^ are as ancient as the world 5 that 
 they were the foundations of Noah's re^ 
 itgion ; that he tranfmitted them to his 
 children j that thefe traditions were thus 
 fpread throughout all nations 5 that the 
 Pagans disfigured^ degraded^ and ohfcur''d 
 them by their abfurd fiBions ; and laflly^ 
 that thefe primitive truths have been no 
 where preferv'd in their purity except in 
 the true religion. When we fee divers 
 nations agree concerning the beginnings the 
 decline and the re-efiablifhrnent of a mO' 
 narchy^ the births exploits and virtues of 
 the hero who is the reftorer of it, is not 
 this a fufficient proof of thefe principal 
 fa^ls-, tho* the circumftances fhould be re- 
 lated differently and be even fabulous ? 
 The Author in unfolding the ancient tra- 
 ditions has difiinguifhed between fable and 
 truths philofophical hypothefes and doc- 
 trines of faith ^ ef/ence and form^ 'the fpi- 
 rit and the letter which ought never to be 
 feparated^ but which cannot be confounded 
 without difguiftng and dtfhonouring Chri- 
 
 Jitanity : 
 
PREFACE. xxi 
 
 fiianîîy : He hoped thereby to have given 
 a plan of religion equally amiable and rea^ 
 Jonable^ and to have Jhewn that its princi' 
 pies are beautiful^ its confequences natural^ 
 and its original ancient -, that it enlightens 
 the mind, comforts the heart and efiablijijes 
 the welfare of fociety, 
 
 VI. ^hofe who degrade the Wifdom 
 and Goodnefs of God-, under pretence of 
 extolling his Power and Juftice^ have 
 thought that Eleazar's difcourfe too plain- 
 ly favoured the opinions of Origen concern- 
 ing the pre-exijlence of fouls and the refit- 
 tut ion of all fpirits. One may venture to 
 fay ^ that whoever makes this obje&ion 
 . does not under fi and the plan of the work ; 
 /■/ is as follows : Each Philofopher fpeaks 
 to Cyrus the language of his own religion 
 and country. The Orientals^ Egyptians^ 
 Greeks and Syrians all agree in the origi- 
 ml purity^ prefent corruption and future 
 refloration of mankind^ but they wrap up 
 thefe truths in different fables^ each ac- 
 cording to the genius of their nation. E- 
 Jeazar clears their fyflem from the pagan 
 fixions-, but retains in his own the opinions 
 ■of his fe6l. The errors which prevail at 
 this day refemble thofe of former times» 
 '^he mind of mm fees but a fmall number 
 
 of 
 
xxii PREFACE. 
 
 of ideas ^ reviews them continually^ and 
 thinks them new only becaufe it exprejjes 
 them differently in different ages, ^The 
 
 f Magi in Cyrus's time were fallen into a 
 
 kind of j^theifm like that of Spinoza 5 Z(?- 
 
 roafter^ Hermes and Pythagoras ador'd one 
 
 fole Deity ^ but they were Deifts j Eleazar 
 
 refembled the Socinians^ who are for fub- 
 
 yeâiing religion to philofophy j Daniel re- 
 
 prefents a perfe5f Chrifiian^ and the hero 
 
 of this book a young Prince who began to 
 
 he corrupted by the maxims of irreligion : 
 
 In order to fet him right^ the different 
 
 Philofophers with whom he converfes fuc- 
 
 cefjively unfold to him new truths mixt 
 
 with errors, Zoroafter confutes the mif- 
 
 takes of the Magi-j Pythagoras thofe of 
 
 Zoroafier } Eleazar thofe of Pythagoras j 
 
 Daniel rejects thofe of all the others , 
 
 and his doctrine is the only one which the 
 
 Author adopts* The order of thefe con* 
 
 verfations fJoews the progrefs of the mind^ 
 
 the matter being fo difpos d^ that the ^- 
 
 theift becomes Deifts the Deift Socinian^ 
 
 and the Socinian Chriftian^ by a plain 
 
 and natural chain of ideas. The great art 
 
 in inflruEling is to lead the mind gradually 
 
 on^ and to take advantage even of its er» 
 
 I rors to make it relifh truth. That Cyrus 
 might thui be conducted flep by ftep, it 
 
 was 
 
PREFACE. xxiii 
 
 was necejjayy to introduce a perfon of the 
 religion of the Hebrews^ who JJjoud con- 
 fute by reafon all the obje^ions drawn 
 from reafon. Daniel could not aEl this 
 part: It would not have become him to 
 folve difficulties by uncertain conjedtiires j 
 the Philofopher might prepare the Prince 
 by bare hypothefes^ to fubmit and to dif- 
 trufi his under ft anding: But it was ne» 
 cej/ary that the Prophet fhould difengage 
 Cyrus from all bold Speculations^ how re^ 
 ■fn'd and bright foever they might appear^ 
 and lead him to the belief of a fupernatu^' 
 ral religion^ not by a philofophical demon- 
 Uration of its do5lrines ^ but by proving 
 them to be divinely reveaPd. In a word^ 
 he fhould fix the mind of the young hero 
 by indifputable fa 51s, which ftrike much 
 more forcibly than abftra^ ideas. And it 
 is for this reafon that the Author iturodu' 
 :es in his laft book two perfons of very 
 afferent charaBers, a Philofopher and a 
 Prophet 'y the one employs the powers of 
 'eafon againft incredulity, the other impo- 
 ses Jilence on all reafonings by a fupernatu- 
 ^al authority, This is the only uje which 
 'he Author would make of the opinions of 
 Origen 5 they anfwer the objeElions of the 
 ncredulous concerning the beginning and 
 iuration of evil j they fhew^ that fmce the 
 
 weak 
 
xxiv PREFACE. 
 
 weak r-eafon of the Philofophers can find 
 a plauftble folution of thofe great difficult 
 ties^ we may well conclude that the infinite 
 JVifdom will be able one day to juftify 
 his ways-i which are now impenetrable. So 
 long as it is allowable to philofophife^ the 
 jîuthor expofes the moft probable fyfiems 
 and hypothefes j but when the queftion is 
 of faith 5 he reafons only upon palpable 
 faàs^ ifi order to difcover whether God 
 has fpoken to his creature or not : 7'he 
 moment we were convinced ef thisj all 
 doubtful opinions are loft and abforb''d 
 in the depths of the divine incomprehenji^ 
 bility, 
 
 VII. Thofe who thought the fketches of 
 natural philofophy in this work mifplacedj 
 pretending that the ancients are reprefented 
 more knowing than they really were^ will 
 he much more Jhock'd to fee thofe philo- 
 fophical defer ipticns augmented in the pre- 
 fent edition. It is not furpriftng to hear 
 this objeblion made by empty ^ fuperficial 
 minds^ who laugh at the Mofaic htftory^ 
 while they adopt the Greek fables concern- 
 ing the origin of mankind > but it is afto- 
 ntjhing to hear the Jame cavils from thoft 
 who reverence revealed religion^ who di 
 not believe that man was created orginalh 
 
 wih\ 
 
PREFACE. XXV 
 
 wild and favage^ that he wandered in the 
 woods and defarts without knowledge^ r^- 
 ligion or law^ and who have phiîofophy 
 enough to difcern that the world could not 
 come out of the hands of a wife^ good 
 and powerful Creator in its prefent ig-» 
 norance-, dif order and corruption. fhefe 
 perfons might eafily be perfuaded that the 
 firft men had knowledges of God and na- 
 ture, which are loft in thefe latter ages ; 
 that the facred writers did not talk at 
 random when they extolVd the profound 
 learning of the Orientals and Egyptiansy 
 even in the time of Mofes \ and laftly^ 
 that ^ Jofephus was not a viftonary when 
 he faid that the Pagans of his time had 
 an ancient tradition^ that Abraham who 
 was famous in Afia communicated many 
 fublime difcoveries in natural philofophy 
 to the Chaldeans and Egyptians. Th§ 
 Author however has no nved of thefe pre- 
 texts to juftify the philofophical defer ip* 
 tions in this work. His aim being to fet 
 before the eyes of a young Prince thofe 
 elements of fcience which might help to 
 form his underftanding and his hearty he 
 thought thofe phyfical pi6lares more pro* 
 
 * See Jofeph. Antiq. lib. i. cap. 8. Bcrai ibid. & 
 Voir, dc Phil. fedt. cap. i. p. 3. 
 
 B psf 
 
xxyi PREFACE. 
 
 per than poetical paintings to give his, 
 pupil a general idea of nature^ infpire 
 him with a tafie of philofophy^ and a^ 
 waken his de fire of knowledge. In pur» 
 filing this defign he has taken the li^ 
 herty to depart from ftri^ truths content 
 himfelf with probability^ and make ana- 
 chrontfms in natural aj well as civil hi- 
 fiory. 
 
 VIII. Some pretend that the Author 
 has hut lightly touched a great many fub- 
 je&Sf without going to the bottom of any 
 one-, that his book is rather a fummary 
 than a work j that he fteps too quick 
 from one fubjeB to another \ and that his 
 ftile is every where too laconic^ fometimes 
 too metaphyftcal and abfirufe^ and often too 
 void of ornament. 
 
 To this it may be anfwered^ that pro- 
 fpund reafoning does not confift in a muU 
 tiplicity of words : It is perhaps eafter to 
 ivrite a great volume than a little one j 
 the labour is not the lefs real becaufe it is 
 cpnceaVd, It was intended that each in' 
 tjslligent reader fhould have the pleafure of 
 drawing the confequences from the prin* 
 fiples^ unfolding thofe firft feeds of truth^ 
 cultivating them and gathering thence a 
 barveft of knowledge^ of which the Au- 
 
 thor 
 
PREFACE. xxviî 
 
 thor himfelf had perhapi no idea. fVe 
 have a fufficient number of books which 
 convey inftru6lion by dtffufe reafonings^ in* 
 genious aphorifms and florid illtdftrations* 
 The Authofs defign was to habituate the 
 mind of a young Prince to judge by prin* 
 ciples^ difcover the connexion of ejfential 
 truths and unite them under one view* 
 He fays to him upon each fubjedt what 
 is necejfary to fljew^ that ail nations had 
 originally the fame fundamental principles 5 
 that the dttties of religion^ morality and 
 good policy flow from the fame four ce ^ confpire 
 to the fame end^ and mutually fupport and 
 fortify each other 5 and in a word^ that 
 all the civil and human virtues^ the laws 
 of nature and nations are^ fo to fpeak^ but 
 confequences of the love of order, 
 which is the eternal and univerfal law of 
 all intelligences. In a work of this na^ 
 ture^ it is necejfary to unbend the mind 
 of the reader^ without carrying it off from 
 its principal objeU \ all the flowers fhould 
 be thoughts.^ the graces noble and tender fen-^ 
 timents^ the paintings charadlers^ and the 
 defer ipt ions fuch pidlures as may make us 
 acquainted with nature.^ and admire the 
 Creator. The Author is fenfible that he 
 is far from having executed this vaft de- 
 fign^ but in the attempt he has made to- 
 
 B z wards 
 
scKviii PREFACE. 
 
 wards it he was obliged to avoid all fo* 
 reign embellijloments ^ laboured connexions 
 and the ambitious ornaments of the Greek 
 and Latin poefy, 
 
 ^0 [peak more clearly : Poefy has had 
 the fame fate with philofophy. The Ori' 
 ■entais^ the Chaldeans^ and above all the 
 Hebrews painted nature without difguifmg 
 ity and gave life to every thing without dei^ 
 fying it. According to them every thing 
 proceeds from Gody and ought to flow back 
 10 him again. All the vifible wonders, 
 of nature are faint images of his great' 
 neft and the innumerable orders of fpi^ 
 rit s emanations from his wifdom. Man^ 
 kind are all but one family of that im* 
 menfe republic of intelligences of which 
 God is the common Father. Each man is 
 as a ray of light feparated from its 
 fource^ ftray^d into a corner of difordefd 
 nature^ tofs^d about by the tumultuous 
 wind of pafjîon'i tranfported from climate 
 to climate by rejllefs deftres^ purified by 
 all the misfortunes it meets with^ till it 
 becomes like ^ fubtile vapour reafcending 
 to the fuperior regions from whence it 
 fell. We have here a fruitful fource of 
 luminous ideas^ beautiful images and fub- 
 lime expreffionSy fuch as we find in the 
 holy fcripturcy and in Milton who has 
 
 copfd 
 
PREFACE. xxk 
 
 €opy*d them. 'The Egyptians corporaUz^d 
 too much thefe ideas by their fenftble fym^ 
 hols > but the Greek Poets^ and their imi- 
 tators the Roman Poets^ entirely mangled 
 and degraded them. The Divinity is no 
 longer a fovereign wifdom but a blind de^ 
 ftiny^ man is but a mafs of atoms of 
 which nothing remains after death but an 
 empty Jhade^ immortality is a dream^ the 
 Blyftan-fields a mere fubterraneous caver rr^ 
 and the habitation of the Gods a moun* 
 tain of Greece : By this means a dark veil 
 is drawn over the whole univerfe^ ths 
 fource of noble ideas is dry^d up^ and rea- 
 fon becomes a barren field: 'The imagi- 
 nation defiitute of principles feeks to fup* 
 fly its indigence by creating a new worlds 
 it transforms all objects in order to imbel- 
 Mfh them^ it exalts men into Gods^ and 
 debafes Gods into men^ it gives body to 
 fp'trits and fpirit to bodies > its defcrip- 
 tions are florid but falfe^ and its mar- 
 velous degrades the divine Nature j the 
 agreeable and the gay take the place of 
 the true fublime^ and of that diviner poi' 
 try, which fîrfî leads man into his own 
 hearty and then raifes him above himfelf. 
 Such is the Greek poefy^ always poor in 
 the midfi of its feeming abundance : Had 
 the Author been able to imitate it^ ^tis^ 
 
 JB 3 what 
 
XXX PREFACE. 
 
 ivbat be ought to have avoided^ as improper 
 in d book of principles. 
 
 It is not pretended by all that has been 
 faid^ that this work^ as now given to the 
 public^ is free from faults ; there will no 
 doubt always remain a great number 5 nor 
 would the Author have troubled the reader 
 with thefe rejlediions but to juflify bis main 
 dejign and ep«plain more fully the plan of 
 bis book. 
 
 THE 
 
THE 
 
 TRAVELS^ 
 
 O F 
 
 C Y R U s 
 
 FIRST BO OK. 
 
 THE AfTyrian empire having been for many- 
 ages extended over all Afia, was at length 
 difmembred, upon the death of Sardanapa- 
 lus. * Arbaces gorernor of Media entered into a 
 league with Belcfis governor of Babylon, to de- 
 throne that effeminate Monarch : They bcfieged him 
 in his capital, where the unfortunate Emperor, to 
 avoid being made a prifoncr, and to hinder his ene- 
 mies from becoming matters of his immenfe richer, 
 fet fire to his palace, threw himfclf into the flames, 
 and perifhed with all his treafures. Ninua the true 
 heir fucceedcd him m the throne, and rcign'd at 
 Nineveh; but Arbaces took pofTeffion of Medi 
 with all its dependencies, and Belefis of Chaldea, 
 with the neighbouring territories. ^ And thus wa» 
 
 > Diod. Sie. lib.x. AthenJih. i*, Hir»d. lib, i.Juft'^Uh^.il 
 cap. 3. 
 
 •> Tbii happened many yean hfore tht foundation «f Romti 
 and the injiitution of the Olympiads. It ivas in the time of 
 ^^Jpjifron, ^tk perpetual Archon of Athens, and almoji 900 
 yean before the Chrifiian c/£ra, 
 
 B f the 
 
z The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 the ancient empire of the Affyrians divided into 
 three mçnarchies, the capitals of which were Ecba- 
 tana, Babylon and Nineveh. It was not long be- 
 fore the laft became a prey to the ambitious fuccef- 
 fors of Belefis ; nor did thofc of Arbaces fail to pufh 
 their conquefts ; they brought feveral of the neigh- 
 bouring nations under tribute, and particularly 
 Perfia : So that the Kings of Media and Babylon 
 became the two great potentates of the Eaft. Such 
 was the ftatc of Afia when Cyrus was born : His fa- 
 ther Cambyfcs was King of Pcrlia, Mandana his 
 mother was daughter of A:ftyages King of the 
 Medes. 
 
 He was educated from his tender years after the 
 manner of ancient Perfta, where the youth were 
 inur'd to hardfhip and fatigue j hunting and war 
 were their only exercifcs j but confiding too much 
 in their natural courage, they negleded military 
 difcipline. The Perfians were hitherto rough, but 
 virtuous; They were not vers'd in thofe arts and 
 fciences which polifli the mind and manners ; but 
 they were great mailers in the fublime fcience of 
 being content with firaple nature, defpifmg death 
 for the love of their country, and flying all plea- 
 fures which emafculate the mind,, and enervate the 
 body. Being perfuaded that fobriety and exercife 
 prevent almofl every difeafe, they habituated them-r 
 (elves to a rigorous abftinence and perpetu^îl labour: 
 *^ The lightefl indifpofitions proceeding from intem- 
 perance were thought ihameful. The youth were 
 educated in publick fchools, where they were early 
 inftrufted in the knowledge of the laws, and accu- 
 ftom'd to hear caufes, pafs fentence, and mutually 
 to do one another the moft exaél juftice ; and here- 
 fey they difcovcred their difpolitions, penetration 
 
 • Xe». Cyr.p. \Z, Ed. Oxoti, 7Ur^$ tnim */>«</ Ferfai kabetur 
 fxfpuertt nafuTH ernungerij ^c, 
 
 9nd 
 
First Book. ^5 
 
 and capacity for employments in a riper ^age. The 
 ■ virtues which their matters were principally carefal 
 ^io infpire into them, were the love of truth, hu- 
 manity, fobricty and obedience: The two former 
 make us rcfcmble the Gods ; the two latter are nc- 
 celTary to the prcfervation of order. The chief aim 
 'jof the laws in ancient Perfia was to prevent the 
 corruption of the heart : And for this reafon the 
 Perfians punifhed ingratitude ^ ; a vice againft which, 
 there is no provifion made by the laws of other na- 
 tions : Whoever was capable of forgetting a benefit 
 : was looked upon as an enemy to fociety. 
 
 Cyrus had been educated according to thefe wife 
 maxim» ; and though it was impoflible to conceal 
 from him his rank and birth, yet he was treated. 
 with the fame feverity as if he had not been heir to 
 a throne ; he was taught to pradiie an cxa6l obedi- 
 ence, that he might afterwards know how to com- 
 mand. When he arrived at the age of fourteen, 
 Aftyages defir'd to fee him : Mandana cculd net 
 avoid complying with her father's orders, but the 
 • thought of carrying her fon to the court toi Ecba- 
 tana exceedingly griev'd her. 
 
 For the fpace of three hundred years the Kings 
 of Media had by their bravery extended their con- 
 quells i and conquefts had begot luxury, which is 
 always the forerunner of the fall of empires. Va- 
 lour, Conquest, Luxury, Anarchy, this is 
 the fatal circle, and thefe are the different periods 
 of the politick life, in almofl all ftates. The court 
 ©f Ecbatana was then in its fplendor ; bmt this 
 fplendor had nothing in it of folidity. The days 
 were fpent in effeminacy, or in flattery ; the love 
 of glory, flridl probity, fevere honour, were no 
 longer in cfteem ; the purfuit of folid knowledge 
 was thought to argue a want of taftc i agreeable 
 
 B s îriflingj 
 
4 The Travels op Cyrus. 
 
 .trifling, finefpun thoughts, and lively falHcs of 
 imagination, were the only kinds of wit admired 
 there. No fort of writings pleas'd, but amuling 
 £6lions where there was a perpetual fucceffion of 
 events, which furprifed by their variety, without 
 improving the underftanding , or ennobling the 
 heart. Love was without delicacy ; blind pleafure 
 ^as its only attraftive charm : The women thought 
 themfelves defpifed, when no attempts were made 
 *o enfnare them. That which contributed to en- 
 creafe this corruption of mind, manners and fenti- 
 jnents, was the new do£lrine fpread every where 
 by the ancient Magi, that pleafure is the only mov- 
 ing fpring of man's heart ; For as each man placed 
 3iis pleafure in what he liked beft, this maxim au« 
 thorifcd virtue or vice according to every one*s 
 lafte, humour, or complexion. This depravity, 
 however, was not then fo univerfal as it became 
 afterwards. Corruption takes its rife in courts, and 
 extends itfelf gradually thro' all the parts of a ftatc. 
 Military difcipline was yet in its vigour in Media ; 
 and there were in the provinces many brave foldi- 
 crs, who not being infc£led by the contagious air 
 of Ecbatan, prefervcd in themfelves all the virtues 
 tvhich flourifhcd in the reigns of 0ejoces and 
 Phfaortes. 
 
 Mandana was thoroughly fenfible of all the dan- 
 gers to which ihe fhould expofe young Cyrus, by 
 carrying him to a court, the manners of which 
 %vere fo different from thofe of the Perlians ; but 
 the will of Cambyfes, and the orders of Aftyages, 
 obliged her, whether fhe would or not, to under- 
 take the journey. She fet out attended by a body 
 of the young nobility of Periia under the command 
 of Hyftafpes, to whom the education of Cyrus had 
 heen committed: The young Prince was feated in 
 a chariot with her, and it' was the firll time that he 
 had fcen himfelf diitiDguih'd ô'^jo his companions. 
 
First Book. f 
 
 Mandana was a Princefs of uncommon virtue, a 
 we]l cultivated underftanding and a fuperior genius. 
 She made it her bulinefs, during the journey, to 
 infpire Cyrus with the love of virtue, by entertain- 
 ing him with fables according to the Eaftern man- 
 ner. The minds of young perfons are not touched 
 by abftraded ideas, they have need of agreeable and 
 familiar images ; they cannot reafon, they can only- 
 feel the charms of truth ; and to make it lovely to 
 them, it muft be prefented under fcnfible and beau- 
 tiful forms. 
 
 Mandjtia had obferved that Cyrus was often too 
 full of himfelf, and that he difcovered fome tokens 
 of a rifing vanity, which might one day obfcure his 
 great qualities. She endeavoured to make him fen- 
 fible of the deformity of this vice, by relating to 
 him the fable of Sozares, a Prince of the ancient 
 empire of Afl)'ria. It refembles the (lory of the 
 Grecian NarcilTus, who perifhed by the foolifh love 
 of himfelf For thus it is that the Gods puniflv; 
 they only give us over to our own paffions, and 
 we immediately commence unhappy. She tJien 
 painted forth the beauty of thofe noble virtues 
 which lead to heroifm, by the generous forgetting 
 of one's felf, and related to him the fable of the 
 firll Hermes. This was a divine youth, who hjid 
 wit and beauty without knowing it, and was unac- 
 quainted with his own virtue, becaufe he knew 
 not that there were any vices : The Gods to reward 
 this happy ignorance endow'd him with fuch fub- 
 lime wifdom as made him the oracle of all Egypt. 
 It was thus that Mandana inftruded her fon during 
 the journey j one fable gave rife to another. The 
 queftions of the Prince fumiihed the Queen with 
 new matter to entertain him, and with opportuni- 
 ties of teaching him the hidden meaning of the 
 Egyptian fables, the tafte for which had prevailed 
 very much in the Eaft, fince the conquefts of Sefpftris. 
 
 B 6 As 
 
iS The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 As they puffed one day by a mountain, confc- 
 «rate J to the great Oromazcs % M.mdana ftopp'd 
 ter chariot, alighted, and drew near to the facred 
 place. It was the day of a folemn feflival, and the 
 high pried was already preparing the vidlim, crown- 
 ed with flowers ; he was of a fudden feiz'd with 
 the divine Spirit, and interrupting the filence and 
 /bleranity of the facrifice, cryed out in a tranfport ; 
 I fee a young laurel rifing, it will foon fpread its 
 branches over all the Eift, the nations will come in 
 crowds to afl*emble together under its fhadow ^ 
 M.indana made deep refleftions upon this oracle, 
 and when ihc was got up again into her chiriot, 
 faid to her fon ; The Gods give fometiraes thefc 
 happy prefages to animate heroick fouls : But the 
 event of fuch prcdidions, as far as they arc pcr- 
 ibnal, depends upon our virtue : The deligns of the 
 great Orom.izes never fail of their accompliflimcnt, 
 but he chinges the inllruments of them, wlicn 
 thofe whom he had chofen render themfelves un- 
 worthy of his choice. 
 
 Ab foon as they arrived upon the frontiers of Media, 
 Allyagcs with all his court came out to meet them. 
 He was a Prince of great beneficence and humanity, 
 but his natural goodnefs made him often too eafy, 
 and his propenfity to pleafure had brought the 
 Mcdes into the t.\fte of luxury and effeminacy. 
 Cyrus foon after his arrival at the court of Ecba- 
 tana, gjve proofs of a wit and judgment far beyond 
 iiis age. Ailyages put divers quelUons to him con- 
 cerning the manners of the Pcrfians, their laws, 
 and their method of educating youth. He was 
 Ilruck with aRonifliment at the fprightly and noble 
 
 « 71.C ^rcat God of the Per/îans. Sit tbi Difcourfe, p. 7. 
 f Tf.iijl's pr.pbecj piay be Ju^^ojtd to bave btcn fpread abroad 
 •in tbt Eu» 
 
 anfvvcM 
 
First Book. 7 
 
 anfwcrs of his grandfon. Young Cyrus was the 
 admiration of the whole court, infomuch that he 
 began to be intoxicated with praife; a fecret pre- 
 fumption ftole into his heart ; he talk'd a Jittle too 
 much, and did not hearken enough to others ; he 
 decided with an air of fufficiency, and Teemed too 
 fond of wit. Mandana, to remedy this fauJt, con- 
 trived to fet before him his own pifture by certain 
 paflages of hillory ; for (he proceeded in his edu- 
 cation upon the fame plan on which fhe had begun 
 it. She related to him the ftory of Logis and 
 Sygcus. 
 
 My fon, faid fhe, it was formerly the cuftom at 
 ThebcB in Boeotia to raife to the throne, after the 
 death of the King, him of all his children who had 
 the beft underllanding. When a Prince has fine 
 parts he can chufe able miniftcrs, make proper ufe 
 of their talents, and govern thofe who govern un- 
 der him ; this is the great fecret of the art of 
 reigning. Among the King's fons there were two 
 who feemed of a fuperior genius. The elder, nam- 
 ed Logis, loved talking ; the younger, who was 
 called Sygeus, was a man of few words. The 
 firft made himfelf admired by the charms of his 
 wit, the fécond made himfelf loved by the goodnefs 
 of his heart. Logis fhewed plainly, even while he 
 endeavoured to conceal it, that he fpoke only to 
 fhine ; Sygeus hearkened readily to others, and 
 looked upon converfation as a fort of commerce, 
 where each perfon ought to furnifh fomething of 
 his own. The one made the moft thorny and per- 
 plexed affairs agreeable by the lively and fhining 
 flrokes of wit he intermixed in all he faid ; the 
 other threw light upon the obfcureft points, by re- 
 ducing every thing to iimple principles. Logis af- 
 fe£led myftery without being fecret, and his poli- 
 ticks were fall of Ilratagems and artifice ; Sygcus 
 impeactrable, without being falfe, furraounted all 
 
 Qbftacle» 
 
8 The Travels of Cyrus.' 
 
 obftacles by his prudence and courage. The one 
 never difpl.iy'd his talents but to ferve his ambition; 
 the other frequently concealed his virtues that he 
 might talte the fecrct plcafure of doing good for its 
 own fake. 
 
 After the King's death, all the people got toge- 
 ther in hafte to chufe a fucceflbr to the throne : 
 Twelve old men prefided at the alTcmbly to correft 
 the judgment of the multitude, who feldom fail to 
 be carried away by prejudice, appearances, or paf- 
 /ion. The eloquent Prince made a long, but fine 
 harangue, wherein he fet forth all the duties of a 
 King, in order to infinuate that one who was fo 
 well acquainted with them, would undoubtedly ful- 
 fil them : Prince Sygeus in few words reprefented 
 to the alTembly the great hazards in the exercife of 
 fovereign authority, and confefs'd an unwillingnefs 
 to expofe himfelf to them. It is not, added he, that 
 I would fhun any difficulties or dangers to ferve my 
 country, but I am afraid of being found unequal to 
 the task of governing. The old men decided in 
 favour of Sygeus ; but the young people, and thofe 
 of fuperficial underftandings took the part of the 
 elder brother, and raifed by degrees a rebellion, un- 
 der pretext that injuftice had been done to Logis. 
 Troops V'jerc levied on both fides : Sygeus propofed 
 to yield his right to his brother, in ordef to hinder 
 the eff^afion of the blood of his countrymen, but 
 his army would not confent to it. 
 
 The chief men of both parties, feeing the mife- 
 ries with which the ftate was ready to be over- 
 whelmed, propofed the expedient of letting both 
 the brothers reign, each a year, by turns. This 
 form of government has many inconveniences, but 
 3t was preferred before a civil war, the greateft of 
 all calamities. The two brothers applauded the pro- 
 pofal for peace, and Logis afcended the throne. He 
 changed in a little time all the ancient laws of the 
 
 kingdom s 
 
First Bo o k. 9 
 
 kingdom ; he was always liftcning to new pro- 
 ' jeéls ; and to have a lively imagination was fuffici- 
 cnt to raife a man to the highcll employments: 
 That which feemed excellent in fpeculation could 
 not be executed without difficulty and confufion ; 
 his minifters, who had no experience, knew not 
 that precipitate changes, how ufeful foever they 
 may appear, are always dangerous. The neighbour- 
 ing nations took advmtage from this weak admini- 
 Uration to invade the country ; and had it not been 
 for the prudence and bravery of Sygeus all had 
 been loft, and the people muft have fubmitted to a 
 foreign yoke. His brother's year being expired 
 he afcended the throne, gained the confidence and 
 love of his people, re-eftabli(hed the ancient laws, 
 and by his wife conduft, even more than by his 
 viélories, drove the enemy out of the country. 
 From that time Sygeus reigned alone, and it was 
 decided in the fupreme council of the old men, 
 that the King to be chofen for the future fhould 
 not be the perfon who gave proofs of the quickeil 
 parts, but of the foundeft judgment. They were 
 of opinion, that to talk eloquently, or to be fruit- 
 ful in expedients and ftratagems were not talents (6 
 cflcntial to a good governor, as a juft difcernment 
 in chuiing, and a fteadinefs and courage in purfuing 
 the beft and wifell counfels. 
 
 Cyrus ufually confefled his faults without feeking 
 to excufe them : He liftened to this ftory with at- 
 tention, perceived the delign of Mandana in telling 
 it, and refolved to correal himfelf. 
 
 Soon after this, he gave a notable proof of his 
 genius and courage. He was fcarce fixteen years 
 of age when Merodac, fon of Nabuchodonofor 
 King of AlTyria, aflembled fome troops, and under 
 pretence of a great hunting made a fudden irruption 
 into Media: He marched in perfon with twelve 
 ihoufand men towards the firll ftrong places belong- 
 I ing 
 
10 The Travels op Cyrus. 
 
 ing to the Medes, encamped near them^ and from 
 thence fent out detachments every day to fcour 
 and ravage the country. Aftyages had notice of it ; 
 and having given the neceiTary orders for aflembliog 
 his army, he fct out with his Ton Cyaxarcs and 
 young Cyrus, followed only by fome troops levied 
 in hafte, to the number of eight thoufand men. 
 When he was come near the borders of his own 
 country, he encamped upon a rifing ground, from 
 .whence he could difcovcr the plain which the de- 
 tachments of Merodac were laying wafte. Aftyages 
 ordered two of his general officers to go and obferve 
 the enemy ; Cyrus defired leave to accompany 
 them, in order to inform himfeif of the fituation of 
 the country, the advantageous polls, and the ftrcngth 
 of the Aflyrian army : Having made his obfervati- 
 ons he came back, and gave an exad account of all 
 he had {ccn. 
 
 The next day Merodac left his camp and ad- 
 vanced towards the Medes } whereupon Aftyages 
 affembled a council of war to deliberate upon the 
 motions he fhould make. The general officers, 
 fearing the numbers of the eremy, thought it molt 
 advifeable to retire, or at leaft to fufpend all aaion 
 till the arrival of frefh troops. Cyrus, who was 
 impatient to engage, heard their opinions with un- 
 cafmefs, but obferved a profound filence out of re- 
 fpcd to the Emperor, and fo many experienced 
 commanders ; at length Aftyages ordered him to 
 fpeak. He then rofe up in the midfl: of the aflem- 
 bly, and with a noble and modeft air, faid : Mero- 
 dac is now in full march, but he cannot come up 
 with us without paffing between a wood to his 
 ■right atid a morafs to his left. Let the army ad- 
 vance to attack him in that place, where he will not 
 -be able to extend his troops and furround us. In 
 the mean time I will convey my felf with. £ve hun- 
 .drcd young Medes through this deep narrow valley, 
 
 and 
 
First Book. ii 
 
 and line the wood. I have juft caufed it to be 
 viewed, and find that the enemy have negledlcd 
 this poft. 
 
 He faid no more, blufhed, and feared to have 
 /]3oken too much. All admired his genius for war 
 at fuch tender years ; and Aftyages furprized at his 
 ready thought and judgment , immediately com- 
 manded that his counfel fhould be followed. 
 Cyaxares marched flrait to meet the enemy, while 
 Cyrus accompanied by Hyftafpes filed off with a 
 body of voluntiers, and without being difcovered 
 feizcd an angle of the wood. The Prince of the 
 Mcdes attacked the AfTyrians in the narroweft part 
 of the pafi, and while Aftyages advanced to fuftain 
 him, Cyrus fallied out of the wood, fell upon the 
 enemy in flank, and with his voice animated the 
 Medes, who all followed him with ardour ; he co- 
 vered himfelf with his Ihield, pierced into the thick- 
 cll of the battalions, and fpread terror and flaughter 
 where-ever he came. The AfTyrians feeing them- 
 felves thus attacked on all fides, loil courage and 
 fled in diforder. As foon as the battle was over, 
 generofity and humanity refumed their empire in 
 the breali of Cyrus : He was fenfibly touched with, 
 feeing' the field covered with dead bodie» : He took 
 the fame care of the wounded Aflyrians as of the 
 Medes, and gave the necefTary orders for their cure. 
 They are men, faid he, as vrell as we, and are no 
 longer enemies when once they are vanquiihed. 
 The Em-peror, having taken his prccautioRS to 
 \jxrevent fuch irruptions for the future, returned to 
 Ecbatan. 
 
 Mandana being foon after oblig'd to leave Media 
 and return to Cambyfcs, would have taken her fon 
 with her, but Aftyages oppofed it : Why, faid he, 
 will yoa deprive me of the pleafure of feeing 
 Cyrus? He will here learn military difcipline which 
 is not yet known in Pcrfia. I conjure you by the 
 
 tcndcrneff 
 
1 1 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 tcnderitefs which I have always fhewn you, not to 
 rcfufe me this confolation. Mandana could not 
 yield her confent but with great relu6lance. She 
 dreaded the leaving her fon in the midft of a court 
 which was the feat of voluptuoufnefs. Being alone 
 with Cyrus : My Ton, faid fhe, Aftyages defires that 
 you fliould continue here with him ; yet I cannot 
 without concern refolve to leave you : I fear lefl 
 the purity of your manners fhould be ftaiired, and 
 you fhould be intoxicated with foolifh paffions. The 
 iirft flcps to vice will feem to be only innocent 
 amufements, a well-bred compliance with received 
 cuftoms, and a liberty which you mull allow your 
 felf in order to plcafe. Virtue may come by de- 
 grees to be thought too fevere, an enemy to pleafure 
 and fociety, and even contrary to nature, becaufe 
 it oppofes inclination ; in a word, you will perhap» 
 look upon it as a matter of mere decency, a politick 
 phantom, a popular prejudice, from which men 
 ought to get free, when they can indulge their 
 paffions in fecret. Thus you may go from one flep 
 to another, tilh your underftanding be infatuated, 
 your heart led aftray, and you run into all forts of 
 crimes. 
 
 Leave Hyftafpes with me, replyM Cyrus ; he will 
 teach me to avoid all thefe dangers. Friendfliip has 
 long accuftom'd me to open my heart to him, and 
 he is not only my counfellor, but the confident of 
 my weaknefTes. Hyftafpes was an experienced com»- 
 mander who had ferv'd many years under Aftyaget, 
 in his wars againft the Scythians and the King oi" 
 Lydia, and had all the virtues of the ancient Per- 
 fians, together with the politenefs of the Mede«. 
 Being a great politician and a great philofopher, a 
 man equally able and difinterefted, he had rifen to 
 the firft employments of the ftate without ambition, 
 and poflefs'd them with modelly. Mandana being 
 perfuaded of the virtue and capacity of Hyftafpes^, 
 
 as 
 
First Book. ij 
 
 is well as of the advantages her fon might find by 
 iiving in a court that was no lefs brave and know- 
 ing in the art of war than polite, obey'd Aftyages 
 with the lefs regret. She began her journey foon 
 after, and Cyrus accompanied her fome leagues from 
 Ecbatana ; at parting fhe cmbrac'd him with tender- 
 tiefs ; My fon, faid flie, remember that your virtue 
 alone can make me happy. The young Prince 
 melted into tears, and could make no anfwer j this 
 was his firft feparation from her : He followed her 
 with his eyes till fhe was out of fight, and then re- 
 turn'd to Ecbatan. 
 
 Cyrus continued at the court of Aftyages without 
 being infeftcd by it. Thi5 however was not owixJ^ 
 to the precautions of Mandana, the counfels of 
 Hyftafpes, or his own natural virtue, but to love. 
 There was then at Ecbatan a young Princefs named 
 Caflandana, related to Cyrus, and daughter of 
 Pharnafpes, who was of the race of the Achcme- 
 jiides. Her mother dying, her father, who was 
 one of the principal Satraps of Perfia, had fent her 
 to the court of Aftyages, to be there educated un- 
 der the eye of Ariana Queen of the Medes. Caflan- 
 dana had all the politenefs of that court without 
 any of its faults ; her wit was equal to her beauty^ 
 and her modefty heighten'd the charms of both ; 
 her imagination was lively, but direfted by her 
 judgment ; a juftnefs of thought was as natural to 
 her as a gracefulnefs of expreffion and manner ; the 
 delicate ftrokes of wit, with which her cafy and 
 chearful converfation abounded, were unftudicd and 
 unafFedled ; nor were the acquir'd accomplifliments 
 of her mind inferior to her natural graces and vir- 
 tues ; but flic concealed her talents with fo much 
 care, or difcovered them with Co much referve, that 
 every thing in her feem'd the work of pure nature. 
 She had entertiiin'd a particular regard for Cyrus 
 from the firll nioment (be had fccn him, but had 
 
 fo 
 
14 The Travels of Cyrus^ 
 
 (o carefully hid her fentiments as not to be fuf- 
 peded. 
 
 Proximity of blood gave Cyrus frequent oppor- 
 tunities of feeing her, and difcourfing with her. 
 Her converfation polifhed the manners of the young 
 Prince, who infenfibly acquired by it a delicacy 
 with which till then he had been unacquainted. 
 The beauties and virtues of the Princefs produced 
 by degrees in his foul all the motions of that noble 
 paffion, which foftens the hearts of heroes without 
 leflening their courage, and which places the prin- 
 cipal charm of love in the pleafure of loving. Pre- 
 cepts, maxims and fcverc Icflbns, do not always 
 |(referve the mind from the poifoned arrows of fen- 
 iuahty. Virtue does not render the heart infenfible, 
 but it often happens that a well-placed love is the 
 only fecurity from dangerous and criminal paf- 
 fions. 
 
 Cyrus enjoyed in the converfation of Caffandari* 
 all the pleafurçs of the pureft friendlhip, without 
 daring to declare his love ; his youth and his mo- 
 dcily made him timorous. Nor was it long befc^-e 
 he felt all the pains, difquiets and alarms, which 
 ever attend \ipon.fuch paflions, even when they 
 are moft innocent.. Caflandma's beauty created 
 him a rival ; Cyaxares felt the power of her 
 charms; he was much about the fame age with 
 Cyrus, but of a very different charafter ; he had 
 wit and courage, but was of an impetuous, haughty 
 difpolition, and fhewed already but too great a pro- 
 penfity to all the vices common to young Princes, 
 CafTandina could love nothing but virtue, and her 
 heart had made its choice. She dreaded more than 
 death a marriage which fliould naturally have flat- 
 tered her ambition. Cyaxares was unacquainted 
 with the delicacy of love : His high rank augment- 
 ed his natural haughtinefs, and the manners of the 
 Medes authorized his prefumption ; fo that he ufed 
 
 little 
 
First Book. ij» 
 
 little precaution or ceremony in letting the Princefs 
 know his paflion for her. He immediately per- 
 ceived her indifference, fought for the caufe of ir, 
 and was not long in making the difcovery. In all 
 publick diverllons fhe appeared gny and free with 
 him, but was more referved with Cyrus. The 
 guard fhe kept upon herfelf, gave her an air of 
 conftraint, which was not natural to her. She an- 
 fwercd to all the civilities of Cyaxares with ready 
 and lively ftrokes of wit ; but when Cyrus fpoke 
 to her, fhe could hardly conceal her perplexity. 
 
 The Prince of Periia being little skilled in the 
 fccrets of love, did not interpret the conduft of 
 Caflandana in the fame manner with his rival. He 
 imagined that flic was plcafed with the pafTion of 
 Cyaxares, and that her eyes were dazzled with the 
 lurtre of that Prince's crown. He experienced al- 
 ternately the uncertainty and hope, the pains and 
 pleafures of a lively palTion : His trouble was too 
 great to be long concealed ; Hyftafpes perceived it, 
 and faid to him : For fomc time paft I have oblerved 
 that you are thoughtful and abfcnt ; I believe I fee 
 into the caufe of it, you are in love, Cyrus ; there 
 is no way to vanquilh love, but to crufh it in its 
 birth. You are ignorant of its wiles, and the dan- 
 gers into which it leads ; at firft it enchants with 
 its fwectnefs, but in the end it poifons: It paffes in 
 the beginning for nothing more than a homage paid 
 to merit, and a fentiment worthy of a tender and 
 generous heart ; by little and little the foul lofes it» 
 vigour, the underilanding is bewildered, and the 
 intoxication augments; that which feemed in its 
 birth an innocent inclination and a lovely paffion, 
 becomes on a fudden all fury and madnefs. Cyru» 
 touched to the quick by thefe words, hearkened 
 to them with great uneafmefs ; he frequently chang- 
 ed colour, but durfl not make any anfwer. Hy- 
 ftafpes knowing that examples make a deeper im- 
 
 prelTion 
 
i6 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 prcflion than rc..k)ning related to him the hiftory 
 of Z^rina and Stryangeus; in which w« have aa 
 inftancc of the t.m] coni'cqucnces of .i violent paf- 
 fioa, «nd it the lame time of the poflibility of fur- 
 mounting it. 
 
 * In the reign of CvAxarcs fon of Phraortcs, faid 
 he, a blc'ody war \v.\i kindled between the Sacac 
 and the Mcdcs. The troops of Cy.ixares were 
 comm.inded by his fon-in law Stryangcus, the hra- 
 vell and inoft accomplifhed Prince ot all the Eall. 
 He had married Rhctea the Emperor's daughter, 
 who h.id both wit and beauty, and was of a itjoII 
 amiable temp>cr. Nothing had hitherto either Icf- 
 fencd or dillurbcd their mutual pallion. Zarina, 
 Queen of the Sacse, put hcrfclf at the hc.id of her 
 own troops ; for flic wat not only adorned with all 
 the charms of her icx, but was miArefs of the moll 
 hcroick vinues : Having been educated at the court 
 of Media, flie had there contraftcd an intimate 
 fricndfliip with Rhctea from her childhood. For 
 two whole ye.irs the war was carried on with equal 
 advantages on both fides. Truces were often made 
 in order to trc.u of peace ; and during thefc cefTa- 
 lions of arms, Zarina and Stryangcus had frequent 
 interviews. The great qualities which he difcover- 
 cd in this Princefs immediately produced cllcem ; 
 and under the cover of that ellecm, love foon in- 
 (inuaicd iilclf into hib he.irt. He no longer endea- 
 vour'd to put an end to the war, for fear of being 
 feparatcd from Zarina ; but he made frequent 
 truces, in which love had a greater fliire than 
 policy. 
 
 The Emperor at length fcnt cxprefs orders to 
 give a dccifivc battle. In the heat of the engagc- 
 
 f nil /lory bêt Ut fçtinJ/tti»n m antiquity, and is taken /rem 
 hiicotdui •( ï>0m, Cte/iat and Diod. J/V. 
 
 ment 
 
First B o otc. \y 
 
 ment the two commanders met each other; Sfiy- 
 angeus would have avoided Zarina, but flic, whofe 
 heart was yet free from any riling which fliould 
 reflrain her, attacked him, and obliged him to de- 
 fend himfelf : Let us fpare, cried fhe, the blood of 
 Qur fubjedls : It belongs to us alone to put an end 
 to the war. Love and glory by turns animated the 
 young hero ; he was equally afraid of conquering 
 and of being conquered : He frequently cxpofed his 
 own life by fparing Zarina's, but at length found 
 means to gain the viftory » he threw his javelin 
 with a skilful hand, yet fcarce had he let it fly 
 when he repented, and would have recalled it ; the 
 Queen's horie was wounded j the horfe fell, and 
 the Queen with him : Stryangcus flew inllantly to 
 her relief, and would have no other fruit of his 
 vldory, than the plcafure of faving what he loved. 
 He offered her peace with all forts of advantages, 
 prcfervcd her dominions to her, and, in the name 
 of the Emperor, fwore a perpetual alliance with 
 her at the head of the two armies. After this he 
 begged permifTion to wait upon her to her capital, 
 and ihe confented to it ; but their motives were 
 very different. Zarina's thoughts were wholly 
 taken up with the care of teftifying her grA^itude, 
 while Stryangeus fought only an opportunity of 
 difcovering his love ; he accompanied the Princefs 
 in her chariot, and they were eonduded with pomp 
 to Roxanacia. Stryangeus eafily found means to 
 prolong his iby there. It was neccflary that the 
 Emperor fhould ratify by a treaty the engagements 
 into which his General had entered; and the Prince 
 by his addrcfs caufed fcveral difficulties to be ftarted 
 which might nuke his prefencc requifite at the court 
 ©f Zarina. He artfully made advantage of thcfe 
 ncgoci.nions to let the Queen fee how much he had 
 her iniereft at heart ; he at flril concealed his de- 
 figDs that he might fccurc her friendihip. Virtuous 
 
 fouls 
 
l8 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 fouls do not cafily entertain diftruft, their very in- 
 nocence hclpo to betray them when they arc igno- 
 rant of the wiles of love. Zarin.i was all gratitude, 
 and her cfteem for StryAngeus began by little and 
 little to grow into affcfUon, without her perceiving 
 it. She ohcn fuftcred her f'cntiments to break torth 
 in the moft confpicuous manner, bccaufc fhe knew 
 not as yet the Iburce of them ; fhe tailed the fecret 
 fvrects of a young and growing p-.ffion, and was 
 unwilling lo exunine into the motions of her own 
 heart; but at length fhe difcovered, that love had 
 too great a Ih.rc in them ; (Tic bluflicd u her wcak- 
 ncfs, and rcfolvcd to get the better of it ; fhe prcf- 
 fed the dcp rturc of Stryangeus, but the young 
 Mede could not Ic.u'C Roxanacia : He was no longer 
 mindful ofglory, he forgot nil hisnfTeflion forRiieiea, 
 he yielded himfclf up entirely to a blind palTion, 
 fighcd, complained, and being no longer mailer of 
 liiii-ifelf, dccl.ircd his love to Zarina in the ttrongefl 
 and mofl pafTiomtc terms. 
 
 The Qlieen did not feek to hide the fituation of 
 her mind, but fliunning all affedlcd evafions and my- 
 ftcry, anfwercd with a noble franknefs: I am indebt* 
 cd to you for my life and f r my crown ; my love i« 
 equal to my gratitude, and my hc.irt is no lefs 
 touched thin yours ; but I will iboner die than be- 
 tray my virtue, or fufîer th.it your glory fhould re- 
 ceive the \ci([ blcmifli. Confider, dear Stryangeus, 
 that you are (he husband of Rhecca, whom I love: 
 Honour and triendfhip oblige me equally to facrificc 
 a pafTion which would prove my fhame and her 
 misfortune. As flie ended thefe words fhe retired. 
 Stryangeus remained confounded, and in dcfpair : 
 He fliut himfclf up in his apartment, and felt by 
 turns all the contrary motions of an heroick foul 
 that is combated, conquered and inlulted by a vio- 
 lent and tyrannical paflion. One while he is jea- 
 lous of Zariiu'i glory, and rcfolvc» to imitate her: 
 4 ïkc 
 
F I R s T B O O K. tp 
 
 The next moment cruel love fports with his refolu- 
 tion?, and even with his virtue. In this tempell of 
 p^flions his underftanding is clouded, his rcafon for- 
 fakes him, and he rcfolves to kill himfelf; but he 
 iirft writes thefe words to Zarina. '* I favcd your 
 ** life, and you take away mine ; I fall the vidliin 
 *' ofmy love and of your virtue, being unable to 
 " conquer the one or to imitat-e the other. Death 
 ** alone can put an end to my crime, and to my tor- 
 ** ment. Farewcl for ever." He fent this letter to 
 the Queen, who inftantly flew to the apartment of 
 the young Medc ; but he had already plunged the 
 dagger into his breaft ; flic fuv him weltring in his 
 blood, fell into a fwoon, came again to herielf, and 
 by her tears called back his foul that was ready to 
 take its flight. He fighed, opened his eyes, beheld 
 the grief of Zarina, and confented to have his wound 
 taken care of, which for many days was thought 
 mortal. 
 
 Rhetca being inform'd of this tragical adventure, 
 foon arrived at Roxanacia, Zarina related to her all 
 that had happen'd, without concealing either her 
 weaknef} or her reflftance. Such noble flmplicity 
 cannot be underflood or reliflied but by great fouh. 
 Tho' the war between the Sacîc and the ATedes had 
 interrupted the correfpondence of thefe two Prin- 
 ceflcs, it had not in the leaft diminiflied their friend - 
 (hip ; they knew and ellecm'd each other too well 
 to be fufceptible of diflrall or jealoufy. Rhctea al- 
 ways beheld Stryangeus with the eyes of a lov;;r: She 
 lamented and compaflionitcd his weakncfs, becaufe 
 flic faw it was inroluntary. His wound was at length 
 heard, but he was not cur'd of his love : Zarina in 
 vain prefled his departure, he was not able to tear 
 himfelf awiy from that fatal place ; his pnflion and 
 his torments were renewed. Rhetea pcrcciv'd it and 
 fell into a deep fadnefs ; flie fuflcred all the moft cruel 
 agitations of foul : Gri^f for being no longer Igv'd by « 
 
 C ma a 
 
to The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 man whom alone ilie loved i commiferation for a 
 husband given up to dcfpair ; efteem for a rival 
 whom (he could not hate. She faw herfelf every- 
 day between a lover hurried away by his paffion, and 
 a virtuous friend whom flie admired; and that her 
 life was the misfortune of both. How cruel a fitua- 
 tion for a generous and tender heart ! The more fhc 
 concealed her pain, the more flie was opprefîed by 
 it. She funk at laft under the weight, and fell dan- 
 geroufly fick. One day when Ihe was alone with 
 iZarina and Stryangeus, flie dropt thefe words ; I 
 am dying; but I die content, fincc my death will 
 make you happy. 
 
 Zarina melted into tears at thefe words and with- 
 drew : thefe words pierced the heart of Stryangeus : 
 He looked upon Rhetea and beheld her pale, lan- 
 guifhing, and ready to expire with grief and love. 
 The Princefs's eyes were fix'd and immovably faften'd 
 upon the Prince ; his own at length were open'd : 
 He was like a man who awakes from a profound 
 flecp, or comes out of a delirium, where nothing 
 had appeared in its natural fhapc. He had feen Rhe- 
 tea every day without perceiving the cruel condition 
 to which he had reduc'd her; he faw her at prefent 
 with other eyes ; it awakcn'd all his virtue, and 
 kindled again all his former tendernefs. He acknow- 
 ledged his error, threw himfelf at her feet, and, em- 
 bracing her, repeated often thefe words, interrupted 
 by tears and fighs ; Live, my dear Rhetea, live to 
 give me the pleafure of repairing ray fault ; I am 
 now acquainted with all the value of your heart. 
 Thefe words brought her again to life ; her beauty 
 returned by degrees with her ftrength: She departed 
 foon after with Stryangeus for Ecbatana, and from 
 that time nothing ever difturb'd their union. 
 
 You fee by this, continued Hyftafpes, to what 
 extremities love may reduce the greateft heroes ; yoil 
 fee like wife the power of refolution and courage in 
 
 con- 
 
F I R s T B O K. II 
 
 conquering the moft violent paffions, when we have 
 a lincere define to get the viéïory. I fhould fear no- 
 thing for you if there were at this court fuch per- 
 fons as Zarina ; but heroick virtue like hers would 
 now be thought romantick, or rather a fivage infen- 
 fibiiity. The manners of the Medes are very much 
 thang'd : Cafland.ina, continued he with dcfign, is 
 the only perfon I fee here who is worthy of your af- 
 fedion. He was going on, when Cyrus interrupt- 
 ing him cry'd out, You have nam'd the dear obje6l 
 of my heart ; CafTandana has rcndcr'd me infcnfiblc 
 to every thing that could have fcduced my virtue, 
 I love her, but I am not loved. The Prince ftopp'd 
 here, fearing to have faid too much ; he look'd up- 
 on Hyllafpes to fee whether he npprov'd of hit 
 love. 
 
 Hyftafpes overjoy'd to have difcover'd the Prince's 
 pafTion by this innocent artifice, refolved inftantly 
 to employ all his endeavours to cure him of it, but 
 yet to manage him with delicacy and tenderncfs ; 
 he diffembled his concern, and embracing the young 
 Prince, with a ferenc countenance faid to him, Caf- 
 fandana's beauty is the Icail of her charms, her heart 
 is as pure as her underftauding is bright : I cannot 
 however approve of your paffion, you know that 
 Cambyfes has other views for you. He defigns you» 
 for the Daughter of Crœfus, one of the moll potent 
 Monarchs of the Eaft. It is by this marriage that 
 you mud begin to verify the Oracles ; Pcrlia is a tri- 
 butary province, too inconfiderable to be the centre 
 of a vaft empire, and the fcene of thofe great ex- 
 ploits to which the Gods have deftined you ; do not 
 oppofe their decrees : You cannot without a crime 
 give your heart to any other but her whom Cam- 
 byfes has chofen for you ; remember the ftory of 
 Stryangeus, and the excelles to which that hero was 
 hurried by his love. This difcourfe threw Cyrus 
 back into his former fadnefs ; but out of friendiliip 
 
 Ç z {%s 
 
Z2. The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 for Hyftafpes he concealed his pains without difgui- 
 fing his fentiments. If the great Oromazes, faid he 
 ^vith a fubmiffive tone of voice, decrees me for the 
 .daughter of the King of Lydia, he will doubtlefs 
 givejnc the flrength to get the maflery of ray paf- 
 lîon. "But, alls, can you conip?,re my love for Caf- 
 fandana with that of Stryangeus for Zarina ? That 
 'Prince's love, anfwered }i{y^^{'^t^y was criminal, 
 but yours cannot be innocent, if it be not approved 
 of by Cambyfcs. He durft not fay any more, well 
 knowing, that oppofition for the moft part ferves on- 
 ly to irritite the minds of young perfons. He con- 
 tented himfelf with obferving for fome days aU the 
 Prince's motions, and at length concluded that the 
 only means to cure him of his paffion was to feparatc 
 him from the objeft of it. He informed Cambyfcs 
 of Cyrus's afFedion for Caflandana, and as the King 
 of Perfia had other views for his fon which fuited 
 better with his politicks, he recalled him into Per- 
 fia. 
 
 The young Prince received his father's orders with 
 a concern that was fuitable to the violence of his 
 love. CaiTandana on the other hand could not fup- 
 port the thought of a feparation, which left her 
 wholly expofed to the importunities of Cyaxares, 
 and fhe gave herfelf up to grief; even love itlelf ob- 
 liged her to fly what fhe loved; flie was afraid of 
 contributing to the misfortunes of Cyrus by approv- 
 ing of his paffion : But while fhe carefully avoided 
 "him, he fought for her with eagernefs ; and decency 
 -at length required (he fhould fee him to receive his 
 lad: adieu. The Prince was no longer able to hide 
 his fentiments, he difcovered at the fame time both 
 the violence of his paffion and the excefs of his af- 
 fiidion. Seme tears dropped from the Princefs's 
 eyes, and in fpite of her refervedncfs thefe words 
 cfcapcd her : Ah Gods, why have you given me a 
 heart capable of tendernefs, if you forbid mc to 
 
 love? 
 
First Book. 23 
 
 îûve ? She blufncd as fhe uttered thefe words and re- 
 tired. Cyrus durft not follow her j the joy of find- 
 ino; that he was loved by CafTandana, and the fear of 
 lofing her, excited fuch a tempeft of contrary mo- 
 tions in his foul as exceedingly diftrcllcd him. After 
 a long ftruggle and violent agitations of mind, he at 
 length fl.utcred himfdf, that when he arrived at the 
 court of Pcrfia he might be able to move Cambyfes, 
 by the help of Mandana, and this hope hindered him 
 from fmking under the weight of" fo cruel a fcpAra- 
 tion. 
 
 The young nobility would accompany him to thcr 
 frontiers of Media. As he went from Ecbatan, he 
 Olsten flopped to look back upon the place where he 
 had left Caflandan.i ; at length he loil: fight of tliat 
 ftately city, and continued his way. When he came 
 to the frontiers where the young Medes were to 
 leave him, he made them all rich prefents, but wirii 
 admirable dilHn6lion, preferring merit and fervicc 
 to birth and rank. During the reft of the journey, 
 the hope of engaging Mandana in the interdis of his 
 Jove feemed entirely to calm his mind, and diftufed 
 an air of contentment upon his face wnich he had 
 not before. His return into Perfia was celebrated 
 by publick feafting and rejoicings ; and when thefc 
 were over, he left his father's palace, and retired to 
 the place allotted for the education of the young Pcr- 
 fian nobility, where he continued till he was eighteen. 
 The young Satrapes, feeing Cyrus returned, faid one 
 to another: He has been living delicately at thc- 
 court of Media, he will never be able to accuftom 
 himfelf to our fimple and laborious manner of life : 
 But when they faw that he was content with their 
 ordinary diet, that he was more temperate and ab- 
 ftemious than they themfelves, and that he (hewed 
 more skill and courage in all his exercifes, they were 
 ftruck with admiritioA, and confefs'd, that he had 
 
 C 3 yet 
 
24 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 yet a jufter title to the throne by his merit than l>y 
 his birth. 
 
 Some days after his return Cambyfcs fent for him, 
 and Teeming ignorant of his paffion for Caffandana, 
 ;imparted to him the defign he had of fpeedily mar- 
 rying him to Candaulcs, daughter of the King of Ly- 
 dia. Cyrus made no anfwer but by a deep iigh and 
 a rcfpcdful filencc ; but the moment he left the 
 King he ran to the Queen's apartment to difclofe to 
 her the fecret of his heart. I have followed your 
 counfels, faid he, at the court of Ecbatan, I have 
 lived infenfible to all the mofl enticing charms of vo- 
 luptuoufncfs J but I owe nothing to myfelf on this 
 account, I owe all to the daughter of Pharnafpes ; I 
 love her, and this love has preferved me from all the 
 errors and extravagancies of youth : Do not think 
 that my attachment to her is only a tranfient liking 
 fvhich may foon be over ; I have never loved any 
 -Other than Caffandana, and I feel that I never can 
 love but her alone : Will you fuffer the happinefs 
 of my life to be made a facrifice to political views ? 
 It is pretended that my marriage with the daughter 
 of Crœfus is the firft ftep I mull take to enlarge my 
 Empire, but fureîy the Gods can make me a Con- 
 queror without making me miferablc. Mandana 
 perceived that her fon's paffion was yet too ftrong to 
 fuffer any remonftrances againil it, and hoping that 
 time and abfence would infenfibly weaken it, Ihc in 
 the mean time foothed and encouraged him. 
 
 Caflandana lived flill at the court of Ecbatan, but 
 ihe always received Cyaxares with great coldnefs : 
 He owed all the complaifancc flie had fhewn him to 
 Cyrus's prefence. The pleafurc of feeing Cyrus, of 
 loving him, and being loved by him, filled her foul 
 with a fecret joy that diffufed itfelf through all her 
 aftions : Bat after the departure of the young Prince, 
 her converfation, which had before been fo fpright- 
 Jy and chearful, was changed into a mournful filence : 
 
 She 
 
FirstBook. 2f 
 
 She languifh'd, her lively wit feem'd to be extin- 
 guifh'd, and all her natural charms to difappear. In 
 the mean while Pharnafpes fell dangcroujfly ill at the 
 court of Perfia, and defired to fee his daughter; upon 
 this news flie left Ecbatan in hafte, to pay the lail 
 duties to her father. Several ladies of the court re- 
 gretted her, but the greater part rejoiced at the pb- 
 fence of a Princefs, whofe manners w ere too perfeft 
 a model of difcreet conduft. Cyaxares faw the de- 
 parture of Caffandana' with inexprcffible difTatiifac»- 
 tion : Spite, jealoufy, hatred to his rival, all the 
 paffions which arifc from flighted love, tyrannized 
 over his heart. He gave orders to young Arafpes, 
 the fon of Harpagus, to go privately through by- 
 ways and flop Caffandana, and to condutfl her to a 
 folitary place on the borders of the Cafpian fea. 
 
 Arafpes, though he had been educated amidft all 
 the pleafures of a voluptuous court, had neverthelef» 
 preferved noble and generous fentiments, and fin* 
 cercly abhorred every thing that was difhonourable : 
 Whatever faults he had, proceeded rather from eafi- 
 nefs and complaifance th-^n vicioufncfs; he was of ail 
 amiable temper and a found underftanding ; and be- 
 ing born for arms, as well as formed for a court, wat 
 qualified for any employment civil or military. He 
 communicated the orders, given him by Cyaxares, 
 to his father Harpigus, who loved Cyrus. Harpa- 
 gus, having long fignalized his cour;ige in war, lived 
 at the court of Ecbatan, without being corrupted by 
 it : He beheld with concern the manners of the age, 
 but faid little, chufing rather to condemn them by 
 his condu6l than by his difcourfc. I forefee, faid he 
 to Arafpes, all the misfortunes which virtue will 
 bring upon us ; but beware of gaining the Prince's 
 favour by a crime : Go, my fon, and inftead of op- 
 prcfiing innocence, make hafte to its fuccour. A- 
 rafpes departed with expedition, overtook the Prin- 
 ccCs near Afpadana, told her the orders of Cyaxarci, 
 
 C 4 aiKl 
 
z6 The Travei-s of Cyrus. 
 
 and offered to conduft her into Perlia. She wept 
 for joy to fee the gencrolity of the young Mede, and 
 made hafte to gain the frontiers of her own country. 
 Pharnafpes died before his daughter could reach the 
 court of Cambyfes. When the Princefs had mourn'd 
 ibr the death of her father as nature and decency re- 
 quired, fhe at length faw Cyrus, and informed him 
 of the generous proceeding of Arafpcs. The Prince 
 from th.^t moment conceived a tender friendfhip for 
 him, which lafted to the end of their lives. But Cy- 
 axarcs refolved to revenge himfelf of Arafpes, and 
 this in fo cruel a manner as was a difhonour to hu- 
 inan nature. He caufed Harpagus's fécond fon to 
 be murdered, and his mangled limbs to be ferved up 
 before the unhappy father at a feaft. The report of 
 fo horrible a cruelty ftirred up the indignation of all 
 theMedes: But Ailyages, being blinded by paternal 
 affeflion, would not fee nor punifh his fon's crime : 
 And thus a Prince who was naturally beneficent, 
 countenanced vice by a fhameful weaknefs : He knew 
 not the value of virtue, and was only good by com- 
 plexion. Harpagus being utterly difconfolate, re- 
 tired from the court of Ecbatan, and went privately 
 into Perfia, where Cambyfes granted him all the ad- 
 vantages and honours he could offer him to compcn- 
 fate his loiTes in Media. 
 
 CalTandana being not without hopes that Cambyfes 
 would be prevailed on to alter his defigns, lived at 
 the court of Pcrfia in great tranquillity. By her vir- 
 tue, wit and good fenfe fhe had gained the heart of 
 Mandana, whofe fentiments in relation to her fon's 
 marriage were altered by the death of Pharnafpes. 
 CafTandana's mother was daughter of the King of 
 Armenia, and the young Princefs might one day bs 
 heirefs of that Crown ; an alliance with Crcefus 
 would probably excite the jealoufy of the Eaflern 
 Princes againll Cyrus, and Lydia was at too great a 
 diftancc to have fpeedy fuçcours from ihcnccf even 
 
 the 
 
First Book. ij- 
 
 the Oracles themfelves feemed to be againll this al- 
 liance, feeing they foretold that Lydia was to be 
 Cyrus's firft conqueft. All thefe reafons joined' 
 together determined Manda na to oppofe no longer 
 her fon's inclination ; however, ihe darft not for- 
 the prefent difcovcr her thoughts to Cambyfcs, be- 
 caufe he was ftill eagerly bent upon an alliance with 
 the King of Lydia. 
 
 Croefus had long formed the defign of extending 
 his dominions in Afia. His numerous troops, and" 
 his prodigious wealth had infpired him with thcfu 
 ambitious thoughts. He had drawn into his fervice, 
 or into his alliance, the Egyptians, the Thracians, 
 the Greeks, and divers n:itions that were fettled in 
 Afia minor ; he beheld with a jealous eye the con- 
 qucfts of Nabuchodonofor , and was feeking all' 
 means to flop the progrefs of them ; he knew that 
 Cyrus would be heir to the crown of Media in 
 eafe Cyaxares died witliout children ; the Perfians 
 had acquired the reputation of a warlike people, and 
 their country was conveniently fituateu lor making- 
 incurfions upon the territories of the King of Ba- 
 bylon, if ever that Prince fhould begin a war with 
 Lydia- Thefe confiderations made Crœfus very 
 defirous of informing himfelf by his own eyes of 
 the refpedlive forces of the Kings of Media and 
 Babylon, and of the advantages of an alliance with 
 the one and with the other : And having more ar- 
 tifice and ambition than skill and prudence he rafhly 
 refolvcd to leave his dominions, which were not 
 then very diftant from Media ^, and convey himfelf, 
 with all his court, into the very heart of Afia. In 
 order to conceal his real views, he raifed feveral 
 difficulties concerning the marriage of his daughter 
 ' with Cyrus, which could not be well adjulled by 
 
 *» Sir Ifaac Ncivtw^i cbronoloç^y, petg, i\6i Herod, lib, i> 
 ^*/': 73' 74. 
 
 G 5 cmbaiTies,. 
 
z2 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 cmbaflies, and he propofed a conference with Cam- 
 byfes on the confines of Perfia : Suza being a neu- 
 tral city, was chofen for the congrefs j it was at 
 this time under the government of Phraates, a tri- 
 butary Prince to the Babylonians, and father of 
 Abradatcs, who was afterwards fo remarkable for 
 his devotion to Cyrus. Crcefus carried the Queen 
 of Lydia and his daughter with him, under pre- 
 tence of letting them fee Cyrus before the conclu- 
 fion of the marriage. He fent notice to the court 
 of Perfia of his departure for Suza, upon which 
 Cambyfes prepared likewife for his journey thither. 
 But this news threw the young Prince of Pcriia into 
 the utmoil defpair, and Caffandana into a terrible 
 conftcrnalion. She had no diftruft of Cyrus's con- 
 Hancy, but fhe dreaded the ambition of Cambyfes. 
 Mandana, who was fleady in her views, delired that 
 Caffandana might go with the court to Suza : Cam- 
 byfes at firft oppofed it, but fearing to heighten his 
 fon's paifion for that Princefs by a forced feparation, 
 he at length yielded to the dextrousjnfinuations of 
 the Queen ; he flattered himfelf with the hope of 
 changing his fon's inclination by the new objeft he 
 ihould prefent him with, and which indeed would 
 have been capable of Healing away the heart of 
 Cyrus, had he been of that fickle humour fo natural 
 to young Princes. 
 
 The two counts being met at Suza, the firfl days 
 ■were fpent in feafling and rejoicings. Crœfus, who 
 was naturally vain, affeéled a pompous fhew of mag- 
 nificence. Cambyfes, like a wife Prince, placed all 
 his glory in the genius and military virtues of his 
 fubjcds. The extraordinary concourfe of men of 
 two nations fo different in their manners, created a 
 wonderful diverfity in all the publick fliews and 
 entertainments, and a perfeâ: contraft of courtiers 
 and warriors. The Lydians, though not grown 
 quite effeminate, jnade a ihiaing figure by the mag- 
 nificence 
 
First Book.' ip 
 
 ni£cence of their drefs, the delicacy of their man- 
 ners, and the fprightlinefs of their converfation : 
 But the Perfi-ms, who were rough without ferocity, 
 humane without politenefs, and haughty notwith- 
 ftanding their fimplicity, carried all the prizes in the 
 games by their fuperior addrefs and ftrength of 
 body. The negotiations were foon begun ; and 
 while the two Kings employed all the arts of po- 
 licy to promote their defigns, attentive love fet all 
 his engines at work to difconcert them, and render 
 them fruitlefs. 
 
 The daughter of Crcefus no foonsr appeared at 
 Suza, but all eyes were dazzled with her charms^ 
 and the Pcrfians univerfally cry'd out that fiie alone 
 was worthy of Cyrus, and the only Princefs who 
 could make him happy. She had a manner and a 
 turn of mind which were perfe6lly agreeable to 
 the taflc and genius of that people ; her noble and 
 fprightly arr was tempered with a majeftick fwect- 
 ncfs ; flie lov'd hunting and other mafculine exer- 
 cifes, and never fhewed any token of the weakneiTe?-. 
 natural to her fcx ; the more fhc was feen the more 
 ihe difcover'd of rare accomplifhments. Her fu- 
 perior graces and wit eclipfed thofc of all the Ly- 
 dian, Sazan and Pcrfian ladies. CafTandana's beauty 
 maintained its prerogative no where but in the heart 
 of Cyrus. One bafhful, tender, modeft look from 
 that Princefs was fufficient to render him infenfiblc 
 to all the charms of Candaules. He behav'd him- 
 felf however with fo much difcretion in publick, 
 that the fair Lydian did not perceive his indiffer- 
 ence ; but he was no fooner alone with her than he 
 became penlive and feem'd quite abfent ; Ihc was 
 far from guefTmg the caufc of it, and made him 
 fometimes call home his thoughts by delicate flrokcs 
 of raillery, to which he feldom gave her any an- 
 fwer i when he did, he feem'd always cmbarrafs'd 
 
 C 6 and 
 
JO The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 and at a lofs ; the Princefs imputed this to a want 
 of fenfe rather than of fenfibility, and ihe began to 
 repent of her journey. The negotiations went on^ 
 but Cyrus fought all means to retard them ; nei- 
 ther the anger of Cambyfes, nor the counfels of 
 Hyftafpcs made any impreffion on his mind. Ne- 
 verthelefs he inwardly condemnM himfelf for his 
 rebellion againft his father's will ; he begged time to 
 vanquifii his paffion, and promifed to ufe his utmoft 
 efforts to get the maftery of it ;, nay he thought 
 himfelf fincere in the promifes he made, but he 
 faw CafTandana.and all his refolutions vanifh'd. île 
 prefs'd, importun'd, made his tears plead with 
 iMandana, and us'd all his arguments with Camby- 
 fes; he juflify'd his paffion to himfelf by the Ora- 
 cles, and wou'd needs believe, that the Gods, by 
 calling him to the conqueft of Lydia, were fccretly 
 averfe from his father's defigns ; he left no pretext 
 unemployed to keep off the. marriage, and love fa- 
 voured, his. endeavours.. 
 
 The Lydian Princefs had known Caffandana at 
 the court of Ecbatan, and fhe loved her with true 
 affcélion. She never once imagined herfclf to he. 
 her rival. Caffandana on the other hand felt no 
 regret nor jealoufy to fee the homage that was paid 
 to her friend's beauty, but fhe could not confent to 
 lofe the heart of Cyrus ; fhe never faw the young 
 Lydian without uneafmefs j fhe would not deceive 
 her, and fhe durfl not fpeak to her j fke was afraid 
 of dropping the lead word, which might either be 
 unworthy of her love, or impofc upon her friend ; 
 her trouble and her alarms were daily augmented, 
 the amufements of the court became înlipid to her, 
 fhe fcarce appear'd any more in publick ; fhe re- 
 tir'd at length to a folitary place upon the frontiers 
 of Pcffja where the Princes of her family us'd ordi- 
 iwrily to. rdlds.. It was about twenty furlongs 
 
First Book. ji 
 
 from Suza \ in a pleafant vale watcr'd by three rK 
 vers, whofc copioas llreams being multiply'd by 
 the induflrious inhabitants, and diltributed into fc»- 
 veral canals, fertilised the meadows and kept them 
 in a perpetual verdure. On one fide the little hills 
 which rofe one above another were covcr'd with 
 olive, pomgranate and orange trees ; nature fhew'd 
 herfclf there in her richell and gnyefl drefs : The 
 lofty mountains which appearM at a greater diflance 
 all around, and with their craggy tops feem'd to 
 touch the sky, ferv'd as a barrier againft the winds. 
 Through the middle of a garden lefs beautify'd by 
 art than nature, ran a chryftal flream, which fal- 
 ling on a bed of pebbles form'd a cafcade, whofc 
 agreeable murmur footh'd the foul to fweet mufings. 
 Not far from hence a wild vine, interweaving its 
 branches with many odoriferous fhrubs, afforded 
 all the day long a cool and refrefhing fhade. Phar- 
 nafpes had brought from Babylon the lUtues of Py- 
 ramus and Thisbe, on the pedeftals of which was 
 reprefented in Bas-relief the hillory of their mif- 
 fortuncs, which had made that city famous before 
 it became fo by its conquclls : He had placed thcfe 
 ftatues in a bower, and they were almoft the only 
 ornament with which art had beautify'd this peace- 
 ful abode, 
 
 Candaules being inform'd of her friend's retreat 
 went in all hafle to make her a vifit. Caffapdana 
 was retired into the bower of Py ramus and Thisbe. 
 The Princefs of Lydia intending to furprize her, 
 ftolc foftly along behind the trees and beheld her 
 proftrate before the ftatucs ; fhe drew ne;^r unfeen> 
 and liftening to what Ihe faid, heard her thus de- 
 plore her misfortunes. O ye Manes of chafte lo- 
 
 ' Tie defcription of "Bedarida, near the fountain cf Feuc/eufet- 
 famous for the ani-jun of Laura and Fetrarch. 
 
 4 
 
ji The Travels of Cryus^ 
 
 vera, if ye ever come into thefe places hear my 
 complaints, be witnelles of my paffion, and foften 
 the God of love in favour of two the moil unhap- 
 py of his votaries, whofe fortune refcmbles yours ; 
 let him cither pcrfed our union, or put an end to 
 my life, which ferves only to be an obftacle to the 
 happinefs of Candaules and the grandeur of Cyrus. 
 The Princcfs of Lydia could refrain no longer, but 
 cntred the bower ; the two friends embraced each 
 other, ?.nd remained a long time without words or 
 motion. Candaules was capable of ftrong and ge- 
 nerous friendfhip, fhe had never felt the power of 
 Jove, fhe had feen Cyrus with other eyes than Caf- 
 fand>ma, and continued at the court of Suza more 
 out of obedience than inclination, fo that her heart 
 had no facrifice to make ; fhe at length broke filence 
 with thefe words : Ah Cafîandana, why did you 
 conceal from me your fentiments and your affliftion? 
 Banifh your fears, Cyrus has made noimprcffion on 
 my heart, I will foon put an end to your misfor- 
 tunes without giving offence either to Crœfus or 
 Cambyfes. After this they pafs'd fevcral hours to- 
 gether, made a mutual vow of eternal fricndihip, 
 and then Candaules returned to Suza. 
 
 CyruJ was inform'd of what had pafs'd, and be- 
 ing now no longer in any fear of injuring his love, 
 began to contra(fl a very ftrifl friendfhip with the 
 Lydian Princefs. She very foon percciv'd the 
 wrong judgment fhe had made of his underflanding, 
 and became fully fenfible of the fuperiority of his 
 genius. They jointly concerted meafurcs to difturb 
 the negotiations, and he refum'd his eafy, frank and 
 chearful air. Cambyfes was rejoiced at this change, 
 imputed it to another caufe, and prefs'd the con- 
 clufion of the marriage ; but then Crœfus began to 
 diffemble : He had difcern'd that it would be much 
 morcadvantageous for him to have an alliance with the 
 King of Babylon than with the King of Perfia ; and, 
 
 4 whib 
 
First Book. jj 
 
 •while he was privately founding the difpofitions of 
 Nabuchodonofor, rais'd feveral difficulties which it 
 was impoffible for Cambyfes to have forefecn. Can- 
 daules had feen Merodac, the Aflyrian Prince, at the 
 court of Lydia, and tho' fhe was not fufceptiblc of 
 the foft paffion of love, fhe was much better pleas'd- 
 with this match than with the other ; her ambition 
 ftruck in with her friendfhip for CalTandina, and fhe 
 us'd all her endeavours to engage her father in this 
 dcfign. Mandana having learnt how Candaules 
 flood inclined, the more eafily perfuaded herfelf, 
 that the Oracles were againft the intended marriage, 
 and endeavour'd to make Cambyfes indiiferent about 
 the fuccefs of the negotiations. Cyrus who knew 
 how every one was difpos'd, drevv thence all pof- 
 lible advantage to break off the treaty. Thus reli- 
 gion, love and policy made each aft a different 
 part ; the conferences were fpun out to a great 
 length, and nothing was determin'd. But now 
 Croefus receiving intelligence that the Ki*ng of Ba- 
 bylon was not averfe from an alliance with him, 
 left Suza on a fudden without declaring the rcafons 
 of his conduft. Cambyfes was piqued at this pro- 
 ceeding, but like a wife Prince dilTerabled his rc- 
 fentment and went back to his capital. 
 
 Caffandana returned foon after to the court of 
 Perfia, and Cyrus prefs'd Mandana to fpeak to his 
 father. Cambyfes who did not eafily forfake his 
 firft opinions, was for renewing the negotiations 
 with Croefus ; but the Queen reprefented to him, 
 that Caffandana by her mother's fide was grand- 
 daughter to the King of Armenia, who was far 
 advanced in years, and had but one fon ; that in 
 cafe this Prince fliould die fhe would be heirefs of 
 that crown ; that the Oracles feem'd to difcounte- 
 nance her fon's marriage with the daughter of 
 Crœfus, having foretold that Cyrus fhould begin 
 his coh^uçIU by that of Lydia. Let us leave to 
 
 the 
 
j4 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 the Gods, fiid fhe, the care of accomplifhing their 
 own decrees, without prefcribing to them the 
 means they fhal) employ j they often fulfil their 
 defigns by fuch methods as to us would fecm cal- 
 culated to difappoint them. Two confiderablc 
 cvcnti wrought that effe6l upon the King's mind,, 
 which the Queen's follicitations would never have 
 done. Advice came that the daughter of Crcefus 
 was promised to the fon of the King of Babylon, 
 and that ihefe two Princes had entered into a flridl 
 alliance: This news difconcertcd his fchcmes ; but 
 what determin'd him at length to comply with his 
 fon's wiflies, was the death of the Prince of Ar- 
 menia, by which CafTandana became prefumptive 
 heircfs of that crown. 
 
 The nuptials were celebrated according to the 
 manner of the age and of the country. Cyrus and. 
 Caflandma were condu(flcd to the top of a high, 
 mountain confecratied to the great Oromazes ; a 
 fire of odoriferous wood was lighted ; the high, 
 pricft bound together the flowing robes of ihe two- 
 lovers as a fymbol of their union : then holding each; 
 other by the hand and furrounded by the Eflals '', 
 they danced about the {acred fire, fmging, accord- 
 ing to the religion of the ancient Pcrfians, the love 
 of Oromazes for his daughter Mythra before the 
 beginning of time ; the piflore which fhe pre- 
 fcntcd him, containing the ideas of all things; the 
 prodm^ion of innumerable worlds refcmbling thofe, 
 ideas ; the birth of the pure Genii, appointed to 
 inhabit thofe worlds ; the revolt of Arimanius againft 
 the God Mythras j the origin of the chaos, and. 
 how it was reduced to order; the fall of fpirits into 
 mortal bodies; the labours of Mythras to raife them. 
 
 ^ Ejia is a Ckaldee ivord ivhicb Jîgnîfiei fire, and. from thence 
 0cmes thi Greek tvord 'Eç-îct. Tbc Rcm.irs add V to it and m.rke 
 j'rVeflâ, as cf-'hsTTi^x tbey maks Vefpcra. Hyde Re/. j4nt* 
 ierf. c4/>. 7. 
 
 again. . 
 
Second Book. jf 
 
 again to the Empyreum ; and laftly the total d«- 
 ftru6lion of the evil Principle, who diffufes every 
 where hatred, difcord and the hellifh paffions. 
 
 The young Prince's happinefs increafed daily : 
 The more he was acquainted with the mind and 
 heart of CafTandana, the more he difcovcr'd there 
 of thofe ever new and ever blooming charms which 
 are not to be found in beauty alone. Neither mar- 
 riage which often weakens the ftrongcft paffions, 
 nor that almoft invincible fondnefs for novelty, {o 
 univcrfal in mankind, diminiih'd in the leaft the 
 mutual affedtion of thcfc happy lovers. 
 
 THE 
 
 TRAVELS 
 
 O F 
 
 CYRUS. 
 
 SECOND BOOK. 
 
 THE Prince of Perfia was fo enamour'd with. 
 Caffiindana, and his thoughts were fo en- 
 tirely employed in furnilhing amufements 
 for her, that there was great reafon to fear he would 
 give himfclf up to an indolent life. He was daily 
 inventing new fliews and entertainments unknowa 
 before in Pcrfia, and introduc'd all the divcrfions in 
 vogue at the court of Ecbatan . He gave no atten- 
 tion to bufmefs, and even neglefted military exer- 
 cifes : This kind of life exposed him continually to 
 
 be 
 
^6 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 be fcduccd by the difcourfes of the young Satrapes 
 who were about him. The Gymnofophifts were be- 
 ginning at this time to f; read abroad in Pcrfu their 
 pernicious doé^rine concerning the two principles, 
 which make men virtuous without merit, or vicious 
 without fault, by the force of an invincible fatality. 
 All the younger fort readily adopted this opinion be- 
 caufe it favoured their paflions; The Jeadly poifon 
 was ftc.iling by degrees into the heart of Cyrus, and 
 even Arafpes hclp'd to cherifli in his brcaft thefc ri- 
 fing prejudices againll religion. 
 
 Oa the borders of the Perfun gulf there had been 
 lately fettled a famous fchool of Magi, whofc doc- 
 trine was entirely oppofite to thcfc fatal errors. Cy- 
 rus had a tallc anJ a genius vrhich led him to the (lu- 
 dy of the fublimell fcienccs ; and Hyihfpcs, without 
 letting the Prince perceive his views, laid hold of 
 this advantage to r.ùtc a defire in him of converfmg 
 with thofc Sages: As they never left their folitudc, 
 fhunning the courts of Princes, and had little inter- 
 courfc with other men, Cyrus rcfolvcd to go fee 
 them in their retreat. 
 
 He undertook this journey with Cailandan.i, ac- 
 compinied by Hyllifpes, Arafpes, and feveral of the 
 Pcrfnn n.)blc<;. They crofTed the Plain oi Paflagarda, 
 travelled thro' the country of the M.irdi, and arrived 
 upon the banlis of the Arofis. They entered by a 
 narrow p\fs into a large valley, eucompafl'ed with 
 high mountains, the tops of which were covered 
 with oaks, fir-trees and lofty cedars ; Below were 
 rich partures, in which .ill forts of cattle were feed- 
 ing ; the plain looked like a garden watered by ma- 
 ny rivulets, wliich came from tiic rocks all around 
 and emptied themfclves into the Arofis. This river 
 loft itfclf between two little hills, which, as they 
 opened, prcfented to the view fuccelfivc fcenes of 
 new ohjcdl?, and difcovcrcd at diftances fruitful 
 fields, vail forcfts, and the Pcrfian gulf, which bound- 
 ed 
 
Second Book. J7 
 
 ed the horizon. Cyrus and Caflandana, as they ad- 
 vanced in the valley, were invited into a neighbour- 
 ing grove by the found of harmonious mufick. There 
 they beheld, by the fide of a clear fountain, a great 
 number of men of all ages, and over-againll them a 
 company of women, who formed a concert. They 
 underrtood that it was the fchool of the Magi, and 
 were furprizcd to fee, inftead of auftere, melancholy 
 and thoughtful men, an agreeable and polite people. 
 
 Thcfe Philofophers looked upon mufick as fome- 
 thing heavenly, and proper to calm the paffions, for 
 which reafon they alwnys began and finifhed the day 
 by concerts '. After they had given fomc little time 
 in the morning to this exercife, they led their difci- 
 j pies thro' delightful walks to the facred mountain, 
 obferving Al the way a profound filence ; there they 
 offered their homages to the Gods, rather by the 
 j voice of the heart, than of the lips. Thus by mu- 
 '; fick, pleafant walks and prayer, they prepared them- 
 ; felves for the contemplation of truth, and put the 
 foul into a fcrcnity proper for meditation ; the reft 
 of the day was fpcnt in fludy. Their only repaft 
 was a little before fun-fet, at which time they ate 
 nothing but bread, fruits, and fome portion of what 
 ' had been ofi'er'd to the Gods, concluding all with 
 concerts ol mufick. "^ Other men begin not the edu- 
 cation of their children till after they are born, but 
 the Al.igi feem'd to do it before : While their wives 
 were with child, they took care to keep them al- 
 ways in tranquillity, and a perpetual chearfulncfs, 
 by fweet and innocent amufements, to the end that 
 from the mother's womb the fruit might receive no 
 . imprcflions, but what were plcafing, peaceful and 
 agreeable to order. 
 
 Each Sage had his province in the empire of Phi- 
 lofophy ; Ibmc Iludied the virtues of plants, others 
 
 f Strat, lib, 174 " Ibid, 
 
 tkc 
 
j8 The Travels of Cyrus 
 
 1 
 
 the con-1 
 fc of the- j 
 
 the metamorphofcs of inre<fls ; fome again 
 forniation of animals, and others the cour 
 ftars: But the aim of all their refearchcs was to 
 come to the knowledge of the Gods, and of them- 
 felves. ^rhcy faid, That the fciences were no fur- 
 ther valuable than they fervcd as fteps to afcend to 
 the great Oromazes, and from thence to defcend to ; 
 man. Tho' the love of truth was the only bond of I 
 focicty among thcfe Philofophers, yet they were not i 
 without a head ; they called him the Archimagus. i 
 He, who then poffcfled that honour, was named i 
 Zarduft, or Zoroailcr ; He furpafled the reft more j 
 in wifdom than in age, for he was fcarce fifty years I 
 old ; neverthclcfs he was a confuiTimate mafter in all i 
 the fciences of the Chaldeans and Egyptian?, and 
 had even fome knowledge of the religion of the ! 
 Jews, whom he had feen at Babylon. Having ob- ! 
 fcrv'd the corruption which had crept in among the- 1 
 Magi, he had apply'd himfelf to reform their man-J 
 ners and their dodrine ". i 
 
 When Cyrus and Caflandana cntred into the' 
 grove, the allembly rofe up and worfliippcd them,'' 
 bowing themfclves to the earth, according to thej 
 cuftom of the Eall ; and then retiring left them alondj 
 with Zoroaflcr. This Philofopher led them to » 
 bower of myrtle, in the midll of which was the ftatue 
 of a wom^n, which he had carved with his own 
 hands. I'hcy all three fit down in this place upon a 
 feat of verdant turf, and Zoroafter entertained thc' 
 Prince and Princefs with a difcourfe of the life, man- 
 ners and virtues of the Magi. While he was fpeak- 
 ing, he frequently call a look upon the ftatue, and 
 as he beheld it his eyes were bathed in tears. Cyru» 
 and CifTmdina obfcrved his forrow at firft with a re- 
 fpc^ttul filence, but afterwards thc Princefs could 
 not forbear asking him the reafon of it. That ftatue, 
 
 5 jigatbiai. dt Zor, and Sir JJttat Nrwtoti Chron, p. 348. 
 
 anfwercd 
 
Second Book. jp 
 
 anfwercd he, is the flatue of Selima, who heretofore 
 lov'd me, as you now love Cyrus. It is here that I 
 come to fpend my fwceteil and my bitterell moments. 
 In fpite of wifdom, which fubmits me to the will of 
 the Gods ; in fpite of the pleafures I tafle in Philo- 
 fophy ; in fpite of the infenfibility I am in, with re- 
 gard to all human grandeur, the remembrance of Se- 
 lima often renews my regrets and my tears. True 
 virtue, tho' it regulates the paffions, does not ex- 
 tinguifli tender fentiments. Thefe words gave Cy- 
 rus and CafTandana a curioiity to know the hiilory of 
 Selima. The Philolbphcr would have excufcd him- 
 felf, but he had already betray'd his fecrct by the 
 fenfibility he h?>d fhewn, and could not go back with- 
 out failing in due rcfpe6t to perfons of fuch high 
 rank: Having therefore wip'd away his tears he thus 
 began his narration. I am not afraid of letting you 
 know my weaknefs; but I fliould avoid the recital I 
 am going to make, if I did not forefee that you iliay 
 reap fome ufeful indrudlion from it. I was born % 
 Prince ; my father was fovereign of a little territory 
 lin the Indies, which is called the country of the So- 
 phites. Having loft my way one day when I was 
 "lunting, I chanced to fee in the thick part of a 
 rvood a young maid, who was there repofmg her- 
 clf. Her furprizing beauty immediately ftruck me; 
 ! became immoveable, and duril not advance ; I 
 jmaginM flie was one of thofe aerial fpirits, who de- 
 I'ccnd fometimes from the throne of Oromazes, to 
 j:ondu6l fouls back to the Empyreum. Seeing her- 
 self alone with a man, flie fled, and took refuge in a 
 emple that was near the forclh I durfl not follow 
 ler J but I learnt that her name was Selima, that 
 he was daughter of an old Brachman, who dwelt in 
 hat temple, and that fhe was confecrated to the wor- 
 hip of the fire. The Eilals may quit celibacy and 
 narry ; but while they continue prieftefl;es of the 
 ire, the laws are fo fevcre among the Indians, that a 
 
 father 
 
40 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 father thinks it an a6l of religion to throw his daugh- 
 ter alive into the flames, fhould flie ever fall from 
 that purity of manners which fhc has fworn to pre- 
 fcrve. 
 
 My father was yet living, and I was not in a con- 
 dition to force Selinia from that afylum ; nay had I 
 been King, Princes have no right in that country 
 over pcrfons confecrated to religion. However all 
 thefc difficulties did but incrcafe my paffion ; and the 
 violence of it quicken'd my ingenuity : I left my fa- 
 ther's palace ; I was young, a Prince, and I did not 
 confult reafon. I difguis'd myfelf in the habit of a 
 girl, and went to the temple where the old Brach- 
 man lived. I deceived him by a feign'd ftory, and 
 became one of the Eftals, under the name of Amana. 
 The King, my father, who was difconlblate for my 
 fudden leaving him, ordered fearch to be made for 
 me every where, but to no purpofe. Selima not 
 knowing my fex, conceiv'd a particular liking and 
 friendfliip for me. I never left her ; we pafs'd our 
 lives together in working, reading, walking, and 
 ferving at the altars. I often told her fables and af- 
 feding ftories, in order to paint forth the wonderful 
 etfedts of friendfhip and of love. My defign was to 
 prepire her by degrees for the final difcovery of my 
 intentions. I fometimcs forgot myfelf while I was 
 fpeaking, and" was fo carried away by my vivacity, 
 that fhc often interrupted me, and faid, One would 
 think, Amana, to hear you fpeak, that you feel in 
 this moment all that you defcribe. I liv'd in this 
 manner federal months with her, and it was not pof- 
 fible for her to difcover either my dilguife or my 
 pafTion. As my heart was not corrupted, I had no 
 criminal view ; I imagin'd, that if I could engage 
 her to love me, fhe would forfake her flate of life to 
 fhare my crown with me : I was continually waiting 
 for a favourable moment, to reveal to her my fcnti- 
 ments ; but alas ! that moment never came. 
 
 It 
 
Second Book. 41 
 
 It was a cuftom among the Eftals, to go divers 
 times in the year upon a liigh mountain, there to 
 kindle the facred fire, and to offer facrifices : We all 
 went up thither one day, accompany'd only by the 
 old Brachman. Scarce was the iacrificc begun, 
 when we were furrounded by a body of men, arm'd 
 with bows and arrows, who carry'd away Selima 
 and her father. They were ail on horfeback ; I 
 followed them fome time, but they entcr'd into a 
 wood, and I faw them no more. I did not re- 
 turn to the temple, but Hole away from the Eftals, 
 changed my drefs, took another difguile, and for- 
 fook the Indies. I forgot my father, my country, 
 and all my obligations ; I wandcr'd over all Afia 
 in fcarch of Selima : What cannot love do in a 
 young heart given up to its paflion ? One day, as 
 I was croiTmg the country of the Lycians, I llopt 
 in a great foreft to flieltcr my felf from the exceflive 
 heat. I prefently fiw a company of hunters pafs 
 by, and a little after fcveral women, among whom 
 I thought I difcover'd Selima: She was in a hunt- 
 ing drcfs, mounted upon a proud courfer, and 
 dillinguilh'd from all the reft by a coronet of flow- 
 ers. She pafs'd by me fo fwiftly, that I could not 
 be furc whether my conj eft urcs were well founded; 
 but I went ftrait to the capital. 
 
 The Lycians were at that time govern'd by wo- 
 men, which form of government was eftablifh'd a- 
 mong them upon the following occafion. Some 
 years ago the men became fo effeminate during a 
 long peace, that their thoughts were wholly taken 
 up about their drefs. They affeéled the difcourfc, 
 manners, maxims, and all the imperfeftions of wo- 
 men, without having cither their fweetnefs or their 
 delicacy ; and while they gave themfelves up to 
 infamous lazinefs, the moft abominable vices took 
 the place of lovely paffions ; they defpis'd the Ly- 
 cian women, and treated them like ilaves ; A foreign 
 
 war 
 
4i The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 war came upon them ; the men being grown cow- 
 ardly and effeminate were not able to defend their 
 country, they fled and hid themfelves in caves and 
 caverns ; the women, being accuflom'd to fatigue, 
 by the flavery they had undergone, took arms, drove 
 away the enemy, became miltrcffes of the country, 
 and eftablifli'd themfelves in authority by an im- 
 mutable law. From that time the Lycians habitu- 
 ated themfelves to this form of government, and 
 found it the mildeft and mod convenient. Their 
 Queens had a council of fenators, who alfifled them 
 with their advice : The men proposed good laws, 
 but the executive power was in the women. The 
 fweetnefs and foftnefs of the fex prevented all the 
 milchiefs of tyranny ; and the counfel of the wife 
 fenators qualify'd that inconllancy, with which wo- 
 men are rcproach'd. 
 
 I underrtood that the mother of Sclima having 
 been dethroned by the ambition of a kinfwoman, 
 her firll miniâcr had fled to the Indies with the 
 young Princefs ; that he had liv'd there fcveral 
 years as a Brachman, and fhe as an Ellal ; that thi» 
 old man having always maintained a correfpondence 
 with t^e friends of the royal family, the young 
 Queen had been reftor'd to the throne after the 
 death of the ufurper ; that fhe governed with the 
 wifdom of a perfon who had experienced misfor- 
 tunes ; and lailly, that fhe had always cxprefs'd an 
 invincible diflike to marriage. This news gave me 
 an inexprelTible joy ; I thank'd the Gods for hav- 
 ing conduced me by fuch wonderful ways near 
 the objedl of my heart ; I implor'd their help, and 
 promis'd never to love but once, if they would fa- 
 vour my paflion. 
 
 I then confider'd by what method I (hould in- 
 troduce my felf to the Queen ; and finding that 
 war was the moft proper, I enter'd into the fer- 
 vice. There I diHinguifiVd myfelf very foonj for I 
 
 refus'd 
 
 i 
 
s E C N D B O K. 45 
 
 refus'd no fatigue, I avoided no danger, I fought 
 the moll hazArdous enterprizcs. Upon a day of bat- 
 tle, on the fuccefs of which the liberty of Lycia de- 
 pended, the Carians put our troops into diforder : 
 *Twas in a large plain, out of which there was but 
 one narrow pafs for the fugitives to efcapc. I gain'd 
 this pafs, and threatened to pierce with my javelin 
 whoever fhould attempt to force it. In this manner 
 I rally'd our troops, and returned to charge the ene- 
 my ; I routed them and obtained a complete viétory. 
 This a6lion drew the attention of all the army upon 
 me : Nothing was fpoken of but my courage ; and 
 all the foldiers call'd me the deliverer of their coun- 
 try. I was conduded to the Queen's prefence, who 
 could not recollcft me ; for we had been feparated 
 fix years, and grief and fatigue had alter'd my fea- 
 tures. She ask'd me my name, my country, my fa- 
 mily, and feem'd to examine my face with a more 
 than common curiofity. I thought I difcovered by 
 lier eyes an inward emotion, which fhe endeavoured 
 to hide. Strange capricioufnefs of love ! Hereto- 
 fore I "had thought her an Eftal of mean birth ; yet 
 I had refolved to fliare my crown with her. This 
 moment I conceived a defign of engaging her to 
 love me as I had lov'd her ; I conceal'd my country 
 and my birth, and told her, I was born in a village 
 of Badlria, of a very obfcure family ; upon this fhe 
 fuddenly withdrew without anfwering me. 
 
 Not long after, fhe gave me, by the advice of her 
 fenators, the command of the army ; by which I had 
 free acccfs to her perfon. She us'd frequently to 
 fend for me, under pretence of bufiaefs, w^hen ihe 
 had nothing to fay; Die took apleafure in diicourfmg 
 with me. I often painted forth my own fentiments 
 to her under borrow'd names; the Greek and Egyp- 
 tian Mythology, which I h^d learn'd in my travels, 
 furnilhed me with abundant arguments to prove, that 
 the Gods were heretofore cnamour'd with mortals, 
 
 D an4 
 
>(.4 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 and that love makes all conditions equal. T renicm- . 
 bcr, that one day while I was relating to her a ftory 
 of this kind flie left me in a great emotion ; I difco- 
 ver'd by that her hidden fentiments ; and it gave me 
 an incxpreffible plealure to find that fhe then lov'd 
 me as I had lov'd her. I had frequent converfation 
 
 .%vith her, by which her confidence in me daily in- 
 creased : I fometimes made her call to mind the mif- 
 
 > fortunes of her early youth î and flic then gave me 
 an account of her living among the Ertals, her fricnd- 
 fhip for Amana, and their mutual afFeftion. Scarce 
 was I able to contain myfelf v/hen I heard her fpeak j 
 
 ,1 was jufl ready to throw off my difguife ; but my 
 falfe delicacy required yet farther, that Selima fliould 
 
 , do for me what I would have done for her. I wa* 
 quickly fatisfy'd; an extraordinary event made mc 
 experience all the extent and power of her love. 
 
 By the laws of Lycia the perfon who governs is 
 not permitted to marry a ilranger. Selima fent for: 
 ine one day, and faid to me : My fubjeds defire that [ 
 I would marry ; go tell them from me, that I will : 
 confcnt, upon condition that they leave me free in • 
 my choice : She fpoke thefe works with a majeftick ; 
 sair, and almoft without looking upon me. At firft 
 Î trembled, then flatter'd iny{di\ then fell into, 
 doubt ; for I knew the Lycians to be llrongly at- 
 tach'd to their laws : I went nevcrthelefs to execute ^ 
 the commands I had received. When the council ^ 
 was alTembled I laid before them the Queen's plea- 
 furc, and after much dilpute it was agreed, That ihe 
 ihould be left free to chufe herfclf a husband. I car- 
 lied Selima the refult of their deliberation: She then 
 direded me to afTemble the tro©ps in the fame plaia 
 where I had obtained the victory over the Carians, 
 and to hold myfelf ready to obey her farther orders : 
 
 .She likewife commanded all the principal men of the 
 nation to repair to the fame place. A magnificent 
 tliTone being there eredcd, the Queen appear 'd upon ' 
 
 it 
 
Second Book. 4f 
 
 Jt eiïcîrcled by her courtiers, and fpoke to the af-' 
 fembly in the following manner : People of Lycia^ 
 ever fince I began my reign I have Ilri(a:ly obferved 
 your laws j I have appear'd at the head of your ar- 
 mies, and have obtain'd feveral vidlories : My only 
 lludy has been to naake you free and happy. Is ic 
 juft that fhe who has been the preferver of your li- 
 berty fhould be herfelf a Have ? Is it equitable that 
 file who continually fceks your happinefs fhould be 
 herfelf miferable ? There is no unhappinefs equal td 
 that of doing violence to on'cs own heart. When 
 the heart is under a conflraint, grandeur and royalty 
 ferve only to give us a quicker fenfe of our flavery. 
 r demand therefore to be free in my choice. 
 
 This difcourfe was applauded by the whole afTem- 
 biy, who immediately cried out, You are free, yoa 
 are difpens'd from the law. The Queen fent me or- 
 ders to advance at the head of the troops. As foon 
 as I was come near the throne fhe rofe up, and, 
 pointing to me with her hand, There, faid fhe, is my 
 husband ; he is a flranger, but his fervices make 
 him the father of the country ; he is not a Prince, 
 but his merit puts him upon a kvel with Kings. She 
 then order'd me to come up to her ; I proltratcd my- 
 felf at her feet, and took all the ufual oaths ; I promis'd 
 to renounce my country for ever, to look upon the' 
 Lycians as my children, and, above all, never to love 
 any other than the Queen. After this fhe flepp'd 
 down from the throne, and we were conduced back 
 to the capital with pomp, amidft the acclamations of 
 the people. As foon as we were alone. Ah Selima! 
 faid I, have you then forgot Amana ? 'Tis impofTible 
 to exprefs the Queen's furprife or the tranfport of 
 affection and joy which thefe words gave her. She 
 knew me, and conjedur'd all the rell ; I had no need 
 to fpeak, and we were both a long time filent : At 
 length I told her my family, my adventures and all 
 the efFcdts that love had produced in me, She very 
 
4<^ The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 foon afiembled her council, and acquainted them 
 with. my birth ; ambaiîadors were lent to the Indies; 
 I renounc'd my crown and country for ever, and 
 my brother was confirmed in the pofieffion of my 
 throne. 
 
 This was an eafy facrifice ; I was in polTcffion of 
 Sclima, and my happinefs was complete : But alas ! 
 this happinefs was of fhort continuance. In giying 
 myfelf up to my pafTion, I had renounced my coun- 
 try, I had forfaken my father whofe only confolation 
 I was, I had forgot all my duty : My love, which 
 fe^m'd fo delicate, fo generous, and was the admi. 
 ration of men, was not approved of by the Gods.-; 
 accordingly they punilh'd me for it by the greateft 
 of all misfortunes ; they took Selima from me, fhc 
 dy'd within a few days after our marriage. I gave 
 myfelf up to the mod exceffive forrow ; but the Gods 
 did not abandon me. I enter'd deeply into myfelf; 
 wifdom defccndcd into my heart, fhe opened the eyes 
 of my underllanding, and I then comprehended the 
 admirable myftery of the condu6l of Oromazes. Vir- 
 tue is often unhappy, and this- (hocks the reafon of 
 fhort-fighted men ; but they are ignorant that the 
 tranfient fufferings of this life are defign'd by the 
 Gods to expiate the fecret faults of thofc who appear 
 the moft virtuous. Thefe refleftions determin'd me 
 to confecrate the reft of my days to the fludy of wif- 
 dom. Sclima was dead, my bonds were broken, I 
 was no longer tied to any thing in nature ; the 
 whole earth appear'd to me a defart ; I could not 
 reign in Lycia after the death of Selima, and I 
 would not remain in a country where every thing 
 continually renew'd the remembrance of my lofs. I 
 .return'd to the Indies, and went to live among the 
 Brachmans, where I form'd a new plan of happi- 
 nefs. Being freed from that ilavery which always 
 accompanies grandeur, I eflablifh'd within myfelf an 
 cmpixc over my pafiions and délires, more glorious 
 
 and 
 
Se c o n d B o o k. 47 
 
 and faiisfâdory than the falfe luftre of royalty. But 
 now notwithftanding my retreat and the diftance I 
 was at, my brother conceiv'd a jealouly of me, as if 
 I had been ambitious of afcending the throne, and I 
 was obliged once more to leave the Indies. My ex- 
 ile prov'd a new fource of happinefs to me ; it de- 
 pends upon ourfelves to reap advantage from misfor- 
 tunes. I vifitcd the wife men of Afia, and conveifed 
 with the philofophers of dificrent countries : I 
 learn'd their laws and their religion, and was charm'd 
 to find, That the great men ofall times, and of all 
 places, had the fame ideas of the Divinity, and of 
 morality. At laft I came hither upon the banks of 
 the Afofis, where the Magi have chofen me for their 
 head. 
 
 Here Zoroafter ended ; Cyrus and Caffmdana 
 were too much afFe6led to be able to fpeak. Alter 
 fome moments of lilence, the Philofopher diicours'd 
 to them of the happinefs which faithful lovers en- 
 joy in theempyreum when they meet again there ; 
 he then- concluded with thefe wifhes : May you long 
 feel the happinefs of mutual and undivided love ! May 
 the Gods preferve you from that depravity of heart 
 which makes pleafures lofe their rclilh when once 
 they become lawful ! May you, after the tranfports 
 of a lively and pure palTion in your younger years, 
 experience in a more advanced age all the charms of 
 that union which diminifhes the pains of life, and aug- 
 ments its pleafures by fharing them ! May a long 
 and agreeable old age let you fee your diftant pofteri- 
 ty multiplying the race of heroes upon earth ! May 
 at laft one and the fame day unite the afhes of both> 
 to exempt you from the misfortune of bewailing 
 hke me the lofs of what you love ! My only com- 
 fort is the hope of feeing Zelima again in the fpherc 
 of fire, the pure element of love. Souls make ac- 
 quaintance only here below ; it is above that their 
 union is confummated. O Selima,. Selima, we (hall 
 D 3 one 
 
48 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 one day meet again, and our flame will be eternal" ; ' 
 I know, that in thofc fupcrior regions your happincis 
 will not be complete till I fhall Ihar^ it with you ; 
 thofe who have lov'd each other purely will, love for 
 jcvcr; true love is immortal. 
 
 The hiftory which Zoroafter had given of his- 
 •own life made a llrong imprelTion upon the Prince 
 ;ind Princefs ; it confirm'd them in their mutual ten- 
 iiernefs, and in their love of virtue ; they fpcnt fome, 
 ■time with the Sage in his folitude before they re- 
 turned to the court of Carabyfes. It was during 
 this retreat that Zoroafter initiated Cyrus into all the 
 jnyilerics of the Eaftern vvifdom. The Chaldeans, 
 «he Egyptians and the Gymnofophifls had a wonder- 
 ful knowledge of nature, but they vvrapp'd it up in 
 allegorical fables : And this doubtlefs is the reafon 
 that venerable antiquity has been reproach'd witl^ 
 ignorance in natural philofophy. Zoroafter laid ope» 
 Wfore Cyrus the fecrets of nature, not merely to gra- 
 tify his curiofity, but to make him obferve the 
 marks of an infinite wifdom diffused throughout the 
 univerfe, and thereby to guard his mind againft ir- 
 réligion. 
 
 One while he made him admire the ftru£lure of 
 the human body, the fprings of which it is compps'd, 
 5nd the liquors that flow in it ; the canals, the 
 pumps and the bafons which are form'd by the mere 
 interweaving of the fibres, in order to feparate, pu- 
 rify, conduct and reconduct the liquids into all the 
 extremities of the body ; then the levers and the 
 cords, form'd by the bones and mufcles, in order to 
 the various motions of the members. It is thus, 
 iaid the Philofopher, that our body is a furpriling 
 contexture of tubes, branch'd out into endlefs divi- 
 iions and fubdivifions, which have a communication 
 with one another, while different and fuitable li- 
 quors are infinuated into them, and are there pre- 
 par'd according to the rules of the moft cxaft me- 
 
 chanifm. 
 
Second Bo ok. ^fp 
 
 chanrfm. An infinity of fmall imperceptible fprings, 
 tlie conftruftion and motions of which we are igno- 
 rant of, are continually playing in our bodies ; and 
 it is therefore evident that nothing but a fovereign 
 intelligence could produce, adjufl and prefervc fo 
 compounded, fo delicate and fo admirable a machine. 
 The life of this machine depend^ on the freedom and 
 amenity with which the liquids fiow in the various 
 canals ; all our difeafes on the other hand proceed 
 from the thicknefs of the liquids, which flopping in 
 thofe imperceptible veflcls choak them up, fwell and 
 relax them j or from the acrimony cf the juices, 
 which prick, disjoin and tear thoie delicate fibres. 
 Indolence occafions the firft, and intemperance the 
 fécond ; for which reafons the Pcrfun laws have 
 wifely enjoin'd fobriety and exercife, as nccefTary to 
 prevent the enfeebling both of the political and na- ■ 
 lural body. 
 
 At another time he cxplain'd to him the configu- 
 ration of plants, and the transformation of infeéls. 
 They had not our optick glafTes to magnify objeéls 
 and bring them near ; but the penetrating fpirit of 
 ^oroafter faw farther than the eye can reach by their 
 help ; bccaufe he was acquainted not only with all 
 -the experiments of the ancients and their traditions, 
 but alfo with the occult * fciences revealed by the 
 Genii to the iirft men. Each feed, faid he, contains 
 within it a plant of its own fpecic», this plant an- 
 other feed, and this feed another little plant, and (o 
 on without end. Thefe organic molds cannot be 
 form'd by the fimple laws of motion : They are the 
 firrt produdlion of the great Oromazes, who origi- 
 nally inclofed within each feed all the bodies to be 
 derived from it. None but he alone could thus con- 
 ceal innumerable wonders in a fingle imperceptible 
 atom. The growth of vegetables is but the unfolding 
 
 * See 'Bccrbaave Clem, p, z, and 7, 
 
 D 4 •£ 
 
JO The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 of the fibres, membranes and branches by the moî- 
 llure of the earth, which in an admirable manner in- 
 .finuates itfelf into them. Every plant has two forts 
 of pipes ; the one fill'd with air are like lungs to it, 
 the other iilPd with fap may be compar'd to arteries- 
 In the day time the heat of the fun rarefies, fwoils 
 and dilates the air contain'd in the jfirft fort, fo that 
 'they comprefs the other, and thereby break the par- 
 ticles of the fap, refine it and make it rife, in order 
 10 the produdion of leaves, flowers and fruits. The 
 fame air growing cool during the night is condcns'd 
 and contra6led, and no longer prefTes upon the ali- 
 mentary tubes; fo that thefe being opened and di- 
 lated receive the moifture of the earth, pregnant 
 with faits, fulphurs and minerals, which the prc.f- 
 furc of the atmofphere forces in thro' the roots : It 
 is thus that the plants feed in the night and digefl in 
 the day ; the nutritive fap being diHributed through 
 all the branches at length perfpires, and fpurting out 
 of their fmall delicate pipes with an incredible force, 
 forms an infinité number ofjâts d'eau : Thefe fpouts 
 meet, mix, crofs one another, and perhaps ferve for 
 an entertainment of the aerial Genii, before whom 
 the wonders of nature lie all unveird. One blade 
 of grafs prefents more various and amazing objeéls 
 to their view,, than all the water-works in the in- 
 chanted gardens of the King of Babylon. If poets 
 were phibfophers, the bare defcription of nature 
 would furnifh them with more agreeable piflures 
 than all their allegorical paintings ;. the poor refource 
 of a hood-wink'd imagination, when reafon does not 
 lend it t.yti to difcern the beauty of the works of 
 Qromazes. Zoroaftcr then jQiew'd the Prince the 
 trees, plants and roots, the gums, bitters and aro- 
 maticks which help to dilîblve, attenuate and liquify 
 our juices v/hen they grow too thick; to pound, 
 blunt and abforb the humours when too iharp ; to 
 fortify, repair and give a new tention to the fibres 
 Î whea 
 
Second B o o ic ft 
 
 when weakened, torn or relaxed. Heroes were in 
 former times philofophers, and conquerors were 
 fond of knowing themfelves how to repair in part 
 the mifchiefs occafion'd by their battels and vic- 
 tories. 
 
 After this the Philofopher gave Cyrus a view of 
 the wonderful art difcoverable in the formation of 
 infefts. Their eggs, faid he, fcattered in the air, 
 upon the earth, and in the waters, meet in each 
 with proper receptacles, and wait only for a favour- 
 able ray of the fun to hatch them. Sometimes 
 they are worms crawling upon the earth ; then fifhes 
 fwimming in liquors ; and at laft they get wings, 
 and rife into the air. Thefe almoft invifible ma- 
 chines have in each of them numberlefs fprings at 
 work, which furnifli and prepare liquors fuited to 
 rheir wants. V/hat mechanifm, what art, what 
 frefh and endlefs proofs have we here of an infinite 
 wifdom which produces all ! 
 
 At another time, the Sage carried the thoughts 
 of Cyrus up into the higher regions, to contem- 
 plate the various phaenomena which happen in the 
 air. He explained to him the wonderful qualities 
 of this fubtile and invifible fluid which encompafles 
 the earth in order to comprefs all the parts of it, 
 keep each of them in its proper place, and liinder 
 them from difuniting ; how neceflary it is to the 
 life of animals, the growth of plants, the flying of 
 birds, the forming of founds, and numberlefs other 
 ufeful and important efl^efts. This fluid, faid he, being 
 agitated, heated, cooled again, comprcfs'd, dilated, one 
 while by the rays ©f the fun, or the fubterraneous 
 fires, fometimes by the faits and fulphurs which 
 float in it, at other times by nitres which fix and 
 congeal it, fometimes by clouds which comprefs 
 it, and often by other caufes which deftroy the e- 
 .quilibrium of its parts, produces all forts of winds, 
 the moll impetuous of which {çxvQ to difpel the 
 
 D 5 * noxious 
 
fz The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 noxious vapours, and the fofter breezes to temper 
 the exceffive heats. At other times the rays of the 
 fun, infinuating therafelves into the little drops of 
 dew which water the furface of the earth, rarefy 
 them, and thereby make them lighter than the air; 
 fo that they afcend into it, form vapours, and float 
 there at different heights, according as they are more 
 tor lefs heavy. The fun having drawn up thefc va- 
 pours loaded with fulphur, minerals and different 
 iinds of faits, they kindle in the air, put it into a 
 «ommotion, and caufe thunder and lightening. O- 
 iher vapours that are lighter gather into clouds and 
 iloat in the air ; but wljen they become too heavy 
 ibey fall in dews, fhowers of rain, fnow and hail, 
 according as the air is more or lefs heated. Thofe 
 .vapours which are daily drawn from the fca, and 
 ^rried in the air by the winds to the tops of moun- 
 tains, fall there, foak into them, and meet in their 
 inward cavities, where they increafe and fwell till 
 they find a vent, or force a paffage, and fo become 
 plenteous fprings of refrefliing water. By thefe arc 
 ibrm'd rivulets of which the fmaller rivers are 
 compos'd } and thefe latter again form the great ri- 
 irers which return into the fea to repair the lofs it 
 had fuffered by the ardent rays of the fun. Thu5 it 
 is that all the irregularities and intemperature of the 
 elements which feem to dcftroy nature in one fear 
 Ton, ferve to revive it in another : The immoderate 
 licatsof fummer, and the exceffive cold of winter, 
 prepare the beauties of the fpring, and the rich 
 fruits of autumn. All thefe viciffitudes, which feem 
 1© fuperficial minds the effcds of a fortuitous con- 
 tourfe of irregular caufes, are regulated according 
 to weight and meafure, by that fovercign WifdoDi 
 who weighs the earth as a grain of fand, and the fea 
 as a drop of water. 
 
 Then Zoroafter raised his thoughts to the liars, 
 and €xplain'd to Cyrus how they all float i,D an ac- 
 
Second Book. j^j 
 
 live, uniform and infinitely fubtile fluid, which fills 
 and pervades all nature. This invifible matter, faid 
 he, does not aâ: by the neccflary law of a blind 
 mechanifm. It is, as it were, the ■ body of the 
 great Oromazes whofe foul is truth. By the one he 
 afts upon all bodies, and by the other he enlightens 
 all fpirits. His vivifying prefence gives aélivity to 
 this pure aether, which becomes thereby the prima- 
 ry mechanical fpring of all the motions in the hea- 
 vens and upon the earth : It caufes the fixed flars 
 to turn upon their axes while it makes the plauels 
 circulate round thofe flars ; it tranfmits with an in- 
 credible velocity the light of thofe heavenly bodies, 
 as the air does founds ; and its vibrations as they are 
 more or Icfs quick produce the agreeable variety of 
 colours, a& thofe of the air do the melodious notes 
 of muHck. Lallly, the fluidity of liquids, the co- 
 hefion of folids, the gravitation, elallicity, attrac- 
 tion and fermentation of bodies, the fcnfation of a- 
 nimals, and the vegetation of plants come all fron» 
 the adion of this exceedingly fubtile** SPIRIT 
 
 which 
 
 * Tbcfe ivbo are uracqaainted ivith the fiyle cf antiquity 
 imagine that Zoroajicr and Pythagoras make tb$ Deity corporeal 
 by this exprejjion, and that it ga've cccajion to the error of the 
 Stoic ks, ivho believed the divine EJfence an ethtreal matter i 
 hut the cmtrary is evident by the definitions Kvhicb thofe ttuo 
 pbilojophers give of the Divinity, [Difc.p. 2. and p. lo, ll.)It 
 feems to me-, that by the body of (3cJ, they mean nothing morg 
 than ivhat Sir Ifaac Neivton e:xprejfes by tkefe nvords ,• Deus 
 ubique prxfcns vjur.tate fua corpora omnia in infinite fuo uni- 
 formi SEMSORIO movet, adeoque cunSias mundi univerjl 
 partes ad arbitrium Juum fingit e?" refingit, multo magis quam 
 anima noflra 'ucluntate fua ad corporis ttojiri membra movenda 
 •valtt. Opt. p. ^n. 
 
 k Tbeje are the very words of Sir Ifaac Neivton, jfdjicere 
 
 jam licet ncnnulla de SPIRITU quodam SVBTILISSI' 
 
 . MO corpora craffa pervadente, & in iifdem latente, cvjus ^jî 
 
 <tr aEliomhus particule corporum ad minimas difatitias fe mufuo 
 
 AJTKAUUNT, &- contigux faBa, COHz/ERENT, & 
 
 rttrpurç. ELECTRIC A agunt ad difîanti$5 majores-, ér 
 
 D 6 hV^ 
 
5*4 The Travels or Cyrus. 
 
 which difFufes itfelf throughout all the immcnfit)r . 
 of fpace. The fame fimple caufe produces numbcr- 
 lefs, and even contrary effefls, yet without any con- 
 fufjon in fo infinite a variety of motions. 
 
 We are flruck with furprize, continued the Phi- 
 lofopher, to fee all the wonders of nature, which 
 difcover themfelves to our fhort and feeble fight; 
 but how great would be our amazement, if we 
 could tranfport ourfelves into thofe sethcrial fpaces, 
 and pafs through them with a rapid flight ? Each 
 ilar would appear an atom in comparifon of the im- 
 mcnfity with which it is furroundcd: What would our 
 wonder be, if defcending afterwards upon earth, we 
 could accommodate our eyes to the minutenefs of 
 objefts, and purfue the fmalleft grain of fand thro' 
 " its infinite divifibility ? Each atom would appear a 
 world, in which we fhould doubtlefs difcover new 
 beauties. There is nothing great, nothing little in 
 itfelf; both the great and the little difappear 
 by turns to prefent every where an image of infinity 
 ' through all the works of Oromazes. What a folly 
 is it then to go about to explain the ^ original of 
 things by the mere laws of matter and motion ? 
 The univerfe is the work of the great Oromazes > 
 he prcferves and governs it by general laws, but 
 
 X VX emittitvri refieBitur, refringiturt înfieBîîuri ^ calefa- 
 git; & SENSATIO coin is txcitatur, & M E MTi R A 
 jîNIMALIUMad •voluntatem meventur. He never denied 
 A juhtih matter in this Jenfe^ 'and it is in this Jen je that 1 aU 
 tvays underjîand it. See Difc, p. 14, 
 
 ^ Fhiiofofhia naturalis id reverà pracipuum efi ^ officium 
 .. <*^ jpnis ut ex phanomenis Jine JiBis hypothefibus arguamus, Ô' 
 4ih effeBii ratiocinât iene progrediamur ad caufaSy donee ad ipfam 
 dentum perveniamus caufam primam, qu/e Jine omni dubio viecha- 
 ■nica non eji..., atque his quidem rite expeditis, ex phanomenis 
 €onJîabit ejfe Entem incorporeutn viventem, intelligentem cmni- 
 frxjentem qui in Jpatio injinito tanquam Senjorio Juo res ipjas 
 intime cernât} penifùs perjpiciat, tùtojqut iptra Je prajentes 
 4mph£tatur, Nswt, Opt, p, ij^. 
 
Second Book. jrf 
 
 thefe laws are free, arbitrary, and even diverfify'd 
 in the different regions of immenfity, according td 
 the effeds he wou'd there produce, and the various 
 relations he would ellablifh between bodies and fpi- 
 rits. It is from him that every thing flows ; it is in 
 him that every thing exifts ; it is by him that every 
 thing lives; and to him alone fhould all things be 
 refer'd. Without him all nature is an inexplicable 
 senigma ; with him the mind conceives every thing 
 pofTible, even at the fame time that it is fenfible of 
 its own ignorance and narrow limits. 
 
 Cyrus was charmed with this inftru<flion ; new 
 worlds feem'd to be unveiPd before him ; where 
 have I liv'd, faid he, till now ? The fimpleft objeds 
 contain wonders which efcape my fight : Evcfy 
 thing bears the mark of an infinite wifdom and 
 power. The great Oromazes, ever prefcnt to his 
 work, gives to all bodies their forms and their mo- 
 tions, to all fpirits their reafon and their virtues ; 
 He beholds them all in his immenfity ; he governs 
 them, not by any neceffary laws of mechanifm ; he 
 makes and he changes the laws by which he rules 
 them, as it beft fuits with the defigns of his juftice 
 and goodnefs. 
 
 While Cyrus was thus entertained with the con- 
 vcrfation of Zoroafter, Cafiandana affifted, with the 
 wives of the Magi, in celebrating the feflival of the 
 Goddefs Mythra. The ancient Perfians adored but 
 one folc fupreme Deity, but they confider'd the 
 God Mythras and the Goddefs Mythra, fometiraes 
 as tw© emanations from his fubftance, and at other 
 times as the firft produflions of his power. Every- 
 day was facred to the great Oromazes, becaufe he 
 was never to be forgotten : But the feflival of the 
 Goddefs Mythra was obferved only towards the end 
 of the fpring, and that of Mythras about the be- 
 ginning of autumn, During the firft, which lafted 
 teA. days, the womçn performed all the prieftly 
 
 fun<^ions^ 
 
f6 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 fun<5lions, and the men did not affift at it ; as on 
 the other hand the women were not admitted to 
 the- celebration of the laft. This reparation of the 
 two fcxes was thought neceflary, in order to preferve 
 the foul from all imaginations which might profane 
 its joys in thefe folemn feftivals. 
 
 The ancient Perfians had neither temples nor al- 
 tars ; they facriiiced upon high mountains and emi- 
 nences ; nor did they ufe libations, or mufic, or 
 hall©w'd bread. Zoroafter had made no change in 
 the old rites, except by the introduftion of mufic 
 into divine worfhip. At break of doy all the wives 
 of the Magi being crowned with myrtle and cloath'd 
 in long white robes, walk'd two and two with a 
 flow grave pace to the mount of Mythra; they 
 were follow'd by their daughters clad in fine linen 
 and leading the vidlims adorned with wreaths of all 
 colours. The fummit of the hill was a plain co- 
 vered with a facred wood ; feveral viftas were cut 
 thro' it, and all centered in a great circus, which 
 had been turned into a delightful garden. In the 
 middle of this garden there fprang a fountain, whofe 
 compliant waters took all the forms which art was 
 pleafed to give them. After many windings and 
 turnings thefe chryfial ftreams crept on to the decli- 
 vity of the hill, and there falling down in a rapid 
 torrent from rock to rock froth'd and foam'd, and 
 at length lofl: themfelves in a deep river which ran 
 at the foot of the facred mount. 
 
 When the procefijon arrived at the place of fa- 
 crifice two fheep white as fnow were led to the 
 brink of the fountain ; and while the priellefs of- 
 fered the viftims the choir of women Itrack their 
 lyres, and the young virgins joined their voices 
 iinging this facred hymn. ' Oromazes is the firll 
 
 * of incorruptible natures, eternal, unbegotten, fclf- 
 
 * fufficient, of all that'o excellent moft excellent, the 
 
 * vvifeil of all intelligences i ne beheld himfelf in 
 .' * the 
 
s E C O N D B O K. ^J 
 
 ' the mirror of his own fubftance, and by that view 
 •produced the Goddefs Mythra, Mythra the living 
 
 * image of his beauty, the original mother and the 
 
 * immortal virgin ; fhe prefented him the ideais of 
 
 * all things, and he gave them to the God Mythras 
 
 * to form a world refembling thofe ideas. Let us 
 
 * celebrate the wifdom of' Mythra, let us do her 
 
 * homage by our purity and our virtues, rather than 
 
 * by our fongs and praifes. * During this aft of 
 adoration, three times the mufic paus'd, to denote 
 by a profound filencc that the divine Nature tran- 
 fcends whatever our words can exprefs. The hymn 
 being ended, the prieftefs lighted by the rays of the 
 fun a fire of odoriferous wood, and while (he there 
 confumed the hearts of the flieep, fang alone with a 
 loud voice, ' A-lythra defires only the foul of the 
 *'viftim. ' Then the remainder of the facrifice was 
 dreft for a public feaft, of which they all ate fitting 
 on the brink of the facred fountain, where they 
 quenched their thirft. During the repaft twelve 
 young virgins fang the fweets of friendfhip, the 
 charms of virtue, the peace, innocence and fimpli- 
 çjty of a rural life. 
 
 After this regale the mothers and daughters all 
 aflembled upon a large green plot encompafs'd with, 
 lofty trees whofe fhady tops and leavy branches 
 were a defence againft the fcorching heat of the 
 fun and the blafts of the North wind : Here they 
 diverted themfelves with dancing, running and 
 concerts of mufic. Then they reprefented the ex- 
 ploits of heroes, the virtues of heroines, and the 
 pure pleafures of the primaeval llate before Arima- 
 nius invaded the empire of Oromazes, and infpired 
 mortals with deceitful hopes, falfe joys, perfidious 
 -difgulls, credulous fufpicions, and the inhuman ex- 
 travagancies of prophane love. Thefe ipcrts being 
 over, they difperfed themfelves about the garden, 
 aad by way of re&eihijient bath'd themfelves in the 
 
 v/aters. 
 
5*8 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 waters. Towards fun-fet they defccnded the hiiï 
 and join'd the Magi, who led them to the moun- 
 tain of Oromazcs, there to perform the evening 
 facrifice ; the vi£lims which were offered ferved 
 every family for fupper (for they had two repafts on 
 feftival days) and they chearful'ly pall the time till 
 fleepinefs cali'd them to reft. 
 
 It was in this manner that CalTandana amus*d her 
 felf, while Zoroafter was difcovering to Cyrus all 
 the beauties of the univerfe, and thereby preparing 
 his mind for matters of a more exalted nature, the 
 doftrines of religion. The Philofopher at length 
 conduced the Prince with Hyftafpes and Arafpcs 
 into a gloomy and folitary forcft, where perpetual 
 filence reigned, and where the attention could not" 
 be diverted by any fenfible objeft, and then faid : 
 It is not to enjoy the pleafures of folitude that we 
 thus forfake the fociety of men ; to retire from the 
 world in that view would be only to gratify a tri- 
 fling indolence, unworthy the charadler of wii'dom : 
 But the aim of the Magi in this retreat is to difcn- 
 gage themfelves from matter, rife to the contem- 
 plation of cœleftial things, and commence an inter- 
 courfe with the pure fpirits, who difcover to them 
 all the fecrets of nature. When mortals have gain'd 
 a complete vi6lory over all the paffions they are thus 
 favoured by the great Qromazes : It is however but 
 a very fmall number of the moft purily'd fages 
 who have enjoy'd this privilege. Impofe lilence 
 upon your fenfes, raife your mind above all vifible 
 objedls, and liften to what the Gymnofophifts have 
 learn'd by their commerce with the Genii. Here 
 he was filent for fome time, feem'd to colleéi: him- 
 felf inwardly, and then continu'd. 
 
 In the fpaces of the empyreum a pure and divine 
 fire expands itfclf; by. means of which, not only 
 bodies but fpirits become vifible. ^ In the midil of 
 
 '^See the Difc, p, ai, aa. 
 
 this 
 
Second Book. fç 
 
 iHis immenfity is the great Oromazes, firft principle 
 of all things. He diffufes himfelf every where ; but 
 it is there that he is manifefted after a more glorious 
 manner. Near him feated the God Mythras, or the 
 fécond ^ Spirit, and under him Pfyché, or the God- 
 defs Mythra : around their throne in the firft rank 
 arc the Jyngas, the moft fublime intelligences ; in 
 the lower fpheres are an endlefs number of Genii 
 of all the different orders. 
 
 Arimanius chief of the Jyngas afpir'd to an e- 
 quality with the God Mythras, and by his eloquence 
 perfuaded all the fpirits of his order to difturb the 
 univerfal harmony, and the peace of the heavenly 
 monarchy. How exalted foever the Genii are, they 
 are always finite, and confcquently may be dazzled 
 and deceived. Now the love of one's own excel- 
 lence is the moft delicate and moft imperceptible 
 kind of delufion. To prevent the other Genii 
 from falling into the like crime, and to punifh thofe 
 audacious fpirits, Oromazes only withdrew his rays, 
 and immediately the fphere of Arimanius became 
 a chaos and a perpetual night, in which difcord, 
 hatred, confufion, anarchy and force alone prevail. 
 Thofe etherial fubftances would have eternally tor- 
 mented themfelves, if Oromazes had not mitigated 
 their miferies } he is never cruel in his punifhments, 
 nor afts from a motive of revenge, for it is un- 
 worthy of his nature ; he had compaffion on their 
 condition, and lent Mythras his power to diflipate 
 the chaos. Immediately the mingled and jarring 
 atoms were feparated, the elements difintangled and 
 rang'd in order. In the midft of the abyfs was 
 amafs'd together an ocean of fire, which we now 
 
 * N8Ç J^iVTt^oç, 'tis thus that Mythras 7S called in the ora- 
 cles ivhtcb pajs utider Zoroajler^s vame. Dsuhtlejs they, are not 
 ^en-j'iKC -, but thi-y contain the moji ancient traditions, and the 
 pyle of the Eajiern theology, according to Pfellus, Pletho, Ploti- 
 sus and all the Platçnilis of the third century, 
 
 call 
 
^o The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 call the run; its brightnefs is but obfcurity, whefi^ 
 conipar'd with that pure aether which illuminates i 
 the cmpyreum. Seven globes of an opaque fub- 
 flance roll about this flaming centre, to borrow its • 
 light. The feven G^nii, who were the chief mini- 
 fters and companions of Arimanius, together with-, 
 all the inferior fpirits of his order, became the in- 
 habitants of thefe new worlds, which the Greeks - 
 call Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury, the--. 
 Moon, and the Earth. The flothful, gloomy and 
 malicious Genii, who love folitude and darknels, 
 hate fociety, and for ever pine in a failidious dif-- 
 content, retir'd into Saturn. From hence flow all 
 black and mifchievous projedls, perfidious treafons^ 
 and murderous devices. In. Jupiter dwell the im- 
 pious and learned Genii, who broach monftrous 
 errors, and endeavour to perfcadi men that the 
 univerfe is not govern'd by an eternal wifdom ; 
 that the great Oromazes is not a luminous princi- 
 ple, but a blind- nature, which by a continual agi- 
 tation within itfelf produces an eternal revolution of 
 forms. In Mars are the Genii who are enemies of 
 peace, and blow up every where the fire of difcord, 
 inhuman vengeance, implacable anger, dillrafted 
 ambition, falfe heroifm, infatiable of conquering 
 what it cannot govern, furious difpute which feeks 
 dominion over the undcrilanding, would oppref? 
 where it cannot convince, and is more cruel in its 
 tranfports than all the other vices. Venus is inha- 
 bited by the impure Genii, whofe af}*e6led graces ,, 
 and unbridled appetites arc without tafte, friend- I 
 Ihip, noble or tender fentiments, or any other view 
 than the enjoyment of pleafures which engender 
 the moll: fatal calamities. In Mercury are the weak 
 minds, ever in uncertainty, who believe without ) 
 reafon, and doubt without reafon; the enthufiafts ' 
 and the free-thinkers, whofe credulity and incredu- 
 lity proceed equally from .a diforder'd imagination : 
 
 It 
 
Second Book. d'l 
 
 It dazzles the fight of fome, fo that they fee that 
 which is not ; and it blinds others in fuch a man- 
 ner, that they fee not that which is. In the moon 
 dwell the humourfomc, fantaftick and capricious 
 Genii, who will and will not, who hate at one 
 time what they loved exceffively at another ; and 
 who by a falfe delicacy of felf-love are ever dif- 
 traflful of thcmfelves and of their beft friends. 
 
 All thefe Genii regulate the influence of the flars. 
 They are fubjeél to the Magi, whofe call they obey, 
 and difcover to them all the fecrets of nature. 
 Thefe fpirits had all been voluntary accomplices of 
 Arimanius's crime. There yet remained a number 
 of all the feveral kinds who had been carry'd away 
 through weaknefs, inadvertency, levity and (if I 
 may venture fo to fpeak) friendfhip fof their compa- 
 nions. Of all the Genii thefe were of the moft li- 
 mited capacities, and confcquently the leaft crimi- 
 nal. Oromazes had comp-ffion on them, and made 
 them defcend into mortal bodies ; they retain no re- 
 membrance of their former Hate, or of their anci- 
 ^ent happinefs ; it is from this number of Genii that 
 -the earth is peopled, and it is hence that we fee 
 here minds of all charaders. The God Mythras« 
 inceffantly employed to cure, purify and exalt them, 
 that they may be capable of their firft felicity. 
 Thofe who follow virtue fly away after death into 
 the empyretim, where they are re-united to their 
 origin. Thofe who debafe themfelves by vice, fink 
 deeper and deeper into matter, fall facceflîvely into 
 the bodies of the meaneft animals, and run through 
 a perpetual circle of new forms, till they are purged 
 of their crimes by the pains which they undergo. 
 The evil Principle will confound every thing for 
 nine thoufand years ; but at length there will come 
 a time, fix'd by dcftiny, when Arimanius will be 
 totally defl:roy'd and exterminated ; the earth will 
 . change its form, univerfal harmony will be reftor'd, 
 
 and 
 
6i The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 and men will live happy without any bodily want. 
 Until that time Oromazes repofes himfelfv and 
 Mythras combats ; this interval feems long to mor- 
 tals, but, to a Gody it is only as a. moment of 
 lleep. 
 
 Cyrus was feiz'd with aftonifhment at the hear- 
 ing of thefe fublime things, and turning to Arafpesi 
 faid to him : What we have been taught hitherto of 
 .Oronaazes, Mythras and Arimanius, of the conten- 
 tion between the good and the evil Principle, of 
 the revolutions which have happened in the higher 
 fpheres, and of fouls precipitated into mortal bo- 
 dies, was mix'd with fo many abfurd fidlions, and 
 wrapp'd up in fuch impenetrable obfcurity, that we 
 look'd upon thofe dodlrines as vulgar and contemp- 
 tible notions, unworthy of the eternal Being. I 
 fee now that we confounded the abufes of thofe 
 principles with the principles themfelves, and that 
 a contempt for religion can proceed only from ig- 
 norance. All flows out from the Deity and all mull 
 be abforbed in him again. Ï am then a ray of light 
 emitted from its principle, and I am to return to 
 it. O Zoroafler, you put within me a new and in- 
 cxhauftible fource of pleafures ; adverfities may 
 hereafter diftrefs me, but they will never overwhelm 
 me ; all the misfortunes of life will appear to xnc 
 as tranfient dreams ; . all human grandeur vaniflies ; 
 I fee. nothing great but to imitate, the immortals, 
 that I. may enter again after death into their fo- 
 ciety. O my father, tell me by what way it is 
 that heroes re-afcend to the empyreum. How joy- 
 ful am I, reply 'd Zoroafter, to fee you relifh thefe 
 truths ; you will one day have need of them. 
 Princes are oftentimes furrounded by impious and 
 profane men, who rejeél every thing that would be 
 a reftraint upon their pafTions ; they will endea- -m 
 vour to piakc you doubt of eternal Providence, I 
 from the miferics and diforders which happcn.heta 
 
 below y 
 
Second Book. 6^ 
 
 below ; they know not that the whole earth is but 
 a lingle wheel of the great machine ; their view 
 is confin'd to a fmall circle of objedls, and they 
 fee nothing beyond it, yet they will difpute and 
 pronounce upon every thing ; they judge of nature 
 and of its author like a man born in a deep cavern 
 who has never feen the beauties of the univerfe, 
 nor even the objefts that are about him, but by the 
 faint light of a dim taper. Yes, Cyrus, the har- 
 mony of the univerfe will be one day reflor'd, and 
 you are deftin'd to that fublime ftate of immor- 
 tality; but you can rife to it only by virtue ; and 
 the great virtue for a Prince is to make other men 
 happy. 
 
 Thefe difcourfes of Zoroalter made a llrong im- 
 preiTion on the mind of Cyrus ; he would have 
 llaid much longer with the Magi in their foli- 
 tude, if his duty had not call'd him back to his 
 father's court. Scarce was he returned thither 
 when every body perceived a wonderful change 
 in his difcourfe and behaviour. His converfation 
 with the Archimagus had flifled his rifing preju- 
 dices againft religion. He gradually remov'd from 
 about him all the young Satrapes who were fond 
 of the principles of impiety. Upon looking nearly 
 ijito their chara6lers he difcover'd not only that 
 their hearts were corrupt, void of all noble and 
 generous fentiments, and incapable of friendfliip ; 
 but that they were men of very fuperficial under- 
 ftandings, full of levity and little qualify'd for bu- 
 Qnefs. He then apply 'd himfelf chiefly to the fludy 
 Df the laws and of politicks ; the other fciences 
 were but little cultivated in Perlia. A fad misfor- 
 tune oblig'd him at length to leave his country and 
 travel: CafTandana died, though in the flower of 
 her age, after flie had brought him two fons and 
 ÎWO daughters. 
 
 None 
 
64 The Travels of Cryus. 
 
 None but thofe who have expericnc'd the forct 
 of true love, founded upon virtue, can imagine the 
 difconfolate condition of Cyrus. In lofing Caffan- 
 dana, he loft all. Tafte, reafon, pleafure and duty 
 had all united to augment his pafTion for her : In 
 loving her he had experienc'd all the charms of 
 love, v\'ithout knowing either its p:iins, or the dif- 
 gufts with which it is often attended ; he felt the 
 greatnefs of his lofs, and refufed all confolation. It 
 is not the fudden revolutions in fiâtes, nor the hca- 
 vieft ftrokes of adverfe fortune, which opprefs the 
 minds of heroes ; noble and generous fouls are lit- 
 tle mov'd by any misfortune» but what concern the 
 objedls of their fofter paffions. Cyrus at firft gave 
 himfelf wholly up to grief, not to be alleviated by 
 weeping or complaining ; this filent forrow was at -J 
 length fucceeded by a torrent of tears. Mandana\i| 
 tnd Arafpes, who never left him, endeavour'd to 
 <:omfort him no other way than by weeping with" 
 him. Reafoning and perfuafion furnifh no cure for 
 grief; nor can friendfhip yield relief in affliction 
 but by fharing it. After he had long continued in 
 this dejeftion, he returned to fee Zoroafter, who 
 had formerly fuffcr'd a misfortune of the fame kind. 
 The converfation of that great man contributed 
 much to mollify the anguifh of his mind; but it 
 was only by degrees that he recovered himfelf, and 
 BOt till he had travell'd for fome years. 
 
 THE 
 
T H E 
 
 TRAVEL S 
 
 O F 
 
 CYRUS. 
 
 THIRD BOOK. 
 
 TH E empire of the Medes was at this time ' 
 in a profound peace. Cambyfes being 
 fenfible of the danger to which he mult 
 expofe his fon, iliould he fend him again to the 
 court of Ecbatan, and thinking that Cyrus could 
 not batter employ the prefent feafon of tranquil- 
 lity, than in travelling to learn the manners, law* 
 and religions of other nations, he fent for him one 
 •day, and faid to him : You are deftin'd by the great 
 Oromazes to llretch your conquefts over all Afia ; 
 you ought to put yourfelf into a condition to make 
 thofc nations happy by your wifdom, which you (hall 
 I'ubduc by your valour. I defign therefore that you 
 (hall travel into Egypt which is the mother of the 
 fciences, pafs thence into Greece where are many- 
 famous rcpublicks , go afterwards into Crete to 
 lludy the laws of Minos, and return at lafl by Ba- 
 I bylon, that fo you may bring back into your own 
 country all the kinds of knowledge nccefTuy to po- 
 lifh the minds of your fubjedls, and to make you 
 capable of accompli/hing your high dcHiny. Your 
 flay in this place ferves only to nouriih your grief; 
 j every objedl here quickens the melancholy remem- 
 brant 
 
66 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 brance of your lofs. Go, my Ton, go fee and fla-* 
 dy human nature under all its different forms ; this 
 little corner of the earth, which we call our coun- 
 try, is too fmall and imperfedl a pi£lure to form 
 thereby a true and adequate judgment of man- 
 kind. 
 
 Cyrus obeyed his father's orders, and very foon 
 left Perfia, accompany'd by his friend Arafpes. Two 
 faithful flaves were all his attendants, for he defied 
 to travel unknown. He went down the river Agra- 
 datus,' embark'd upon the Perfian gulf, and foon ar- 
 rived at the port of Gcrra, upon the coaft of Ara- 
 bia Felix. Thence he continued his way towards 
 the city of ^ Macoraba. The ferenity of the sky, 
 the mildnefs of the climate, the perfumes which 
 embalm'd the air, the variety, fruitfulnefs and 
 frailing appearance of nature in every part, charm'd 
 all his fenfes. While Cyrus was unweariedly ad- 
 miring th« beauties of the country, he faw a man 
 walking with a grave and flow pace, and who 
 feem'd bury'd in fome profound thought. He was 
 already come near the Prince, without having per- 
 ceived him. Cyrus interrupted his meditation to 
 ask him the way to Badco, where he was to em- 
 bark for Egypt. 
 
 Amenophis (for that was his name) faluted the , 
 travellers with great civility, and having reprcfented 
 to them, that the day was too ùr fpent to continue 
 their journey, hofpitably invited them to his rural 
 habitation. He led them through a by-way to a 
 little hill not far off, where he had formed with his 
 own hands feveral ruftick grotto's. A fpring, which 
 rofe in the fide of the hill, water'd with its ftream 
 a. little garden at fonic diftance, and form'd a rivu- 
 let, whofc fwcet murmur was the only noife that 
 
 • f Tie prejent MtccOy a f>îace ivbicb bai (ver been ejicemed 
 k$ly by tbe jirûbiêtis, 
 
 was 
 
Third Book. 67 
 
 was heard in this abode of peace and tranquillity. 
 Amenophis fct before his gucfts feme dry'd fruits 
 of all forts, the clear water of the fpring ferving 
 them for drink , and he entertained them with agree- 
 able converfation during their repafl. An unafFeded 
 and ferene joy dwelt upon his countenance ; his 
 difcourfc was full of good fenfe, and of noble fen- 
 timents, and he had all the politenefs of a man e- 
 ducated at the courts of Kings. Cyrus obferving 
 this was curious to know the caufe of his retire- 
 ment ; and in order to engage Amenophis to the 
 greater freedom, he difcover'd to him who he was, 
 and the defign of his travels j he then intimated t» 
 him his defirc, but with that modell refpe<fl which 
 one ought to have for the fecret of a llranger. A- 
 menophisunderflanding that his guefl was the Prince 
 of Perfia, immediately conceiv'd hopes of improv- 
 ing this acquaintance to the advantage of his mailer, 
 Aprles King of Egypt i he made no delay therefore 
 to fatisfy the Prince's curiofity, and endeavour'd to 
 move him by the hiftory of his life and misfortunes^ 
 ivhich he related in the following manner. 
 
 Though the family from which I am d«fcended 
 be one of the ancientell in Egypt, neverthelefs by ] 
 ihe fad viciflitude of human things our branch of " 
 it fell into great poverty. My father liv'd near Di- 
 Dfpolis, a city of Upper-Egypt, and cultivated his 
 little paternal firm with his own hands ; he bred 
 Tie up to relifh true pleafures in the fimplicity of 
 I country life, to place my happinefs in the iludy 
 )f wifdom, and to make agriculture, hunting and 
 he liberal arts my fweetcfl; occupations. It was 
 i:C cullom of King Aprics , from time to time 
 .0 make a progrefs through the different provin- 
 :es of his kingdom. One day as he pafs'd through 
 I torefl: near the place where I liv'd, he perceiv'd" 
 ne under the (hade of a palm- tree, where I was 
 ceding the facrcd books of Hermes. I was then but 
 «^>i E fixteca 
 
68 The Travels or Cyrus.' 
 
 iixtcen years of age ; my youth and fomething in 
 my air drew the King*s attention ; he came up to 
 mc, ask'd me my name, my condition and what I 
 was reading ; being pleafcd with my anfwers, and 
 having my father^s confent he order'd me to be con- 
 duced to his court, where he ncgleifled nothing in 
 jny education. The liking which Apries had for 
 sne changed by degrees into a confidence, which 
 feemed to augment in proportion as I advanced in 
 years ; and my heart was ful] of afFeélion and grati- 
 tude. Being young, and without experience, I 
 thought that Princes were capable of friendfhip ; and 
 I" did not know that the Gods have refus'd them 
 that fweet confolation. 
 
 After having attended him in his wars againft the 
 Sidonians and Cyprians, I became his only favourite; 
 he communicated to me the raoft important fecrety. 
 of the ftate, and honour'd me with the chief pofts 
 about his perfon. I never loft the remembrance of^' 
 (that obfcurity from whence the King had drawn me :l 
 I did not forget that I had been poor, and I was a-" 
 fraid of being rich. Thus I prcferv'd my integrity 
 in the midft of grandeur, and I went from time to 
 time to fee my tather in Upper- Egypt, of which I 
 was governor. I vifited with pleafure the grove 
 where Apries had found me : Bleft folitude, faid I 
 within myfelf, where I iirft learn'd the maxims of 
 true wifdom ! How unhappy Ihall I be, if I forget 
 the innocence and fimplicity of my firft years, when 
 I felt no miftaken defires, and was unacquainted with 
 the objefts that excite them. I was often tempted 
 to quit the court, and ftay in this charming foli- 
 tude ; it was doubtlefs a pre-fentiment of what was 
 to happen to me, for Apries foon after fufpcdled my 
 iidelity. 
 
 J Amafis, who ow'd me his fortune, endeavoured 
 
 * See HercdotuSi lih, x, and a. 
 
Third Book. 6p 
 
 I 
 
 to infpire him with this dillrufl: ; he was a man of 
 mean birth, but great bravery ; he had all forts of 
 talents, both natural and acquir'd, but the hidden 
 fcntiments of his heart were corrupt : When a maa 
 has wit and parts, and cfteems nothing fncred, it is 
 cafy for him to gain the favour of princes. Sufpi- 
 cion was far from my heart ; I had no diftruft of 2 
 man whom I had loaded with benefits; and the more 
 cafily to betray me, he conceal'd himfelf under the 
 veil of a profound diffimulation. Tho' I could not 
 relifli grofs flattery, I was not infenfible to delicate 
 praife ; Amafis foon perceiv'd my weaknefs, and art- 
 fully made his advantage of it ; he aftedled a can- 
 dour, a noblenefs of foul, and a difintereiledncfs 
 which charm'd me ; in a word, he gain'd my confi- 
 dence to fuch a degree, that he was to me the fame 
 that I was to the King. I prefented him to Apries, 
 as a man very capable of ferving him ; and it was not 
 long before he was allow'd a free accefs to the Prince. 
 
 The King had great qualities, but he would go- 
 vern by his arbitrary will ; he had already freed him- 
 felf from all fubje6tion to the laws, and hearken'd n3 
 longer to the council of the thirty judges. My love 
 for truth would not always fuffer me to follow the 
 rules of ftridt prudence, and my attachment to the 
 King led me often to fpeak to him in too flrong 
 terms, and with too little management. I perceiv'd 
 by degrees his coldnefs to me, and the confidence 
 he was beginning to have in Amafis. Far from be- 
 ing alarm'd at it, I rejoiced at the rife of a man, 
 whom I thought not only my friend, but zealous for 
 the public good. Amails often faid to me, with a 
 fcemingly fmcere concern; I can tafte no pleafure in 
 the Prince's favour fince you are depriv'd of it. No 
 matter, anfwcr'd I, who does the good, provided it; 
 be done. 
 
 About this time all the principal cities of Upper- 
 Egypt addrefs'd their complaints to me upon the ex- 
 E 2 traordinary 
 
••0 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 trtordinary fubfidic! which the King cxa6\cd ; and I 
 wrote circular letters to pacifi' the people. Amnfis 
 caui'd thcfe letters to be intercepted, and counter- 
 feiting exaiflly my hand-writing, fent others in my 
 name to the inhabitants ofDiofpolis, my native city, 
 5n which he told them, Th:it if I could not gain the 
 King by periuafion, I would put myfelf at their head, 
 and oblige him to treat them with more humanity. 
 Thefc people were naturally inclined to rebellion ; 
 and believing that I was the author of thofe letters, 
 imaginM they were in a fccret treaty with me. Ama- 
 fis carried on this corrcfpondence in my name for 
 fevernl months. At length, thinking that he had 
 Sufficient proofs, he went and threw himfelf at the 
 Prince's feet, laid open to him the pretended confpi- 
 racy, and fliew'd him the forg'd letterj. 
 
 I was immediately ariefted, and pur into a clofe 
 prifon ; the d.iy was fix'd when I was to be executed 
 in a public manner. Amafis came to fee me ; at firft 
 he fccni'd doubtful and uncertain what he fliould 
 think, fufpended in liis judgment by the knowledge 
 he had of my virtue, yet fliaken by the evidence of 
 the proofs, and much afi*e6ted with my misfortune. 
 After having difcours'd with him fome time, he 
 fccm'd convinced of my innocence, promie'd me to 
 fpc.ik :o the Prince, and to endeavour to difcovcr 
 the authors of the treachery. The more eftcdually 
 to accoinplifh his black defigns, he went to the King, 
 nnd by faintly endeavouring to engage him to pardon 
 me, made him believe that he adled more from gra- 
 titude and compafTion for a man to whom he ow'd 
 all, than from a convidlion of my innocence. Thus 
 he artfully confirm'd him in the perfuafion of my be- 
 ing criminal j and the King being naturally fufpicious 
 was inexorable. 
 
 Tlic re, rt of ray perfidioufnefs being fpread 
 throughout .ÙÎ F.gypt, the people of the different pro- 
 vinces flo<.k'd to Sais, to Tec the tragical fpedlaclc 
 
 which 
 
Third Book. 71 
 
 which was preparing; but when the fatal day came, 
 fevcral of my friends appeared at the head of a nu- 
 merous crowd, and delivered mc by force from the 
 death which was ordain'd me ; the King's troops 
 made fome refiftancc at firft, but the multitude in- 
 creased, and declared for mc. It was then in my 
 power to have caus'd the fame revolution which A- 
 mafis has done fmce ; neverthelefs I made no other 
 ufe of this happy conjundurc, than to juftify niyfelf 
 to Apries. I fent one of my deliverers to aflbre him, 
 that his injuftice did not make me forget my duty ; 
 and that my only defign was to convince him of my 
 innocence. He order'd me to come to him at his 
 palace ; which I might fafcly do, the people being 
 under arms, and furrounding it. I found Amafis 
 with him : This perfidious man, continuing%is dif- 
 fimulation, ran to meet me with eagernefs, and pre- 
 fenting me to the King : How joyful am I, faid he 
 to him, to fee, that the condudl of Amenophis leaves 
 you no room to doubt of his fidelity ! I fee very 
 well, anfwered Apries coldly, that he does not afpirc 
 to the throne, and I forgive him hisdefire of bound- 
 ing my authority, in order to pleafe his countrymen. 
 I anfwer'd the King, that I was innocent of the 
 crime imputed to mc, and was ignorant of the au- 
 thor of it. Amafis then eudeavoured to make the 
 fufpicion fall upon the King's beft friends, and molt 
 faithful fervants. I percciv'd that the Prince's mind 
 was not cur'd of his diftruft, and therefore to pre- 
 vent any new accufations, having firft perfuaded the 
 people to difpcrfe thcmfelves, I retir'd from court, 
 and return'd to my former folitudc, whither I car- 
 ried nothing back but my innocence and poverty. 
 Apries fent troops toDiofpolis, to prevent an infur- 
 redion there, and order'd that my condu6l (hould 
 be obferv'd, Doubtlcfs he imagin'd, that I fliould 
 never be able to confine myfelf to a quiet and retir'd 
 life, after having been in the higheH employments. 
 
 E 3 la 
 
72. The Travels op Cyrus. 
 
 In the mean while Amafis gain'd an abfolute afcen- 
 dant over the King's mind ; this favourite made him 
 fufpcft and banifh his befl friends, in order to re- 
 move from about the throne thofe who might hinder 
 îhc ufurpation which he was projetfting. An occa- 
 Hon very foon offer'd to put his wiclced defigns in 
 execution. 
 
 ^ The Cyrenians, a colony of Greeks who were 
 •fettled in Africa, having taken from the Lybians a 
 great part of their lands, the latter fubmitted them- 
 ielves to Apries, in order to obtain his proteftion. 
 The King of Egypt fcnt a great army into Lybia, to 
 make war againft the Cyrenians. This army, in 
 which were many of thofe malecontents whom Ama- 
 fis-waS|Jbllicitou8 to remove from court, being cut 
 in pieces, the Egyptians imagin'd that the King had 
 fcnt it thither only to be deflroy'd, that he might 
 reign tlie more defpotically. This thought provok'd 
 them, and a league was form'd in Lower-Egypt, 
 which rofe up in Arms. The King fent Amafis to 
 them to quiet them, and make them return to their 
 duty ; and then it was that the defigns of this perfi- 
 dious minillcr broke out. Inftead of pacifying them, 
 }ie incenfed them more and more, put himfelf at 
 îheir head, and was proclaimed King. The revolt 
 became univerfal ; Apries was oblig'd to leave Sais, 
 and make his efcape into Upper-Egypt. He rctir'd to 
 Diofpolis, where I prevaiPd upon the inhabitants to 
 forget the injuilices he had done them, and to fuc- 
 cour him in his misfortunes. All the time that he 
 continued there, I had free accefs to his perfon ; 
 but I carefully avoided faying any thing which might 
 recall to his mind the difgraces he had made mc un- 
 dergo. 
 
 Apries foon fell into a deep melancholy ; that 
 haughty fpirit, which had been fo vain as to imagine 
 
 » See Herodotus, lib,l, and 2. 
 
 it 
 
Third Book. 75 
 
 it was not in the power of the Gods themfelves to 
 dethrone him, could not iupport adverfity ; that 
 Prince, (o renovvn'd for his bravery, had not true 
 fortitude of foul ; he had a tlioufand and a thoufand 
 times defpis'd death, but he could not contemn for- 
 tune. I endeavour'd to calm and fupport his mind» 
 and to remove from it thofe melancholy ideas which 
 overwhelm'd him. I frequently read to him the 
 books of Hermes ; he w^as particularly ftruck with 
 that famous paflage : * When the great Ofiris loves 
 
 * Princes, he pours into the cup of fate a mixture 
 
 * of good and ill, that they may not forget that they 
 
 * are men.' Thefe refleiftions alleviated by degrees 
 his vexations ; and I felt an unfpeakable pleafure 
 in feeing that he began to relifli virtue, and that ic 
 gave him inward peace in the midft of his mis- 
 fortunes. He then applied himfelf with vigour 
 courage, to get out of the unhappy fituation in- 
 to which he was fallen. He got together all his 
 faithful fubjc£ls who had foUovv'd him in his exile ; 
 and thefe being join'd by the inhabitants of the coun- 
 try whom I eagiig'd in his fervice, form'd an army 
 of fifteen thoufand men. We march'd againft the 
 ufurper, and gave him battel near Memphis ; but 
 being overpowered by the enemies numbers, we 
 were intirely defeated. Apries efcaped to the moun- 
 tains of Upper-Egypt, with the remains of his Ihat- 
 tcr'd troops ; but as for me I was taken with a 
 crowd of other prifoners, and without being known 
 confin'd in a high tower at Memphis. When Amafis 
 had put garrifons in all the cities of Upper-Egypt, 
 and had given direftions to guard the pafl'es into the 
 mountains, in order to fhut up Apries there, and de- 
 flroy him by famine, he returned in triumph to Sais. 
 
 The ufurper, by the favour and proteftion of Na- 
 buchodonofor King of Babylon, was foon after fo- 
 lemnly crown'd, but on condition that Egypt fhould 
 be tributary to that conqueror. Scarce were the 
 
 E 4 people 
 
74 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 'people quieted, when they gave way to that inconflancy 
 which is natural to the multitude ; they began to de- 
 fpife the new King for his mean birth, and to mur- 
 mur againft him : But this able politician fuccefsfully 
 ^ade ufe of his addrefs to pacify them and prevent 
 a revolt. The Kings of Egypt were wont to invite 
 their courtiers to folemn feafts, and on thefe occa- 
 iions the guefts waflied their hands with the King in 
 a golden ciftern kept always for that ufe ; Amafis 
 caus'd this ciftern to be made into a ftatuc of Serapis, 
 and exposed it to be worfhip'd ; he was overjoy'd to 
 fee with what cagcrnefs the people ran from all parts 
 to pay their homage to it, and having aflembled the 
 Egyptians, harangued them in the following man- 
 ner : Hearken to me countrymen ; this ftatue which 
 you now worfhip ferv'd you heretofore for the mean- 
 «ft ufes ; thus it is that all depends upon your choice 
 and opinion ; all authority refides originally in the 
 people ; you are the abfolutc arbiters of religion and 
 of royalty, and create beth your Gods and your 
 Kings : I fct you free from the idle fears both of the 
 one and of the other, by letting you know your juft 1 
 lights ; all men are born equal, it is your will alone 
 which makes a diftindlion ; when you are pleafed to 
 raife any one to the higheft rank, he ought not to 
 continue in it but bccaufe it is your pleafure, and Co 
 long only as you think fit : I hold my authority from 
 you alone ; you may take it back and give it to an- 
 other who will make you more happy than I ; fhew 
 me that man, and I fhall immediately defcend from 
 the throne, and with pleafure mix among the mul- 
 titude. 
 
 Amafis, by this impious harangue, which flattcr'd 
 the people, lolidly eflablifli'd his own authority ; they 
 conjur'd him to remain upon the throne,and he feem'd 
 to confent to it as doing them a favour : He is ador'd' 
 by the Egyptians, whom he governs with mildnefs 
 and moderation; good policy requires it, and his 
 
 ambi- 
 
Third Book. 75" 
 
 ambition is fatisfyU He lives at Sais in a fplendor 
 which dazzles thofe who approach him; nothing 
 feems wanting to his happincfs : But I am afîur'd, 
 that inwardly he is far different from wh:\t he appears 
 outwardly ; he thinks that every man about him is 
 like himfelf, and would betray him as he betrayed his 
 mailer; thefe continual diftrulls hinder him from en- 
 joying the fruit of his crime, and it is thus that the 
 Gods punifh him for his ufurpation : Cruel remorfcs 
 rend his heart, and dark gloomy cares hang upon his 
 brow; the anger of the great Ofiris purfues him every- 
 where j the fplendor of royalty cannot make him 
 happy, becaufe he never taftcs either peace of mind, 
 or that generous confidence in the friendfhip of men, 
 which is the fweeteft charm of life. 
 
 Amenophis was going on with his ftory, when 
 Cyrus interrupted it, to ask him how Amafis could 
 get fuch an afcendant over the mind of Apries ? The 
 King, reply'd Amenophis, wanted neither talents nor 
 virtues ; but he did not love to be contradicted i 
 even when he order'd his miniflers to tell him the 
 truth, he never forgave thofe who obey'd him ; he 
 lov'd flattery while he affeéled to hate it : Amafis 
 perceiv'd this weaknefs, and raanag'd it with art. 
 When Apries made any difficulty of giving into the 
 defpotic maxims which that perfidious miniilcr would 
 have infpircd him with, he infmuated to the King» 
 that the multitude being incapable of reafoning, ought 
 to be govern'd by abfolute authority ; and that Princes 
 being the vice-gerents of the Gods, may aft like 
 them, without giving a reafon of their conduft: He 
 feafon'd his counfels with fo many i'eeming princi- 
 ples of virtue, and fuch delicate praife, that the Prince 
 being feduced made himfelf hated by his fubjedls 
 without perceiving it. 
 
 Here Cyrus, touch'd with this melancholy account 
 
 of an unfortunate King, could not forbear frying to 
 
 Aiiiçnophls: Methinks Apries is niore to be. pitied 
 
 E 5 than- 
 
7^ The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 than blam'd ; how fhould Princes be able to difcover 
 treachery, when it is conceal'd with fo much art ? 
 The happinefs of the people, anfwer'd Amenophis, 
 makes the hnppinefs of the Prince ; their true inte- 
 refis are neceiîkrily united, whatever pains are taken to 
 feparate them. Whofoever attempts to infpire Princes 
 with contrary maxims, ought to be look'd upon as 
 nn enemy of the ftatc. Moreover, Kings ought al- 
 ivays to be apprehenfivc of a man who never contra- 
 difts them, and who tells them only fuch truths as 
 are agreeable : There needs no further proof of the 
 corruption of a miniiler, than to fee him prefer his 
 jnaller's favour to his glory. In fhort, a Prince 
 fhould know how to make advantage of his minifter» 
 talents, but he ought never to follow thsir counfels 
 blindly ; he may lend himfelf to men, but not yield 
 Jiimfelf up abfolutely to them. 
 
 Ah ! how unhappy, cry'd out Cyrus, is the con- 
 dition of Kings ! you fay they muft only lend them- 
 felves to men, they muft not give themfelves up 
 without referve to them ; they will never then be 
 acquainted with the charms of friendlhi.p : How 
 much is my lituation to be lamented, if the fplendor 
 cf royalty be incompatible with the greateft of all fe- 
 licities ? When a Prince, reply'd Amenophis, whom 
 nature has endowed with amiable qualities, does not 
 forget that he is a man, he may find friends who will 
 not forget that he is a King: But even then, he 
 ought never to be influenc'd by perfonal inclination 
 in affairs of flate. As a private man, he may enjoy 
 the pleafures of a tender friendfhip, but as a Prince, 
 he muft referable the immortals who have no paflion. 
 
 After thefc relierions, Amenophis, at the requeft 
 of Cyras, continued his llory in the following man- 
 ner. I was forgotten lor fome years in my prifon 
 at Memphi:. My confinement was fo clofe, that I 
 had neither the converfation nor the fight of any 
 perfon ; being thus left in folitude, and without the 
 
 leaft 
 
Third Book. 77 
 
 leaft comfort, I fuffer'd the cruel torments of tire- 
 fome lonelinefs. Man finds nothing within hinifelf 
 but a frightful void, which renders him utterly dif- 
 confolate ; his happinefs proceeds only from thofe 
 amufements which hinder him from feeling his na- 
 tural infufficiency. I ardently delir'd death, but I 
 refpefted the Gods, and durfl not procure it myfelf ; 
 becaufe I was perfuaded, that thofe who gave me 
 life had the fole right to take it away. 
 
 One day, when I was overwhelm'd with the moft 
 melancholy reflexions, I heard of a fudden a noife, 
 as if fomebody was breaking a way thro' the wall of 
 my prifon. It was a man who endeavour'd to make 
 his efcape ; and in a few days he had made the hole 
 wide enough to get into my chamber. This pri- 
 foner, though a ftrangcr, fpoke the Egyptian tongue 
 perfectly well; he inform'd me, that he was of Tyre, 
 his name Arobal, that he had ferv'd in Apries's army,^ 
 and had been taken prifoner at the fame time with 
 me. I never faw a man of a more eafy, witty, and 
 agreeable converfation ; he delivered himfelf with 
 fpirit, delicacy and gracefulnefs. When he repeated- 
 the fame things, there was always fomething new 
 and charming in the manner. We related to each 
 other our adventures and misfortunes. The pleafure 
 which I found in the converfation of this llranger 
 made me forget the lofs of my liberty, and I fooix 
 contrafted an intimate friendfliip with him. At 
 length we were both brought out of prifon, but it 
 was only to undergo new fufFerings ; for we were 
 condemn'd to the mines : And now we had no longer 
 any hopes of freedom but in death. Friendfliip how- 
 ever fotten'd our miferies, and we preferv'd courage 
 enough to create ourfelves amufements, even in the 
 midil of misfortunes, by obferving the wonders hid- 
 den in the bowels çf the earth, 
 
 E 6 The 
 
78 The Travels of Cyrus. ' 
 
 The * mines are of a prodigious depth and ex- 
 tent, and are inhabited by a kind of fubterraneous 
 republick, whofe members never fee the day. They 
 have nc\ertheicfs their polity, laws, government, fa- 
 milies, houfes and high ways, horfes to affift them 
 Sn their labours, and cattle to feed them. There 
 one may behold immenfe arches, fupported by 
 rocks of fait hewn into the fhape of pillars. The 
 faits are white, blue, green, red, and of all co- 
 lours, fo that an infinite number of lamps hanging 
 againft thefe huge pillars, form a luftre which daz- 
 zles the eyes, like that of diamonds, rubies, eme- 
 ralds, faphirs, and all precious flones. What feems 
 incredible, a rivulet of frelh water flows through 
 thefe fait mines, and furnifhes drink to the inha- 
 bitants. This wiiter is diftributed into canals, caf- 
 cades, bafons and refervatorics to adorn thefe places 
 ^wherc the fun never fhines, and to be made ufe of 
 3n the works which are here carried on. 
 
 After fome years hard and painful labour, we 
 were appointed mailers of the flaves. I had read 
 ihe books of Hermes, knew his whole dodrine a- 
 loo'dt the myftcries of nature, and had been inftruft- 
 <ed in the occult fciences. We apply'd ourfelves 
 'âo iludy thofe wonders by experiments ; to defcend 
 from known effeâis to thofe which are more hid, 
 and to re-afcend from thence to firft caufes. When 
 we had examined, compounded and decompounded 
 "bodies of all kinds that are found in thofe fubterra- 
 neous regions, we at laft difcover'd that in the vifi- 
 ble univerfe there were but two principles, the one 
 aélive, the other paiTive ; an elementary fire, uni- 
 form, univerfal, and infinitely fubtilc, and an origi- 
 nal virgin earth which is hard, folid, and the fub- 
 ilance of all bodies. 
 
 » 7%e 'prejevt mines of Viltfca, fi-ve miUi fram Crcicoto% re* 
 Jeml^le thofe ivhich ere kerf (lèj<:ntç4t 
 
 Before 
 
Third Book. 79 
 
 Before Typhon broke the egg of the world, and 
 introduced the evil principle there, the ethereal 
 matter penetrated all the parts of the virgin earth ; 
 by compreifing fome of them it gave compadnefs 
 to folids, and by making others of them float pro- 
 duced liquids ; the former were the canals through 
 which the latter flow'd, in order to a univerfal and 
 regular circulation in all the parts of the univerfe ; 
 the waters inclos'd in the centre of the earth not 
 only perfpir'd through its pores, and fupply'd that 
 moifture which is neceffiry to vegetation , but 
 fprang out in fountains, whofe united ftrcams flow- 
 ed in rivers great and fmall to beautify the face of 
 nature. The inward conflitution of bodies was 
 then vifible, becaufe every thing was luminous or 
 tranfparent ; the earth receiving or refleding the 
 rays of light, produced the agreeable variety of co- 
 lours, and there was nothing dark or dazzling. 
 
 After the fall of fpirits and the revolt of Ty- 
 phon, this beautiful order was deftroy'd. The ac- 
 tive principle which bound together all the parts 
 of our globe, withdrawing itfelf, the waters burfl 
 forth from their abyfs, and overflowed the face of 
 the earth ; the common mafs was totally diflblved, 
 'twas all a dark chaos and an univerfal confufion. 
 The Goddefs Ifis beholding the ruin of her work, 
 refolved to repair it, yet without refl:oring it to its 
 £rfl: perfeflion. She laid the plan of a new world, 
 very different indeed from the former, but fuch a 
 one as was proper to be the habitation of degraded 
 fpirits. She fpake, nature obey'd her voice, and 
 the fhapelefs chaos took a form, yet {ot as that art 
 and feeming chance, light and darknefs, order and 
 confuflon were mingled throughout- The earth 
 was now opaque, ugly and irregular, like the intel- 
 ligences that inhabit it. Diamonds, rubies, eme- 
 ralds and the other precious ftoncs, are but the 
 ïttiûs of the priiwtive cmh which .was jail com- 
 posed 
 
So The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 pos'd of fuch materials. Some fay that the chaos 
 happened a long time before the deluge, that the firft 
 enfued upon the fall of the Genii, and that the 
 other was a punifliment of the crimes of men : Be 
 that as it will, we have every where convincing 
 proofs of the univerfal difTolving * of the common 
 mafs. We find in the inmoft bowels of the earth, 
 in mines and upon the higheft mountains, fifhes, 
 birds, and all forts of animals which floated in the 
 water, and are petrified fince that inundation. 
 
 ^ At prefent all the fluids and folids refult from 
 the irregular combination of the aftive and paffivc 
 principle, and it is the philofopher's province to dif- 
 cover the general laws of this combination. One 
 may confider the particles of the pure elementary 
 fire as indivifible points, and thofe of the earth as 
 lines, as furfaces, or as grofler corpufcles ; when 
 the etherial matter fticks to thofe terreftrial particles 
 that are long and pointed, it produces fpears, darts, 
 and winged arrows, which are the principles of 
 faits ; when it brings together, unites and compref- 
 fes feveral furfaces, and penetrates them without 
 being abforbed in them, ic engenders the principles 
 of cryftals ; when it is imprifon'd in the cavities of 
 opaque corpufcles, it forms fpungcs of fire, or the 
 principles of fulphurs ; and hence refult the firft 
 elements of all folids : When the terreftrial particles 
 float in the ethereal matter, and wear themfelves 
 round by rubbing againft one another, thefe invi- 
 fible fpheres become the principles of all fluids ; 
 little balls of mercury when they are opaque and 
 heavy, drops of water when they are tranfparent and 
 light, bubbles of air when they are endued with e* 
 
 f ■ Dr. Woodtvard's fyjlem is very ancie>7ty and is to he found 
 mmon^ tke Abyftniam, S^e Fatritid ^ella RbetQrice, f^T- 
 • See 'Bmhaa've. 
 
 ' ' , Mklty 
 
Third Book. 8i 
 
 lafticity by the incefTant egrefs and regrefs of the 
 cthcrial naatter through their pores. 
 
 From the combination of thefe three folids, and 
 three fluids, which are not themfelves fimple but 
 compounded, all other bodies are cngendred. The 
 mixture of fulphur with mercury makes the bafis 
 of metals, which are more or lefs pure, as there arc 
 more or lefs of the terreftrial particles in their com- 
 pofition. Precious Hones are formed by the incor- 
 porating of metals with cryftal, gold makes rubies, 
 mercury diamonds, copper emeralds. The grofler 
 and more irregular particles of earth, when cement- 
 ed by water, conflitute the opaque and common 
 flones, Laftly, fulphurs, faits, mercury and earth 
 blended together in one common mafs, without rule 
 or proportion, produce minerals, half metals, and 
 all kinds of foflils ; while the more fubtile and vo- 
 latile parts being diluted with water and air, turn 
 into liquors and vapours of all forts. 
 
 We frequently amus'd ourfelves with imitating 
 thefe operations of nature, diflblving folids, fixing 
 liquids, and then reducing them to their firft forms ; 
 with mixing fulphurs, faits and minerals together, 
 in order to make them ferment and thereby engen- 
 der exhalations, clouds, winds, thunder, and all 
 forts of meteors; with making tranfparent bodies 
 opaque, and opaque bodies tranfparent; with fud- 
 denly changing colours into their oppofites by barely 
 mixing with them certain fluids that have no co- 
 lour. Being thus entertained with the fports of 
 nature and art, we were beginning to make our 
 felves tolerably eafy under our misfortunes, when 
 heaven reftored us to liberty, by a flroke equally ter- 
 rible and unexpeded. 
 
 The fubterraneous fires fometimes break their pri- 
 fons with a violence that feems to fliake nature even 
 to its foundations ; like the thunder which burfts 
 the clouds, vomiting cut flames and fiUJjig the air 
 
 with 
 
il The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 with its roarings. We frequently felt thofe terri- 
 ble convulfions. One day the Ihocks redoubled, the 
 cajth feemed to groan, and we expcdled no- 
 thing but death, when the impetuous fires open- 
 ed a paffage into a fpacious cavern, and that which 
 feemed to threaten us with lofs of life procured us 
 liberty. We walked a long time by the light of 
 ©ur lamps before we faw the day ; but at lengthj 
 the fubterrâneous paffage ended at an old temple, 
 which we knew by the bas-reliefs upon the altar, 
 to have been confecrated to Ofiris. We proftrated 
 ourfelves and adored the Divinity of the place ; 
 we had no viftims to offer, nor any thing where-, 
 with to make libations, but inftead of all facri- 
 fice, we made a folemn vow, For ever to love 
 virtue. 
 
 This temple was fituated near the Arabian gulf. 
 We embarked in a vciTel which was bound for Muza, 
 landed there, crofs'd a great part of Arabia Felix, 
 and at length arrived in this folitude. The Gods 
 feem to have concealed the moft beautiful places of 
 the earth, from thofe who know not how to prize 
 a life of peace and tranquillity. We found men, in 
 thefe woods and forells, of fweet and humane dif- 
 pofitions, full of truth and juftice. We foon made 
 ourfelves famous among them ; Arobal taught them 
 how to draw the bow, and throw the javelin to de- 
 itroy the wild bealts which ravaged their flocks; I 
 inftruded them in the laws of Hermes, and cured 
 their difeafes by the help of fimpks. They looked 
 upon us as divine men ; and we every day admired 
 the motions of beautiful nature, which we obferv'd 
 in them ; their unaffected joy, their ingenuous fim- 
 plicity, and their affeftionate gratitude. We then 
 faw that great cities and magnificent courts have 
 only ferv'd too much to corrupt the manners and 
 fentiments of mankind ; and that by uniting a mul- 
 titude QÏ men in the fame place, they gffen do but 
 
 unite 
 
Third Book. g j 
 
 unite and multiply their paflions. We thank'd the 
 Gods for our being undeceived with regard to thofe 
 f^Ifc plcafures, and even falfc virtues both political 
 and military, which felt-love has introduced into 
 numerous focieties, and which only ferve to delude 
 men, and to make them fl.n'cs to their ambition. Bur, 
 alas ! how inconftant are human things ! how weak 
 is the mind of man ! Arobal, that virtuous, affec- 
 tionate, and generous friend, who had fupported 
 imprifonment with fo much courage, and flavery 
 with fo much refolution, could not content himfelf 
 with a fimplc and uniform life. Having a genius 
 for war, he fighed after great exploits, and being 
 more a philofopher in fpeculation than in reality, 
 confefs'd to me, that he could no longer bear the 
 calm of retirement ; he left me, and I have never 
 fcen him fince. 
 
 I feem to myfelf a being left alone upon the 
 earth ; Apries perfecuted me, Amafis betrayed me, 
 Arobal forfakcs me j J find every where a frightful 
 void. I experience that friendfhip, the greateft of 
 all felicities, is hard to be met with ; paffions, frail- 
 ties, a thoufand contrarieties either cool it or difturb 
 its harmony. Men love themfelves too much to 
 love a friend well ; I know them now, and I can- 
 not efleem them ; however I do not hate men j I 
 have a fincere benevolence for them, and would do 
 them good without hope of recompence. Whilft 
 Amenophis was fpeaking, one might fee upon the 
 Prince's countenance the different fcntiments and 
 paffions, which thefe various events would natu- 
 rally raifc in a generous mind. The Egyptian hav- 
 ing finilhed the relation of his misfortunes, Cyrus 
 asked him, whether he knew what was become of 
 Apries. Amenophis anfwered, I am informed that 
 the King is yet alive, and that after having wan- 
 dered a long time in the mountains, he has at length 
 got together an army of Carians and lonians, who 
 
 during 
 
84 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 during his reign nnd by his pcrmiflion, fettled ifl 
 Upper-Egyp!, and hai made himfclf mailer of the 
 city of Diolpolis. 
 
 Cyrus then faid to the Egyptian, I admire the 
 confiancy and courage with which you have fulbin'd 
 the fliocks of fortune, but 1 cannot approve of 
 your r«maining in this inadlion : It is not lawful 
 to enjoy repofe fo long as wc are in a condition to 
 labour for the good of our country ; man is not 
 born for himfclf alone, but for fociety ; Egypt has 
 ftill need of your afiilbnce, and the Gods prefent 
 you a new opportunity of being ufcful to her ; 
 why Jo you continue a moment in this folitudc ? 
 An ordinary virtue is diflieartened by ill fuccefs and 
 adverfe fortune, but heroic virtue is never difcou- 
 raged : Let us fly to the afliftance of Aprics, and 
 deliver him from the oppreffion of an ufurpcr. A- 
 mcnophis to increafc the ardor of Cyrus fecm'd very 
 unwilling at firft to return into Egypt, and fufter'd 
 himfclf to be long intrcatcd befjrc he yielded to the 
 Prince's follicitations. 
 
 Cyrus, before he left Arabin, diipatched couriers 
 to NabuchoJonofor King of Babylon, who had mar- 
 ried Amytis the filler of Mandana, to follicit hi« 
 uncle in favour of Aprics ; then having concerted 
 with Amcnophis all the neccflary meafures to make 
 their defigns fucceed, they fct out together, crolfcd 
 the country of the Sabeans with great expedition, 
 foon arrived upon the fliorc of the Arabian gult and 
 embark 'd xbr Egypt. Cyrus was furprifed to find 
 here a new kind of beauty which he had not fccn 
 in Arabia ; there, all was the elFcél of ilmple na- 
 ture, but here, every thing was improved by art. 
 
 It feldom rains in Egypt, but the Nile by its 
 regular overflowings fupplics it with the rains and 
 melted fnows of other countries. This river, by 
 the means of an infinite number of canals, made a 
 communication between the cities, joined the great 
 
 fea 
 
Third Book. Sy 
 
 fea with the red fea, and thus promoted both fo- 
 reign and domeftic commerce. The cities of E- 
 gypt were numerous, large, well peopled, full of 
 magnificent temples and ilately palaces : They rofe 
 like iflands in the midft of the waters and overlooked 
 the plains, which appeared all fruitful, gay and 
 fmiling ; there one might fee hamlets neat and 
 commodious, villages fweetly fituatcd, pyramids that 
 fervcd for the fepulchers of great men, and obe- 
 lisks which contain'd the hiftory of their exploits. 
 Agriculture, the mechanic arts and commerce, 
 which are the three fupports of a ftate, flouriflied 
 every where, and proclaimed a laborious and rich 
 people, as well as a prudent, ftcady, and mild go- 
 vernment. 
 
 The Prince of Perfia could take but a curfory 
 view of thefe things in the halle he was in to get to 
 Diofpolis, where he joined the army of Apries. 
 The King touched with the generolity of Cyrus 
 embraced him affedionately, and then faid to him, 
 looking at the fame time upon Amenophis; Prince, 
 Jet my example teach you to know men, and to 
 love thofe who have the honelly and courage to tell 
 you truth when it is difagreeable. The prefence of 
 the young hero revived the liopes of Apries, and 
 that of Amenophis contributed much to augment 
 his army ; it foon increas'd to the number of thirty 
 thoufand men. The two Princes accompani«d by 
 Amenophis and Arafpes left Diofpolis, marched a- 
 gainft the ufurper, and came in fight of his army, 
 which was llrongly encamp'd near Memphis. 
 
 Apries was a Prince of great experience in the 
 art of war, and was thoroughly acquainted with the 
 country ; he fcized all the advantageous polls, and 
 pitched his camp over againfl that of Amafis. The 
 ulurper not imagining that the King of Egypt 
 could have got together fuch a numerous body of 
 troops in fo Ihort a time, had march'd from Sais 
 
 with 
 
85 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 with only twenty thoufand men. When ApricJ 
 had in perfon taken a view of the enemv, and had 
 difcovcrd that they were much inferior in number, 
 lie rcfolv'd to attack them in their camp. The next 
 day Cyrus ;ind Arafpcs, at the heid of ten thoufand 
 Cari.ins, forced the advanced gu.irds of Amafis, and 
 approached his line?, and being foon after joined by 
 Aprics and Amcnophi?, broke through the intrench- 
 ments, and vigoroufly attacked the Egyptians ; the 
 engagement was bloody, and the vi6lory for a long 
 time doubtful. Cyras impnicnt to finilh tiie battle 
 by fome remarkable exploit, put himlclf at the 
 head of a choice body of cavalry , fought every 
 where for Amafis and found him. The ufurpcr be- 
 ing a brave general, as well as able politician, was 
 flying from rank to rank, encouraging feme, and 
 hindering others from running away. Cyrus lanced 
 his javelin at him, crying out, Tyrant, it is time to 
 put an end to thy crimes and thy ufurpation. The 
 javelin pierced the cuirafs of Amafis, and entered 
 his body ; a dream of blood flowed from his wound ; 
 furious as a wild boar pierced by the hunter's fpear, 
 he came up to Cyrus with his drawn fibre, and raif- 
 ing his arm, Rafh youth, he cried, receive the re- 
 ward of thy audacioufnefs : the Prince of Pcrfia a- 
 voided the blow, but when he would have taken 
 his revenge he found himfelf furroundcd by a troop 
 of young Egyptians, who came to the relief of A- 
 mafis. Then Cyrus, like a young lyon jull robbed 
 of his prey, made himfelf a pafiagc through the 
 enemy ; every blow he gave was mortal, he defend- 
 ed himfelf a long time, but was at lall ready to be 
 overpowered when Amenophis came to his fuccour, 
 and then the battle was rencw'd. Amafis notwith- 
 ftanding his wound did not quit the field, but rais'd 
 the drooping courage of his men, and made Cyrus 
 admire both his bravery and conduit. Night at 
 length put an end to the adlion ; Aprics remained 
 
 mailer 
 
Third Book. 87 
 
 mailer of the field, yet Amafis retired in good order 
 with his troops, repalTed the Nile, and gained the 
 neighbouring mountains ; the pafles into thele 
 mountains were narrow and difficult, and he re- 
 folved therefore to continue in this fecure poll till 
 he was. recovered of his wounds, and had reinforced 
 his army. 
 
 Apries took advantage of the enemy's ina£lion to 
 make himfelf maflcr of Memphis, which he carried 
 by affault in a few days. Upon this Amafis with- 
 out waiting till he was perfedily cured, got together 
 with incredible expedition an army of fifty thou- 
 fand men, and gave a fécond battle. As Apries's 
 troops were already much weakcn'd, the ufurper 
 overpowered them by numbers, and took the King 
 of Egypt prifoner. Cyrus, Arafpes and Amenophis 
 fearing to be furrounded, retired with the bravefl: 
 of the Carian and Ionian troops to the city of 
 Memphis ; thofe who did not follow them were 
 either put to the fword , or made prifoners of 
 
 war. 
 
 Amafis underllanding who the young hero was 
 that had wounded him, was apprehenfive of his 
 credit at the court of Babylon, and difpatched cou- 
 riers thither ; till their return he contented himfelf 
 with blocking up the city, and retired with the 
 greatcfl part of his army to Sais, whither he like- 
 wife condudled the captive King. Amafis paid him 
 great honours for fome days, and in order to found 
 the inclinations of the people propofed to them the 
 replacing him on the throne, but at the fame time 
 fecretly formed a dcfign of taking away his life. 
 The Egyptians were all earncfl to have the Prince 
 put to death, Amafis yielded him to their pleafure, 
 he was ftrangled in his own palace, and the unfor- 
 tunate remains of the royal family were mafiacrcd 
 ^e fame day. Cyrus heard with grief the me- 
 lUncholy news of the fate of Apries, and undcr- 
 
 llood 
 
88 The Travels of Cryus. 
 
 flood at the fame time by the return of his courieri 
 the difpofitions of Nabuchodonofor. This conqueror 
 fent Cyrus word to abandon Apries to his fate, but 
 commanded Amafis to obey the orders of the Prince 
 of Perfia. C^tus fighed within himfelf, and could 
 not forbear faying, I fear that the Gods will one day 
 feverely punifh Nabuchodonofor for his infatiable 
 thirfl of Dominion, and, abeve all, revenge upon 
 him his protection of Amalis. 
 
 As foon as the ufurper underftood the King of 
 Babylon's pleafure, he ordered his troops to retire 
 from before Memphis, and fet out in perfon from 
 Sais to wait upon the Prince of Perlia. He ad- 
 vanced towards Memphis with all his court, but Cy- 
 rus refufed to fee him, and only wrote him this let- 
 ter : The faults of Apries are puniflied by the crimes 
 of Amafis; it is thus that the jufl Gods fport with 
 mortals, and feem to leave crowns to the difpofal of 
 chance : Thy day will come ; in the mean time I 
 fend Amenophis to declare to thee my will and plea- 
 fure. Hadll thou any feeling of virtue the fight of 
 him alone would overwhelm thee with reproaches 
 that I difdain to make thee. 
 
 Amenophis followed by fome Carians, haflened to 
 meet Amalis, and found him not many furlongs from 
 Memphis. He was furrounded by all the chief men 
 of Egypt; 'twas an aflembly of old courtiers, who 
 had betrayed Apries through ambition, and of young 
 men corrupted by pleafures. Amenophis approach'd 
 Amafis with a refolute, noble and modeil air, and 
 deliver'd him Cyrus's letter ; the ufurper read it, 
 and immediately a dark cloud overfpread his face s 
 the remembrance of his crimes confounded him, and 
 ftruck him dumb ; he cndeavour'd to fummon up all 
 his confidence but in vain ; he call a look upon A- 
 menophis, yet without daring to lix his eyes upon 
 him ; Ihamc and remorfe were fucceeded by rage' 
 aind indignation, but the dread of Cyrus forced him 
 
 to 
 
Third Book. 8p 
 
 to diffemble ; labouring under the conflid of To many 
 different pafTions, he turned pale and trembled ; he 
 would have fpokc but utterance failed him ; 'tis thus 
 that vice, even when triumphant, cannot fupport 
 the prefence of virtue, tho' in adverfity and difgrace. 
 Amenophis perceived his confufion and perplexity, 
 and only faid to him ; 'tis the will of Cyrus that all 
 the prifoners of war be fct at liberty, and be fuffer'd, 
 together with the troops that are in Memphis, to 
 return to their former habitations in Upper-Egypt, 
 and to live there without mokftation. O Amafis, I 
 have nothing to demand of thee for myfelf, the pre- 
 fcnt difpofitions of thy fouf will not fufFer me to 
 put thee in mind of my former afFedion, and thy 
 ingratitude ! Mayft thou one day fee the beauty of 
 virtue, repent of having forfaken her, and divert the 
 anger of heaven which threatens thee. This faid, 
 he retir'd and left Amafis covered with fhame and 
 confufion ; he haflcn'd back to Memphis, and the 
 lifurper return'd to Sais, after he had given orders 
 to put Cyrus's commands in execution. From this 
 time to his death Amalis was always plunged in a 
 gloomy fadnefs. 
 
 Cyrus feeing the war at an end, applied himfelf to 
 Jcarn the hiftory, policy and laws of ancient Egypt : 
 He flayed fomc time at Memphis, and convers'd 
 every day with the priefts of this city, in prefence 
 of Amenophis and Arafpes. He found that the Egyp- 
 tians had compos'd their hiftory of an almofl un- 
 bounded fuccefîion of ages ; but that the fidions with 
 which they had fill'd their annals about the reign of 
 Ammon, Ofiris, Ifis and Orus, were only allegories 
 to exprefs the firfl Ihte of fouls before the great 
 change which happen'd upon the revolt of Typhon : 
 They believ'd, that after the origin of evil, their 
 country was the leaft disfigur'd, and the foonell: in- 
 habited of any. Their firilKing was nam'd Menés; 
 and their hiflory from his reign is reduced to three 
 2 ages ; 
 
po The Travels or Cyrus. 
 
 ages ; the firft, which reaches to the time of the 
 Shepherd-Kings, takes in eight hundred years j the 
 fécond, from the Shepherd-Kings to Sefoftris, five 
 hundred ; the third, from Sefoftris to Amafis, con- 
 tains more tha;n feven centuries. 
 
 During the firft age, Egypt was divided into feve- 
 ral dynafties or governments, which had each it« 
 King. She had then no foreign commerce, but con- 
 fin'd herfelf to agriculture, and a paftoral life ; Ihep- 
 herds were heroes, and kings philofophers. In thofe 
 days liv'd the firft Hermes, who penetrated into all 
 the fecrets of nature and of divinity ; it was the age 
 of occult fciences. The Greeks, fay the Egyptians, 
 imagine that the world in its infancy was ignorant, 
 but they think fo, only becaufe they themfelves are 
 always children ^ ; they know nothing of the origin 
 of the v/orld, its antiquity, and the revolutions which 
 have happen'd in it. The men of Mercury's time 
 had yet a remembrance of the reign of Ofiris, and 
 had divers traditional lights which we have loft. The 
 arts of imitation, poefy, mufic, painting, every thing 
 within the province of the imagination, are but 
 fports of the mind, in comparifon of the fublime fci- 
 ences known by the firft men. Nature was then 
 obedient to the voice of the fages ; they could put 
 all its hidden fprings in motion ; they produced the 
 moft amazing prodigies whenever they pleas'd ; the 
 aerial Genii were fubjedl to them^i they had fre- 
 quent intercourfe with the astherial fpirits, an# 
 fometimes with the pure- intelligences that inhabit, 
 the empyreum. We have loft, faid the priefts to 
 Cyrus, this exalted kind of knowledge. We have 
 only remaining fome traces of it upon our ancient 
 obelisks, which may be call'd, the rcgifters of our 
 divinity, myftcries, and traditions relating to the 
 
 a See the Difc. p. 5*4. 
 
 ^ See Jamblichus de Myjieriii c^£^ptiiruni, 
 
 z Deity 1 
 
Third Book. pr 
 
 Deity and to nature, and in no wife the annals of our 
 civil hiftory, as the ignorant imagine. 
 
 The fécond age was that of the Shepherd-Kings, 
 who came from Arabia ; they over-ran Egypt with 
 an army of two hundred thoufand men. The igno- 
 rance and ftupidity of thefe unciviliz' 1 /Arabians, oc- 
 cafion'd the fublime and occult fcicnces to be defpis'd 
 and forgotten ; their imagination could receive no- 
 thing but what was material and fenfible. From 
 their time the genius of the Egyptians was intireîy 
 chang'd, and turned to the fludy o<-''.rchite6lure, war, 
 and all thofe vain arts and fciences whi^h r.re ufe- 
 Icfs and hurtful to thofe who can content themfelves 
 with fimple nature. It was then that idolatry came 
 into Egypt : Sculpture, painting and poe'y obfcur'd 
 all pure ideas, and transform d them :nto fenfible 
 images ; the vulgar Hop there, without feeing 'nto 
 the hidden meaning of the a]le'^(.ries. Srmc 1 Ci-Ie 
 time after this invalion of the Ar.'biiMns, feven'i -K^yp- 
 tians, who could not fupport the yoke of foreigners, 
 left their country, and fettled themfelves in rr>lon es 
 in all parts of the world. Hence thofe great mca 
 famous in other nations ; the Bclus of the Bibyio- 
 nians, the Cecrops of the Athenians, and the Cad- 
 mus of the Boeotians ; and hence it is, that all the 
 nations of the univerfc owe their laws, fciences, and 
 religion to Egypt. In this manner fpoke the priells 
 to Cyrus. In this age liv'd the fécond Hermes, 
 caird Trifmegiftus ; he was the rellorer of the an- 
 cient religion ; he coIle<5led the laws and fciences of 
 the firfl Mercury in forty two volumes, which were 
 caird, The treasure of remedies for the 
 SOUL, becaufc they cure the mind of its ignorance, 
 the fource of all evils. 
 
 The third age was that of conquers and luxury. 
 Arts were perfefted more and more ; cities, edifices, 
 and pyramids multiplied. The father of Sefollris 
 caused all the children, who were born the fame 
 
 F day 
 
^z The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 day with his Ton, to be brought to court, and edu- 
 cated with the fame care as the young Prince, Up- 
 on the death of the King, Sefoftris levy'd a formi- 
 dable army, and appointed the young men who had 
 been educated with him, to be the officers to com- 
 mand it ; there were near two thoufand of them, 
 who were able to infpire all the troops with cou- 
 rage, military virtues, and attachment to the Prince, 
 whom they confidcr'd both as their mailer and their 
 brother. He form'd a defign of conquering the 
 whole world, and penetrated into the Indies farther 
 than either Bacchus or Hercules ; the Scythians fub- 
 mitted to his empire ; Thrace and Alia Minor are 
 full of the monuments of his vidlories ; upon thofe 
 monuments are to be feen the proud infcriptions of 
 Sefoftris King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Having 
 extended his conquefts from the Ganges to the Da- 
 nube, and from the river Tanaïs to the extremities of 
 Africa, he return'd after nine years abfence, loaded 
 with the fpoils of all the conquer'd nations, and 
 drawn in a chariot by the kings whom he had fub- 
 du*d. His government was altogether military and 
 defpotical ; he lelTen'd the authority of the Pontiffs, 
 and transferr'd their power to the commanders of 
 the army. After his death dilTcntions arofe among 
 thofe chiefs, and continu'd for three generations. 
 Under Anifis the Blind, Sabacon the Ethiopian took 
 advantage of their difcords and invaded Egypt. This 
 religious Prince re-eftablilh'd the power of the priells, 
 reign'd fifty years in a profound peace, and then re- 
 turn'd into his own country, in obedience to the 
 oracles of his Gods. The kingdom thus forfaken, 
 fell into the hands of Scthon the high-priell of Vul- 
 can ; he entirely deftroy'd the art of war among the 
 Egyptians, and defpifed the military men. The reign 
 of fuperftition, v^rhich enervates the minds of men, 
 Succeeded that of defpotic power, which had too 
 iQuch funk their courage. From that time Egypt 
 
 WAS 
 
Third Book, p« 
 
 was fupportcd only by foreign troops, and it fell by 
 degrees into a kind of anarchy. Twelve Nomarchs, 
 chofen by the people, fliar'd the kingdom between 
 them, till one of them, named Pfammeticus, made 
 himfelf mailer of all the reft : Then Egypt rccover'd 
 itfelf a little, and continued pretty powerful for five 
 or fix reigns ; but at length this ancient kingdom 
 became tributary to Nabuchodonofor King of Baby- 
 Ion. The conquefts of Sefoftris were the fource of 
 all thefe calamities. Cyrus perceiv'd by this, that 
 Princes who are infatiabie of conquering, arc ene- 
 mies to their pofterity ; by feeking to extend their 
 dominion too far, they fap the foundation of their 
 authority. 
 
 The ancient laws of Egypt loft much of their force 
 even in the reign of Sefoftris; in Cyrus's time no- 
 thing remained but the remembrance of them : This 
 Prince colleded all he could learn of them from his 
 converfation with the great men and old fages who 
 were then living. Thefe hws may be reduced to 
 three, upon which all the reft depend ; the firft re- 
 lates to kings, the fécond to polity, and the third to 
 civil jufticc. 
 
 The kingdom was hereditary, but the kings were 
 fubjeft to the laws. The Egyptians efteemed ic a 
 criminal ufurpation upon the rights of the great Ofi- 
 ris, and as a mad prefumption in a man to give hij 
 will for a law. As foon as the King rofe in the 
 morning, which wa$ at the break of day, when the 
 underftanding is cleareft, and the foul moft ferene, 
 all matters upon which he was to decide that day, 
 were plainly and diftinélly laid before him ; but be- 
 fore he pronounced judgment, he went to the tem- 
 ple to invoke the Gods and to offer facrifice. Being 
 there furrounded by all his court, and the viftims 
 Ibnding at the altar, he affifted ât a prayer fall of in- 
 ftruftion, the form of which was as follows: Great 
 Ofiris ! Eye of the world and light of fpirits Î Grant 
 
 F 2 to 
 
^4 The Travels of Cyrus.' 
 
 to the Prince, your image, all royal virtues, that he 
 may be religious towards the Gods, and benign to- 
 wards men, moderate, juft, magnanimous, generous, 
 an enemy of falfhood, mafter of his paffions, punifh- 
 ing lefs than the crime deferves, and rewarding be- 
 yond merit. After this the high-prieft reprefented 
 to him the faults he had committed againft the laws; 
 but it was always fuppos'd that he fell into them by 
 furprife, or thro' ignorance ; and the miniflers who 
 had given him evil counfels, or had difguis'd the 
 truth, were loaded with imprecations. After the 
 prayer and the facrifice, they read to him the allions 
 of the heroes and great kings, that the monarch 
 might imitate their example, and maintain the laws 
 which had render'd his predeceflbrs illullrious, and 
 their people happy. What is there that might not 
 be hoped for from princes accuftom'd, as an elTential 
 part of their religion, to hear daily the flrongeft and 
 moft falutary truths ? Accordingly, the greateft num- 
 ber of the ancient Kings of Egypt were fo dear to 
 their people, that each private man bewail'd their 
 death like that of a father. 
 
 The fécond law related to polity, and the fubor- 
 dination of ranks. The lands were divided into three 
 parts ; the iirft was the King's domain, the fécond 
 belonged to the chief priells, and the third to the mi- 
 litary men. The common people were divided into 
 three claffes, husbandmen, Ihepherds and artizans-: 
 Thefe three forts made great improvements, each in 
 their profeflions ; they profited by the experience of 
 their anceftors ; each father tranfmitted his know- 
 ledge and skill to his children ; no pcrfon was al- 
 low'd to forfakc his hereditary profeiTion : By this 
 means arts were cultivated and brought to a great 
 perfedion ; and the difturbances, occafion'd by the 
 ambition of thcfe who feek to rife above the rank in 
 which they are born, were prevented. To the end 
 that no perfon might be afliam'd of the lowjicfs of 
 
 his 
 
Third Book. p* 
 
 his flate an-d degree, the mechanic arts were held in 
 honour. In the body politic, as in tlie natural, all 
 the members contribute fomething to the common 
 life. In Egypt it was thought madnefs to defpife ». 
 man becaufe he ferves his country in a laborious em- 
 ployment. And thus was a due fubordination of 
 ranks preferv'd, without expofing the nobler to en- 
 vy, or the meaner to contempt. 
 
 The third law regarded civil juftice. Thirty judges, 
 drawn out of the principal cities, compos'd the fu- 
 preme council, which adminifter'd julîice through- 
 out the kingdom ; the Prince affign'd them revenue» 
 fufhcient to free them from domeftic cares, that they 
 might give their whole time to the compofing of 
 good laws, and enforcing the obfervation of them > 
 they had no further profit of their labours, except 
 the glory andpleafure of ferving their country. That 
 the judges might not be impos'd upon, fo as to pafs 
 unjuil decrees, the pleaders were forbidden that de- 
 ]ufive eloquence which dizzies the underflauding, 
 and moves the pafiions ; they expos'd the matters of 
 hdi with a clear and nervous brevity, ftripp'd of the 
 falfe ornaments of reafoning ; the prefident of the 
 fenate wore a collar of gold and precious ftones, at 
 which hung a fmall figure without eyes, which was 
 called truth ; he apply 'd it to the forehead and heart 
 of him who gain'd his caufe ; for that was the man- 
 ner of pronouncing fentence. There was lit Egypt 
 a fort of juftice unknown in other nations : As foon. 
 as a man had yielded his laft breath, he was brought 
 to a tryal, and the publickaccufer was heard againlt 
 him. In cafe it appeared that the behaviour of the 
 deceas'd had been culpable, his memory was branded^ 
 and he was refus'd burial ; if he were not convifted 
 of any crime againft the Gods, or his country, he 
 was entomb'd with marks of honour, and a pane- 
 gyric made upon him, without mentioning any thing 
 of his birth and defcent. Before he was carry 'd to 
 
 F 3 tke 
 
5)<5 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 the lepulchre, his bowels were taken out and put 
 into an urn, which the pontiff held up towards the 
 fun, making this prayer in the name of the dcceas'd ^ | 
 Great Ohris ! Life of all beings ! Receive my manes, 
 and reunite tliem to the fociety of the immortals ; 
 whilft I liv'd, I endeavoured to jmitate You by truth 
 and goodnefs ; I have nevcr^committed any crime 
 contrary to focial duty ; I have refpeded the Gods 
 of my fathers, and have honoured my parents ; if I 
 have committed any fault through human wcaknefs, 
 intemperance, or a tarte for pleafure, thcfc bafe fpoils 
 ©f my mortal nature have been the caufe of it. As 
 he pronounced thefe laft words, he threw the urn 
 into the river, and the reft of the body, when em- 
 balm'd, was depoftted in the pyramids. Such were 
 the notions of the ancient Egyptians : Being full of 
 the hopes of immortality, they imagined that human 
 frailties were expiated by our feparation from the 
 mortal body ; and that nothing l^ut crimes commit- 
 ted againft the Gods and fociety, hinder'd the foul 
 from being reunited to its origin. 
 
 All thcfe things rais'd in Cyrus a great defire tù 
 inftrud himfelf thoroughly in the religion of ancient 
 Egypt ; and for this purpofe he went to Thebes. 
 Zoroafter had directed him to Sonchis the high-prieft 
 of this city, to be inftrudled by him in all the reli- 
 gious my fteries of his country. Sonchis conduced 
 him into a fpacious hnll, where were three hundred 
 ftatues of Egyptian high-priefts. This long fucccf- 
 fion of pontiffs gave the Prince a high notion of the 
 antiquity of the religion of Egypt, and a great cu- 
 riofity to know the principles of it. To make you 
 acquainted, faid the pontiff, with the origin of our 
 worfhip, fymbols and myfterie*, I muft give you the 
 hillory of Hermes Trifmegiftus, who was the founder 
 of them. 
 
 f Torphyy dt jShJfinntia, liht 4* ffB. 10. ^ 
 
 ■fcj ' SiphcaSj 
 
T H I R D B O O K. ^7 
 
 Slphoas, or Hermes, the fécond of the name, wac 
 of the race of our firft fovereigns. While his mo- 
 ther was with child of him, fhe went by fea to Ly- 
 bia, to offer a facrifice to Jupiter Hammond. As 
 fhe coafted along Africa, a fvidden ftorm arofe, and 
 the veflel periih'd near a defart illand. She efcaped 
 by a particular protection of the God?, and was caft 
 upon the iûmd all alone ; thire Ihe liv'd a folitary 
 life, until her delivery, at which time fhe died. The 
 infant remain'd expos'd to the inclemencies of the 
 weather, and the fury of the wild hearts; but hea- 
 ven, which defign'd him for great purpofes, prefer v'd 
 liim in the midft of thefe misfortunes. A young 
 /he-goat hearing his cries, came and fuckled him 
 till he was paft infincy. For fome years he fed upon 
 the tender grafs with his nurfe, but afterwards upon 
 dates and wild fruits, which feem'd to him a more 
 proper food. He perceiv'd by the firft rays of rcafon 
 which began to fhine in him, that he was not of the 
 fame make with the beafls ; that he had more under- 
 ftanding, invention and addrefs than they ; and thence 
 conjedur'd, that he might be of a diffèrent nature. 
 
 The Ihe-goat which had nourifhed him died of 
 old age. He was much furpriz'd at this new phae- 
 nomenon, of which he had never obferv'd the like 
 before ; he could not comprehend why fhe continu'd 
 fo long cold and without motion ; he conllder'd her 
 ibr feveral days ; he compared all he faw in her with 
 what he felt in himfelf, and perceiv'd* that he had a 
 beating in his breafl, and a principle of motion in 
 him, which was no longer in her. The mind fpeaks 
 to itfelf, without knowing the arbitrary names which 
 we have affixed to our ideas. Hermes reafon'd thus : 
 The goat did not give herfelf that principle of life, 
 fince fhe has lofl it and cannot reftore it to herfelf. 
 
 As he was endow'd by nature with a wonderful 
 fagacity, he fought a long time for the caufe of this 
 change ;. he obferv'd that the plants and trees fecm'd 
 
 F 4 t« 
 
5>8 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 to die, and to revive every year, by the going away 
 and return of the fan ; he imagined that this liar 
 was the principle of all things, and he expofcd the 
 carcafe to its rays, but life did not return ; on the 
 contrary he faw it putrify, grow dry and fall to pie- 
 ces, nothing remained but the bones ; it is not the 
 fun then, faid he within himfclf, that gives life ta 
 animals. He examined whether it might not be 
 i'ome other ftar ; but having obferv'd that the flars 
 ivhich fhincd in the night had neither fo much heat 
 nor light as the fun, and that all nature fccm'd to 
 languifh in the abfence of the day, he concluded 
 that the liars were not the firft principles of life. 
 
 As he advanced in age, his underftanding ripcn'd, 
 and his reflcdlions became more profound. He had 
 remarked that inanimate bodies could not move of 
 ihemfelves, that animals did not reftore motion to 
 themfclves when they had loft it, and that the fun 
 «lid not revive dead bodies ; hence he inferr'd, that 
 there was in nature a Firll Mover more powerful 
 than the (i-in or the ftars, and which gave adivity 
 and motion to all bodies. 
 
 Reflecting afterwards upon himfelf he obferv'd, 
 that there was fomething in him which felt, which 
 thought, and which compar'd his thoughts together. 
 Diffipating minds wandering about in vain purfuits, 
 and loft in amufements never enter into themfelves; 
 their nobler faculties are benumb'd, ftupified and bu- 
 ried in matter. Hermes not being diverted by pre- 
 judice;) and paffions, from liftening to the ftill voice 
 of wifdom, which inceftantly calls us into ourfelves, 
 obey'd that divine whifper without knowing it ; he 
 retired more and more into his fpiritual nature, and 
 by a fimplicity of heart attained to the difcovery of 
 thofc truths, which others arrive at by fubtilty of 
 rcafoning. After having meditated feveral years on 
 the operations of his own mind, without knowing 
 or imagining that there was any difference between 
 
Third Book. s>^ 
 
 the foul and body, he concluded that he himfel^ 
 was not the firfl caufe of thought, any more than 
 of motion ; that he deriv'd both the one and the 
 other from the fame fource, and confequently that 
 the Firil Mover mult have intelligence as well as 
 power. 
 
 Scarce had he got a glimpfe of thefe truths when 
 tranfported with joy he faid within himfelf, * Since 
 
 * the Firfl: Mover has fo much power and wifdom, 
 
 * he muft alfo abound in goodnefs ; he cannot but 
 
 * be ready to fuccour thofe who have need of his 
 
 * affiftance, as I endeavour to relieve the animals that 
 
 * want my help ; my power, my reafon and my 
 
 * goodnefs can only be emanations from his.' Man 
 in the midft of beings that can give him no fuccour, 
 is in a wretched fituation ; but when he difcovers the 
 idea of a being who is able to make him happy, thers 
 is nothing can com pare with his hopes and his joy. 
 
 The defire of happinefs, infeparabJe from our na- 
 ture, made Hermes wifh to fee that Firft Mover, to 
 know him, and to converfe with him. If I could, 
 faid he, make him underfland my thoughts and my 
 délires, doubtlefs he would render me more happy 
 than I am. His hopes and his joy were foon dif- 
 turb'd by great doubts. Alas ! faid he, if the Firfl 
 Mover be as good and beneficent as Î imagine him, 
 why do I not fee him ? Why has he not made him- 
 felf known to me ? And above all, why am I in this 
 melancholy folitude, where l fee nothing like my- 
 felf, nothifig that feems to reafon as I do, nothing 
 that can give me any alTiftance ? In the midft of thele 
 perplexities, his weak reafon was filent, and could 
 make no anfwer. His heart fpoke, and turning it- 
 felf to the firft Principle, faid to him in that mute 
 language which the Gods underftand better than 
 words : Life of all beings Î fhew thy felf to me J 
 make me to know who thou art, and what I am ; 
 come and fuccour jne in this my folitary and miferable- 
 ftasî. F 5 Th^ 
 
loo The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 The great Ofiris loves a pure heart, and is al- 
 ways attentive to iti defires. He ordered the iîrft 
 Hermes, or Mercury, to take a human form, and 
 to go and inilrufl him. One day, when young 
 TrifmegiHus was lleeping at the foot of a tree, 
 Hermes came and fat down by him. Trifmegiftua 
 when he awak'd was furpriz'd to behold a figure 
 like his own ; he utter'd fome founds, but they were 
 not articulate ; he difcover'd all the different moti* 
 ons of his foul, by thofe tranfports, that e^rneilnef% 
 thofc ingenuous and artlefs figns, whereby nature 
 teaches men to exprefs what they ftrongly feel» 
 Mercury in a little time taught the favage Philofo- 
 pher the Egyptian language. He then inform'd him 
 what he was, and what he was to be, and inftrufted 
 him in all the fcienccs which Trifmegiftus afterward» 
 taught the Egyptians. He now began to difcern fe- 
 veral marks, which he had not obferved before, of 
 an infinite Wifdom and Power difius'd throughout 
 all nature j and thereby perceiv'd the weaknefs of 
 human reafon when left to itfelf and without in- 
 ilrudion. He wasaftonifhedat his former ignorance, 
 but his new difcoveries produc'd new perplexities. 
 One day, w^hen Mercury was fpeaking to him of 
 the noble delliny of man, the dignity of his nature, 
 and the immortality which awaits him, he anfwer'd; 
 If the great Ofiris ordains mortals to fo perfect a 
 felicity, whence is it that they arc born in fuch ig- 
 norance? Whence comes it that he does not fhew 
 himfeh" to them, and difpel their darknefs ? Alas ! if 
 you had net come to enlighten me, I ihould have 
 fought long without difcovering the firft Principle of 
 all things, fuch as you have made him known to 
 rne Upon tliis Mercury unfolded to him all the 
 fecrets of the Egyptian Theology, in the following, 
 manner. 
 
 * The primitive ftate of man was very different 
 » See the Egyptian Theology^ in the Difc. />. ^^* 
 
 from 
 
Third Book. idi 
 
 from what it is at prefent. Without, all the parts 
 of the univerfe were in a perfeft harmony ; within, 
 all was in fubjedlion to the immutable laws .of rea- 
 fon ; every one carried his rule within his own 
 breall, and all the nations of the earth were but 
 one republic of fages. Mankind liv'd then without 
 difcord, ambition, or pomp, in a pcrfed peace, e- 
 quality, and fimplicity : Each man however had his 
 particular qualities and inclinations, but all inclina- 
 tions were fubfcrvient to the love of virtue, and all 
 talents applied to the difcovery of truth ; the beau- 
 ties of nature, and the perfeélions of its author, 
 were the entertainment and ftudy of the firft men. 
 The imagination prefented nothing then but jult 
 and pure ideas ; the paiTions being in fubjedion to 
 reafon, rais'd no tumult in the heart, and the love 
 of pleafnre was always regulated by the love of or- 
 der. The God Ofiris, the Goddefs Ifis, and their 
 fon Orus, came often and converfed with men, and 
 taught them all the myileries of wifdom. This ter- 
 reftrial life, how happy foever, was nevcrthelefs but 
 the infancy of our beings, in which fouls were pre- 
 pared for a fuccelTive unfolding of intelligence and 
 happinefs. When tliey had lived a certain time up- 
 on the earth, men chang'd their form without dy- 
 ing, and flew away to the ftars, where with new 
 faculties and new light [they difcovered new truths, 
 and enjoy'd new pleafures ; from thence they were 
 rais'd to another world, thence to a third, and fo 
 traveird through the immenfe fpaces by endlefa me- 
 tamorphofcs. 
 
 A whole age, and, according to fome, many ages 
 pafs*d in this manner ; at length there happened a 
 fad change both in fpirits and in bodies. Typhon, 
 chief of the Genii, and his companions had for- 
 merly inhabited our happy dwelling ; but being in- 
 toxicated with pride, and forgetting themfelves fo 
 far as to attempt to fcale heaven, they were thrown, 
 
 f 6 down 
 
102 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 down Jieadlong, and buried in the centre of the 
 earth. They came out of their abyfs, broke thro' 
 the egg of the world, difFus'd the evil principle over 
 it, and corrupted the minds, hearts and manners of 
 its inhabitants. The foul of the great Ofiris forfook 
 his body, which is Nature, and it became a car- 
 cafs. Typhon tore it in pieces, difpers'd its mem- 
 bers, and blafted all its beauties. 
 
 From that time the body became fubjefl to dif- 
 cafes and to death, the mind to error and to pafTions ; 
 the imagination of man prefents him now with no- 
 thing but chimera's ; his reafon ferves only to con- 
 tr3di<n: his inclinations, without being able to cor- 
 reft themi the greateft part of his pleafures are 
 falfe and deceitful, and all his pains, even his imagi- 
 nary ones, are real evils ; his heart is an abundant 
 fource of reftlefs defires, frivolous fears, vain hopes, 
 diforderly inclinations, which fucceflively torment 
 him ; a crowd of wild thoughts and turbulent paf- 
 (ions caufe an inteftine war within him, make him 
 continually take arms againft himfelf, and render 
 him at the fame time both an idolater and an ene- 
 my of his own nature. That which each man feels 
 in himfelf, is a lively image of what paiTes in human 
 fociety. Three different empires are rifen in the 
 world, and fhare amojag them all charadlers, the em- 
 pire of Opinion, that of Ambition, and that of 
 Sensuality : Error prefides in the firft, force has 
 the dominion in the fécond, and vanity reigns in the 
 third. Such is the prefent ftate of human nature. 
 The Goddefs If^s goes over all the earth, feeking the 
 difpers'd, deluded fouls, to condudl them back to 
 the empyreum, while the God Orus continually at- 
 tacks the evil Principle. 'Tis faid, that he will at 
 lad re-eftablifh the reign of Ofiris, and will banifh 
 for ever the monfter Typhon ; until that time good 
 Princes may alleviate the miferies of men, but they 
 cannot entirely cure them. You, continued Mer- 
 Z cury^ 
 
Third Boox^ icj 
 
 cury, arc of the race of the ancient Kings of Egypt, 
 and are deflin'd by the great Ofiris to reform that 
 ivingdom by your wife laws. He has preferv'd you 
 only that you may one day make other men happy ; 
 you will very foon fee your own country. He faid, 
 and of a fudden rofe into the air, his body became 
 tranfparent and difappear'd by degrees like the morn- 
 ing liar, which flies at the approach of Aurora. 
 He had a crown upon his head, wings at his feet, 
 and held in his hand a caduceus; upon his flowing 
 robe were all the hieroglyphicks which Trifmegiflus 
 afterwards made ufe of to exprefs the myfteries of 
 Theology and of nature. 
 
 Meris the firft, who then reign'd in Egypt, be- 
 ing admoniflied by the Gods in a dream of all that 
 palled in the defart ifland, fent thither for the fa- 
 vage Philofopher, and perceh^ing the conformity be- 
 tween his fl:ory and the divine dream, adopted him 
 for his fon. Trifmegiftus, after the death of that 
 prince, afcended the throne, and made Eg}'pt for a 
 long time happy by his wife laws. He wrote feve- 
 ral books, which contain'd the divinity, philofophy 
 and policy of the Egyptians. The firft Hermes had 
 invented the ingenious art of exprefling all forts of 
 founds by the diiFerent combinations of a few let- 
 ters ; an invention moft wonderful for its fimplicity, 
 but not fufficiently admired becaufe it is common. 
 Belides this manner of writing, there was another^ 
 which was confecrated to divine things, and which 
 few perfons under Itood. Trifmegiftus exprefs'd the 
 virtues and paflions of the foul, the aftions and at- 
 tributes of the Gods^ by the figures of animals, in- 
 fedls, plants, liars and divers other fymbolical cha- 
 raders : Hence it is that we fee fphinxes, ferpents, 
 birds and crocodiles in our ancient temples, and up- 
 on our obelisks ; but they are not the objeéls of our 
 worlhip, as the Greeks fooliflily imagine. Trifme- 
 giftus CQnceal'd the myfteriejof religion under hie- 
 
 roglyphfcki 
 
104 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 roglyphicks and allegories, and expos'd nothing to 
 ^ccycs of tnevulgir but the beauties of his morality. , 
 This has been the method of the figes in all times, 
 and of the grcu legifluors in all countries. Thcfe 
 divme men were fcnfible that corrupted minds could 
 have no rchfh for heavenly truths till the heart was 
 punfv'd from its pafTions ; for which reafon they 
 fprcad over religion a fncrcd veil, which opens and 
 van.Oies when the eyes of the undcrftanding are able 
 to fupport Its brighinefs. 
 
 Cyrus pcrceiv'd by this hiHory of Hermes, that 
 the Ofiris. Orus and Typhon of the Ecvptians, were 
 the fanic with the Orom.izes, Mythras and Arima- 
 nius of the Perfians ; and that the Mythology of 
 thefe two nations was founded upon the fame prin- 
 ciples. The notions of the Orientals were only 
 more fimplc, clear and undifguis'd by fcnfible ima- 
 ges ; thofe of the Egyptians more allegorical, obfcure 
 and wrapt up in fi(5lion. 
 
 Aiter Sonchis had difcours'd with Cvrus in this 
 Jnanner, he conduced him to the temple', where he 
 let him into all the ceremonies and myflerics of the 
 Egyptian worfhip ; a privilege which had never been 
 granted before to any ftranger, till he had gone 
 through a feverc probation. The temple was con- 
 fccratcd to the Goddcfs Ifis, and built in an oval 
 form to reprcfcnt the egg of the world ; over the 
 'great gate was this infcription, ''To the Goddess 
 WHO IS one, and who is all. The.iltar was a 
 great obelisk of porphyry, on which were engraven 
 fcvcral hicrogiyphicks containing the fccrcts of the 
 tgj'ptian religion. Towards the top appeared three 
 dark clouds which fcem'd to meet in a point; fome- 
 what lower a tree planted in a muddy mar/h, upon 
 whole branches, which reached up to the clouds, fat ■ 
 
 ^càtla!''^'''" "^'^ "" "''^'' '-f^^'"' '''^''^ '^^'^ ^^ ^'/«« «' 
 
 an 
 
Third Book. lof 
 
 an hawk ; by the fide of this tree was a winged 
 globe with a fcrpcnt coming out of it ; at the bot- 
 tom of all, a crocodile without a tongue hid itfelf m 
 the waters of an abyfs, a fphynx at the fame time 
 walking upon the furface. On one fide of this al- 
 tar flood the ftatue of the Goddefs, covcr'd with a 
 veil, upon which were reprefented the Hgurcs of the 
 celeftial and terrcftrial bodies ; on the other fide 
 was the ftatue of Harpocrates, holding one hand up- 
 on his mouth, and pointing to the Goddefs with the 
 
 other *^. . ./. 1 t- 
 
 The high prieft, cloathed in his pontifical robes, 
 explained to Cyrus the meaning of thefe fymbols, 
 before he began the facrificc. We adore, faid he, 
 no other but the great Ammon, that is to fay, the 
 unknown God; we confider him fometimes as he is 
 in himfelf, and at other times as manifefled by na- 
 ture. In the firft fenfe we call him Eiaon, Emeph, 
 Ptha, Life, Light and Love, all whofe operations, 
 thoughts and afFedlions being concentred in himfelf, 
 he remains in his folitary unity incomprchenfible to 
 mortals ; thus confider'd «^ we adore him only by 
 filence, or by the name of Incomprehensible 
 DARKNESS thrice repeated; and we reprefcnt him 
 by the clouds which you fee towards the top of the 
 
 obelisk. -r n j i.- 
 
 Then we confider him as he has manifefted him- 
 felf in the multiplicity of nature, by a diffafive Good- 
 nefs that communicates itfelf every where, by a fo- 
 vercign Wifdom which forms within itfelf the ideas 
 of all things, and by an infinite Power that produ- 
 ces, animates, prefcrves and governs whatever has 
 
 c Tbefc bierofrlyphicki art all Egypt i^-^n, afid are to be fcuni, 
 with tie cxplicatJont here given cf tbcm, it: Plutarch, 'Jam- 
 blicbui, Dammafcius and Horns ^pclle, qmted by K^rcber and 
 Cudvjortb, J . 
 
 d Tbii famoui oc^rejjion of the E^ptim is prejewed by 
 
 Vammafciuf, . . 
 
 •^ a being. 
 
106 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 a being. Wc call thefe three forms of the divinity, 
 
 Ohris, Ifis, Orus and wc reprefent them by many 
 
 different fvmbols: Sometimes by an hawk, which 
 
 having of all birds the moft piercing eye and the 
 
 moft rapid flight, ferves to cxprefs the divine intel- 
 
 Iigence and aftivity. This bird fits upon the top of 
 
 a tree to fignify that the eternal nature is infinitely 
 
 exalted above matter, which is as dirt in compiri- 
 
 fon of the pureefience of the Deity. The globe 
 
 denotes the indivifible Unity without beginning or 
 
 end. the ferpent the fupreme Wifdom, and the wings 
 
 that adtive Spirit which animates and gives life to 
 
 all. The crocodile which appe.us under a deep wa- 
 
 l^l> , ^^à ^^lij^out :i tongue, reprefents the great 
 
 Ofiris hidden m the abyfsof nature, and doing all in 
 
 a profound filence j but you fee walking upon the 
 
 furface of this abyfs a fphynx, which ^being half 
 
 man and half lyon, fignifics the wildom and flrength 
 
 of the two other principles. Lallly the Gcddefs 
 
 Ills covcr'd with a veil, and having, as you fee, this 
 
 infcnption on her pedelhl, I am all that is, 
 
 MAS BEEN, OR SHALL BE, AND NO MORTAL CAN 
 REMOVE THE VEIL THAT COVERS ME, dechrCS, 
 
 that untverfal nature is but a veil which covers the 
 l^ivinity, and that no one can behold the fplendor 
 of h:s pure and naked efi-ence. The pollure of the 
 Crod Harpocrates denotes th.it we ought never to 
 ipeak of the incomprehenfiblc cfTence of Ifis, but 
 only of her manitellations. Tiie Egyptians in all 
 otiier places have forgotten the original and fublim© 
 meaning of thefc f.cred fymbols ; they adore the 
 animals whofe reprefentations you fee here, and par 
 contributions for their nourifhment ; but the inha- 
 bitants of Thebes refufe to do it ; they acknowledge 
 no mortal Gods, and adore but one fole Deity ut 
 created an.^ #>f^rno] e ^ 
 
 created and eternal '. 
 ? Set Piutarcb in bit Jfii and O/tris, 
 
 CynM 
 
Third Book. 107 
 
 Gyrus no fooner underftood the meaning of thefc 
 hicroglyphicks, bat he was the more defirous of 
 feeing the Egyptian ceremonies ; and the facrificc 
 began. While the vidims were offering, and their 
 blood ftreaming at the foot of the altar, there was 
 heard the moft delicious mujfic : On a fudden the 
 high-prieft rifing up cry'd with a loud voice, Let us 
 adore the great Ammon the unknown God, the in- 
 comprehenfiblc darknefs ; thrice he repeated thefc 
 words, and thrice the people fell proftratc ; the 
 mufic (lopp'd, an univcrfal filence reign'd, every one 
 was afraid to breathe, left he fhould difturb the ftill- 
 nefs and tranquillity of the place ; then the voices 
 joining the inilruments, began this facred hymn, 
 ^ Let us celebrate the praifcs of the immortal Ifis, 
 iheis the mother of nature, the origin of all things, 
 the fum of all the divine virtues, the uniform face 
 of the Gods and Goddeffes ; by one fingle look fhc 
 enlightens the flars ; at her command foft zephyrs 
 refrefh the earth; fhe rules over the difmal and 
 iilent regions of hell ; fhe cheriihes mortals, and 
 fhews them the afFedion of a mother in their af- 
 fligions ; fhe calms the tempefls of fortune, (he re- 
 ftrains the noxious influences of the fbrs ; the ce- 
 leflial Deities proflrate themfelves before her, the 
 infernal powers obey her ; all the univerfe adores 
 her under different names, and by different rites. 
 The fervice ended, forty prieils walk'd two and two 
 from the temple in procelîion, finging hymns in ho- 
 nour of the Gods 8 : The high-prieft came laft with 
 Cyrus at his right hand, and Amenophis at his left, 
 cncompafs'd by a vaft throng of people, who at- 
 tended them in a refpeflful filence without tumult, 
 and conduced the Prince back to the palace of the 
 pontiff. 
 
 • '' Ste Cudiv. p. 410. 
 
 " t See Clem. AUx, S(r:m. 6. />• 633. 
 
 Cyrus 
 
loS The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 Cyrus %'d fome days with Sonchis, and then 
 
 filld all the Eafl with the fame of her excellent 
 iavys, brave warriors and wife philofophers. The 
 I'nnce would gladly have engaged Amenophis ti 
 accompany him m his travels ; and in order to pre« 
 vail upon him promifed that he would return b, 
 W . ,' ""l- endeavour to perfuade Nabuchodono. 
 ior to ,j,^r his refolutions. O Cyrus, replied Ame. 
 nophis, you are a ilrangcr to the politicks of that 
 conqueror ; he refolves to have none but tri" 
 ^utary Kmgs m Egypt mere /laves to his will ; 
 Amafis IS a man for his purpofe ; Apries ia 
 ûead, the race of our ancient Kings is extind, the 
 ulurpcr_ governs with gentlenefs and moderation j 
 Jigypt IS m peace and tranquillity, and there is no 
 Jonger any pretence for revoking. I am going back 
 to my fohtude, where I fhall find thofe pure plea- 
 sures, which are not to be met with at the courts of 
 AJngs, nor in the hurry of bufmefs. Go, Prince 
 go render yourfelf worthy to accomplie the Ora- 
 cles; and never forget in the midft of your fuc- 
 celles, that you have feen a Monarch, who was • 
 heretofore triumphant and glorious, driven on a 
 iudden from his throne, and become the fport of 
 fortune They parted foon after ; Amcnophis re- 
 turned to his former folitude in Arabia, and Cyrus 
 left Egypt without feeing Amafis, whofe charadlcr 
 and ufurpation he abhorr'd. 
 
 THE 
 
THE 
 
 TRAVELS 
 
 O F 
 
 CYRUS. 
 
 FOURTH BOOK. 
 
 CYRUS refolving to go the fliorteft way into 
 Greece, went down the Nile from Memphis 
 to the mouth of that river, and embarked 
 upon the Great Sea in a Phœnician velTel, that was 
 bound for Argolis. Arafpes during the voyage, was 
 fometimes fad and thoughtful, which Cyrus per- 
 ceiving, ask'd him the reafon. Arafpes anfwer'd. 
 You are a Prince, I dare not fpeak my heart to you. 
 Let us forget the Prince, faid Cyrus, and converfe 
 like friends. Well then, faid Arafpes, I obey : E- 
 very thing which Amenophis has faid upon the in- 
 ftability of the heart of man in friendftiip, terrifies 
 me; I often feci thofe contrarieties he has fpoken 
 of; your manners, which are too averfe to plea- 
 sure, fometimes offend me; and, without doubt, 
 my imperfections make you uneafy in their turn ; 
 how unhappy Ihould I be, if this difference of cha- 
 rafter could alter or diminifh our friendfhip. All 
 men have their frailties, rcply'd Cyrus ; whoever 
 looks for a friend without imperfeftions, will never 
 find what he fecks ; we are not always equally con- 
 tent with ourfelvcs, how (hould we be fo with our 
 friend ? Wc love ourfclvei neverthelefs with all our 
 
 faults. 
 
no The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 faults, and we ought to love our friend in like man- 
 ner; you have your fiilings, and I have mine, but 
 our candour in mutually confefling our errors, and 
 our indulgence in excufmg each other, ought to re- 
 ■ move your fears of any breach in our friendfhip. 
 It 15 treating one's friend like another fclf, thus to 
 Ihew him our foul quite naked, and this ingenuity 
 makes all imperfe<flions vanilh. With other men it 
 is fufficient to be fmcere by never afFcdling to appear 
 what vvc are not ; but v^rith a friend we mull be 
 fimple, fo as to fliew ourfelvcs even fuch as we arc. 
 
 Cyrus then changed the converfation, and dif- 
 courfed with his iVicnd of all they had feen in E- 
 gypt : When hé had dwelt a good while upon th« 
 beauties of that country, its revolutions, fciences, 
 religion and form of government, he thus conclud- 
 ed : I admire the wifdom of all the laws of ancient 
 Egypt, except that which forbids the Egyptians to 
 quit their paternal profcflions ; this law ought to 
 have exceptions : We fee in almoft all countries and 
 all ages, that the greateft men have not always had 
 the advantage of an high birth. There are in all 
 Hates fuperior genius's that would be rendered ufc- 
 lefs if confin'd to the fphere in which they were 
 born ; in political eftablilhments wc fhould avoid 
 every thing whereby nature may be conftrain'd and 
 genius cramp'd. The nobleft prerogative of a King 
 is to be able to repair the injufticc of fortune, by- 
 doing juftice to merit. 
 
 While a favourable wind filled the fails, Arafpes 
 calling to mind the notions of Zoroafter and the 
 Magi, difcours'd with Cyrus upon all the wonders 
 which are difcoverable in the vaft empire of the wa- 
 ters ; of the conformation of its inhabitants, which 
 is fuitcd to their element ; of the ufe of their fins, 
 which they employ fometimes as oars to divide the 
 water, and fometimes as wings to flop themfelvcs 
 by extending them ; of the delicate membranes 
 .•^.•;;iikl which 
 
Fourth Book. m 
 
 which they have in their bodies, and which they di- 
 llend or contra<5l, to make themfelves more or lels 
 heavy, according as they would go upwards or down- 
 wards in the water; of the admirable Ilru6lure of their 
 eyes, which are pcrfeftly round, to refra6l and unite 
 more readily the rays of light,without which they could 
 not fee in the humid element. After this they dif- 
 cours'd of the beds of faits and bituminous matter, 
 hid in the bottom of the fea. The weight of each 
 particle of thefe faits is regulated in fuch a manner, 
 that the fun cannot draw them upwards ; whence it 
 is, that the vapours and rains which fall again upon 
 the earth, not being overcharged with them, be- 
 come plenteous fourccs of frefh water. Then they 
 leafon'd upon the ebbing and flowing of the tide, 
 which are not fo difcernible in the Great Sea as in 
 the Ocean : of the influence of the moon which 
 caufes thofe regular motions, and of the dillance and 
 magnitude of that planet, which are wifely adjufl:ed 
 to anfwer all our wants ; if it were bigger or nearer 
 to us, or if there were many of them, the preflure 
 being thereby augmented would raife the tides too 
 high, aixd the -earth would be every moment ovcr- 
 flow'd by deluges ; if there were no moon, or if it 
 were lefs or at a greater dillancc, the Ocean would 
 foon became a mafs of ftagnated waters, and its pe- 
 ftiferous exhalations diffafmg themfelves every where, 
 would deilroy plants, beafts and men. At length 
 they came todifcourfeof that fovcreign Power,which 
 has difposM all the parts of the univerfe with fo 
 much fymmetry and art. 
 
 After fome days failing the veflel enter'd the Sa- 
 ronic gulph, and foon arrived at Epidaurus, from 
 whence the Prince made hafle to get to Sparta. This 
 famous city was of a circular form, and refembled a 
 camp. It was fituated in a wild and barren valley, 
 through which the Eurotas flows, an impetuous ri- 
 ver which often lays wafle the whoj^ country by 
 
 its 
 
m The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 its inundations. This valley is hemm'd in on otie 
 iide bj inacccfliblc mountains, and on the other fide 
 by little hills, which fcarcely produc'd what was 
 ncceffary to fupply the real wants of nature. The 
 ficuation of the country had contributed very much 
 CO the warlike and favage genius of its inhabitants. 
 
 As Cyrus enter'd the city he beheld only plain 
 and uniform buildings, very different from the ftately 
 palaces he had fecn in Egypt ; every thing ftill 
 {poke the primitive fimplicity of the Spartans : But 
 their manners were upon the point of being cor- 
 rupted under the reign of Aiifton and Anaxandrides, 
 if Chilo one of the feven fages of Greece had not 
 prevented it. Thefe two Kings of the ancient race 
 of the Heraclides, fhared the fovereign power be- 
 tween them ; one governed the ftate, the other 
 commanded the troops. They receiv'd Cyrus with 
 more politenefs than was ufual for the Spartans to 
 fliew to ftrangers. They feem'd to have very little 
 curioiity about the manners, fciences and cuftoms 
 of other nations, their great concern was to make 
 the Prince of Perfia admire the wifdom of their 
 law-giver, and the excellence of his laws. To this 
 end they prefented Chilo to him. This Philofopher 
 had by his talents acquir'd great credit with the 
 Kings, the fenate and the people, and was look'd 
 upon as a fécond Lycurgus; nothing was done at 
 Lacedaemon without him. The Spartan Sage, in 
 order to give Cyrus a lively notion of their law», 
 manners and form of government, firft led him to 
 the council of the Gcrontes, inftituted by Lycur- 
 gus. This council where the two Kings preiided, 
 V7as held in a hall hung with matt, that the magnifi- 
 cence of the place might not divert the fenators at- 
 tention. It coofifted of about forty perfons, and 
 was not liable to that tumult and confufion which 
 frequently reign'd in the debates of the people at 
 Athens. 
 
 Till 
 
Fourth Book. hj 
 
 Till Lycurgus's time the Kings of Sparta had been 
 abfolute : But Eurytion one of thofe Kings, having 
 yielded fome part of his prerogatives to pleafe the 
 people, a republican party was thereupon form'd, 
 v^^hich became audacious and turbulent. The Kings 
 would have refum'd their ancient authority, but the 
 people would not fufFer it ; and this continual 
 ftruggle between oppofite powers rent the ftate to 
 pieces. To eftablifh an equal ballance of the regal 
 and popular power, which lean'd alternately to ty- 
 ranny and anarchy, Lycurgus, in imitation of Mi- 
 nos, inftitutcd a council of twenty eight old men, 
 whofe authority keeping a mean betwixt the two 
 extremes, delivered Sparta from its domeftic diflcn- 
 tions. An hundred and thirty years after him, Theo- 
 pompus having obferv'd, that what had been refolv^d 
 by the Kings and their council, was not always agree- 
 able to the multitude, eflabliih'd certain annual ma- 
 giftrates called Ephori, who were chofen by the 
 people, and confented in their name to whatever 
 was detcrmin'd by the King and Senate ; each private 
 man look'd upon thefe unanimous refolutions as 
 made by himfelf ; and in this union of the head with 
 the members, confided the life in the body politic at 
 Sparta. 
 
 After Lycurgus had regulated the form of govern- 
 ment, he gave the Spartans fuch laws as were pro- 
 per to prevent the diforders occafion'd by avarice, 
 ambition and love. In order to expel luxury and 
 envy from Sparta, he refolv'd to banifh for ever both: 
 riches and poverty. He perfuaded his countrymen 
 to make an equal diftribution of all their wealth and 
 of all their lands, decry'd the ufe of gold and filver, 
 and ordain'd that they fhould have only iron money, 
 which was not current in foreign countries. He 
 chofe rather to deprive the Spartans of the advan- 
 tages of commerce with their neighbours, than to 
 cxpofc them to the misfortune of bringing home 
 
 from 
 
114 The Travels of Cryus.' 
 
 from other nations thofc inflrumcnts of luxury which 
 might corrupt them. 
 
 The more firmly to eftablifli an equality among 
 the citizens, they ate together in public halls ; each 
 company had liberty to choofe its own guefts, and 
 no one was admitted there but with the content of 
 the whole, to the end that peace might not be dif- 
 turb'd by a difference of humours j a neceffary pre- 
 caution for men naturally fierce and warlike. Cyrus 
 went into thefe public halls, where the men were 
 feated without any diftindlion but that of their age ; 
 they were furrounded by children who waited on 
 them: Their temperance and auilerity of life was fo 
 great, that other nations ufcd to fay. It was better 
 to die, than to live like the Spartans. During the 
 repaft they difcours'd together on grave and ferious 
 matters, the interefts of their country, the lives of 
 great men, the difference between a good and bad 
 citizen, and of whatever might form youth to the 
 tafle of military virtues. Their difcourfe contain'd 
 much fenfe in few words, for which reafon the La- 
 conic ftyle has been admir'd in all nations ; by imi- 
 tating the rapidity of thought, it faid all in a mo- 
 ment, and gave the hearer the pleafure of difcovering 
 a profound meaning which was unexprefs'd ; the 
 graceful, fine and delicate turns of the Athenians 
 were unknown at Laccdaemon ; the Spartans were 
 for flrength in the mind as well as in the body. 
 
 Upon a folenm fellival, Cyrus and Arafpcs were 
 prefent at the aflemblies of the young Lacedemo- 
 nians, which were held within a large inclofurc, fur- 
 rounded with divers feats of turf rais'd one above an- 
 other, in form of an amphitheater. Young girls al- 
 moH naked contended with boys in running, wrcil- 
 ling, dancing, and all forts of laborious exercifes : 
 The young men were not permitted to marry any 
 but fuch as they had vanquifh'd at thefe games. Cy- 
 rus was fhock'd to fee the liberty which rcign'd in 
 
 thefe 
 
Fourth Book. iif 
 
 thefe public aflemblies, between perfons of diffe- 
 rent (exes, and could not forbear repreienting it to 
 Chilo. There feems, faid he, to be a great incon- 
 fiftency in the laws of Lycurgus; his aim was to 
 cftablifh a republic which Ihould confift only of war- 
 riors, inur'd to all forts of labours, and at the fame 
 time he made no fcruple to expofe them to fenfuality, 
 the moft effe6lual means to fmk their courage. 
 
 The defign of Lycurgus in inftituting thefe fefti- 
 vals, reply'd Chilo, was to prcferve and perpetuate 
 military virtue in his republic. That great law-giver 
 was well acquainted with human nature ; he knew 
 what influence the inclinations and difpofitions of 
 mothers have upon their children ; his intention was 
 to make the Spartan women heroines, that they 
 might bring the republic none but heroes. Befides, 
 continued Chilo, grofs fenfuality and delicate love, 
 are equally unknown at Lacedaemon ; 'tis only in 
 thefe public feftivals that the familiarity which Co 
 much offends you is allowed. Lycurgus thought it 
 poffible to deaden the fire of voluptuous defires, by 
 accufloming the eye fometimes to thofe objefls which 
 excite them. At all other times the women are very 
 referv'd ; nay by our laws new-marry'd perfons arc 
 permitted to fee one another but rarely, and that in 
 private ; and thus our youth are formM to tempe- 
 rance and moderation, even in the moft lawful plea- 
 furcs. By this means alfo are prevented thofe dif- 
 gufts which frequently arifc from the permiffion of 
 an unbounded liberty in the marriage ftate. The 
 conftraint which the Spartans are under keeps up the 
 ardor of their firft flame ; fo that marriage does not 
 make them ceafc to be lovers. On the other hand, 
 llolen amours and jealoufy are baniflied from Sparta ; 
 husbands who arc fick, or advanced in years, lend 
 their wives to others, and afterwards take them again 
 without fcruple. Wives look upon themfelves as 
 belonging to the (late more than to their husbands. 
 
 G The 
 
ïï5 The Travels ot Gyhus. 
 
 -The children are educated in common, and oftCR 
 «without knowing any other mother than the repub- 
 lic, or any other fathers than the fenators. 
 
 Here Cyrus, Ilruck with a lively remembrance of 
 ■Caffandana and of the pure pleafures of their mutual 
 -love, figh'd within himfelF, and felt an abhorrence 
 -of thefe odious maxims. He defpis'd effeminacy, 
 but he could not relifli the favage fiercenefs of the 
 •Spa-rtans,. which c?.rried them to facriiîce the Iweetell 
 ^charms of {bcie.ty to ambition,- and; to think that mi- 
 litary virtues were inconfillent with tender paiTions ; 
 ^however, as he was fenfible that Chilo would little- 
 underiland what he meant by tl>efe delicate fenti- 
 ■ments, he contented himfelf with faying : Paternal 
 love fcems to me a fource of great advantages to -a 
 .ftate : Fathers are careful of the education of their 
 .children, and this education obliges children to gra- 
 titude ; thefe are the original bands offociery. Our 
 country is nothing elfe but many families united j if 
 family-love be weaken'd, what will become of the 
 love of one's country, which depends upon it ? 
 v'Ought we not to be afraid of fuch eftablilhments as 
 ^^dcflroy nature, under pretence of improving it? The 
 iSpartans, anfwer'd Chilo, all conlliiute but one fa- 
 jïnily. Lycurgus had experienced, that fathers arc 
 -often unworthy, and children ungrateful; that both 
 -are wanting to their reciprocal duties, and he there- 
 fore trailed the education of the children to a num- 
 -bcr of old men, who, confidcring thcmfelves as the 
 «common fathers, haye an equal care of all. 
 
 In reality, children were no where, better edu- 
 cated than at Sparta : Tliçy were chiefly, taught to 
 obey, -to undergo labour, to conquer in combats, and 
 to face pain and death with courage. They went 
 vwith their heads and feet naked, lay upon ruihe?, 
 .and ate very little ; and this little they were obliged 
 --to procure by dexterity in the public banqueting 
 -rooms. Not that. the Spartans authorized thefts and 
 I robberies, 
 
Fourth Book 117 
 
 robbori«3, for as all was in common in that republic, 
 thofe vices could have no place there ; but the de- 
 liga was to accuftom children who were delun'd for 
 war, to furprife the vigilance of thofe who w^'tch'd 
 ever them, and to expofe themfclves courageously to 
 the fevercn:;punifhincnts, in cafe they faiPd of that 
 dextery which was exaded of them. 
 
 Lycurgus had remarked, that fubtile fpeculations, 
 and all the refinements of fciencc, ferv'd often only 
 to fpoil the underllanding and corrupt the heart ; and 
 he therefore made little account of them. Nothing 
 however was negledled to awaken in children the 
 taftc of pure reafon, and to give them a flrength of 
 judgment ; but all kinds of Ihidies, which were not 
 ferviceable to good manners, were look'd upon as 
 ufelefs and dangerous occupations. The Spartans 
 were of opinion, that in the prefent (late of human 
 nature, man is form'd rather for adion than know- 
 ledge, and better qualify'd for fociety than contem- 
 plation. 
 
 Cyrus went afterwards to the Gymnalla, where 
 the youth performed their exercifes ; Lycurgus had 
 renewed the Olympic games inllituted by Hercule», 
 and had didated to Iphitus the ftaiues and ceremonies 
 obfcrved in them. Religion, warlike genius and po- 
 licy, all contributed to perpetuate the cuftom of fo- 
 lemnizing thefc games ; they ferv'd not only to do 
 honour to the Gods, to celebrate the virtues of he- 
 roes, to prepare the body for the fatigues of a mili- 
 tary life, but alfo to draw together from time to time 
 in the fame place, and unite by common facrifices, 
 divers nations whofe flrength was in their union. 
 The Spartans employ'd themfelves in no fort of la- 
 bour but the exercifes necefîary to qualify them to 
 difpute the prizes in the Olympic games. The He- 
 lots, who were their flaves, manur'd their lands, and 
 were the only mechanics among them ; for they ef- 
 tecm'd every employment as me^a and ignoble, 
 G 2 which 
 
ii8 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 which regarded only a provilion for the body. 
 
 Cyrus having learn'd this maxim of the Lacedae- 
 monians, faid to Chilo: Agriculture and the mechanic 
 arts appear to me abfolutely necefTary to preferve the 
 people from idlenefs, which begets difcord, effemi- 
 nacy and all the evils deftruftive of fociety : Lycur- 
 gus feems to depart a little too much from nature in 
 all his laws. The tranquillity and fweet leifure of a 
 rural life, reply'd Chilo, were thought by Lycurgus 
 to be contrary to a warlike genius ; befides the Spar- 
 tans are never idle ; they arc continually employed 
 in all thofe cxercifes that are images of war, in 
 marching, encamping, ranging armies in order of 
 battle, defending, attacking, building and deftroying 
 fortrelTes. By this means a noble emulation is kept 
 up in their minds without enmity, and the dcfirc of 
 conqueft preferved without ihedding blood : Every 
 one difputes the prize with ardor, and the vanquifh'd 
 take a pride in crowning the vidlors ; the plcafures 
 which accompany thefe exercifcs make them forget 
 the fatigue, and this fatigue prevents their courage 
 from fuffering any prejudice in times of peace *. 
 
 This difcourfe rais'd in Cyrus a curiofity to knov7 
 the military difcipline of the Spartans, and he foon 
 found an opportunity to inform himfelf in it. The 
 Tegeans who inhabited a part of Peloponnefus, hav- 
 ing entered into a league with feveral cities of Greece 
 had raifed troops, and were coming to attack the 
 Spartans upon their frontiers. The latter prepared 
 to repulfe the enemy, and Cyrus refolved to fignalize 
 his courage on this occafion, bat he would firft 
 know the reafons of the war, and Chilo explained 
 them to him in the following manner. 
 
 The Spartans, faid he, being arrived to a flourifhing 
 condition by a ftrift obfcrvance of the laws of Lycur- 
 gus, laid a fchemc firft to make themfelves mailers 
 
 » Ste Tourreil's Frtf^ Hiji. aux Phillip, de Demoji, 
 
 of 
 
Fourth Book. up 
 
 of Peloponnefus, and then of all Greece. Courage 
 and fuccefs begot in them a thirft of dominion, con- 
 trary to the original defign * of our great law-giver : 
 His intention of forming a republic of warriors, was 
 not to dillurb the peace of other cities, but to pre- 
 ferve his own in union, independence and liberty. 
 That we might never entertain the unjufl ambition 
 of making conquefts, he forbad us the ufe of money, 
 commerce and fleets, three helps abfolutely requifitc 
 for thofe who fet up for conquerors. The Lacedaj- 
 monians therefore departed from the fpirit of Ly- 
 curgus, when they rcfolved to attack their' neigh- 
 bours; their firft dcfign was to fall upon the Arca- 
 dians, but having confulted the oracle of Delphos, 
 the Pythian priellefs advifed them to turn their arms 
 againft the Tegeans. The Spartans depending on 
 a deceitful oracle, marched out of their city, and 
 carried chains with them in full aflurance of reducing 
 their enemies to fiavery. Several battles were foughc 
 without vidlory's declaring for either fide. At length, 
 in the beginning of the prefent reign, our army was 
 put to flight ; our prifoners loaded with the fame 
 chains which we had prepared for the Tegeans, were 
 yoaked like beafts,and condemned to draw the plough. 
 The bad condudl of our princes was the fource of 
 thefe calamities : I fliould be far from difcovering to 
 you their faults if they had not had the courage to 
 corre£l them. 
 
 Arifton who govern'd the flate was naturally of a 
 fweet difpofition, affable and beneficent ; he put an 
 «qual confidence in all thofe who were about him ; 
 Anaxandrides who commanded the troops was of a 
 quite contrary charadler, dark, fufpicious and dif- 
 truftful. Prytanis the favourite of Arifton had been 
 educated at Athens, and had given himfelf up to 
 pleafure ; having a great deal of fine wit, he had the 
 
 ? See Plutarch. 
 
 G 3 fccrct 
 
120 The^ Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 fecret of making even his faults agreeable ; he knew 
 how to fuit himfelf to all taftes, and to all charadlers; 
 he was fobcr with the Spartans, polite with the, 
 Athenians, and le.^rncd with the Egyptians ; he put 
 on all ftiapes by turns, not to deceive (for he was 
 aaor ill-natur'd) but to gratify his prevailing paffion, 
 which was the defire of pleafing, and of being the 
 idol of men ; in a word, he was a compound of 
 whatever is moft agreeable and irregular ; Arifton 
 lov'd him, and was entirely governed by him. This 
 favourite led his mailer into all forts of voluptuouf- 
 jicCs ; thse Spartans began to grow effeminate ; the 
 King beftow'd his favours without diftinftioH or dif- 
 cernment. 
 
 Anaxandrides obferv'd a quite different condufî-, 
 but equally ruinous to the ftate ; as he knew not 
 how to diftinguifh iincere and honeft hearts, he be- 
 lieved all men falfe, and that thofc who had the ap- 
 pearances of probity were only greater hypocrites 
 than the reft. He entertain'd fufpicions of the beft 
 officers of his army, and efpecially of Leonidas, the 
 principal and moft able of his generals, a man of ftridt 
 honour and diftinguifli'd bravery. Leonidas lov'd 
 virtue fincerely, but had not enough of it to bear 
 with the faults of other men ; he defpis'd them too 
 much, and was regardlefs both of their praifes and 
 favours ; he humour'd neither princes nor their 
 courtiers; his hatred of vice was fuch, that it ren- 
 dered his manners fierce and rugged, like thofe of the 
 iirft Spartans ; he look'd for perfection in every body, 
 and as he never found it, he had no intimate friend- 
 Ihip with any perfon ; no body lov'd him, but all 
 efteem'd and fear'd him ; for he had all thofe virtues 
 which make men moft refpefled and moft avoided. 
 Anaxandrides grew weary of him and banifti'd him ; 
 thus did this Prince weaken the ftrength of Sparta, 
 while Arifton corrupted her manners. 
 
 Our enemies drew advantage every d:iy from thefe 
 
 divifion" 
 
Fourth Book. im^ 
 
 «livifions and diforders. Perceiving the misfortunes» 
 which threatncd our country, I went to the young. 
 Princes and fpoke to them in the following manner; 
 My age, my long fervices, and the care I have taken 
 of your education, give me a right to tell you freely^ 
 ihu you both ruin yourfclves by contrary faults? 
 Arifton expofed himfelf to be often deceived by flat- 
 tering favourites, and you, Anaxandrides, expofe 
 yourfelf to the misfortune of never having a tru«r 
 friend. To treat men always with the utmoft rigour 
 they dcferve, is brutality and not juftice ; but on the 
 other hand to have fo general a goodnefs, and fuch 
 an cafinefs of temper as not to be able to punifli 
 crimes with firmnefs, or to reward merit with dif- 
 tinélion, is not a virtue but a weaknefs, and is fre- 
 quently attended with as bad confcquences as feverit/ 
 and ill nature itfelf. As for you, Anaxandrides, your 
 diftruft does more hurt to the ftatc than the too eafy 
 goodnefs of Arifton. Why do you entertain a diffi- 
 dence of men upon bare furmifes, when their talents 
 and capacities have rendered them necefTary to you ? 
 When a Prince has once honour'd a minifler with 
 his confidence, for good reafons, he ought never to 
 withdraw it without rnanifeft proofs of perfidiouf- 
 ncfs. It is impoffible for him to do every thing him- 
 felf, and he muft therefore have the courage to ha- 
 zard fometimes the being deceiv'd, rather than mifs 
 the opportunities of aftingj he fhould know how to 
 make a wife ufe of men, without blindly yielding 
 himfelf Up to them like Arifton ; there is a medium 
 between an exceifive diffidence, and a blind confi- 
 dence; without this medium no government cart 
 long fubfift. Refîcdlion and experience redify'd by 
 degrees the faults of Arifton, and he difmifs'd Pry- 
 tanis ; but the morofe temper of Anaxandrides could 
 be correded only by misfortunes ; he was often de- 
 feated in his wars with the Tegeans, and at length 
 found the neccffity of recalling Leonidas. Our troops 
 
 G 4 fincc 
 
122 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 fince that time have been more fuccefsful ; we have 
 recovered our prifoners and obtained fevcral vie 
 tories ; but thefe advantages have made the Tegeans 
 more jealous of us, and we arc become the objeft 
 not only of their hatred, but of that of all the 
 Greeks. 
 
 Cyrus liHened with attention to this account 
 given him by Chilo, and then faid to him, looking 
 upon Arafpes : The hiftory of your Kings will be 
 an eternal lelTon to me, to avoid two faults very 
 common with Princes. As for the reft, I obferve 
 that the republic of Sparta is like a camp always 
 fubfifting, an afTembly of warriors always under 
 arms ; how great a refpeft foever I have for Ly- 
 curgus, I cannot admire this form of government. 
 You affure me that your law-giver in conftituting 
 fuch a republic had no other delign but to prcfcrve 
 it in union and liberty ; but would a legiflator who 
 has only thefe pacific views baniûi from a ftatc all 
 other profeffions except that of war ? Would he 
 enjoin that no member of it fhould be bred to any 
 other exercife, ftudy or occupation, but that of 
 making himfelf dexterous in deftroying other men ? 
 Lycurgus has indeed prohibited the ufe of money, 
 commerce and fleets, but are thefe neceffary to the 
 conqueft of Greece ? I rather believe, that he made 
 thefe prohibitions only out of policy, in order to 
 conceal from the neighbouring cities his ambitious 
 deligns, hinder the Spartans from becoming foft and 
 luxurious, and deprive them of the means of di- 
 viding their forces by foreign and diftant wars *. 
 Your law-giver has again departed both from nature 
 and juftice ; when he accuftomed each private citi- 
 zen to frugality, he fhould have taught the whole 
 nation to confine her ambition. An able politician 
 ought to provide not only for the liberty of his own 
 
 * Tolyhius is of ;his c^in:'en, 
 
 Hate, 
 
 1 
 
Fourth Book. hj 
 
 Hate, but for the fafety of all the neighbouring 
 ones. To fet ourfelves loofc from the reft of man- 
 kind, to look upon ourfelves as made to conquer 
 them, is to arm all nations againft us. Why don't 
 you reform thefc unjuft maxims ? Why don't yoa 
 put an end to the war ? Why have you not re- 
 courfe to the fupreme council of the Amphi6lions 
 to terminate your differences with the Tegeans ? 
 The rcafon, reply'd Chilo, is the obftinacy of the 
 Tegeans ; they are fo enraged againft us, that they 
 refufe to fubmit to the arbitration of that council ; 
 they breathe nothing but our deftru6lion ; they 
 have engaged feveral cities of Peloponnefus in a 
 league againft us. The notion which is entcrtain'd 
 of our defigning to conquer all Greece, has excited 
 the hatred and diftruft of our neighbours. Such is 
 the prefent ftate of Sparta. 
 
 Not many days after this, the Lacedasmonians 
 having advice that the Tegeans were advancing to- 
 wards their frontiers, marched out of Sparta to give 
 them battle. Anaxandrides appeared at their head 
 in his military habit, his cafque was adorned with 
 three birds, of which that in the middle was the 
 creft, upon his cuirafs he bore the head of Medufn, 
 all the infignia of the God Mars were reprefentcd 
 upon his fhield, which was an hexagon ; and he 
 held in his hand a ftaff of command. Cyrus march- 
 ed by his fide ; his buckler refembled that of Achil- 
 les ; upon his cafque was an eagle, whofe plume 
 and tail overfpread his flioulders; upon his cuirafs 
 was engraven in bas-relief the Goddefs Pallas wife 
 and warlike, to exprefs the inclinations of the 
 Prince. Arafpes and Leonidas lefs magnificently ac- 
 coutred accompanied the two Princes, who thus left 
 the city followed by the Lacedaemonian troops. The 
 whole army formed into a fquare battalion, a dou- 
 ble rank of cavalry inclofed a third rank of arch- 
 ers, which encompafs'd three inncf ranks of pike- 
 
 G 5 met. 
 
124 T*H[E Travels of Cyrus. , 
 
 men and flingers, and left an empty fpnce in the 
 centre for the provifions, ammunition and baggage. 
 All the foldiers marched to the found of flutes, and 
 fmging the hymn of Caftor. The Spartan general 
 knowing how fond the Prince of Perfia was of in- 
 formation, entertained him in the way after the fol- 
 lowing manner. 
 
 Greece is divided into feveral republics, each 
 of which maintains an army in proportion to its ex- 
 tent. We do not afFeé\ to bring prodigious armies 
 kito the field like the Afiaticks, but to have well- 
 difciplin'd troops ; numerous bodies are difficult to 
 manage, and are too expenfive to a ftate ; our inva- 
 riable rule is to encamp fo, that we may never be 
 oblig'd to fight againft our will j a fmall army well 
 f)ra6ti«'d in war may, by entrenching itfelf advan- 
 tageoufly, oblige a very numerous one to difperfe 
 its troops, which would otherwife foon be deftroy- 
 cd for want of provifions. When the common 
 caufe of Greece is to be defended, all thefe feparate 
 foodies unite, and then no ftate dares attack us. At 
 iiacedsemon all the citizens are foldiers ; in other 
 republics, the dregs of the people are not admit- 
 ted into the foldiery, but the beft men are chofen 
 out for the army, fuch as are bold, robuft, in the 
 flower of their age, and inur'd to laborious occu- 
 pations ; the qualities required in their leaders are 
 birth, intrepidity, temperance and experience ; they 
 arc obliged to pafs through the moft rigid trials, 
 before they can be rais'd to a command ; they muft 
 have given fignal proofs of all the different forts of 
 courage, by greatly enterprifing, executing with vi- 
 gour, and above all by Ihewing themfelves fuperior 
 to the moft adverfe fortune. By this means each re- 
 public has always a regular militia, able officers, 
 foldiers well difciplin'd and inur'd to fatigues. The 
 Spartans in time of war abate fomewhat of the fe- 
 verity of their cxercifes and aufterity ^of life ; w© 
 
 arc 
 
Fourth Book. nf 
 
 are the only people in the world to whom war is a 
 kind of repofe ; we then enjoy all thofe pleafures 
 which are forbidden us in time of peace. Upon a 
 day of battle we difpofe our troops in fuch a man- 
 ner, that they do not all fight at once like the E- 
 gyptians, but fucceed and fupport one another with- 
 out confufion. We never draw up our men in the 
 fame manner as the enemy, and we always place 
 our braveft foldiers in the wings, that they may ex- 
 tend themfelves and cnclofe the oppolite army. 
 When the enemy is routed, Lycurgus has required 
 us to exercife all a£ls of clemency towards the van- 
 quifhed, not only out of humanity but policy ; for 
 hereby we render our enemies lefs fierce. The 
 hope of being well treated if they furrender their 
 arms, prevents their giving way to that delperatc fury 
 which often proves fatal to the victorious. 
 
 While Leonidas was fpeaking, they arrived in the 
 plain of M.mtinca, where they difcovered the camp 
 of the Tegeans, which was covered on one fide by 
 a forcft, and on all the other by a terrafs, with pa- 
 rapets, pAlifadoes and towers at certain diftances. 
 Anaxandrides encamped on the banks of the river 
 Eurotas : Leonidas gave orders, and immediately the 
 foldiers hung their cafques on their pikes ftuck in 
 the ground, and fell to work without putting off 
 their cuirafTes. The river made the camp inaccef- 
 fible on one fide, the other three were furrounded by 
 lines of circumvallation ; the waters of the Eurotas 
 quickly filled the ditches j portable houfes were e- 
 reded, the different quarters of the officers regu- 
 larly difpofed, the cav.lry put under fhelter, a 
 moveable city was rais'd with four gates, feveral 
 large flreets crofs'd one another, and had likewife a 
 communication by others that were lefs. 
 
 The river Eurotas ran between the two camps, 
 
 and was a fecurity againft any furprife : Leonidas 
 
 took this opportunity to fhew Cyrus the military 
 
 G 6 exercife 
 
ii6 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 cxercifc in ufe among the Greeks, and made his 
 troops often pafs in review before the Prince : They 
 were divided into divers bodies of horfe and foot ; 
 at their head were the Polemarchi, and the com- 
 manders of the feveral corps. The foldiers were 
 cloath'd in red, that in the heat of aftion the fight 
 of their blood might not terrify either the wounded 
 or their companions •*. Upon the leaft fignal of their 
 commanders, the different cohorts feparated, re- 
 united, extended themfclves, doubled, opened, clo- 
 fed their ranks and ranged themfelves by various e- 
 volutions and windings into perfeft fquares, oblong 
 fquares, lozenges and triangular figures. 
 
 The Spartans waited feveral days in their camp 
 to take advantage of the enemy's motions. In the 
 mean time divifions arofe among the allies ; the 
 V'ifeft of them delired peace, but the greater num- 
 ber were eagerly bent on war. Cyrus underllanding 
 their difpofitions, offered to go in perfon to the 
 camp of the Tegeans, and fpeak with their leaders. 
 The King confented, and the young Prince pafs'd 
 the Eurotas, and advanced to the confederates ; their 
 chief ofHcers affembled about him, and he addrefled 
 them in the following manner. 
 
 People of Greece, I am a ftranger, the defire of 
 knowing your laws, fciences and military difciplinc 
 has engaged me to travel among you. Your wit is 
 every where extolled, but I cannot admire your 
 wifdom. The Spartans wou'd be much in the 
 wrong to make any attempt upon your liberties, but 
 neither is it juft in you to endeavour their deftruc- 
 tion. They are not afraid of war, they love fa- 
 tigues and dangers, and are prepared for all events ; 
 but they don't refufe to grant you peace upon ho- 
 nourable conditions. I underlland that you have in 
 Greece a wife council, whofe bufincfs it is to ter- 
 
 ^ ji remark of ç^lianus, 
 
 minate 
 
 I 
 
Fourth Book. izj 
 
 minate the differences that arife between your cities. 
 Why have you not recourfc to this council ? The 
 mutual war you make upon each other, and your do- 
 meftic jealoulies, will weaken you by degrees, and 
 you will fall a prey to fome conqueror emboldened 
 by your divifions. 
 
 All the old men looked upon one another while 
 he was fpeaking, and feemed to approve of what he 
 faid ; their General on the contrary fearing left the 
 Prince's advice fhould be followed, murmured with- 
 in himfelf ; he was a young impetuous hero, a marr 
 tial fire fparkled in his eyes, he had a fprightly, maf- 
 culine and captivating eloquence, capable of infpi- 
 ring courage into the moft timorous. When Cyrus 
 had done fpeaking he raifed his voice and anfwered 
 him thus. Whoever you are, O ftrangcr, you are 
 unacquainted with the boundlefs ambition of the 
 Spartans ; their fundamental conftitution tends to 
 deftroy all the neighbouring ftates. Lycurgus their 
 law-giver laid the foundations in Lacedaemon of an 
 univerfal monarchy, and infpired his countrymen 
 with a defire of domination, under pretence that 
 Greece cannot maintain her freedom and indepen- 
 dency while divided into fo many petty republicks. 
 Ever fince that time, the avaritious Sp.irtàns are 
 greedy of what they have not, while they refufe 
 themfelves the enjoyment of what they have : When 
 they are weakened and brought low, they moderate 
 their ambitious defires ; but they have no fooner re-^ 
 covered their flrength, than they return to their 
 old maxims; we can have no fecurity but in their 
 total deftru6lion. Scarce had he pronounced thefe 
 words, when a confufed murmur rofe among the 
 foldiers, the fire of difcord was kindled anew in their 
 breafts, and they all cried out, war, war, let the 
 Spartans be deftroyed. 
 
 Cyrus perceiving the fury which animated them, 
 and that they would no longer hearken to him, re- 
 turned 
 
iiS The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 turned to the camp of the Lacedaemonians. They 
 immediately called a council of war, and it was rc- 
 folved to attack the enemy in their entrenchments. 
 Cyrus offered to pafs the river at the head of a cho- 
 fen body of cavalry, and this being agreed to, he | 
 waited for night to put his delign in execution; he 
 pafs'd without any oppofition j and at break of day ,, 
 the infantry f^llowed him on rafts and buck-skin | 
 boats. The Tegeans taking the alarm left their 
 camp and drew up in battalia. The two armies ad- 
 vanced with their pikes ported, each phalanx in the 
 clofelt order, buckler ftuck to buckler, helmet to 
 helmet, man to man; the battle began; the left 
 wing of the Lacedaemonians commanded by Cyrus 
 quickly broke the right wing of the Tcgeans ; A- 
 rafpes purfued the fugitives warmly, and put them 
 out of a condition to rally ; they fled to a neigh- 
 bouring fortrefs. Cyrus returned with his troops to 
 fuftain the centre of the Spart-m army which began 
 to give way ; but while he was putting the enemy 
 into diforder, the right wing of the Spartans fled 
 before the left of the allies ; Leonidas who com- 
 manded it gained an eminence, from vVhich he could 
 difcover all that pafled ; when he faw the happy 
 fuccefs of Cyrus's skill and bravery, he encouraged 
 his men, rally'd them and returned to charge the 
 cnsmy. The Tegeans finding themfelves attacked 
 both in front and rear, difperfed and fled, and were 
 almoft all cut in pieces or taken prifoners : The few 
 that efcaped in the night took refuge in the fame 
 fortrefs with the others. 
 
 The battering engines and other machines, which 
 have fmce been ufed in attacking of towns, were 
 not then known to the Greeks ; on thefe occafions 
 they difpofed their men in a certain form which they 
 Called a Tortoife *=. The next day Leonidas gave 
 
 I ^}^VH> in'vented by Artemsn of ClaxomtnK 
 
 the 
 
Fourth Book. up 
 
 the word of command, the Spartans drew up and 
 marched to the fortrefs ; the foremoft ranks covered 
 themfelves with iheir fquarc bucklers, the reft rais'd 
 them over their heads, preflcd them againft one an- 
 other, and then gradually bending formed a kind of 
 Hoping roof impenetrable to arrows. A triple ftage 
 of this fort rais'd the aflailants to the height of the 
 walls. The befieged rain'd down a (hower of ftones 
 and darts ; but in the end the beiiegers made them- 
 felves mafters of the fortrefs. Four thoufand Tege- 
 ans were flain in the two adtions, and three thoufand 
 taken prifoners. 
 
 After the battle a new council of war was call'd. 
 Leonidas by the King's order made encomiums up- 
 on Cyrus in prefence of all the commanders, and 
 afcrib'd the vidory to his conduâ: and courage. 
 All the foldiers fent up fhouts of joy, and looked 
 upon the Prince of Perfia as a divine man fent by 
 the Gods to fwe Sparta in her weak and tottering 
 condition. It was afterwards propofed in the coun- 
 cil to carry the Tegean prifoners to Lacedaemon, 
 and to treat them like flaves as they had done the 
 Spartans. Cyrus then rofe up in the midft of the 
 aflembly, a divine fire darted from his eyes, wifdom 
 defcended into his heart, and he fiid : You are going, 
 in my opinion, to violate one of the principal and 
 wifeft laws of Lycurgus ; he has enjoin'd you to 
 treat the vanquifh'd with clemency ; the right of 
 conqucft even in a lawful war is the leail of all 
 rights, and is never juft but when it is made ufe of 
 to render the conquer'd happy. A conqueror who 
 feeks only to domineer, ought to be deem'd an u- 
 furper upon the rights of nations, and an enemy of 
 mankind who fports with their miferies to gratify 
 his brutal and unmtaral paffions. 'Tis by reafon a- 
 lone that man (hould fubdue man ; no one deferves 
 to be a King but he who engages in the toils of em- 
 pire, and fubjedts himfelf to the llàvery of govern- 
 ing 
 
I JO The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 ing purely out of compaflion to men incapable of 
 governing themfelves. If therefore you defire to 
 become mafters of Greece, let it be only by Ihew- 
 ing yourfelves more humane, and more moderate 
 than all the other cities. The reft of the Grecian 
 ftates, when they fee your wifdom, your courage, 
 and your excellent laws, will be eager to put them- 
 felves under your prote6lion, and with emulation 
 fue to be receiv'd as members of your republic. It 
 is by this means that you will fweeten all minds, 
 and captivate all hearts. Anaxandrides influenced 
 by this difcourfc granted peace, on condition that 
 the Tegeans fhould for the future be tributary to 
 Lacedaemon. He detained the chief men among 
 them as hoftages, and carried them to Lacedaemon, 
 where he granted them all the privileges of citizens. 
 
 Cyrus at his return to Sparta revolved in his 
 mind all that he had feen and heard, and formed 
 great ideas relating to the art of war, which he re- 
 folv'd to improve one day in Perfia. After he had 
 thoroughly ftudied the laws, manners and military 
 difcipline of the Spartans, he left Lacedaemon to 
 vifit the other republics of Greece. Chilo and 
 Leonidas conduced him to the frontiers of their 
 country. He fwore an eternal friendfhip to them, 
 and promised to be always a faithful ally of their re- 
 public ; and he was true to his word, for the Per- 
 fians had never any war with the Greeks in that 
 conqueror's time. 
 
 Cyrus refolv'd before he left Peloponnefus, to vifit 
 all its principal cities. He went iirll to Argos, then 
 to Mycense, afterwards to Sicyon, and at length 
 ftopt at Corinth, which was the moft flour ilhing 
 republic of Greece, after thofe o^ Sparta and Athens. 
 As he enter'd the town, he beheld with furprife all 
 the people in mourning; feveral players upon flutes 
 marched at the head of a funeral proceffion, and in- 
 creafcd the public forrow by their plaintive founds ; 
 
 forty 
 
Fourth Book. 131 
 
 Forty young girls bare- footed, their hair difhevcl'd, 
 and cloathed in long white robes furrounded the bier, 
 and melted into tears while they fung the praifes of 
 the dead ; a little after followed the foldicrs with a 
 flow pace, a forrowful air, their eyes upon the ground 
 and their pikes reversed ; at their head marched a 
 venerable old man ; his noble and military air, his 
 tall and majeftic Ihture, and the bitter grief that 
 was painted upon his face, drew the attention of 
 Cyrus. The young Prince having asked his name, 
 vinderftood that it was King Periander, who was 
 conducing his fon Lycophron to his tomb. 
 
 Cyrus and Arafpes join'd themfelves with the 
 crowd, which was going to a fortrefs calPd Acro- 
 Corinthus j it was built upon the fummit of an high 
 mountain, from whence might be feen the iEgean 
 and Ionian feas ; for which reafon it wascall'dThe 
 Eye of Greece. Being come to the fortrefs, which 
 was the burial place of the Kings, Periander lirft of 
 all pour'd wine, milk and honey upon the body of 
 his fon ; he then lighted with his own hands the fu- 
 neral pile, upon which had been pour'd incenfe, a- 
 romatics and f)doriferous oyls ; he remained mute, 
 immoveable, and with his eyes drown'd in tears, 
 while the (devouring flames confumed the body ; af- 
 ter having fprinkled the yet fmoaking afhes with per- 
 fumed liquors, he gathered them together into a 
 golden urn, and then making a iign to the people 
 that he was going to fpe^k, he thus broke filence. 
 People of Corinth, the Gods themfelves have taken 
 care to revenge you of my ufurpation, and to deli- 
 ver you from flavery ; Lycophron is dead, my whole 
 race is extinct, I will reign no longer ; countrymen, 
 refume your rights and your liberties. As Toon as 
 he had faid thefe words, he ordered all the afîembly 
 to retire, cut off his hair to denote his forrow, and 
 fhut himfelf up in the tomb with his fon. Cyrus 
 being extremely affeéled with this fight, was very 
 
 defirou« 
 
î^i The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 ^efirous to learn the reafon ofvit, and he received 
 the following account ,• ** Corinth was at firit gp.- 
 vern'd by Kings, but monarchy being abolilhed^. 
 Prytancs or annual magiftrates were ellablifli'd in 
 their place. This popular government continued for 
 a whole age, and Corinth was daily increafmg in 
 wealth and fplendor, when Cypfelus the father of 
 Periander, ufurp'd the .regal autkority. Having, 
 reign'd abov^e thirty years, and his paffions being fa- 
 tisfy'd, he began ta be troubled with remorfe. Rea- 
 fon refum'd its empire, he reflcdcd with horror up-, 
 cn the crime he had committed, and refolved to 
 free the Corinthians from their flavery ; but death 
 prevented him. A little before he expired, he cal-i^ 
 led Periander to him, and made him fwear to re- 
 ftore his countrymen their liberty. The young 
 Prince blinded by his ambition quickly fcrgpt his 
 oath ; and this was the fource of all his misfortunes. 
 ThC' Corinthians fought to dethrone him, and rofe 
 in arms againft him feveral times j but he fubdu'd 
 the rebels, and Ilrengthen'd his authority more and 
 more. His firll wife being dead, he in order to fc- 
 cure himfelf againft thefe popular infults, courted 
 an alliance with Melillà hcirefs of Arcadia, and mar. 
 riedher; fhe was the moft beautiful Princefs of her 
 time, a woman of confummate virtue and great 
 cour^ige. 
 
 Several years after this marriage, Periander de- 
 clared war againft the Corcyrcans, and put himfelf 
 at the head of his troops. The Corinthians in his 
 abfence revolted anew. MelifTa fhiit hcrfelf up in 
 the fortrefs, vigoroufly fuftained the fiegeof it, and 
 fent to demand fuccour of Procles tyrant of Epi- 
 datirus, who had always feem'd a faithful ally of Pe- 
 riander. Procles, who had long form'd a projeft 
 of extending his dominion over all Greece, took 
 
 ^Sef Herod» /fè. 3 and Diog. Laertius's life of Terlanier. 
 
 advantage 
 
Fourth Book. 135 
 
 advantage of this jundure to fcize upon Corintb ; 
 he confider'd it as a city very proper to be the ca- 
 pital of a great empire ; he came before it with- a 
 numerous army, and made himfelf mailer of it in a 
 few days. Melifla who was ignorant of his dcfigns, 
 open'd the gates of the fortrcfs, and received him 
 as her deliverer, and the friend of her husband. 
 The tyrant feeing himfelf Mafter of Corinth, efta- 
 blifh'd his refidencc there, and gave Periander to 
 undcrftand that he muft content himfelf with reign- 
 ing at Corcyra, which this Prince had juft con- 
 quered. 
 
 Melifla quickly found that ufurpation was not the 
 only crime of which Procles was guilty. He had 
 entertained a violent pafTion for her, and he try'd all 
 means to fatisfy it : After having in vain employed 
 both carefles and threatnings, he inhumanly caus'd 
 her to be fhut up with her fon Lycophron in a high 
 tower, fituated upon the borders of the fea. In the 
 mean while Periander was informed of Procles's 
 treachery, and of his love for Melifla; he was at the 
 fame time aflur'd, that fhe had not only favoured 
 the perfidious defigns of the tyrant, but that fhe an- 
 fvvered his paflion. The King of Corinth liftened 
 too readily to thefe calumnies ; poflefs'd with the 
 rage of jealoufy he equipped a great fleet, and em- 
 barked for Corinth before Procles could put himfelf 
 in a pofture of defence. He was juft entring the 
 port when a violent ftorm rofe and difpcrs'd his 
 Ihips. Melifla knew not the fentiraents of Perian- 
 der, and was already blefling the Gods for her ap- 
 proaching deliverance, when flie faw part of the 
 fleet pcrifli before her eyes ; the reft being driven 
 on the coaft of Africa were there caft away; the 
 only veflel that efcap'd the fury of the tempeft, was 
 th^t where Periander was on board. 
 
 He return'd to Corcyra, where he fell into a deep 
 melancholy ; his courage had enabled him to bear 
 
 up 
 
IJ4 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 up under the lofs of his dominions, but he could 
 not fupport the thoughts of Melifla's imagined crime. 
 He had lov'd her, and her only ; he funk under the 
 weight of his grief, and his mind was diflurbed to a 
 degree of diflraélion. 
 
 In the mean while MeliiTa, who was flill fhut up 
 in the tower, believ'd Periander dead, and wept bit- 
 terly for him; fhe faw herfelf expos'd afrefh to the 
 infults of a barbarous Prince, who could commit the 
 greateft crimes without horror. While fhe was 
 imploring the help of the Gods, and conjuring them 
 to proteft her innocence, the perfon under whofe 
 charge Procles had left her, being touch'd with her 
 misfortunes, inform'd her that Periander was living, 
 and oiFer'd to condud her with her fon to him. 
 They all three efcap'd and travelling in the night 
 thro' by-ways got in a f^w days out of the territory 
 of Corinth; but they wander'd long upon the coail 
 of the Ionian fea, before they could pafs over to 
 Corcyra. Procles mad with rage and defpair at the 
 efcape of the Queen, contrived means to confirm 
 Periander in his fufpicions, and to make him believe 
 that MeliiTa who would very foon be with him in- 
 tended to poifon him. The unfortunate King of 
 Corinth liften'd with greedinefs to every thing that 
 cou'd inflame his jealoufy, and increafe his rage. 
 
 In the mean while Melifla and Lycophron arrived 
 with their conductor in Corcyra, and haftcn'd to fee 
 Periander ; he was not in his palace, but in a gloomy 
 foreft, whither he often retir'd to indulge his grief: 
 He no fooner perceiv'd the Queen at a great dillance, 
 but it awaken'd all his jealoufy and made him furi- 
 ous ; he ran towards her ; fhe ftretch'd out her arms 
 to receive him, but as foon as he came near her, he 
 drew his dagger and plunged it in her bofom. She 
 fell with thefe words. Ah Periander ! is it thus you 
 reward my love and my fidelity ? She would have 
 proceeded, but death put an end to all her misfor- 
 
 tunesy 
 
Fourth Book. 13^ 
 
 tunes, and her foul flew away to the Elyfian fields, 
 there to receive the recompence of her virtue. Ly- 
 cophron beheld his mother weltring in her blood, 
 he burft into tears and cried out: Revenge, juft Gods, 
 revenge the death of an innocent mother, upon a 
 barbarous father, whom nature forbids me to punifli ! 
 This faid, he ran away into the wood, refolving never 
 to fee his father more. The faithful Corinthian who 
 had aceompany'd the Queen and Prince to Corcyra, 
 let Periander then know the innocence and fidelity 
 of MeliiTa, and all the miferieâ which Procles had 
 made her fuffer in her imprifonment. 
 
 The wretched King perceiv'd his credulity too 
 late, gave way to his defpair, and wou'd have llabb'd 
 himfelf with the fame poignard, but was prevent- 
 ed; he threw himfelf upon the body of MeliiTa, 
 and often repeated thefe words : Great Jupiter ! 
 compleat by thy thunderbolts the punifhments which 
 men hinder me from finilhing ! Ah MelifTa ! Melifîa ! 
 ought the tenderell love to have concluded thus with 
 the moft barbarous cruelty ? l[t was with great dif- 
 ficulty he was forc'd away from that fatal place and 
 led to his palace ; he continued to refufe all confo- 
 lation, and reproach'd his friends with cruelty, for 
 feeking to preferve a life which he detcfted. There 
 was no way to quiet his mind but by reprefenting 
 to him that he alone could punifh the crimes of 
 Procles ; this hope footh'd the anguifli of his foul, 
 and he grew calm. He went among all his allies, 
 reprefenting his misfortunes and the ufurper's 
 crimes ; the Thebans lent him troops, he befieg'd 
 Corinth, took Procles prifoner, and facrific'd him up- 
 on MeliflVs tomb. But Lycophron remained ftill at Cor- 
 cyra, and refused to return to Corinth, that he might 
 not fee a father who was the murderer of a virtuous 
 mother, whom he had tenderly lov'd. Periander drag- 
 ed on the reft of his unhappy life without enjoying 
 is grandeur, he had ftabbed a wife whom he ador'd ; 
 
 he 
 
i]6 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 he lovM a Ton who could not endure the fight of hlin. 
 At length he rcfolved io lay down his royalty, crown 
 his Ton, and retire into the ifland ofCorcyra, there 
 for ever to lament his niisfortune.s and expiate in re- 
 tirement the crimes he had committed. With thefc 
 vic^vs he order d a vcllel to Ccrcyra to bring Lvco- 
 phron to Corinth. The King impaticrjt for his ion's 
 arriv.d, went often to thehra-fidc, the fliip at length 
 appeared, Peri.mder r.ui with eagcrnci's upon the 
 fliorc to embrace his only Ton, but how great was his 
 furprifc .md grief, when ho beheld Lycophron in a 
 coHin ! The Corcyreans groaning under the yoke of 
 Periander, whofe cruelties they abhorr'd, had re- 
 volted ; and to cxtinj;uilh for ever the Tyrant's race, 
 thofe barbarous illnidcrs had aflnflinaied the young 
 Prince, and had fent his dead body in the vcifel, as 
 a teftimony of their eternal hatred. Periander llruck 
 with this fad fpcdaclc enter'd deeply into himfelf, 
 •difcern'd the wrath of heaven and cried out, I have 
 violated the oath made to a dying father ; I hare re- 
 fused to reilore liberty to my countrymen. O Mc- 
 lifla ! O Lycophron ! O vengeful Gods ! I have but 
 too well dcferv'd all thefc calamities ^\hich over- 
 whelm me ! He then appointed a pompous funeral, 
 and commanded all the people to be prefent at it : 
 Some d.iys after he order'd two /laves to go by night 
 to a certain place, and kill the firll m.ui they fliould 
 meet, and then throw his body into the fea ; the 
 King went thither himfclf and was murdered; his 
 body could never be found to receive the honours of 
 burial, nor could liis /hade which wanders upon the» 
 banks of Styx ever enter the manfion of heroes," 
 What a dreadful feries of crimes and misfortunes ! 
 The husband flabs his wife, rebellious fubjc6ls a/Tilîi- 
 nate their Prince, the tyrant procures his own mur- 
 der, and the avenging juflice of the Gods purfues 
 him beyond the grave. How dreadful a fpcébcle, 
 and how inllruftive a Ic/lbn for Cyrus! He made 
 haftc to leave a place fo full of horror. TH ' 
 
 
THE 
 
 TRAVELS 
 
 O F 
 
 CYRUS. 
 
 FIFTH BOOK. 
 
 CYRUS leaving Corinth and crofTmg Bœo- 
 tia, enter'd Attica, and loon after arrived at 
 Athens, where Pififtratus then reign'd : The 
 young Prince was fciz'd with admirntion when he 
 beheld the edtfice?, temples and fplendid riches of a 
 city where the liberal arts flourifh'd ; he came at 
 length to the King's palace: It was of a noble but 
 plain kind of architedure ; all the ornaments of the 
 building fecm'd neceffiry parts of it; upon the freezes 
 were reprefentcd, in bas-relief, the labours of Her- 
 cules, the exploits of Thefeus, the birth of Pallas 
 and the death of Codrus. A vaft portico of pillars of 
 the Ionic order, led into a great gallery adorn'd with 
 paintings, brafs and marble ftatues, and with every 
 thing which could engage the eye and charm the 
 fight. 
 
 Pififtratus received the Prince with joy, and made 
 him fit down by him : The principal fenators with 
 fevcral young Athenians, feued themfelves round 
 them upon rich carpets. A magnificent repaft ac- 
 cording to the mode of the country, was ferv'd up: 
 The moil delicious wines were poured into golden 
 .cups finely wrought, but the Atjicnian pohtenefs 
 
 which 
 
ijS The Travels of Cryus. .; 
 
 which feafon'd the convcrfation of Piiiftratus, was' 
 the principal delicacy of the feall. During the regale 
 the King entertained Cyrus with a general account of 
 the revolutions which had happen'd in the flate in 
 his time ; of his exile, misfortunes and reftauration, 
 after having been twice dethroned. He dexteroufly 
 painted forth in the moft odious colours all the dif 
 orders of a popular government, that he might create 
 an abhorrence of it. He feafon'd his difcourfe with 
 hillorical remarks and lively ftroaks of wit, which 
 delighted all the affembly. Thus Pififtratus artfully 
 made ufe of the charms of converfation, and of the 
 freedom ufual at banquets, to confirm his authority 
 and gain the good will of the Athenians. The fena- 
 tors and young men who heard him, fecm'd to forget 
 their natural averfion to monarchy. Cyrus by this ex- 
 ample perceiv'd with pleafure the empire which 
 Princes, by their amiable qualities, may gain over 
 the hearts even of thofe who are the greatell enemies; 
 to their power. 
 
 The next day Cyrus lignify'd to Pififtratus, his 
 impatience to be acquainted with Solon, whofe re- 
 putation was fpread over all Afia. This Philofopher 
 after his travels, had refus'd at firft to return to A- 
 thens, becaufe Pififtratus had got himfelf declared 
 King; but having underilood with how much wif- 
 dom and moderation he govern'd, he was reconciled 
 to him. The Sage had chofen his habitation upon 
 Mars-Hill, where was held the famous council of 
 Areopagus, near the tomb of the Amazons. Piiif- 
 tratus would himfelf condu6l the young Prince thi- 
 ther, and prefent him to the Athenian law-giver. 
 Solon, tho' in a very advanced age, ftill preferv'd the 
 remains of his fprightly genius, that chearfulnefs and 
 thofe beauties of the mind which never grow old. 
 He embraced Cyrus with that alFedlionate tcndernefs 
 which is natural to old men, when young perfons 
 feek their counfels and converfation in order to learn 
 2 wifdom. 
 
Fifth Book. rj^ 
 
 tvifdom. Pifiilratus knowing that the Prince's defigti 
 in vifiting Solon, was to inform himfelf thoroughlj 
 of the Athenian laws, retir'd and left them alone. 
 
 That they might difcourfe with the greater liber- 
 ty, and more agreeably, the fage conduded him to 
 the top of the hill, where they found a delightful 
 verdure, and feated themfelves at the foot of a facred 
 oak. From this place they beheld the fertile plains 
 and craggy mountains of Attica, which bounded the 
 view on one fide with an agreeable mixture of every- 
 thing moil fmiling and wild in nature : On the other 
 fide the Saronic gulph widening by degrees, open'd 
 a profped of fevcral iflands which appear'd to float 
 upon the waves. At a greater diftance the rifing 
 coafts of Argolis feem'd to lofe themfelves in the 
 clouds, while the Great Sea, which look'd as if it 
 touch'd the skies, terminated the view and rcliev'd 
 the eye, weary with furveying fo great a variety of 
 objeds. Below was the city of Athens, which ex- 
 tended itfelf upon the declivity of a hill ; the nu- 
 merous buildings rofe one above another, and their 
 different flrudure Ihew'd the different ages of the 
 republic ; its firil fimplicity in the heroic ages, and 
 its rifing magnificence in the time of Solon : In one 
 part might be {qgyl temples with facred groves, mag- 
 nificent palaces with gardens, and a great number of 
 llately lioufes of a regular architedlure : In another a 
 great many towers, high walls and little irregular 
 buildings, which difcover'd the warlike ani ruflic 
 talle of ancient times. The river Iliilus which flow 'd 
 near the city, and v/inded thro' the meadows^ added 
 a thouiand natural beauties to thofe of art. It was 
 in this agreeable place that Cyrus defir'd Solon to 
 give him an account of the Ibtc of Greece, and par- 
 ticularly of Athens; and the wife law-giver fatisfy'd 
 hi> curiofity in the following manner. 
 
 All the Grecian families are defcended. from Hcl- 
 
 Icn, fon of Deucalion, whofç lîucc children gave 
 
 H ;hcir 
 
Î40 The Traveis of Cyrus. f 
 
 their names to the three nations of GrecJif, the 
 iEolians, Dorians and Icni.ins. Thcle built them- 
 lelvcs lèverai cities, and from tliofe cities came Her;? 
 culcs, Thcfeus, Ivlino , and all thole firil heroes to 
 whom divine honours are paid, in order to (hew that 
 virtue can be fully rewarded only in heaven. Egypt 
 firft infpir'd the Greeks with a talle for arts and lei 
 ences, initiated them into her mylleries, and gave 
 them both Gods and laws. Greece being thus civi- 
 lized, form'd hcrCelf by degrees into feveral repub- 
 lics. The fupremc council of the Ajnphidions, 
 composed of the deputies of the principal cities, 
 united them all in the fame view, which was to prc- 
 fcrvcindependcnce abroad, and union at home. This 
 excellent conduft kept them clear of an unbridled li- 
 centioufnefs, and inipir'd them with the love of a 
 liberty regulated by law?, but thefe pure maxims 
 did not always fubfift : every thing degenerates n- 
 mong men; wifdom and virtue have their vicifli- 
 Cudes in the body politic, as health andftrength have 
 in the natural. 
 
 Among all thefe republics, Athens and Lacedas- 
 mon are without comparilbn the principal. The 
 charafter of Athens is wit, elegance, politenefs, all 
 the amiable and focial virtues. That of the Spar- 
 tans is fortitude, temperance, military virtue, and 
 reafon ftript of all ornament. The Athenians love 
 the fciences and pleafures, their great propenfity is 
 to voluptuoufnefs. The life of the Spartans is labo- 
 rious and fevere ; all their paflions have, a turn to 
 ambition. From tlie different genius of thefe na- 
 tions have proceeded the different forms and révolu- 
 tions of their governments. Lycurgus followed the 
 aufterity of his natural temper, and confulred the 
 favage fiercenefs of his fellow-citizens in his refor- 
 mations at Lacedîemon : He confidered the happi- 
 nefs of his country as placed in conquefl: and domi- 
 nion; and upon that plan formed all the laws of 
 
 Sparta, 
 
Fifth Book. 141 
 
 Sparta, in which you have been inllru€led : It was 
 impofîible for me to imitate him. 
 
 Athens in the beginning had Kings, but they were 
 fuch only in name, and not ablolutc as at Laccdas- 
 mon The genius of the Athenians was fo different 
 from that of the Lacedaemonians, that it made regal 
 power infupportable to them. The authority of 
 their Kings being aljnoft wholly confin'd to the com- 
 mand of their armies, va.nifh'd in tinre of peace: 
 We reckon ten frorn Ce crops to Thefeu^, and feven 
 from Thefcus to Codrus, who made a facrifice of 
 himfclf to the, f,ifety of his country : His childrca 
 Medon and Nileus difputed for the throne. The 
 Athenians took. this ocçafiQiv to. abojiih intirely the 
 regal power, and declared Jupiter fole King of A- 
 thens; a fpjscious pretext to favour reb(S:llion, and 
 to {hake of}' the yoke ot all fettled authority.' In the 
 place of Kings, they created perpetual governors, 
 under the name of Archons ; but even this faint 
 image of royalty appeared odious. That they might 
 not leave fo much as a iliadow of regal power, they 
 cilabliih'd Decennial Archons ; nor was their reftlefs 
 luimour yet fatisfy'd.:. They reduced the duration of 
 thefe magiflracics to one yc-ir., that they might the 
 o/tner take into their own hands, the fupreme aiitho-i 
 rity, which they never transferred to their magif-- 
 trates hut with regret. So limited a power was but 
 ill qu dify'd to keep fuch reftlefs fpirits within bounds ; 
 fadions, intrigues and cabals fprung up every day: 
 Kach man with a book of laws in his hands, was for 
 difputing about the.fcnfe of them. Men of the mofl 
 lively imaginations are commonly the leaft Iplid, and 
 the moft apt to create broils; they think every thing 
 due to their fupcrEcial talents: Under pretence that 
 all men are born equal, they endeavour to confound 
 all ranks and preach up a chimerical equality, only 
 that they thcmfclves may get the afcendant. The 
 council of Areopagus, inftituted by Cecrops, reve- 
 
 H 2 rcnced 
 
i4i The Travels of Cyrus^ 
 
 ^nccd throughout all Greece, and fo famous for its 
 integrity, that the Gods are faid to have refpeéled 
 itsdecifions, had no longer any authority : The peo- 
 ple judg'd of every thing in the laft refort, but their 
 Tcfolutions were not fix'd and fteady, becaufc the 
 multitude is always humourfomc and inconftant. 
 The fmalleft umbrages heightened the prcfumption, 
 provok'd the folly, and arm'd the fury of a mul- 
 titude corrupted by an exceifive liberty. Athens 
 continued thus a long time under an impoflibility of 
 extending her dominion ; happy in being able to 
 preferve herfelf from total deftruftion, amidil dilTen- 
 tions which rent her in pieces. Such was the fitua- 
 tion of my country when I undertook to remedy its 
 calamities. 
 
 * Jn my firft years I gave myfelf up to luxury, in- 
 temperance and all the paiTions of youth, and was 
 cur'd of them by the love of fcience, for which the 
 Gods had given me a tafte from my infancy. I ap- 
 ply'd myfelf to the lludy of morality and policy, in 
 which I found charms that foon gave me a difguft 
 for a loofe and diforderly life. The intoxication of 
 my paflions being difpel'd by ferions refledions, I 
 beheld with concern the fad condition of my coun- 
 try ; I turn'd my thoughts to provide a remedy, 
 and communicated my fcheme to PififtratMS, who 
 ■was likewife come off from the follies of youth. You 
 fee, faid I to him, the miferies which threaten us : 
 An unbridled liccntioufnefs has taken the place of 
 true liberty ; you arc dcfcended from Cecrops, and 
 I from Codrus : We have more right to pretend to 
 the royal power than any other, but let us take care 
 not to afpirc to it. It would be a dangerous ex- 
 change of payions, to forfake fenfuality, which hurts 
 only ourfclves, in order to purfue ambition, which 
 zj^ight be the ruin of our country: Let us endeavour 
 
 » Flut. Life of Solon» 
 
 U 
 
 1 
 
Fifth Book. 143 
 
 to be fervicc.^ble to her without attempting to brin" 
 her under our dominion. 
 
 An occafion foon prefented to facilitate my pro- 
 jects. The Athenians chofe me to be chief ol" nn 
 expedition againft the Megarians, who hid lei/'d the 
 ifland of Salamis. I embark'd with five hundred 
 men, made a defcent upon the ifland, took the city, 
 and drove away the enemy. They ilill infiftcd on 
 the juftice of their pretcnfions^ and chofe the Lace- 
 daemonians to be judges of it : I pleaded the com* 
 mon caufe and gained it. Having by thefc n(n.iûns 
 acquir'd credit among my countrymen, they pre fs'd 
 me to accept of the regal dignity, but I refused it, 
 and apply'd myfelf to cure the publick evils in qua- 
 lity of Archon. 
 
 The firft fource of all.thofe evils was the exceffive 
 power of the people. Monarchical authority mode- 
 rated by a fenate, was the primitive form of govern- 
 ment in all wife nations. I was defirous to imitate 
 Lycurgus in the eftabliihment of it, but was too 
 ■well acquainted with the natural temper of my 
 countrymen to undertake it. I knew that if they 
 fulFer'd themfelves to be ftripp'd of the fovereiga 
 power, they would foon take it back again by open 
 violence ; I therefore contented myfelf with felting 
 bounds to it. I vtas thoroughly fenlible that no ftate 
 can fubfill without fome fubordination : I diftributed 
 the people into four clafles, and chofe an hundred 
 men out of each clafs, whom I added to the council 
 of Areopagus; I fhew'd thefe chiefs that fovereiga 
 authority of what kind foever is but a nccefTiry evil 
 for preventing greater evils ; and that it ought only 
 to be employed to reftrain mens paffions. I rcpre- 
 fented to the people the mifchiefs they had fuffer'd 
 by giving themfelves up to their own fury : By this 
 means I difpos'd the one to command with modera- 
 tion, and the other to obey with readincfs. > 
 
 H X 1 
 
144 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 I caufed thofc to be punifh'd fcverelv who taughr, 
 ihat all men arc born equal, that merit only ought 
 to regulate ranks, and that tbe greateft merit a man 
 can have is wit. I made the Athenians fenfible o/ 
 the fatal confequences of fuch falfe maxims. I prov'd 
 to them that the natural equality, which iholc men 
 talk'd of, is a chimera founded upon the poetical fi"- 
 bles of the companions of Cadmus and the children 
 of Deucalion ; that there never was a time, in which 
 men rofe in that manner out of the e^rth, in a ftatc 
 ofperfedl manhood; that it was ridiculous to offer 
 the fports of the imagination for principles; that 
 ever fmce the golden age, the order of generation 
 iiad made a necefTiuy dependence and inequality a- 
 morg men ; and lallly, that paternal authority had 
 been the firil model of all governments. I made a 
 law by which every man who had given no other 
 proof of his good fenfe, than lively {allies of imagi- 
 jnation, florid difcourfes, and the talent of talking 
 ïipon all fubjefts, without going to the bottom of 
 any thing, was decJar'd incapable of public cmplojr- 
 ments. 
 
 Here Cyrus interrupted Solon, and faid to hims 
 But after all, methinks merit is what ought to make 
 ihe diflindion among men. Wit is the loweft fort 
 of merit, becaufe it is always dangerous when alone'; 
 but wifdom, virtue and valour give a natural right 
 to govern. He alone ought to command others 
 who has m oft wifdom to difcover what is jull:, moft 
 virtue to adhçre to it, and moil coulrage to put it in 
 .execution. Merit, reply'd Solon, eflcntially diftin- 
 guilh.es men, and ought folely to determine ranks:; 
 but ignonmce and pallions often hinder us from dif- 
 cerning it ; felf-love makes each man pretend to it:; 
 the moft deferving are the moft modeil, and never 
 fcek to rule. Befides, that which appears to be vir- 
 tue, is fometimcs Jiothing but a deceitful jnask. Dif- 
 pute?, difcord and illufion would be endlefs, if there 
 
 : was 
 
Fifth Book. 145- 
 
 was not fome rule more fix'd, certain and palpable 
 than merit alone, whereby to fettle ranks and de- 
 grees. Thefc ranks are regulated in fmall repub- 
 lics by eleflion, and in great monarchies by birth. 
 I confefs it is an evil to grant dignities where there 
 is no real merit, but it is a neceilary evil, and this 
 neceflity makes the difference between the natural 
 and civil right : The one is always conformable to 
 tlie moft perfedl juftice, the other is often unjufl in 
 the confequences, but is necefîary to prevent con- 
 fufion. 
 
 ' It Was not fo '^ under the reign of Saturn; in that 
 golden age God was the univcrfd Prince and com- 
 mon Father of all ; he himfelf took care of the 
 fuftenancc of men ad governed them ; he was their 
 guardian and Ihepherd ; there v^'ere then no magif- 
 trates nor civil polity as now, every one followed 
 THE LAW WHICH IS, and not that which has 
 BEEN MADE. Under the reign ofjupitcr, the maf- 
 tcr of the univerfe having, as it were, quitted the 
 reins of his empire hid himfelf in an inacceflible re- 
 treat, the foundations of the world were Ihaken by 
 motions contrary to its principle and its end, and it 
 loft its beauty atid its I uftre ; then it was that good 
 and evil were mingled together ; ignorance and paf* 
 fions made civil laws and civil magiftrates necefTary ; 
 thefe \r\ts afô often imperfefl, and thefe magiftrates 
 are not always good ; but we are obliged to obferve 
 the one and fubmit to the other, left the world fhould 
 fall into perpetual anarchy. All men are brethren 
 and each man has a right to whatever he has need of j 
 they are children of the fame father, and no one 
 ftiou'd lord it over another ; but if there were not 
 laws eftiblifh'd to fettle r:nks and property among 
 men, the avarice and ambition of theftrongeft wou'd 
 invade all : Thefe laws are not always founded upon 
 
 «' See Difc. /> 4j. 
 
 H 4 what 
 
145 The Travels of Cyrus^ 
 
 what is beft in itfelf, but upon what is leaft mif- 
 chievous to Ibciety. Such is the fource ofalmoft all 
 political eilablifhments. Aflrea mult return upon 
 earth before merit alone will determine the fortunes 
 of men ; at prefcnt we muft often content curfelves 
 with lefs equitable decifions. Ranks and dignities 
 are, alter all, but the fhadows of real grandeur : The 
 «external refpedl which is paid to them, is likewifc 
 bat the fhadow of that cfteem which belongs to vir- 
 tue alone. Is it not an inftance of great wifdom in 
 the iirft law-giver?, to have prefcrv'd order in fo- 
 ciety by ellablifhing fuch regulations, that thofc who I 
 have only the fhadow of virtue are fatisfy'd with the 
 fhadow of efteem ? 
 
 I underlhnd you, faid Cyrus, fovereignty and 
 ranks are neceflary evils to keep the paflions within 
 bounds. The lower fort ihould be content with me- 
 riting the internal efteem of men, by their plain and 
 modeil virtue ; and the great fhould be perfuadcd 
 that nothing but outward homage will be paid them 
 ûnlefs they have true merit. By this means the one 
 fort will not be dejeded or repine at their low con^ 
 dition, nor the other pride themfelves in their gran- 
 deur ; men will become fenfible that Kings are ne- 
 cefTary, and Kings will not forget that they are men ; 
 each man will keep himfelf within his own fphere, 
 and the order of fociety will not be difturb'd. I fee 
 clearly the beauty of this principle, and am very im- 
 patient to know your other laws. 
 
 The fécond fource of the miferies of Athens, fliid 
 Solon, was the cxceffive riches of fomc, and the ex- 
 treme poverty of others ; this terrible inequality in 
 a popular government, occafion'd eternal difcord : I 
 durll not attempt to remedy this mifchief by efla- 
 bliflîing a community of goods as at Sparta ; the ge- 
 nius of the Athenians, which carries them to luxury 
 and pleafures, would never have fufFered fuch an c- 
 quality : But in order to diminifh our evils I cancelPd 
 
 all 
 
Fifth B o o k^ 147 
 
 dll debts; I began by remitting thofe which were 
 due to me; I enfranchis'd all my flaves, and forbad 
 any one for the future to pledge his liberty for what 
 he borrowed. I never tailed fo much pleafure as 
 in relieving the' miferable ; I was ftill rich, but T 
 thought myfelf poof, becaufe I had not enough toi 
 diftribute fomething to all the unfortunate ; I ella- 
 blifh'd at Athens this ufefui maxim, that all th& 
 members of the fame commonwealth ought to feet 
 and companionate the mifcrics- of oii*^ another, as 
 parts of the fame body. 
 
 The third fource of our calamities was the mul- 
 tiplicity of laws, which is as evident a token of the 
 corruption of a ftate, as a diverfity of medicines is: 
 of the diflempers of bodies. Here again I could 
 not imitate Lycurgus ; community of goods and arr 
 equality of all the members of a republic, render 
 ufelefs' a great many laws and forms, which arc ab- 
 folutely neceflary where there is an inequality of 
 ranks and property. I contented myfelf with abd- 
 lifliing all thofe laws which fervM only to exercife" 
 the fubtle genius of the fophifts, and the skill of 
 the lawyers, referving only a fmall number of fuch 
 as were fimple, Ihort and clear ; by this means I 
 put a ftop to contentious chicane, that monftrous 
 invention of crafty knaves to elude juftice; I fix'd 
 certain times for the final determination of law-fuits, 
 and ordain'd feverc and difgraceful punifhments for 
 the magiftrates, who fliould lengthen them beyond 
 the bounds prefcrib'd ; laftly I repealed the too fe- 
 vere laws of Draco, which punifh'd the fmalleft 
 tranfgreffions and the greateft crimes equally with 
 death ; and I proj^oriion'd the puniihment to the 
 offence. 
 
 The fourth fource of our misfortunes was the bad 
 education of children ; none but fiiperficial qualities, 
 wit, bright imagination and gallantry, were culti- 
 vated in young pcribns; the heart, reafon, noble 
 
 H 5. fenti-- 
 
148 The Travel^ OF Cr^us. 
 
 fentiments and folid virtues were negledcd ; the va- 
 lue both of men and things was rated by appearan- 
 ces and not by reality ; the Athenians were ferious 
 about trifles, and look'd upon folid matters as too 
 abflrafted. In order to prevent thefe mifchiefs, I 
 brdain'd that the council of Areopagus fhould fuper- 
 intend the education of children ; I would not have 
 them educated in fuch ignorance as the Spartans, 
 Jior confin'd as before to the ftudy of eloquence, 
 "poefy, and thofe fciences, which ferve only to adorn 
 the imagination. I would have them apply their 
 thoughts to all thofe kinds of knowledge which 
 help to fortify reafon, habituate the mind to atten- 
 tion and are ferviceable for acquiring penetration 
 "and judgment i the proportion of numbers, the 
 calculation of the celellial motions, the ilrudure of 
 the umverfe, the great art of knowing how to mount 
 up to firll principles, defcend to confequences, and 
 difcovcr the whole feries of truths, with their de- 
 pendence upon one another. Thefe fpeculative. fci- 
 ences neverthelefs, ferve only to exercife and culti- 
 vate the mind in early youth. The Athenians in -a 
 riper age, apply themfelves to the fludy of the laws, 
 policy and hiftory, to learn the revolutions of em- 
 pires, the caufes of their rife, and the occafions of 
 their fall ; in a word, to every thing which may 
 contribute to the knowledge of man and of men *. 
 
 The fifth and lail fource of our evils was an im- 
 moderate fondnefs for pleafures ; I knew that the 
 iemper of the Athenians required amufements and 
 public Ihews j I was fenfible that I could not fub- 
 due thofe republican and untraélable fouls, but by 
 making ufe of their inclination toward^ pleafure, to 
 captivate and inllrud them. In thefe public fliews 
 
 .'•■♦.' '" 
 
 ■ Pi/tjiratus tfiahlijhtd a kind of academy fer cu/ti'vating all 
 the Jcinces, and ereBed a library containing a collégien of all 
 the ancient ^oetst j^bilofo^ben and hijiçriam» 
 
 I caufed 
 
Fifth Book. f 4P 
 
 1 eaufed to be reprefented the fatal confoquenccs 
 of their difunion, and of all the vices prejiidicid to 
 fociety ; by this means multitudes of men aflembled 
 in the fame place, were induced to fpcnd whole 
 -hours in hearing leflbns of a fublime morality ; they 
 would have been difgufted with dry precepts and 
 cold maxims; and there was no way to inftrufl, u- 
 nite and correft them, but under pretence of a- 
 mufmg them. Such were my laws and inftitutions. 
 
 I fee very well, faid Cyrus, that you have con- 
 fulted nature more than Lycurgus has done ; but on 
 the other hand, have you not been too indulgent to 
 human weaknefs ? It feems dangerous in a republic, 
 which has always been inclined to voluptuoufnefs, to 
 endeavour the uniting of men by their tafte for 
 pleafure^. I could nor, replyM Solon, change the 
 nature of my countrymen; my laws are not perfedt, 
 but are the bell: which they could bear. Lycurgus 
 found in his Spartans a genius apt to all heroic vir- 
 tues ; I found in the Athenians a bent towards all 
 the vices which make men effeminate. I will ven- 
 ture to fay, that the laws of Sparta by carrying the 
 virtues to an extreme, transform them into faults ; 
 my laws on the contrary, tend to render even the 
 weaknefîes of men ufeful to fociety. This is all that 
 policy can do ; it does not change mens hearts, it 
 only makes the beft advantage of their pafiions. 
 
 I thought, continued Solon, to have prevented or 
 cured the greateft part of our evils by the eflablifli- 
 mcnt of thcfe laws, but the reftlefsnefs of a people 
 accuflom'd to licentioufnefs occafion'd me daily vex- 
 ations : Some blamed my regulations, others pre- 
 tended not to underftand them ; fomc were for 
 making additions to them, others for retrenching 
 them. I perceived then how ufelefs the moft ex- 
 cellent laws are without a fixed and liable authority 
 to put them in execution. How unhappy is the 
 lot of mortah ? By endeavouring to avoid the trt~ 
 
 H 6 rible 
 
ifo The Travels or Cyrus. 
 
 rjble evils of popular government they run a rifque 
 of falling into flavery; by flying the inconveniences 
 of regal power they become expos'd by degrees to 
 anarchy. The path of juft policy is bordered on 
 hoih fide*; with precipices. I fuv that as yet I had 
 <îone nothing, I went therefore to Pifiilratus and 
 •S:Àd to him : You fee all the endeavours I have ufed 
 Jio cure the dillempers of the Hate ; my remedies 
 are all ufelefs for want of a phyfician to apply them. 
 IThis people is fo impatient under a yoke, that they 
 ciread the empire of reafon itfclf; all fubjedion to 
 3aws is infupporrable to them ; Every one is for rc- 
 :forming thcni after his own fafliion ; I am going to 
 abfent myfclf from my country for ten years ; I 
 ■rîhall avoid by that means the perplexity and trouble 
 ito which I am daily expos'd, of fpoiling the fimpli- 
 city of my laws by adding to them and multiplying 
 ahem : Endeavour to accuflom the Athenians to 
 7.hem in my abfence, and fuffer no alteration in them. 
 Ï have refus'd to accept the regal dignity which has 
 il)een offer'd me ; a true Icgiflator ought to be difii^ 
 Jterefled ; but for you, Pifiilratus, your military vir- 
 aues qualify you for government, and your natural 
 Jliumanity will hinder you from abufing your autho- 
 rity J make the Athenians fubjedl without making 
 them flaves, and reftrain their licentioufnefs without 
 taking away their liberty j avoid the title of King 
 iind content yourfelf with that of Archon. Having 
 jtaken this refolution, I went to travel in Egypt and 
 Afia. Pififtratus, in my abfence, mounted the throne 
 jiotwithllanding the avcrfion of the Athenians to re- 
 gal power ; his addrefs and his courage raifed him 
 to it, and his mildncTs and moderation maintain him 
 on it ; he diilinguiflies himfelf from his countrymen 
 chiefly by an cxa6l fubmiffion to the laws ; and his 
 manner of life is plain, without pageantry and pomp. 
 Bcfides, the Athenians refpeft him as he is defcend- 
 cd from Cecrop, and becaufe he has only rcfum'd 
 
 the 
 
1? I T r n B o o K^ rf i 
 
 the authority of his anceftors for the^ good of his 
 country. As for me, I fpend my days>here in foli- 
 tude without meddling with the government ; I 
 content myfelf with prefiding in the Areopagus, and 
 explaining my laws when any difpute arifes about 
 their meaning. The Prince of Perlia faw clearly, 
 by the difcourfe of Solon, the inconveniencies of a 
 popular government, and that defpotic power in the 
 multitude is more infupportable than abfolute autho- 
 rity in a fmgle perfon. ^ 
 
 Cyrus having inltruéled- himfelf in' the laws of 
 Solon and the government of the Athenians, apply'd 
 himfelf afterwards to learn their military ftrength j 
 it confilled chiefly in their fleets. Pififtratus con- 
 dudled him to Phalerus, a maritime town fituated at 
 the mouth of the Ilifllis; this was the ordinary place 
 of retreat for the Athenian fhips; for the famous 
 port Pyraecus was made afterwards by Thcmiflocles. 
 They went down the river accompany'd by Arafpes 
 and feveral Athenians in a bark made on purpofe ; 
 *Vvhile delightful mufic charm'd the ear and governed 
 the motion of the oars, the Prince defired the 
 King 'of Athens to give him a more particular ac- 
 count than he had done at firfl of the various rcvo»- 
 ]utions which had happened under his reign. Pi- 
 fillratus fatisfy'd his curiofity in the following man- 
 
 ner 
 
 b 
 
 You know that when I firfl formed the defign of 
 making myfelf King, the flate was rent in pieces by 
 two fidions ; Megacles was the hcv^d of one party 
 fnd Lycurgus led the other ; Solon put an end to 
 our divifions by his wife laws, and went foon after 
 into Afia. In his abfence I gained the hearts of the 
 people, and by artifice and addrefs obtained guards 
 . ibr my perfon ; I made myfelf mailer of the fortrefs 
 and was proclaimed King. In order to engage more 
 
 I'^ie Herod, lib. i. and Plut, life of Sohn, 
 
 thoroughly 
 
jfz The Travels of G y k us. ^ 
 
 thorotighly the good will of the people, I flighted 
 any alliance with the Princes of Greece, and mar- 
 ry'd Phya d.iughter of a rich Athenian of the Paea- 
 nean tribe. Love united with policy : Befides her 
 furprizing beauty, flie had all the qualities worthy 
 of a throne, and all the virtues of a noble foul : I 
 hud lov'd her in my youth, but ambition had diverted 
 my paffion. 
 
 I governed in peace for fome ytiitSy but at length 
 the inconllancy of the Athenians fignilly fliew'd it 
 felf anew. Lycurgus raised a general murmuring 
 againft me, under pretence that I was exhaulling the 
 public tre^fnry to maintain ufelefs fleets ; he artfully 
 ipread it abroad, that my only defign in augmenting 
 our naval flrength, was to make my felf mafter of 
 Greece, that I might afterwards invade the liberty 
 of the Athenians; and he hid a plot to take away 
 my life ; he communicated his defigii to A'legacles, 
 who abhorred the treafon and gave me notice of it. 
 I took all pofiîble precautions to avoid falling a vic- 
 tim to the jealoufy of Lycurgus. The traitor how- 
 ever found means to raife an infurre£lion, and the 
 fury of the people grew to fuch a height, that they 
 fet fire to my palace in the night ; I ran to the apart- 
 ment df Phya, but it was already confumed by the 
 ■flames, and I had but juft time enough to fave my 
 felf with my fon Hippias ; I efcap'd in the dark, 
 and fled to the ifland of Salamis, where I concear4 
 myfelf two whole years : I doubted not but that 
 Phya had perifh'd in the flames ; and how great fo- 
 ever my ambition was, her death afl"e6led me infi- 
 nitely more than the lofs of my crown. 
 
 During my exile the animofity of Megacles a- 
 gainft Lycurgus revived, and their difl*crences threw 
 the city again into the utmoft: confuflcn ; I gave 
 Megacles notice of the condition I was in, and the 
 place of my retreat ; he fent a propofal to me to 
 icturn to Athens, and offcr'd me liis daughter in 
 
 jnar- 
 
F:ï f.t« Book. ifj 
 
 marriage; In order to engagp thè Athenians to come 
 into our pieaiures, we had recourfe to religion, and 
 corrupted the priefts of Minerva ; I left the iiland 
 of Salamis ; Megacles came and join'd me ar a tem- 
 ple fome .furlongs from Athens ; he was accompa- 
 ny'd by feveral fenators and a crowd of people ; fa- 
 crifices were offer'd, and the entrails of the vidims 
 examined, upon which the high-pricll declared in 
 the name of the Goddefs, that her city cou'd not 
 be happy hut by my reilauration, whereupon I was 
 crown'd with folcmnity. The better to impofe up- 
 on the people Megacles chofe out from among the 
 young prielleiTe?, her who was of the moft majeAic 
 llature, and arm'd her like the daughter of Jupiter ; 
 fhe wore the dreadful ^gis upon her breall, and 
 held in her hand a fhining Innce, but her face was 
 veird : I fcated myfelf with her in a triumphal cha- 
 riot, and we were conduced to the city ; trumpet- 
 ers and lieralds went before, and cried with a loud 
 voice, people of Athens receive Pififtratus whom 
 Minerva refolving to honour above all other mortals 
 brings back to you by her prieftefs *^. The gates of 
 the town were immediately open'd, and we went 
 direftly to the fortrefs where my marriage was to 
 be celebrated ; the prieflefs ftept down from her cha- 
 riot, and taking me by the hand, led me into the 
 inner apartment of the palace : As foon. as we were 
 alone fhe took off her veil, and I perceived that it 
 was Phya; imagine the tranfports of my joy ; my 
 k)ve and my ambition were both crown'd the fame 
 day ; fhe gave me a brief account of her efcaping 
 the flames, and of her retiring to the temple, of Mi- 
 aerva upon the report of my undoubted death. 
 
 Megacles feeing all his projefts difconcerted by 
 the Queen's return, employ'd his thoughts to dif- 
 poflefs me again ; he perfuadcd himfelf that I had 
 
 5 Hercd, Hh, u 
 
 adcd 
 
rf4 The Travels of Cvrus.^ 
 
 a£led in concert with Phya to deceive him by falfe, 
 hopes ; he fpread a rumour at Athens that I had 
 corrupted the pontiff^ and had abufed religion to im- 
 pofe upon the people: They rofe in arnis againft me 
 a fécond time, and befieged the fortrefs ; Phya fee- 
 ing the cruel extremities to which I was reduced, j 
 and apprehending the'effedls I might feel of the fury 
 of a fuperftitious and enraged multitude, refolved 
 to leave me ; fhe thought herfelf oblig'd to facrifice 
 her own happinefs to that of her country, and Mi- 
 nerva without doubt infpir'd her to make this facri- 
 fice. So great an example of generofity fill'd me 
 with admiration, overwhelmed me with forrow, and 
 redoubled my love. Megacles being inform'd of 
 Phya's flight oiFer'd me peace, upon condition that I- 
 would divorce the Queen and marry his daughter ; 
 but I refolv'd to renounce my crown, rather than 
 be falfe to my duty and my love. The fiege was' 
 renew'd with more vigour than ever, and after a; 
 long refiftance I was oblig'd to give way to the 
 florm Î I left Attica and made my efcape into Eubœa; 
 I wander'd a great while in that country, till be- 
 ing difcover'd and perfecuted by Megacles, I retired 
 into the ilîand of Naxos : I enter'd into the temple 
 of Minerva to pay my devotion to the proteftrefs of 
 Athens ; juft as I had ended my prayer I pcrceiv'd 
 an urn upon the altar, and going near it I read this 
 infcription : * Here reft the afhes of Phya, whofc 
 
 • love to Pififtratus and her country made her a 
 
 • willing vi6lim to their happinefs. ' This mournfui 
 fpeftacle renew'd all my forrows, yet could I not 
 tear myfelf away from that fatal place ; I often went 
 to the temple to bewail my misfortunes ; it was my. 
 only remaining confolation in this lonely condition, 
 in which I fuffer'd hunger, thirft, the inclemency 
 of the feafons and alî" forts of mifery. One day 
 while I was plung'd in the mofi: melancholy reflec- 
 tions and in a profound filencfi) I kmvr not whether 
 
 in 
 
 I 
 
Fifth Book. iff 
 
 in a vifion or a divine dream , but the temple feem'd 
 to fhake, and the top of it to open ; I beheld Mi- 
 nerva in the air in the fame form as when ihe came 
 out of the head of Jupiter, and I heard her pro- 
 nounce thefe words in a majeftic and threatning 
 tone : * It is thus the Gods punifh thofe who abufe 
 
 * religion, by making it fubfervient to their ambi- 
 
 * tion. ' My foul was feiz'd with a facred horror ; 
 the prefence of the Goddefs confounded me, and 
 laid open before my eyes all my crimes ; I continu'd 
 a great while without fcnfe or motion ; from that 
 time my heart was changed ; I difcern'd the true 
 fource of all my misfortunes ; I detefted that fidfe 
 policy which makes ufe of wiles, artifice and mean 
 diffimulation ; I refolv'd for the future to employ 
 no methods but what were noble, juft and magna- 
 nimous, and to make it my endeavour to render the 
 Athenians happy, in cafe the Gods fhotild be ap- 
 peafed and fhould fuffer me to reafcend the throne : 
 The Gods were appeas'd, and dclivcr'd me froon my 
 exile. My fon Hippias engaged the Argians and 
 feveral cities of Greece to affifi: me ; I went and 
 join'd him in Attica ; I firft took Marathon and then 
 advanced towards Athens ; the Athenians came out 
 of the city to give me battle; I fent fome children 
 on horfeback to them, to afTure them that I did not 
 come to invade their liberties, but to rcftore the 
 Jaws of Solon : This m )deration removed their fears, 
 they receiv'd me with acclamations of joy, and I 
 afcended the throne a third time. My reign has 
 never fmce been difturb'd ; but I underfland that 
 Megacles who is retired to Corinth has engaged the 
 Corinthians to lend him a fleet, and I am daily mak- 
 ing preparations to Vvithiland the invafion with which 
 he threatens me. 
 
 Pififlratus was in this manner difcourfmg with 
 Cyrus, when they arrived at Phalerus ; the haven 
 ftretch'd icfdf in fgrm of a crefccnt; great chains 
 
 went 
 
ïf (5 The Travels of Cvius. 
 
 went from one fide to the other to be a barrier to 
 the fhips, while feveral towers at certain clilbnces 
 fcrvcd to defend the mole. The two Princes went 
 up with Arafpes to a temple of Venus built upon 
 the fummit of mount Colias, from wlience they 
 difcover'd a fleet under full fail, making' towards 
 Phalerus. Pififtratus prefently difcern'd the Corin- 
 thian flag, and going down to the port went aboard 
 his fleet, giving orders to weigh anchor and meet 
 the enemy. The wind chang'd on a fudden and fa- 
 vour"d Pififtritus ; the two fleets came up with each 
 other, and were ranged in order of battle : A foreft 
 of mafts form'd on one fide three litiej of a vail 
 length, whilft â triple line of Athenian vcflels, bend- 
 ing into the figure of a half-moon, prefcnted an op- 
 pofite foreft upon the Water: The lieavy armed fol- 
 diers were ported upon the decks, the bowmen and 
 flingers at t'le prow and poop. The trumpet gave 
 the lignai to begin the attack ; the galleys on both 
 fides flrft'drew back, then advanced and ftruck a- 
 gainft :each\)thêr with vioknce ; they pierced and 
 tore each other with their iron beaks>; fo m c ftruck 
 Jlgainft the prow, others againft the poop, and others 
 againft the fides, while thofe vefl!cls which were at- 
 tacked prefented their oars to break the violence of 
 the fhock^ The two fleets mix'd, grappled and 
 eamc to a: clofe fight j here the Athenian foldiers 
 flung themfelves from one fhip to another, there 
 the Corinthians threw bridges tA bba'rd^ the enemy. 
 
 Cyrus followed Pififtratus every vvhere, and by 
 his courage fupply'd his want of eirpcriencc in this 
 fort of fight. Giving way to his arder he would 
 have thrown himfelf into one of the enemies fhips, 
 but fell into the fea : Several arrows were fhot at 
 him, but he plunged into the water, faved himfelf 
 by fwimming, and got on board an Athenian galley, 
 which Pifillratus fent to his afllftance. Afham d of 
 his want of dexterity he refolv'd to perifl* or repair 
 
 his 
 
Fifth Book 15-7 
 
 his misfortune : He order'd the rowers to ad- 
 vance to the vefTel where Megacles was in per- 
 fon, he came up with it, and with a flaming dart 
 fet fire to it ; the Athenian rebel endeavoured to 
 cl'cape but periflied in the fire. Pififtratusand his 
 captains fbUow'd the example of Cyrus ; the wind 
 freflien'd and blew high ; the flames mix'd with the 
 waves ; the Corinthians threw themfelves into the 
 water to efcape : the fea was foon coverd with men 
 fwimming amidft rudders and rowers feats : This 
 fad fpeftacle continu'd till the Corinthian fleet wa-s 
 quite difpers'd by the wind or confum'd by the 
 flames. After the aflion Cyrus was wholly eroploy'd 
 in faving the lives of thofe who were.upoa the point 
 of perifliing : "iThen he returned into the port, and 
 fpent fomc days at Phalerus to obferve the manner 
 of building fliips, and to learn the names and ufes of 
 ^11 their different parts. 
 
 When Pififtratus had given all the neceflary or- 
 ders for repairing his galleys, he took Cyrus with 
 -him in a chariot and returned to Athens by a tcrrafe 
 which ran along the banks of the river IliflTus. By 
 •the way hé difcouirfed with the Prince of the naval 
 force of the Athenians, the fchemes he had laid to 
 augment it, the advantages which might be drawn 
 from it for the fccurity of Greece againft foreign in- 
 vafions, and laflly of the ufefulnefs of commerce 
 with regard to ithe navy. Hitherto, faid he, the 
 'Atlienians Have apply 'd their thoughts rather to grow 
 rich than great, and this has been the fource of onr 
 -luxury, licirhtioufnefs and popular rdifcords ; where- 
 '.evcr a people carry on commerce only to increafe their 
 •Avealth the ftatc is no longer a republic but a fociety 
 of merchants, who have no other bond of union 
 but the defirc of gain. The generous love of their 
 country is no • longer thought of when the public 
 •good interferes with their priiMte iiitcrell. I have 
 cirdcavûuircd la prevent ihcfc: mifchictis ; our fliips 
 :;:/ * fubfiil 
 
If 8 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 fubfift by their tracle in time of peace, and are of 
 fervice in defending our country in time of war ; 
 by this means commerce contributes not only to en- 
 rich the fubjeft, but to augment the ftrength of the 
 ilatc ; the public good unites with the intereft of 
 each private fubjeft, and trade does not in the leaft 
 diminilh military virtue. 
 
 When Cyrus was returned to Athens Pififtratus 
 and Solon carried him to fee their dramatic enter- 
 tainments. Magnificent theatres, pompous decora- 
 tions, and the nice rules which have been fince ob- 
 ferved, were not then known. Tragedy was not in 
 th.ît perfeftion to which it was brought by Sopho- 
 cles, but it anfwer'd all the views of policy for which 
 it had been introduc'd. The Greelc poets, in their 
 dramatic pieces, ufually reprefented the tyranny of 
 Kings, in order to llrengthen the averfion of the 
 Athenians to regal government ; but PiUftratus di- 
 re<5ted the deliverance of Andromeda to be afted. 
 The poet had fcattcr'd throughout his tragedy feve- 
 ral ftrokes of panegyric, which were the more inge- 
 nious, as they might be apply'd not only to Perfeus, 
 but to Cyrus who was defcended from him. After 
 this entertainment Solon led the young Prince to his 
 retreat on Mars-Hill to take a rep.«fl there ; it was 
 more frugal than that at the palace of Pififtratus, but 
 not lefs agreeable. During this repaft Cyrus defir'd 
 the wife old man to explain to him the political de- 
 fign and principal parts of tragedy, which he did not 
 yet underfland. ; 
 
 Solon who was himfelf a poet anfwer'd : The the- 
 atre is a living pidure of the virtues and paffions of 
 men ; Imitation deceives the mind into a belief that 
 the objcds are really prefent and not reprefented. 
 You have formerly read our poet Homer^ the drama 
 is only an abridgment of epic-poefy ; the one is an" 
 a6lion recited, the other an aéîion reprefented ; the 
 Qne recounts the fucceffive triumphs of virtue over. 
 
 vice 
 
Fifth Book. if^ 
 
 vice and fortune, the other reprefents the unforefeen 
 mifchiefs caus'd by the paflions ; the one may abound 
 with the marvellous and fupernatural, bccaufc it 
 treats of heroic exploits, which the Gods alone in- 
 fpire Î but in the other the natural muft be joined 
 with the furprifing, to fhew the genuine efFcfts and 
 play of human paflions ; the heaping of wonders up- 
 on wonders tranfports the mind beyond the limits 
 of nature, but it only excites admiration ; on the 
 contrary, by defcribing the cfFe<5ls of virtue and vice, 
 both without us and within us, man is brought to 
 fee and know himfelf, the heart is touch'd while the 
 mind is delighted and amus'd. To reach the fub- 
 lime the poet muft be a philofopher ; the moft beau- 
 tiful flowers, graces and paintings only pleafe the 
 imagination without fatisfying the heart or improv- 
 ing the underftanding ; folid principles, noble fenti- 
 ments and various characters muft be difpers'd 
 throughout, in order to difplay to us truth, virtue 
 and nature. Man muft be reprefented as he is and 
 as he appears, in his native colours and under his 
 difguifes, that the pi6lurc may refemble the original, 
 in which there is always a contraft of virtues and 
 imperfeftions. At the lame time it is neceflary to 
 conform to the weaknefs of mankind ; too much 
 moralizing tires, too much reafoning chills the .mind ; 
 we muft turn maxims into adlion, convey noble fen- 
 timents by a Angle ftroke, and inftruâ: rather by the 
 manners of the hero than by his dilcourfe. 
 
 Thefe are the great rules founded upon human na- 
 ture, and the fprings which muft be put in motion 
 to make pleafure ferviceable to inftrudion. I fore- 
 fee that one day thefe rules may be improved ; hi- 
 therto I have contCRted mylelf with making the the- 
 atre a fchool of philofophy for the young Athenians, 
 and ufeful to their education. It argues an igno- 
 rance of human nature to think of leading it to wif- 
 dom at once by conftraint and feverity : During the 
 
 _ fpright- 
 
i6o The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 fprightlinds and fire of youth, there is no fixing- th» 
 attention of the mind but by amufing it ; this age is 
 always upon its guard againft precepts, and therefore 
 that they may be relilhed it is neceifary to difguife 
 them under the form of pleafure. 
 
 Cyrus admired the great defigns both political and ,1 
 moral of the theatre, and law clearly at the fame tim<5 
 that the principal rules of tragedy arc riot arbitrary^ 
 but taken from nature. He thought he could not 
 better fhew his thankfulnefs to Solon for his inflruC'* 
 tions than by letting him fee the impreffion they* 
 had made upon him. I now perceive, faid he, t\ii:t 
 the Egyptians are much in the wrong to defpife the 
 Greeks, and efpecially you Athenians: They look 
 upon your graces, your delicacies and your ingenious 
 turns as frivolous thought?, fuperfluous ornaments 
 and childifh prettineffes, which d«notea puerility of 
 mind and a weaknefs of genius, which will not fuf- 
 fer you- to rife higher. Bat I fee that you have a[ 
 nicer tafte than other nations, that you are bettej? 
 acquainted with human nature, and know how to 
 make pleafures inllru6live. The people of other 
 countries are moftly affeded with bold flights, vio- 
 lent tranfports and bloody catallrophes : It is for 
 want of fenfibility that we do not diftinguifli like you 
 the different Ihades of human thought and paffion j 
 we are not acquainted with thofe foft and fweet 
 pleafures that arife from delicate fentiments. Solon 
 touched with the politenefs of the Prince's difcourfe, 
 could not forbear embracing him and faying : Happy 
 the nation that is governed by a Prince who travels 
 over the earth and feas, to carry back into his own 
 country all the treafures of wifdom ! Cyrus foon 
 after prepared to leave Athens, and at parting made 
 the fame promife to Pififtratus and Solon which he 
 had made tç Chiio and Leonidas, of being ever a 
 faithful ally to Greece : He embark'd with Arafpes 
 at the port of Phalerus in a Rhodian vefiel which 
 was bound for Crete. The 
 
, F I f T H B Q O K.> l6l 
 
 .. The Princess defign in going thither was not only 
 to ftudy the iaws of Minos, but likevvife to lee Py- 
 thagoras who had lloppM there in his way to Crc- 
 ton : All the Eaftcrn Magi, wJiom that Sage h.id ftca 
 in his travels, had ipoken of him to the Prince with 
 encomiums; he was elleem'd the greatelt Philofopher 
 of his age, and to underibnd bed of all men the 
 gncient religion of Orpheus: His difpute with A» 
 naximandcr the naturalilt had fill'd all Greece with 
 his fame, and divided all tiie learned j Arafpes had 
 been informed of this matter by the philofophers of 
 Athens, and during the voyage gave Cyrus the fol- 
 lowing account of it. 
 
 Pythagoras, who was defcended from the ancient 
 I Kings of the ifland of Samos, had been captivated 
 j with the charms of wifdom from his tendcrell years; 
 he difcovered even from that time a fuperior genius 
 and a ibvereign talle for truth. Not finding at Sa- 
 raos any philofopher who could fatisfy his e;ig€r 
 thirfl for knowledge, he left it at eighteen years of 
 age to feek elfewhere what he could not meet with 
 in his own country ; after having travelled forfeveral 
 years in Egypt and Afia, he returned home fraught 
 with all the fciences of the Chaldeans, Egyptians, 
 Gymnofophifls and Hebrews ; the fublimity of his 
 genius was equal to the extent of his learning, and 
 the excellent qualities of his heart furpafs'd both; 
 his lively and fertile imagination did not hinder the 
 juftnefs of his reafoning. 
 
 Anaximander had gone from his own country Mi- 
 letus to the ifland of S.imos ; he had all the talents 
 which can be acquir'd by fludy, but his underlland- 
 ing was more fubtile than profound, his notions more 
 glittering than folid, and his deluding eloquence full 
 of fophiftry : He v/as impious in the very bottom of 
 his foul, yet afFefted all the outward appearances of 
 an extravagant fuperflition ; he held as divine truths 
 all the fables of the poets, and ftuck to the literal 
 i ' fenfc 
 
i6t The Travels or Cryus^ 
 
 fenfe of their allegories ; he adopted all the vulgar 
 opinions as principles, in order to degrade religion 
 and make it monftrous. 
 
 Pythagoras loudly oppos'd thefe mifchievous max- 
 ims, and endeavour'd to clear religion of thofe ab- 
 furd opinions which difhonour'd it. Anaximander 
 had known Pythagoras from his infancy, he had in- 
 truded him in all the fecrets of natural philofophy, 
 and had loved him with the afFeftion of a father ; 
 but after the young Samian returned from his travels, 
 the Milefian became jealous of his talents, and re- 
 folv'd to ruin him as an ingrate, who ufurpcd upon 
 his rights, obfcur'd his glory, and was like to be the 
 oracle of Greece ; he cover'd himfelf with the veil 
 of a deep hypocrify, and accufed Pythagoras of im- 
 piety ; he fecretly made ufe of all arts to incenfe the 
 people and alarm Polycrates, who then reign'd at 
 Samos; he addreiTed himfelf to all the feds of phi- 
 iofophers, and to the prieits of the different Divini- 
 ties, to perfuade them that the Samian Sage, by 
 teaching the unity of one fole Principle, deflroy'd 
 the Gods of Greece : The King efleem'd and lov'd 
 Pythagoras, yet he fufFer'd himfelf to be deceived by 
 the artful reprefentations of Anaximander : The Sage 
 was banifh'd from court and oblig'd to qait his 
 country. He lead« at prefent a retired life in the 
 ifland of Crete, and there ftudies wifdom without 
 books or converfation. Having fearch'd deep into 
 all the myfteries of nature, and difcern'd thofe marks 
 of an infinite Wifdom and Power, with which every 
 part of the univerfe abounds, he foars upon the 
 wings of contemplation, that he 'may unite himfelf 
 to the fovereign truth, whofe imprefîions he receives 
 without the medium of words or founds * : This in- 
 fpiration, as I am told, is nothing like that enthu- 
 
 * Se: the nction of Simmiai the Vh'ihjo^her in Tlutarch con} 
 (erning Socrates's genius, 
 
 2 fiafm 
 
Sixth Book. i(Sj 
 
 fiafm which heats the mind and agitates the body ; 
 but it gradually Hills the noife of the fenfcs and ima» 
 gin)tion, impofes filcnce on all vain reafonings, and 
 brings the foul to an inward calm, that refembles the 
 repofe of the Gods thcmfelves, whofe infinite afti- 
 vity does not in the leall diminifh their perfcél tran- 
 quillity. In this fublime ftate Pythagoras praftifcs 
 all the human and fecial virtues, but it is with an ul- 
 timate regard to the Gods, and in imitation of their 
 veracity and goodnefs ; he is modeft, affable, polite» 
 delicate in all his fentiments, difintercftcd in all hit 
 allions, fpeaks little, and never difplays his talents 
 but to infpire the love of virtue. This account of 
 the Samian Philofopher gave Cyrus a greater délire to 
 fee him, and to learn the particulars of his difpute. 
 The wind continued favourable, and the vcflel in a 
 few days made the ifland of Crete. 
 
 THE 
 
 TRAVELS 
 
 O F 
 
 CYRUS. 
 
 SIXTH BOOK. 
 
 CYRUS no fooner arriv'd in Crete, but he 
 went ftrait to Gnoflus, the capital of that 
 ifland, famous for the wonderful labyrinth 
 made by Dedalus, and the {lately temple of Jupiter 
 
 I Olympius. 
 
•i54 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 :' Clympius. This God was there reprefented with- 
 out ears, to know that the fovereign Lord of the 
 univerfe has no need of bodily organs to hear the 
 complaints and prayers of men *. The temple flood . 
 within a large enclofure in the midft of a facred 
 wood ; the entrance into it was through a portico of 
 twenty pillars of Oriental grenate ; the gate was of 
 brafs finely carv'd, and was adorn'd on the iides with 
 two large figures, the one reprefenting Truth, the 
 other Juftice. The fabric was an immenfe arch, which 
 let in the Jight only at the top, in order to hide from 
 the eye all objefts abroad except the heavens^ The 
 'infide was a periftyle of porphyry and Numidian mar- 
 ble : At certain diflances one from another were fe- 
 veral altars confecrated to the celeflial Gods, with 
 the ftatues of terreflrial Divinities between the pil- 
 lars; the dome was cover'd on the outfide with plates 
 of filvei;, and adorn'd on the infide with the images 
 of heroes, who had been deify'd for their merit. 
 
 Cyrus enter'd this temple; the filence and majefty 
 ©f the place fill'd him with awe and refpedl : He 
 .proftrated himfelf and ador'd the Divinity prefent : 
 He had learnt from Zoroaflcr that the Jupiter Olym- 
 pius of the Greeks was the fame with the Oromazes 
 of the Perfians, and the Ofiris of the Egyptians. He 
 then call his eye over all the wonders of art which 
 jbeautify'd this place ; he was lefs flruck with the 
 richnefs and magnificence of the altars, than with 
 the noblenefs and expreffion of the ftatues : As he 
 had learnt the Greek Mythology, he could eafily 
 diftingui(h all the Divinities, and difcern the myfte- 
 j-ies couch'd in the allegorical figures that were be- 
 fore him. What drew his attention more efpecially, 
 was to fee that each of the celeftial Deities held in 
 his hand a golden tablet ; upon thefe tablets were 
 written the exalted ideas of Minos in religion, and 
 
 » Tint, of IJis and OJirii, 
 
 the 
 
Sixth Book. i6f 
 
 the feveral anfwers which the oracles had given that 
 law-giver, when he confulted them about the na- 
 ture of the Gods, and the worfhip they requrr'd. 
 
 Upon the tablet of Jupiter Olympius were to be 
 read thefe words: * 1 give being, life and motion. 
 ■*. to all creatures'' J no one can know me but he 
 ^ who feeks to refemble me ^/ Upon that of Pallas: 
 ■* The Gods make themfelves known to the heart» 
 ^ and conceal themfelves from thofe who endeavour 
 ■* to comprehend them by the underftanding alone **.• 
 Upon that of the Goddefs Urania: * The divine 
 -* laws are not chains to fetter us, but wings to raifc 
 
 * us to the bright Olympius '.' Upon that of the 
 Pythian Apollo was this ancient oracle : * The Gods 
 
 * take lefs delight to dwell in heaven than in the 
 
 * foul of the juft, which is their true temple ^' 
 While Cyrus was meditating on the fublime fcnfc of 
 thefe infcriptions, a venerabl-e old maft ^ter'd the 
 temple, proilrated himfelf before the ftatue of Har- 
 pocrates, and remained there a long time in profound 
 lilence. Cyrus fufpeded it to be Pythagoras, but 
 durll not interrupt his devotion. Pythagoras (for it 
 was he) having paid his homage to the Gods, rofc 
 up and perceived the two ftrangers : He imagined, 
 that in the air and mcin of Cyrus he faw the fame 
 marks which Solon had dcfcribed, when he gave 
 him notice of the young Prince's intended voyage to 
 Crete ; he accolled him with a falutation, and made 
 himfelf known. 
 
 The Samian figc, that he miglit not diflurb the 
 filence which ought to be obferv'd in a place dedi- 
 cated to the adoration of the immortal of Gods, led 
 Cyrus and Arafpes into the facrcd wood adjoining 
 to the temple. Cyrus then faid to him: What I 
 
 ■See Hammond on AEii of Apaft. chap, x-viï, 'ver. 28. 
 «^ ?Ut. Epimm, «» Ibid, « flat, de Rep, 
 
 f Hitrocl, aur, carm, 
 
 I 2 have 
 
i66 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 have fcen upon the golden tablets gives me a high 
 notion of your religion ; I made hafte to come hither,, 
 not only to be inllruded in the laws of Minos, but^ 
 to learn from you the dodrine of Orpheus about the' 
 golden age ; T am told that it refembles that of the 
 Perfians concerning the empire of Oromazes, and 
 that of the Egyptians relating to the reign of Ofiris ; 
 'tis a pleafurc to fee the traces of thofe great truths 
 in all nations ; vouchfafe to unfold to me your an- 
 cient traditions. Solon, reply 'd Pythagoras, acquainted 
 me with your defign of coming into this illand ; I 
 was going to Croton, but I have put off my voyage 
 to have the plcafure of feeing a hero, whofc birth 
 and conquefts have been foretold by the oracles of 
 almoft all nations : I will conceal nothing from you 
 of the myfleries of wifdom, becaufe I know that you 
 will one day be the law-giver of Afia as well as its 
 conqueror. After this they fat down near a ftatue 
 of Minos in the facred wood, and the Philofopher 
 rehearsed to them all the Mythology of the iirft 
 Greeks, making ufe of the poetic llyle of Orpheus, 
 which by its paintaings and images rendered fenfible 
 the fublimeft truths. 
 
 £ In the golden age the inhabitants of the earth 
 liv'd in a perfedl innocence : Such as are the Elyfian 
 fields for heroes, fuch was then the happy abode of 
 men ; the intemperature of the air, and the war of 
 the elements were unknown; the North winds were 
 not yet come forth from their deep grotto's ; the ze- 
 phyrs only enliven'd all things with their foft and 
 gentle breezes ; neither the fcorching heats of fum- 
 mer, nor the feverities of winter were ever felt j the 
 fpring crown'd with flowers, and the autumn loaded 
 with fruits, reigned together; death, diO^afcs and 
 crimen durfl no: approach thefe happy places. The 
 ifoul was, not ihen imprifon'd in a grofs mortal body 
 
 iSee the J)ifc. f.^^. 
 
Sixth Book. i6j 
 
 «s it is now ; it was united to a luminous, heavenly, 
 ctherial body \ which ferv'd it as a vehicle to fly 
 through the air, rife to the ftars and wander over all 
 the regions of immcnfity. Sometimes thofe firll 
 men rcpofing themfelves in odoriferous groves, tailed 
 all the purell pleafures of friendfhip ; fometimes 
 they fat at the tables of the Gods, and were fealled 
 with nedar and ambrofu ; at other times Jupiter, 
 attended by all the Divinities, mounted his wing'd 
 chariot and condaded them above the heavens. The 
 poets have not celebrated, nor known that ' highest 
 PLACE ; it was there that the fouls beheld truth, 
 juftice and wifdom in their fource ; it was there that 
 with the eyes of the pure fpirit they contemplated 
 the firll ElTence, of whole i-irightnefs Jupiter and the 
 other Gods are but Co many rays ; there they were 
 nouriîhed with beholding that obje£l, till being no 
 longer able to fupport its fplendor, they dcfcendcd 
 a^ain to their ordinary abode. The Deities at that 
 time took a pleafure in ccnverling with men > the 
 ihepherdelTcs were loved by the Gods, and the God- 
 deiîes did not difdain the love of fhepherds ; the 
 graces accompanied them every where, and thefc 
 graces were the virtues themfelves j but alas ! this 
 golden age was of no long duration. 
 
 One day men negle£led to follow Jupiter's chariot, 
 (laid in the fields of Hecate, got drunk with ne£lar, 
 loft their tafte for pure truth, and feparated the love 
 of pleafure from the love of order. The fliepherdefles 
 ▼iew'd themfelves in fountains and became idolaters 
 of their own beauty ; each had her thoughts wholly 
 taken up about herfelf ; love forfook the earth, and 
 together with him all the celcftial Divinities difap- 
 pcar'd : The Sylvan Gods were changed into Satyrs, 
 
 ^ Tie Pytbagoreant an J Pîatmi/ii call'd this fuhtile vehicle 
 «f the foul, lafjLOL tt.i/ycuS'kt K^ebfor. eCtStfiw. See Cudwortk 
 J>' ySf, to p. 8oo. I TÎTOi vTrtftfiiftoc. Sec Difc. p. /i. 
 
 I J the 
 
1 
 
 i68 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 the Napaeas^ into Bacchac, and the Nayads into Sy- 
 rens ; the virtues and the graces were no longer the 
 fame ; and felf-love, the parent of all vices, begot 
 fenfuality, the fource of all miferies. Nature was 
 quickly transform'd in this lower fpherc : The fun 
 had no longer the fame force, nor the fame mild- 
 nefs,. its light was obfcur'd y our globe fell to ruins, 
 the abyfs wasopen'd and ovcrflow'd itj it was di- 
 vided by feas into iflands and continents ; the fruit- 
 ful hills became craggy rocks, and the delightful val- 
 leys frightful precipices : Nothing remained but ru- 
 ins of the old world drown'd in the waters. The 
 Tvings of the Soul were dipt ; its fubtile vehicle was 
 broken ; and fpirits were thrown dowh into mortal 
 bodies, where they undergo divers tranfmigrations, 
 till they are purged of their crimes by expiatory 
 pains. * The etherial body was contraded, impri- 
 îbn'd, and buried in a living fepulchre, a coarfe co- 
 yering, which is ever changing, which does not con- 
 tinue one moment the fame, and is fomething merely 
 accidental to our fubftance : The immortal feed, the 
 incorruptible body, the fubtile vehicle is at prefent 
 the feat of the foul, and the channel of communi- 
 cation between the pure fpirit and the grofs body, 
 the hidden fpring of all the motions and operations 
 of our walking carcafs. It was thus that the iron 
 age fucceeded to the golden, and it will laft ten 
 thoufand years ; during which time Saturn conceals 
 himfelf in an inacceflible retreat ; but in the end he 
 will refume the reins of his empire, and reftore the 
 univerfe to its original fplendor: All fouls will then 
 be reunited, to their principle. This, continued Py- 
 thagoras, is the allegory by which Orpheus has made 
 us underlland the iirft condition of man, and the mi- 
 fery into which he is fallen. Our mortal body is 
 the punifhment of our crimes, and the diforder of 
 
 > Sfe Vifc. p, %o. 
 
 our 
 
Sixth Book. i6() 
 
 cur heart is an evident proof of our being de- 
 graded. 
 
 I perceive, fiid Cyrus, that the principles of Zo- 
 roailer, Hermes and Orpheus are the fame : Their 
 allegories abound with the fubllmeft truths ; why- 
 then will your priefts reduce all to an outward wor- 
 fhip? They have fppken to me of Jupiter only as 
 of a law-giver, who promifes his nedlar and ambrofia, 
 not to folid virtues, but to the belief of certain opi- 
 nions and the obfervance of fome ceremonies which 
 are of no ufe either to enlighten the mind, or to pu- 
 rify the heart. The corruption and avarice of the 
 priefts, reply 'd Pythagoras, is the fource of all thefe 
 mifchiefs. The miniflers of the Gods who were 
 cftablifhed at firft to make men good, turn th€ priefl- 
 hood into a vile trade ; they mind only the outward 
 /hew of religion. The vulgar not underflanding the 
 myflerious meaning of the facred rites, fall into x 
 grofs fuperllition, while the bold wits give them- 
 felves up to impiety. Some defpife even the pureft 
 antiquity ; others deny the neccffity of an outward 
 Worfhip ; others arraign the eternal Wifdom, be- 
 caufc of the evils and crimes which happen here 
 below. Anaximander and his audacious fchool ac- 
 tually fpread abroad at this time throughout all 
 Greece, that God and Nature are the fame thing. 
 Every one forms a fyftem after his own faftiion, with- 
 out refpeding the doflrine of the ancients. 
 
 When Cyrus heard him name Anaximander, he 
 faid to him, I have been informed of the caufe of 
 your difgrace and exile ; and have a great defire to 
 know the particulars of your difpute with that Mi- 
 lefian Philofopher; tell me in what manner you 
 combated his doctrine. It may help very much to 
 prefcrve me from thofe dangerous maxims. I have 
 already feen at Ecbatan feveral Magi who talked the 
 fame language with Anaximander: The errors of 
 the human mind are pretty near the fame in til 
 
 I 4 countries 
 
ijo The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 countries and in all times. The particulars of that 
 difpute, anfwer'd Pythagoras, will be long, but I 
 fhall not affed to fhorten them left I fhould become 
 obfcure. Upon my return to Samos, continued the 
 Philofopher, after my long travels, 1 found that 
 Anaximander, who was now advanc'd in years, 
 had fpread every where his impious doftrine ; The 
 young people had embrac'd it j the love of novelty, 
 the inclination to flatter their paflions, the vanity 
 of thinking themfelves wifer than other men, had 
 blinded their underftandings and drawn them into 
 thofe errors. In order to remedy thefc mifchicfs, I 
 attack'd the principles of the Milelian ; he made 
 me be cited before a tribunal of Pontiffs in the tem- 
 ple of Apollo, where the King and all the people 
 of the city were afTembled ; he began by reprefcnt- 
 ing my dodrine under the moft odious form, gave 
 falfe and malicious turns to my words, and cndea- 
 ▼oured to make me fufpedled of the impiety of which 
 he himfelf was guilty : I then rofe up and fpokc in 
 the following manner. 
 
 O King ! image of the great Jupiter ! priclls of 
 Apollo! and you citizens of Samos! hearken to mc 
 and judge of my innocence ; I have travePd among 
 all the different nations of the univcrfe to learn wif- 
 dom, which is only to be found in the tradition of 
 the ancients ; I have difcovered, that from the ori- 
 gin of things men adored but one fole eternal Prin- 
 jciplc ; that all the Gods of Greece are but different 
 names to exprefs the attributes of the Deity, or the 
 properties of Nature, which is the image of him. 
 All that we can conceive of the fupreme Effence 
 prefents itfelf to the mind under the three forms of 
 goodnefs, wifdom and power ; the fovereign good, 
 the principle of all beings, the intelligence which 
 defign'd the plan of the world and the energy which 
 executed it. The Orientals call thefc three forms 
 
 ^Oro- 
 
Sixth B o o k. ^ 17^ 
 
 * Oromazes, Mythra and Mythras ; the Egyp- 
 tians Osiris, Isis and Orus ; the Thracians Ura- 
 nus, Urania and Love; the Tyrians Belus, Ve- 
 nus and Thammuz j the Greeks Jupiter, Mi- 
 nerva and Apollo. Sometimes we reprefent thelc 
 three forms of the Divinity by the principal parts 
 of nature, as the fun, the moon and the earth, and 
 we call them Phoebus, Phoebe and Pan ; at other 
 times by the elements of fire, air and water, and wc 
 ftile them Vulcan, Juno and Neptune ; one 
 while by that prolific vertue which produces wine, 
 corn and fruits, and they are called Bacchus, Ce- 
 re.-, and Vertumnus; often by the juftice they 
 cxercife in the infernal regions, and they bear the 
 names of Pluto, Proserpine and Minos: More- 
 over the firft Form of the Divinity is reprefented 
 by his eternity as he is the moll ancient of all be- 
 ings, and wc call it Coelus, Chronus and Sa- 
 turn : The fécond Form by his fecundity as con- 
 taining the feeds of all things, and we Ilile it Rhea, 
 Vesta and Cybele : The third Form by the au- 
 thority he exercifes in the government of the 
 world, and we call it Mars as the arbiter of war. 
 Mercury as the ambaflador of the fupremc God,^ 
 Hercdtles as a hero who purges the earth of 
 monfters. Thus we exprefs the three attributes of 
 the Deity which comprehend the totality of his na- 
 ture by the original Father the author of all beings, 
 the immortal Virgin the mother of nature, and the 
 fon of Jupiter the emanation from thofc two prin- 
 ciples. ^ All thefe names neverthelefs denote but 
 ©ne and the fame power which drew all beings vili- 
 ble and invifible out of nothing i but mankind have 
 confounded the work with the artificer, the image 
 with the original, the fliadow with the fubilance 5 
 
 • ^te Difc. p. 7, 8, cmpar'J ivitb p, jf, 
 
 I 5 they 
 
ijt The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 they have forgotten the ancient dodlrine, they have 
 loft the meaning of our allegories and flop at the 
 outward fymbols without entring into the fpirit of ' 
 them : This is the fource of thofe numberlefs er- 
 rors which prevail at prefent throughout all Greece, 
 degrade religion and render it contemptible. More- 
 over T find that it is a ftedfaft maxim in all nations, 
 that men are not what they were in the golden age, 
 that they are debased and degraded, and that religion 
 5s the only means to reftore the faul to its original 
 grandeur, to make her wings grow again and to 
 Taife her to the etherial regions from whence fhe is 
 fallen. It is necelTary firft to become man by civil 
 and focial virtues, and then to refemble the Gods 
 "by that love of the Sovereign Beauty, Order 
 and Perfection which makes us Icve virtue for 
 itfelf : This is the only worfhip worthy of the im- 
 jnortals, and this is all my do(ftrine. 
 
 Anaximander then rofe up in the midft of the af- 
 Icmbly ; his age, talents and reputation gain'd him 
 •a filent and univerfal attention. Pythagoras, faid he, 
 deftroys religion by his refinements ; his love of or- 
 der is a chimera j let us coufult nature, let usfearch 
 ,into all the fecret recefies of man's heart, let us in- 
 terrogate men of all nations, we (hall find that felf- 
 love is the fource of all our allions, all our paffion* 
 and even all our virtues : Pythagoras lofes himfelf in 
 liis abftraft reafonings ; I keep to fimple nature, and 
 /there I find my principles: The feeling and fcnti- 
 unent of all hearts authorizes my doârine, and this 
 Jiind of proof is the fhorteft and moft convincing. 
 
 Anaximander, anfwer'd I, fubflitutes irregular 
 paffions in the room of noble fentiments, he always 
 «■eprefents what men ordinarily do, as the ftandard 
 of what they ought to do ; but the weaknefs of na- 
 ture blinded and enfeebled by the paffions is not 
 the rule of nature enlightened and fortified by the 
 :^verçign rcafon -, he affirms boldly but he proves 
 
 nothing j 
 
s t X T H Book. 17} 
 
 nothing ; this is not my method ; my proofs are 
 thefe, they feem to me clear and folid. The fove- 
 reign will of the great Jupiter ought to be the uni- 
 verfal rule of our will ; he loves all beings more or 
 lefs, in proportion to their refcmblancc with him ; it 
 is the degree of this refemblance which conftitutes 
 the beauty, truth and goodnefs of each intelligence. 
 The father of Gods and men loves himfelf as the fo- 
 vereign good, and all other beings as his emanati- 
 ons ; and this fhould be our rule : Self-love, to be 
 regular, muft be the efFc6l and not the caufe of our 
 love for the fupremegood; the love of the Infi- 
 KiTELY Great fhould be the ground of our love 
 for the Infinitely Little ; the love of the ori- 
 ginal, the motive of our love for the pidurcs. This 
 is the eternal law, the immutable order, and the 
 love of the fovereign beauty. 
 
 Anaximandcr interrupted me with a difdainful 
 fmile and anfwer'd ; Pythagoras impofes upon yoa 
 by words without meaning, by abftrafled ideas that 
 are of no ufe in focial life, by chimeras hatched in 
 the empty brain of idle fophifts who exhauft thcm- 
 felves in vain fpeculations ; what is this eternal law? 
 this order conformable to it ? this love of the fove- 
 reign beauty with which he continually dazzles our 
 eyes ? let him explain himfelf clearly, and all his 
 £ne-fpun notions will vanifh into fmoak. 
 
 *^ The law, reply'd I, is the intelligence which 
 produced all things, the fovereign reafon of the 
 great Jupiter, the divine Minerva who inceflantly 
 {prings from his head. The order conformable to 
 this law, is founded upon the different degrees of 
 reality which the All-producing fpirit has given to 
 his works, the immutable relations and cfTential dif^ 
 ferences which are between, them. The love con- 
 formable to this order is to prefer that which is more 
 
 f Set HierocUi on tbt golden verfts of Tytbag.p, 14. 
 
 I 6 pcrfcél 
 
174 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 pcrfeél to that which is lefs fo, not only in all kinds 
 but in the feveral fpecies and individuals. ^ Laftly 
 the fovereign beauty has no perfcd fimilitude with 
 any thing we behold on earth or in the heavens ; 
 whatever elfe is beautiful is only fo by a participation 
 ©f its beauty ; all other beauties may increafe, de- 
 cay, change or perifh, but this is flill the fame in 
 all times and in all places ; 'tis by contemplating the 
 different degrees of tranfient, variable and finite 
 beauty, and by carrying our thoughts beyond them 
 all, that we at length reach to that fupreme Beauty 
 which is fimple, pure, uniform, immutable, with- 
 out colour, figure or human qualities. Anaximan- 
 der pretends this doftrine is a chimerical idea, and 
 a vain refinement which has no influence in focial 
 life, but all the philofophers and legiflators have 
 thought otherwife ; Hermes, Orpheus and Minos 
 laid it down as a fundamental principle that a man 
 mufl prefer the public good to his private interefl: 
 from the fole love of goodnefs, juftice and perfec- 
 tion: It was to this order that Codras thought 
 himfelf bound to facrifice not only his crown but 
 his life ; his view in conforming to this order was 
 not to render himfelf happy, on the contrary he 
 believed it his duty to devote himfelf to death, and 
 ^o make no account of himfelf becaufc the love of 
 order exa£lcd it. If we can love nothing but with 
 reference to ourfelves, each member of fociety will 
 come by degrees to confider himfelf as an independent 
 being made for himfelf ; there will be no reafon to 
 facrifice private interefl to public good ; noble fen- 
 timents and heroic virtues will be deftroyed : Nor 
 is this all, every concealed crime will foon be au- 
 thorized J if virtue be not amiable for itfelf, each 
 man will forfake it when he can hide himfelf from 
 the eyes of the public » he will commit all crime» 
 
 without 
 
Sixth Book. 17^ 
 
 without rcmorfe when intereft carries him to it, 
 and he is not with-held by fear ; and thus is all fo- 
 ciety diffolved ; whether therefore you confider re- 
 ligion or policy, both confpire to prove my doc- 
 trine. 
 
 Here Anaximander anfwered : Pythagoras is un- 
 acquainted with the nature of the foul ; the defire 
 of happinefs conftitutes the effence of the will ; 
 pleafure is the great law both of mortiil and immor- 
 tal natures, its attraflive force is irrcfiftible and it i$ 
 the only moving fpring of m.in's heart ; the fight of 
 pcrfcdlion a£ls upon us only by the pleafmg fenfation 
 it caufes in us. 
 
 We always love with pleafure, anfwered I, but 
 we do not always love for the fake of pleafure. As 
 the delight which accompanies the perception- of 
 truth is not the reafon why we acquiefce in truth, 
 fo the pleafure which accompanies the view of or- 
 der is not the reafon why we lovejuftice. That 
 which determines the pure a£l of the will, both in 
 the one and the other cafe, is the perception ©f the 
 immutable relations, and efTential differences be- 
 tween beings ; to know thcfe relations and thefe 
 differences is truth ; to aft according to thefe rela- 
 tions and differences is virtue. We may follow ju- 
 flice for the good it procures us, but we cannot love 
 it but for itfelf, that only for the fake of which we 
 love being properly the objeft of our love. ^ As 
 the mofl unjuft of all men would be he, who, while 
 he committed all forts of crimes, fhould pafs for 
 juft and fo enjoy the honours of virtue and the 
 pleafures of vice ; fo the perfeélly jufl man would 
 be he who fhould love juftice for itfelf, and not for 
 the honours and pleafures which accompany it; who 
 fhould pafs for unjufl while he praftifed the moft 
 exaft juftice j who fhould not fuffer himfclf to be 
 
 Î Ste Flaf, Rify, lib, i. f, j(5, 
 
 moved 
 
lj6 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 moved by ignominy, diftrcfs or the moft cruel fuf- ! 
 ferings, but fliould continue ftedfaft in the love of 
 jufticc, not becaufe it is delightful, but becaufc \t\ 
 is juft. 'Tis thus that the Gods do good from the 
 pure love of good; the foul is an image of their 
 fubftmce, confequenrly (he may imitate them and 
 love virtue for itfelf ; the perception of truth may 
 aft as ftrongly upon her as the fenfation of plea- 
 fure. 
 
 Ever fmce the iron age began, men are fo blinded 
 that they do not comprehend this fublinie love of 
 virtue j the philofophers themfelves arrive to it but 
 by flow degrees ; wifdom, in purifying the heart, 
 accommodnes herfelf to the we.^lcnefs of our di- 
 ftempcr'd and imperfeil nature. ^ The divine The- 
 mis inebriates us at firft with heavenly delights to 
 counterbaliance in us the weight of terreflrial plea- 
 fures. She allures us by a fweet fmile, enchants us 
 by her looks all charming, tr.mfports us by the ami- 
 able truths Ihe prefents to the mind ; we then ad- 
 here to virtue for the fake of thofe fweets that ac- 
 company it : But in proportion as the foul with- 
 draws from outward objeéls her love becomes more 
 exalted, more delicate and more generous ; flie en- 
 ters deeply into herfelf, concentres all her powers, 
 and retires into her fpiritual nature ; Ihe fees all the 
 windings and turnings of the heart, fhe difcovers all 
 the enormities of her felf-lovc which made her re- 
 fer all her virtues to herfelf, and pradife them only 
 out of vanity, that Ihe might become the idol of 
 men by an ufurpation upon the rights of the Gods ; 
 ihe fufFers inexpreffible pains to expiate thefe fecret 
 iniquities ; flie at length gets out of herfelf, rifes a- 
 bove herfelf^ feparates and difengages herfelf from 
 
 ^ Ste Plotinus, Pfellust Jambllchui, Porphyry and the Pla^ 
 Unifti of the third century ^ whin they fpeak of the purification 
 •f the joul, 
 
 every 
 
Sixth Book. 177 
 
 every thing, that flie may be united to the immu- 
 table Beauty, and behold him with that eye with 
 which alone he can be feen ; then it is that fhe 
 brings forth not the fhadows of virtue, but the 
 virtues themfelves, fhe becomes immortal and the 
 friend of God ^. Such is the immutable law of 
 Themis, the human virtues are acquired with plea- 
 fure, but deification only by fufferings, and by be* 
 ing ftript of every thing that is mortal and tcrre- 
 flrial in us. It was thus that Hercules f >und ex- 
 quifite pleafures in his twelve labours, and in all the 
 exploits of an heroic virtue; but he was not dcify'd 
 till he had pafs'd through the purifying flames of 
 Themis, which your poets have reprefented by thofe 
 of his funeral-pile on mount Oeta. Theyconfumed 
 the poifon'd robe of the Centaur, of the monfter 
 Typhon, and of the evil principle, which that fon 
 of Jupiter had put on to give us an example of per- 
 fect virtue ; in the midll of the devouring flames 
 he rejoiced at the deflru6lion of all that he had re- 
 ceiv'd from his mother Alcmene ; the fight of the 
 immutable order fo raviflied and tranfportcd" him out 
 of himfelf, that he could not give a thought to his 
 own happinefs. 
 
 Here Anaximander cry'd out with fury, Pythago- 
 ras is ignorant of the hiftory of the Gods, he fays 
 we mull refemble them, they fwim in delights 
 above, and defcend upon earth only to pleafe them- 
 felves with the terreftrial Goddcfles ; Jupiter him- 
 felf is an inftance of it ; to imitate them is to pur- 
 fue pleafure ; Pythagoras artfully endeavours to crCf 
 ate in you a brutal indifference for the feafl of the 
 Gods, make you defpife Nedar and Ambrofia,. and 
 deftroy in you the invincible deflre of happinefs na- 
 tural to all intelligences ; I give you warning of the 
 horrible confequences of his fyflem^ beware of his 
 fophiftry. 
 
 5 Plato's feafttf,%\z, 
 
 h JuHice, 
 
178 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 ^ Juftice, reply'd I with an intrepid air, is amiable 
 for itfelf J if we love it only for the advantages it : 
 procures us we are not good but politic ; 'tis the : 
 higheft injuftice to love juftice only for the fake of 
 reward ; to afpire to the table of the Gods merely 
 to pleafe and delight ourfelves, is not to love the 
 fovcreign good, 'tis to degrade it and make it fub- 
 fervient to our intercft. It was thus that fouls fell 
 from the fublime place in heaven, they loved nedar 
 and ambrofu more than truth, and feparated the 
 love of pleafure from the love of order. To love 
 the fovereign Beauty only as beneficent, is to 
 love him for the finite participation of his gifts j *tis 
 to love him for what he does in us, and not for 
 what he is in himfelf ; 'tis to feparate the fovereign 
 goodnefs from the fupreme jullice ; to love the im- 
 mutable Beauty for his perfedion, is to love him 
 for his immenfe totality ; 'tis to love him for what 
 we know of him and not for what we kd of him ; 
 'tis to love without me ifure the Being without li- 
 mits ; and it is this love which dilates, elevates, 
 deifies and gives a kind of immenfity to the foul. I 
 maintain therefore with all the ancients that we 
 are not to defire admittance to the table of the Gods, 
 but as a Hate in which we arc united to the fove- 
 reign Beauty, transform'd into his image and per- 
 fefted in his love. Is Olympus Ms the objeft of 
 our defire, becaufe we dcfire it from a motive wor- 
 thy of the Gods ? Do we love the Gods the lefs, 
 becaufe we prefer their friendfhip to the neaar that 
 is drunk at their table ? 
 
 O Samians I Anaximander endeavours not only to 
 cloud your minds but to corrupt your manners ,• he 
 deceives you by flicking to the literal fcnfe of your 
 Mythology. The Gods who are exempt from hu- 
 Sian frailties do not defcend upon earth to fatisfy 
 
 ^Stt Difcf. 33, 
 
 any 
 
Sixth Book 17^ 
 
 any paflions ; all that wife antiquity tells us of the 
 amours of Jupiter and the other Divinities, arc but 
 an ingenious allegory to reprefent the pure com- 
 munications of the Gods with mortals fince the iron 
 age. Your philofophers always defcribe virtue to us 
 as a divine energy defcending fronj heaven, they 
 continually fpeak of guardian Deities, who infpire, 
 enlighten and flrengthen us, to (hew that heroic vir- 
 tues can proceed from the Gods alone ; but thofe 
 poets who feek only to pleafe and to ftrike the ima- 
 gination by heaping wonders upon wonders, have 
 disfigured your Mythology by their fixions. 
 
 Here Anaximandcr cry'd out again with an air of 
 zeal and cnthufiafm ; Will you fufFer, O Samians, 
 your religion to be thus deflroyed, by turning its 
 myfleries into allegories, blafphcming againft the fa- 
 cred books of your poets, and denying the moft un- 
 doubted fafts of tradition ? Pythagoras overthrow 1 
 your altars, your temples and your priefthood, that 
 he may lead you to impiety, under pretence of oc» 
 ftroying fuperftition. A confufed murmur immedi* 
 ately rofe in the aflembly ; they were divided in their 
 fentiments ; the greateft part of the priefts called 
 me impious and an enemy of religion. Perceiving 
 then the deep dilTimulation of Anaximandcr and the 
 blind zeal of the people who were deluded by fo- 
 phiftry, it was impoflible for me to contain my felf, 
 and raifing my voice I faid : 
 
 O King, priefts and Samians, hearken to me for 
 the laft time. I would not at firft lay open the 
 myfteries of Anaximander's monftrous fyftem, nor 
 endeavour in a public afTembly to render his perfon 
 odious as h^ has labour'd to do mine ; hitherto I 
 have rcfpc6led his grey hairs, but now that I fee the 
 pit of deftruflion into which he feeks to hurry you, 
 I can no longer be filent without being falfe to the 
 Gods and to my country. Anaximandcr feems to 
 you to be zealous for religion, but in reality he en- 
 deavours 
 
ï8o The Travels op Cyrus; 
 
 deavours to deilroy it. Hear what his principles 
 are, which he teaches in fecret to thofe who will' 
 liften to him. There is nothing in the univerfc but; 
 matter and motion ; in the fruitful bofom of an in-* 
 £nitc matter every thing, is produc'd by an eternal r 
 revolution of forms ; the dcIlru6tion of fome is 
 the birth of others ; the different ranging of the 
 4toms is what alone makes the different forts of 
 minds, but all is dilfipated and plung'd again into 
 the fame abyfs after death. According to Anaxi- 
 mander, that which is now ftone, wood, metal, 
 may be diffolv'd and transform'd not only into wa- 
 ter, air and pure flame, but into rational fpirit ; ac- 
 cording to him our own idle fe- r-. have dug the in- 
 fernal pit, and our own feared imagination is the' 
 fource of thofe famous rivers which flow in gloomy»^ 
 Tartarus ; our fuperftition has pe )pled the celelliaf • 
 regions with Gods and Demi-Gods, and it is our 
 vanity which makes us imagine that we fliall one 
 day drink neibr with them j according: to him 
 goodnefs and malice, virtue and vice, juftice and 
 injuftice, are but names which we give to things 
 as they pleafe or difplcafe us; men arc born vicious 
 or virtuous, as tygers arc born fierce and lambs mild ; ■ 
 all is thc.effeâ of an invincible fatality, and wcr 
 think that we chufe only becaufe the fweetnefs of 
 pleafurc hides the force which irrefiftibly draws us. 
 T'his, O Samians, is the dreadful precipice to which' 
 he would lead you. 
 
 While I wr.s fpeaking, the Gods declared them- 
 felves. Before the difpute, the high prieft of Del- 
 phos had been confulted about my doftrine ; his dè- 
 cifions are always agreeable to the will of the great 
 Apollo ; the anfwer he fent to the priells of Samoi 
 was this ; ' You accufe Pythagoras of erring thro*" 
 * an excefs of love for the fuprcme Beauty, and I 
 ' accufe you of erring through a want of friendfliip 
 ' for your fellow citizen ; the God whom I fervc 
 
 * equally- 
 
Sixth Book. i8i 
 
 * equally abhors thofe who afpire not to the plea- 
 « furcs of Olympus, and thofe who defirc them only 
 
 * to gratify their paflions ; mortals have often need 
 
 * to think of nedlar and ambrofia, in order to re- 
 
 * jca the enchanting cup of Circe which transforms 
 
 * men into hogs ; but when the Goddefs Minerva 
 
 * defcends into heroes, they perform noble a<Slion3 
 
 * from noble motives ; pure pleafures accompany 
 
 * them, glory environs them, immortality follows 
 
 * them, but virtue is alone their objeft. ' Scarce 
 had they read this anfwcr ci the pontiff, when a 
 divine voice fcemcd to come from the innermoft 
 part of the temple, and to fay, * ' The Gods do 
 
 * good for the fole love of good, you cannot ho- 
 
 * nour them worthily but by refembling them.' 
 The priefts and the multitude, who were more ftruck 
 with the prodigy than they had been with the truth, 
 chang'd their fentiments and declar'd. in my favour. 
 Anaximander perceived it, and imagining that I 
 had corrupted the pontiffs in order to delude the 
 people, hid himfelf under a new kind of hypocrify. 
 and faid to the afTembly, The Oracle hasfpoken and 
 I muft be filent : I believe, but I am not yet en- 
 lighten'd ; my heart is touched but my underlland- 
 ing is not convinced ; I defire to difcourfe with Py- 
 thagoras in private, and to be inflru6led by his rea* 
 fonings. Being moved and foftned with Anaximan- 
 der's Teeming fmcerity, I embraced him with tear$ 
 of joy in the prefence of the King and the pontiffs, 
 and conduced him to my own houfe. The impious 
 wretch imagining that it was impolfible for a man 
 of fenfe not to think as he did, believ'd that I af- 
 fefted this zeal for religion only to throw a mill be- 
 fore the eyes of the people and gain their fuffrages. 
 We were no fooner alone than he changed his ililc 
 and faid to me: 
 
 ? See Hier, aur. carm» 
 
 Teh 
 
i8i The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 The difpute between us is reduced to this que« 
 ftion ; whether the eternal Nature a6ls with wifdom 
 or defign, or takes all forts of forms by a blind ne- 
 ccffity : Let us not dazzle our eyes with vulgar prc4l 
 judices ; a Philofopher cannot believe but when he 
 is forced to it by a complete evidence i I reafon 
 only upon what I fee, and I fee nothing in all na- 
 ture but an immenfe matter and an infinite adivity ; 
 this aftive matter is eternal ; now an infinite aftivc 
 force muft, in ah eternal duration, of neceihty give 
 all forts of forms to an immenfe matter ; it has had 
 other forms than what we fee at prefcnt, and it will 
 take new ones ; every thing has changed, and does 
 change, and will change, and this is fufficient for 
 the produ6lion not only of this world, but of num- 
 bcrlefs worlds invifiblc to us. 
 
 What you offer, reply'd I, is nothing but fo- 
 phiftry inftead of proof. You fee nothing in all 
 nature, fay you, but an infinite aûivity and an im- 
 menfe matter 9 I allow it ; but does it follow from 
 thence, that the infinite aélivity is a property of 
 matter ? Matter is eternal (add you) and it mny be 
 fo, becaufe the infinite force which is always ading 
 may have always produced it ; but do you conclude 
 from thence that it is the only exifting fubftance ? I 
 (hall agree alfo that an all-powerful, adlive force may 
 in an eternal duration give all forts of forms to an 
 immenfe matter; but is this a proof that that force 
 ails by a blind neceffity and without defign ? Tho* 
 I fliould admit your principles, I muft deny your 
 confequcnces, which feem to me abfolutely falfc. 
 My reafon s are thefe : 
 
 The idea which we have of matter does not in- 
 clude that of aftive force ; matter does not ceafe to 
 be matter when in perfefl reft j it cannot reftore 
 motion to itfelf when it has loft it ; from whence I 
 conclude that it is not a6live of itfelf, and confe- 
 qucntly that infinite force is not one of its proper- 
 ties. 
 
I Sixth Book. i8j 
 
 lies. Further, I perceive in myfelf and in feveral 
 beings with which I am encompalVd, a reafoning 
 (principle which feels, thinks, compares and judge»: 
 IMotion only changes the fitualion or figure of bo- 
 dies ; now it is abfurd to fuppofe that matter with- 
 out thought and fcnfation can become fenfible and 
 intelligent merely by (hifting its place, or changing 
 it? figure ; there is no connexion between thefc 
 ideas ; I allow that the quicknefs of our fenfations 
 depends often upon the motion of the humours ia 
 :the body, and this proves that fpirit and body may 
 be united, but by no means that they are the fame ; 
 land from the whole I conclude, that there is in na- 
 ture another fubflance befides matter, and confc- 
 quently that there may be a fovereign intelleft much 
 fuperior to mine, to yours, and to thofe of all other 
 men. In order to know whether there be fuch an 
 inteiledl, I fally out of myfelf, I run over all the 
 wonders of the univcrfe, I obferve the conftancy 
 and regularity of its laws, the fruitfulnefs and va- 
 riety of its produélions, the conneftion and fuit- 
 ablenefs of its parts, the conformation of animals, 
 the ftrudlure of plants, the order of the elements 
 and the revolutions of the heavenly bodies : I can- 
 not doubt but thjt all is the eife6l of art, contri- 
 vance and a fupreme wifdom. I then draw a veil 
 ; over all the beings with which I am encompafs'd ; 
 I confider them only as phantoms, mere appearances 
 and illufions ; I fhut my tycsy I flop my ears, I re- 
 i turn again into myfelf, to conlider that reafoning 
 principle which I have already proved not to be 
 I mateiini, which might fubfift though all bodies were 
 I annihilated, and which fhews me all objedls without 
 prefenting itfelf to my view. Since there cannot 
 be an eternal fucceflion of effeds without a caufc, 
 j it follows necefTuily tha: he who made this intelli- 
 * gent principle muft he hi nfelf intelligent ; hence I 
 conclude that the Inf:;jite Force which you ac- 
 knowledge 
 
ï84 The Travels of Cryus. 
 
 knowledge to be in nature is a Sovereign Intel- 
 licence. When I thus return into myfelf, I agaia 
 perceive the great Jupiter whom you would hide 
 from my eyes ; I find myfelf at prefent alone with 
 him, he is fufHcient to me, he continually a6\s upon 
 me, he is the caufe of all my fenfations and of all 
 iny thoughts i he can reprefent numberlefs worlds 
 to me, though there were nothing in all nature but 
 he and I. Earth, air and heaven, planets and liars, 
 univerfal nature, I behold you no more ; vain fha- 
 dows, imperfedl images, disfigured piflures, you 
 are vanifh'd away, I perceive nothing but your ori- 
 ginal and your caufe, I am fwallow'd up, I lofe my 
 felf in his bofom, and I need only feel my own be- 
 ing to be convinc'd of his. 
 
 I remember, faid Cyrus, that Zoroaflcr laid open 
 to me all thefe truths 4 A fuperficial view of the 
 wonders of the univerfe might leave the mind in 
 fome uncertainty, but when we defcend to particu- 
 lars, when we enter into the fanduary of nature 
 and ftudy its fecrcts, laws and effeds to the bottom, 
 when we are well acquainted with ourfelves, and 
 compare what we feel within us with what we fee 
 without us, it is impoffible any longer to hefitate : I 
 do not fee how Anaximandcr cou'd refill the force of 
 your arguments. 
 
 He anfwer'd mc, Your reafoning is plaufible, but 
 has no folidity in it ; you always fhun the main que- 
 ftion by the dextrous agility of your mind. I agree 
 with you, that there cannot be an eternal fucceffion 
 of effefts without a ^ firfl: caufe ; this would be an 
 infinite chain hanging upon nothing, an immenfe 
 weight without a fupport ; I like wife allow that the 
 
 ^ Spinox.a ne'ver fuppojed an eternal fucceffion of fécond caufes 
 nvitbout a frft. He confutes that opinion by Mr. Wol I ajkn' s ar- 
 gument, xvhich is the fame that Anaximandcr ufes btre. See 
 £pi». B^ifi, t^. 
 
 ideA 
 
Sixth Book. i8f 
 
 ijidea of matter does not include that of adlve force, 
 is the idea of atTtive force does not include that of 
 A'ifdom ; becaufe the different attributes of one and 
 :he fame elfence may be feparately conceiv'd. Laftly, 
 [ grant that bodies do not become intelligent by 
 :hanging of place and figure ; but you afcribe to 
 natter properties which it has not : Matter and ex- 
 :cnfion are the fame thing ^ ; now you know that ex- 
 :cnfion has neither colour, nor fmell, nor tafle ; and 
 [ add that it has neither fix'd bounds, nor dirtin6b 
 Darts, nor real motions : All thefe qualities are but 
 deas "", or perceptions of the foul, caus'd by the ac- 
 tion of the iramenfe " extenfion, which fhews itfelf 
 luccefliveiy to us under different forms: This prin- 
 riple being laid down my real dodlrine is this. We 
 cannot banifh from our minds the ideas of eternity, 
 immcnfity and infinity, they every where prefent 
 themfelves to us ; we can explain nothing without 
 them ; Thefe three properties are therefore the attri- 
 butes of fomc eternal, immenfe and ° abfolutely in- 
 finite Being ; there can be no other P fubftance but 
 his, it is one and it is all ; it is the univerfal being, 
 and is both ** extended and intelleftual ; what makes 
 the ^ divcrfity of beings is not any real diflinftion of 
 fubftance, but the difference of form ; the * eternal 
 nature adls continually within itfelf, by itfelf and 
 upon itfJslf, according to the whole extent of its in- 
 finite power, and thereby neccffarily produces all 
 
 ^Defcartet. "> Dr. ^Berkley. n p. Malebranche. 
 
 • Spinoza fays txprejly the fame things, Deus ejt Etn abfo- 
 lutè infinitum. P Pr£ter Deum nulla dart neque corcipi 
 
 f9teft fubjiantia, fl Cogitatio ejî attributmm Dei, f.-ve Deus 
 
 tfi res cogittns, Extenjio ejl attributum Dei, fiijc Deus eft rts 
 \txtenfa, Subfiantia ccgitans ^ fubjlar.tia txtenja una eadcmque 
 *ft Juhjiar.tit, qux jam fub hoc jam fub illo attribute concipiîur, 
 
 'Res particulates nihil futttftifi Dei sttributorum mcdi. 
 
 ^ Ex nectjfttate nature divinminjinita infinitis modis (tqui de- 
 bent. Deut cjl mnium rtrum caufa mmanens, non vera tran 
 fitts, 
 
 forts 
 
1 8(5 The Travels of Cyrus. | 
 
 forts of forms ; this boundlefs * power is not rt«' 
 ftrain'd by thofe rules which are call'd wifdom, goocJ- 
 nefs and juftice, for thefe belong to finite beings, 
 and by no means to the infinite. Let me fee you at- 
 tack this fyftem with folid reafons, without fcelcing 
 to dazzle my eyes with metaphors, allegories and the 
 loofe declamations of an orator. 
 
 I anfwer'd ; If you only maintained, that all ef- 
 fences are but different forms of the divine effencc, 
 that our fouls are portions of the foul of the world, 
 and our bodies parts of his immenfe extenfion, you 
 would not be an atheift, but you would hold abfur- 
 dities with many other * philofophers who have a iin- 
 cere abhorrence of all impiety. They fuppofc as you 
 do that there is in all nature but one fubllance, that 
 the whole univerfe is an emanation from the divine : 
 efTence, or an expanfion of it ; but they believe that 
 there is an infinite Spirit who prefides over all fpirits, 
 a fovereign Wifdom that governs the woild, a fu* 
 preme goodnefs that loves all its produdlions ; they 
 never imagined as you do, that the one only Sub- 
 ftance a6ls without intelligence or juftice, without 
 knowing or having any regard to the immutable re- 
 lations and efTential differences between beings ; your 
 atheifm lies there ; and what proof do you offer for 
 your opinion ? In order to demonftrate and convince, 
 is it enough to heap propofition upon propoiltion, 
 take for granted and affirm boldly ? 
 
 He replied with an haughty afflirancc, my whole 
 fyftem turns upon this fingle '' principle, that there 
 
 is 
 
 * IntelleBust "voluntas, amor ad modes Dei five tntia parti" 
 eularia pertintnt, von ad Cubjiantiam aternam «^ infinitam, 
 Vid. Spin.Eth. Part.l. Def.6. Prop. 8, 13, l6> l8,2f. 3I. & 
 fart X. Prep. 1.2,7, I o. €i^ Scholia. 
 
 * It ivas the opinion of the Stoicks, of fome of the difciples of 
 Orpheus, and of the ancient Pantbtijisj and is held by fome of 
 the modern Chitiefe. See Dijc. p. 11, 
 
 ^ wrf// SpinûKd's içoÂ, bis definititns, aMiomi, propofitionst e9\ 
 
 rollaries 
 
 I 
 
^ Sixth Book. 187 
 
 is'but one only fubftance in nature ; this being dc- 
 monftratcd, all the reft follows by necefîary and un- 
 avoidable confequence. Now this great principle 
 I prove thus ; when the eternal Being produces new 
 hibftances, he gives them fomething or nothing ; if 
 he gives them nothing he will never produce any 
 thing, if he gives them a p.irt of his own efTence, he 
 does not produce a new fubftance but a new form ; 
 this is demonftration : Provided the unity of fub- 
 ftance be not deftroyed, it is indifferent to me how- 
 it is called, whether foul or body, fpirit or matter, 
 intelligent or intelligible extenfion ^. 
 
 When the great Jupiter, faid I, creates, he does 
 not draw a being out of nothing, as out of a fubjeft 
 which contains in it fome reality, neither does he 
 divide his efTence to make a feparate fubftance of ir, 
 but he makes fomething exift which did not exift 
 before : Now to make a fubftance exift which was 
 not before, has nothing in it more inconceivable 
 than to make a form exift which was not before ; 
 iince in both cafes there is a new reality produced, 
 and whatever difliculties there are in conceiving the 
 paflage from non-exiftence to being, they are as 
 puzzling in the one as in the other: You cannot deny 
 
 rollarifs ard fchoHa tend to prove this principle or fioiu from 
 tt; this once dejlroy'dy ail this jyjictn falls to the ground. 
 \r>'^ This is the life ivLich the Spinoxijis haije made of the fyf^ 
 terns maintained by Defcartes^ Malebranche ard Dr, "Berkley, 
 contrary to the intention of thofe three Philofophers. The ftrji 
 \Jays, that matter and extenfion are the fame thing i the fécond 
 affirms, that the immediate ob'jcSi of our fenfations is an intelli- 
 gible, ctcrnaly immutable, inanité extenfion j the third endea'vours 
 to prove, that there is no fuch thing as body, that all is fpirit, 
 Malebranche thinks that Defcartts does not extend his principle 
 far enough; and 'Berkley accufes Malebranche of flopping too 
 \foon: Ti.'.e Spinoxifs pretend to reconcile all three by admitting 
 but one only fubfiance. It mufl ncverthelefs he allow d that there 
 is an effential difference betnveen thefe three Philofophers and 
 Spinoza, ftrce they teach that there is a real diflir,Mion between 
 the infinite Effemc and created ejfencei. T 
 
 K a 
 
i-SS The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 a creating " energy, without denying for the fame 
 reafon all aélive force. Thus your eternal nature 
 is reduced to a fornilefs maf?, or to an infinite fpacc 
 without action and power, as weJl as without wif- 
 dom and goodnefs. Where will you find an adive 
 Deity to reduce that chaos to order, or to fill that 
 immenfe fpace : But I will reitore you, out of com- 
 pafilon, that adive principle and that moving force, 
 which you have need of to form your world j I will 
 fiippofe, contrary to all reafon and evidence, that 
 your eternal nature aéls as neceflarily as it exilts, you 
 will gain nothing by this concefllon, you will only 
 plunge yourfelf into a new abyfs of contradidions 
 more abfurd and more frightful than the firll. You 
 cannot deny that there are in nature beings who fuf- 
 fer, and others that do not fuffer, intelligences that 
 are ignorant, and others who have knowledge ; fonie 
 who deny, others who affirm, and others who doubt 
 of the fame things j intelligences who love and hate 
 the fame objedls, and who often change their 
 thoughts, fentiments and parlons : Now is it con- 
 ceivable that the fame immutable, immenfe, infinite 
 Subftance fliould be at the fame time knowing and 
 ignorant, happy and unhappy, a friend and an enemy 
 of its own nature ? Does this monflrous afiemblagc 
 of variable, bounded, fantafUcal and jarring forms 
 fquare with the attributes you afcribe to the eternal 
 Nature ? You may weaken your underiLinding by 
 too much refining, you may exhauft yourfelf by fpin- 
 ning a thin web of fophifms, you may wrap yourfelf 
 up in thefe cobwebs, and endeavour to entangle 
 light fluttering minds in them ; but I defy you to 
 confider attentively the confequences of your fyftem 
 without horror and fhame : What motive is it that 
 cou d induce you to prefer the fyllem of a blind na- 
 ture to that of a wife Intelligence i Do but afcend 
 
 ^ FlatQ colli it IlQinTDiit ^vctfAiç, See Difc /«.a?* 
 
 to 
 
Sixth Book. 
 
 to Bri\ principles, make ufe of that accuracy in 
 which you formerly excell'd, and you will find that 
 the infinite Being, which you admit equally with 
 me, is not univcrHU being, but a being vailly diftinft 
 from all otliers ; that he has produced n«vv fubflances 
 as well as new forms ; that he knows himfelf and all 
 his productions ; that he loves himfelf effentially, 
 and all other beings in proportion to the degrees of 
 reality he has communicated to them ; that he is by 
 confequence fupremely powerful, wife and good; 
 that it is abfurd to conceive what is only power, 
 wifdom and goodnefs, under the form of length, 
 breadth and thicknefs ; that he may exifl: every where 
 without extenfion of parts, as he knows every thing 
 without fucceflion of thoughts ; that infinite exten- 
 fion is not his immenfity, as infinite time is not his 
 eternity j that fpace is only the manner in which bo- 
 dies exift in him, as time is only the manner in 
 which created beings exill with him ; and lailly, that 
 viriable and finite beings are not different forms of 
 his fubftance but free effeds of his power. Examine 
 geometrically this chain ot confequences drawn from 
 the idea of the eternal, immenfc, infinite Being ; de- 
 fccnd from the firll to the laft, remount from the Jail 
 to the firfl, and you will fee that they are all of them 
 neccflarily link'd together ; every ftep you take you 
 will difccrn new rays of light, which, when they 
 are all united, form a complete evidence : I chal- 
 lenge you to (hew me where it fails. 
 
 Thrice he effay'd to fpeak, and thrice his pcrplex'd 
 mind endeavoured in vain to rally its confus'd ideas; 
 at length he colleded all the powers of his under- 
 Handing, and anfwer'd me thus : The univerfe is full 
 ofdefc<^sand vices, I fee every where beings that 
 are unhappy and wicked ; now I cannot conceive 
 how fufferings and crimes can begin or fubfift under 
 the empire of a being fupremely good, wife and 
 powerful ; If he b(i wife he muft have forcleen them, 
 
 K 2 if 
 
îpo The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 if he be powerful he might have hinder'd them, and 
 if he be good he would have prevented them. Here 
 is therefore as manifell a contradiftion in your fyftem 
 as in mine ; you mull deny that there are crimes 
 and miferies in the univerfe, or that there is a fo- 
 vereign Wifdom and Goodnefs that governs it ; take 
 your choice. 
 
 How, anfwer'd I, will you deny what you fee 
 clearly becaufe you do not fee lurcher ? The fmallefl: 
 light induces us to believe, but the greateft obfeurity 
 is not a fufficient reafon for denying : In this dawn 
 of human life the lights of the underftanding are too 
 faint to Ihew us truth with a perfect evidence; we 
 only get a glimpfe of it by a chance ray, which fuf- 
 fices to condud us ; but it is not fuch a broad day- 
 light as difpels all obfeurity. You deny a creating 
 power becaufe you do not conceive how it operates ; 
 you rejeft an eternal Wifdom becaufe you know not 
 the fecret reafons of its conduél ; you refufe to ac- 
 knowledge a fovereign Goodnefs becaufe you do not 
 comprehend how evil can fubUll under its govern- 
 ment. O Anaximandcr ! is this reafcning? A thing 
 is not becaufe you do not fee it ? All your difEculties 
 are reduced to this. 
 
 You do me injuilice, reply'd the wretched old 
 man, who began to waver and to change his flile, I 
 neither affirm nor deny any thing, but I doubt of 
 every thing, becaufe I fee nothing certain, nothing 
 but what is wrapt up in darknefs ; and this obfeurity 
 reduces me to the neceffity of flu£luating for ever in 
 a fea of uncertainties ; there is no fuch thing as de- 
 monftration ^. It does not follow that a thing is 
 true becaufe it appears fo ; a mind which is deceived 
 often, may be deceived always ; and this poffibility 
 is alone fufficient to make me doubt of every thing. 
 
 Such is the nature of our underlbnding, reply'd 
 
 I See Difc. p. 40, 
 
 I* 
 
 I 
 
s I X T H B O O K. Ipl 
 
 I, that we cannot refufe to do homage to truth when 
 it is clearly difcern'd, we are forced to acquielce, 
 we are no longer free to doubt: Now this in^.poHj- 
 bility of doubting is what men call conviftion, evi- 
 dence, demonftration : The mind of man can go no 
 farther. This light llrikes with equal force upon 
 all minds, it has an irrefifliblc power over Scythians 
 and Indians, Greeks and Barb:\rians, Gods and men ; 
 and it can therefore be nothing elfc but a ray of th.u 
 eternal Wifdom which enlightens all intelligences. 
 This light is the Inft tribunal for trying our ideas, we 
 cannot appeal from it without ce^fing to be rea- 
 fonablc. To doubt contrary to all reafon is extra- 
 vagance ; to pretend to doubt when the evidence 
 makes doubting impoffible is adding infincerity to 
 folly. See to what a dilemma you are reduced by 
 too much refining ; obferve the inconftancy ot your 
 mind and the inconfiftency of your reafoning ; yoa 
 were at firft for demonilrating thnt there is no fovc- 
 reign Intelligence ; when I flicw'd you that your pre- 
 tended 'demonllrations were only loole fuppofitions. 
 you then took refuge in a general doubting ; and 
 now at laft your philofophy terminates in dcllroying 
 reafon, rcjefting all evidence, and maintaining that 
 there is no rule whereby to make any fettled judg- 
 ments : It is to no purpofe therefore to reafon longer 
 with you. 
 
 Here I left ofFfpeaking that I might liften to Vv'hat 
 he would anlwer, but finding that he did not open 
 his mouth, I imagined that he began to be mov'd, 
 and I continu'd thus: I fuppofe that you doubt fe- 
 ^ioufly, but is it w^ant of light, or the fear of being 
 convinc'd, which caufes your doubts ? Enter into 
 yourfelf ; truth is better felt than underrtood : 
 Hearken to the voice of nature that fpeaks within, 
 you, flie will foon rife up againft all your refin'd fo- 
 phirtry ; your heart which is born with an infatiable 
 thirft of happinefs will give your underilanding the 
 K 3 lie. 
 
ïpi The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 lie, when it rejoices in the unnntuml hope of its ap- 
 proaching extin6lion ; once again, I fay, enter into 
 yourfelf, impofe filence upon your imagination, let 
 not your paffions blind you, and you will find in the 
 inmoft of your foul an incxpreffible feeling of the 
 I>ivinity which will difpel your doubts : It is by heark- 
 ening to this internal evidence that your underfland- 
 ing and your heart will be reconciled ; on their re- 
 concilement depends the peace of the foul, and it is 
 in this tranquillity alone that we can hear the voice 
 of wifdom, which fupplies the defcifls of our rea- 
 fonings. O my father, my dear father, where arc 
 you ? I feek you in yourfelf without finding you : 
 What is become of that divine man who formerly 
 carried me thro' all the regions of immenfiry, who 
 taught me to run back thro* all times to eternity it- 
 felf ? What then is become of that fublime, fubtile 
 and extenfive underllanding ? What cloud of pallions 
 has obfcur'd it ? What midnight of prejudice is call 
 over it ? Here I fix'd my eyes upon him to fee whe- 
 ther my arguments or fentiments had made any im- 
 prcfTion on his mind, but he look'd upon me with 
 the difdainful fmilc of a haughty foul that hides her 
 wcaknefs and defpaîr under an air of contempt. I 
 then held my peace and invok'd the heavenly Mi- 
 nerva in a profound filence ; I pray'd to her to en- 
 lighten him, but ihe was deaf to me becaufe iie was 
 deaf to her j he faw not the truth becaufe he loved 
 it not. 
 
 Here Pythagoras ceas'd, and Cyrus faid to him : 
 You join the moll affedling confiderations with the 
 moll folid arguments i whether we confult the idea 
 of the firll caufe or the nature of its efleéls, the hap- 
 pinefs of man or the good of focicty, reafon or ex- 
 perience, all confpire to prove your fyllcm j but to 
 believe that ofAnaxiniander we mud take for granted 
 what can never with the leaft reafon be imagined, 
 that motion is an cfibntial property oi^ matter, that 
 
 matter 
 
Sixth Book. rp] 
 
 muter IS the only cxifting fubftance, and that the 
 infinite force ads without knowledge ordefign, not- 
 withfiinding all the marks of wifdom that ftihie 
 throughout the univcrfe. I do not conceive how- 
 men can hefitite between the two fyftems j the one 
 is obfcure to the underilanding, denies all confo- 
 lation to the heart, and is dfciirudive of fociety ; 
 the other is full of light and of comfortable ideas, 
 produces noble fentiments and confirms us in all 
 the duties of civil life. One of the two fyftems 
 muHbetrue; the eternal Being is either blind na- 
 ture or a wife intelligence ; there is no medinm ; 
 you have (hewn that the firll opinion is falfe and 
 abfurd, the other therefore is evidently true and fo- 
 lid. Your arguments have darted a pure light into 
 the inmoll of my foul: You feem neverthelefs to 
 have left your adverfary's objedion concerning tliC 
 origin of evil in its full rtrength ; help me to anfwer 
 this grand difficulty. Here Pythagoras ran through 
 all the different opinions of the philofophers withou-t 
 being able to fatisfy Cyrus ; the Prince found a Co- 
 lution of this difficulty no where but among the 
 Hebrews ; but though he was not content with the 
 anfwers of the Samian on this head, he wou'd not 
 make him feel the weaknefs of them, nor let him 
 perceive that he himfelf was fenfible of it ; he dex- 
 teroufly fhiftcd the queftion, and returning to his 
 difpute, make hafte to tell me, faid he, O wife Py- 
 thagoras ! what imprcffion your difcourfe made upon 
 Aniximander. 
 
 H€ withdrew, anfwered the Philofopher, in con- 
 fufton and defpair and with a refolution to ruin me. 
 As weak eyes which the fun dazzles and blinds, 
 fuch was the heart of Anaximander ; neither prodi- 
 gies nor proofs, nor touching confiderations can 
 move the foul, when error has feiz'd upon the ua- 
 dcrftanding by the corruption of the heart. Since 
 my departure from Samos, I hear th*t he is fallen 
 
 K 4 into 
 
TP4 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 into the wild extravagance which I had forcfccn : 
 Being refolv'd to believe nothing which could not 
 be demoriflr^ued with geometrical evidence, he is 
 come not only to doubt of the mod certain truths, 
 but to believe the greatcft abfurdities. He main- 
 lain?, without any allegory, that all he fees is but 
 a dream ; that all the men who are about him are 
 phantoms ; that it is he himfclf who fpc.iks to and 
 anfwers himlclf, when he converfes with them ; 
 that the heaven and the earth, the Ibrs and the ele- 
 ments, plants and trees, are only illufions ; and in a 
 word, that there is nothing re.il but hinifelf : At 
 firft he was for deftroying the divine Eflence to fub- 
 llitute a blind nature in its place ; at prefent he hns 
 deltroyed that nature itfelf, and maintains that he is 
 the only exiftent being *. Thus ended the conver- 
 fation between Cyrus and Pythagoras. The Prince 
 was touch'd with the confideration of the weakncù 
 of humr.n undcrftanding ; he fiw by the example of 
 Anaximander, that the moll fubtile genius's may go 
 gradually from impiety to extravagance, and fall into 
 a philofophical delirium, which is as real a madnefs 
 as any other. Cyrus went the next day to fee the 
 Sige, in order to put fome queilions to iiim about 
 the l.uvs of Minos. 
 
 The profound peace, faid he to Pythagoras, which 
 is at prelent in Perfia gives me leifure to travel ; I 
 am going over the moll fimous countriei to collcfl 
 ufciul knowledge ; I have been in E^iypt where I 
 h;ve informed myfclf in the laws and government of 
 that kingdom ; I have travelTd over Greece to ac- 
 quaint myfelf with the different republics which 
 compofe it, efpecially thofc of Lacediemon and 
 Athens. The ancient laws of Egypt feem to me to 
 have been excellent and founded in nature, but 
 
 • Tkt language of the modem Egtmijli and of Carneadti kerf 
 tofort. See Dijc. />. jy. 
 
 its 
 
Sixth Book. ipf 
 
 its form of government was defeftive ; the Kings 
 had no bridle to reftrain them ; the thirty judges 
 did not fhare the fupreme authority with them ; 
 they were but the interpreters of the laws. Del- 
 poiic power and conqiieils at lail dellroycd th?t 
 empire. I fear that Athens will be rainM by a con- 
 trary fault ; its government is too popular and tu- 
 multuous : The laws of Solon are good, but he had 
 not fufficient authority to reform the genius of a 
 people that have an unbounded inclination for li- 
 berty, luxury and pleafure. Lycurgus has provided 
 a remedy for the dcfcdls which ruin'd Egypt and 
 will deftroy Athens ; but his laws are too contrary 
 to nature : Equality of ranks and community ot* 
 goods cannot fubfifl long ; as foon as the Lacedaemo- 
 nians fhall have extended their dominion in Greece^ 
 they will douhtlcfs throw oiF the voke of thefe 
 laws ; they reftrain the paflions on one fide but in- 
 dulge them too much on another, and while they 
 profcribe fenfuality they favour ambition. None of 
 thefe three forms of government fccm to me to be 
 perfect ; I have been told that JMinos heretofore efta- 
 blifh'd one in this iiland, which was free from the- 
 defers I have mention d. 
 
 Pythagoras admired the young Prince's penetra- 
 tion, and conduced him to the temple where the 
 laws of Minos were kept in a gold box; they con- 
 tained all that regarded religion, morality and policy», 
 and wh.never might contribute to the knowledge- 
 ot the Gods, ourfelves and other men : Cyrus found 
 in this facred book all that was excellent in tiie 
 laws of Egypt, Sparta and Athens, and thereby per- 
 ceived, that as Minos had borrowed from the Egyp- 
 tians, fo Lycurgus and Solon were indebted to tne 
 Cretan law-giver for the mod valuable parts of their 
 inftitutions ; and it was upon this model alfo that 
 Cyrus form'd thofe admirable laws which he cfta- 
 bliflied in his empire after he had conquered Afia. 
 
 K 5 Pytha^ 
 
î(,6 The Travels of Cyrus. ' 
 
 Pythagoras after this explained to him the form 
 of government of ancient Crete, and how it pro- 
 vided equally againft dcfpotic power and anarchy. 
 One would think, added the Philofopher, that % 
 government fo perfeft in all its parts fhould have 
 fubfiftcd for ever, but there hardly remain any tra- 
 ces of it. The fuccefTors of Minos degenerated by 
 degrees ; they did not think themfelves great enough 
 while they were only guardians of the laws ; they 
 would fubftitute their arbitrary will in the place of 
 them. The Cretans opposed the innovation ; from 
 thence fprang difcords and civil wars ; in thefe tu- 
 mults the Kings were dethroned, exil'd or put to 
 death, and ufurpers took their place ; thefe ufurpers 
 to flatter the people weakened the authority of the 
 nobles ; the Comes or deputies of the people in- 
 vaded the fovereign authority ; the monarchy at firft 
 fhaken and then dcfpis'd was at lad abolifh'd, and 
 the government became popular. Such is the fad 
 condition of human things. The defire of un- 
 bounded authority in Princes, and the love of inde- 
 pendence in the people, expofe all kingdoms to in- 
 evitable revolutions ; nothing is fix'd or ftable a- 
 mong men. Cyrus perceiv'd by this, that the fafety 
 and happinefs of a kingdom do not depend fo much 
 upon the wifdom of laws, as upon that of Kings. 
 All forts of government are good when thofe who 
 govern feek only the public welfare, but they are 
 ell defeflive becaufc the governors being but men 
 are imperfed. 
 
 After feveral fuch converfations with the wife 
 Samian, the Prince prepar'd to continue his travels, 
 and at parting faid to him, I am extremely concern- 
 ed to f«e you abandoned to the cruelty of capricious 
 fortune ! How happy Ihould I be to fpend my life 
 with you in Perfia ! I will not offer you pleafures or 
 riches which allure other men ; I know you would 
 be little mov'd by them j you are above the faYour3 
 
SrxTH Book. ipj 
 
 of Kings becaufe you fee the vanity of human gran- 
 deur ; but I offer you in my dominions peace, li- 
 berty and the fweet leifure which the Gods grant 
 to thofe who love wifdom. I ihould have a fincere 
 joy, reply'd Pythagoras, to live under your protec- 
 tion with Zoroafter and the Magi, but I mull fol- 
 low the orders given me by the or.icIe of Apollo ; a 
 mighty empire is rifing in Italy which will one day 
 become mafter of the world ; its form of govern- 
 ment is like that eftabliflied in Crete by Minos ; the 
 genius of the people is as warlike as that of the 
 Spartans ; the generous love of their country, the 
 efteem of perfonal poverty in order to augment the 
 public treafure, the noble and difmterefted fenti- 
 ments which prevail among the citizens, their con- 
 tempt of plcafure and their ardent zeal for liberty, 
 render them fit to conquer the whole world ; I arri 
 to introduce there the knowledge of the Gods and 
 of laws. I muft leave you but I will never forget 
 you ; my heart will follow you every where ; you 
 will douhtlefs extend your conquefts as the oracles 
 have foretold : May the Gods preferve you then 
 from being intoxicated by fovereign authority ! 
 May you long feel the pleafure of reigning only to 
 make other men happy ! Fame will inform me of 
 your fucceffes : I fhall often ask, has not grandeur 
 made a change in the heart of Cyrus ? Does he ftill 
 love virtue ? Does he continue to fear the Gods ? 
 Though we now part we Ihall meet again in the a- 
 bode of the juft ; I fhall doubtlefs defcend thither 
 before you ; I will there expedl your Manes. Ah 
 Cyrus ! how joyful fhall I be to fee you again after 
 death among the good Kings, who are crown'd by 
 the Gods with an immortal glory ! Farewel, Prince, 
 farewel, and remember that you never employ your 
 power but to execute the diftates of your goodnefs. 
 
 Cyrus was fo much affefted that he could not an- 
 fwcr J he rcfpcilfully embraced the old man and 
 
 K 6 be- 
 
1 98 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 bedew'd his face with tears ; but in fhort they muft 
 icparate : Pythagoras embark'd very foon for Italy, 
 and the Prince in a Phoenician veiTel for Tyre. As 
 Cyrus was failing from Crete, and the coafts of 
 Greece began to difappear, he felt an inward re- 
 gret, and calling to mind all he had feen, faid to 
 Arafpes: What ! is this the nation that was repre- 
 fented to me as fo fuperficial and trifling ? I have 
 found there great men of all kinds, profound philo- 
 fophers, able captains, wife politicians, and genius's 
 capable of reaching to all heights, and of going to 
 the bottom of , things. Other nations methinks 
 don't do the Greeks juftice. 
 
 I cannot admire, anfwer'd Arafpes^ either their 
 talents or their fcicnccs ; the Chaldeans and Egyp- 
 tians furpafs them exceedingly in all folid know- 
 ledge. Lycurgus, Solon, Thaïes and Pythagoras 
 would never have known any thing if they had not 
 traveird in Egypt and the Eaft : All that they have 
 added to our philofophy has been only fo much 
 allay to it. The dodlrine of ^ Thaïes is a feries of 
 loofe fuppofitions ; his etherial fluid is a mere whim 
 and not at all geometrical ; what comparifon be- 
 tween his philofophy and that of *^ Mofchus the 
 Phoenician ? Befides I don't find any thing of the 
 original, creating, mafculine genius in the Greek 
 poets and orators, but a difiiis'd flile, fupcrfluous 
 jBowers, ideas that feem clear and tranfparent only 
 becaufe they are light and thin; their pretty thoughts,. 
 
 ^ He introduced mathematics and phyfîa into Greece, ai Vef' 
 (artei rcuinj^d the tajie of them in Europe. 
 
 ^ He nvaz the jirji ivho taught the atomical doâiritie, not in 
 the fen fe cf Dem:critus and Epicurus, hut in that of Sir Ifaac 
 Neivton. Ste Opt pag, 407. Mofchus and the Phœnicians be- 
 iie'vedy that after the chaos the plafiic fpirit of the uniterfe 
 had brought the atoms together by lo-ve, iipoiff^» ro 'O'Viv/^t tat 
 iS'iocy <*j5/:û)R, this is the manner in ivbicù tbi ancients expreffei 
 the dodrine of attraSiion, 
 
 ingenious 
 
Sixth Book. i^p 
 
 ingenious turns and pretended delicacies proceed 
 wholly from the infant weaknefs of their under- 
 ftanding, which cannot rife to the fublime, and con- 
 tinually hovers about the furface of objefts : In a 
 word, all that I admire in the Greeks is their po- 
 litenefs, their converfable qualities, their tafte for 
 pleafure and their continual joy ; they purchafe hap- 
 pinefs at a cheaper rate than other nations. 
 
 It is true, reply'd Cyrus, wa find fublime ideas 
 and ufeful difcoverics among the Chaldeans and E- 
 gyptians, but their depth of fcience is often full of 
 ohfcuriry ; they know not like the Greeks how to 
 come at hidden truths by a chain of known and 
 eafyones; that ingenious method of ranging each 
 idea in its proper place, of leading the mind by de- 
 grees from the moil fimple truths to the moft com- 
 pounded, with order, perfpicuity and accuracy, is 
 a fecret with which the Chaldeans and Egyptians, 
 who boafl: of having more of original genius, are 
 little acquainted. This neverthclefs is the true fci- 
 ence by which man is taught the extent and bounds 
 of his own mind, and this is what we owe to Thaïes; 
 his works and his travels fpread this tafte in the 
 Eaft ; what ingratitude and injuftice to make no 
 other ufe of his great difcoveries than to defpife 
 him becaufc he did not difcover all ! It is true his 
 philofophy is not exaél ; but Mofchus, the great 
 Mofchus, has not he himfelf had recourfe to an e- 
 therial fluid in order to explain his principle of at- 
 traélion, which, as at firft reprefented by his difci- 
 ples, was wholly unintelligible, a mere occult qua- 
 lity. I know that the Greeks love the agreeable 
 kinds of knowledge more than abftraft ideas j the 
 arts of imitation more than nice fpeculations ; but 
 they do not defpife the fublime fciences : On the 
 contrary, they excel in them when they apply their 
 minds to the ftudy of them. Have we in all the 
 
 Eaa 
 
200 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 1 
 
 Eaft fuch a ^ hiftory of phyfics as that written by 
 Anaximenes ? Don't you find beauties in Homer, 
 the fables of ^Efop, Archilochus's fatyrs, and in 
 the dramatic pieces which are aéled at Athtns to 
 render vice odious and ridiculous ? I repeat what I 
 faid to Solon, the Greeks liave a finer tafte than o- - 
 ther nations. It is for want of fenfibility that we 
 don't fufficiently admire the delicate thoughts, the 
 tender paffions, the natural and unaffeded graces in 
 their writings. The- poem of Abaris the Scythian 
 concerning the ^ ruin of the garden of the Hefpe- 
 rides wou'd have been more pcrfe<fl if the author 
 had been a Greek. We fee there all the efforts of 
 a genius that can rife to the higheft heaven, defcend 
 to the lowell abyfs, and fly with a rapid wing from 
 one end of immenfity to the other ; yet Abaris, the 
 admirable Abaris, does he always diilinguifh between 
 the natural and the low, fublimity and bombaft, en- 
 thufiafm and fury, delicacy and fubtility. I grant 
 that th^ Greeks feem to be fometimes taken up too 
 much with trifles and amufements ; but the great 
 men among them have the fecret of preparing the 
 moft important affairs, even while they are diverting 
 themfelves: they are fenflble that the mind has need 
 now and then of reit; but in thefe relaxations they 
 can put in motion the greateft machines by the 
 fmallell fprings ; they look upon life as a kind of 
 fport, but fuch as refembles the Olympic games, 
 where mirthful dancing is mix'd with laborious cx- 
 ercifes. They love Itrangers more than other nati- 
 ons, and their country deferves to be ftiled the 
 common country of mankind. It is for thefe quali- 
 ties that I prefer the Greeks to other nations, and 
 not becaufe of their politenefs. 
 
 ^ ^ kind of hiftory like that of the academy of fciencey in 
 TPrance. 
 * It might he fbmewhat like Miilen's Taradije hfi. 
 
 True 
 
Sixth Book. zoi 
 
 True politenefs is common to delicate fouls of all 
 nations, and is not peculiar to any one people. Ex- 
 ternal civility is but the form eftablifh'd in the dif- 
 ferent countries for exprefHng that politenefs of the 
 foul. I prefer the civility of the Greeks to that of 
 other nations, becaufe it is more fimplc and lefs trou- 
 blefome ; ic excludes all fuperfluous formality ; its 
 only aim is to render company and converfation eafy 
 and agreeable : But internal politenefs is very differ- 
 ent from that fuperficial civility. You were not 
 prefent that day when Pythagoras fpoke to me upon 
 this head ; I will tell you his notion of politenefs, 
 to which his own practice is anfwerable. It is an 
 evennefs of foul which excludes at the fame time 
 both infenfibility and too much earnellnefs ; it fup- 
 pofes a quicknefs in difcerning what may fuit the 
 different charafters of men ; it is a fweet con- 
 dcfcenfion by which we adapt ourfelves to each 
 man's tafte, not to flatter his paffions, but to avoid 
 provoking them. In a word, it is a forgetting oi" 
 ourfelves in order to feek what may be agreeable to 
 others, but in fo delicate a manner as to let them 
 fcarce perceive that we are fo employed : It knows 
 how to contradidl with refpedt, and to pleafe with- 
 out adulation, and is equally remote from an infipid 
 complaifance and a low familiarity. Cyrus and A- 
 rafpes were difcourfing together in this manner 
 when they difcover'd the coafts of Phoenicia, and 
 jhcy foon after arrived at Tyre, 
 
 THE 
 
THE 
 
 TRAVELS 
 
 O F 
 
 CYRUS 
 
 SEVENTH BOOK. 
 
 B ^HE King of Babylon having deftroy'd an- 
 I cient Tyre, the inhabitants had built a new 
 ■JL city in a neighbouring ifland, thirteen fur- 
 longs from the fliore. This ifland llretched itfelf in 
 form of a crefcent, and enclosed a bay where the 
 Ihips lay in fhelter from the winds ;, divers rows of 
 cedars beautify'd the port ; and at each end of it 
 was a fortrefs for the fecurity of the town and of 
 the fhipping. In the middle of the mole was a por- 
 tico of twelve rows of pillars, where, at certain- 
 hours of the day, the people of all nations affem- 
 bled to buy and fell ; there one might hear all lan- 
 guages fpoken, and fee the manners and habits of 
 all the different nations ; fo that Tyre feem'd the 
 capital of the univerfe. A prodigious number of 
 veffels were floating upon the water, fomc going, 
 others arriving ; here the mariners were furling 
 their fails while the weary rowers enjoy'd repofe j 
 there one might fee new built vefl'els launched ; a 
 vafl multitude of people cover'd the port ; fome 
 were bufy in unloading fliips, others in tranfporting 
 merchandize, and others in filling the magazines ; 
 
 all 
 
Seventh Book. 205 
 
 all were in motion, earnefl: at work, and eager in 
 promoting trade. 
 
 Cyrus obferv'd a good while with pleafure this 
 fcene of hurry and bufmefs, and then advancing to- 
 wards one end of the mole met a man whom he 
 thought he knew : Am I deceiv'd, cry'd out the 
 Prince, or is it Amcnophis who has left his folitudc 
 to come into the fociety of men ? It is I, reply'd 
 the Egyptian Sage ; I have changed my retreat in 
 Arabia for another at the foot of mount Libanus. 
 Cyrus furpriz'd at this alteration ask'd him the rea- 
 fon : Arobal, faid Amenophis, is the caufe of it ; 
 that Arobal of whom I fpoke to you formerly, who 
 was prifoner with me at Memphis and my fcjlow- 
 flave in the mines of Egypt, was fon to the King 
 of Tyre, but knew not his birth ; he has afccnded 
 the throne of his anceftors and his true name is 
 Ecnibal ; I enjoy a perfeft tranquillity in his domi- 
 nion ; come and fee a Prince who is worthy of 
 your friendfhip. I have always had a concern for 
 him, reply'd Cyrus, on account of your friendfliip 
 for him, but 1 could never forgive his leaving you : 
 I rejoice with you on your finding him again, I 
 long impatiently to fee him, and to tcflify to him 
 the fatisfaflion I feel. 
 
 Amenophis conduced the Prince to the royal 
 palace and prefented him to the King : noble foul» 
 make acquaintance at firft fight, nor does it require 
 time to form fl:ri6l friendihips, where a fympathy of 
 thoughts and fcntiments have prepared the way for 
 them. The King of Tyre ask'd Cyrus divers que- 
 ftions about his country, his travels, and the man- 
 ners of the different nations he had feen . He was 
 charm'd with the noble fentiments and delicate tafte 
 which difcover'd themfelves in the young Prince's 
 difcourfc, who on the other hand admir'd the good 
 (en^Q and virtue of Ecnibal ; he fpent foine days at 
 his court, and at length defir'd Amenophis to relate 
 
 to 
 
I04 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 to hrm the misfortunes of the King of Tyre, andj 
 by what means he had afcended the throne. 
 
 The Egyptian fage retir'd one day with Cyrus and^ 
 Arafpes into the hollow of a rock beautify'd with I 
 /hell-work ; from thence they had a view of thefea, 
 the city of Tyre, and the fertile country about it ; 
 on one fide mount Libanus bounded the profpefl, 
 and on the other the ifle of Cyprus feera'd to R^ 
 away upon the waves ; they all three fat down upon 
 a bed of mofs on the brink of a fountain whofe rtill 
 waters feem'd to ileep in their very fource. When 
 îhey had repos'd themfelves a while the Egyptian 
 ùge began thus : 
 
 While Ecbinal was yet a child in his cradle his 
 father dy'd ; his uncle ïtobal afpiring to the throire 
 refolv'd to rid himfelf of the young Prince : But 
 Bahal, to whom his education was committed, 
 fpread a report of his death to prefcrve him from 
 the cruelty of the tyrant, and fent him to a folitary 
 part of the country at the foot of mount Libanus, 
 where he made him pafs for his own fon under the 
 name of Arobal, without difcovering his birth even 
 to the Prince himfelf When Ecnibal was in his 
 fourteenth year, B.ihal formed the deftgn of placing 
 him upon the throne : The ufurper being apprized 
 of it, clapt up the loyal Tyrian in prifon and threat- 
 cn'd him with the moft cruel death, if he did not 
 deliver up the young Prince into his hands. Bahal 
 would make no difcovery, being refolv'd to die ra- 
 ther than fiil in his duty and affeflion for Ecnibal. 
 In the mean while the tyrant knowing the heir of 
 the crown to be yet living, was greatly difturb'd and 
 incens'd. To fatiate his rage and calm his difquiets 
 he order'd all Bahal's children to be put to death : 
 Buta faithful flave having notice of it, contrived to 
 fave Ecnibal; fo that he left Phcenicii without 
 knowing the fecret of his birth. Bahal efcap'd out 
 of prifon by throwing himfelf from a high tower 
 
 into 
 
Seventh Book. lof 
 
 into the fea ; he gain'd the fhore by fwimming and 
 retired to Babylon, where he made hunfelf known 
 'to Nabuchodonofor. To revenge himfelf for the 
 murder of his children he ftirr'd up that conqueror 
 to make war upon Itebal, and to undertake the long 
 fiege of Tyre. The King of Babylon being inform- 
 ed of the bravery and capacity of Bahal, chofc him 
 to command in chief in this expedition. Itobal was 
 kiird, and after the taking of the town Bahal was 
 raifed to the throne of Tyre by Nabuchodonofor, 
 who in that manner recompenfed his fervices and 
 fidelity. Bahal did not fufFer himfelf to be dazzled 
 by the luilre of royalty : Having learned that Ecni- 
 bal had efcaped the rage of the tyrant, his firfl care 
 was to fend over all Afia to feek him, but he could 
 learn no news of him ; for we were then in the 
 mines of Egypt. 
 
 Arobal having wandered a long time in Africa and 
 loft the flave, his conduélor, engaged himfelf in 
 Apries's troops, being refolved either to end his 
 days or to diftinguifh himfelf by fome glorious afti- 
 on. I have formerly given you an account of our 
 firft acquaintance, our mutual friendfliip, our com- 
 mon flavery, and our feparation. Upon his leaving 
 me he went to Babylon, where he was informed of 
 the revolution which had happened at Tyre, and 
 that Bahal, whom he believed his father, was raifed 
 to the throne ; he left the court of Nabuchodonofor 
 without delay, and foon arrived in Phcenicia where 
 he was introduced to Bahal. The good old Man 
 loaded with years was repofmg himfeîf upon a rich 
 carpet ; joy gave him flrength ; he got up, ran to 
 Arobal, examined him, recalled all his features, and 
 in a word knew him to be the fame ; he could no 
 longer contain himfelf, he fell upon his neck, em- 
 braced him, bedewed his face with tears, and cried 
 out with tranfport ; It is then you whom I fee, it is 
 Ecnibal himfelf, the fon of my mailer, the child 
 
 whom 
 
io6 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 whom I favcd from the tyrant's hand?, the innocent 
 caufe of my difgrace and the fubjefl of my glory ; 
 I can then Hiew my gratitude towards the King who 
 is no more, by reftoring his Ton. Ah Gods ! it is 
 thus that you recompence my fidelity, I die content. 
 He immediately difpatched ambafladors to the court 
 of Babylon to ask permilTion of the King to refign 
 the crown and recognize Ecnibal for his lawful ma- 
 iler. It was thus that the Prince of Tyre afcended 
 the throne of his anceftors, and Bahal died foon 
 after. 
 
 As foon as Arobal was reftored he fent a Tyrian 
 to me in my folitude to inform me of his fortune, 
 and to prefs me to come and live at his court : I 
 was charmed to hear of his happinefs and to find 
 that he ftili loved me ; I expreiTed my joy in the 
 warmefl: manner, and fignif/'d to the Tyrian that all 
 my délires were fuisfy'd fmce my friend was happy ; 
 but I abfolutely refufed to leave my retirement : 
 He fent to me again to conjure me to come and 
 afTiIl him in the labours of royalty ; I anfwered, that 
 .he was fufficiently knowing to fulfil all his obligati- 
 ons, and that his paft misfortunes would enable him 
 to fhun the dangers to which fupreme authority is 
 cxpofed. At lail, feeing" that nothing could mov« 
 me, he left Tyre under pretence of going to Baby- 
 lon to do homage to the AfTyrian King, and arrived 
 very foon at my folitude. We tenderly embraced 
 each other a long while : doubtlefs you thought, 
 faid he to me, that I had forgotten you, that our 
 reparation proceeded from the cooling of my friend- 
 fliip, and that ambition had feduced my heart ; but 
 you were deceived : It is true that when I left you 
 I could no longer fupport retirement, I had no peace 
 in it; this reftlefTnels no doubt proceeded from the 
 Gods thcmfelves ; they drew me away to accompliflv 
 the dcfigns of their vvifdom ; I could enjoy no re- 
 pofe while I refiftcd them : 'Twas thus that they 
 
 coa- 
 
Seventh Book. 207 
 
 conduced me to the throne by unknown paths ; 
 grandeur has not chang'd my heart ; fhevv me that 
 abfence has not diniinifh'd your friendfliip ; come 
 and fupport me in the midfl: of the toils and dangers 
 in which an elevated Ibtc engages me. Ah ! faid I 
 to him, do not force me to quit my folitude ; fufFer 
 me to enjoy the repofe which the Gods have granted 
 me ; grandeur excites the paflions ; courts are llormy 
 feas, I have been already fliipvvreck'd and have hap- 
 pily efcap'd ; cxpofe me not to the like misfortune a 
 fécond time. I perceive your thoughts, reply'd Ec- 
 nibal, you are afraid of the friendfhip of Kings, you 
 have experienced their inconflancy, you have found 
 that their fivour is frequently but the forerunner of 
 their hatred ; Apries lov'd you once and deferted 
 you afterwards, but alas ! fhould you compare me 
 with Apries ? No, no, reply'd I, I fhall always dif- 
 trurt the friendfliip of a Prince brought up in luxury 
 and effeminacy like the King of Egypt ; but for you, 
 who were educated far from a throne and in igno- 
 rance of your rank, and have fmce been try'd by 
 fuch a variety of adverfe fortune, I have no fear that 
 the regal dignity fhould alter your fentiments : The 
 Gods have conduced you to the throne, you mufl 
 fulfil the duties incumbent upon a King, and facri- 
 fice yourfelf to the publick good ; but for me, no- 
 thing obliges me to engage a- new in tumult and trou- 
 ble ; I have no thought but to die in folitude, where 
 wifdom nourifhes my heart, and where the hope of 
 being foon reunited to the great Ofiris makes me fof- 
 get all my paft misfortunes. 
 
 . Here a torrent of tears obliged us to filence,which 
 Ecnibal at length breaking faid to me : Has then the 
 ftudy of wifdom ferv'd only to make Amenophis in- 
 fenfible .? Well, if you will grant nothing to friend- 
 fliip, come at leafl to defend me from the frailties of 
 human nature ; I fhall one day perhaps forget that I 
 have been unfortunate, I may come to be unmov'd 
 
 with 
 
2o8 The Travels of Cryus. 
 
 with tlie miferies of men, fupreme authority will 
 perhaps poifon my heart and render me like other 
 Princes; come and preferve me from the errors to 
 which my ftate is ever liable j come and confirm me 
 in all ihofe maxims of virtue with which you for- 
 jnerly infpir'd me ; I feel that I have more need of 
 d friend than ever. Ecnibal melted me with rhefe 
 words, and I confented to follow him, but upon 
 condition that I fhould not live at court, that I fhould 
 never have any employment there, and that I fhould 
 retire into fome folitary place near Tyre ; I have on- 
 ly changed one retreat for another, that I might 
 have the pleafure of being nearer my friend. We 
 left Arabia Felix, went to Babylon and faw there 
 Nabuchodonofor ; but alas Î how different is he now 
 from what he was heretofore ! He is no longer that 
 conqueror who reign'd in the midft of triumphs, 
 and aftonifh'd the nations with the fplendor of his 
 glory ; for fome time paft he has loft his reafon ; he 
 flies the fociety of men and wanders about in the 
 mountains and woods like a wild beaft; how terrible 
 a fate for fo great a Prince ! When we arriv'd at Tyre 
 I chofe my retreat at the foot of Mount Libanus, in 
 the fame place where Ecnibal was brought up ; I 
 come here fometimes to fee him, and he goes fre-^ 
 quently to my folitude ; nothing can impair our 
 fricndihip bccaufe truth is the only bond of it. I 
 fee by this example that royalty is not as I imagin'd, 
 incompatible with tender fentiments ; all depends on 
 the firft education of Princes ; adverfity is the bed 
 fchool for them ; it is there that heroes are form'd ; 
 Apries had been fpoiPd by profperity in his youth 5 
 Arobal is confirmed in virtue by misfortunes. 
 
 Cyrus's efteem for Ecnibal was much heightened 
 by this relation ; he admir'd that Prince's conftancy 
 in frlendfliip more than all his other great qualities. 
 During his ftay at Tyre he was entertain'd in a very 
 magnificent manner, and often exprefs'd to the King 
 
 his 
 
Seventh Book. io> 
 
 his ailonifti ment at the fplendor which reign'd in thiU 
 city. Be not furpriz'd at it, anfwjered the Tyrian 
 Prince, wherever commerce flouridies under the pro- 
 tc6lion of wife laws, plently becomes quickly uni- 
 verfal, and magnilicence colls the Ibte nothing. Cy- 
 rus, upon this, delir'd the King of Tyre to explain 
 to him how he had brought his dominions into fuch 
 a flourilhing condition in fo fhort a time. 
 
 The wifell of the Hebrew Kings, faid Ecnibal, 
 fhew'd many ages ago to what a pitch of Iplendor 
 and magnificence commerce will rjife a little ll^tQ ; 
 his fliips fail'd even to the remoteft iflands to import 
 from thence the wealth, perfumes, and rich com- 
 modities of the Eaft ; after the ruin and captivity of 
 the Hebrews we feized upon all the branches of 
 their commerce. Tyre is happily fituated ; her in- 
 habitants underftand navigation ; trade was at firll 
 perfedlly free there ; ftrangers were treated as citi- 
 zens of Tyre : But under the reign of Itobal all fell 
 to ruin ; inllead of keeping our ports open according 
 to the old cuflom, he Qiut them up out of political 
 views, form'd a defign of changing the fundamental 
 conliitution of Phoenicia, and of rendring a nation 
 warlike, that had always Ihunn'd having any part 
 jn the quarrels of her neighbours. By this mean» 
 commerce languilh'd, and our ftrength diminifh'd; 
 Itobal drew upon us the wrath of the King of Baby- 
 lon, who raz'd our ancient city and made us tribu- 
 tary. As loon as Bahal was placed upon the throne, 
 he endeavoured to remedy thefe mifchiefs ; I have 
 but followed the plan which that good Prince left me. 
 
 He began by opening his ports to ftrangers, and 
 hy relloring the freedom of commerce. He declared 
 that his name fhould never be made ufe of in it, 
 but to fupport its rights and make its laws be ob- 
 ferv'd. The authority of Princes is too formidable 
 for other men to enter into partnerfhip with them. 
 Commerce was carried on in the firit republics only 
 
 I by 
 
210 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 by exchange of merchandife ; but this method waslj 
 found troublefome and fubjedl to many inconve-* 
 niences ; the value of provifions is not always the 
 fame, they cannot be tranfportcd without expence, 
 nor diftributcd without trouble, nor long kept with- 
 out fpoiling. It was necefîary to have fuch a com- 
 mon meafure of the value of merchandife, as fliou'd 
 be incorruptible portable and divifible into fmall parts 
 for the convenience of the poorcft citizens. Me- 
 tals feem'd proper for this ufe, and it is this common 
 meafure which is calPd money. The public treafurc 
 having been exhaulled by long wars, there was not 
 money enough in Phoenicia to fet the people to work ;' 
 arts languilh'd and agriculture itfelf was negle£led. 
 Bahal engag'd the principal merchants to advance con- 
 fiderable fums to the artizans, while the former traf. 
 fic'd together upon fafe credit ; but this credit never 
 took place among the labourers and mechanics. Coin 
 is not only a common meafure for regulating thtf 
 price of the feveral kinds of merchandife, but it is a 
 fare pledge vv^hich has an intrinfic value, and pretty 
 near the fame in all nations. Bahal would not have 
 this pledge ever taken out of the hands of the peo- 
 ple, becaufe they have need of it to fecure them- 
 ielves againll the corruption of minifters, the oppref-: 
 fion of the rich, and even the ill ufe which Kings 
 might make of their authority. In order to encou-' 
 rage the Tyrians to work he not only left every one 
 in the free poffeffion of his gain, but allotted great 
 rewards for thofe who fhould excel by their genius» 
 or diftinguifh themfelves by any new invention. He; 
 built great work-houfes for manufadlures ; he lodg'd 
 there all thofe who were eminent in their refpe6live 
 arts ; and that their attention might not be taken off 
 by uneafy cares, he fupply'd all their wants, and he 
 flattered their ambition by granting them fuch ho- 
 nours and diftindions in his capital as were fui table 
 to their condition. He took off the exorbitant im- 
 
 4 • pollî 
 
Seventh Book. hi 
 
 pofts, and forbad all monopolies ; (o that neither 
 buyers nor fellers are under any conftrainc or op- 
 preffion. Trade being left free, my fubjc6ls import 
 hither in abundance all the beft things which the 
 univcrfe affords, and they fell them at rcafonablc 
 rates. All forts of provifions pay me a very fmall 
 tribute at cntring ; the Icfs I fetter trade the more 
 my trcafures increafe ; the diminution of impoft» 
 diminiflies the price of merchandifc ; the lefs dear 
 things are the more are confum'd of them, and by 
 this confumption my revenues exceed greatly what 
 they would amount to by laying exccffive duties. 
 Kings who think to enrich themfelves by their er- 
 aftions are not only enemies to their own people^ 
 but ignorant of their own interefts. 
 
 I perceive, faid Cyrus, that commerce is a fource 
 of great advantages in a ftate; I believe that is the 
 only fecret to create plenty in great monarchies, and 
 to repair the defolations caufed there by war ; nume- 
 rous troops quickly exhauft a kingdom if we cannot 
 draw fubfiftence for them from foreign countries bjr 
 a flourifliing trade. Have a care, faid Amcnophis', 
 that you do not miflake. Commerce ought not to 
 be neglefted in great monarchies, but it muft be rc^- 
 gulated by other rules thin in petty republics. Phce- ^ 
 nicia carries on commerce, not only to fupply her 
 own wants but thofe of foreign ihtes. As her ter- 
 ritories are fmall, her ftrength confills in making hcr- 
 fclf ufeful and even neceflary to all her neighbours ; 
 her merchants bring from the remoteft iflands the 
 riches of nature, and diilribute them afterwards a- 
 mong other nations. It is not her own fuperfluitiies, 
 but thofe of other countries, which are the founda- 
 tion of her trade. In a city like Tyre where com- 
 merce is the only fupport of the ftate, all the prin- 
 cipal citizens are traders ; the merchants are the 
 Princes of the republic : But in great empires, 
 where military virtue and fubordination of ranks are 
 
 I* abfolutely 
 
^iz The Travels of Cyrus, 
 
 ibfolutely necefiary, commerce ought lo be encou- 
 raged without being univerfal. To this end, it is 
 neceiîàry to eflablifh companies, grant them privi- 
 leges, and intrull them with the general commerce 
 of" the nation: They fliould make fettlements in re- 
 mote iilands, and maintain a naval-force for their de- 
 fence againft py rates : Thofe virho cannot employ 
 themfelves in trade fliall lodge their money in thefe 
 public companies : The magiftrates, priefts and mili- 
 tary men cannot traffic without negleding their pro- 
 per employments and demeaning themfelves ; thofe 
 trading companies fhall be the depofitaries of every 
 private man's money, which thus united will pro- 
 duce an hundredfold: In a kingdom that is fruitful, 
 fpacious, populous and abounding with fea-ports, if 
 the people are laborious they may^draw from the bo- 
 fom of the earth imtnenfe treafures, which wou'd 
 be loft by the negligence and floth of its inhabitants. 
 •By improving the produdions of nature by manu- 
 factures the national riches are augmented j and it is 
 by carrying thefe fruits of induftry to other nations 
 .that a folid commerce is eftablilh'd in a great em- 
 pire : But nothing Ihould be exported to other 
 -countries but its iuperfluities, nor any thing im- 
 ported from them but what is purchafed with thofe 
 fuperfluities. By this means the ftaie -will never 
 contra<5l any debts abroad, the ballance of trade will 
 be always on its fide, and it will draw from other na- 
 tions wherewith to defray the expences of war s 
 great advantages will be reap'd from commerce with- 
 out deftroying the diftinftion of ranks, or weakening 
 piilitary virtue : One of the cliief accomplifliments 
 of a Prince is to know the genius of his people, the 
 productions of nature in his kingdom, and how to 
 make the beft advantage of them. Cyrus by his 
 çonverfuion with Ecnibal and Amcnophis learnt 
 many ufeful notions and maxims in government 
 which h,c had not met with in other countries ; they 
 
 were 
 
 1 
 
Seventh Book. ii j 
 
 were of great fervice to him after the taking of 
 Sardis, when he order'd gold money to be coin'd, 
 and turn'd the King of Lydia's treafurcs into fpecie *. 
 
 The next day Cyrus accompanied the King of Tyro 
 forae furlongs from his capital to afTiIl at the annual 
 rites inftituted in commemoration of the death of 
 Adonis. Between Heliopolis and Byblos there vva$ 
 a ftately temple confccrated to Venus : On one fide 
 of the portal was placed a ftatue of the Goddefs, fhe 
 leant her declining head on her left hand, grief ap- 
 pear'd in her countenance, and tears feem'd to flow 
 from her cycSy which were turn'd upon the ftatue 
 of her lover placed on the other fide ; a ftrcam of 
 blood feem'd to fpring from his heart, and to dye 
 the river Th^mmuz vvhofe purple waters roll'd with 
 Jmpetuofiry towards the fea. The frizes and the ar- 
 chitraves were adorned with fculptures in bas-relief^ 
 reprcfcnting the three metamorphofes of theGoddefs, 
 the hiftory of her unfaithfulnefs, and of all the effefts 
 cf Adonis's conftancy. 
 
 The temple was built of fine Parian marble'; its 
 immenfe vault reprefented that of heaven ; in the 
 middle of it appeared the chariot of the fun en- 
 circled by the planets, and at a greater dillance the 
 empyreum fpangled with ftars. Upon the altar flood 
 a ftatue of the Goddefs ; ftie held in her hand the 
 globe of the world, and upon her wonderful girdle 
 were defcrib'd the twelve conftellations. The artift: 
 had aîiimated the marble in fuch a manner, that the 
 ftatue exprefs'd three different pallions, according to 
 the different points of view from whence it was be- 
 held '' ; at a dillance it was a noble and majeftic 
 beauty that feem'd to invite with a foft fmile, ac- 
 company 'd with a tender and modeft look ; upoa z 
 
 3 See Sir Ifjac Ncivton'i Chroncl, p- ^\^. 
 
 ^ The Venus of Medici's is faid in like matiner to have three 
 •différent afpeEis, according t9 different foiati of view front- 
 luhicb it is hckeld, 
 
 L z iiearcr 
 
ii4 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 nearer view her face, turn'd towards the Eaft, pro- 
 daim'd the peaceful joy of a foul that fees the beauty 
 of truth, poffefles it and is poflefs'd by it ; when 
 vicw'd from the other lide fhe feem'd to turn away 
 her eyes, and defpife thofe who durft approach her 
 with a profane heart and impure thoughts. In the 
 Sculptures of the altar, Love * under the (hape of A- 
 donis feem'd to defcend from heaven, his infant look 
 fpoke nothing but candor, innocence and fimplicity ; 
 the virtues walkM before him, the mufes follow'd 
 him, and the graces hovtrM about him ; he had no 
 bandage upon his eyes, and held in his hand a light- 
 ed torch to fliew that he enlightens at the fame time 
 that he inflames. 
 
 When Cyrus cnter'd the temple he found all the 
 people, clad in mourning, in a cavern, where the 
 image of a young man was lying upon a bed of flow- 
 ers and odoriferous herbs î nine days were fpent in 
 falling, prayer and lamentations, after which the pub- 
 lic forrow was changed into gladnefs ; fongs of joy 
 fuccecded to weeping ••, and the whole affembly be- 
 gan this facrcd hymn. * Adonis is returned to life, 
 
 * Urania weeps no more, he is re-afcended to hea- 
 
 * ven, he will foon come down again upon earth to 
 
 * banifli thence both crimes and miferies for ever. 
 
 Cyrus was flruck with the auguft folemnity of the 
 Tyrian rites ; he knew nothing of the hiftory of Ve- 
 nus and Adonis but by the Mythology of the Greeks, 
 and fufpefted that they had debased it according to 
 their cuftom : He defir'd Amcnophis to explain^ to 
 him the true meaning of the Phœnician ceremonies. 
 The wife Egyptian fat down with the young Prince 
 
 > Since there are two Venus's, fays Tlato, there muji be tw» 
 Loves, and he calls this Love the great God, lAîyitç Bik tin ô 
 Eçuç nul ^avfActçàç h ^-toïç. Connjtv. p. 178, 180. 
 
 •• jîll tbefe Tyrian rites are to. be found in Lucian, Sf. Je- 
 rome, St. Cyril, Julius Firmicui» Macrobim and Procopiui, See 
 
 ^ ■ over 
 
Seventh Book. z\f 
 
 over againft the great gate of the temple, in a place 
 from whence they could fee the ftatues of the God 
 and Goddefs, with all the bas-reliefs that reprefentcd 
 their adventures, and then faid : It is not long fince 
 the Greeks were utter ftrangcrs to letters, the mufes 
 and the fcicnccs ; their underftanding is ftill young, 
 they have no true knowledge of antiquity, they have 
 disfigured all the myflcries of the ancient religion by 
 their abfurd fi6lions and grofs images : The combats 
 ofMythras, the murder of Ofiris, the death of Ado- 
 nis, the banifhment of Apollo and the labours of 
 Hercules, reprefent to us the fame truths ; but dif- 
 ferent nations have painted them under different fi- 
 jnilitudes j what we learn of them from the Tyriaa 
 annals is as follows. 
 
 Before the formation of the elements, the heavens 
 and the earth, an eternal filencc reign'd throughout 
 all the etherial regions, and the muficof the Ibrs had 
 not yet begun ; The great God ^ Belus dw^elt in an 
 inacceffible light with the Goddefs '^ Urania who in- 
 cefîantly fprang from his head, and with the God 
 * Adonis whom he had engendrcd like unto himfelf. 
 Belus being more and more charm'd with the beauty 
 of his fon, defir'd that there might be feveral minia- 
 tures and living images of him. Adonis animated 
 by the power of Belus moulded fome rays of light, 
 and made funs, ftars and numberlefs worlds invilible 
 to us ; but as yet there were no inhabitants for them. 
 He look'd upon his mother and on a fudden he favr 
 
 ^ ^ "Belus or "Baali tuai anciently one of the names of the true 
 God among the Hcbreivs. See Hofea, chap. ii. tier. 1 6. tmd 
 Sclden de Dits Syris» cap.i. Syntag. x. 
 
 •= Urania, Minerva and I/is are the fame. See Seld. ibid» 
 cap. 4. 
 
 <* A<fi)y/c i\a-rôrYtç gpud Pbénices unde Laconihus KvfiÇy id eji 
 Kv^iK Seld, ib. c. 1 1. Adonis comes from the tvord Adonai, one 
 »f the ten names of God. Fid. D. Hier. Ep. ad Marcel I. This 
 Adonis is the fame^ tuttb the Logoi of Plato, ivhom he defines 
 Enynn rxyx^n iym<ny a'mVcj^v favTa». Set Difc.p.iS. 
 
 h 3 fpring 
 
%i6 The Travels of CryVs» 
 
 ijpring out from the vafl: abyfs a beautiful flower 
 which contain'd the foul of the world ; Adonis 
 breath'd upon it ; what cannot the almighty breath 
 of a God ? The flower fwell'd, expanded itfelf and 
 was chang'd into a young Gcddefs whom he nam'd 
 ^ Urania after his mother. Tranfported with love 
 and pleafure, he would have prefented her to his fa- 
 ther, but flie was not yet able to fuppert the fplen- 
 dor of the divine prefence, or to breathe the pure 
 airof the empyreum. 
 
 Adonis placed the young Goddefs in a flar, in. 
 the centre of the univerfe, from whence flie could 
 fee the courfe of all the heavenly bodies, and heai 
 
 . the mufic of the cekftial fpheres : He then faid to 
 her. Beautiful Urania I love you, and delign yo» 
 for a more tranfcendent glory than what you at pre- 
 ient enjoy; I intend to make you my fpoufe, blef^ 
 you with a happy race that fliall people the heavens, 
 
 ^nd condud you at laft with all your children into 
 the fublime place above the ftars where my father 
 'dwells : The only condition I require of you is, 
 that you never wifh to know more than what fuits 
 your prefent ftate, that unreafonable curiofity would 
 render you both unhappy and criminal: Such are 
 •the immutable laws of Belus. Urania thought her 
 felf too happy to enjoy her felicity on fuch eafy 
 'terms ; flie loved Adonis more than all the glory 
 that he promifcd her, the fight of her lover made 
 her forget all his gifts ; he looked upon her with 
 complacency, and by this look made her pregnant ; 
 £he became the mother of all the Divinities without 
 ceafmg to be the immortal virgin ; fhe quickly peo- 
 pled the ftars with Gods and Goddefles, who had 
 
 » Paufanias tells us that there tvere tivo Urania's^ the ceU' 
 jtial Venus, and the Venus d7roç^6<^ia. of the Greeks, or Vert i- 
 cordia of the Latins, ivhich is as much as to fay, Venus con- 
 Vrcens cor fuum as well as aliorum. See Difc /». 66. 
 
 no 
 
Seventh Book. 2:17 
 
 no other law bat that of obeying the will of Ado- 
 nis, loving each other tenderly as the children of the 
 fame father, and afpiring by their virtue to become 
 one day worthy of feeing the God Bel us. 
 
 Urania continued long faithful; (he followed A- 
 donis every where, he led her through the immenle 
 fpaccs to fhew her the numberlefs worlds which he- 
 had there produced; he often talked with her ot 
 the fuperior regions, and of the pleafare which fhe 
 would one day feel in knowing him of whom all 
 nature is but a faint image, in comparing the origi- 
 nal with its piaures, and in feeing their various re- 
 lations. Thefe difcourfes kindled in her the^ fatal 
 curiofity, flie began to be weary of her happinefs, 
 and had no longer any relifli for the pleifures fhe 
 enjoyed : She durft not fpeak, but Adonis perceiv'd 
 the firll motions of her unfaithful nefs, and endea- 
 voured to Hop its progiefs ; fhe grew penfive, me- 
 lancholy, diftruftful, and broke out at lall in thefe 
 bitter complaints : Adonis, cruel Adonis ! why did 
 you give me the idea pf a happinefs which makes 
 me miferable ? You promifed to carry me up to the 
 empyreum, fhew me the kingdom of your father, 
 and make me partaker of his glory ; you fhould 
 have concealed your defigns from me, or have ac- 
 complifhM them fooner. Imprudent Urania, reply'd 
 Adonis, you are going to ruin yourfelf in fpite of 
 me, you are not yet capable of beholding the God 
 Belus, you would not be able to fupport the fplen- 
 dor of his prefence, he will be loved as he deferves 
 before he manifefls himfelf as he is ; the fmalleft 
 délire, the leafl motion contrary to his order is an- 
 incroachment on his rights. 
 
 A vain curiofity and an ambitious defire of knov7- 
 ing overcame the Goddefs, fhe no longer beheld 
 Adonis with the fame complacency, fhe no longer 
 found the fame charms in his company, fhe received 
 his carefîes with coldnefs and indifference ; he re- 
 
 L 4 new'd 
 
21 8 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 new'd all his endeavours to cure her diftcmper'd 
 mind, but to no purpofe ; fhe forced him at length 
 to leave her : The Gods are delicate in love, and 
 cannot fuffer a divided heart ; he re-afcended to his 
 father and left her all alone, hoping that the pains 
 ©f abfence would recover her from her error. As 
 ibon as he was gone fhe renew'd her complaints, 
 and tormented herfelf with new reflexions ; flic 
 began to doubt, and by that doubting flie became 
 darkncd ; flie fufpeXed all that Adonis had faid to 
 her of his father and of the fuperior regions to be 
 only a chimera ; flie forgot her origin and her de- 
 pendent flate : To convince her of her error, flie 
 was thrown down from the etherial regions into 
 the fphere of the fun ; flie drew after her the inha- 
 bitants of feven otherftarsj thefe luminous bodie? 
 ]oft their light, became planets, and rolPd about the 
 fun to receive its influences : The Gods who inha- 
 bited them became Demi-Gods, and the Goddefs 
 Urania was condemn'd to live in the moon ; flie 
 now enjoyM only a borrow'd light, was clothed 
 with an aerial and tranfparent body which the Greeks 
 call the fubtilc vehicle of the foul ; flie no longer 
 breath'd as formerly the pure iEther, which made 
 her hfc aad nouriflimem ; flie lived upon nedar and 
 ambrofia with the Demi-Gods, whom flie had drawn 
 after her m her fall. Adonis ever faithful and ever 
 loving defcended into the fun to be nearer to his be- 
 lov'd Urania ; he took the name of Apollo and try'd 
 new means to make her fenfible of her fault : Some- 
 times flie was foften'd, flie yielded to the fun's at- 
 traftion, and brought her filver carr near his rays ; 
 then on a fudden flie changed her fentiments and 
 wander'd from him, flie became inconftant and 
 lantaftical, flie put on new forms according as flic 
 retir'd from her lover or approached to him; flie at 
 length gave way to her ambition, and made the in- 
 habitants' 
 
Seventh Book. 21J9 
 
 habitants of the planets adore her under the nam^ 
 of * Aftartc, or the Queen of heaven. 
 
 By the laws of immutable fate it was neceflary 
 that the Goddefs fhould undergo a new metamor- 
 phofis as a punifhment for her new crime : She fell 
 from the moon to the earth, and took the name of 
 Venus. The inhabitants of the planets did not all 
 follow her example, fhe feduced but a fmall number 
 of them, and thefe Demi-Gods became men, but 
 men of the golden age, they were not yet guilty of 
 grofs crimes, they ftill preferved fome marks of their 
 original nature. The Goddefs by changing her ele- 
 ment changed her food, inftead of ambrofia fhe fed 
 only upon fruits, inftead of drinking nc£lar ihe 
 quench'd her thirft in limpid ftreams and clear foun- 
 tains ; fhe had not as yet lofl either her tranfparency 
 or her agility, fhe could mount into the air when 
 ihe pleafed, but fhe could not rife to the fuperior 
 regions. Adonis left the fun, took the form of a 
 young man, and came and dwelt with Venus upon 
 earth : At firft fhe did not difcover who he was and 
 fell in love with him ; but having felt his divine m" 
 fluenccs fhe knew him, was afraid and fled from 
 him : He purfucd her, he called after her, and at 
 lafl Hopt her ; but fhe efcaped him again : He could 
 have employed his almighty power, but the Gods 
 will be lov'd by choice ; he endeavoured to touch 
 her heart by complaints and tears, by carefTes and 
 threats, but fhe had no longer any tafte for the re- 
 fin'd delights of virtue ; her firfl pride was now 
 changed into a profane love of pleafure, and fhe 
 forced Adonis to quit her a third time. 
 
 The inhabitants of the ftars faw thefe repeated 
 inftances of Urania's ingratitude, and began to be 
 fhaken in their obedience : Belus, faid they, has no 
 
 » §luid Urania nijt ceeli Regina» Luna, Aftarti. Yld. Selden. 
 de Diis Sy ris, cap, 2. fyntag, a. See Apul, Met, \i, 
 
 L 5 4uch 
 
220 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 fuch averfion to vice as we imagin'd, fmce he does 
 not puniih it j fmce rebellion is not followed by 
 mifery why are we fubjefl to laws ? 'Tis true Ura- 
 nia is no longer what fhe was, but ihe is ftill a God- 
 dcfs and flill happy ; provided we enjoy pleafure 'tis 
 «0 matter upon what terms ; independence and li- 
 berty heighten the relifh of the moft vulgar enjoy- 
 ments. An univerfal revolt was breeding through 
 all the celeftial regions, the defigns of Belus werel 
 going to be fruftrated : He call'd up Adonis into' 
 that folitude above the heavens where he liv'd with 
 him before the formation of tlie ftars, and faid to 
 him : I repent me to have drawn the imprudent 
 Urania from her original flower, you fee her ingra. 
 titude and her obftinacy notwithflanding all your en- 
 deavours to reclaim her ; univerfal harmony is di- 
 ilurb'd, the celeftial monarchy is Ihaken, and the 
 heavenly fpirits begin to defpife my fovereign laws : 
 Should I pardon the inhabitants of the earth, my 
 clemency would encourage a new revolt, and the 
 fight of their impunity would have a bad influence 
 on all the inhabitants of the ftars, who already be- 
 gin to murmur and to fufpeft my goodnefs of in^ 
 differency with regard to crimes : I cannot vindi 
 «ate the honour of my laws, nor confirm the im 
 anortals in their duty, without annihilating the un<* 
 faithful Goddefs and all her rebellious childrea 
 Thefe terrible words rent the vault of heaven, re^ 
 ^founded even to the abyfs, and frighted the kirig- 
 dom of chaos and eternal night. Belus at lengtli 
 lifted up his fceptcr to replunge the earth and all its 
 inhabitants into their original nothing : Adonis 
 ■threw himfclf at his father's feet, he with-hcld his 
 avenging arm by thefe words : I love Urania not- 
 withflanding her unfaithfulnefs, I fee her errors and 
 follies with grief, but her children are yours fince 
 they are mine ; punifh them, but do not entirely 
 iicftroy them ; fhould they enjoy a happy immorta- 
 
Seventh Book. 211 
 
 lity upon earth, they would think no more of re- 
 afcending to heaven ; curfe their habitation, blaft 
 its beauty, expofe the guilty race to ficknefs and 
 death, but let your punifhments be remedies î all 
 the celeftial and tcrreftrial Deities who know the 
 crimes of Urania will fee alfo her mifery, and be 
 confirmed in their duty by her puniihment. He 
 fpoke, and fuddenly the pillars of the earth were 
 fhaken, the poles of the heaven changed their fitu- 
 ation, the fun grew pale and retired to a greater di- 
 ftance, the moon and the five planets alter'd their 
 motions, thunder, winds and rain mingled and con- 
 founded the elements, the herbs and ilovvers faded, 
 the trees dry'd up and wither'd, the earth refas'd 
 its ufual bounty, the fruitfulnefs of nature degene- 
 rated into a horrible barrennefs. 
 
 Venus ftruck with terror fell into a long fwoon, 
 and when fhe recover'd out of it beheld nothing but 
 defolatiou all around her ; fhe found herfelf in a 
 frightful defert, upon the banks of the river Tham- 
 muz, whofe plaintive murmurs feemed to proclaim 
 Urania's crime : Her misfortunes did not change 
 her heart, fhe fought to compenfate her real mifc- 
 ries by creating herfelf imaginary pleafures ; fhe 
 caufcd temples to be ere6led every where to her ho- 
 nour, fhe invented impure facrifices and a prophane 
 worfhip; her altars were quickly befmear'd with the 
 blood of harmlefs animals ; inflead of odoriferous 
 herbs and exquifite fruits, fhe fed upon the fîefh of 
 the vidims, fhe fought for all forts of meats which 
 might excite and nourifh her fenfuality, fhe gave 
 herfelf up to the blind inftinft of pleafure, her 
 blood grew thick, and flow'd no longer in her veins 
 with the fame freedom and amenity ; the fubtile 
 vehicle of the foul was wrapt round with a terre- 
 flrial and grofs body ; Venus could no longer fly 
 in the air, fhe lofl her lightnefs and tranfparency 
 and became mortal -, her children underwent the 
 
 L 6 fame 
 
HZ The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 fame fate, ihe faw many of them expire before her 
 eyes by intemperance and voluptuoufnefs ; others 
 hoping to ihun the decrees of fate heaped moun- 
 tains upon mountains, and endeavoured to fcalc hea- 
 ven, but being ftruclc down and crufh'd by thun- 
 derbolts, they dug themfelves an abyfs in the bofom 
 of chaos, where Pluto, their chief, eredled his em- 
 pire, and Venus was there ador'd under the name of 
 Proferpine. 
 
 The Goddefs became frantic, fhe ran about the 
 mountains and valleys, bewailed her children and 
 worfhipers, and blafphem'd againft Belus. Adonis 
 heard her, he left the celellial regions and came 
 down upon earth ; fhe perceiv'd him at a diflancc, 
 and would have thrown herfelf into the water to 
 hide herfelf from his prefence, but he Hopped her 
 and fat down by her ; ihe held down her head with 
 fhame and confu/ion and was afraid to look upon 
 him ; finding at laft that he made her no reproach 
 flie rais'd her eyes from the ground, but durft not 
 yet fix thein upon his face ; fhe recover'd heart by 
 degrees, /he obferv'd him nearly, fhe beheld him 
 pale, meagre and disfigured ; he had ho longer any 
 remains of his former beauty, he was cover'd with 
 wounds and bruifes ; he continu'd a long time li- 
 îent, and fhe durft not fpeak j at laft he faid to her, 
 -Ah Venus, inconftant Venus ! you bewail your 
 own miferies, but you are infenfible to mine ; to 
 what a condition have you reduc'd me ? Judge of 
 
 YOUR GUILT BY MY SUFFERINGS ; the God Bc- 
 
 3us was going to dcftroy you and all your race if 
 I had not foften'd hira : I came down myfelf upon 
 earth to make reparation for your ofi-'ences againft 
 the immutable laws of the empyreum, and to make 
 war with all the monfters which your crimes have 
 brought forth. ^ I have kill'd the ferpent Python, 
 
 ^ Mytbrast fir is, adonis, Apollo etnd Hercules are the dif- 
 faetit names of tte middle God, See PIJc. />. 8. 
 
 the 
 
Seventh Book. 225 
 
 the Nemean lyon, the hydra of Lerna which fprang 
 from your head when you became falfe, the Cen- 
 taurs that devour'd men, the Cyclops who forged 
 the thunderbolts, the wild boar of Erymanthtis that 
 wounded me with his murderous tusk, the Stym- 
 phalian birds that fpoil'd the fruits of the earth, and 
 the dragon which had feiz'd the garden of Hefperia ; 
 I have driven them all down into hell, and am go- 
 ing to purfue them thither that I may complete my 
 conqueft : Adonis as he utter'd thefe words fell into 
 a mortal agony, a ftream of blood gufh'd forth from 
 his heart and dyed the waters of the river Tham- 
 muz. All the children of Venus aflembled about 
 him, he open'd his eyes from time to time, and re- 
 peated thefe words with a figh, Judge of your 
 GUILT BY MY SUFFERINGS ; hc Continued thus 
 many hours, and at lafl expir'd through an excefs of 
 pain. His foul defcended into hell to deliver Thc- 
 feus, Pirithoiis, all the heroes vanquifli'd by Pluto, and 
 all the manes that fufFer'd in thofe gloomy habitations. 
 Venus bewail'd her lover for nine days and nine 
 nights : She continued difconfolate near the dead 
 body, and could not tear herfelf away from it. Be- 
 ing at length exhauiled with grief fhe fell into a pro- 
 found fleep, nor did Ihe awake till her ears were 
 ûruck by a heavenly voice ; fhe look'd up and be- 
 held Adonis in the air furrounded by all the heroes, 
 and all the fhades which he had brought back from 
 the dark abode. He had refum'd his firll form and 
 his priftine beauty ; he darted upon her a heavenly 
 ray to reftore her ftrength and calm her fpirir, and 
 then faid to her : I have follow 'd you, my dear 
 Urania, I have followed you in all your wan- 
 derings ; I defcended into 'the moon , upon 
 earth, and even into hell to deliver you and your 
 difloyal children; I have fuffer'd all that a God can 
 fuffcr in feeing your falfhood and inconftancy ; but 
 you are now no longer infenfible to my love, and I 
 don'C repent of my fufferings ; J leave you, but my 
 
 wifdom 
 
224 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 wifdom (hall never forfake you if you continue faith- 
 ful to me ; farewel, dear Urania, you can fee me 
 no more till you be transformed into my image, the ; 
 Gods are only enamour'd with their own beauty : 
 You muft fufFer a thoufand miferies before this happy 
 metamorphofis, n©r can you re afcend to heaven 
 but by the fame way by which you fell from it ; 
 you muft firft be ftripp'd of your terreftrial body by 
 fufFerings, difeafes and death ; you fhall then rife to 
 the regions of the moon where you will undergo a 
 ^ fécond death by the deftrudion of your aerial bo- 
 dy ; your pure fpirit, free and difengag'd from every 
 thing that could flop it, will ily away to the ilars, 
 where you will refume your former beauty, but you 
 muil at length lofe even that before you are tranf- 
 form'd into my image. When you have under- 
 gone thefe three metamorphofes, expiated your 
 guilt by the purifying pains of each jiew tranf- 
 formation, praélis'd upon earth, in the moon and 
 in the ftars, all the human, heroic and divine vir- 
 tues, you fliall afcend with me into the fublimc 
 place above the heavens, where you fliall fee the 
 God Belus, and the Goddefs my mother ; virtue, 
 truth and juftice, not as they are here below, but 
 as they exift in him who is Being itfelf. Fear no- 
 thing, I will be prefent with you in all thefe fiâtes, 
 I will help you to fupport your fufferings if you 
 never ceafe to invoke me : Thofe of your children 
 who fhall imitate your example fhall re-afcend with 
 you to the fields of Hecate, the reft fhall defccnd 
 to the gloomy kingdom of Pluto, and be there tor- 
 mented till they are purify'd from their crimes. I 
 have chain'd up the fierce Cerberus, henceforward 
 he fhall be only the vile inflrumcnt of my juflice. 
 ^ I h:ive eflabliih'd judges in hell, who will infhft 
 punifliments only to exterminate vice ; they will 
 not annihilate the efTence of the foul, but rcftore it 
 fSee Dijc. f, 19. ^ Sts Dijc, />, /3. 
 
 to 
 
Seventh Book. zif 
 
 to a true exiftence by purging it of all irregular paf- 
 fions. When your children have been ^ plung'd 
 nine times in the purifying waves of the burning 
 Acheron, the chilling Styx, the black Cocytus and 
 the foaming Phlegeton, they fhall at length drink 
 the waters of the river Leihe, which will make 
 them forget all their pall miferies and crimes. When 
 there fliall be no longer any mortal or immortal, in 
 hell, upon earth, or in the phmets that is not puri- 
 fy'd and prepar'd to behold my father, I will then 
 return to banifh all evils out of the univerfe, abo- 
 lifh hell, and re-eftablilh harmony throughout all 
 the immenfity of fpace ; in the mean time alTemble 
 thofe of your children who are willing to follow 
 you, inftitute feftivals to my honour, and let them 
 be annually celebrated with pomp to perpetuate the 
 memory of your unfaithfulnefs and of my love. 
 
 Cyrus was overjoy'd to fee that all nations were 
 agreed in the do6lrine of the three Hates of the 
 world, the three forms of the Divinity, and a mid- 
 dle God, who by his conflifts and great fufFerings 
 was to expiate and exterminate moral evil and rc- 
 ftore innocence and peace to the univerfe. 
 
 While he was yet at Tyre couriers came from 
 Perlia to inform him that Mandana was dying : This 
 news obliged him to fufpend his journey to Babylon 
 and to leave Phoenicia in hafte. At parting he em- 
 braced the King of Tyre : O Ecnibal ; faid he, I 
 envy neither your riches nor your magnificence ; t© 
 
 * Ergo exercentur partis, veterumque malorum 
 Supplicia expendunt : Alia panduntur inanei 
 Sufpenfa ad ventos ; aliis fub gurgite vajio 
 InfeBum eluitur fcelus, aut exurgitur igfti. 
 Donee longe dits perfe&o temperis orhe 
 Cottcretam exetti't Isibem^ purumque reliquit 
 c/£therium fetjfum, (^ aurai fimplicis ignem. 
 Has omnes ubi mille rotam vol'vëreper annos 
 Lttbteum ad flwvium Deus evocat agmine magna 
 Scilicet immemores fupera ut eonvexa re'vifant. 
 
 criS». /. 6, vtr. 740. 
 be 
 
ii6 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 be perfeftly happy, I defire only fuch a friend ai 
 Amenophis. Cyrus and Arafpes crofs'd Arabia De- 
 ferta and a part of Chaldea ; they pafs'd the Tygris 
 near the place where it joins the Euphrates, and 
 entring Sufiana, arriv'd in a few days at the capital 
 of Perfia. Cyrus haftened to fee his mother ; he 
 found her dying, and gave himfelf up to grief, 
 which he exprelTed by the mofl bitter complaints. 
 The Queen being tenderly a£Fe6led with the fight 
 of her fon, endeavoured to moderate his affliélion 
 by thefe words ; Comfort yourfelf, my fon ; fouls 
 never die j they are only condemned for a time to 
 animate mortal bodies that they may expiate the 
 faults they have committed in a former ftate : The 
 time of my expiation is at an end ; I am going to 
 rc-afcend to the fphere of fire ; there I fliall fee 
 Perfeus, Arbaces, Dejoces, Phraortes, and all the 
 heroes from whom you are defcended ; I will tell 
 them that you refolve to imitate them : There I 
 ihali fee Caffandana, ihe loves you ftill, death changes 
 not the fentiments of vii;tuous fouls : We ihall be 
 always with you though invifible, we will defcend 
 in a cloud and be your protefting genii ; we will 
 accompany you in the midft of dangers j we will 
 engage the virtues to attend you ; we will preferve 
 you from all the errors and vices which corrupt the 
 hearts of Princes : One day your dominion will be 
 extended and the oracles accomplifli'd ; O my fon, 
 xny dear fon, remember that you ought to have no 
 other view in conquering nations than to eftablifli 
 among them the empire of virtue and reafon. As 
 fhe uttered thefe laft words, fhe turned pale, a cold 
 fweat fpread icfelf over all her limbs, death clofed 
 her eyes, and her foul flew away to the empyreum : 
 She was long lamented by all Perfia, and Cambyfes 
 ereded a flately monument to her memory. Cy- 
 rus's grief wore off only by degrees and as neceffity 
 objig'd him to apply himfelf to affairs of Hate. 
 
 Cambyfes 
 
Seventh Book. iiy 
 
 Cambyfes was a religious and pacific Prince ; he 
 had never been out of Perfia, the manners of which 
 were innocent and pure, but auftere and rugged : 
 He knew how to chufe minifters capable of iupply- 
 ing what was defedive in his own talents ; but he 
 fometimes yielded himfelf up too blindly to their 
 condudl from a diffidence of his own underftanding; 
 He prudently refolved that Cyrus fhould himfelf en- 
 ter into the adminiftration of affairs ; and having 
 fent for him one day, ù'ià to him : Your travels, my 
 fon, have improv'd your knowledge, and you ought 
 to employ it for the good of your country : Yoa 
 are deftin'd not only to govern this kingdom, but 
 alfo, one day, to give law to all Alia ; you fhould 
 learn betimes the art of reigning, a ftudy to which 
 Princes feldom apply thcmfelves ; they afcend the 
 throne before they know the duties of a King : I 
 intruft you with my authority, and will have you 
 exercife it under my infpedion ; the talents of So- 
 ranes will not be ufelefs to you, he is the fon of an 
 able miniller, who ferv'd me many years with fide- 
 lity ; he is young, but indefatigable, knowing and 
 qualify 'd for all forts of employments. 
 
 Under the government of Cambyfes this miniller 
 had found it necelTary to appear virtuous, nay, he 
 thought himfelf really fo, but his virtue had never 
 been put to the trial: Soranes did not himfelf know 
 the excefs to which his boundlefs ambition could 
 carry him. When Cyrus apply'd himfelf to learn 
 the ftate and condition of Perfia, her military ftrength, 
 and her interefts both foreign and domellic, Soranes 
 quickly faw with concern that he was going to lofc 
 much of his authority under a Prince who had all 
 the talents necelTary for governing by himfelf; he 
 endeavoured to captivate the mind of Cyrus, and 
 ftudied him a long time to difcover his weaknelles. 
 The young Prince was not infenfible to praifc, but 
 he lov'd to defer ve it ; he had a tallc for picafure, 
 
 bu£ 
 
riS The Travetls of Cyrus. 
 
 but he was not a flave to it ; he did not diflike mag- 
 nificence, but he could refufe himfelf every thing^ 
 rather than opprefs his people: Thus he was inac- 
 ceffible to flattery, and proof againfl: voluptuoufnefs 
 and pomp. Soranes pcrceiv'd that there was no 
 means to preferve his credit with Cyrus, but by 
 making himfelf necefTary to him by his capacity : 
 He difplay'dall his talents both in public and private 
 councils ; he fhew'd that he pofTefs'd' the fecrets of 
 the wifeft policy, and at the fame time could enter 
 into that fort oî detail m bufinefs, the knowledge 
 of which is one of the chief qu. lifications of a mi- 
 nifter ; he prepar'd and digefted matters with fo 
 much order and clearnefs that he left his mafter lit- 
 tle to do. Any other Prince would have been" 
 charm'd- to fee himfelf excusM from all application" 
 to bufmcfs : But Cyrus refolv'd to fee every thing 
 with his own cytsi he had a confidence in his fa- I 
 ther's minifters, but he would not blindly yield 
 himfelf up to their counfels. When Soranes pcr- 
 ceiv'd that the Prince would himfelf fee every thing' 
 to the bottom, he ftudy'd to throw obfcurity over 
 the molt important aiFairs, that he might make him- 
 felf yet more necelfary. Cyrus obfcrv'd the crafty 
 condufl of this able and jealous minifter, and manag'd 
 him with fo much delicacy that he drew from him 
 by degrees what he endeavoured (o artfully to con- 
 ceal. When the Prince thought himfelf fufficiently 
 inftruc^ed, he let Soranes fee that he would himfelf 
 be his father's firft minifter ; and in this manner mo- 
 deraced the authority of that favourite without giv-" 
 ing him anyjuilcaufe of complaint. The ambiti- 
 ous Soranes was neverthelefs offended at the Prince's 
 conduft, and could not, without mortal uneafinefa, 
 fee the fall of his credit and that he was no longer 
 neceffary ; this was the firft fource of his difcontent,J 
 which might have prov'd fatal to Cyrus if his virtue,! 
 and prudence had not prefcrv'd him from its effefts.^; 
 
 Perfia 
 
Seventh Book. up 
 
 I . Perfia had for fome ages been in fubjcftion to 
 Media, but upon the marriage of Cambyfes with 
 Mandanj, it had been flipulated that the King of 
 Perfia fhould for the future pay only a fmall annual 
 tribute as a mark of homage. From that time the 
 
 I Medes and Perfians had liv'd in perfeâ: amity till 
 
 ; thcjealoufy of Cyaxares kindled the fire of difcord. 
 
 ' The Median Prince was inceflantly calling to mind 
 with vexation the oracles which were fpread abroad 
 concerning the future conquells of young Cyrus ; 
 he confider'd him as the deftroyer of his power, and 
 imagined already that he faw him cntring Ecbatan 
 to dethrone him j he was every moment folliciting 
 Aftyages to prevent thofe fatal prédirions, weaken 
 the ftrength of Perfia, and reduce it to its former 
 dependence. Mandana, while fhe liv'd, had fo 
 dextroufly manag'd her father as to hinder an open 
 rupture between him and Cambyfes: But as foon as 
 fhe was dead, Cyaxares renewed his follicitations 
 with the Median Emperor. 
 
 Cambyfes was informed of Cyaxares's defigns and 
 fent Hyllafpes to the court of Ecbatan, to reprefent 
 to Aftyages the danger of mutually weakening each 
 other's power, while the Affyrians, their common 
 enemy, were forming fchemes to extend their do- 
 mination over all the Eaft. Hyftafpes, by his ad- 
 drefs, put a flop to the execution of Cyaxares's pro- 
 jets, and gain'd Cambyfes time to make his prepa- 
 rations in cafe of a rupture. The Prince of Media 
 feeing that the wife counfels of Hyftafpes were fa- 
 vourably liften'd to by his father, and that there was 
 no means fuddenly to kindle a war, attempted by 
 other ways to weaken the power of Perlia : Being 
 inform'd of Soranes's difcontent, he endeavoured 
 to gain him by an offer of the firft dignities in the 
 empire. Sorancs at firft wns fhock'd at the very- 
 thought ; but being afterwards decciv'd by his re- 
 fentment, he knew not himfelf the fecret motives 
 
 upon 
 
2 JO The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 upon which he aftcd ; hi$ heart was not yet become 
 infcnfiblc to virtue, but his lively imagination tranf- 
 form'd objcifts, and rcprcfcnted them to him în the 
 colours neceflary to flatter his ambition ; at length 
 he got the better of all remorfe by reafoning with 
 himi'eir, that Cyax ires would one day be his lawful 
 Emperor, and that Cambyfes was but a tributary 
 maflcr. There is nothing which wc cannot pcr- 
 fuade ourfelves to think when blinded and drawn a- 
 tvay by ftrong paffions. Thus he entred by degrees 
 into a clofe correfpondence with Cyaxares, and fe- 
 cretly cmploy'd all mc.^ns to render Cyrus's adraini- 
 ftratioïi odious to the Pcrfians. 
 
 Cyrus had raic'd Arafpcs to the firll dignities in 
 the army, upon account of his capacity and talent 
 for war ; but he would not bring him into the fe- 
 nate, becaufc it was a law in Perfia that no ftranger 
 fliould fit in the fupreme council. The perfidious 
 Soranes neverthelcfs prefs'd the young Prince to in- 
 fringe this law, knowing that it would be a fure 
 means to excite the jealoufy of the Satraps and to 
 (lir them up againft Cyrus. You have need, faid he 
 to him, of a man like Arafpes in your council : I 
 know that good policy and our rules forbid the in- 
 truding of rtrangers with the command of an army 
 and the fecrcts of ftate at the fame time ; but a 
 Prince may difpenfe with the laws when he can 
 fulfil the intention of them by more furc and CàCy 
 ways, and he ought never to be the flave of rules 
 and culloms : Men ordinarily adl either from am- 
 bition or intereft ; load Arafpes with dignities and 
 riches; by that means you will make Perfia his 
 country, and will have no reafon to doubt his fide- 
 lity. Cyrus was not aware of Soranes's fecret de- 
 fign, but he lovMjuftice too well to depart from 
 it. I am pcrfuadcd, anfwcr'd the Prince, of the 
 fidelity and capacity of Arafpes ; I love him fincerc- 
 ly, but though my fricndfhip were capable of mak- 
 ing 
 
Seventh Book. zji 
 
 ing me break the laws in his favour, he is too much 
 altach'd to me ever to accept a dignity, which might 
 excite the jealoufy of the Perfians, and give them 
 caufe to thinlc that I was influenced by particular 
 inclination and friendfhip in affairs of ftate. 
 
 Soranes having in vain attempted to engage Cyrus 
 to take this falfe flep, endcavour'd to furprife him 
 another way, and to create a mifunderftanding be- 
 tween him and his father: He artfully made him ob- 
 fcrvc the King's imperfeftions, his want of capacity 
 and genius, and the neceflity of purfuing other max- 
 ims than his. The mild and peaceable government 
 ofCambyfes, faid he to the Prince, is incompatible 
 with noble views ; if you content yourfelf like him 
 with a p.iciiic reign, how will you become a con- 
 queror ? Cyrus made no other uJc of thefe infmua- 
 tions than to avoid the rocks upon whirh Cambyfes 
 had fplit ; he did not leflen his deference and Tub- 
 miiîion to his father whom he tenderly lov'd ; he 
 rcfpedled him even in his failings which he endea- 
 vour'd to conceal ; he did nothing without his or- 
 ders, but confulted him in fuch a manner, as at the 
 fame time to give him a juft notion of things ; he 
 frequently difcours'd with him in private, that the 
 King might be able to decide in public. Cambyfes 
 had judgment enough to diilinguifh and make him- 
 felf mafter of the excellent advices of his fon, who 
 «mploy'd the fuperiority of his genius only to make 
 his father's commands refpedlcd, and never difplay'd 
 hio talents but to ftrengthen the King's authority: 
 So admirable a behaviour greatly increafed Camby- 
 fcs's affcdlion and cfleem for him, and his confidence 
 in him ; the Prince never abus'd it, but continued 
 the fame condudl, in which he thought he did no- 
 thing more than his duty. 
 
 Soranes, enraged to fee all his fchemes fruftrated, 
 
 endeavour'd fecretly to raife a dillrull in the minds 
 
 of the Satraps, as if the Prince would incroach upon 
 
 2 their 
 
1^1 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 their rights and ruin their authority ; and in order 
 to augment their jealoufy, he cndeavour'd to inlpirc 
 Cyrus with delpotic principles. You are delbn'd by 
 the Gods, faid he, to ilretch your empire one day 
 over all the Eaft ; in order to a happy execution ot , 
 this defign you ihould accuflom the Perfians to a 
 blind obedience ; captivate the Satraps by dignities 
 and pkalures ; put them under a neceffity of fre- 
 quenting your court if they would partake of your 
 favours; get the fovereign authority by degrees into 
 your own hands ; abridge the rights of the Icnate, 
 leave it only the privilege of giving you counlel : A 
 Prince fhould not abufe his power, but he ought ne- 
 ver to {hire it with his fubjeds ; monarchy is the 
 moll perfea kind of government ; the true ilrength 
 of a ftate, fecrecy in councils, and expedition in en- 
 terprizes. depend upon the fovereign power's being 
 lodged in a fingle perfon : A petty republic may 
 ■fubfift under the government of many he.^-ds but 
 Preat empires can be formed only by the abfolutc 
 authority of one ; other principles are the chimerical 
 ideas of weak minds, who are confcious of their Want 
 of capacity to execute great defigns. 
 
 The Prince was fliock'd at this difcourfc, but con- 
 ccard his indignation out of prudence, and d ex trou fly 
 breaking off the conveifation, left Soranes in a per- 
 fuafion that he relift-d his mnxims. As foon as Cy 
 rus was alone, he made deep refledions on all that 
 had pafs'd ; he calPd to mind the condud of Ama- 
 fis, and began to fufped Soranes's fidehty ; he had 
 not indeed any certain proofs of his perfidiournds; 
 but a man who had the boldnefs to fuggeft to him 
 fuch counfels feem'd very dangerous at leaft, tho he 
 fliould not be a traitor. The young Prince by de-i 
 grees excluded this minifter from the fecret ot at- 
 fairs, and fought for pretences to remove him from, 
 about his perfon, yet without doing any thing to aNj 
 . front him openly. Soranes quickly perceiVd thi« 
 
 change. 
 
Seventh Book. ijj 
 
 change, and carryM his rerentment to the laft ex- 
 tremities J he perfuaded himfelf that Arafpes was 
 .going to be put in his place, that Cyrus intended to 
 .make himfelf abfolute mafter in Pcrfia, and that this 
 «was the Prince's fecret view in difciplining his troops 
 >with fo much cxadnefs. The jealoufy and ambition of 
 Soranes blinded him to fuch a degree, that he ima- 
 gined he did his duty in praftifing the hlackeil trea- 
 fons. He informed Cyaxares of all that pais'd ia 
 Pcrfia..; the augmentation of her forces, the prepa- 
 rations which w.ere making for war, and Cyrus's de- 
 fign of extending his empire over all the Eail, un- 
 der pretext of accomplifhing certain pretended ora- 
 cles, by which he impos'd upon the people. Cyax- 
 ares made advantage of thefe advices to alarm Aftya- 
 ges, and to infinuate uneafmefs and iJiftrufl into his 
 jnind ; Hyllafpes was order'd away from the court 
 of Ecbatan, and the Emperor threaten'd Cambyfes 
 with a bloody war, if he did not confent to pay the 
 ancient tribute, and return to the fame dependence 
 from which Pcrfia had been fet free, upon his mar- 
 riage with Mandana : Cambyfcs's refufal was the iig- 
 nal of the war, and preparations were made on 
 .both. fides ^. 
 
 In the mean while Soranes endeavour'd to corrupt 
 the chief officers of thet-army and weaken their cou- 
 rage, by infmuating that Aftyages was their lawful 
 Emperor, that the ambitious defigns of Cyrus would 
 ruin their country, and that they could never make 
 •head againft the Median troops, who would over- 
 whelm them with numbers. He continu'd likewife 
 .to incrcafe the dillrull of the fenators, by artfully 
 fpreading a rumour among them, that Cyrus under- 
 took this war againfl his grandfather, only to weaken 
 their authority, and to ufurp an abfolutc power. 
 
 * Xcnopbtn has fuppnfi'd this ivar, lut Hcrçditut <and other 
 J>'Jioritini mention it. See M, Freret's litter. 
 
 He 
 
1J4 The Travels or Cyrus. 
 
 He conceal'd all his plots with fuch art, that it was 
 almoll impoffible to difcover them ; every thing he 
 faid was with (o much caution, that there was no 
 feeing into his fecret intentions ; nay there were 
 certain moments in which he did not fee them him- 
 felf, but thought he was fincere and zealous for the 
 public good : His firft remorfes returned from time 
 to time, but he ftifled them by perfuading himfclf 
 that the ill defigns Ke imputed to the Prince were 
 real. Cyrus was quickly inform'd of the murmurs 
 ef the people ; the army was ready to revolt, it wat 
 doubtful whether the fenate would give the necefTary 
 fubfidies, and the Emperor of the Medes was upon 
 the point of entring Perfia at the head of fixty thou- 
 fand men : The Prince was in the greateft grief to 
 fee the cruel extremities to which his father was 
 reduced, and the neceffity of taking arms againft hii 
 grandfather. 
 
 Cambyfes obferving the Prince's ftruggles be- 
 tween nature and duty faid to him, You know, my 
 fon, all that I have done to ftifle the fiffl feeds of 
 our differences ; I have laboured to no purpofe ; the 
 war is enevitable ; our country ought to be pre- 
 ferred to our family ; hitherto you have aflilled me 
 in bufinefs by your prudence, you mull now give 
 proofs of your courage; Would my age allow we to 
 appenr at the head of our troops, yet my prefencc 
 would be necefîàry here to keep the people in awe ; 
 go, my fon, go and fight for your country; ftieW 
 yourfclf the defender of its liberty, as well as the 
 preferver of its laws ; fécond the defigns of heaven, 
 render yourfelf worthy to accomplifh its oracles ; be- 
 gin by delivering Perfia before you think of extend- 
 ing your conquells ; let the nations fee the effe<îl« 
 of your courage, and admire your moderation in the 
 midft of your triumphs, that they may not hereafter 
 fear your viftories. Cyrus encouraged by the mag- 
 nanimous fentiments of Cambyfes, and aided by the 
 
 counfel» 
 
 i 
 
Seventh Book. i^ç 
 
 eounfels of Harpagus and Hyftafpes, two general» 
 of equal experience, form'd an army of thirty thou- 
 fand men, compos'd of commanders, with whofe 
 fidehty he was well acquainted, and veteran troops 
 of known bravery. As Toon as all preparations were 
 made, they began by facrifices and other religious 
 rites. Cyrus after this drew up his troops in a fpa- 
 cious plain near the capital, aflembled the fenate and 
 the Satraps, and with a fweet and majellic air thus 
 harangued the officers of his army. 
 
 War is unlawful when it is not neceiTary ; that 
 which we at prefent undertake, is not to fatisfy am- 
 bition or the deftre of domination, but to defend our 
 liberties : *Tis true your enemies underftand militar/ 
 difcipline, and they furpafs us in number ; but they 
 are foften'd by luxury and a long peace ; your fouls 
 are full of that noble ardor which makes men defpiftf 
 death when they are to fight for liberty ; your feverQ 
 life has accuftom'd you to fatigue ; nothing is impof- 
 fible to thofe whom no fufferings nor difficult enter- 
 prizes can dilhearten : As for me, I will dillinguifli 
 myfelf from you in nothing but in leading the way 
 thro' labours and dangers ; all our profperities and 
 all our misfortunes fhall hereafter be common. He 
 then turn'd to the fcnators, and with a fierce and 
 fevere countenance faid, Cambyfes is not ignorant of 
 the intrigues at the court of Ecbatan, to fow jealoufy 
 and diflrufl in your minds; he knows that you hefi- 
 tate about giving him fubfidies, but having forefeen 
 the war he has taken his precautions, one battle will 
 decide the fate of Perfia, he does not want your aP» 
 fiftance: However, remember that the liberty of 
 your country is at prefent in queftion ; is not this 
 liberty more fecure in the hands of my father your 
 lawful Prince, than in thofe of the Emperor of the 
 Medes, who holds all the neighbouring Kings in a 
 tributary dependence ? If Cambyfes ihould be van- 
 quifli'd, your privileges are lolt fgr ever j if he prove 
 
 M vi^orious 
 
Zl6 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 viélorious they will be preferved to you, unlefs you 
 force the jullice of a Prince, whom you have in- 
 censed by your fccret cabals, to deprive you of them. 
 The Prince by this difcourfc intimidated fome, con- 
 firmed others in their duty, and united all in one 
 jdefign of contributing to the prefervation of their 
 country. Soranes appeared more zealous than any, 
 and earneftly requefted to have fome command in the 
 army : But as Cyrus had not conceaPd from Cam- 
 byfes his juft fufpicions of that minifler, the King 
 did not fuffer himfelf to be imposed upon by ap- 
 pearances ; under pretext of providing for the fecu- 
 rity of the capital, he kept him near his perfon, but 
 gave orders to watch his condudl ; fo that Soranes 
 was a prifoner without perceiving it. 
 
 Cyrus having learnt that Ally ages had march'd his 
 troops through the defarts of Ifatis in order to enter 
 Perfia, prevented him by a moft furprifing diligence : 
 He crofs'd over craggy mountains, the palTes of 
 which he fecur'd, and gain'd the plains of Pafagarda 
 by fuch routs as would have been impraticable to 
 any other than an army accuftom'd to fatigue, and 
 conduced by Co aftive and vigilant a general. Cy- 
 rus feiz'd the moft advantageous polls, and encamped 
 near a ridge of mountains which defended him on 
 one fide, fortifying himfelf on the other by a double 
 entrenchment. Aftyages quickly appeared, and en- 
 camp'd in the fame plain near a lake, and the two 
 armies continued in fight of each other for feveral 
 days. Cyrus could not without great concern look 
 forward to the confequences of a war againft his 
 grandfather, and therefore employed this time in 
 fending to Aftyages's camp a Satrap, named Artaba- 
 fus, who fpoke to the Emperor in the following 
 manner : Cyrus, your grandfon, has an abhorrence 
 of the war which he has been forc'd to undertake 
 againfl: you : He has negleded nothing to prevent it, 
 nor will refufe any means to put an end to it ; he is 
 
 not 
 
Seventh Book. 237 
 
 not deaf to the voice of nature, but he cannot ficri- 
 fice the liberty of the Perfians ; he would willingly 
 reconcile by an honourable treaty the love of his 
 country with filial affedion ; he is in a condition to 
 make war, but at the fame time is not afliam'd to 
 ask peace. The Emperor flill irritated by Cyaxares, 
 perfifted in his firft rcfolution, and Artabafus returned 
 without fucceeding in his negotiation. 
 
 Cyrus feeing himfelf reduced to the neceffity of 
 hazarding a battle, and knowing of what importance 
 it is in affairs of war, to deliberate with many, to 
 decide with few, and to execute with fpeed, affem- 
 bled his principal officers and heard all their opi- 
 nions ; he then took his refolution, which he com- 
 municated only to Hyftafpes and Harpagus. The 
 day following he caus'd a rumour to be fpread in 
 the army of the enemy, that he intended to retire, 
 not daring to engage with unequal forces. Before 
 he left the camp he order'd the ufual facrifîces to be 
 offer'd ; he made libations of wine, and all the chief 
 officers did the fame : He gave for the word, My- 
 A1HRAS THE CONDUCTOR. AND SAVIOUR, and then 
 •mounting his horfe commanded every man to his 
 poll. The foldiers cuirafTcs were compos'd of plates 
 of iron of divers colours, and like^the fcales of fifli ; 
 their cafques were of brafs, adorn'd with a great 
 white feather; over their fliields made of willow 
 twigs interwoven, hung their quivers ; their darts 
 were fhort, their bows long, their arrows made of 
 canes, and their fcymitars hung upon their right 
 thighs. The royal ftandard was a golden eagle with 
 its wings expanded ; the Kings of Perfia have ever 
 fincc had the fame. 
 
 Cyrus decamped by night, and advanced in the 
 plains of Pafagarda ; Aftyages imagining that the 
 Prince fled before him, made h.ifte to come up with 
 kirn by fun-rifing ; Cyrus on a fudden drew up his 
 army in order of battle, and only twelve deep, that 
 
 M 2 the 
 
z^S The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 the javelins and darts of the laft rank might reach 
 the enemy, and that all the parts might fupport and 
 aflift each other without confulion : He chofe out of 
 each battalion a feleft company, of which he form'd 
 a triangular Phalanx, after the manner of the Greeks; 
 lie placed this body of referve behind his army, 
 commanding it not to ftir till he himfelf fhould give 
 cxprefs orders. The plain was cover'd with dull and 
 fand, and the North-wind blew hard. Cyrus by 
 wheeling a little polled his army fo advantageoufly, 
 that the riling dull was driven full in the faces of 
 the Medes, and favour'd his llratagem ; Harpagus 
 commanded the right wing, Hyilafpes the left, A- 
 rafpes the centre, and Cyrus was prefent every 
 where. The army of the Medes was composed of 
 feveral f^uare battalions thirty deep, all Handing clofe 
 to be the more impenetrable ; in the front were 
 the chariots, with great fcythes fallen'd to the axle- 
 trees. 
 
 Cyrus order'd Harpagus and Hyilafpes to extend 
 the two wings by degrees, in order to inclofe the 
 Medes. While he was fpeaking he heard a clap of 
 thunder : We follow thee great Oromazes, cry'd he, 
 and in the fame inllant began the hymn of battle, 
 to which all the troops anfwer'd with loud fhouts, 
 invoking the God Mythras. Cyrus's army prefented 
 its front in a lirait line to deceive Allyages ; but the 
 center marching flower and the wings faller, the 
 whole was foon form'd into a crefcent. The Medes 
 broke through the firil ranks of the centre, and ad- 
 vanced to the lall ; they began already to cry, Vic- 
 tory ! but then Cyrus advanc'd with his body of re- 
 ferve, while Harpagus and Hyilafpes furrounded the 
 enemy on all fides, and the battel was renew'd. The 
 triangular Phalanx of the Perfians pierced the batta- 
 lions of the Medes, and turn'd alide their chariots : 
 Cyrus mounted on a foaming Heed, flew from rank 
 to rank ; the fire of his eyss animated the foldicrs, 
 
 and 
 
Seventh Book. zjp 
 
 and the ferenity of his countenance banifli'd all fear : 
 In the heat of battel he was aftive, calm and pre- 
 fent to himfelf ; he fpoke to fome, encouraged o- 
 thers by figns, and kept every one in his poft. The 
 Medes being furroundcd on all fides were attacked m 
 front, in rear and in flank ; the Perfians clofe in 
 upon them and cut them in pieces ; nothing was 
 heard but the clafhing of arms and the groans ot the 
 dying ; ftreams of blood covert the plam ; defpair, 
 rage and cruelty fpread Ilaughter and death every 
 where : Cyrus alone felt a generous pity ; Aflyages 
 and Cyaxares being taken prifoners, he gave orders 
 to found a retreat and put an end to the battel. 
 
 Cyaxares, inflam'd with rage and with all ^he 
 paffions that take hold of a proud mind when falleii 
 from its hope?, would not fee Cyrus: He pretended 
 to be wounded, and fent to ask permiffion to re- 
 turn to Ecbatan, to which Cyrus confented. Aftyages 
 was conduced with pomp to the capital of Perfia, 
 not like a cor.quer'd Prince, but like a vidorious 
 ène : Being no lonser importun'd by the evil coan* 
 fels of his fon, he made a peace, and Perfia was de- 
 clar'd a free kingdom for ever ; this was the firit 
 fervice that Cyrus did his country. The fuccefs of 
 this war, fo contrary to the expedation of Soranes, 
 open'd his eyes. Had the event been anfwerable to 
 his defires, he would ftill have continu'd in his per- 
 fidioufnefs; but finding that his projeds were dif- 
 concerted, and t at it was impoffible to conceal them 
 any longer, he Ihrunk with horror to behold the 
 dreadful condition into which he had brought him- 
 felf, the crimes he had committed, and the certain 
 difgrace which would follow : Not able to endure 
 this profpea, he fell into defpair, kill'd himfelf, and 
 left a fad example to poilerity of the excefTes to 
 which boundlefs ambition may carry the greateft ge- 
 nius's, even when their hearts are not entirely cor- 
 rupted. After his death Cyrus was inform'd of all 
 
 ^ M 3 tlie 
 
240 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 the particulars of his treachery. The Prince, with- 
 out applauding himfelf for having early feen into the 
 charaéîer of this miniller, beheld with concern and 
 lamented the unhappy condition of man, who often 
 lofcs all the fruits of his talents, and fometimes pre- 
 cipitates himfelf into the greateft crimes, by giving 
 way to an unruly imagination and a blind paffion. 
 
 As foon as the peace was concluded Altyages re- 
 turn'd into his own dominions. After his departi^re 
 Cyrus alTembled the fenators, Satraps, and all the 
 heads of the people, and faid to them in the name 
 of the King : My father's arms have fet Perlia free 
 from ^11 foreign dependence. He might now, with 
 a vidlorious army at his devotion, deilroy your pri- 
 vileges and govern with abfolute authority j but he 
 abhors fuch maxims : It is only under the empire of 
 Arimanius t'lt force alone prefides ; Princes are the 
 images of the great Oromazes, and ought to imitate 
 his condud ; his fovereign reafon is the rule of his 
 will : How wife and juft foe ver Princes may be, they 
 âi^c ft**^^ ^^t men, and conleq^uently have prejudices 
 and pafTions ; nay, were they exempt from thefe, 
 they cannot fee and hear every thing ; they have 
 need of faithful counfellors to inform and affift them, 
 'Tis thus thw^t Cambyfes refolves to govern ; he will 
 referve no more power than is neceffary to do good, 
 and chufes to have fuch reflraints as may hinder him 
 from doing ill : Senators, banifh your fears ; lay afide 
 your dillruils ; recognize your King: He preferves 
 all your rights to you ; afnft him in making the Per- 
 fians happy ; he defires to reign over free children 
 and not over flives. At thefe words joy was dif- 
 fused through the whole afîembly. Some cry'd out. 
 Is not this the God Mythras himfelf come down 
 from the empyreum to renew the reign of Oroma- 
 zes ? Others, diffolv'd in tears, wei'e unable to 
 fpeak : The old men look'd on him as their fon, the 
 young men call'd him father ; all Perfia fecm'd but 
 
 one 
 
Seventh Book. 241 
 
 one family; It was thus that Cyrus avoided all the 
 fnares of Soranes, triumphed over the plots of Cy- 
 axares, and reftor'd liberty to the Perfians : He ne- 
 ver had recourfe to cowardly artifice, or mean difli- 
 mulation unworthy of great fouls. 
 
 Aftyages died foon after his return to Ecbatan, 
 and left the empire to Cyaxares. Cambyfcs forefec- 
 ing thit the turbulent and jealous fpirit of that 
 Prince would foon excite new diflurbances, refolv'd 
 to feck an alliance with the Affyrians. The Em- 
 jfjeror of Media and the King of Babylon had been 
 for an hundred years paft the two rival powers of 
 the E.ift ; they were continually endeavouring to 
 weaken each other in order to become mailers of 
 Afia. Cambyfes, who knew his fon's abilities, pro- 
 pos'd to him that he fhould go in perfon to the 
 court of Nabuchodonofor, to treat with Amytis, the 
 wife of that Prince and filler of Mandana ; fhe go- 
 verned the kingdom during the King's madnefs. 
 Cyrus had been hinder'd from going thither fome 
 years before by his mother's ficknefs : He was ex- 
 ceedingly pleas'd with a journey to Babylon, not 
 only that he might ferve his country, but that he 
 might likewife have an opportunity of converling 
 with the Hebrews, whofe oracles (as he had learn'd 
 from Zoroafter) contain'd predidlions of his future 
 greatnefs ; and he had no lefs délire to fee the mi- 
 fcrable condition of King Nabuchodonofor, the report 
 of which was fpread overall the Eaft. Having fill'd 
 the council and fenate with men of approved loyalty 
 and capacity, he left Perfia, crofs'd Sufiana, and foon 
 arrived at Babylon. 
 
 M 4 THE 
 
THE 
 
 TRAVELS 
 
 O F 
 
 CYRUS. 
 
 EIGHTH BOOK. 
 
 ABYLON, the feat of the Affyrian mo- 
 narch, had been founded by Semiramis, but 
 Nabuchodonofor had given it its principal 
 beauties. This conqueror after long and difficult 
 w?.rs, finding himfelf in perfefl tranquillity, apply'd 
 his thoughts to make his capital one of the won- 
 ders of the world. It was fituated in a vaft plain, 
 water'd by the Euphrates ; the canals cut from this 
 river made the fruitfulnefs of the foil fo great, that 
 it yielded the King as much as the half of his em- 
 pire. * The walls of the city were built of large 
 brick, cemented together with bitumen, or a flime 
 arifing out of the earth, which in time became 
 harder than marble ; they were fifty cubits thick, 
 two hundred high, and form'd a perfeél fquare 
 twenty leagues in compafs ; an hundred awd fifty 
 towers, rais'd at certain diftances upon thcfe inaccef- 
 fible walls, commanded all the country round about; 
 an hundred gates of brafs regularly difpos'd open'd 
 
 a See Herod, lib, i. Diod, Sit, lib, a. ^. Curt, lib, J. and 
 Tridtatfx, 
 
 to 
 
Eighth Book. 245 
 
 to an innumerable multitude of people of all nati- 
 ons ; fifty great ftreets travers'd the city from fide 
 to fide, and by croffing each other form'd above fix 
 hundred large divifions, in which were ftately pa- 
 laces, delightful gardens and magnificent fquares. 
 The Euphrates flow'd through the middle of Baby- 
 Jon, and over that river v\ras a bridge built with 
 furprifing art ; at its two extremities were two pa- 
 laces, the old one to the Eaft, the new one to the 
 Weft Î near the old palace was the temple of Belus, 
 from the centre of this building rofe a pyramid fix 
 hundred foot high, and compos'd of eight towers 
 one above another ; from the top of this pyramid, 
 the Babylonians obferv'd the motion of the ftars, 
 which was their favourite ftudy, and by which they 
 made themfelves f\mous in other nations. At the 
 other end of the bridge flood the new palace, which 
 was eight miles in circuit ; its famous hanging 
 gardens, which were fo many large terraifes one 
 above another, rofe like an amphitheatre to the 
 height of the city walls ; the whole mafs was fup- 
 ported by divers arches built upon other arches, all 
 covered with broad ftones ftrongly cemented, and 
 over them was firft a layer of reed mix'd with bitu- 
 men, then two rows of bricks, and over thefe thick 
 fheets of lead, which made the whole impenetrable 
 to rain or any moifture ; the mould which covered 
 all was of that depth as to have room enough for 
 the greateft trees to take root in it : In thefe gar- 
 dens were long walks, which ran as far as the eye 
 could reach ; bowers, green plots and flowers of 
 all kinds ; canals, bafons and aqueduds to water and 
 adorn this place of delights ; a moft furprifing coU 
 ledion of all the beauties of nature and art. 
 
 The author or rather the creator of fo many pro- 
 digies, equal to Hercules in bravery, and fuperior to 
 the greateft men by his genius, was, after incredible 
 fucceiTe?, fallen into a kind of madnefs ; he ima- 
 
 Ms gin^d 
 
244 ^^^ Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 gin'd himfelf transformed into a beaft, and had all 
 the fiercenefs of one. As foon as Cyrus was arriv'd 
 at Babylon, he went to fee Queen Amytis : This 
 Princefs had for near feven years been plunged in a 
 deep fadnefs ; but jfhe was beginning to moderate 
 her grief, becaufe the Hebrews, who were then 
 captives in the city, had promis'd her that the King 
 Ihould be cur'd in a few days. The Queen was 
 waiting that happy moment with great impatience ; 
 the wonders fhe had feen performed by Daniel made 
 her confide in what he faid. Cyrus, from a re- 
 fpeftful confideration of the afflidlion of Amytis, 
 avoided fpeaking to her concerning the principal de- 
 fign of his journey ; he was feniible that it was not 
 a favourable conjunfture to treat of political affairs, 
 and waited for the King's cure, though with little 
 hopes : In the mean while he endeavoured to fatisfy 
 his curiofity touching the religion and manners of 
 the Ifraelites. Daniel was not then at Babylon, but 
 was gone to vifit and confole the Hebrews difpers'd 
 throughout Aflyria. Amytis made Cyrus acquainted 
 with an illuftrious Hebrew named Eleazar : The 
 Prince being inform'd that the people of God did 
 not look upon the King's frenzy as a natural dillem- 
 per, but as a punifhment from heaven, defir'd th« 
 Hebrew Philofopher to tell him the reafon of it. 
 
 Nabuchodonofbr, faid the Hebrew Sage, being 
 Jed away by impious men who were about him, 
 came at length to fuch an excefs of irreligion, that 
 he blafphem'd againft the Most High ; and to 
 crown his impiety, he erefted a golden ilatue of an 
 enormous lize in the plain of Dura, and commanded 
 liiat it fhould be ador'd by all the nations he had fub- 
 du'd. He was admonifh'd by divine dreams, that 
 he fhould be punifh'd for his idolatry and pride in 
 this life : A Hebrew nam'd Daniel, a man famous 
 for fcience, virtue and his knowledge of futurity, 
 explained to him thofe dreams, and denounc'd God's 
 
 judgments 
 
E I G.H T H Book. 24J' 
 
 judgments which were ready to fall upon him. The 
 words of the Prophet made at firft fome impreflion 
 upon the King's mind ; but being furrounded by 
 profane men who defpis'd the heavenly powers, he 
 negleélcd the divine admonition, and gave himfelf 
 up anew to his impiety. At the end of the year, 
 while he was walking in his gardens, admiring the 
 beauty of his own works., the fplendor of his glory, 
 and the greatnefs of his empire, he exalted himfelf 
 above humanity, and became an idolater of his own 
 proud imaginations. He heard a voice from heaven^ 
 faying, O King Nabuchodonofor, to thee it is fpo- 
 ken, The kingdom is departed from thee, and they 
 ftiall drive thee from men, and thou Ihalt eat grals 
 as the beafts of the field till fevcn years are pafs'd, 
 and until thou know that the Most High ruleth 
 over all the kingdoms of the univerfe, and giveth 
 them to whomfoever he will. In the fame hour 
 was the thing fulfilled and his reafon was taken from 
 him ; be was feiz'd with a frenzy, and with fits of 
 raging madnefs; in vain they attempted to hold him 
 by chains ; he broke all his irons and ran away into 
 the mountains and plains, roaring like a lion ; no 
 one can approach him without running the hazard 
 of being torn in pieces. He has no repofe nor in- 
 tervals of reafon except one day in the week, which 
 is the Sabbath ** ; he then holds difcourfes which 
 fhould ftrike the impious with terror. It is now al- 
 moft feven years that he has been in this condition, 
 and we are expeding his total recovery in a few 
 days, according to the divine predidion. 
 
 Here Cyrus figh'd, and could not forbear faying. 
 In all the countries through which I pafs, I fee no- 
 thing but fad examples of the weaknefs and misfor- 
 tunes of Princes: In Egypt Apries fufFers himfelf 
 
 •• See Me^ajt. and j9hyden. quoted by Jofepbus, Ant, lib, 10, 
 cap, II. and by Eujeb, Braf, Evang, lib. ^.cap. 41. 
 
 M 6 to 
 
146 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 to be made a facrifice by his blind friendfhip for a 
 perfidious favourite ; at Sparta two young Kings 
 were going to ruin the ftate, if not prevented by 
 the wifdom of Chilo ; the deplorable fate of Peri- 
 andcr and his whole family at Corinth, will be a 
 dreadful example to pofterity of the miferies which 
 tyrants and ufurpers draw upon themfelves ; at A- 
 thens Pifiilratus is twice dethron'd ; Polycrates King 
 of Sam OS fuiFers himfelf to be imposed upon fo far 
 as to perfecute innocence ; in Crete the fucceflbrs 
 of Minos have deftroy'd the moft perfeft of all go- 
 vernments ; here Nabuchodonofor draws upon him- 
 felf the wrath of heaven by his impiety : Great O- 
 romazes ! was it only in your anger then that you 
 gave Kings to mortals ? Are grandeur and virtue in- 
 compatible ? 
 
 The morning of the Sabbath, Cyrus, accompa- 
 Jiy'd by Eleazar, went to the place which the King 
 of Babylon frequented ; they beheld the unfortu- 
 nate Prince come out of the Euphrates, and lie 
 ilown under fome willows which were upon the 
 banks of the river. They approach'd him in filence ; 
 Ï1C was flretch'd upon the grafs with his eyes turn'd 
 towards heaven ; from time to time he lent forth 
 deep fighs, accompany'd with bitter tears; in the 
 jnidil of his misfortunes there was ftill upon his face 
 an air of greatncfs, which fhew'd that the Most 
 High in punilhing had not entirely forfaken him : 
 They forbore out of refpe£l to fpeak to him, or to 
 interrupt the profound grief in which he feem'd to 
 be plung'd. Cyrus deeply llruck with the fad fitu- 
 ation of this great Prince flood immoveable, and on 
 his countenance appeared all the tokens of a foul 
 feiz'd with terror and compaffion : The King of Ba- 
 bylon obfervM it, and without knowing who he 
 was faid to him: Heaven fuffers me to have inter- 
 vals of reafon, to make me fenfible that I do not 
 poiTefs it as a property j that it comes from another ; 
 
 that 
 
EiGTTH Book. 247 
 
 that a Tuperior Being takes it from me and reftores 
 it when he pleafes ; and that he who gives it me is 
 a fovereign Intelligence, who holds all nature in his 
 hand, and can difpofe it in order or overturn it ac- 
 cording to his pleafure. Heretofore being blinded 
 by pride and corrupted by profperity, I faid within 
 myfelf, and to all the falfe friends who were about 
 me ; We are born as it were by chance, and after 
 death we fhall be as if we had never been ; the foul 
 is a fpark of fire which goes out when the body is 
 rcduc'd to afhes ; come, let us enjoy the prefent 
 good, let us make hafte to exhauft all pleafures; 
 let us drink the mofk delicious wines, and per- 
 fume ourfelves with odoriferous oils ; let us 
 crown ourfelves with rofes before they wither ; let 
 ftrength be our only law, and pleafure the rule of 
 our duty ; let us make the juft fall into our fnares, 
 becaufe he difhonours us by his virtue ; let us exa- 
 mine him with affronts and torments, that we may 
 fee whether he be iinccre. Thus it was that I blaf- 
 phem'd againfl heaven, and this is the fource of my 
 miferies ; alas ! I have but too much deferv'd them* 
 Scarce had he pronounc'd thefe words, when he 
 ftarted up, ran away, and hid himfelf in the neigh- 
 bouring foreft. 
 
 The words of Nabuchodonofor augmented the 
 young Prince's refpeft for the Deity, and redoubled 
 his defire of being fully inftruded in the religion of 
 the Hebrews ; he frequently faw Eleazar, and by 
 degrees contrafted a clofe friendfhip with him. The 
 Eternal being watchful over Cyrus, whom he had 
 chofen to bring about the deliverance of his people, 
 thought fit to prepare him by his converfation with 
 the Hebrew Sage, to receive foon after the inftruc- 
 tions of the Prophet Daniel. Ever ftnce the capti- 
 vity of the Ifraelities, the Hebrew Doftors, who 
 were difpers'd in the feveral nations, had apply'd 
 themfelves to the ftudy of the profane fciences, and 
 
 endea- 
 
248 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 cndeavour'd to reconcile religion with philofophy : 
 In order thereto they embrac'd or forfook the lite- 
 ral fenfe of the facred books, according as it fuited 
 with their notions, or was repugnant to them : 
 They taught that the Hebrew traditions were often 
 folded up in allegories, according to the Eaftern cu- 
 ilom, but they pretended to explain them ; and this 
 was what gave rife afterwards to that famous feft 
 among the Hebrews call'd the Allegoriils, Eleazar 
 was of the number of thofe philofophers, and was 
 with reafon efteem'd one of the greateft genius's of 
 his age ; he was vers'd in all the fciences of the 
 Chaldeans and Egyptians, and had held feveral dii- 
 putes with the Ealtern Magi, to prove that the re» 
 ligion of the Hebrews was not only the moft anci- 
 cicnt, but the moft conformable to reafon. Cyrus 
 having divers times difcours'd with Eleazar upon all 
 he had learn'd in Perfia, Egypt and Greece, con- 
 cerning the great revolutions which had happened 
 in the univerfe, defir'd him one day to explain to 
 him the doftrine of the Hebrew philofophers, con- 
 cerning the three ftaies of the world. 
 
 ^ We adore, anfwer'd Eleazar, but one only God, 
 înfinite, eternal, immenfe : He has defined himfelf. 
 He who is, to denote, th:it he exifts of himfelf, 
 and that all other beings exift only by him : Being 
 rich by the riches of his own nature, and happy 
 by his own fupreme felicity, he had no need to pro- 
 duce other fubflanccs to aujTmcnt his glory ; ne- 
 vcrthelefs, by a noble and free effort of his benefi- 
 cent will, he has created divers orders of intelli- 
 gences to make them happy. Man firft forms the 
 plan of his work before he executes it ; but the 
 Eternal conceives, produces and difpoies every 
 thing in order, by the fame a(5l, without labour or 
 fucccffion : He thinks, and immediately all the pof- 
 (ible ways of reprefenting himfelf outwîir^ly appear 
 
 f See Difc. p. 6-j. . 
 
 before 
 
Eighth Book. 249 
 
 before him ; a world of ideas prefents itfelf to the 
 divine intelleét . He «;///>, and inftantly real beings 
 refembling thofe ideas exift in his immenfity j the 
 whole univerfc and the vaft expanfe of nature, di- 
 ftinft from the divine Eflence, is produc'd. The 
 Creator has reprefented himfelf two ways, by fim- 
 ple pidlures, and by living images. Hence there 
 are two forts of creatures effentially different, ma- 
 terial nature and intelligent nature ; the one repre- 
 fents only fome perfections of its original, the other 
 knows and enjoys it ; there are an infinite number 
 of fpheres full of fuch intelligent beings. Some- 
 times thefe fpirits plunge thcmfelves into the un- 
 fathomable depths of the divine Nature to adore its 
 beauties, which are ever new ; at other times they 
 admire the perfeflions of the Creator in his works ; 
 this is their two- fold happincfs : They cannot in- 
 cciTantly contemplate the fplendor of the divine Ef- 
 fencc ; their weak and finite nature requires that 
 they fhould fometimes veil tlieir eyes ; this is the 
 reafon why the material world was created, the re- 
 frefhment of the intelledlual. 
 
 Two forts of fpirits loft this happinefs by their 
 difloyalty ; the one calTd Cherubim, were of a fu- 
 perior order, and are now infernal fpirits ; the other 
 caird Ifchim, were of a lefs perfeft nature ; thefe 
 are the fouls which adlually inhabit mortal bodies. 
 The chief of the Cherubim approach'd nearer the 
 throne than the other fpirits : He was crown'd 
 with the moft excellent gifts of the Most High, 
 but loft his wildom by a vain complacency in him- 
 felf: Being enamoured with his own beauty, he be- 
 held and confider'd himfelf, and was dazzPd with 
 the luftre of his own light ; he grew proud, re- 
 belled , and drew into his rebellion the pre;iter 
 part of the genii of his order. The Ilchim be- 
 came too much attach'd to material objects, r.nd 
 in the enjoyment of created pleafures, forgot 
 
 the 
 
ifo The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 the fupreme beatitude of fpirits ; the iirft were 
 too much elated with pride , the fécond dc- 
 bas'd themfelvies by fenfuality. Upon this there 
 happen'd a great revolution in the heavens ; thft 
 fphere of the Cherubim became a dark chaos, where 
 thofe unhappy intelligences deplore, without con- 
 folation, their loft felicity. The Ifchim being lefs 
 guilty, bccaufe they had fmn'd through weaknefs, 
 were lefs feverely punifh'd ; That they might for- 
 get their former ftate, God fuffcr'd them to fall into 
 a kind of lethargy or total infenfibility, from which 
 they awake only to enter fucceflively into mortal bo* 
 dies : The organic moulds of all human bodies were 
 fhut up in that of Adam, and the order of genera- 
 tion was eftablifh'd ; each foul awakens in fuch a 
 body, and in fuch time, place and circumftances as 
 fuit beft with the decrees of eternal Wifdom: The 
 earth changed its form, it was no longer a garden 
 of delights, but a place of banifhraent and mifery, 
 where the continual war of the elements fubjedled 
 men to difeafcs and death. This is the hidden mean- 
 ing of the great Hebrew Law-giver, when he 
 fpeaks of the terreftrial paradife, and of the fall of 
 our firft parents. Adam does not rcprefent one 
 fingle man, but all mankind. ' Every nation has 
 its allegories, and we have ours: Thofe who do 
 not comprehend them look upon our hiftory of the 
 forbidden fruit and of the fpeaking ferpent as fables 
 more abfurd than the Mythology of the Perfians, 
 Egyptians and Greeks concerning the fall of Arima- 
 nius, the rebellion of Typhon, and the golden ap- 
 ples in the garden of the Hefperides : All thefe al- 
 legories are founded upon the fame tradition more 
 or lefs difguis'd. The weak and ignorant in every 
 religion ftick to the letter which kills, and the impi- 
 ous feoff at it } but neither the one nor the other 
 underftand the fpirit which gives life, 
 f Sec Di/c, j». 661 67. 
 
 Souls 
 
Eighth Book. if i 
 
 Souls being once difunited from their origin had 
 no longer any fix'd principle of union ; the order 
 of generation, mutual wants and felf-love became 
 here below the only bonds of our tranfient fociety, 
 and took the place of juftice, friendfhip and^ the 
 love of order, which unite the heavenly fpirits. 
 Divers other changes happened in this mortal abode, 
 fuitable to the ftate of fouls who fufFer, and deferve 
 to fufFer, and are to be cur'd by their fufferings. 
 In the end the great Prophet, whom we call the 
 Messiah, will come and reflore order in the uni- 
 verfe : It is he who is the head, and the condadlor 
 of all intelligent natures ; he is the firftborn of all 
 creatures ; the Deity united himfelf to him in an 
 intimate manner from the beginning of time, and 
 he has united himfelf to a portion of matter which 
 fervcs him for a tabernacle ; from this luminous 
 centre inceflantly ftream rays that enlighten all the 
 regions of immenfity ; this glorious body is the fun 
 of the heavenly Jerufalem ; the emanations of this 
 adorable Shechinah are the life and light of all 
 bodies, as thofe of his Divinity are the reafon and 
 happinefs of all intelligences : It was this Melfiah 
 who convers'd with our fathers under a human 
 form ; it was he who appeared to our law-giver up- 
 on the holy mount ; it was he who fpoke to the 
 prophets under a vifiblc appearance ; it is he who 
 will at laft come in triumph upon the clouds, to re- 
 ftore the univerfe to its primitive fplendor and fe- 
 licity. How auguft a thing is religion, how wor- 
 thy of God, how fublime in its fimplicity when the 
 veil which hides it from profane eyes is remov'd ! 
 
 Cyrus tranfported with thefe fublime ideas wou'd 
 by no means interrupt the Philofopher j but feeing 
 that he had done fpealcing he faid : I find that your 
 Theology is pcrfedly conformable to the do6lrine of 
 the Perfians, Egyptians and Greeks, concerning the 
 three ttatcs o^ the world. Zoroafter being yers'd in 
 
 the 
 
ifi The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 the fciences of the Gymnofophiib, fpoke to me of 
 the empire of Oromazes before the rebellion of 
 Arimanius, as of a flate in which all fpirits were 
 happy and perfed : In Egypt the religion of Her» 
 jnes reprefents the reign of Oilris, before the mon- 
 ger Typhon broke through the mundane egg, as a 
 ftate exempt from mileries and paffions : Orpheus^ 
 has fung the golden age as a flate of fimplicity and 
 innocence. Each nation has formed an idea of this 
 primitive world according to its genius ; the Magi, 
 who are all aflronomers, have plac'd it in the ftars > 
 the Egyptians, who are all philofophers, have fan- 
 cy'd it a republic of fages ; the Greeks, v; ho delight 
 in rural fcenes, have defcrib'd it as a country of 
 ihepherds. I further obferve that the traditions of 
 all nations foretel the coming of a hero, who is to 
 defcend from heaven to bring back Aftrzea to the 
 earth : The Perfians call him Mythras, the Egypti- 
 ans Orus, the Tynans Adonis, the Greeks Apollo, 
 Hercules, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter the Conduélç? 
 and Saviour. It is true they differ in their defcrip- 
 îîons, but ail agree in the fame truths ; they are all 
 fenfible that man is not now what he was, and be- 
 lieve that he will one day afTume a more perfeft 
 form ; God cannot fufFer an eternal blemifh in his 
 work ; evil had a beginning and it will have an endf 
 then will be the triumph of light over darknefs j 
 that is the time fix'd by defliny for the total deftruc- 
 tion of Typhon, Arimanius and Pluto, the prefcrib'd 
 period in all religions for re-eflabli(hing the reign of 
 Oromazes, Ofiris, Belus and Saturn. Neverthelèfâ 
 there arifes one great difficulty, which no philofo- 
 pher has yet been able to folve me. I do not con- 
 ceive how evil could happen under the government 
 of a God who is good, wife and powerful ; if he be 
 wife he might have forefeen it ; if he be powerful 
 he mighe have hinder'd it ; and if he be good he 
 would ha?e prevented it : Shew me which way to 
 
 juftify 
 
Eighth Book. ifj 
 
 juftify the eternal Wifdoni; why has God created 
 free beings, intelligences capable of evil ? Why has 
 he beilow'd on them fo fatal a gift ? 
 
 Liberty, anfwer'd Eleazar, is a necejfTary confe- 
 quence of our reafonable nature. To be free is to 
 be able to chufe ; to chule is to prefer : Every be- 
 ing capable of reafoning and comparing can prefer, 
 and confequently chufe. 'Tis true, in every choice 
 we neceifarily chufe what appears to us the bell, 
 but we can fufpend our choice till we have examined 
 whether the good that prefents itfclf be a real good 
 or only an apparent one : The foul is not free to 
 fee or not fee the objefls fhe looks upon, to dilcern 
 or not dilcern their differences when fhe fees them, 
 or to chufe without a reafon for chufing ; but fhe 
 is free to look or not look, to confider objedls on 
 one fide only or on feveral, to chufe them for a 
 good or for a bad reafon : We are never invincibly 
 captivated by any finite good, becaufe we are able 
 to think of a greater good, and fo may difcover a 
 fuperior charm which will carry us away from the 
 lels attraftive object ; and it is on this adivity na- 
 tural to all rational beings that liberty depends : Spi- 
 rits only are adlive and capable of felf motion : 
 God gives them activity as well as being ; an afti- 
 vity different from his, as well as a fubllance diilindl 
 from his. One of the effential differences between, 
 bodies and fouls is this, the one are neceflarily tranf-r 
 ported wherever the moving power carries them, 
 the other fuffer themfelves to be moved only by the 
 reafon that enlightens them. God could not give 
 us intelligence without giving us liberty. 
 
 But could he not, reply'd Cyrus, have hinder'd 
 us from abufmg our liberty, by fliewing us truth 
 with fo clf3r an evidence, that it wou'd have been 
 impolfible to miftake ? When the fovcreign beauty 
 difplays his infinitely attradlive charms they feize and 
 çngrofs the whole will, and make all inferior ami- 
 
 ablcnefs 
 
If4 ^^^ Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 ablenefs vanifh, as the rifing fun difpels the fhades 
 of night. The pureft light, anfwer'd Eleazar, does 
 not illuminate thofe who will not fee ; now every 
 finite intelligence may turn away his eyes from the 
 truth. I have already told you that fpirits cannot 
 JncefTintly contemplate the fplendors of the divine 
 Effence ; they are obliged from time to time to co- 
 ver their faces; 'tis then that felf- love may fed u ce 
 them and make them take an apparent good for a : 
 real one ; this falfe good may dazzle them and 
 draw them away from the true good. Self-love is 
 infeparable from our nature. God in loving himfelf 
 efTentially loves order, becaufe He is Order; but 
 the creature may love itfelf without loving order ; 
 to what degree of perfedion foever we fuppofe it 
 rais'd, it is flill finite, and confequently capable of 
 purfuing, contrary to the will of the Creator, a 
 good which it has not in its pofleffion ; hence every 
 created fpirit is neceffarily and efTentially fallible : 
 To ask why God has made fallible intelligences, is 
 to ask why he has made them finite, or why he 
 has not created gods as perfe(5l as himfelf: A thing 
 impoffible. 
 
 Cannot God, contînuM Cyrus, employ his al- 
 mighty power, to force free intelligences to fee and 
 relifh truth? Under the empire of God himfelf, 
 anfwer'd Eleazar, defpotic rule and liberty arc in- 
 compatible. God does every thing he pleafes in 
 heaven and upon earth ; but he will not employ his 
 abfolute power to deftroy the free nature of intelli- 
 gent beings ; if he did, they would aft no longer 
 from choice but necefiity ; they would obey, but 
 they would not love : Now love is what God de- 
 mands, and it is the only worfhtp worthy of him ; 
 he docs not require it for any advantage to himfelf, 
 but for the good of his creatures ; he will have 
 them happy and contribute to their own happi- 
 nefs ; happy by love, and by a love of pure choice : 
 
 It 
 
Eighth Bo o k. z^f 
 
 It ÎS thus that their merit augments their felicity. 
 
 But cou'd not the Deity, ûid Cyrus, have em- 
 ployed infallible means to fecure the happinefs of 
 intelligent beings, without violating their liberty ? 
 Has he not a fovereign dominion over fpirits as 
 well as bodies ? Can he not change the mofl: re- 
 bellious and flubborn wills, and make them pliable 
 and fubmiffivc to his orders ? In a word, cou'd he 
 not have found expedients in the inexhauftible trea- 
 fures of his power, wifdom and goodnefs, to fub- 
 je£l free agents as well as necefTary ones to his eter. 
 nal purpofes ? Doubtlefs, anfwcr'd Eleazar, we can- 
 not form too high an idea of the perfeélions of the 
 infinitely perfeél Being ; he wills the happinefs of 
 all intelligences, knows all the means requifite to 
 accomplifh his will, and fooner or later will render 
 thofe means abfolutely and infallibly efficacious with- 
 out violating the liberty of fpirits. The permiffion 
 of fin, expiatory pains, and all the fatal confequen- 
 ces of our rebellion, are a part of thofe means and 
 of the plan of his adorable providence. God firfl 
 exerted all the efforts of his power, he exhaulled, 
 fo to fpeak, all the trcafures of his wifdom, he 
 difplay'd all the charms of his goodnefs, he ncg- 
 ledled nothing to prevent the fall of fpirits. Seeing 
 at laft that he cou'd not keep them in the love of 
 order, without violating their liberty, he left them 
 for a moment to the fatal confequences of their 
 wandrings, becaufe he knew how to make all end 
 in the accomplifhment of his decrees. He who 
 calls being out of nothing can draw an infinite good 
 from a tranfient evil, order from confufion, the uni- 
 verfal beauty of his work from a flight blemifh 
 which he fuffers in it, and the permanent happi- 
 nefs of all fpirits from the monientaneous piina 
 which a fmall number of intelligences fuffer by their 
 own fault. All the heavenly hofls are fpe6lators of 
 what pafTes herç below, and are confirm'd for ever 
 
 in 
 
Ïf6 The Travels of Cryus* 
 
 in the love of order, by feeing the terrible effe^ls 
 and natural confcquences of our unfaithfulncfs. 
 This is the reafon why God fufFers evil for a mo- 
 ment ; our example is an eternal leflbn to all fpi- 
 rits. The condu6l of God offends us only becaufc 
 we are finite and mortal : We fee not the whole 
 plan of it, we judge of it only by fmall pieces. Let 
 us raifc our thoughts above this place of banifh- 
 ment, let us run over all the celellial regions, we 
 fhall fee diforder and evil no where but in this cor- 
 ner of the univerfe. The earth is but an atom in 
 comparifon of immenfity ; the whole extent of 
 time is but a moment in refpe(5l of eternity : Thefe 
 two infinitely fmall points will one day difappear ; 
 yet a little moment and evil will be no more ; but 
 our limited minds and our felf-love magnify objc6ls, 
 and make us look upon that point which divides the 
 two eternities as fomething great, 
 
 Cou'd not the infinite goodnefs of God, faid Cy- 
 rus, have brought back his offending creatures to 
 order without making them fufier ? A good father 
 will never make ufe of punifhments when he can 
 gain his children by mildncfs. 
 
 I have already told you, anfwer'd Elenzar, that 
 we are capable of a twofold happinefs : Shou'd God 
 after our rebellion, continue to us the full enjoy- 
 ment of created picafure, we fhould never afpire to 
 an union with the Creator ; we fhould content our 
 felves with an inferior happinefs, without any endea- 
 vours to attain to the fupreme beatitude of our na- 
 ture. The only means to hinder free beings from 
 relapfing into diforder, is to make them feel for a 
 time the fatal confequcnces of their error. God 
 owes it to hisjullice to punifh the guilty, that he 
 may not countenance crimes ; and his goodnefs 
 likewifc requires it, in order to correal and reform 
 the criminal. Natural evil is ncceffary to cure moral 
 evil ; fufiering is the only remedy for fin. All will 
 2 fuf^cr 
 
Eighth Book. i^j 
 
 Tuffer more or lefs in proportion as they are more or 
 Jefs gone aftray : Thole who have never departed 
 from their duty, will for ever excel the reft in know- 
 ledge and in happinefs ; thore*\vho delay their re- 
 turn to it, will be always inferior .to the other in 
 perfeftion and felicity. The return of fpirits to their 
 £rft principle, refembles the motion of bodies to- 
 wards their centre ; the nearer they approach to it 
 the more their velocity augments, and confequently 
 thofe who begin fooner to return to their infinite 
 centre will for ever outftrip the reft in their courfc. 
 This is the order eftablilh'd by eternal Wifdom, the 
 immutable law of diftributive juftice, from which 
 God cannot deviate, without being eflentially want- 
 ing to himfelf, countenancing rebellion, and expo- 
 fmg all finite and fallible beings tolhe danger of dif- 
 turbing univerfal harmony. You fee in all this the 
 condudl of a God, of a Creator who drew fpirits out 
 of nothing to make them happy, he puniihes them 
 that they may return into order, he fufpends the ex- 
 crcife of his abfolute power, that by the fecret 
 fprings of an immutable wifdom, goodnefs and juf- 
 tice, he may make them accomplifti freely his eternal 
 purpofes. 
 
 I comprehend yon, faid Cyrus, God could not 
 deprive us of liberty without depriving us of intel- 
 ligence, nor hinder us from being fillible without 
 making us infinite, nor prevent our wandring with- 
 out deftroying our liberty, nor difpenfe us from ex- 
 piatory pains without violating his juftice and good- 
 nefs : Exempt from all paiTions, he has neither anger 
 nor revenge, he chaftifes only to amend, he punifhcs 
 only to cure, he permits fin only that he may not 
 violate our liberty, he is tender of that liberty only 
 thdt he may make us merit, he exadls that merit on- 
 ly to augment our happinefs, he does not employ his 
 almighty power to force us to be happy, becaufe he 
 will give us the eternal plcafurc of contributing to 
 
 our 
 
2f 8 The Travels of tvRus. 
 
 our own happinefs by love, and by a love of pure 
 choice ; he docs good for the love of good, without 
 having any need of our fcrvices, without gaining anjr 
 thing by our virtues, or lofing any thing by our 
 crimes. Such is the glory of the God of the He- 
 brews, of H 1 M WHO IS, of the independent and 
 fclf fufficient Being. No philofopher ever prefented 
 me before with a chain of principles and confcquen- 
 ces, thoughts and fentiments fo worthy of the eter- 
 nal Nature, fo confolatory to man, and fo conform- 
 able to rcafon. 
 
 This, continued Eleazar, is what even the under- 
 (landing of man can fuggefl to render the ways of 
 God intelligible : It is thus that we confound rca- 
 fon by rcafon itfelf ; it is by thefe principles that 
 our dodlors filence the philofophcrs of the Gentiles, 
 who blafphcmc againft: the fovereign Wifdom, bc- 
 caufc of the evils and crimes which happen here be- 
 low. But yet our religion does not confirt in thefc 
 fpeculations ; it is not fo much a philofophical fyftem 
 as a fupernatural eftablifhment ; Daniel will inllruél 
 you in it ; he is at this time the Prophet of t h e 
 Most High: The Eternal often Hiews him fu- 
 turity as prefent, and lends him his power to work 
 prodigies ; he is foon to return to Babylon, he will 
 fhcw you the oracles contained in our facrcd books, 
 and teach you what arc the purpofes for which God 
 intends you. It was in this manner that the He- 
 brew Pliilofopher inftruflcd Cyrus, vainly llriving 
 to fathom the unfearchable depths of divine wifdom : 
 What was defeftive in his opinions, was fet right by 
 the more fimple and fublime inftrudions of Daniel, 
 who came back to Babylon a few days after. 
 
 It was the time fix'd by the Prophets for the re- 
 covery of Nabuchodonolbr, his frenzy ceas'd and 
 his rcafon was reflor'd to him. Before he returned 
 to his capital, he refolv'd to pay a publ-ick homage 
 to the God of Ifrael in the fame place where he had 
 2 given 
 
EltîHTH BOOK^ 2f 9 
 
 gîven the notorious inftance of his impiety. He 
 ordered Daniel to afTemble the Princes, magiftratcs, 
 governors of provinces, and all the nobles of Baby- 
 lon, and to conduél them to the plains of Dura, 
 where he had fome years before erefted the famous 
 goldeu ftatue. Cloath'd with his imperial robe, he 
 mounted upon an eminence, from whence he mighc 
 be fccn by all the people ; he had no longer any 
 thing fierce or favage in his look ; notwithftanding 
 the dreadful condition to which his fufferings had 
 reduc'd him, his countenance had a fcrene and ma- 
 jeftic air : He turn'd towards the Eaft, took off his 
 diadem, proftrated himfelf with his face to the earth, 
 and pronounced three times the tremendous name 
 of Jehovah! Having ador'd the Eternal 
 for fome tirhc in a profound filence, he rofe up and 
 faid: People of all nations aflcmbled together, it was 
 here that you formerly beheld the extravagant marks 
 of my impious and abominable pride ; it was here 
 that I ufurp'd the rights of the Divinity, and would 
 force you to worfliip the work of mens hands : T h e 
 Most High to punifh this excefs of irreligion 
 condemned me to eat grafs with the beads for feven 
 whole years ; the times arc accomplilli'd ; T have 
 lifted up my eyes to heaven and acknowledged tlie 
 power of the God of Ifracl; my rcafon and my un- 
 derllanding arc reftor'd me. Your God, (continued 
 he, turning towards Daniel) is in truth the God 
 OF Gods and King of Kings. All the in- 
 habitants of the earth are before him as nothing, and 
 he does according to his will both in heaven and in 
 earth ; his wifdom is equal to his power, and all his 
 ways are full of juftice : Thofe that walk in pride he 
 ÎS able to abafe, and he raifes again thofe whom he 
 had humbled : O Princes and people Jcarn to render 
 homage to his grcatnefs ! At thefc words the affem- 
 bly fent up fhouis of joy and fiU'd the air with ac- 
 clamations in honour of the God of Ifracl. Nabu- 
 
 N chodonofor 
 
iSo The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 chodonofor was condu<^ed back with pomp to hr* 
 capital and refum'd the government of his kingdom : 
 He rais'd Daniel to the highell dignities, and the 
 Hebrews were honoured with the firft polls through- 
 cut all the provinces of his empire. 
 
 Some days after, Amytis prefentcd Cyrus to Na- 
 buchodonofor, who received the young Prince in a 
 moft friendly manner, and gave him a favourable 
 audience : However, the nobles of Babylon, who fat 
 in the King's council, reprcfented in very ftrong 
 terms, that it might be dangerous to provoke the 
 Median court at the prcfent junfturc, when the 
 forces of the kingdom were much lelfencd and its 
 treafure exhauiled by the late troubles during the 
 King's illnefs ; and that it would be better policy to 
 foment the divifions between the Medes and Per- 
 iians, in order to make them mutually weaken each 
 other, and fo give the King of Babylon a fair occa- 
 fion of extending his conquclls. But Nabuchodono- 
 for who by the misfortunes he had fuffer'd was cur'd 
 of all fuc'h falfe maxims, did not go into thele am- 
 bitious projefls of his miniilers ; and Cyrus obferv- 
 ing his good difpofitions, took that opportunity to 
 Jay before him the advantages he might find by aa 
 alliance with Cambyfes : He made the King fenfible 
 that the Medes were the only rivals of his power in 
 the Eaft ; that it could not be for his intereft to let 
 them grow more confiderable, by fubjedling and op- 
 preffing the Perfians ; but that he (hould rather mak^ 
 the latter his friends, who might ferve as a barrier 
 to his empire againll the enterprifes of the Me- 
 dian Prince ; and laftly that Pcrfia lay very conve- 
 nient for the Babylonian troops to march through it 
 into Media, in c:\(c Cyax:'rcs fhould refolve upon a 
 jupture. The Prince of Perfia fpokc both in public 
 and private afTemblJcs with fo much eloquence and 
 ftrengih of rcafon ; Kt flicw'd during the courfc of 
 iiis negotiation, which lai\ed fomc months, fo n.ach 
 
 caador 
 
Eighth Book, z6i 
 
 «aftdor and truth ; he manag'd the nobles with Co 
 mvLch prudence and delicacy, that in the end he 
 brought them all over : An alliance was fworn in. 
 a folemn manner, and Nabuchodonofor continued 
 £iithiul to it the reft of his life. 
 
 Cyrus impatient to fee the facred books of the 
 Hebrews, which contain'd oracles relating to his fu- 
 ture greatnefs, convers'd every day with Daniel ; 
 and the Prophet gladly embraced the opportunity to 
 inftruft him in the Hebrew religion. He at length 
 open'd the books of Ifaiah, who had prophefied of 
 Cyrus by name an hundred and fifty years before his 
 birth, and the Prince read there thefe words : 'Thus 
 
 * faith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus ; whofe 
 
 * right hand I have holden to fubdue nations before 
 
 * him, and put Kings to flight ; and I will open be- 
 
 * fore him the two-leaved gates, and the gates fhall 
 
 * not be ihut. I will go before thee, I will humble 
 
 * the great ones of the earth, I will break in pieces 
 
 * the gates of brafs, and cut in funder the bars of 
 
 * iron, and I will reveal to thee the hidden treafure», 
 
 < and the fecret,of fecrets *, that thou mayft know 
 
 < that I the Lord who have call'd thee by thy name, 
 
 * am the God of Ifracl. For Jacob my fervant'5 
 
 * f\ke, and Ifrael mine cleft, I have even called thee 
 
 * by thy name, I have firnamed thee, tho' thou haft nou 
 
 * known me. I am the Lord, and there is none elfe, 
 
 * there is no God befides me. — I form the light and 
 
 * create darknefs — I have made the earth and created 
 
 * man upon it, I, even my hands, have ftretched 
 
 * out the heavens, and all their hoft have I com- 
 
 * mandcd. I have raifed him up in righteoufnefs, 
 
 * and I will dired all his ways ; he fhall build my 
 
 * city, and he fhall let go my captives, not for price 
 
 * nor reward, faith the Lord of hofts.' 
 
 Cyrus was ftruck with awe and reverence as well 
 as aftonifhment, to fee fo clear and circumftantial a 
 * Arcana Sscrctorum. Ifaiah xiv, 3. vulg. 
 
 N 2 prtv 
 
i6z The Travels of Cyrus.' 
 
 prediftion, a thing unknown in other nations; for 
 there the oracles were always obfcure and ambiguous.- 
 Eleazar (faid he to the Prophet) has already fhcwn 
 me, that the great principles of your Theology con- 
 cerning the three liâtes of the world agree with 
 thofe of other nations. He has remov'd all my dif- 
 ficulties about the origin of evil, by proving the 
 freedom of intelligent natures ; he fhuts the mouth 
 of impiety by his fublime ideas concerning the pre- 
 exiftencc of fouls, their voluntary fall, and their to- 
 tal reftoration : But he has faid nothing to me of the 
 fuper-natural eftablifhmcnt of your law. I conjure 
 you, by the God whom you adore, to anfwer my 
 quellions : Has your tradition the fame fource with 
 that of other nations ? Has it been tranfmitted to 
 you by a purer channel ^ Was your Law-giver a 
 mere philofopher, or a divine perfon ? 
 
 I know, anfwer'd Daniel, the endeavours which 
 ©ur dodlors ufe, to accommodate religion to the talle 
 of the philofophers ; but they are all bewilder'd and 
 lofl in a crowd of uncertain opinions : Who can find 
 out the ways of God, or penetrate -into his fecret 
 purpofes ? Our thoughts are weak, and our conjec- 
 tures vain ; the body, this earthly tabernacle, de- 
 prefTes the foul, and will not fuffer it to reach thofe 
 heights to which it fondly afpires. It is certain that 
 God has permitted evil only that he might draw 
 from it an infinite good ; but how he will accom- 
 plifh his purpofc is a fecret hidden from the eyes of 
 mortals. All the fyftems that can be imagin'd are 
 either dangerous ordefcdlive. The curiofity of fee- 
 ing into every thing, explaining every thing, and 
 adjufting it to our imperfeél notions, is the moft fa- 
 tal difeafe of the human mind. The moft fublime 
 aft of our feeble reafon, is to keep itfelf filent be- 
 fore the fovereign Reafon ; let us leave to God the 
 care of juftifying one day the incomprehenfible ways 
 of his providence. Our pride and our impatience 
 
 wiU 
 
Eighth Book. z6$ 
 
 will not fufFer us to wait for this unravelling ; we 
 Would go before the light, and by fo doing we lofe 
 the ufe of it. "* Wo unto him that ftrivcth with 
 
 * his Maker, unto him who is but clay and a pct- 
 
 * iherd of the earth.' Forget therefore all the re- 
 iin'd fpecuktions of the philofophers. I fhall fpeak 
 to you a more fure and fimple language ; I fhall pro- 
 pofe nothing to you but fuch truths as are fupported 
 by the univerfal tradition of all nations, or elfe pal- 
 pable fads, of which the eyes, ears and all the fenfcs 
 of men arc judges. 
 
 The Eternal created our firft parents in a ftate 
 of innocence, happinefs and immortality, but the am- 
 bitious defire of encreafmg their knowledge, and of 
 being as Gods, carried them to difobey the orders of 
 THE Mo ST High: They were driven from 
 their habitation of delights, and their whole race 
 was involved in their punifhmcnt, as it had been in. 
 their crime ; thus we were degraded in our origin, 
 and blafted in our fourcc. When mankind difcon- 
 tinued to be juft, they ceas'd to be immortal ; fuf- 
 fcrings followed clofc upon crimes, and men were 
 condemn'd to a ftate of pain and mifery, in order 
 to make them afpire perpetually after a better life. 
 For the firft ages after the fall, religion was not writ- 
 ten ; the moral part of it was found in reafon itfelf^ 
 and the myfteries of it were tranfmitted by tradition 
 from the ancients. As men liv'd then feveral ages, 
 it was eafy to preferve that tradition in its purity. 
 But the fublime knowledge of the firft men having 
 ferv'd only to make them the more criminal, the 
 whole race of mankind, except the family of Noah, 
 was deftroy'd, in order to ftop the courfe of impiety 
 and the increafe of vice : The fountains of the great 
 abyfs were broken up, and the waters covered the 
 earth with an univerfal deluge, of which there yet 
 
 * IJaiab xlv, 
 
 N 3 are 
 
^(^4 ^^^ Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 are fome traces in the traditions of all nations, and 
 of which we fee every day convincing proofs, when 
 we dig into the bowels of the earth. The conftitu- 
 tion of the world, which had fuifer'd by the fall, 
 'was impair'd anew ^ ; the juices of the eartii were 
 •impovcrifh'd and fpoilt.by this inundation ; the herbs 
 and fruits had no longer the fame vertue ; the air 
 loaded with an exceffive moifture ftrengthned the 
 principles of corruption, and the life of man was 
 ihortned. The defcendants of Noah, who fpread 
 themfelves over the f^ce of the whole earth, quickly 
 forgot this terrible effeft of the divine indignation ; 
 they corrupted their ways, and gave themfelves up 
 to all wickednefs. It was then tliat the Eternal 
 -.refolv'd to chufe a peculiar people to be the depoii- 
 tary of religion, morality and all divine truths, that 
 •they might not be debas'd and entirely obfcur'd by 
 the imagination, paiTions and vain reafonings of men. 
 The fovereign wifdom chcfe the moft ftupid and un- 
 .tradlab'e people to be guardian of his oracles : The 
 Afiyrians, Chaldeans and Egyptians, who were emi- 
 nent for fubtility of underftanding anda fuperior skill 
 in all the fciences, might have been fufpeded of 
 ■having mixed their own notions and reafonings with 
 -the divine revelations ; but the Hebrews, among 
 .whom you have found the fublimeft ideas of the Di- 
 vinity and of morality, have nothing in their natural 
 genius which can make them fufpedled of having 
 invented thefe truths. Abraham, by his faith and 
 obedience, was fouiad worthy to be the head and the 
 father of this happy people. The Most High 
 promifed him, that his poflerity fhould be multi 
 plied as the ftars of heaven, that they fliould one 
 day pofTefs the land of Canaan, and that of his feed 
 fhould come the Desire of Nations in 
 the falnefs of time. The rifing fimily of. this Par 
 
 ^ Set hi, dc. Muiiix unltifrjal hîf^y, 
 
 triarch. 
 
EiGiT'TH Book. i6f 
 
 fl-iarch, feeble in its beginnings, went down to E- 
 gypt, where they became very numerous, awakcn'd 
 the jealoufy of the Egyptians, and were reduced to 
 a Ibte of fl.ivery ; but having been tried and puri- 
 fied by all forts of afflidions for the fpace of four 
 hundred ye.irs, God raifcd up Mofes to deliver them. 
 The Most High, hiving firft infpired our de- 
 liverer with the pureft wifdom, lent him his aln^ighty 
 power to prove his divine miflion by the moft: fignal 
 wonders ; thefe wonders were nothing lefs than a 
 frequent and inflantaneous changing of the order 
 and courfc of nature. The haughty King of Egypt 
 rcfufed to obey the orders of the Almighty. 
 Mofcs terrified his court with repeated figns of the 
 vengeance of Heaven : .He ftretchcd out his arm, 
 and the whole kingdom felt its dreadful power ; ri- 
 vers were tiirn'd into blood ; fvvarms of venomous 
 infers fprcnd every where difeafes and death ; pro- 
 digious lightnings with llorms of hail dcllroy'd men, 
 beafts and plants ; a thick darknefs hid for three days 
 all the luminaries of heaven ; and an exterminating 
 angel deftroy'd in one night all the firrt-born of E- 
 gypt. At length the people of God left the land of 
 their captivity, and Pharoah purfued them with a 
 formidable army. A pillar of fire was their guide 
 by night, and a thick cloud by day conceal'd their 
 inarch from the purfuers. Mofes fpake, the fea di- 
 vided, the Ifraelites went through it on dry ground, 
 and were no fooner pafs'd than the fea returned to its 
 ftrength, and its impetuous waves fwallowed up the 
 infidel nation. Our fathers wander'd in the defert, 
 where they fuffer'd hunger, thirft and the incle- 
 mency of the feafons : They murmur'd againrt: God ; 
 Mofes fpjike again, a miraculous flood defcendcd 
 from heaven ; dry rocks became fountains of living 
 water ; the earth open'd and fwallow'd up thofe whd 
 refufed to believe the promifes, unlefs they might 
 fee their accomplifliment. It was in this defert that 
 
 N 4 God 
 
166 The Travels of Cyrus, 
 
 God himfelf publiflied his holy law, and didlated all 
 the rites and Ilatutes of our religion. He called up 
 our condudor to the top of mount Sinai ; the 
 mountain trembled, and the voice of the Etertjal 
 was heard in thunders and lightnings : he difplayed 
 his dreadful power to make an impreffion upon 
 hearts more difpofed to be affe6led by fear than love, 
 JSdt the God appeared no lefs in the wonders of 
 his goodnefs, than in thofe of his power. The high 
 and lofty One, who inhabits eternity, and whom the 
 heaven of heavens cannot contain, condefcended to 
 dwell in a vifible manner amongfl the children of 
 Ifrael, and to diredt them in all their ways. A 
 moveable fanduary, with the ark of the covenant, 
 was form'd and ereded by his order, and the altar 
 was fandtified by the prefcnce of the glory of the 
 Most High. The rays of a heavenly light en- 
 compafs'd the tabernacle ; and God fitting between 
 the Cherubim from thence declared his will. Mo- 
 fcs by the command of God himfelf committed to 
 writing our law and our hiftory, the everlafting 
 proofs of his fupreme goodnefs, and of our ingrati- 
 tude J a little before his death he put this book into 
 the hands of all the people ; it was neceffary at every 
 inilant to confult it, in order to know not only the 
 religious but civil laws ; each Hebrew is obliged to 
 read it over once a year, and to tranfcribe the whole 
 at leaft once in his life. It was impoffible to alter 
 or corrupt thefe facred annals, without the impo- 
 ilure's being difcovercd and punillied as high treafon 
 againfl: God, and an attempt againfl the civil au- 
 thority. 
 
 Mofes died ; our fathers left the defert ; nature 
 was obedient to the voice of Jofhua, their new con- 
 du6lor ; rivers ran back to their fountain-head ; the 
 fun Hood flill ; the walls of a flrong city fell down 
 at the approach of the ark ; and the moll courage- 
 ous and warlike nations fled before the triumphant 
 
 armies 
 
EiGMfH Book. i6j 
 
 armies of Ifrael, who at length took poiTefiion of 
 the promised land. Miracles however do not change 
 the heart, even when they convince the underftand- 
 ing. The ftrongeft conviûion is too weak to con- 
 troul the violence of the paflions. Scarce was this 
 ungrateful and inconftant people fettled in that 
 land of delights, but they grew weary of being un- 
 der the immediate government of Jehovah, and 
 were defirous of having a King to go before them 
 like other nations. God gave them a King in his 
 anger, and the Hebrew government became monar- 
 chical. Solomon, the wifeft and moft pacific of our 
 Princes, ere£led a magnificent temple at Jerufalcm. 
 The God of peace fix'd his habitation upon mount 
 Sion ; the miracle of the ark was perpetuated, the 
 glory of the divine Majefty fiU'd the fan6luary, and 
 oracles were given from the moft holy place as often 
 as the High Prieft went thither to enquire of the 
 Lord. In order to perpetuate the memory of ïo 
 many miracles, aJid to dcmonftrate the truth of 
 them to all future ages, Mofes, Jofhua, our Judges 
 and our Kings eftablifh'd folcmn fellivals and auguft 
 ceremonies : A numerous nation incredulous and 
 rebellious, their Kings, their priefts, their tribes 
 which were often divided among themfelves, con- 
 .curr'd loudly, univerfally and fucceffively to give 
 teftimony to thofe miracles by lafting monuments 
 perpetuated from generation to generation. While 
 the Ifraelites perfevered in their obedience the 
 Lord of Hosts was their protestor, and render- 
 ed them invincible as he had promised ; but as foon 
 as they departed from the law of their God he gave 
 them up a prey to their fierce enemies ; neverthe- 
 lefs he challis'd them like a father, and did not 
 utterly forfake them. In every age he rais'd up 
 prophets to threaten, inftru6t and reform them. 
 Thefe fages being feparated from all terreflrial plea- 
 fures united chcmfelves to the fovereign Truth j the 
 
 eyes 
 
2<58 The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 eyes of the foul which have been fhut fince the 
 origin of evil, w^ere open'd in thefc divine men 
 to look into the counfeîs of Providence, and to 
 know its fecrets. The heavy judgments of God 
 fell often upon the ftubborn and untra£lable He- 
 brews, and as often this chofen people was brought 
 back by the prophètes to own and adore the God of 
 their fathers. At length they were wholly carried 
 away by that wretched inclination in all mortals to 
 corporalize- the Deity, and to form to themfelves a 
 God with pnffions like their own.- The God of 
 Abraham, faithful in his threatnings as in his pro- 
 mifes, has humbled us for many years under the 
 yoke of Nabuchodonofor ; Jerufalem is become de- 
 fohte, and the holy temple an heap of ftones ; va^ 
 gabonds and captives in a ftrangc land we wander 
 upon the banks of the Euphrate?, and filently mourn 
 when we remember Sion. .But God having firll 
 rais'd up that proud conqueror to accomplifh his 
 eternal purpofes, then abafed him in his anger. 
 You have been witnefs both of his punilhment and 
 of his deliverance ; neverthelefs the meafure of the 
 divine judgments upon the race of Abraham is not 
 yet iiird up ; it is you, O Cyrus, who arc ordain'd 
 by THE Most High to be their deliverer ; Jeru- 
 falem will be repeopled, the houfe of the Lord re^ 
 built, and the glory of the latter temple, which 
 will one day be honour'd with the prefence of the 
 MeiTiah, fliall be greater than the glory of the former. 
 But what, faid Cyrus, is the defign of this law, 
 diftated by God himfelf with fo much pomp, pre- 
 ferv'd by your fore-fathers with fo much care, re- 
 newed and confirm'd by your prophets with Co ma- 
 ny miracles ? In what does it differ from the religion 
 of other nations ? The defign of the law and the 
 prophets, reply'd Daniel, is to Ihew, that all crea- 
 tures were pure in their original ; that all men are 
 at prefent born- diilemper'd, corrupt and ignorant 
 
 eve» 
 
Eighth Book. i6s> 
 
 «vcn to the degree of not knowing their difeafe, 
 and that human nature will one day be reftor'd to 
 its perfedion. The miracles and prodigies of which 
 I have made you a recital, are, io to fpeak, but the 
 play of wifdom to lead men into themielves, and 
 make them attend to thofe three truths which they 
 will find written in their own hearts, upon all na- 
 ture, and in the whole plan of Providence. The 
 law of Mofes is but an unfolding of the law of na- 
 ture ; all its moral precepts arc but means more or 
 jefs remote, to carry us to what may ftrengthen di- 
 vine love in us, or to preferve us from what may 
 weaken it. The burnt-offerings, the purifications, 
 the abllinences, all the ceremonies of our worfliip 
 are but fymbols to reprcfcnt the facrifice of the 
 palTions, and to fliadow out the virtues neceflary to 
 re-eflablifh us in our primitive purity ; thofe who 
 flop at the letter find expreflions in our facred books 
 that feem to humanize the Deity, promifes . that 
 don't appear to have any relation to immortality, 
 and ceremonies which they think unworthy of the 
 fovcreign Reafon : But the true fage penetrates into 
 their hidden meaning and difcovers myfleries in 
 them of the highell wifdom. The foundation of 
 the whole law, and of all the prophecies is the 
 dodrine of a nature pure in its original, corrupted 
 by fin, and to be one day reftor'd. Thefe three 
 fundamental truths arc reprefented in our hiilory 
 under various images. The bondage of the Ifrae- 
 lites in Egypt, their journey through the dcfert and 
 their arrival in the promised land, reprefent to us 
 the fall of fouls, their fufferings in this mortal life, 
 and their return to their heavenly country. The 
 hidden meaning does not deftroy the literal fenfe, 
 nor does the letter of the law exclude allegory ; it 
 is equally profane to deny the one, or to defpife 
 the other. Thefe three principles, the traces of 
 which arc to be found in all religion?, have been 
 
 traii^^ 
 
lyo The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 tranfmitted from age to age from the deluge to our ' 
 time ; Noah taught them to his children, whofe : 
 poilerity fpread them afterwards over all the earth ; 
 but in pnffing from mouth to mouth they have been 
 alter'd and obfcur'd by the imagination of the po-, 
 cts, the fuperftjtion of the priefts, and the different 
 genius of each nation. We find more remarkable 
 footfleps of them among the Orientals and Egypti- 
 ans than any where elfe ; becaufe Abraham % our 
 firft patriarch, who was famous in Afia, renew'd 
 them here, and becaufe the people of God were a 
 longtime in captivity on the banks of the Nile: 
 But thefe ancient truths have been no where pre- 
 fervM in their perfe6l purity except in the oracles 
 written by our law-giver, our hiftorians and our 
 prophets. 
 
 But this is not all ; there is a myftcry which is 
 no where unfolded but in our religion, and of 
 which I would not fpeak to you, O Cyrus, if you 
 were not the anointed of the Most High, and 
 his fervant chofen for the deliverance of his people. 
 The prophecies mention two advents of the Mef- 
 fiah, one in fufFering, the other in glory. The 
 Great Emanuel will, many ages before his tri- 
 umphant appearance in the clouds, live here upon 
 earth in a ftatc of humiliation : He will expiate fin 
 by the facrifice of himfelf before he reftores the 
 univerfe to its primitive fplendor. The ancient tra- 
 dition from Noah concerning this grand facrifice 
 was what fuggefted to all nations the firft thought 
 of offering viftims to the Most High as types of 
 that perfedl holocaufl : Your prieils having loft thefe 
 primitive ideas foolifhly imagined that the friendfhip 
 of the immortals was to be gain'd by fhcdding the 
 blood of beafts ; but what relation is there between 
 
 * Seejof. Ant. lih. I, cap, 7, & 8. Eupolem. apud Eufeh,& 
 VoJ^, de Bhilofopb.feSii, cap, I. p. i. 
 
 the 
 
Eighth Book. 271 
 
 the divine Goodnefs and cruel immolation of harm- 
 lefs animals ? Without our traditions about the great 
 Emanuel, the origin of your facrifices is a perfeft 
 aenigma. 
 
 Here Cyrus interrupted Daniel and faid : Who is 
 this great Emanuel of whom you fpeak ? Is he the 
 fame with him whom the Perfians call Mythras, the 
 Egyptians Orus, the Tyrians Adonis, the Greeks 
 Jupiter the Condudor, Apollo and Hercules ? What 
 is his origin and what is his nature ? The Great 
 Emanuel, anfwcr'dthe Prophet, is he who is cal- 
 led the Desire of Nations ; he has been known 
 to them by an ancient tradition, the fource of 
 which they arc ignorant of, and which they have 
 degraded by their fabulous names and impure ima- 
 ges. The great Emanuel is not, as fome of your 
 philofophers fay, a fubordinate God, but equal in 
 glory to the great Jehovah : He is not a demi-God, 
 but pofTcflcs in himfelf all the fulnefs of the God- 
 head : He is not a free produdlion of the power of 
 THE Most High, but a neceiTary emanation from 
 his fubftance. All other beings, how exalted focver, 
 whether Angels or Archangels, Seraphim or Che- 
 rubim were drawn out of nothing and may return 
 to nothing again ; but He is a pure ftream flowing 
 from the glory of the Almighty, the brightnefs of 
 the everlafting light, the unfpotted mirror of the 
 majefty of God, and the exprefs image of his good- 
 nefs : He is of the fame effence, he has the fame 
 attributes, but who can declare his generation ? Let 
 us not raOily pry into thofe impenetrable fecrets ; 
 'tis fufficient to know, that the Desire of Na- 
 tions will appear upon earth to bear our griefs, 
 that he will be wounded for our tranfgreffions and 
 bruis'd for our iniquities. 
 
 But what neceffity is there, cry'd out Cyrus, for 
 this great facrifice ? Has God any need of a bloody 
 vidim to appeafe his wrath ? Can the infinite 
 
 Good, 
 
iji, The Travels of Cryus. 
 
 Goodnefs require fuch a cruel holocaufl: ? Beware 
 of falling into the fame error with which you re- 
 proach our priefls. • God has no need, reply'd Da- 
 niel, of an inhuman facriiice to pacify his venge- 
 ance, but he would countenance the rebellion of 
 fpirits and contradiél himfelf fhould he pardon the 
 criminal without fhewing his abhorrence of the 
 crime, and difplay the whole extent of his goodnefs 
 without aflerting the prerogatives of his holinefs. 
 The divine Emanuel will leave the bofom of his 
 Father, and remain long upon earth exiled from his 
 prefence ; the living image of the majefty of God 
 will take on him the form of a fervant ; the eternal 
 Word will become a mute babe, a man of for- 
 rows and acquainted with grief; the brightnefs of 
 the increated light will fufFer an eclipfe that will 
 t-errify the Seraphim and Cherubim ; he will Ihevv 
 by his annihilation the homage that is due to the 
 Eternal ; by his humiliation the injuftice of our 
 pride ; by his fufferings the ncceflity of our expi- 
 atory pains ; and laftly, by his agony and the inex- 
 preflible anguifh which our iniquities will caufe him, 
 th€ infinite averfion of the Most High to the 
 violation of order. 'Tis by this means that he will 
 reconcile the juftice of God with his mercy, repair 
 the wrong done to his laws, and be at the fame 
 time both a facrifice for fin and a model of all vir- 
 tue. The hiilory of his conflicts and triumphs will 
 be for ever recorded in the rcgifters of heaven, and 
 give eternal teflimony to the divine Wifdom, Good-^ 
 nefs and Juftice. I fee from far that day which will 
 be the confolation of the juft and the joy of angels : 
 All the heavenly powers will be prefent at this myf- 
 tery and adore its depth ; mortals will fee nothing 
 but the Ihell and the outfide. Thofe Hebrews who 
 expeft only a triumphant Mefiiah will not compre- 
 hend this firll advent ; the pretenders to wifdom in 
 all nations, who judge only by appearances, will 
 
 blafphemc 
 
Eighth Book. 27J 
 
 blafpheme againfl what they under (land not : Nay, 
 the mo#juft among men will in this life fee only as 
 in a myllery the beauty, extent and neceiTity of that 
 great facriiice. 
 
 The Prince of Perfia was ftruck by this difcourfc 
 and waver'd in his thoughts ; he perceived that all 
 the difcoveries made by Zoroafter, Hermes, Or- 
 pheus and Pythagoras were but impcrfedl traces and 
 chance rays of the tradition from Noah : In Perfia, 
 Egypt, Greece and in all other nations he had found 
 only obfcure, uncertain and loofe opinions; but 
 with the Hebrews he had found books, prophecies 
 and miracles, the authority of which was inconteft- 
 able. Neverthelefs, he faw the truth only as thro* 
 a cloud, his heart was not yet touched ; he waited 
 for the accomplifhment of Ifaiah's prediélion. Da- 
 niel was not ignorant of the fluctuation of his mind, 
 and faid to him : O Cyrus, religion is not a fyilem 
 of philofophical opinions, nor yet a hiftory of mira- 
 cles, or fupernatural events, but a fcience that di- 
 lates the heart and fills it with godlike fentiments, 
 a fcience which God reveals only to pure minds ; to 
 know the fecrets of religion, to feel its energy, a 
 fuperior power to man mull defcend into you, be- 
 come abfolute mailer of you, and ravifh you from 
 yourfelf: Your heart will then feel thofe truths 
 which your underftanding has now but a fmall 
 ^limpfe of. The time for this is not yet come, but 
 ,it approaches '^ ; until that happy moment, be con- 
 tent with knowing that the God of Ifrael loves 
 you, will go before you, and will accomplifii his 
 will by you : This accompliftiiient will be an invin- 
 cible proof of the truth of all I have faid to you. 
 Make h.ifte to verify his oracles, and return with 
 fpeed into Perfia, where your prefence is neceflary. 
 
 ^Vid, TbeU.r.t defde. 
 
 The 
 
t 
 
 ij^ The Travels of Cyrus. 
 
 The young hero foon after left Babylon ; thé 
 year following Nabuchodonofor died, and hjs fuc- 
 ceiTors broke the alliance fworn between M Afly- 
 rians and Perfians. Cyrus fpent twenty whole years 
 in war with the Aflyrians and their allies : The fe 
 vcral nations of the Eaft obferving his moderatioa 
 in the midft of triumphs, willingly fubmitted to hi 
 empire, and the conquefts made by his humani 
 were more numerous than thofe of his fword. Be 
 ing ever as generous as invincible, he made no other 
 ufe of viftory than to render the vanquifh'd happy, 
 and employed his power only to makejuftice flou- 
 rifh and to eftablifli and maintain the moft excellent 
 laws. The taking of Babylon made him mailer of 
 all the Eaft from the river Indus to Greece, and 
 from the Cafpian fea to the extremities of Egypt. 
 Seeing then the entire accomplishment of Ifaiah's 
 prediction, his heart became afFeélcd with the 
 truths he had learnt from Daniel ; the mift before 
 his eyes was totally difpell'd, he openly avow'd the 
 God of Ifrael, and releas'd the Hebrews from their 
 captivity by this folemn edidl, which was publifhed 
 throughout the whole extent of his vaft dominions. 
 Thus saith Cyrus, King of Persia. The 
 Lord God of heaven hath given me all the 
 kingdoms of the earth, and he hath charg- 
 ed me to build him a house at jerusalem 
 which is in judah. whoever among you is ' 
 
 OF HIS PEOPLE, HIS GoD BE WITH HIM : AnD 
 LET HIM GO UP TO JERUSALEM AND BUILD THE 
 
 HOUSE OF THE Lord God of Israel, he is the 
 GOD. 
 
 A DIS. 
 
(O 
 A DISCOURSE 
 
 UPON THE 
 
 Theology and Mythologt 
 Of the PAGANS. 
 
 MY firll dcfign was to infert fome critical 
 notes in the margin of the foregoing 
 book ; but as the attending to fuch remarks 
 would have diverted the reader's mind too much . 
 from the principal fubjca:, I thought it better to 
 digeft them into the form of a difcourle, which I 
 divide into two parts. In the firil I Ihall fliew, that 
 the moft celebrated Philofophcrs of all ages and ^ all 
 countries have had the notion of a Supreme Deity, 
 who prodaced the world by his Power, and governs 
 it by his Wifdom. From the fécond it will appear, 
 that there are traces of the principal dodrines of 
 reveaPd religion, with regard to the three ftatcs ot 
 the world, to be found in the Mythology ot ail 
 nations. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 Of the Theology of the PAGx^NS. 
 
 TO begin with the Magi or Perfian Philofo- 
 phers ; According to the tellimony of Hero- 
 dotus % the antient Perfians had neither itatues, nor 
 
 ? Htrçd.Clio, lib» I. f, 56. SeB, 1 31. Edit, Fran<of. 1608. 
 
 B temples, 
 
z OftheTheology 1 
 
 temples, nor altars : * They think it ridiculous (fays 
 
 * this author) to fancy, like the Greeks, tkat the 
 
 * Gods have an human fhape, or derive their ori- 
 
 * ginal from men. They chufe the higheil moun- 
 
 * tains for the place of their facrifice : They ufe 
 
 * neither libations, nor mufick, nor hallow 'd bread ; 
 
 * but when any one has a mind to facrifice, he 
 
 * leads the viflim into a clean place, and wearing 
 
 * a wreath of myrtle about his Tiara, invokes the 
 
 * God to whom he intends to offer it. The prieft 
 
 * is not allowed to pray for his own private good, 
 
 * but for that of the nation in general ; each par- 
 
 * ticular member finding his benefit in the profpe- 
 
 * rity of the whole. 
 
 Strabo ** gives the fame account of the antient 
 Periians. * They neither ercéled ftatues nor altars, 
 
 * fays this hiftorian ; they facrificed in a clean place, 
 
 * and upon an eminence, where they offered up 
 
 * a vi<5lim crowned. When the prieft had cut it 
 
 * into fmall pieces, every one took his fhare. They 
 
 * left no portion of it for the Deities, faying, that 
 
 * God defires nothing but the foul of the viélim. * 
 The Orientals, full of the notion of tranfraigr*- 
 tion, imagin'd, that the vi6lim was animated by a 
 criminal foul, whofe expiatory pains were completed 
 by the facrifice. 
 
 The Perfians indeed, as well as other Pagans, 
 worfhiped the fire, the fun, and the ftars : But wc 
 Jhall fee that they coniider'd them only as vifible 
 images and fymbols of a fupreme God, whom they 
 believed to be the fovercign Lord of nature. Plu- 
 tarch has left us, in his treatife of Ifis and Ofiris, a 
 fragment of the Theology of the Magi. This phi- 
 iofophical hiftorian affures us, thai they called the 
 great Gcd, Oromazes, or the Principle of light, 
 that produced every thing, and worketh all in 
 
 ' Stralfo Uh, ij. /. 73i. Edit, Paris» i6zo. 
 
 all^ 
 
I ofthePagans. 5 
 
 all ^. They admitted however another God, but of 
 an inferior nature and order, whom they called 
 ** Mythras or the Middle God. They fpeak of him 
 fometimes as a Being co-eternal with the fupremc 
 Divinity, and at other times as the firil produdion 
 of his Power '^. 
 
 The fined definition we have of the Deity among 
 all the writings of the ancients, is that of Zoroafter. 
 It has been tranfmitted down to us by Eufebius in 
 his Praparatio Evûngelica : an author fo far from 
 being over favourable to the Pagans, that he makes 
 it his bufinefs continually to cxpofe and degrade 
 their philofophy. And yet he fays, that he had 
 read thefe exprefs words in a book of Zoroafter 
 that was extant in his time, and known by the title 
 of, The facrcd colleélion of Perfian monuments. 
 
 * *" God is the firft of all incorruptible Beings, e- 
 
 * ternal and unbcgottcn : He is not compounded 
 
 * of parts : There is nothing equal to him, or like 
 
 * him. He is the author of all good, and entirely 
 
 * difinterefled ; the moft excellent of all excellent 
 
 * beings, and the wifefl of all intelligent natures ; 
 
 * the father of equity, the parent of good laws, 
 ' fclf-inftru£lcd, felf-îufficient, and the firll former 
 
 * of nature. 
 
 The modern writers among the Arabians and 
 Perfians, who have preferved to us vrhat rcmrjns of 
 the antient do6lrine of Zoroafter among the Guc- 
 bri or worlhippers of fire, maintain, that the firll 
 Magi admitted only one eternal Principle of all 
 things. Abulfeda, cited by the famous Dr. Pocock, 
 fays, that according to the primitive doftrine of the 
 Perfians s, * God was prior to both light and dark- 
 
 c Plut, de I/tJ. ^ OJtr. Edit. Pan's, 1624. p. 370. 
 
 ^ MrO-/T»Ç Oiîç. 
 
 e Set Cudtvûrth'i Intel!. Syjîcm. p. î88. 
 
 ' Etifeb. Prjtp. E-vang, lib. i. p. 41. Edit, Paris, 
 
 I fdçQck Specil. IUJi, Arab. p. I46. 
 
 B 2 '■ ncf^s 
 
4 Of the Theology 
 
 * nefs, and liad exifled from all eternity in an ador^-. 
 
 * ble folitude, without any companion or rival. * 
 Sarifthani, quoted by Dr. Hyde, fays, * That the 
 
 * £rfl. Magi " did not look upon the good and evil 
 ' principles as co-eternal ; they thought that light 
 
 * was indeed eternal, but that darknefs was pro- 
 
 * duced in time by the difloyalty of Ahriman, chief 
 
 * of the Genii. 
 
 M. Bayle affirms in his diélionary, that the anti- 
 ent Perfuns were all Mr^nicheans j but however he 
 came to entertain this notion, he mull certainly have 
 given it up, if he had confulted the original authors: 
 A method which that famous critick did not always 
 take. He had a genius capable of going to the bot- 
 îom of any fubjcél whatever ; but he wrote fome- 
 tinies in a hurry, and treated fuperficially the gravefl 
 and moft important fubjedls. Befides, there is no 
 clearing him from the charge of loving too much 
 the difmal obfcurity of fccpticifm ; he js ever upon 
 ]iis guard againft all fatisfaélory ideas in religion ; he 
 fhews with art and fubtlety all the dark fides of a 
 queftion, but he very rarely reprefents it in that 
 poim of light v.'hich fhines with evidence. What 
 encomiums would he not have merited, had he em- 
 ployed his admirable talents more for the benefit of 
 mankind ? 
 
 Such was the Theology of the ancient Perfians, 
 which in the foregoing work I have put in the 
 mouth of Zoroaftcr ; and the Egyptians had much 
 ihe fame principles. There is nothing more abfurd 
 than the notion generally given us of their Theo- 
 logy Î nor is any thing more improbable than the 
 allegorical fenfe which certain authors fancy they 
 Iiave difcovered in their hieroglyphicks. On one 
 hand, it is hard to believe that human nature could 
 
 b Hyde Reh'g. ^Ant. Ter Jar. cap. 5- pag, 161. & cap. 2Z. 
 pag, as>o. 
 
 ever 
 
OF THE Pagans. f 
 
 ever fink fo low as to adore infefls, reptiles and 
 plants, (which they fee produced, growing and dy- 
 ing every diy) without afcribing certain divine ver- 
 tues to them, or confidering them as fymbols of 
 fome invifible Power. In the mofl: barbarous coun- 
 tries wc Hill find fome knowledge of a fuperior Be- 
 ing, which is the objed of the hope and fe.ir of the 
 jnoll ftupid favagcs. But though we fhould fuppofe 
 there are fome nations in the world funk into^ fa 
 grofs an ignorance as to have no notion oi a Deity, 
 yet it is certain that Egypt cannot be charged with 
 luch a degree of llupidity. All hillorians, as well 
 facred as profane, agree in fpeaking of this people 
 as the wifeit of all nations ; and one of the enco- 
 miums that the holy Spirit gives to Mofcs, is, that 
 he w:is learned in all the wifHom of the Kgyptians. 
 Would the Holy Ghoil ever have fpoken in fuch a 
 manner of a nation fo fenfelefs as to worfhip onions, 
 crocodiles, and the moll defpicable reptiles ? On the 
 other hand, there are certain modern writers who 
 exalt the Theology of the Egyptians too high, and 
 fancy that they find in their hieroglyphicks all the 
 myfteries of the Chriilian religion. After the de- 
 luge, Noah doubtlefs would not leave his children 
 ignorant of the great principles of religion, with 
 regard to the three fiâtes of mankind ; and that tra- 
 dition might have been fpread from generation to 
 generation over all the nations of the world : Bu: 
 we fhould not infer from thence, that the Heatiiens 
 had as clear notions of the divine Nature and tie 
 Meflias, as the Jews had themfelves. Such a fup- 
 pofition, far from doing honour to Holy Wrif, 
 would only derogate from its dignity. I Ù\x\\ en- 
 deavour to keep the juft medium between thel'e c.vw 
 extremes. 
 Plutarch, in his treatife of Ifis and Ofins;» tells us ', 
 
 f P/uC. de Iftd. ^ Q/tr. />. 3f*;. 
 
 B 3 thai 
 
6 Of theTheology 
 
 that the Tlhcology of the Egyptians had two mean- 
 ings ; the one holy and fymbolical, the other vul- 
 |:ar and litcrjl ; and confcquently that the figures of 
 animals whicli they had in their temples, and which 
 they fecm'd to adore, were only fo many hiero- 
 glyphicks to reprefent the divine attributes. Pur- 
 iuant to this dillinaion, he fays, that Ofiris fignifica 
 the adlivc Principle, or the moll holy Being ^ ; Ifis 
 the Wifdom or Rule of his operation ; Oru3 the 
 iirlt produdion of his Power, the model or plan 
 by which he produced every thing, or the archetype 
 of the world. We fhall fee hereafter whether it be 
 reafonable to think, that the Pagans had ever any 
 knowledge of a trinity of dillindl perfons in the 
 «ndivifible Unity of the divine Nature. Thus much 
 at leaft is plain, that the Chaldeans and Egyptians 
 bcliev'd all the attributes of the Deity might be re- 
 4]uced to three, Power, Underflanding and Love. 
 in reality, whenever we difengage our felves from 
 matter, impoie filence on the fenfes and imagina- 
 tion, and raife our thoughts to the contemplation of 
 the infinitely infinite Being, we find that the eter- 
 nal EfTence prefents itfclf to our mind under the 
 three forms of Power, Wifdom and Goodnefs. 
 Thefe three attributes comprehend the totality of 
 his nature, and whatever we can conceive of him. 
 Not to fpeak therefore of the primitive traditions, 
 which might pofTibly be the fourcc of thefe three 
 ideas concerning the divine Nature, it is nothing 
 extraordinary, if the Egyptians and Orientals, who 
 had very refining metaphyfical heads, fhould of 
 themfelvcs have difcovcred them. The Greeks and 
 Romans were fonder of the fciences which depend 
 on fcnfe and imagination ; and for this reafon we 
 find their Mythology feldoni turns upon any thing 
 but the external operations of the Deity in the pro- 
 
 ^U:d./>. 373, 374, 37^. 
 
OFTHE Pagans. 7 
 
 durions of nature, whereas that of the former 
 chiefly regards his internal operations and attri- 
 butes. 
 
 By the help of thefe principles the Theology of 
 the Pagans may be reduced to three principal Divi- 
 nities, without doing violence to original authors, 
 and without racking ones brain to digell their ideas, 
 which are often very confus'd, into an intelligible 
 fyftem. They univerfally acknowledged one fu- 
 preme God, whom they conlidered as the fourcc 
 of the Divinity, and the author of all beings ; a 
 Goddefs his wife, daughter, or filler, whom they 
 reprefented fometimes as the principle of the divine 
 Fecundity, at other times as an emanation from hi» 
 Wifdom, and often as the companion and fubjcdl of 
 his operations ; and laftly, a fubordinate God, the 
 fon and viceroy of the Supreme. And thus we find 
 among the Perfi.nis the great Oromazes, the God- 
 defs Mythra, and the God Mythras ; among the 
 Egyptians Ofiris, Ifis and Orus ; among the Greeks 
 Jupiter, Minerva and Apollo. 
 
 In proportion as men departed from their primi- 
 tive fimplicity, and as imagination took the place of 
 rcafon, the Poets multiplied the names and images 
 of thefe Gods, and the three fuperior Divinities 
 were loft in a crowd of inferior Deities. It is ne- 
 vcrthelefs certain, that the * Philofophers always 
 preferv'd thofe three capital ideas. Socrates, Plato, 
 Pythagoras, Porphyry, Jamblichus, Plutarch, Ma- 
 crobius, and all the philofophical writers whofe 
 works have been tranfmitted to us, and who fpeak 
 of the Gods of Egypt and Greece, aflure us that 
 Ptha, Amoun, Ofiris, Apis, Serapis and Anubis arc 
 the fame ; that Mars, Mercury, Apollo, Hercules, 
 and Jupiter the Condudlor, arc alfo the fame; thac 
 
 « See Nun. Dent. E-vang. Jambl. de Myji. Egypt p. ISO, 
 Plut.I/îs avd Oftr. p. 327. Macrob.lib, 1. Saturn, Cudw. In- 
 tel/. Syjiem. from page 484 to 494. 
 
 B 4 Cybcle^ 
 
8 Of the Theology 
 
 Cybele^ Venus Urania, Juno, Minerva, Phebe and 
 Proferpine are in like manner one and the fame. 
 Whence we may fairly conclude, without falling 
 into chimerical conjeflures, that Oromazes, Ofiris, 
 Coelus, Saturn and Jupiter Olympius are different 
 names to exprefs the one fupremc God ; that My- 
 thra, Ifis, Cybcle, Urania, Juno and Minerva de- 
 rote the different attributes of the fame Goddefs ; 
 and laftly, that Mythras, Orus, Mercury, Apollo, 
 Hercules, and Jupiter the Conduftor, are the fe- 
 veral titles of the middle God, univcrfally acknow- 
 ledged by the Pagans. 
 
 I know that the modern Materialifls have endea- 
 voured to reduce all the Pagan Divinities to one 
 God and one Goddefs, which, according to them, 
 exprefs only the two principles of nature, whereof 
 one is aftive, or the infinite force, the caufe of all 
 the motions we behold in the univerfc ; the other 
 paflive, or the eternal matter, whicli is the fubjedl 
 of all the forms produced by that moving force.; 
 This idea is by far pofterior to that of the Orientals, 
 Kgyptians and firft Greeks, concerning the three 
 forms of the Divinity. It was neither recciv'd nor 
 known, in the fenfe of the Materialifts, but by the 
 difciples of Epicurus, as we fhall fee hereafter. 
 
 This diflindion of the Gods into three clafTcs, 
 nnd that of the world into three ftates, may be of 
 great feivice to clear up the confufion of the anci- 
 ent iMythologies. I will venture to fay, that nei- 
 ther Scaliger, nor Bochart, nor Gracvius, nor Gro- 
 novius, nor M. Huet, could fucceed in this enter- 
 prife, bccaufe they were men of more learning than 
 philofophy. Grammarians, Criticks, and thofe per- 
 fons of llrong memories, who employ themfelves 
 wliolly in the ftudy of words and fafts, are rarely 
 remarkable for a nice examination of principles, and 
 are not always capable of cntring into the fenfe of 
 ihc Philofophers, or diftinguifhing the fubiilty of 
 
 their 
 
 ! 
 
OF THE Pagans. p 
 
 their ideas, I confefs indeed, that it is dangerous 
 to be- too much attach'd to fyftems, but yet withouc 
 a lyftematical genius it is impoffible to carry the fci- 
 cnces to any great perfedlion. 
 
 To return to Plutarch. He conckides his trea* 
 tife of Ills and Ofiris in this manner '" : ' As he wha 
 
 * reads the works of Plato m:iy be faid to read Plato, 
 
 * and he who adls the comedy of Menander may be 
 
 * faid to ad Menander ; lb the ancients gave the 
 
 * name of Gods to the various prodaftions of the 
 
 * Deity.' Plutarch had faid a little before, * That 
 
 * care fliould be taken not to transform, dilTolve 
 
 * and fcatter the divine Nature into rivers, winds, 
 
 * vegetables, or bodily forms and motions. This 
 
 * would be as ridiculous as to imagine, that the fails, 
 
 * the cables, the rigging and the anchor are the pi- 
 
 * lot Î or that the thread, the woof, and fliuttle are 
 
 * the weaver. Such fenfelefs notions are an indig- 
 ^ nity to the heavenly powers, whom they blal- 
 
 * pheme whilit they give the name of Gods to be- 
 
 * ings of an infenfible, inanimate and corruptible 
 
 * nature. ' ' Nothing, as he goes on, that is with- 
 
 * out a foul, nothing that is material and to be per- 
 
 * ceived by our fenfes, can be God. Nor yet mufl 
 
 * we imagine that there are different Gods, accord- 
 
 * ing to the different countries of Greeks and Bar- 
 
 * barians, Northern and Southern people. As the 
 
 * fun is common to all the world, though called by 
 
 * different names in different places ; fo there is but 
 
 * one fole fupreme Mind or Reafon, and one and. 
 
 * the fame Providence that governs the world, tho' 
 
 * he is worlhiped under different names, and has 
 
 * appointed fomc inferior powers for his minifters. '' 
 Such, according to Plutarch, was the dodrine oF 
 the firll Egyptians with regard to the divine Na- 
 ture. 
 
 ^Pitge 377, and 378, 
 ^ B 5 Origen 
 
10 Of the Theology 
 
 Orlgen, who was co-temporary with Plutarch, 
 follows the fame principles in his book againll Cel- 
 ius, a Pagan Philofopher, who pretended to under- 
 ftand Chrillianity, becaufe he underftood fome ce- 
 remonies of that religion, tho' he had never entered 
 into the Tpiritofit. Now Origen exprciTes himfelf 
 m this manner : * ° The Egyptian Philofophers have 
 
 * fublime notions with regard to the divine Nature, 
 ' which they keep fecret, and never dilcover to the 
 
 * people but_ under a veil of fables and allegories. 
 
 * Celfus is like a man who has travelled into that 
 ' country ; and tho' he has converfed with none but 
 
 * the ignorant vulgar, yet takes it into his head, that 
 
 * he underftands the Egyptian religion. All the 
 ' Eaftern nations, the Perfians, the Indians, the Sy- 
 ■ rians conceal fecret myileries under their religious 
 
 * fables. The wife men of all thofe religions fee 
 ' into the kn{e and true meaning of them, whilft 
 
 * the vulgar go no farther than the exterior fymbol, 
 
 * and fee only the bark that covers them.* 
 
 Let us next hear the teftimony of Jamblichus, who 
 had ftudied the religion of the Egyptians, and under- 
 ftood it thoroughly. He lived in the beginning of 
 the third century, and was a difciplc of the famous 
 Porphyry. As both St. Clement ** and St. Cyril of 
 Alexandria P affure us, there were at that time a great 
 many Egyptian books extant, which have been fmce 
 loil: Several of thefe were highly refpe<5led for their 
 antiquity, and afcribed to Hermes Trifmegiftus, or 
 one of his firfl difciples. Jamblicus had read thefe 
 books, which had been tranflated by the Greeks; 
 and this is the account that he gives of the Theology 
 which they taught. * According to the Egyptians, 
 
 * Eiélon, or the iirll God, exiHed in his folitary unity 
 
 * before all Beings % He is the fountain and original 
 
 o Ong. contra Ce If. lib. \, p,ii> ° Strom. 1.6. p.l^ii 
 
 P Contra Julian, lib. i. q Jamhl, de My fi. E^yP. M 
 
 *of 
 
ofthePagans. iï 
 
 *' of every thing that either has underflanding, oris 
 ' to be underftood. He is the firft principle of all 
 
 * things, felf-fufficient, incomprehenfible, and the 
 ' father of all eflences.' Hermes fays likewife, * That 
 
 * this fupreme God has conftituted another God, 
 
 * called Emeph, to be head over all fpirits, whether 
 
 * ethereal, empyrean, or celeftial ; and that this fe- 
 ' cond God, whom he ftiles the guide, is a wiiclom 
 
 * that transforms and converts into itfelf all fpiritual 
 
 * Beings. He makes nothing fuperior to this God- 
 
 * Guide, but only the firft Intelligent, and firft In* 
 
 * tclligible, who ought to be ador'd in filence/ He 
 adds, * That the Spirit which produceth all things 
 
 * has difi^erent names, according to his different pro- 
 
 * perties and operations ; that he is called in the E- 
 
 * gyptian language Amoun, as he is wife ; Ptha, as 
 
 * he is the life of all things i and Ofiris, as he is the 
 
 * author of all good.* Thus, according to Jambli- 
 chus, it is evident that the Egyptians admitted only 
 one Principle, and a middle God, like the Mythras 
 of the Perfians. 
 
 The notion of a fpirit conftituted by the fupreme 
 God, to be the head and guide of all fpirits, is very 
 ancient. The Hebrew Doctors believed that the 
 foul of theMeffias was created from the beginning of 
 the world, and appointed to prefide over all the or- 
 ders of Intelligences. This opinion was founded on 
 a notion, that finite natures cannot inceflantly con- 
 template the brightnefs and glories of the divine Ef- 
 fence ; and muft neceffarily fometimes turn off their 
 view, and adore the Creator in his works ; that at 
 fuch times there muft be an Head to lead fpirits thro* 
 all the regions of Immenfity, and fhew them all it* 
 beauties and wonders. 
 
 To have a more pcrfeft knowledge of the Theo- 
 logy of the Orientals and Egyptians, it may not be 
 improper to examine that of the Greeks and Ro- 
 mans» which is derived originally from it. The Phi- 
 B 6 lofophejs 
 
Il Of the Theology 
 
 lolophers of Greece went to ftudy wifdom in Afia 
 and Egypt. Thaïes, Pythagoras, Plato, drew the 
 befl of their knowledge from thence. The traces 
 oi the oriental tradition are now indeed in a manner 
 worn out ; but as there arc feveral monuments of the 
 Theology of the Greeks ftill preferv'd, we may 
 judge of the mafters by their difciples. 
 
 We mull however dillinguifh between the Gods 
 of the Poets and thofe of the Philofophers. Poetry 
 deifles all the various parts of nature, and gives fpirit 
 to bodies, as well as body to fpirits: It exprefles the 
 operations and properties of matter by the a6lions 
 and paflîons of fuch invifible powers, as the Pagans 
 fuppofed to be dire6lors of all the motions and events 
 that we fee in the univerfe. The Poets pafs in a 
 moment from allegory to the literal fenfe, and from 
 the literal fenfe to allegory ; from real Gods to fabu- 
 lous Deities ; and this occallons that jumble of their 
 images, that abfurdity in. their fidions, and that in- 
 decorum in their expreffions, which are fo juftly 
 condemned by the Philofophers. Notwithftanding 
 this multiplication of inferior Deities, thefe Poets 
 however acknowledged, that there was but one onljr 
 fupreme God. This will appear from the very an- 
 cient traditions which we llill have of the philofophy 
 of Orpheus. I am far from thinking that Orpheus 
 w^as the author of thofc works which go under his 
 name: I believe with the famous Grotius, that thofe 
 books were wrote by the Pythagoreans, who profeiT^ 
 ed themfelves difciples of Orpheus: But whoever 
 were the authors of thefe writings, 'tis certain that 
 tivey are older than Herodotus and Phto, and were 
 in great efteem among the Heathens ; fo that by the 
 fragments of them ftill preferved, we may form a 
 judgment of the ancient Theology of the Greeks. I 
 fliall begin with the abridgment which Timotheus 
 ihe Cofmographer gives us cf the do6lrine of Or- 
 pheus» 
 
OF THE Pagans. i j 
 
 pheusN This abridgment is preferved in Suidas % 
 Cedrenus ^ and Eufebius. 
 
 * There is one unknown Being exalted above and 
 
 * prior to all beings, the author of all things, even 
 
 * of the cether, and of every thing that is below the 
 
 * aether : This exalted Being is Life, Light and Wif- 
 
 * dom ; which three names exprcfs only one and the 
 
 * fame Power, which drew all beings, vifible and 
 
 * invifible, out of nothing.' It appears by this paf- 
 fage, that the do£lrine of the creation, (or the pro- 
 duftion of fubibnces) and that of the three forms of 
 the Divinity were not unknown to the heathen Phi- 
 lofophers : We fhall foon find them in Plato. 
 
 Proclus has tranfmitted down to us this extraordi- 
 nary paffage of the Theology of Orpheus ^ * The- 
 
 * univcrfe was produced by Jupiter, the empyrasum-, 
 
 * the deep Tartarus, the earth, and the ocean, the 
 < immortal Gods and Goddefles ; all that is, all that 
 
 * has been, and all that fhall be, was contain'd ori- 
 
 * ginally in the fruitful bofom of Jupiter. Jupiter 
 
 * is the firft and the laft, the beginning and the end. 
 
 * All beings derive their origin from him. He is 
 
 * the primitive Father and the immortal Virgin. He 
 
 * is the Life, the Caufe, and the Energy of all 
 
 * things. There is butoneonly Power, one only God^ 
 
 * and one fole univerfal King of all.' This pafTage 
 feems to infmuate, that the univerfe is a fubftantial 
 emanation from the divine Effence, and not a mere 
 efFecl of his Power ; however, this grofs error is 
 no proof of Atheifm in him who maintains it, as we 
 fhall fee hereafter. 
 
 I fhall conclude the Theology of Orpheus with a 
 famous pafTage of the author of the Argonautica,who 
 is looked upon to be a difciple of his ^. * We will 
 *• fing firft an hymn upon the ancient chaos ; how th« 
 
 •■ Suidas de Orph. p. jfo. ^ Cedrenus, p. 47. 
 
 t Prorlus de TImxOi p. p/, « Argon, npud Steph. ^•"Jl- 
 
 Edit. Fugger, ji;j, 1^66, 
 
 ^ * heavens^ 
 
14 OP THE Theology 
 
 * heavens, the Tea, and the earth were formed out 
 
 * of it. We will fing likewife that eternal, wife, 
 
 * and felf perfefl love, which reduced this chaos in- 
 
 * to order '^Z 'Tis clear enough from the doftrine 
 of the theogony or birth of the Gods, that the an- 
 cient Poets afcribed all to a firft Being, who difen- 
 tangled the chaos. And it is for this reafon that 
 Ovid thus exprefles himfelf in the firft book of his 
 Metamorphofes ''. * Before there was a fea and an 
 
 * earth, before there was any heaven to cover the 
 
 * world, univcrfal nature was but one indigcfted 
 
 * fluggilh mafs, called a chaos. The feeds of all 
 
 * things jumbled together were in a perpetual dif- 
 
 * cord, till a beneficent Deity put an end to the dif- 
 
 * ference.' Words which Ihew plainly that the La- 
 tin Poet, who followed the Greek tradition, makes 
 a diftinAion between the chaos, and God, who by 
 his Wifdom brought it out ofconfufion into order. 
 I ought however in this place to obferve, that the 
 Greek and Roman Mythology, in relation to the 
 chaos, is much more imperfed^ than that of the 
 Orientals and Egyptians, who tell us, that there was 
 an happy and perfect flate of the world prior to the 
 chaos ; that the good Principle could never produce 
 any thing evil ; that his firft work could not be con- 
 fufion and diforder ; and in a word, that phyfical 
 evil is nothing elfe but a confequence of moral evil. 
 'Twas the imagination of the Greek Poets that firft 
 brought forth the monftrous Manichean doélrine of 
 two co-eternal principles ; a fupreme Intelligence 
 and a blind matter; light and darknefs; an indigefted 
 chaos, and a Deity to reduce it into order. 
 
 Let any one read Homer and Virgil with a proper 
 attention, and he will fee, that notwithftanding the 
 wild flights of their imagination, and the indecent 
 
 * Ovid. Mctum, Li. î>,i. 
 
 aile- 
 
ofthePagans. If 
 
 allegories by which they fometimes difhonour the 
 divine Nature, the marvelous which runs through 
 their fable is founded upon thefe three principles. 
 I. That there is one fupreme God, whom they 
 every where call the Father, and the Sovereign Lord 
 of Gods and men, the Archite<5l of the world, the 
 Prince and Governor of the univerfe, the firft God, 
 and the great God. 2. That univerfal Nature is full 
 of fubordinate fpirits, who are the minifters of that 
 fupreme God. 3. That good and evil, virtue and 
 vice, knowledge and error, arife from the different 
 influence and infpiration of the good and evil Genii, 
 who dwell in the air, the fea, the earth, and the 
 heavens. 
 
 The tragick and lyrick Poets exprefs themfelves 
 after the fame manner as the epick Poets. Euripides 
 cxprefly acknowledges the dependence of all beings 
 upon one fole Principle : * O Father, and King of 
 
 * Gods and men ! fays he ; why do we miferablc 
 
 * mortals fancy that we know any thing, or can do 
 
 * any thing ? Our fate depends upon thy will y.' 
 Sophocles reprefents the Deity to us as a fovereign 
 
 Intelligence, which is truth, wifdom, and the eter- 
 nal law of all fpirits ^. 'Tis not, fays he, to any 
 mortal nature that laws owe their origin ; they 
 come from above ; they come down from heaven it- 
 felf ; Jupiter Olympius is alone the father of them. 
 
 Plautus introduceth an inferior Deity fpeaking in 
 this manner ^ : * I am a citizen of the celeftial city, 
 
 * of which Jupiter, the Father of Gods and men, is 
 
 * the head. He commands the nation?, and fends 
 
 * us over all kingdoms, to take an account of the 
 
 * conduft and adlions, the piety and virtue of men. 
 
 * In vain do mortals endeavour to bribe him with 
 
 y Eun'p. Supplie. jiEl, i^ver. 734, &c. Edit, Cant, 
 * //; Ocdip, Tjran, » Piaut, Rudens, 
 
 * their 
 
i6 Of the Theology 
 
 ^ their oblations and facrifices. They lofe their pains, 
 
 * for he abhors the vvorfliip of the impious. 
 
 ' O Mufe, fays Horace, purfuant to the cuftom 
 
 * of our ancellors, celebrate firll the great Jove, who 
 
 * rules over Gods and men, the earth, the feas, and 
 
 * the wliole univerfc: There is nothing greater than 
 
 * he, nothing that is like, nothing that is equal to 
 « him '' ! 
 
 I fh.ill conclude my quotations out of the Poets 
 with a furprifmg pafîage of Lucan. When Cato, af- 
 ter croffing the defarts of Lybia, arrives at the tem- 
 ple of Jupiter Ammon, Labienus is for perfuading 
 him to confult the Oracle. Upon which occafion 
 the Poet puts this anfvver in the mouth of that phi- 
 lofophical hero, * "^ Why do you, Labienus, pro- 
 
 * pofe to me to ask the Oracle whether we fhould 
 
 * chufe to die in a ftate of freedom with our fwords 
 
 * in our hands, rather than fee tyranny enflave our 
 
 * country? Whether this mortal life be only are - 
 
 * mora to a more lafling one ? Whether violence 
 
 * can hurt a good man ? Whether virtue does not 
 
 * make us fuperior to misfortunes ? And whether 
 
 * true glory depends upon fuccefs ? We know thefe 
 
 * things already, and the Oracle cannot give us clearer 
 
 * anfvvers than what God makes us feel every mo- 
 
 * ment in the bottom of our heart. We sre all united 
 
 * to the Deity. He has no need of words to convey 
 
 * his meaning to us ; and he told us at our birth cve- 
 
 * ry thing that we have occafion to know. He hath 
 
 * not chofen the parched fands of Lybia to bury 
 
 * truth in thofc defarts, that it might be underftood 
 ' only i^y a fmall number. He makes himfelf known 
 
 * to all the world, he fills all places, the earth, the fea, 
 *■ the air, the heavens ; he makes his particular abode 
 
 * in the foul of the juft : Why then Ihould we feek 
 
 * him clfewherc ? ' la the foregoing pafTage I h.vve 
 
 !" 3. 1, Ode 12., f Lucan, //^. 5. ver. $66. 
 
 omit 
 
OF THE Pagans. 17 
 
 omitted this «xprciTion, Jupiter ejî quodcunque vi- 
 des J not only becaufe in fome manufcripts we read 
 Jupiter efi quocunque vides y but alio becaufe the 
 Poet by the word quodcunque, confounds the vifible 
 world with the ethereal matter, which the Stoicks 
 and Orientals confidered as the body of the Divi- 
 nity : However he reprefcnts Cato as acknowledg- 
 ing a fovereign Intelligence, which is all that I would 
 prove. 
 
 Let us pafs from the Poets to the Philofophers, 
 and begin with Thaïes the Milefian, chief of the 
 lonick fchool **, who lived above fix hundred years 
 before the birth of Chrift. We have none of his 
 works now left ; but we have fome of his maxims, 
 which have been tranfmitted down to us by the moft 
 venerable writers of antiquity. * God is the moft 
 
 * ancient of all beings ; he is the author of the uni- 
 
 * verfe, which is full of wonders ° ; he is the Mind 
 ' which brought the chaos out of confufion into 
 
 . * order *^ ; he is without beginning and without end- 
 ' ing, and nothing is hid from him ^ ; nothing can 
 
 * refill the force of Fate; but this fate is nothing 
 
 * but the immutable reafon and eternal power of 
 
 * Providence ^: What is ftill more furprifmg in 
 Thaïes, is his definition of the foul: He calls it * a 
 
 * felf moving principle ', thereby to dillinguifh it 
 
 * from matter. 
 
 Pythagoras ^ is the fécond great Philofopher after 
 Thaïes, and chief of the Italick fchool. Every body 
 knows the abftinence, filence, retirement and' great 
 purity of morals which he required of his difciples. 
 He was vzry fenfible that human underftanding alone 
 could never attain to the knowledge of divine things, 
 
 d Flor. Olymp. l. « ^iog. Latrt. 'vita Thai. lib. I. 
 
 f Cicer, dc Nat. Deer. lib. i. p. 1113. Edit. Amjl. 1661. 
 8 S. Clem. Alex. Strom, v. h Stcb.Ed. ?byf. cap. 8. 
 
 i Plut, de Plac. Phil. lib.^. f.2. Siob. Rcl, Plyf. cap. 40. 
 ^ Flcruit Olymp, lx. 
 
 unlefs 
 
i8 Of the Theology 
 
 unlefs the heart was purged of its paflions. Now thefe 
 are the notions which he has left us of the Deity. 
 
 * ' God is neither the objed of fcnfe, nor fubjedl to 
 
 * paffion ; but invifible, purely intelligible, and fu- 
 
 * premely intelligent. In his body he is like the 
 
 * light, and in his foul he refembles truth "*. He is 
 ' the univerfal Spirit that pervades and difFufeth itfelf 
 
 * over all nature. All beings receive their life from 
 
 * him ". There is but one only God, who is not, 
 
 * as fome are apt to imagine, feated above the world, 
 
 * beyond the orb of the Univerfe ; but being all in 
 
 * himfelf, he fees all the beings that inhabit his Im- 
 
 * meniicy. He is the folc Principle, the Light of 
 
 * heaven, the Father of all ; he produces every 
 
 * thing, he orders and difpofcs every thing ; he is 
 
 * the reafon, the life, and the motion of all beings °, 
 He taught, that befides the firfl Principle, there 
 
 were three forts of intelligent beings, Gods, Heroes 
 and Souls '. He conlidered the firft as the unalterable 
 images of the fovereign Mind, human fouls as the 
 lead perfc6l ofreafonable fubftances, and heroes as a 
 fort of middle beings placed between the two others, 
 in order to raife up fouls to the divine union *i. Thus 
 he reprefents to us the divine Immenfity as contain- 
 ing innumerable worlds inhabited by fpirits of diffe- 
 rent orders. And this is the true fcnfe of that famous 
 exprelTion afcribed to the Pythagoreans, that Unity 
 was the principle of all things, and that from this 
 Unity there fprung an infinite duality. We are not 
 by this duality to underftand the two principles of 
 the Manichees ; but as fome think the fécond and 
 third forms of the Orphean Trinity and triform Dei- 
 ty, or rather a world of intelligent and corporeal fub- 
 ftances, which is the effeft whereof unity is the 
 
 ' Plut. vita Num4 «^ ^'^g- Laert. lib. 12, 
 
 ?» Vit. Pytb. Porphyr, n LaB. Injl. lib. V. 
 
 « S. Juji. Cohort. I. (td Grxc. f.\%. P Diog, Laert, lib.VWi, 
 
 « HifrçcL Cent, in Carm, Anna Pytb, 
 
 caufe. 
 
OF THE Pagans. ip 
 
 caufc. "This is the fentiment of Porphyry, and it 
 ought to be preferred before that of Plutarch, who 
 is for afcribing the Manichean fyftem to Pythagoras, 
 without producing for it any proof. 
 
 Pythagoras agreed with Thaïes in defining the 
 Soul to be a felf-moving Principle °. He main- 
 tained further, * That when it quits the body, it is 
 
 * re-united to the foul of the world p ; that it is not 
 
 * a God, but the work of an eternal God ^ ; and 
 
 * that it is immortal on account of its principle '.' 
 This Philofoper was of opinion that man was com- 
 pofed of three parts ^, a pure fpirit, an ethereal mat- 
 ter, (which he called the fubtile vehicle of the foul) 
 and a mortal or grofs body. The old Greek Poets 
 had dreffed up this opinion in a different guife i 
 they called the ethereal body the reprefentation, the 
 image, or the fhadow ; becaufe they fancy'd that 
 this fubtile body, when it came down from heaven 
 to animate the tcrreftrial body, affumed its form 
 jufl: as melted metal takes that of the mold in which 
 it is call. They faid, that after death the fpirit, 
 ftill clothed with this fubtile vehicle, flew up to the 
 regions of the moon, where they placed the Elyfian 
 fields. And there, as they imagined, a fort of fé- 
 cond death cnfued by the feparation of the pure fpi- 
 rit from its vehicle : The one was united to the 
 Gods, the other Ibid in the abode of the fhades. 
 This is the reafon why Ulyfles fays in the Odyfleis, 
 
 * That he faw in the Elyfian fields the divine Her- 
 
 * cules, i. c. his image j for as for him, he is with 
 
 * the immortal Gods, and affiils at their banquets ^ ' 
 Pythagoras did not adopt the poetick fidion of a 
 iecond death. He held, that the pure fpirit, and its 
 fubtile vehicle being born together, were infepara- 
 
 «» Porphyr. "jita Pytb. ° Plut. P/ac. I. 4. cap. 2. 
 
 P Cicer.de SencSi. f.il. 1 lb. de Nat. Dear. I. Z. 
 
 ' Tufc. lib. 1. p. 1300. ^'!L\nv(J^(X,i 'i'^'/j^> 2â/ucc. 
 
 ' OdyfC. lib, II. p. 167. 
 
 Jble, 
 
20 Of the Theology 
 
 ble, and returned after death to the liar from whence 
 they dêfcended. The Platonills, and almoft all the 
 ancient Philofophers had the fame notion \ St. 
 Paul, fpeaking of the refurreélion, feems to fiwour 
 this dillindion of the celeftial and the terreftrial 
 body ; ' But fome man will fay, how are the dead 
 raifed up ? and with what body do they come ? 
 
 * Thou fool, that which thou foweft is not that 
 
 * body which fhall be, but bare grain.. So alfo 
 
 * is the refurredion of the dead, it is fown in cor- 
 
 * ruption, it is raifed in incorruption ; it is fown 
 
 * in difhonour, it is raifed in glory ; it is fown in 
 
 * weaknefs, it is raifed in power ; it is fown a na- 
 
 * tural body, it is raifed a fpiritaal body. Now 
 
 * this, I fay, brethren, becaufe that flefh and blood 
 
 * cannot inherit the kingdom of God ^ ' Hence it 
 is, that fome of the ancient fathers, as well as our 
 modern divines y, have concluded, that the mortal 
 and terreftrial body, which is ever changing, and 
 does not continue one moment the fame, is fome- 
 thing merely accidental to oar fubftance, and does 
 not originally belong toit; a thick cruft, a coarfe 
 covering caft over the celeftial, fpiritual, aftive and 
 glorious body, which being unveiled and enlarged 
 at the refurreélion, will appear in all its beauty ; 
 that this immortal feed, this incorruptible body, 
 this hidden principle, which is perhaps at prefent 
 the feat of the foul, will, for reafons known to God 
 only, remain buried after death in the common mafs 
 of matter till the laft manifeftation of the divine 
 Power i and that then the face of the earth will bç 
 
 " Plot. Enn. 4. /. 3. ér Enn. 6. I. 4. Fhilopon. Proem, in A- 
 riji. de Anim. Prod. Comm. in Tim, p. 164. 190, Hierocl. «u- 
 rea Carm. p. 293. Suidas the ivord Kvy6itS"y.ç . Cudivortb Intel- 
 leB. Syjl. p. ']C)i. 
 
 " I Cor, xf. Tjer. gj", 42, yo. 
 
 y Dr, Clarke on the Xeitig and Attributes of Cod, p. 3/7, 
 3^8, 3S9' 
 
 renewed 
 
OF THE Pagans. zi 
 
 renewed by purifying flames, which will purge our 
 globe of all that dark and earthly drofs which it has 
 contra^ed. And this notion renders the doélrine of 
 the refurreftion intelligible and philofophical. 
 
 I fhall conclude the article of Pythagoras with a 
 fummary of his doftrinc as it is given us by St. Cyril. 
 
 * We fee plainly, fays this father, that Pythagoras 
 
 * maintain'd, that there was but one God, the ori- 
 
 * ginal and caufe of all things, who enlightens every 
 
 * thing, animates every thing, and from whom 
 
 * every thing proceeds, who has given being to all 
 
 * things, and is the fource of all motion '^. 
 
 After Pythagoras comes Anaxagoras * of the 
 lonick fed, born at Clazomene, and mailer to Pe- 
 ricles the Athenian hero. This Philofopher was the 
 £rft after Thaïes in the lonick fchool who perceived 
 the necefTity of introducing a fupreme Intelligence 
 for the formation of the univerfe. He rejecSled 
 with contempt, and with great ftrength of reafon 
 refuted the dodrine of thofe who held, that '' a blind 
 neceffity, and the cafual motions of matter had pro- 
 duced the' world. He endeavoured to prove, that 
 a pure and uncompounded Spirit prefides over the 
 univerfe. 
 
 According to Ariflotlc's account, the reafoning 
 of Anaxagoras was founded upon thefe two princi- 
 ples : I. * That the idea of matter not including 
 
 * that of aftive force, motion could not be one of 
 
 * its properties. We mufl therefore, faid he, feek 
 
 * fome where elfe to find out the caufe of its aéli- 
 
 * vity. Now this a(5live principle, as it was the 
 
 * caufe of motion, he called the foul, becaufe it ani- 
 ^ mates the univerfe ^. 2. He diflinguifhed between 
 ■* this univerfal principle of motion, and the thinking 
 
 * principle, which laft he called the underfland- 
 
 * S. Cyril, contra Julian, lib. \.p. 8 J". 
 
 • Flor. Olymp. Lxxx. •» ?lut. vita Ter id. 
 
 f Ariji, de anim, lib, i,cap. t. f, dip, Edit, Pari/. 1629. ' 
 
 *ins"*. 
 
Il Of theTheology 
 
 * ing**. He faw nothing in matter that had any refcm- 
 
 * blance to this property ; and from thence he in- 
 
 * ferred, that there was in nature another fubftance 
 
 * befides matter. But he added, that the foul and fpi- 
 ' rit were one and the fame fubftance diftinguifhed by 
 
 * us only in regard of its different operations ; and 
 
 * that of all effences it was the mofl: fimple, the 
 ' moll pure, and the mofl exempt from all mixture 
 
 * and corapofition. ' This Philofopher pafTed at 
 Athens for an Atheifl, becaufe he denied that the 
 liars and planets were Gods^. He maintained, that 
 the firft were funs, and the latter habitable worlds ; 
 fo very ancient is the fyftem of a plurality of 
 worlds, which has been generally thought to be 
 modern. 
 
 Plato ^ condemns Anaxagoras for having explained 
 all the phaenomena of nature by matter and motion. 
 Defcartes has only revived this opinion. I cannot 
 but think it very unjufl to accufe the Philofopher of 
 Clazomene, or his follower of Atheifm, on this ac- 
 count, fince they both lay it down for a principle, 
 that motion is not a property of matter, and con- 
 fequently, that the moving force is altogether fpiri- 
 tual. It mull neverthelefs be allowed, that the 
 French Philofopher is blameable in fuppofing that 
 the vifible world is the neceflary and unavoidable ef- 
 fefl of a mere impulflon given to an indefinite mat- 
 ter. Hence it would follow, i. That the laws of 
 motion are not arbitrary and dependent on a fove- 
 reign Intelligence who a£ls with wifdom and defign ; 
 which totally deflroys the idea of final caufej. 
 .2. That the world, fuch as we fee it, with all its 
 irregularities, defc(^s and diforders, is precifcly in 
 the fame ftate wherein it was at firfl produced by 
 the Creator : Thefe two principles were the fatal 
 
 «i Ihid. p. 6io, e Plat, de Leglb. lo.p, 885. 
 
 5 Plat. Phxd. f, 73. 
 
 four ce 
 
OF THE Pagans. ij 
 
 fource of Spinoza's Atheifm : Believing with Def- 
 cartes, that matter and extcnfion are the fame thing, 
 and that all the different phaenomena of nature arc 
 the effe6l of the ncceffary laws of motion, he pre- 
 fently inferred, that immenfe extenfion and infinite 
 force might be properties of the fame eternal fub- 
 ftance, which afts by the immutable laws of a blind 
 ncceflity. 
 
 The moll fublimc genius of our age, being fenfi- 
 ble of thefe monftrous abufes of Cartcfianifm, re- 
 folved to undermine the foundations of that philo- 
 fophy. He dcmonftrated that the primary laws of 
 motion are purely arbitrary, and eflablifhed with 
 knowledge and defign by an intelligent Architeft, 
 in order to the prefervation of his work, and the 
 accomplifhment of fuch ends as are worthy of his 
 wifdom. It is with great injuftice that this Philofo- 
 pher has been accufed of throwing us back into the 
 I occult qualities of the Peripateticks. I confefs in- 
 I deed that the obfcure and confufed ideas which a- 
 I bound in the writings of fome of his difciplcs, have 
 given too much occafion to certain foreigners to re- 
 jeél the philofophy of Sir Ifaac Newton, at the fame 
 time that they admire his geometry ; but it is clsar 
 from his ^ {[ril writings, that he never conlidered 
 attra6lion as a caufe, but only as an efFeâ:, and that 
 he always fuppofed that this eifcdl might be produ- 
 ced by impulfion ^. Provided we rejedl the abiolute 
 plenum of the Cartefians, their romantick elements, 
 and their celcftial vortices which are by no means 
 geometrical, this incomparable Philofopher ^ admits 
 
 e vis eentripeta «?/?, qua corpora ver fus punSium al i quid tait" 
 quant ad centrum utidique trahuntur» impelluntur vel utcunque 
 tendu nt . Phil. Nat. Princ. p. z. 
 
 f ** ^am ego attra&ionem appello, fieri fane pete ft ut ea effet» 
 ùiur impulfUf vel alk aliquo modo nobis igncto. Opt, Ed.. Lat. 
 
 pav. 580. 
 
 Nat, Princ, pag. ult, Opt.pag. jj*©, 
 
 2 ÙAt 
 
24 OftheTheology 
 
 that there may be a fubtile fpirit, or ethereal matter 
 difFufed through all the immenfe fpaces, to be the 
 univerfal caufe and fpring of all the motions of the 
 celeflial and terreftrial bodies ; of elafticity, eledlri- 
 city, cohefion, fluidity, vegetation and fenfationj of 
 the emiffion, refraction and refledlion of light, and 
 even of attra6lion itfelf, which he looks upon as. 
 the immediate caufe of the mofl part of natural cf-: 
 fè6ls ; he would not however pretend to explain the 
 laws of this ethereal fluid, for want of a fufficient 
 number of experiments to prove them. It was an 
 cflential principle with him, that natural philofophy 
 ihould be founded upon experiments, and that thefe, 
 fhould afterwards be applied to geometry, in order 
 to gather from thence fomething more to be depend- 
 ed upon than ingenious conjedlures. His writings 
 difcover a wonderful fagacity , penetration and 
 depth, and all the marks of a folid undcrilanding, 
 which allows nothing to imagination in matters of 
 reafon; and though Defcartes muft be granted to 
 have furpafled him in perfpicuity and method, he 
 was unqueftionably neither fo profound nor fo geo- 
 metrical a genius, and gave a greater loofe to ima- 
 gination. 
 
 Socrates ^ follows clofe after Anaxagoras. The 
 common notion is, that he was a martyr for the 
 Unity of the Godhead, in having refufed to pay his 
 homage to the Gods of Greece ; but it is a miltake. 
 In the apology that Plato makes for this Philofopher, 
 Socrates acknowledgeth certain fubordinate Deities, 
 and teaches that the ftars and the fun are animated 
 by intelligences who ought to be worfhiped with di- 
 vine honours. The fame Plato in his dialogue upon 
 holinefs ^ tells us, that Socrates was not punilhed for 
 
 k Floruit Oljm, xc. ] flat. Eutypb,p,s, & 6, 
 
 deny- 
 
OF THE Pagans. 25* 
 
 denying that there were inferior Gods, but for de- 
 claiming openly againfl: the Poets who afcribed hu- 
 man palfions and enormous crimes to thole Dei- 
 ties, 
 
 Socrates however, whilft he fuppofcd fcveral in- 
 ferior Gods, admitted all the while but only one 
 eternal Principle. Xenophon has left us an excel- 
 lent abridgment of the Theology of that Philofo- 
 fopher. 'Tis perhaps the moll important piece we 
 have of antiquity. It contains the convcr(àtion of 
 Socrates with Ariilodemus, who doubted of :tr 
 cxiftence of God. Socrates makes him at firil take 
 notice of all the charaders of dcfign, of art, and of 
 wifdom that appear all over the Univerie, and par- 
 ticularly in the mechanifm of the human body. 
 
 * ™ Do you believe, fays he then to Ariilodemus, 
 
 * can you believe that you are the only intelligent 
 
 * being ? You know that you polTefs but a little par- 
 
 * tide of that matter which compofcs the world, a 
 
 * fmall portion of that water which moiflens it, a 
 
 * fpark of that flame which animates it. Is under- 
 
 * (landing peculiar to you alone ? Have you fo en- 
 
 * groffed and confined it to yourfelf, that it is to be 
 
 * found no where elfe .'' Does blind chance work 
 
 * every thing, and is there no fuch thing as wifdom 
 
 * befides what you have ? ' Ariilodemus having re- 
 ply'd, that he did not fee that wile Architeft of the 
 Univerfe ; Socrates anf.vers him. * Neither do 
 
 * you fee the foul which governs your own body, 
 
 * and regulates all its motions. You might as well 
 
 * conclude, that you do nothing yourfelf with de- 
 
 * fign and rcalbn, as maintain that every thing is 
 
 * done by blind chance in the univerfe.' Ariilo- 
 demus at length acknowledging a fupreme Being, is 
 Hill in doubt as to Providence ; not being able to 
 comprehend how the Deity can fee çvery thing at 
 
 w Xen, Mem. Sec. Ed, 'Bajtf. 1J79. l:t,j] p, jy^ 
 
 C once. 
 
16 Of theTheology 
 
 once. Socrates replies, * If the fpiiit that refidcs 
 
 * in your body moves and difpofes it at its pleafurc ; 
 
 * why fhould not that fovereign Wifdom which 
 
 * prefides over the univerfe, be able likewife to rc-r 
 
 * gulate and order every thing as it pleafes ? If* your 
 
 * eye can fee objcéls at the diftance of fcveral fur- 
 
 * longs ; why fhould not the eye of God be able to 
 ' fee every thing at once ? If your foul can think 
 
 * at the fame time upon what is at Athens, in E- 
 
 * gypt, and in Sicily ; why Ihould not the divine 
 
 * Mind be able to take care of every thing, being 
 
 * every where prefent to his work ? ' Socrates per- 
 ceiving at laft that the infidelity of Ariflodcmus did 
 not arife fo much from his reafon as from his heart, 
 concludes with thefe words : * O Ariflodemus, ap- 
 ' ply yourfelf fincerely to worfliip God ; he will 
 ' enlighten you, and all your doubts will foon be 
 
 * removed ! ' 
 
 Plato, a difciple of Socrates, follows the fame 
 principles. He lived about the hundredth Olym- 
 piad, at a time when the doélrine of Democritut 
 had made a great progrefs at Athens. The defign 
 of all his Theology is to give us noble fentiments 
 of the Deity, to fhew us that fouls were condemn- 
 ed to animate mortal bodies, only in order to expi- 
 ate faults they had committed in a pre-exiflent- 
 ilate ; and in fine, to teach that religion is the only 
 ■way to rellore us to our firft glory and perfedlion. 
 He defpifes all the tenets of the Athenian fuperfli- 
 tion, and endeavours to purge religion of them. 
 The chief objed of this Philofopher is man in his 
 immortal capacity : He fpeaks of him in his politick 
 one, only to fhew that the fhortefl way to immorta- 
 lity is to difcharge all the duties of civil and focial 
 life for the pure love of virtue. 
 
 Plato in the beginning of his Timseus diflinguifh- 
 
 cs between Being which is eternally, and being 
 
 z which 
 
OF TrfE Pagans. 17 
 
 which has been made ". And in another of hià 
 dialogues he defines God the efficient caufe which 
 makes things exift that had no being before ° : A 
 definition which Ihews that he had an idea of crea- 
 tion. Nor is it at all furprhlng that he Ihould have 
 this idea, fmcc it implies no contradidion. In re- 
 ality, when God creates, he does not draw a being 
 out of nothing, as out of a fubjed upon wh.ch he 
 works; but he makes fomething exiil which did 
 not exift before. The idea of infinite Powder nc- 
 cefTarily fuppofes that of being able to produce 
 new fubftances, as well as new forms. To make a 
 fubftance exift which did not exift before, has no- 
 thing in it more inconceivable than the m. king a 
 form exift which was not before ; for m bot^h cales 
 there is a new reality produced ; and whatever dif- 
 ficulties there arc in conceiving the paffagc from 
 nothing to being, they arc as puzzling in the one 
 as in the other. As therefore it cannot be denied 
 but that there is a moving power, though we do 
 not conceive how it a6ls ; fo neither muft we deny 
 that there is a creating power, becaufe we have not 
 a clear idea of it. 
 
 To return to Plato. He firft confiders the Deity 
 in his eternal folitude before the produflion of 
 finite beings. He fays frequently like the Egypti- 
 ans, * That this firft fource of Deity is furroundcd 
 < with thick darknefs, which no mortal can pcne- 
 * trate, and that this inacceihble God is to be a- 
 ' dored only by filence. ' 'Tis this firft Principle' 
 which he calls in feveral places the Being, the U- 
 . nity, and the fuprcme Good ? ; the fame in the in- 
 
 o T< TO cv juiv tait, •y'mo'iv St h'k Ï^ov kui ri to yiyvofxiuv 
 
 v>tT«x Talc (jih TTûiTif» Stii iictm yiynv^t^' T!at, Sopbrji* 
 fag. 185". Ed. Franc. \6ox. 
 e Df Re^iib, lib, 6. pag* 686, 
 
 C S tclligent 
 
z8 Of THE Theology 
 
 tclligcnt world, that the fun is in the vifible world. 
 He afterwards reprefents to us this firft Being as 
 Tallying out of his Unity to confider all the various 
 manners by which he might reprefent himfelf exte- 
 riorly ; and thus the ideal world, comprehending 
 the ideas of all things, and the truths which refult 
 thence, was formed in the divine Underftanding. 
 Plato always dillinguiflies between the fupreme 
 Good, and that Wifdom which is only an emanati- 
 on from him. * That which prefents truth to the 
 
 * mind, ùys he, and that which gives us reafon is 
 
 * the fupreme Good. He is the caufe and fource 
 
 * of truth. ^ He hath begotten it like himfelf. As 
 
 * the light is not the fun, but an emanation from 
 
 * it ; fo truth is not the firft Principle, but his cma- 
 
 * nation. ' And this is what he calls the Wifdom, 
 or the Logos. And laftly, he confiders the firft Mover 
 difplaying his power to form real beings, refem- 
 bling thofe archetypal ideas. He ftiles him ' "■ The 
 
 * Energy, or fovereign Architedl who created the 
 
 * univcrfe and the Gods, and who does whatfover 
 
 * he pleafes in heaven, on the earth, and in the 
 
 * fhades below. ' He calls him likewifc, * Pfyche, 
 
 * or the foul which prefides over the world, rather 
 
 * than the foul of the world ; ' to denote that this 
 foul does not make a part of the univerfc, but ani- 
 mates it, and gives it all its forms and movements. 
 Sometimes he confiders the three divine attributes 
 as three caufes, at other times as tlirce beings, and 
 often as three Gods : But he affirms that they are 
 .nil but one fole Divinity ; that there is no eflpntial 
 différence between them ; that the fécond js the 
 image of the firft, and the third of the fécond i that 
 
 q De Repub. lib. 6. p. 687. Toi^Tej Towv <^S.tctt^ f*i KÎyuv 
 Tov T» eCyaSS iKycvov hv T'atfaôcv «j-evxirtv aCva^^cyov lavrà 
 
 ' Plat, de Repub. lib. 10. p. 749. Anjuia^-yoç and not J»///- 
 upyifAim 4'''/C** i'^îf*s<'"<w/cf, and not lyKia^ioc» 
 
 they 
 
OF THE Pagans. 29 
 
 they are not three funs, but one ; and that they dit"- 
 fer only as the light, its rays, and the refle^lion of 
 thofc rays ^. 
 
 In other places, and efpecially in thcTimseus Lo- 
 crus^ Plato fpeaks of three other Principles, which 
 he calls, 'l^îx, '^TAjj, A<V^>}roç ; By the firll he un- 
 derftands the archetypal ideas contained in the di- 
 vine Intelle<5l : By the fécond, a primary matter, 
 incorruptible, eternal, uniform, without figure or 
 divilion, but capable of receiving all forms and mo- 
 tions : By the third, the vifible univerfe, bounded, 
 corruptible, confining of various parts ; and this he 
 ftiles the fon, the cffe£l, and the work of the idea 
 as the primitive father, and of the '^ÏA;; as the uni- 
 verfal mother of whatever exifts. We ought never 
 to confound thefe three principles of nature with 
 the three forms of the Divinity, which he calls 
 Agatho'!, Logos and Pfychc ; the fovereign Good, 
 which is the principle of Deity, the Intellc<fl which 
 drew the plan of the world, and the Energy which 
 executed it. 
 
 Tho' we fhould fuppofe that Plato confidered the 
 Logos and the Pfyche, the Intelleâ: and the Ener- 
 gy, not only as two attributes, but as two hypo- 
 ftafes, or emanations from the divine Subftance, it 
 would not follow that the Chrillians took their doc- 
 trine of the Trinity from him. He might owe this 
 idea to the ancient traditions tranfmitted from the 
 infant world, whence the Orientals, Chaldeans, E- 
 gyptians and Greeks originally drew their founded 
 notions in Divinity. The philofophers of all nati- 
 ons feem to have had fome idea, more or lefs con 
 fufed, of a certain Triplicity in the fupreme Unity"- 
 
 ^ Sm Cudivorth Intel!. Syji. from p. sBo. to p. f^O. 
 ' Tim. Loc. p. 1089. 
 
 " Plot. Enn. 'v.l, X, See Cudivorth' s Intell. Syji. from pag. 
 ,^70 to pag, 630. 
 
 C 3 Chri- 
 
30 Of the Theology 
 
 Chriftianity has only unfolded this ancient doélrine,' 
 It teaches us that in the divine EiTence there is a 
 triple diftinflion of Father, Son and Holy Spirit ; 
 that the aélions of the one arc not the allions of the 
 other ; that the Father exills of himfelf, indepen- 
 dently, as the primitive fource of Deity ; that the 
 Son comes forth from the Father by an incompre- 
 henfible generation ; and the Holy Spirit from both 
 hy an inconceivable proceiTion ; andlaftly, that thefc 
 two emanations from the Divinity are ncceflary, 
 co-eternal, confubilantial, infinite, and in all things 
 equal to the Father, his independence only excepted. 
 The church has been pleafed to exprefs this diftinc- 
 tion by the word Perfons ; to denote that this Tri. 
 nity is not a mere divifion of attributes, as the Sa- 
 belli^ns hold ; nor yet three different fubftances, as 
 the Trithcilb maintain. We have not a fuffici'ently 
 clear idea of the eternal Nature to be able to deny, 
 but ir may admit of fuch a diflindion. As to finite 
 beings, indeed, the only diflindlion we know in 
 them, is that of modes and fubflances ; but is thi? 
 a reafon to deny the pofTibility of another in the in- 
 finite EfTcnce ? Ignoramcc may be a reafon for doubt- 
 ing, but never for denying. 
 
 In order to filencc the incredulous, and make this 
 myflery intelligible to them, a famous * Dodor of 
 the Church of England, and, as I am afTured, the 
 greateil Philofopher ^ of modern times, believed 
 that it would do no prejudice to the faith to confi- 
 der the three Perfons of the Trinity as three indi- 
 vidual Agents, or three diftind Beings, though of 
 tl>e fame fubllance. This opinion is as far above 
 Arianifm, as Arianifm is above Socinianifm. Faisfto- 
 Socini maintained, that the Son had never any ex- 
 iftence before the incarnation. Arius held, that he 
 was created or produced out of nothing like finite 
 
 * Dr, Clarke. y Sir Ifaac Hiivton. 
 
 beings,! 
 
OF THE Pagans. ji 
 
 beings, but yet from all eternity, that is, before all 
 time. The learned Dr. Clarke maintains every 
 where, that the Word is not a creature, but an eir.a- 
 ■nation from the Father, co-etcrnal and confublhn- 
 tial ; that this emanation is as eflential to the Deity 
 a» his veracity ; that it is not poflible for the Father 
 to be without the Son, in any other fenfe than it is 
 poffible for God to lie* i and confequently that the 
 Word is not a precarious being which God may 
 annihilate. 
 
 I will not pretend to juftify any inconfiderate ex- 
 preflions which may have dropt from the Dodlor ; 
 we find fuch in the Fathers themfclves : But charity, 
 which thinks no evil, believes all things, hopes all 
 thing?, endures all things, will never infill upoa 
 the literal import of unguarded words, which are 
 difavowed. It mufl ncverthelefs be granted that 
 this doflrine, which is afcribed originally to Sir 
 Ifaac Newton, explains nothing, and only plunges 
 us in new difficulties greater than the firft. There 
 iTifty eafily be many diftinél beings of the fame di- 
 Tifible and finite fubilance ; but it is impoffible to 
 conceive three diftinft beings of the infinite and in- 
 divifible fubftance, without deftroying his nature, 
 and difcerpting the living and true God. Is it not 
 better contentedly to join with all Chriftian anti- 
 -quity, in faying, that there is a triple diilinftion, 
 real, but incomprchenfible in the Divinity, than to 
 difturb the peice of the Church with defining the 
 metaphyfical nature of this diftinélion, by fuch ideas 
 as lead to Tritheifm, contrary to the intention of 
 thofc who advance them ? How eafy are the moll 
 extenfive genius's led aftray, when they fliake off the 
 yoke of authority to give themfelves up to their 
 fpeculations } But to proceed. 
 
 » Obfefvations on Dr, Waterland's ^tries, p. 7/. 
 
 C 4 Ariflotle,, 
 
31 Of theTheology 
 
 Ariftotle, Plato's difciple, and prince of the perr- 
 p.Uciick Philofophcrs, calls God * ♦ The eternal and 
 
 • living Bcine, the moft noble of aU beings, a fub- 
 
 • ftincc entirely dilVmft from matter, without extcn- 
 
 • fion, without divifion, without part», and without 
 
 • fucccflion ;• who undcrllands every thing by one 
 
 • fingle z£ïy and continuing himfelf immovable, gives 
 
 • motion to all things, and enjoys in liimfelf a per- 
 
 • feft happinefs, as knowing and contemplating him- 
 
 • fclf with infinite plcafure.' In hi? mct.iphyficks he 
 Jays it down for a principle, '' ' That God is a fu- 
 
 • preme Intelligence which a(fts with order, propor- 
 
 • tion and dcfign ; and is the fourcc of all that i» 
 
 • good, excellent and jurt.' In his treatifc of the 
 ibul, he fays, * Tliat the fupremc Mind ^ is by its 
 ' nature prior to all beings, that he has a fovereign 
 
 • dominion over all.' And in other places he fays, 
 ' *• That the firft Principle is neither the fire, nor the 
 
 • earth, nor the water, nor any thing that is the ob- 
 
 • jeft of fenfe ; but that a fpi ritual Subllancc is the 
 
 • c.iufe of the univcrfe, and the fource of all the or- 
 
 • dcr and all the beauties, as well as of all the mo- 
 
 • lions and all the forms which we fo much admire 
 ' ia it.' Thcfe pafl*4ges fhcw, that tho' Arillotlc 
 held matter to be eternal, he ncverthelcfs confidcred 
 it as a produftion of the divine Intelleifl, and pofte- 
 jior in nature to it. He fuppolcd the eternity of this 
 produ6lion, bccaufc he could not conceive how the 
 divine Mind, being all ad^, and all energy, could 
 ever be in a flate of inadlivity. Befides this firft and 
 eternal Subil.mce, he acknowledges feveral other in- 
 telligent beings that prcfide over the motions of the 
 celellial fpheres. * There is, fays he, but one only 
 
 • Mover, and feveral inferior Deities. ^ All that is 
 
 ■ jlrif}. Ed Paris 1619. MetJph. lib. xiV. cs^.y.p. lOOO. 
 
 '' Metjph. lih. XIV. fJ/». 10. />. loof. « /</. Je j4nim. 
 
 lib. 1. cup 7. p. 628. •* Metapb. lib. 1. cap. 1, C> 3. 
 
 p. 8++, fc'4j-. Ç Met, lib. XIV. cap.B. />. 1003. 
 
 added. 
 
OF THE Pagans. 3Î 
 
 * added about the human fhape of thefe Deities, is 
 
 * nothing elfe but fiftion, invented on purpofe to in- 
 
 * ftrudl the common people, and engage them to an 
 
 * obrerv.ince of good laws. All m oft be reduced to 
 ^ one only primitive Subftance, and to feveral infe- 
 
 * rior fubftanccs, which govern in fubordination to 
 ' the firfl. This is the genuine doarinc of the an- 
 
 * cients, which has happily efcaped from the wreck 
 
 * of truth, amidft the rocks of vulgar errors and po- 
 
 * etick fjbles.' 
 
 Cicero lived in an age when corruption of man- 
 ners and fcepticifm were at their height. The feft 
 of Epicurus had got the afcendant at Rome over th.at 
 of Pythagoras ; and fome of the greatcft men, when 
 they were reafoning about the divine Nature, thought 
 fit to fufpend their judgment, and waver between 
 the two opinions of a fupreme Intelligence and a 
 blind muter. Cicero, in his trcatife of the nature 
 of the Gods, pleads the caufe of the acadcmick phi- 
 lofophcrs who doubted of every thing. It is how- 
 ever to be obferved, that he refates Epicurus with 
 great force of reafon in his firft book, and that the 
 objections which he makes in his third, as an aca- 
 demick, are much weaker than the proofs which he 
 draws from the wonders that.appear in nature, which 
 he infifts on in his fécond book, to demonflrate the 
 cxillencc of a fupreme Intelligence. 
 
 In his other works, and particularly in his book 
 of laws, he defcribes the univcrfc to us ^ * as a re- 
 
 * publick, of Vv'hich Jupiter is tlie prince and com- 
 
 * mon father. The great law imprinted in the hearts 
 
 * of all men is to love the publick good, and the 
 
 * members of the common focicty as themfelvcs. 
 
 * This love of order is fupreme jufticej and this juf- 
 
 * tice is amiable for its own fake. To love it only 
 ' for the advantages it produces us, m.iy be politick, 
 
 fCit. dc Leg. Ed. Amjl. 16^1. lib. i. /. i;88, — ,IQI, &c. 
 
 C 5 ' ♦ but 
 
J4 Of the Theology 
 
 * but there's little ofgoodnefs in it. 'Tis the higheft 
 
 * injuftice to love juftice only for the iakc ot rcconir 
 
 * pence. In a word, the univerfal, immutable and 
 
 * eternal J.iw of all intelligent beings, is to promote 
 
 * the happinefs ot" one another liJce children of the 
 
 * fame faiher.' He next reprelents God to us as a 
 Cover ei^n Wifdom, from whofe authoricy it ii ftill 
 more impraticable for intelligent natures to with» 
 draw thcmfclves than it is for corporeal ones. * ' Ac- 
 cording to the opinion of the wifeft and grcatcft 
 men, fays lliis Philofopher, the law is not an in- 
 vention of human underllanding, or the arbitrary 
 conftitution of men, but flows from the eternal 
 Reafon chat governs the univerfe. The ripe which 
 Tarquin committed upon Lucreiia, continues he, 
 was not lefs criminal in its nature, becaufe there 
 was not at that time any written law at Rome 
 againft fuch fort of violences. The tyrant was 
 guilty of a breach of the eternal law, the obliga- 
 tion whereof did not commence from the time it 
 was written, but from the moment it was made. 
 Now its origin is as ancient as the divine Intclleft ; 
 for the true, the primitive, and the fupreme law 
 is nothing clfe but the fovereign reifon of the great 
 Jove. This law, fays he in another place ^, is uni- 
 verfal, eternal, immutable. It does not vary ac- 
 cording to times and places. It is not different 
 now from what it was formerly. The fame im- 
 mortal law is a rule to all nations, bcc.iufe it has 
 fio author but the one only God who brought it 
 forth and promulged it.' Such were the reafonings 
 
 of Cicero when he confulted natural light, and wa» 
 not carried away by a fonunefs of fhewing his wit 
 in defending the dodrine of the Scepticks. 
 
 To come at Lift to Seneca the Stoick. He was 
 
 « Cic. lie I r i:h. 1 />. 1194. •> ^''og. of the rtfub. of 
 
 Cicero ^rejei-ved bj L^^ai.tiut lib, VI, c, 8. 
 
 Nero's 
 
OP tHE Pagans. jj» 
 
 Nero's tutor, and lived in nn age when Chriftianity 
 was not in credit enough to engage the heathens to 
 borrow any philofophical principles from thence. 
 
 * ' 'Tis of very little confequencc, fays he, by whac 
 
 * name you call the firft Nature, and the divine Rea- 
 
 * fon that prefidcs over the univerfe, and fills all the 
 
 * p:.rts of it. He is ftill the fame God. He is called 
 
 * Jupiter Stator, not as hiftorians fay, becaufe he 
 
 * Hopped the Roman armies as they were flying, but 
 
 * becaufe he is the conlhnt fupport of all beings- 
 
 * They may call him Fate, becaufe he is the firft 
 
 * caufe on which all others depend. We Stoicks 
 
 * call him fometimes Father Bacchus, becaufe he is 
 
 * the univerfal life that animates nature ; Hercules, 
 
 * becaufe his power is invincible ; Mercury, becaufe 
 
 * he ÎS the eternal Rcafon, Order and Wifdom. You 
 
 * may give him as many names as you pleafe, pro- 
 
 * vidcd you allow but one fole Principle every where 
 
 * prefent.' 
 
 Agreeably to Plato's notions, he confiders the di- 
 vine Underftanding as comprehending in it felf the 
 model of all things, which he ftiles the immutable 
 and almighty ideas '', * Every w^orkman, fays he, 
 
 * hath a model by which he forms his work. It filg- 
 
 * nifies nothing whether this model exift outwardly 
 
 * and before his eyes, or be formed within him by 
 
 * the ftrength of his own genius ; fo God produces 
 
 * within himfclf that perfefl model, which is the 
 
 * proportion, the order and the beauty of all beings.' 
 
 * ' The ancients, fays he in another place, did not 
 
 * think Jove fuch a being as we reprefent him ia 
 
 * the capitol, and in our other buildings. But by 
 ' Jove they meant the Guardian and Governor of the 
 ' univerfe, the underftanding and the mind, the 
 
 * Maftcr and the Architedl of this great machine. All 
 
 * names belong to him. You are not in the wrong 
 
 * S*nec. Edit. Ant. a Lipfio 1631. tie 'Bercf. lib. iv. p. Jir. 
 »« Scocc, Ej>iji,6j. f, 4^3. 'li^d. Natur, qujji, lib, ^.p.7^f' 
 
 C 6 'if 
 
3^ Of the Theology 
 
 if you call him Fate, for he is the caufc of caufes, 
 
 * snd every thing depends on him. Would you call 
 
 * him Providence ; you fall into no millake, 'tis by 
 
 * his wifdom thnt this world is governed. Would 
 
 * you call him Nature i you will not oftend in doinj 
 
 * To, 'lis from him that all beings derive their origin, 
 
 * 'tis by him that they live and breathe.' 
 
 There is no reading the works of Epidetus, of 
 Arri^n his difciplc, and of Marcus Antoninus with- 
 out admiration. Wc find in them rules of morality 
 uorthy of Chriftianity ; and yet thofc difciples of 
 Zciio believed like their mailer, that there was but 
 one Subftnnce, that the fupreme intelligent Being 
 was material, and that his EfTcnce was a pure aether 
 which filled all by local diifufion ; that whatever was 
 not extended was nothing ; and in fhort, that infinite 
 cxtenfion was the fame with the divine Immenfiry. 
 *" The Platoniils reprefented to them, that it was a 
 grofs imagination to fuppofe that every thing which 
 is, cx'i^s by local diflufion ; that were it fo, the di- 
 vine ETcnce would not be equally prefent every 
 where ; that there would be more of it in a great 
 fpace than in a little one ; that it is abfurd to con- 
 ceive that v.'hich is nothing but power, wifdom and 
 goodnefs, under the form of length, breadth and 
 îhickncfs ; that all other beings cxill in God, but 
 that he exifts only in himfelf j that immenfe fpace is 
 not the divine Immenfity, as time everlafling is not 
 the divine Eternity ; that the Immenfity of God is 
 the manner of his cxifting in himfelf without ex- 
 tenfion of parts, is his Eternity is the manner of his 
 cxilling in himfelf without fucceffion of thoughts ; 
 that (pace is but the manner wherein bodies exill in 
 ]him, as time h but the manner in which finite be- 
 ings exiil with him j that the one meafures the 
 bounds of the parts, and the other the variation of 
 
 "> P/at. r.'m. & de leg, lib. x. Arijf. de anim, lib, I. cap. 3. 
 F.rphyr,p.xio. 
 
 the 
 
OF THE Pagans. 37 
 
 the modes ; that we fhoiild have no idea of local ex- 
 tenfion if there were no bodie?, as we fhould have 
 no idea of fucceffive duration if there were no chinges ; 
 and laftly, that indefinite unbounded extenfion is not 
 immenfe in all fenfes, as it is not infinite in all refpcfts: 
 But that God is immenfe in all fenfes, as he is in all 
 refpefts infinite. 
 
 It was thus that the Pagan philofophers talked of 
 the divine Immenfity before the rife of fcholnftick 
 theology. The obfcurity of our reafonings on this 
 matter proceeds from our want of a clear idea of fub- 
 flances : We neither know nor dillinguifli them but 
 by their properties; othervvife we fhould fee that 
 the fupreme Unity may exifl every where without 
 extenfion of parts, as he exills for ever without fuc- 
 ccfiion of thoughts ; that he is all in all places, as 
 he beholds all beings with one glance. I'he reafon 
 of our not having a clear idea of the divine Immen- 
 fity, is our not having an adequate idea of Infinity ; 
 we afcribc to him certain properties, becaufe we fee 
 that they are contained in the idea we have of him ; 
 but we are obliged at the fame time, in order to 
 avoid abfurdities, to give him other attributes which 
 we do not comprehend. Thus in geometry we ad- 
 mit the infinite divifibility of matter, and the doc- 
 trine of afymptotes which follows from it, without 
 liaving a clear idea of either of them. 
 
 But after all, the materialifm of the Stoicks does 
 not evince that they were Atheifls; a falfe notion 
 about the Deity being far from proving that they 
 believed none at all. What conilitutes an Atheiil, is 
 not the maintaining with the Orientals, that matter 
 is an expanfion ot the divine Subftance ; nor with the 
 Stoicks, that the infinite EfTcnce is a pure sether ; 
 nor with the Platonills, that the univerfc is nn eter- 
 nal prcdu(5lion of the Deity ; but real Atheifin con- 
 fias in denying that there is a fupreme Intelligence, 
 who made the world by his power, and governs it 
 by his wifdom. For 
 
jS Of the Theology 
 
 For our fuller fatisfadion, with regard to the 
 theology of the heathens, let us fee what the fathers 
 of the church thought of it. They had fufficient op- 
 portunities of knowing it thoroughly, by the fre- 
 quent difputes which they held with them. As this 
 is a matter of a very nice nature, it may be dange- 
 rous to indulge any tiling to ones own conjeflures ; 
 Jet us have recourfe to wife antiquity. Arnobius " 
 introduces the heathens complaining of the injuftice 
 of the Chriilians. ' Tis a mere calumny, fay thofe 
 
 * heathens, to charge us with fuch a crime, as the 
 
 * denying of a fupreme God. We call him Jove, 
 
 * the fupremely great and fovereignly good ; we de- 
 
 * dicate our moll magnificent rtrudures and our capi- 
 ' tols to him, to fhew that we exalt him above all 
 
 * other Deities. ° St. Peter in his preaching at 
 
 * Athens, fays St. Clement of Alexandria P, infmuates 
 
 * that the Greeks had a knowledge of the Deity. He 
 
 * fuppofes that thofe people adore the fame God as 
 
 * we do, though not in the fame manner. He does 
 ' not forbid us to adore the fame God as the Greeks, 
 
 * but he forbids us to adore him after the fame way. 
 
 * He orders us to change the manner, and not the- 
 
 * objedl of our worfhip.' * The heathens, fays Lac- 
 tantius % * who admit feveral Gods, fay neverthe^ 
 
 * Icfs that thofe fubordinate Deities, though they 
 
 * prefide over all the various parts of the univerfe, 
 
 * do it in fuch a manner, as that there is ftill but one 
 
 * fole Ruler and fupreme Governor. From whence 
 ' it follows, that all other invifible powers are not 
 
 * properly Gods, but minirters or deputies of the 
 
 * one great and almighty God, who appointed them 
 
 * executors of his will and pleafure.' Eufebius of 
 Cefarea goes ftirther. * "■ The heathens own that 
 
 * there is but one only God, who fills, pervades and 
 
 " Arnob. lib. I. p. 19. ° An apocryphal book •which 
 
 ihenpajs'd under the name of St. Peter's. P Strom. I. ô.p.ô^f, 
 
 f Lib, I. p. 16, I Fr^ep, E'vang. 1. 3. cap, 13. p. loj. 
 
 * prefides 
 
OF THE Pagans. jp 
 
 * prcfides over univerfal nature j but they maintain, 
 
 * that as he is prefent to his work only in an incor- 
 
 * poreal and invifible manner, they are therefore in 
 
 * the right to worfliip him in his vifible and corpo- 
 
 * real efFefts.' I fhall conclude with a famous paf- 
 fage of St. Auflin, who reduces the Polytheifm of 
 the heathens to the unity of one fole Principle. 
 
 * ^ Jupiter, fays this father, is, according to the phi- 
 ' lofophers, the foul of the world, who takes diffe- 
 
 * rent names according to the different effefts which 
 
 * he produces. In the ethereal fpaces he is called 
 
 * Jupiter, in the air Juno, in the fca Neptune, in 
 
 * thç earth Pluto, in hell Proferpina, in the element 
 
 * of iire Vulcan, in the fun Phoebus, in divination 
 
 * Apollo, in war Mars, in the vintage Bacchus, in 
 
 * the harveil Ceres, in the forells Diana, and in the 
 
 * fciences Minerva. All that crowd of Gods and 
 
 * GoddefTes are only the fame Jupiter, whofe difFe- 
 
 * rent powers and attributes are exprefs'd by diiFe- 
 
 * rent names.' It is therefore evident by the tefti- 
 mony of profane poets, heathen philofophers, and 
 fathers of the church, that the Pagans acknowledged 
 one folefupreme Deity. The Orientals, the Egyptians, 
 the Greeks, the Romans, and all nations agreed uni- 
 verfally in teaching this truth. 
 
 About the fiftieth Olympiad, fix hundred years 
 before the Chriilian aera, the Greeks having loll the 
 traditional knowledge of the Orientals, began to lay 
 alide the dodlrine of the ancients, and to reafon about 
 the divine Nature from prejudices which their fenfes 
 and iniagination fuggefted. i. Anaximander lived 
 at that time, and was the firft who fet himfelf to de- 
 ftroy the belief of a fupreme Intelligence, in order 
 to account for every thing by the aftion of blind 
 matter, which by neceffity aflumes all forts of forms. 
 He was followed by Leucippus, Democitus, Epicurus, 
 
 f J. Aug, de Civ, Dei, l,^, c. ii, 
 
 Strato, 
 
40 OP THE Theology 
 
 Str.ito, Lucretius, and all the fchool of the atomical 
 philofophers. 2. Pythigoras, Anaxagoras, Socrates, 
 Plato, Ariitotle, and all the great men of Greece 
 oppofcd this impious do6lrine, and endeavoured to 
 re-ellablifh the ancient theology of the Orientals. 
 Thcfc philofophers of a fupcrior genius obferving in 
 nature motion, tliought nni dcfign, and the idea of 
 matter including none of thefc three properties ; they 
 inferred from thence, that there was in nature an- 
 other fubftance befides matter. Greece being thus 
 divided into two fedls, they difputed for a long time, 
 without cither party being convinced. 3. At length 
 about the izo''* Olympiad, Pyrrho formed a third 
 feel, v/hofe great principle was to doubt of every 
 thing, and determine nothing. All the Atomilb 
 who had laboured in vain to find out a demonftration 
 of their falfe principles, prefently ftruck in with the 
 Pyrrhonian fed. They ran wildly into an univerfal 
 doubting, and carried it almoft to fuch an exccfs of 
 frenzy, that they doubted of the cleared and mofl 
 palpable truths. They maintained without any al- 
 legory, that every thing we fee is only an illuiion, 
 and that the whole ferics of life is but a perpetual 
 dream, of which thofe in the night are only fo many 
 images. 4. At lall Zcno fet up a fourth fchool about 
 the 1 30'^ 01ympi.id. This Philofophcr endeavoured 
 to reconcile the difciples of Democritus with thofc 
 of Plato, by maintaining that the hril Principle was 
 indeed an infinite Wifdom, but that his ElFcnce was 
 only a pure zether, or a fubtilc light, which difîusM 
 itfelf every where, to give life, motion and reafon 
 to all bcipgs. 
 
 It is plain then that there were four forts of phi- 
 lofophers among the ancients ; the Atheills or Ato- 
 mics, the Spiritualills or Theirts, the Miterialiils or 
 Stoicks, the Pyrrhonians or Acadcmicks. In thcfe 
 laft ages the modern Free-thinkers have only revived 
 the ancient errors, difguiiing them undcrnew terms. 
 
 I. Jordaco 
 
OF thePagans^ 41 
 
 I. Jordano Bruno, Vannini, and Spinoza have 
 Vamped up the monftrous fyflem of Anaximander ; 
 and have added only Ibme artful dillinflions to im- 
 pofc upon we.iic minds. Spinoza perceiving clearly 
 that thought could not be an efFefl of matter, en- 
 deavoured to prevent all ohjc6lions againft the Ma- 
 terialifts, by maintaining, that ^ extenfion and thought 
 are properties of the fame fubftance ; that the ideas 
 of objedls are really nothing different from the ob- 
 jedls themfelve.s " ; that extenfion and matter are the 
 fame " ; that infinite fpace is the immenfity of God, 
 as infinite time is his eternity ^ ; and confequently, 
 that all eflences are but different forms of the fame 
 fubftance ^. It muil neverthelefs be granted, that 
 his Atheifm does not confift in thefe errors, fmce 
 they have all been maintained by philofophers who 
 had a fmcere abhorrence of impiety. Spinoza's A- 
 theifm lies wholly in this, that he makes the one 
 only Subftance, for which he contends, to adl with- 
 out knowledge or defign. 2. Defcartes, Malebranche, 
 Poiret, Leibnitz, Sir,Ifaac Newton, Dr. Bentley, 
 Dr. Chrke, Dr. Cheync, «nd feveral philofophers of 
 a genius equally fubtile and profound, have endea- 
 voured to refute thefe errors, and brought arguments 
 to fupport the ancient theology. Befides the proofs 
 which arc drawn from the effeds, they have infifted 
 on others drawn from the idea of the firft caufe. 
 They fhcw plainly, that the reafons for believing are 
 infinitely flronger than thofc for doubting ; and that 
 it is abfurd to deny what we fee clearly, becaufe wc 
 do not fee farther. 3. Mr. Hobbcs, and fome phi- 
 lofophers of more faith, Behmen, and feveral caba- 
 liftical writers, have revived the errors of the Stoicks, 
 and pretend that extenfion is the bafis of all fub- 
 
 * L-^cke of Hum. Under p. 4f6. " Harclof'i Dialogwei, 
 
 * D fcartet and Malebrancic. Y Dr. Clarke's Letters te 
 
 Lcihnitx^p. 77, up. f The Orientals and Semi cabalijiicsl 
 
 ^*■r iters, 
 
 ftanccs 
 
41 Of the Mythology 
 
 fiances ; that the foul differs from the body only ai 
 being more fubtiliz'd ; that a fpirit is but a rarify'd 
 body, and a body a condens'd fpirit ; and laftly, 
 that the infinite Being, though indivifiblc, is ex- 
 tended by local diffufion. 4. To conclude, there 
 are fome fupcriîcial minds, who not being able to 
 look upon truth with a fteady view, nor to weigh 
 the degrees of evidence, nor to compare the force 
 of proofs with that of objedlions, perfuade them- 
 felves that the mind of man is not formed for the 
 knowledge of trutn, run headlong into an univerfal 
 doubting, and fall at length into a fenfelcfs kind of 
 Pyrrhonifm, called Egomifm, where every one fan* 
 cie.s himfelf to be the only being that cxifts. The 
 hiftory of former times is like that of our own : 
 Human underftanding takes almoft the fame forms 
 in different ages, and lofes its way in the fame 
 labyrinths j there are periodical difeafej of the mind 
 as well as of the body. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 Of the Mythology of the PAGANS. 
 
 MEN left to the light of their reafon alonc^ 
 have always looked upon moral and phy- 
 iical evil as a fliocking phsenomenon in the work of 
 a Being infinitely wife, good and powerful. To 
 account for it, the philofophers have had recouric 
 to feveral hypothefes. Reafon told them all, that 
 what is fupremely good could never produce any 
 thing that was wicked or miferable. From hence 
 they concluded, that fouls are not no'>v what the/ 
 were at firft ; that they are degraded, for fome fiult 
 committed by them in a former ftate j that this life 
 is a ftate of exile and expiation ; and in a word, that 
 
 all 
 
ofthePagans. 4} 
 
 all beings are to be reftored to their proper order. 
 Tradition ftruck in with reafon, and this tradition 
 had fpread over all nations certain opinions which 
 they held in common, with regard to the three 
 liâtes of the world, as I fhall fhew in this fécond 
 part, which will be a fort of abridgment of the tra- 
 ditional doélrine of the ancients. 
 
 I begin with the Mythology of the Greeks and 
 Romans. All the Poets, fpeaking of the golden age, 
 or reign of Saturn, delcribe it to us as an happy 
 Hate, in which there were neither calamities, nor 
 crimes, nor labour, nor pains, nor difeafes, nor 
 death *. They reprefent, on the contrary, the iron 
 age, as the time when phyfical and moral evil Hrù. 
 appeared ; then it was that vices, fufferings, and 
 all manner of evils came forth of Pandora's box, 
 and over-flowed the face of the earth ^. They fpeak 
 to us of the golden age renewed, as of a time when 
 Aftrasa was to return upon earth ; when juftice, 
 peace and innocence were to flourilh again with 
 their original luftre ; and when every thing was to 
 be reftored to its primitive perfciSlion *^. In a word, 
 they fmg on all occalions the exploits of a fon of 
 Jupiter, who was to quit his heavenly abode and 
 live among men. They give him different name», 
 according to his different fundions ; lometimes he 
 is Apollo, fighting againlt Python and the Titans ; 
 fometimcs he is Hercules, dcflroying rnonfters and 
 gi.mts, and purgmg the c:\rth of their enormities 
 and crimes : One while he is Mercury, or the mef- 
 fenger of Jove, flying about every where to exe^ 
 cute his decrees; and another while he is Perfeus, 
 
 ' See Hefiod. dc facuï. auree, Orpkeus apud Picclum Theol. 
 Tlat, lib.j. cap. lo Lucre:, lib. >•. Ovid, hhtam.lib. i.fab. 3, 
 ^i''g. Georg. lib. 2. iin. 936. 
 
 ^Oi'id. Met. lib. I. fab. 4, f, & 6. Vtrg. Georg. lib. I. Un, 
 126 Jwv. Satir. 6. 
 
 c Firg. Eel. 4. So.cf. Trag. Ocdip.Aâi.z, 
 : ^ delivering 
 
44 Of THE Mythology 
 
 delivering Andromeda or human nature, from the 
 monfter that rofc out of the great deep to devour 
 her. He is always fome Ton of Jupiter, giving bat- 
 tles, and gaining vidlories. I will not infill upon 
 thefe poetical defcriptions, becaufe they may per- 
 haps be looked upon as mere fixions, and a ma- 
 chinery introduced to embcllifh a poem, and amufe 
 the mind. Allegorical explications are liable to un- 
 certainty and miftake : So that I fhill go on dire6l!y 
 to reprefent the doélrine of the philofophers, parti- 
 cularly that of Plato, which is the fourcc from 
 whence Plotinus, Proclus, and the Pl.itonills of the 
 third century drew their principal notions. 
 
 To begin with the dialogue of Phredo, or of immor- 
 tality, and give a fhortanalyfisof it: Phsedo gives his 
 friend an account of the condition in which he faw 
 Socrates at the time of his death. ' He quitted life, 
 fays he, * with a ferenc joy, and a noble intrepidi- 
 ' ty. * His friends asking him the reafon of it, • I 
 
 * hope, fays Socrates in his anfwer, to be re-united 
 
 * to the good and perfe£t Gods, and to be aflbciated 
 
 * with better men than thofc I leave upon earth *. * 
 When Ccbes objcdls to him that the ibiil vanifhes 
 after death like a fmoke, and is entirely annihilated, 
 Socrates fets himfelf to refute that opinion, and en- 
 deavours to prove that the foul had a real exiftence " 
 in an happy ftate, before it informed an liuman 
 body. This doflrine he afcribes to Orpheus '. 
 ' The difciples of Orpheus, fays he, called the bod^ 
 
 * a prifon, becaufe the foul is here in a ftatc of 
 
 * punifhmcnt till it has expiated the faults that it 
 
 * committed in heaven. Souls, continued Plato, 
 
 * that are too much given to bodily pleafures, and 
 
 * are in a manner befotted, wander upon the earth, 
 
 * and are put into new bodies ; ^ for all fenfuality 
 
 «> P. 4-8. 1 1. e P. ^7. f PUt. CratyL f.lzjÔ. 
 
 ePbacip. 61, 62, 63. 
 
 * and 
 
OF THE Pagans. 4f 
 
 * and paflion caufe the foul to have a flronger at- 
 
 * tachment to the body, make her fancy that flie is 
 
 * of the fame nature, and render her in a manner 
 
 * corporeal j fo that fhe contrails an incapacity of 
 
 * flying away into another life. Being opprciTed 
 
 * with the weight of her imparity and corruption, 
 
 * flie finks again into matter, and becomes thereby 
 
 * difabled to remount towards the regions of purity, 
 
 * and attain to a re-union with her Principle. 
 Upon this foundation is built the do6lrine of the 
 
 tranfmigration of fouls, which Plato reprefents in 
 the fécond Timasus as an allegory, and at other 
 times as a thing real, where fouls that have made 
 themfelves unworthy of the fupreme Beatitude, fo- 
 journ and fuffer fuccefiively in the bodies of differ- 
 ent animals, till at laft they are purged of their 
 crimes, by the pains they undergo. This hath made 
 fome philofophers believe that the fouls of beafts 
 are degraded fpirits. A very ancient dodrine, and 
 common to all the Afiaticks, from whom Pythago- 
 ras and Plato derived it ; but the poets had much 
 debafed it by their fidlions. They fuppofed that 
 there was an univerfal and eternal metempfycofis j 
 that all fpirits were fubjedl to it, without ever ar- 
 riving at any fixed flate. The philofophers, on the 
 contrary, believed that none but depraved fouls 
 were deflin'd to fuch a tranfmigration, and that it 
 would one day be at an end, when they were puri- 
 fied from their crimes ''. 
 
 The Pythagoreans and Platonifts not being able 
 to perfuade themfelves that the brutes were abfo- 
 lutely infenfible of picafure and pain, for that m;it- 
 ter was capable of fenfation and confcioufnefs, or 
 that the Divine Jullice could inflift fufferings on 
 intelligences that had never offended, thought the 
 dodlrinc of tranfmigration lefs abfurd than that of 
 
 •» See Cudtv, Intel. Syficm. f, /^i^ 
 
 z mere 
 
4^ Of the Mythology 
 
 mere machines, material fouls, or pure intelligences, 
 formed only to animate the bodies of beafts. 
 
 The firft of thefe opinions is altogether contrary 
 to experience ; and though we may by general and 
 ingenious hypothcfes throw a mift before our eyes, 
 yet whenever we examine nicely into all appearan- 
 ces of fenfation difcernible in beafts, we can never 
 ferioufly doubt of it. I do not fay the appearances 
 of refledtion, but of fenfation ; I am not unaware 
 that in our own bodies we have frequent motions 
 of which we are not confcious, and which never- 
 thelefs feem to be the effeâ: of the moft exaft and 
 geometrical reafoning. I fpeak therefore of the 
 marks of pleafure and pain which we obferve in the 
 brutes ; and I think that we can have no pretence 
 to rejefl fuch evidence, unlefs it be that we don't 
 feel what happens to them ; but then, for the fame 
 reafon, we might believe, that all other men are 
 machines. The fécond opinion, which is that of 
 material fouls, held by the Peripateticks, tends to 
 deftroy all the proofs of the immateriality of our 
 fpirits. If matter be capable of fenfation, it may 
 likewife be capable of refle6ling uport its own fen- 
 fations, and the Materialifts will gain their point. 
 The third opinion deftroys all our foundell notions 
 of the Deity, by fuppofmg that God can create be- 
 ings which Ihall be immediately unhappy, without 
 any previous demerit on their part, degrade pure 
 intelligences without any reafon, and when they 
 for a while a6led in mortal bodies a part much be- 
 low the dignity of their nature, reduce them again 
 to nothing. 
 
 I will venture to fay, that the do6lrine of tranf- 
 migration is lefs repugnant not only to reafon and 
 experience, but likev^rife to religion, than either of 
 the other three. We fee in the ^ facred Oracles that 
 
 I St, Luke% chap, viiU 
 • impure 
 
OF THE Pagans. 47 
 
 impure fpirits may defirc fometimes to enter into 
 the bodies of the vilcft animals. After all, a true 
 philofopher will be prudently fccptical, with regard 
 to all uncertain conjedlures. The only ufe which I 
 would make of what has been above advanced, is to 
 fhew the incredulous that they fay nothing to the 
 purpofe againft us, when they maintain that our 
 fouls die like thofe of the brutes ; and further, that 
 the fiftions of the ancients, how abfurd foevcr they 
 at firfl; appear, are often more defenfible than the 
 fyftems of the moderns, which are fo much admired 
 for a depth of penetration. 
 
 To return to Plato. * Pure fouls, adds he in his 
 Phcedo, * that have exerted themfelves here below 
 
 * to get the better of all corruption, and tree them- 
 
 * felves from the impurities of their terreflrial pri- 
 
 * fon, retire after death into an invifible place, un- 
 
 * known to us, where the pure unites with the 
 
 * pure, the good cleaves to its like, and our im- 
 
 * mortal eflcnce is united to the divine. ' He calls 
 this place the firll earth, where fouls made their 
 abode before their degradation. * The earth, fays he, 
 
 * is immenfe ; we know and we inhabit only a 
 
 * fmall corner of it ^. That ethereal earth, the an- 
 ' cient abode of fouls, is placed in the pure regions' 
 
 * of heaven, where the liars are feated. We that 
 
 * live in this low abyfs, are apt enough to fancy that 
 
 * we are in an high place, and we call the air the 
 
 * heavens ; jiift like a man that from the bottom of 
 
 * the fea fhould view the fun and ftars through the 
 
 * water, and fancy the ocean to be the firmament 
 
 * itfelf. But if we had wings to mount on high, 
 
 * we fhould fee that there is the true heaven, the 
 
 * true light, and the true earth. As in the fea every 
 
 * thing is altered, and disfigured by the faits that 
 
 * abound in it i fo in our prefent earth every thing 
 
 k p, 81, 
 
48 Of THE Mythology 
 
 * is deformed, corrupted, and in a ruinous condi- 
 
 * tion, if compared with the primitive earth. ' 
 Plato gives afterwards a pompous defcription of that 
 ethereal earth, of which ours is only a broken cruft. 
 He fays ^, that * every thing there was beautiful, 
 
 * harmonious and tranfparent ; fruits of an exqui- 
 
 * fite tafte grew there naturally ; and it was watered 
 
 * with rivers ^of ne6lar. They there breathed the 
 
 * light, as we here breathe the air, and they drank 
 
 * waters which were purer than air itfelf ' This 
 notion of Plato agrees in a great meafure with that 
 of Defcartes, about the nature of the planets ; this 
 modern philofopher was of opinion that they were 
 at iirft funs, which contracted afterwards a thick and 
 opake cruft. 
 
 This fame doftrine of Plato is likewife clearly 
 explained in his Timseus"\ There he tells us how 
 Solon in his travels difcourfcd with an Egyptian 
 prieft about the antiquity of the world, its origin, 
 and the revolutions which had happened in it ac- 
 cording to the Mythology of the Greeks. Upon 
 which the Egyptian prieft fays to him, * O Solon, 
 
 * you Greeks are always children, and you never 
 
 * come to an age of maturity ; your underftanding 
 
 * is young, and has no true knowledge of antiquity. 
 ' There have been upon earth fcveral deluges and 
 
 * conflagrations, caufed by changes in the motion 
 ' of the heavenly bodies. Your hiftory of Phaeton, 
 
 * whatever air it has of a fable, is neverthelefs not 
 
 * without a real foundation. We Egyptians have 
 ' preferved the memory of thefe fads in our monu- 
 ^ ments and temples ; whereas it is but a very little 
 
 * while that the Greeks have had any knowledge 
 ' of letters, of the mufcs, and of the fciences. * 
 This difcourfe puts Timacus upon explaining to So- 
 crates the origin of things, and the primitive ftate 
 
 Î P. 8z. |n Tm,p, 1043. 
 
 of 
 
or THE Pagans. 4^ 
 
 of the world. * " Whatercr has been produced, 
 
 * f:\ys he, has been produced by feme caufe. 'Ti« 
 
 * no eafy matter to know the nature of this Maker, 
 
 * and Father of the univerfe ; and though yoa 
 
 * fhould difcover it, it would be impoITible for you. 
 ■* to make the vulgar comprehend it. This Archi- 
 
 * te£l of the world, continues he, had a model bjr 
 
 * which he produced every thing, and this model is 
 
 * Himfelf. As he is good, and what is good has 
 
 * not the leaft tindurc of envy, he made all things, 
 
 * as far as was polfible, like Himfelf. He made the 
 
 * world perfedl in the whole of its conflitution, pcr- 
 ■* feft too in all the various parts that compofe it, 
 
 * which were fubjeft neither to difeafcs, nor to de- 
 
 * cay of age. The Father of all things beholding 
 
 * this beautiful image of Himfelf, took a compla- 
 
 * cency in his work, and this complacency raifed in 
 
 * him a defire of improving it to a nearer likenefs to 
 ' its model. 
 
 In the dialogue which bears the title of Poli ti eus-, 
 Plato mentioning this primitive ftate of the world, 
 calls it the reign of Saturn, and defcribes it in this 
 manner. * ° God was then the Prince and common 
 
 * Father of all ; he governed the world by himfelf^ 
 
 * as he governs it now by inferior Deities : Rage 
 ' and cruelty did not then prevail upon earth ; war 
 
 * and fedition were not fo much as known God 
 
 * himfelf took care of the fuftenance of mankind, 
 ^ and was their Guardian and Shepherd: Ther^ 
 
 * were no magiftrates nor civil polity as there are 
 
 * now. In thofe happy days men fprung out of the 
 
 * bofom of the earth, which produced them of it 
 ' felf, like flowers and trees. The fertile fields 
 
 * yielded fruits and corn without the labour of til- 
 
 * lage. Mankind flood in no need of raiment to 
 
 * cover their bodies, being troubled with no inclc- 
 
 ? P. 1047, o Pag. Si7> Si^' 
 
 D < mcncy 
 
1 
 
 fO O F T H E M Y T H O L O G Y 
 
 * mency of the feafous; and they took their reft 
 
 * upon beds of turf of a perpetual verdure. Under 
 
 * the reign of Jupiter, Saturn, the mailer of the 
 
 * univerfc, having quitted as it were the reins of 
 
 * his empire, hid himfelf in an inacceffible retreat. 
 
 * The inferior Gods who governed under him re- 
 
 * tired likcwife ; the very foundations of the world 
 « were fhaken by motions contrary to its principle 
 
 * and its end, and it loft its beauty and its lute. 
 
 * Then it was that good and evil were blended to- 
 
 * gether. But in the end, left the world fhould be 
 
 * plunged in an eternal abyfs of confufion, God, the 
 
 * author of the primitive order, will appear again and 
 
 * rcfume the reins of empire. Then he will change, 
 
 * amend, embellilh and reftore the whole frame of 
 
 * nature, and put an end to decay of age, to difeafes 
 
 * and death. ' 
 
 In the dialogue under the title of Phcedrus, Plato 
 .more diftindly unfolds the fecret caufes of moral 
 evil, which brought in phyfical evil. *p There arc 
 
 * in every one of us, fays he, two principal fprings 
 
 * of aftion, the defire of pleafure, and the love of 
 
 * virtue, which ^re the wings of the foul. When 
 « thefe wings are parted, when the love of pleafure 
 
 * and the love of virtue c^rry us contrary ways, 
 
 * then fouls fall down into mortal bodies. '^ Let us 
 fee here his notion of the pleafures which fpirits taftc 
 in heaven, and of the manner how fouls fell from 
 the happy fj:ate which they enjoyed there. * "^ The 
 
 * great Jupiter, fays he, animating his v^inged cha- 
 
 * riot, marches firft, followed by all the inferior 
 
 * Gods and Genii ; thus they traverfe the heavens, 
 
 * admiring the infinite wonders thereof. But when 
 < they go to the great banquet, they raife them- 
 
 . * felves to the top of heaven, and mount above the 
 . < fpheres. None of our poets ever yet fung, or can 
 
 9 Fag, I1I5. ^ Tag, izaz. 
 
 / flBg 
 
OF THE Pagans. ft 
 
 * fmg that fuper-celeftial place. ' It is there that 
 
 * fouls contemplate with the eyes of the underfland- 
 
 * ing the truly exiiling EfTence, which has neither 
 colour, nor figure, nor is the objed of any fenfc, 
 
 * but is purely intelligible. There they fee virtue, 
 
 * truth and juftice not as they are here below, but 
 
 * as they cxift in him who is Being itfelf Tlicrc 
 
 * they fatiate themfelves with that fight till they arc 
 
 * no longer able to bear the glory of it, and then 
 
 * they return back to heaven, where they feed again 
 
 * on ncdar and ambrofia. Such is the life of the 
 
 * Gods. Now, continuel Plato, ^ every foul which 
 
 * follows God faithfully into that fupcr-celellial 
 
 * place, preferves itfelf pure and without blemifh ; 
 
 * but if it takes up with neflar and ambrofia, and 
 
 * does not attend on Jupiter's chariot to go and 
 
 * contemplate truth, it grows heavy and fluggifh, it 
 
 * break» its wings, it falls upon the earth, and en- 
 
 * ters into a human body more or lefs vile, accord- 
 
 * ing as it has been more or lefs elevated. Souls 
 
 * lefs degraded than others dwell in the bodies of 
 
 * philofophers. The moll defpicable of all animate 
 
 * the bodies of tyrants and evil princes. Their con* 
 
 * dition alters after death, and becomes more or 
 
 * lefs happy, according as they have loved virtue or 
 
 * vice in their life time. After ten thoufand years 
 
 * fouls will be re-united to their origin. During 
 
 * that fpace of time their wings grow again and arc 
 
 * renewed ^^ 
 
 Such was the doftrinc which Plato oppofed to 
 the profane fe£l of Democritus and Epicurus, who 
 denied an eternal Providence on account of the phy- 
 fical and moral evil which they faw in the world. 
 This Philofopher gives us a fine defcription of the 
 
 ' "TTrî^HùclviOÇ TOTTûÇ. ^ Pag. l^X^. 
 
 ' This aoElrine of Plato* i% concerning the fall and rtfioratlon. 
 of fûuh, is explained by Macrobiui in bis commentary ou Sdpio's 
 dreamt £bap. 'V. 12, 13. 
 
 D 2 uni- 
 
5*1 Of the Mythology 
 
 univerfc : He confiders it as an immenfity filled with 
 free fpirits, which inh:îbit and inform innumerable 
 worlds. Thefè fpirits are qaaliiied to enjoy a dou- 
 ble felicity ; the one confiding in the contemplation 
 of the divine Eifence, the other in admiring his 
 works. When fouls no longer make their felicity 
 confift in the knowledge of truth, and when lower 
 pleafures turn them off from the love of the fupremc \ 
 Effence, they are thrown down into fome planet, 
 there to undergo expiatory punifnments till they 
 are cured by their fufferings. Thefe planets are 
 confequcntly, according to Plato's notion, like hof- 
 pitals or ^ places inflituted for the cure of diftcm- 
 pered intelligences. Such is the inviolable law efta- 
 blifhed ^ for the prefervation of order in the celeftial 
 fpheres. This double employment of the heavenly 
 fpirits is one of the fublimeft notions of Ph;to, and 
 fhcws the wonderful depth of his genius. It was 
 the fyftem adopted by the heathen philofophers, 
 whenever they attempted to explain to us the ori- 
 gin of evil ; and thus they reafon. If fouls could 
 without intermiffion contemplate the divine Eflencc 
 by a diredl view, they would be impeccable, the 
 fight of the fupreme Good neceffarily engaging all 
 the love of the will. To explain therefore the fall 
 of fpirits, they are forced to fuppofe an interval, | 
 when the foul withdraws from the divine Prefence, 
 and quits the fuper-celcftial abode, in order to ad- 
 mire the beauties of nature, and entertain herfelf 
 with ambrofia, as a food lefs delicate, and more fuit- 
 able to a finite being. 'Tis in thefe intervals that 
 ïhe becomes falfe to her duty. 
 
 Pythagoras had learned the fame doélrine among 
 the Egyptians. V/e have ftill a very valuable monu- 
 ment of it left in the commentary of Hierocles 
 upon the golden verfes afcribed to that Philofo- 
 
 pher. 
 
OF THE Pagans. fj 
 
 phcr. *yA3 our alienation from God, fays this au- 
 thor, and the lol's of the wings which ufed to 
 raife us up to heavenly things have thrown us 
 down into this region of death which is over-run 
 with all manner of evils ; fo the flripping our 
 felves of earthly afFeaions, and the revival ot 
 virtues in us make our wings grow again, and 
 raife us up to the mnnfions of life, where true 
 good is to be found without any mixture of evil. 
 The eUcnce of man being in the middle between 
 beings tlut contemplate God without ccafing, and 
 fuch as are notable to contemplate him at all, he 
 has it in his power to railc himfelf up towards the 
 one, or fink down towards the other.' * * The 
 wicked man, fays Hierocles in another place, does 
 not care that the foul fliould be immortal, for fear 
 he fhould live after death only to fufFer punifli- 
 mcnt. But the judges of the Aiades below, as they 
 form their judgment upon the rules of truth, do 
 not dc.-ree, that the foul fliould cxiil no longer, 
 but that it lliould be no longer viciouJ. Their 
 bufmefs is to corred and cure it, by prefcribing 
 punifhments for the health of nature, juft as phy- 
 ficians heal the mod inveterate ulcers by incifion». 
 Thefe judges punifh the crime in order to extir- 
 pate vice. They do not annihilate the elTence of 
 the foul, but bring it back to its true and ge- 
 nuine exiilence, purifying it from all the paflions 
 that corrupt it. And therefore when we have fin- . 
 ned,' we fhould be glad to embrace the puniihment 
 as the only remedy for vice. ' 
 'Tis theicfbrc evidently the do6lrine of the moft 
 famous Greek philofophers, i. That fouls had a 
 pre exiflence in heaven. 2. That the Jupiter who 
 marched at the head of fouls before the lofs of their 
 
 y Hîerocl. Comtn. in aurca Carm. p. IÎ7. Edit, Cant, 1709. 
 '^ lb:d. Canr.. p. 12.0. 
 
 D 3 wmgs. 
 
5*4 Of the Mythology 
 
 wings, is diftinft from the fupreme EfTence, and is 
 very like the Mythras of the Perlians, and the Orus 
 of the Egyptians. 3. That fouls loft their wings, 
 and were thruft down into mortal bodies, becaufc 
 that inftead of following Jupiter's chariot, they gave 
 themfelves too much up to the enjoyment of lower 
 pleafures. 4. That at the end of a certain period of 
 time, the wings of the foul fhall grow again, and Sa- 
 turn fhall refume the reins of his empire in order to 
 rcftore the univerfe to its original fplendor. 
 
 Let us now examine the Egyptian Mythology, 
 the fource from whence that of the Greeks was de- 
 rived. I fhall not offer to maintain the myllical ex- 
 plications that Kircher gives of the famous table of 
 Ilis, and of the obelisks that are to be feen at Rome : 
 I confine my felf to Plutarch, who has preferved us 
 'an admirable monument of that Mythology. To 
 reprefent it in its real beauties, it will be proper to 
 give a fhort and clear analyfis of his treatife of Ifu 
 and Ofiris, which is a letter written to Clca, prieftefs 
 of Ifis. * * The Egyptian Mythology, fays Plu- 
 
 * tarch, has two fenfes, the one facred and fublime, 
 
 * the other fenfible and palpable. 'Tis for this rea- 
 
 * fon that the Egyptians put Sphinxes before the 
 
 * door of their temples ; defigning thereby to fig- 
 
 * nify to us that their Theology contains the fecrcts 
 *" of v/ifdom under enigmatical words. This is alfo 
 
 * the fenfe of the infcription upon a ftatue of Pallas 
 
 * or Ifis at Sais, I am all that is, has been, 
 
 * AND SHALL BE, AND KO MORTAL HAS EVER 
 
 * YET REMOVED THE VEIL THAT COVERS ME. ' 
 
 * ^ He afterwards relates the Egyptian fable of Ifis 
 
 * and Onris. They were both born of Rhea and the 
 
 * Sun ; whilft they were flill in their mother's; 
 
 * womb, they jointly ingendred the God Orus, the 
 
 'P*f. 35-4. *^^S- y^S- 
 
 * iiviug 
 
OT THE Pagans. f.j* 
 
 living image of their fubflancc. Typhon was not 
 born, but burll violently through the ribs of Rhea. 
 He afterwards revolted againll Ofiris, filled the 
 univerfe with his rage and violence, tore the bo- 
 dy of his brother in pieces, mangled his limbs, 
 and fcattered them about. Ever fince that time 
 Jfis goes wandering about the earth to gather up the 
 fcattered limbs of her brother and husband. The 
 etfc/nal and immortal foul of Ofiris led his fon O- 
 rus to the fllades below, where he gave him in- 
 flrudlions how to fight, and vanquifh Typhon. 
 Orus returned upon earth, fought and defeated 
 Typhon, but did not kill him ; he only bound 
 him, and took away his power of doing mifchicfl 
 The wicked one made his cfcape afterv/ards, and 
 was going to throw all again into diforder : But 
 Orus fought him in two bloody battels, and dc- 
 ftroyed him entirely. ' Plutarch goes on thus ; 
 ^ Whoever applieth thcfe allegories to the divine 
 Nature, ever blefTed and immortal, dcfcrvcs to 
 be treated with contempt. We mufl not how- 
 ever believe that they are mere fables without any- 
 meaning, like thofe of the poets. They reprefent 
 to us things that really happcnM. It would be 
 likewife a dangerous error, and manifeft impiety 
 to interpret what is faid of the Gods, as Eveme- 
 rus the McfTenian did, and apply it to the ancient 
 kings and great generals. This would in the end 
 ferve to deflroy religion, and cflrangc men from 
 the Deity. ' * ** There are others, adds he, much 
 jufter in their notions, who have wrote, that 
 whatever is related of Typhon, Ofiris, Ifis and 
 Orus muft be underftood of genii and daemons. 
 * This was the opinion of Pythagoras, Plato, Xe- 
 nocrates and Chryfippus, who followed the anci- 
 ent Theologifls in this notion. All thofe great 
 
 c P,7^. 358. ^Ihiif. « Pag. 360. 
 
 D JL *mcn 
 
f6 Of the Mythology 
 
 * men maintained that thcfc genii were very pow- 
 
 * erful, and far fuperior to mortals; th.u they did 
 
 * not however part.^kc of" the Deity in a pure and 
 
 « firr.ple manner, but nere compolcd of a fpiritual 1 
 
 * and a corporeal nature, and were confequcntly 
 
 * capable of pleafurcs and p.tins, paffions and changes ; 
 
 * for there i:re virtues and vices among the genii as 
 
 * well as among men. Hence come the fables of 
 
 * the Greeks concerning the Titans and Giants, 
 
 * the engagements of Python againft Apollo, and 
 
 * the funcs and extravagances of Bacchus, with fe- 
 
 * veril other iiaions like tiiofe of Ofiris and Ty- 
 
 * phon. Hence it is likewife that Homer fpeaks of 
 
 * good and evil daemons. Plato calls the firft tutc- 
 
 * lary Deities, becaufe they are mediators between 
 
 * the Deity and men, carry up the prayers of mor- 
 
 * tals to heaven, and bring us from thence the 
 
 * knowledge and revelation of fecret and future 
 ' things. ' «' <■ Empedocles, continues he, fays, 
 ' that the evil dicmons are puniflied for the faults 
 
 * they have committed. Firft the fun precipitates 
 ' them into the air ; the air cafts them into the 
 
 * deep Tea ; the fca vomits them up upon the l.md, 
 ' and from the earth they arc raifed at lall to hea- 
 
 * ven. Thus are they tranfportcd from one place 
 
 * to another, till being in the end puniflied and pu- 
 ' rified, they return to the place adapted to their 
 
 * nature. ' Plutarch, after having thus given a theo- 
 logical explanation of the Egyptian allegories, gives 
 Jikewifc the phyfical explications of them ; but he 
 rejefts them all, and returns to his firft doarinc. 
 
 * 2 Ofiris is neither the fun, nor the water, nor the 
 earth, nor the heaven ; but whatever there is in 
 
 * nature well difpofcd, well regulated, good and 
 
 * perfea, all that is the image of Ofiris. Typhoa 
 
 * 2S neither aridity, nor thc^/irc, nor the Ca ; but 
 
ofthePagans. si 
 
 * whatever is hurtful, inconftant and irregular.' 
 We muft obferve that in this Egyptian allegory, 
 Ofiris docs not fignify, as in other places, the firft 
 principle of Deity, the Agathos of Plato, but the 
 Ton of Ammon, the Apollo of the Greeks, Jupiter 
 the Condudlor, a God inferior to the fuprcme Dei- 
 ty. It was an ancient opinion among the Pagans 
 and Hebrews, that the Divinity had united himfclf 
 to the firfl and mod perfc<fl produftion of his power. 
 
 Plutarch goes farther in another treatife, and ex- 
 plains to us the origin of evil : His reafoning on 
 this occafion is equally folid and fubtile, and is as 
 
 * follows : * *" The Maker of the world being^ per- 
 
 * fedlly good, formed all things at firfl:, as far as 
 
 * was poffible , like himfelf The world at its 
 
 * birth received from him who made it all forts of 
 
 * good things : Whatever it has at prefent of un- 
 
 * happy and wicked, is an indifpofition foreign to 
 
 * its nature. God cannot be the caufe of evil, be- 
 
 * caufe he is fovercignly good ; matter cannot be the 
 
 * caufe of evil, becaufe it has no aftive force : But 
 
 * evil comes from a third principle, neither fo per- 
 « fe(fl as Gcd, nor fo imperfeél as matter. This 
 « third being is intelligent nature, which hath within 
 « itfelf a fource, a principle, and a caufe of motion. 
 
 I have already ihewn that the fchools of Pytha- 
 goras and Plato afTcrted liberty of will. The former 
 exprcfles it by that faculty of the foul, whereby it 
 can cither raife or debafe itfelf; the other, by the 
 wings of the foul, that is, the love of virtue and 
 the love of pleafure, which may move different 
 ways. Plutarch follows the fame principles, and 
 makes liberty conflit in the adlivity of the foul, by 
 which it is the fource of its own determinations. 
 This opinion therefore ought not to be looked up- 
 on as modern ; it is at once both natural and phi- 
 
 * ?lut, dt Anim.form. p.ioij, 
 
 D 5 OofophicAl. 
 
fS Of THE Mythology 
 
 lofophical. The foul can always feparate and re- 
 unite, recall and compare her ideas, and on this ac- 
 tivity depends her liberty. We can always think 
 upon other goods than thofe we are aftually think- 
 ing of. It mull be owned that the paffions, by 
 llrong fenfations they excite in us, fometimes talce 
 up all the capacity of the foul, and hinder it 
 from reflefting ; they darken its difcerning faculty, 
 and hurry it on to an afTent; they transform objefis, 
 and place them in a wrong light : But ftrong as they 
 are, they are never invincible ; 'tis difficult indeed, 
 but not impoffible, to furmount them ; 'tis always 
 in our power gradually to diminifh their force, and 
 prevent their excefs. This is the warfare of man on 
 earth, and this is the triumph of virtue. The hea- 
 thens feeling this tyranny of the paffions, were con- 
 vinced by the light of nature alone of the neceffity 
 ©f a celeflial power to fubdue them : They always 
 f eprefent virtue to us as a divine energy defcending 
 from heaven : They are continually bringing into 
 their poems guardian Deities, who infpire, enlighten 
 and Itrengthen us ; to fhew that heroick virtues can 
 only proceed from the Gods. Thefe were the pria- 
 ciples upon which the wife ancients went, in their 
 arguments againft thofe notions of fatality, which 
 are alike deftruftive of religion, morality and fociety. 
 
 To return to the Egyptians. Their doftrine, ac- 
 cording to Plutarch, fuppofes, i. That the world 
 was created without any phyfical or moral evil, by a 
 Being infinitely good. 2. That feveral genii abuling 
 their liberty, fell into crimes, and thereby into mi- 
 fcry. 3. That thefe genii mull fuffer expiatory pu- 
 nidiments till they are purified and reflored to their 
 ^rft flate. 4. That the God Orus, the fon of Ifi$ 
 and Oliris, and who fights with the evil principle, 
 is a fubordinate Deity, like Jupiter the Conduélor the 
 fon of Saturn. 
 
 Let us confult next the Mythplogy of the Qricn^ 
 
OP THE Pagans. fp 
 
 tils. The nearer we approach the firll; origin of 
 ations, the more pure fhall we find their theology. 
 * Zoroafter, fays Plutarch, taught that there arc 
 two Gods contrary to each other in their opera- 
 tions j the one the author of all the good, the other 
 of all the evil in nature. The good Principle he 
 calls Oromazes, the other the daemon Arimanius ^. 
 He fays that the one refembles light and truth, the 
 other darknefs and ignorance. There is likcwife a 
 middle God between thefe two, named Myrhras \ 
 whom the Perlians call the interceiTor or mediator. 
 The Magi add, that Oromazes is born of the pareil 
 light, and Arimanius of darknefs ; that they con- 
 tinually make war upon one another, and that Oro- 
 mazes made fix genii, goodnefs, truth, juftice, wif- 
 dom, plenty and joy ; and Arimanius made fix 
 others to oppofe them, malice, falfhood, injuflice, 
 folly, want and fadnefs. Oromazes having with- 
 drawn himfelf to as great a diftance from the fphere 
 of Arimanius, as the fun is from the earth, beau- 
 tified the heavens with ftars and conftellations. He 
 created afterwards four and twenty other genii, 
 and put them into an egg (by which the ancients 
 mean the earth ;) but Arimanius and his genii 
 brake through this ihining egg, and immediately 
 evil was blended and confounded with good. But 
 there will come a time appointed by fate, when 
 Arimanius will be entirely dcftroyed and extirpa, 
 ted ; the earth will change its form, and become 
 plain and even ; and happy men. will have only 
 one and the fame life, language and government.' 
 
 Theopompus writes alfo, * that according to the 
 dc6lrine of the Magi, thefe Gods muft make war 
 for nine thoufand years, the one deftroying. the 
 other's work, till at laft "^ hell ihall be no more : 
 
 I De Tnd, ^ Oftr'td. pa^.-^^o. K m^, » A/o xcti 
 
 Do ^ * Then 
 
6o OFTHE Mythology 
 
 * Then men fliall be happy, and their bodies become 
 ' tranfparent. The God who made all things keeps 
 
 * himfelf conceal'd till that time ; an interval not 
 
 * too long for a God, but rather like a moment of 
 
 * lleep. 
 
 We have loft the ancient books of the firft Per- 
 lians ; fo that in order to judge of their Mythology, 
 we muft have recourfe to the oriental philofc'phers of 
 our own time, and fee if there be ftill left among the 
 difciples of Zoroafter any traces of the ancient doc- 
 trine of their mafter. The famous Dr. Hyde, a di- 
 vine of the Church of England, who had travelled 
 Into the Eaft, and perfedlly underftood the language 
 of the country, has tranflated the following pafTages 
 out of Sharifthani, an Arabian philofopher of the fif- 
 teenth century. * " The firft Magi did not look up- 
 
 * on the two Principles as coeternal, but believed 
 
 * that light was eternal, and that darknefs was pro- 
 
 * duced in time; and the origin of this evil principle 
 
 * they account for in this manner : Light can pro- 
 ^ duce nothing but light, and can never be the ori- 
 ^ gin of evil ; how then was evil produced ? Light,. 
 
 * fay they, produced feveral beings, all of them fpi- 
 
 * ritual, luminous and powerful ; but their chief,. 
 ^ whofe name was Ahriman or Arimanius, had an 
 
 * evil thought contrary to the light : He doubted, 
 
 * and by that doubting he became dark. From hence 
 
 * proceeded all evils ; diflention, malice, and every 
 
 * thing elfe of a contrary nature to the light. Thele 
 
 * two principles made war upon one another, till at 
 
 * laft peace was concluded, upon condition that the 
 
 * lower world fhould be in fubjedlion to Arimanius 
 
 * for feven thoufand Years ; after this fpace of time 
 
 * he is to furrender back the world to the light.' 
 Here we fee the four notions that I fpeak of in the 
 foregoing work: i. A ftate before good and evil 
 
 • Hjde Rfl, ent. Ferf. cap,^. f>.i6^, ^ cap,ii,p,s-94' 
 
 I were 
 
OF THE Pagans. 6t 
 
 were Wended and confounded together, 2. A ftate 
 after they were fo blended and confounded. 3. A 
 ilate when evil fhall be entirely deftroyed. 4. A 
 middle God between the good and the evil Principle. 
 As the doftrine of the Pcrfian Magi is a fequel of 
 the do6lrine of the Indian Brachmans, we muft con- 
 fult the one to put the other in a clear light. We 
 have but few traces left of the ancient theology of 
 the Gymnofophifts, yet thofe which Strabo has pre- 
 ferved, fuppofe the two Ibtcs of the world, that of 
 nature in its purity, and that of nature corrupted. 
 When this hiftorian has defcribed the life and man- 
 ners of the Brachmans, he adds, ' ° Thofe philofo- 
 
 * phcrs look upon the Hate of men in this life to be 
 
 * like that of children in their mother's womb ; death, 
 
 * according to their notion, being a birth to a true 
 
 * and a happy life. They believe, that whatever 
 
 * happens to mortals here does not deferve the name 
 
 * either of good or evil. They have many notions 
 
 * in common with the Greeks ; and like them be- 
 
 * lieve that the world had a beginning, and will 
 
 * have an end ; and that God who made it, and go- 
 
 * verns it, is every where prefent to his work.' The 
 fame author goes on in this manner; ' Oncfecritus 
 
 * being fent by Alexander the Great to inform him- 
 
 * felf of the life, manners and dodlrine of thofe phi- 
 
 * lofophers, found a Brachman named Calanus, who 
 ' taught him the following principles. Formerly, 
 
 * plenty reigned over all nature ; milk, wine, honey 
 
 * and oil flowed from fountains j but men having 
 
 * made an ill ufe of this felicity, Jupiter deprived 
 
 * them of it, and condemned them to labour for the 
 
 * fuftenance of their lives. 
 
 In order to form a better judgment of the doflrine 
 of the ancient Gymnofophifts, t have confulted what 
 Iwis been tranllated of the Vedam, which is the fa- 
 
 ; Lia, I/. />. 713.714. Ed, Lut, Par,i6zo. 
 
 crcd 
 
6z Of the Mythology 
 
 crcd book of the modern Bramins : Tho' its antiquity 
 be not perhaps fo great as it is affirmed to be, yet 
 there is no denying but it contains the ancient tra- 
 ditions of thole people, and of their philofophcrs. 
 'Tis plain by this book, * f That the Bramins ac- 
 
 * knowledge one fole and fupreme God, whom they 
 « call Viftnou ; that his iirfl and moll ancient pro- 
 
 * duftion was a fecondary God, named Brama,whom 
 
 * the fupreme God formed out of a flower that float- 
 
 * ed upon the furface of the great deep before the 
 
 * formation of the world ; and that Villnou after- 
 
 * wards, on account of Brama's virtue, gratitude 
 
 * and fidelity, gave him power to form the univcrfc.* 
 They believe moreover, * i That fouls are eternU 
 
 * emanations from the divine EfTence, or at leaîl that 
 
 * they were produced long before the formation of 
 
 * the world ; that they were originally in a flate of 
 
 * purity, but having finned, were thrown down in- 
 
 * to the bodies of men or of bcafts, according to 
 
 * their refpeftive demerits ; fo that the hodf, v/hcrc 
 
 * the foul refides, is a fort of dungeon or prifon.' 
 Laflly, they hold, that * after a certain number of 
 
 * tranfmigrations, all fouls fhall be re-united to their 
 
 * origin, re-admittcd into the company of the Gods, 
 
 * and deified "■ *. 
 
 I fhould hardly have thought thefe traditions au- 
 thentick, or have brought myfelf to truft to the tranf- 
 lators of the Vedam, if this doélrine had not been 
 perfedly agreeable to that of Pythagoras, which I 
 gave an account of a little before : This Philofopher 
 taught the Greeks nothing but what he had learned 
 from the Gymnofophifts. 
 
 The difcovery of thefe uniforms and agreeing fen- 
 timents in Greece, Egypt, Perfia, and the Indies, 
 jnade me defirous to advance further into the EaTty 
 
 P See Abrab. Roger, of the religion of the 'Bram. "Book Ih 
 Tart I. chap. I, ^ F^rcber Sina Illtiji. q Ibid, Roger y 
 
 Fart 2. £b. J. { Mr, t^rshrt Sin<t VhJ}, 
 
 and 
 
OF THE Pagans. <îj 
 
 and to carry my refearches as far as China. I applied 
 myfelf accordingly to fuch as underflood the lan- 
 guage of that country, had fpent fcveral years in it, 
 and were well vcrfed in the original books of that 
 nation. And in this point particularly I have made 
 great ufe of the informations I have received from a 
 gentleman of a fuperior genius, who does not earc 
 to be mentioned till he has publifhed a large work 
 upon thefe matters, which will be of fervice to re- 
 ligion, and do honour to human underftanding. In 
 the mean time he has allowed me to publifh the 
 following paflages, which he tranflated himfelf out 
 of fome ancient Chinefe books that have been 
 brought into Europe, and which may be feen both 
 at Paris and at Rome ; fo that all who underftand 
 the language may judge of the faithfulnefs of the 
 tranflation. The ancient commentaries on the book 
 Yking, i.e. the book of Changes, continually l"peak 
 of a double heaven, a primitive and a pofterior. The 
 firft heaven is there defcribed in the following man- 
 ner : * All things w^cre then in a happy ftate, every 
 
 * thing was beautiful, every thing was good, all be- 
 
 * ings were perfed in their kind. In this happy age 
 
 * heaven and earth employed their virtues jointly to 
 
 * embellifh nature. There was no jarring in the 
 
 * elements, no inclemency in the air, all things 
 
 * grew without labour ; an univerfal fertility reign'd 
 
 * every where. The aftive and paffive virtues con- 
 
 * fpired together, without any effort or oppofition, 
 
 * to produce and perfc6l the univerfe.' In the 
 books which the Chinefe call King or Sacred, wc 
 read the following pafTagç ; * Whilll the firil: Itate of 
 
 * heaven lafted, a pure pleafure and a pcrfefl tran»- 
 
 * quillity reigned over all nature. There were nci- 
 < ther labour, nor pains, nor forrow, nor crimca. 
 
 * Nothing made oppofition to the will of man.' The 
 phUofophers who ftuck to thefe ancient traditions, 
 a.nd particularly Tchguan^fe, fay, * That in the ftatc 
 
 of 
 
64 Of THE Mythology 
 
 * of the firft heaven nun was united inwardly to the 
 
 * fupreme Rc.ifon, and that outwardly he praftifed 
 
 * all the works of jultice. The heart rejoiced in 
 
 * truth, and there was no mixture of filfhood ; then 
 ' the four fcafons of the year fucceeded each other 
 
 * regularly without confufion: There were no im- 
 
 * petuous winds, nor cxceffive rains ; the fun and 
 
 * the moon, without ever being clouded, furnifhcd 
 ' a light purer and brighter than at prefent. The 
 
 * five planets kept on their courfe without any ine- 
 
 * quality. There was nothing which did harm to 
 
 * man, or which fuffered any hurt from him. An 
 
 * univerfal amity and harmony reigned over all 
 
 * nature.' 
 
 On the other hand the Philofopher Hoainantfc 
 fpeaking of the latter heaven, fays, * The pillars of 
 
 * heaven were broken ; the earth was fhakcn to its 
 
 * very foundations ; the heavens funk lower towards 
 
 * the North ; the fun, the moon and the ftars changed 
 
 * their motions ; the earth fell to pieces; the waters 
 
 * enclofcd within its bofom burft forth with vio- 
 
 * lence, and ove -flowed it. Man rebelling againft 
 
 * heaven, the fyitem of the univerfe was quite dif- 
 
 * ordered ; the fun was eclipfed, the planets altered 
 
 * their courfe, and the univerfal harmony was dif- 
 
 * turbed.' The Philofophcrs Wentfc and Lietfe, who 
 lived long before Hoainantfe, exprefs themfclves al- 
 mofl in the fame terms. * The univcrfil fertility of 
 
 * nature, fay thefe ancient authors, degenerated mto 
 
 * an ugly barrennefs, the plants faded, the trees wi- 
 
 * thered away, difconfolate nature refufed to diftri- 
 
 * bute her ufual bounty. All creatures declared war 
 
 * againd one another ; miferies and crimes over- 
 
 * flowed the face of the earth.' * All thefe cvila 
 ' arofe, fays the book Liki, from man's defpifmg the 
 
 fupreme Monarch of the univerfe : He would 
 
 * needs difpute about truth and falfhood, and thefe 
 
 * difputes banifhcd the eternal Reafon. He then 
 
 « 
 
ofthePagans. dif 
 
 * fixed his looks on terreflrial objets, and loved 
 
 * them to cxccfs ; hence arofe the paffions ; he be- 
 
 * came gradually transformed into the objcds he 
 
 * loved, and the celcftial reafon entirely abandoned 
 
 * him. Such was the original fource of all crimes, 
 *•' which drew after them all manner of miferies fent 
 
 * by heaven for the punifliment thereof.' 
 
 The fame books fpcak of a time when every thing 
 »is to be rertorcd to its firft fplendor, by the coming 
 of a hero called Kiun-Tfc, which fignifies Shepherd 
 and Prince, to whom they give likewife the names 
 of, the moft Holy, the univerfal Teacher, and the 
 fupreme Truth. He anfwers exaélly to the Mythraa 
 of the Perfians, the Orus, or fécond Ofiris of the 
 Egyptians, the Apollo or Mercury of the Greeks, 
 and the Brama of the Indians. 
 
 The Chinefe books fpcak likewife of the fufFerings 
 and confli6ls of Kiun-Tfe, jufl: as the Peifians do of 
 the combats of Mythras, the Egyptians of the mur- 
 der of Ofiris. the Tyrians of the death of Adonis, 
 and the Greeks of the labours and painful exploits 
 of a fon of Jupiter who came down upon earth to 
 exterminate monilers. It looks as if the fource of 
 all thefe allegories was an ancient tradition common 
 to all nations, that the middle God was not to ex- 
 piate and put an end to crimes but by his own great 
 fufFerings. In fpeaking of the death of Adonis in 
 the foregoing work, I have made advantage of this 
 tradition to pave the way for what Daniel fays after- 
 wards to Cyrus concerning the fufFcring Meffiah. l 
 ihall here give the reader an account of what I find 
 in the religion of the Tyrians, and in the do£lrinc 
 of the ancients, to authorize the new allegory which 
 is added in the prefent edition, i. The Tyrians ac- 
 knowledged one fupreme God. named Bel, who is 
 tke fame with the Jehovah of the Hebrews *. 2. They 
 
 ' Seldcnui de Dili S\ris Sy?:r, z. cap. i. «/t "Be/c, 
 
 held 
 
66 Of the Mythology 
 
 held like wife a fubordinatc God, whom they called 
 Thammuz, Adon, Adonis, which lignifies the Lord ^. 
 3. Adonis, Ofiris, Apollo and Hercules are the 
 fame ^ 4. The death of Adonis killed by a boar, is 
 the fame with the murder of Ofiris {lain by Typhon, 
 or the evil principle ", 5. Solemn days were infti- 
 tu ted by the Phenicians to bewail the death of Ado- 
 nis, and to fmg praifes to him as rifen from the 
 dead ^. 6. Some ancient and venerable writers a- 
 mong the Chrillians believed that the fable of Ado- 
 nis was a corruption of an old tradition concerning 
 the fuffcring Meffiah, and apply all the Tyrian cere- 
 monies to our myftcries ^. 7. Adonis loved Venus, 
 cfpoufcd her, and ilic became the mother of the 
 Gods ^ 8. Urania, Aftarte, Venus and Proferpine 
 are the fame Goddeis ^. 9. Some think that Aftarte 
 is the morning ftar, Lucifer, or a fallen ftar ^. 10. Ac- 
 cording to the do6lrine of the ancients, as well Pa- 
 gan as Hebrew, fpirits fell not at once, but by de- 
 grees, that is to fay, from the £xed ftars into the re- 
 gion of the planets, from the planets to the earth, 
 and from the earth to the infernal regions ^ : For 
 which reafon I have reprefented thefe three different 
 falls of fpirits by the three names of Aftarte, Venus 
 and Proferpine. Thefe are the foundations on which 
 I have built the allegory of Adonis and Urania, 
 which Amenophis rchcarfes to Cyrus in the feventh 
 book. The only liberty I have taken is to make U- 
 rania rcprefent, not the divine Wifdom, but fallen 
 
 ^Uefych. on the ivord " K^uyiç. t See abo'vei p.\6. 
 
 « Seld. cap. ii. de Thammuz. x St. Jer. Comm. 5, 
 
 ttpon Ez.ek. St. Cyril, bozk i. Comm. upù^ Ifai, Procop. upon 
 the 1%^^ cb. cf ifii. Lucian. de Deà Syr, p. loyS. Macrob. 
 Saturn. 1. cap. zi. Y Jul. Firmic. de Myft. p. lyi. 
 
 * Seld. de Diis Syn's. Synt. x. c. 2. de ^Jîarte ér cap. 4. de 
 Ven. Syriac.^ '» Ibid. ^ Ibid. 224. Ed. Lugd. "Bat. 
 
 & Suidas ùî^oTTiTitç Àr>i^. c p/utarc. de Ifd. S" Ofirid. 
 
 ér Ritia>:g. Cab. dcniid. de revol. an im, part i. cap.u fee f up. 
 
 intel- 
 
ofthePagans. 6y 
 
 intelligences ; as Pfychc in Apuleius does not repre- 
 fcnt the foul of the world, but fouls untaithfal to 
 love : Thefc kinds of metonymy are frequent in the 
 allegorical and mythological writers. 
 
 We fee then that the doftrincs of the primitive 
 perfeftion of nature, its fall and its reftoration by a 
 divine Hero, arc equally manifell in the Mythologies 
 of the Greeks, Egyptians, Perfians, Indians and Chi- 
 ncfe. 
 
 Let us now look into the Hebrew Mythology. By 
 this I mean Rabbin ifm, or the philofophy of the 
 Jewifh dodlors, and particularly of the EfTcnes. 
 Thefe philofophers afTertcd, according to the tefti- 
 mony of Jofcphus ^y * that the literal fcnfc of the 
 
 * facred text was only an image of hidden truths. 
 
 * They changed, fays Philo % the words and prc- 
 
 * cepts of wifdom into allegories, after the cuftom 
 ' of their anceftors, who had left them feveral books 
 
 * for their inftrudlion in this fcicnce.' 'Tvvas the uni- 
 verfal taftc of the Orientals to make ufe of corporeal 
 images to reprefent the properties and operations of 
 fpirits. 
 
 This fymbolical flile feems in a great meafure au- 
 thorized by the facred writers. The Prophet Daniel 
 rcprefentsGodto us under the image of the Ancient 
 OF Days. The Hebrew Mythologifts and Cabalifts, 
 who were a fucceflion of the fchool of the Eflenes, 
 took occafion from thence to exprefs the divine attri- 
 butes by the members of the body of the Ancient 
 OF D^YS, We fee this allegory carried to an extra- 
 vagance in the books of the Rabbins. They fpcak 
 there of the dew that diftilled from the brain of the 
 Ancient of Days, from his skull, his hair, his 
 forehead, his eye», and efpecially from his wonder- 
 ful beard. Thefe comparifons are undoubtedly ab- 
 
 d Jofeph. de 'Bella Jud. lib. i. cap. iz, 
 *■ Fbil, dt legii alleg. lib. a, pag. jj. 
 
 furd 
 
68 Of the Mythology 
 
 furd, and unbecoming the Majeily of God : But the 
 cabaliilical philofophers pretend to authorife them 
 by fome metaphyfical notions. 
 
 The creation, according to them, is a pifture of 
 the divine perfe6lions : All created beings are con- 
 fcquently images more or lefs perfeél of the fupreme 
 Being, in proportion as they have more or lefs con- 
 formity with their original. Hence it follows that 
 all creatures are in fome refpcdl like one another, 
 and that man or the microcofm, has a refemblance 
 of the great world or macrocofm ,• the material 
 world, of the intelligible world ; and the intelligi- 
 ble world, of the Archetype, which is God. Such 
 are the principles upon which the allegorical expref- 
 fions of the Cabalifts are founded. If we ftrip their 
 Mythology of this myfterious language, we fliall find 
 in it fublime notions very like thofe we have before 
 admired in the heathen philofophers. I fhdl men- 
 tion four, which are clearly enough exprefs'd in the 
 works of the Rabbins Irira, Mofchech and Jitzack, 
 which Rittangelius -has. translated in his Cabala de- 
 nudata. 
 
 t. 'All fpiritual fubftances, angels, human foul?, 
 
 * and even the foul of the MelTiah % were created 
 
 * from the beginning of the world: And confe- 
 
 * quently our firll parent, of whom Mofes fpeaks, 
 ' reprefents not an invidual perfon, but all mankind 
 
 * governed by one fole Head. In that primitive 
 
 * ftate every thing was glorious and perfeft ; there 
 
 * was nothing in the univerfe that fuffered, becaufe 
 
 * there was no fuch thing as crime. Nature was a 
 
 * real and a fpotlefs image of the divine perfedli- 
 
 * ons. ' This anfwers to the reign of Ammon, O- 
 romazes and Saturn. 2. * ^ The foul of the Mef- 
 
 * liah, by his perfeverance in the divine love, came 
 
 ' Fi/îon, Eaekiet', Merca'v. Exp. apud Kittang. pag, 22y. 
 Tm, UL ^ Fag. .zz6. 
 
 'to 
 
OF THE Pagans. <îp 
 
 * to a Uriel union with the pure Godhead <^, and 
 ' was defervedly advanced to be the King, the Head, 
 
 * and the Guide of all fpirits. ' This notion has 
 fome refemblance of thofe which the Perfians had 
 of Mythras, the Egyptians of Ofiris and Orus, and 
 the Greeks of Jupiter the Guide, who led fouls 
 into the fuper-celeflial abode. 3. '^^ The virtue, 
 ' perfedlion and beatitude of fpirits or Zephirots % 
 
 * confifted in continually receiving and rcndring 
 
 * back the rays which flowed from the infinite ccn- 
 
 * tre, that fo there might be an eternal circulation 
 
 * of light and happincfs in all fpirits. Two fc;rts of 
 
 * Zephirots failed in the obfervance of this eternal 
 
 * law. The Cherubim, who were of a fuperior 
 -* order, did not render back this light, but kept it 
 
 * within themfelvcs, fwelled, and became like vef- 
 
 * fels that arc too full ; at laft they burft in pieces, 
 
 * and their fphere was changed into a gloomy chaos. 
 
 * The Ifchim, who were of an inferior order, fiiut 
 
 * their eyes againll this light, turning themfelvea 
 
 * towards fcnfible objeds ^ ; they forgat the fupreme 
 
 * beatitude of their nature, and took up with the 
 
 * enjoyment of created pleafures. They fell there- 
 
 * by into mortal bodies. 4. 5 Souls pafs through 
 
 * feveral revolutions before they return to their 
 
 * primitive ftate ; but after the coming of the 
 
 * Meffiah, all fpirits will be reftorcd to order, and 
 
 * to the happinefs which they enjoyed before the 
 
 * fm of our firft parent. * I fhall now leave the 
 reader to judge whether thefe four notions have not 
 a great refemblance of thofe which we have found 
 
 « The HcUeviJlic Hebrenvs call this unie» ef the MeJJîab 
 'With the Divinityt Hyper^axiluticaU nubicb pgnifes fuptr- 
 Jubjiantial. 
 
 ^ Ibid, de rcvoh anim. part. t. cap. I'pag. 244. 
 
 * >f gérerai ivcrd ivhicb pgnif es fpirits of all kinds. 
 
 ^ Phil. Cabal, diprt. 8. cap. 13. pag. 173. Tom, III. Rittang, 
 
 ê De uval, anim, pag. 307. 
 
 in 
 
70 Of the Mythology 
 
 in China, Perfia, Egypt and Greece, and whether 
 I had not fufficient authority to give the four my- 
 thological piflures which are in the foregoing 
 work. 
 
 In all thefe fyftems we fee that the ancient philo- 
 fophers, in order to refute the objc6lions of the im- 
 pious concerning the origin and duration of evil, 
 adopted the do£lrinc of the prae-cxiflence of fouls, 
 and their final reftoration. Several Fathers of the 
 Church have maintained the firft opinion, as the 
 only philofophical way of explaining original fm ; 
 and Origen made ufe of the latter, to oppofe the li- 
 bertines of his time. It is far from my intention 
 to defend thefc two opinions ; all the ufe I would 
 make of them is to fhew, that reafon alone fur- 
 niflies arguments fufîîcient to confound fuch philofo- 
 phcrs as refufe to believe unlefs they can compre- 
 hend. 
 
 'Tis for this reafon that I make Daniel fpeak a 
 different language from Eleazer. The Prophet ad- 
 vifes Cyrus to lay afide all refin'd fpeculations, and 
 to leave to God the care of juftifving the incom- 
 prchenfible fteps of his Providence ; he plunges 
 him again in an obfcurity more wholfome and more 
 fuitable to human weaknefs, than all the conje^urcs 
 of philofophers ; he reduces what we are to be- 
 lieve on this fubjeft, to thefe four principal truths. 
 
 I. God being infinitely good, cannot produce 
 wicked and miferable beings ; and therefore the 
 moral and phylical evil which we fee in the uni- 
 vcrfe, mull come from the abufe that men make of 
 their liberty. 2. Human nature is fallen from the 
 firft purity in which it was created ; and this mor- 
 tal life is a ftate of trial, in which fouls are cured of 
 their corruption, and merit a happy immortality by 
 their virtue. 3. God united himfelf to human na- 
 ture in order to expiate moral evil by his facrifice : 
 Ttc MeiTiah will come at lall in his glory to de- 
 
 ftroy 
 
OF THE PaGA NS. 7I 
 
 Jdroy phyfical evil, and renew the face of the earth. 
 4. Thefe truths have been tranfmitted to us from 
 age to age, from the time of the deluge till now, 
 by an univerfal tradition ; other nations have ob- 
 fcured and altered this tradition by their fables ; it 
 has been prcferved in its purity no where but in the 
 Holy Scriptures, the authority of which cannot be 
 difputcd with any (hadow of reafon. 
 
 'Tis a common notion that all the footftcps of na- 
 tural and revcal'd religion which we fee in the hea- 
 then poets and philofophers, are originally owing to 
 their having read the books of Mo fes ; but it is 
 "impofrihle to anfwer the objeftions which arc made 
 againft this opinion. The Jews and their books 
 were too long concealed in a corner of the earth, 
 to be reafonably thought the primitive light of the 
 Gentiles : We muft go further back, even to the. 
 deluge. It is furprifmg that thofe who are convin- 
 ced of the authority of the facred books, have not 
 made advantage of this fyftem to prove the truth of the 
 Mofaick hiftory concerning the origin of the world, 
 the univerfal deluge, and the re-peopling of the 
 earth by Noah. 'Tis hard to account for that uni- 
 formity of fentiments which we find in the religi- 
 ons of all nations, otherwife than by the dodlrine 
 which I have put in the mouth of Daniel. 
 
 As the four great principles, which I have men- 
 tioned, are the foundation of our religion, my de- 
 Hgn was to do homage to it, by endeavouring to de- 
 fend them againft the vain cavils of audacious cri- 
 ticks and the fuperftitious prejudices of weak minds. 
 One of the chief fources of modern incredulity is 
 -the falfe notion which impious men have entertained 
 of Chriftianity. Nor indeed can we think it ftrangt 
 if while the Chriftian myfteries are reprefented in a 
 wrong light, the principles of religion confounded 
 with the abufes of thofe principles, and fcholaftick 
 'Cxpefitions with dodlrines of faith, the miracle» 
 
 fhould 
 
yl Of THE M YT HO LOG Y Sec. 
 
 fhould pafs for impoflure, and the fa£ls for fables. 
 If we would engage thofe, who in firnplicity of 
 heart feek after truth, to liflen to the proofs of re- 
 vealed religion, we muft begin by Ihewing them 
 that its dodlrines are worthy of God ; and this has 
 been my aim throughout the foregoing work. 
 Whether I have fuccecded or not, my intention 
 was upright ; and I fhall not repine at the imper- 
 fe6lion of this attempt, if I may have given occa- 
 fion to any perfon of more learning and depth to 
 recommend that philofophy, which teaches never to 
 employ the imagination but as the fervant of reafon, 
 to direft all improvements of the undcrilanding to 
 the purification of the heart, and avoiding all often- 
 tatious parade of the fciences, to make ufe of them 
 only to difcover the beauties of eternal truth to 
 thofe who are capable oï being enamour'd with 
 them. 
 
 A LET- 
 
LETTER 
 
 FROM 
 
 M. F R E R E T 
 
 (Member of the Academy of Inscriptions at PARlS) 
 T O T H E 
 
 AUTHOR, 
 
 Concerning the Chronology of his Work. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 THERE have perhaps been more different 
 fyftcms formed, to fettle the hiftory of Cy- 
 rus, and the chronology of the kings of Babylon, 
 than for any other parr of ancient ftory. But t):efe 
 hypothefes are all fo defedlive, and fo ill conneéted 
 with cotemporary events, that we are flopped al- 
 moft at every flep, by the contradidions and in- 
 confiftencies we meet with in them. This every 
 man's experience (hews him to be true, who reads 
 the writings of Scaliger, Petau, Ufher, Marfham, 
 the bifhop of Mciux and Prideaux. 
 
 But in your work you have wifely avoided thcfe 
 difficulties, and have hit upon the beft method of 
 reconciling the contradidlory accounts which He- 
 rodotus, Ctcfiâ5, Xenophon, and other ancient wri. 
 

 74 M. Freret's Letter. 
 
 ters, give us of Cyrus. You have prefcrved this 
 Prince's war with his grandfather Aftyages ; a wa 
 which the ancients allow to be certain, and which 
 Xenophon himfclf acknowledges in his retreat of 
 
 ' the ten thoufand ; he fupprefs'd thia fidt in his Cy- 
 ropasdia, only to avoid throwing a blemifh on Cy- 
 rus's charafter, by a war which he thought contrary 
 to natural duty: Prideaux has likewife thought fit to 
 fupprefs it. Marfham has invented a mere romance, 
 and fuppofes, that there were two different king- 
 doms of the Medes, which were at the fame tima 
 governed by two Aftyages's, one the grandfather, 
 and the other the enemy, of Cyrus. The method 
 you have taken is more fimple, and more agreeable 
 Co ancient flory ; you have paved the way for this 
 tvar, and condufted it in fuch a manner, that it 
 (Joes in no wife ftain the charaiHier of your hero." 
 
 The omiffion of fo confiderable an event led Xe- 
 nophon into two anachronifms, in order to find 
 employment for Cyrus in his younger years : This 
 «uthor antedates the taking of Sardis 25 years, and 
 fhat of Babylon, 28. As this hiftorian had nothing 
 4n view but military virtues and the qualities of a 
 
 ^rue patriot, whereby to form his hero, his fcheme 
 laid not furnifh him with the fame materials to fill 
 *p Cyrus's youth, as yours does. He had no 
 thoughts of inflilling into his mind fuch principles 
 us would moft efFedlually fecure him from the dan- 
 gers which befet the virtue of Princes, or of guard- 
 ing him beforehand againft the corruption of falfe 
 politicks and falfe philofophy, which are, in their 
 confequences, equally fatal to fociety. Xenophon 
 having been educated in Greece, was acquainted 
 only with the kingdoms of Sparta and Macedon, 
 whofe Kings were, properly fpeaking, nothing more 
 than the chief perfons in the Hate ; and the magi- 
 flrates were rather tjjeir collègues than their mini- 
 1^çxs, He had no notiçii of the gbwfçs çf defpotic 
 
 power. 
 
M. Freret's Letter, y^ 
 
 power, and therefore could have no thoughts of 
 preventing them. Whereas your defign being to 
 form a King, rather than a conqueror, a Prince bet- 
 ter qualify 'd to make his people hippy under his go- 
 vernment, than to force them to fubmit to hig 
 laws ; you are thereby enabled to give Cyrus full 
 employment in his youth by making him travel, 
 and that very confidently with true chronology. 
 
 Cyrus died the ziS^*^ year of Nabon.ifTr, and 
 530 years before the Chriilian ^ra, which I fhàll 
 not lofe time in proving, bccaufe acknowledged by 
 all chronologers This Prince wns then 70 years of 
 age, according to Dinon, the author of a celebrated 
 hiftory of Perfia *. He was therefore born in the 
 148"^ year of N^bonaflar, 600, or 599 years before 
 Chrift. He had reigned, according to the artrono- 
 jnica! canon, nine years at Babylon. This city was 
 therefore taken in the 61^^ year of his age, the 
 209^" of Nabonaflar, and the 539^^ before Chrift. 
 
 Sardis was taken, according to Soficrates in Di- 
 ogenes Laertius **, and according to Solinus % in 
 th? fourth year of the 58'*^ Olympiad ; but accord- 
 ing to Eufcbius, in the firft year of that Olympiad ; 
 and confequently, either in the 545''^ or 548'^ year 
 before Chrift, and the 52*^ or 55*^ year of Cyrus's 
 life. He reigned 30 years over the Medes and 
 Perfians, according to Herodotus and Ctefias, and 
 he was 40 years old, according to Dinon, when he 
 mounted the throne ; which fixes the beginning of 
 his reign to the 188^^ year of Nibonafiar, the firft 
 year of the 55^^ Olympiad, and the 560*'* year before 
 Chrift. " Eufebius tells us, th.it 9II chronologifts a- 
 greed in placing the beginning of Cyrus's reign over 
 the Medes and Perfians in this year of the 55^^ O- 
 lympiad. But hiftorians have neither told us hov7 
 
 ' Cic. de Divin, lib. 2. ^Diog. Laer. lib, 1, Teriand. 
 
 I Chap, via, f 2râpar. E-vang, lib, ;c, 
 
 E 2 many 
 
7<5 M. Frère T 's Letter. 
 
 many years Cyrus's war with the Medcs lafted, nor 
 any particulars of what happenM in the firil forty 
 years of his life : you are therefore at full liberty to 
 fill up this fpacc with whatever you judge moft pro- 
 per to your defign; and your chronology is not only 
 agreeable to that of the Greeks and Perfians, but 
 likewife to that of the Babylonians. 
 
 Xenophon indeed has chang'd all this chronology ; 
 According to him Cyrus went to the court of Media 
 at 12 years, llay'd there 4 years, returned in his 16^** 
 year; entered into the clafs of the ''EÇ>»;iet or Young- 
 men in his 1 7''^, and continued in it 10 years. To which 
 lie adds, that Allyages died in this Interval, but this is 
 not true ; for that Prince reigned till he was conquer'd 
 by Cyrus in the year 560, and did not die till fome 
 years after: You have therefore done well in not 
 following Xenophon. According to him, Cyrus 
 cnter'd Media at the head of 30000 men when he 
 was 28 ycr.rs of age ; fubdued the Armenians at 29 ; 
 marched againll liic Lydians, and took Sardis at 30; 
 and madehimfclf mailer of Babylon at 33, about the 
 year 567. This is the 1 79'" year of NabonalTar, and 
 the 56"* of Nabuchodonofor, who reigned 7 year» 
 after it ; thefe 7 years added to the 21 years of the 
 four Kings who reigned in Babylon after him, make 
 the 28 years of the anachroniim abovemcntioned. 
 The reft of Xenophon's chronology is of no im- 
 portance to your work. He does not determine the 
 time of the death cither of Mandana, or Cambyles, 
 and you are therefore entirely at liberty to place thcfc 
 events as will beft fuit with your plan. 
 
 The city of Tyre was not taken till the 19'*» year 
 of Nabuchodonofor, after a thirteen yean fiege, 
 which began the feventh of that Prince's reign, ac- 
 cording to ù\c PhcEuician annals which Jofcphus 
 had read. In the year Jerufalem was taken, which 
 was the 18"' year of Nabuchodonofor, the Prophet 
 Ezckiel threatens Tyre with approachiag ruin ; it 
 2 there- 
 
M. Freret's Letter. 77 
 
 tlicrefore was not taken at that time; Cyrus was then 
 1 5 years of age : Now, as his travels are all placed 
 between the 28^*^ and 32** year of his age, and as he 
 does not go to Tyre till after his travels in Greece, 
 you are guilty of no anachronifm in this particular ; 
 moreover, what you relate of the hiftory of this city 
 fufficiently fills up the i ç or 16 years from the time 
 of its being conquered by the Babylonians. 
 
 We have no where any exprefs paflage whereby 
 to fix the time of Nabuchodonofor's madncfs ; that 
 he was mad is certain from Daniel, and it is very 
 probable it happened towards the end of his life ; my 
 reafons for it are thefe. Jehoiachin was carried into 
 captivity in the 8'** year of Nabuchodonofor's reign 
 over Judea, and the 4''' of his reign in Babylon ; 
 that is, the 148'" year of Nabonaffar, 600 years before 
 Chrift, and the year Cyrus was born. We are told 
 in Jeremiah*, and in the fécond book of Kings *, 
 that in the 37"" year of Jehoiachin's captivity, Evil- 
 merodach afcended the throne of Babylon, took Je- 
 hoiachin out of prifon, admitted him to his own ta- 
 ble, and heaped many honours upon him ; this waa 
 the 1 84"* year of Nabonaffar, the 564^" before Chrift, 
 and the 37"" of Cyrus's age ; at which time Nabu- 
 chodonofor was yet alive, fince he did not die till the 
 1 86'" of Nabonaffar, 562 years before Chrift, and 
 the 39"" of Cyrus ; Evilmerodach therefore did not 
 only mount the throne in his father's life time, but 
 he governed without confulting him, and with fo 
 little dependence up«n him, as not to fear provoking 
 him, by taking quite different meafures from his, 
 and heaping honours on a Prince, whom his father 
 had all along kept in fetters. Berofus makes the 
 Prince, whom he calls Evilmerodach, to have reign'd 
 10 years, the aflronomical canon allows him but 
 two, and calls him Ilovarodam ; the Scripture places 
 
 • Cha^, Hi, vir, 31, ^ Ckap, nxv. ver, xf. 
 
 E 3 him 
 
78 M. Freret's Letter. 
 
 him upon the throne three years before the death of 
 his Either. 
 
 All thefe difficulties will vanifh if we fuppofe that 
 Nabuchodonofor"'s madnefs began eight years before 
 his death, and that his fon Evilmerodach was from 
 that time looked upon as King, placed himfelf at the 
 head of affairs, and governed the empire with his 
 father's minifters ; thefe eight years, joined with 
 the two he reigned alone after his father's death, 
 make up the ten years of Berofus ; the holy Scrip- 
 tures begin his reign later, doubtiefs from the time 
 that he removed the minifters who made him uneafy, 
 which did not happen till the third year before the 
 death of Nabuchodonofor. This Prince's madnefs 
 continued but feven years; after that time he reco- 
 vered his fenfes, re-afTumed the government, and 
 publiilied an edift in favour of the Jews, which is 
 related in Daniel: His name had all along been 
 made ufe of in the public a6ls, and for this reafon 
 the aftronomical canon makes his fon Ilovarodam to 
 have reigned but two years ; this canon was drawn 
 up from the public adls. Nabuchodonofor''s mad- 
 nefs muft have produced great revolutions in the 
 court of Babylon, and we may form an idea of them 
 from what paffed in the court of France during that 
 of Charles VI. when the management of affairs was 
 one while lodged in the hands of the Queen, fome- 
 times in thole of his children, and at other times in 
 thofe of the great Lords and Princes of the blood. 
 Upon this fuppofition, which is both eafy and ne- 
 ceflary, Nabuchodonofor's madnefs will have hap- 
 pened in the 179^" year of NabonafTar, the 569''' be- 
 fore Chrift, and the 32'^ of Cyrus's age;, this Prince 
 muft have been informed of that event, for it was 
 ol great importance to him to know it ; it is not to 
 be doubted but it had its influence in the war of the 
 Medes and Perfians. The Kings of Babylon were 
 allied to thofc of the Medes i Nabuehodonofor had 
 
 married 
 
M. Freret's Letter. 79 
 
 married a daughter of Aftyages ; the Babylonians 
 would have taken Ibme part in this war, had it not 
 been for the weaknefs of their government, occafion- 
 ed by the King's madnefs, and for the divifions which 
 . prevailed at court among the different parties that 
 contended for the direftion of affiirs. Nay, it h 
 probable that Qiieen Amytis endeavoured to recon- 
 cile the Medes and Perfi.ms ; becaufe, independently 
 of the tyes of blood, it was againft her interefl to 
 have either of thofe nations fubduc the other. The 
 fight of fo famous a conqueror reduced to fo deplo- 
 rable a condition, muft have been a very proper 
 fpedacle for the inftrudion of Cyrus, and you had 
 great reafon not to negledl it. He returned from 
 his travels, according to your chronology, about the 
 32^^ year of his age, after Nabuchodonofor's mad- 
 . nefs had already feized him : Cyrus fpcnt near fe- 
 j ven years in Perfia, governing under his father ; 
 during which time all the intrigues between Cyax- 
 ares and Soranes were carried on, Cambyfes made 
 war with the Medes, and Aftyages died ; after 
 which Cyrus went to Babylon to negociate affairs 
 with Amytis a little before Nabuchodonofor's mad- 
 nefs left him ; this time was judicioufly chofen to 
 make the fight more affeding and inftru(5tive. 
 
 Your chronology, with regard to political affairs, 
 and the revolutions which happened in Cyrus's time, 
 is therefore perfectly agreeable to that of the 
 Greeks, Babylonians and Hebrews ; let us now en- 
 quire, whether the great men whom you make Cy- 
 rus to have (Gcn in his travels were his cotempora- 
 ries ; you may indeed be allowed a greater liberty 
 in this cafe than in the former. You know how the 
 ancients contradiél one another with regard to the 
 time when Zoroafter lived ; which doubtJefs pro- 
 ceeds from hence, that the name of Zoroafter was 
 given to all thofe who, at different times, reformed 
 the religion of the M^gi. The laft of thefe was the 
 I moH 
 
So M. F RE RET *s Letter^ 
 
 moft famous, and is the only one who is known by 
 that name, or by the name of Zardoufcht in the 
 Eaft. Prideaux makes him cotemporary with Cam- 
 byfes and Darius the Ton of Hyftafpes, but it is very 
 probable he lived fome time before them. The Ori- 
 entals, as may be feen in Dr. Hyde's work, make 
 him to have lived under Guftafpes or Hyftafyes, the 
 father of Darab, who is the firft Darius according to 
 the Greeks. This Guftafpes was older than Cyrus, 
 and may have been the fame perfon whom you make 
 his Governor. Whence it neceiTarily follows, that 
 the reformation of the religion of the Magi mud 
 have been made during his reign, -and that Zoroafter 
 lived at that time. The reformation made by Darius 
 fuppofes that the Magi had affumed to themfelves 
 very great authority, which he took away from them. 
 He iikewife corrupted the purity of Zoroafter'a reli- 
 gion, by a mixture of foreign idolatry. In his reign 
 the worihip of Anaitis was iirft brought into Perfia, 
 contrary to the hypothelis of Dr. Prideaux. Your 
 fcheme is more agreeable to the courfe of the hifto- 
 ry, and to thofe fads which are common to the 
 Greek, Perfian and Arabian writers. 
 
 Cyrus may have married Cafiandana at i8 years of 
 flge, and have lived with her nine or ten years j fo 
 that he may have travelled inta Egypt about the 29'** 
 year of his age. Your chronology agrees exaélly 
 with the age of Amafis. All Chronologifts concur in 
 fixing the end of his reign to the year before Camby- 
 fcs's expedition, that is about the 525th year before 
 Chrift, and the 63^ Olympiad. Herodotus makes his 
 reign to have lafted 44 years ; and confequently pla- 
 ces the beginning of it in the 569^*^ year before Chrift, 
 and the 52^ Olympiad, and about the 30^'* year of* 
 Cyrus. Diodorus indeed, who makes Amafis to have 
 reigned 55 years, fuppofes that he afcended the 
 throne in the 579*'' or 580'^ year before Chrift, and 
 the 20^^ year of Cyrus'& age ; But thefe two opinions 
 
 are 
 
M. Freret's Letter. 8i 
 
 are eafily reconciled. Herodotus begins Amafis's 
 reign at the end of the revolution which placed him 
 on the throne, and Diodorus at the beginning of his 
 revolt. 
 
 Apries muft have lived but a little time after the 
 taking of Jerufalem, fince the Prophet Jeremiah » 
 forctels his death under the name of Pharaoh Hophra, 
 as what was foon to happen. Jerufalem was taken in 
 the year 589 before Chrill, and the 63'* before Ama- 
 fis's death, which fhews that the troubles in Egypt, 
 were already begun. According to your fyftem Araa- 
 fis governed all Egypt in tranquillity when Cyrus 
 went thither, and Apries had already been dead feve- 
 ral years ^ ; which is agreeable both to prophane and 
 f;.crcd Hiilory, Cyrus being between 28 and 30 years 
 of age when he travelled. 
 
 The Greek chronology indeed will not be fo eafily 
 reconciled to yours, but the anachronifm will not ex- 
 ceed 1 2 or 14 years. Chilo was, according to Her- 
 mippus, as quoted by Diogenes Laertius *^, advanced 
 in age at the time of the 52"* Olympiad. This Olym- 
 piad began in the 573'* year before Chrill, and ended 
 in the 570^*' Olympiad, which was the 30^** of Cy- 
 rus. This was before his Ephorate, which Pamphyla 
 placesin the 56'" Olympiad, but this palTage is mani- 
 feilly corrupted. The anonymous author of the chro- 
 nology of the Olympiads fixes the time of the magi- 
 ftracy of Chilo to that of the Archonfhip of Euthy- 
 demes at Athens, that is, to the 81*"^ year before 
 Xerxes's palTage into Alia, according to the chrono- 
 logy ** of the Arundelian marbles. This was the 561^* 
 year before Chrill, and the 38^" of Cyrus, which a^ 
 
 » Chap. xli'V. the laji verfe, 
 
 k In this new edition the Author has taken the liberty tê 
 vary a little from this chronology. Apries is yet living when 
 Cyrus goes into Egypt. 
 . e Diog, Laert. lib. I. 
 
 * Marm, Oxon, Chromic Attic. Epoch, 42, 
 
 F grces 
 
§2 M. Freret's Letter. 
 
 grées pcrfeflly well with your chronology ; for Cy- 
 ras might have feen Chilo eight years before, as he 
 Invent to Sparta, and when he was thirty years of age. 
 
 Periander died, according to Soficrates % at the 
 end of the 48*0]ynîpiad, the $85''' year before Chrift, 
 and the lô''' of Cyrus. The ancients tell us he had 
 reigned 40 years, and began to flourifh about the 
 38^^ Olympiad. You poftpone his death 12 or 14 
 years ; but as you do this only to make Cyrus a wit- 
 jiefs of his defperate death, the anachronifm is a beau- 
 ty, and is otherwife of little importance. 
 
 Pifillratus's reign over the Athenians did not begin 
 till 560 years before Chrift, 71 before the battle of 
 Marathon, according to Thucydides ^, and 100 be- 
 fore the tyranny of the 400 at Athens. Cyrus was 
 then 40 years old, fo that your anachronifm here is 
 only of 9 or 10 years. And with regard to Solon, 
 you are guilty of no anachronifm at all. His Archon^ 
 {hip, and his reformation of the government of A- 
 thens, were in the year 597 before Clirift, and the 
 3'^ year of the 46"* Olympiad ^. He fpent a confidè- 
 rable time in travelling, and did not return to A- 
 thens till he was advanced in years, which would 
 not fuffer him to be concerned in public affairs any 
 more. He died at the age of 80 years, in the fécond 
 year of Pififtratus's reign, according to Phanias of 
 Erefa, and in the 41^^ year of Cyrus j who might 
 therefore have converfed with him nine or ten years 
 b'efore. 
 
 You ought likewife to give yourfelf as little con- 
 cern about the bringing Pythagoras and Cyrus toge- 
 ther. Dionyfius Halicarnafieos tells us ^ that the 
 former went into Italy about the 50''' Olympiad, that 
 1^ abo\it the 577^'" year before Chrift. He makes ufe 
 
 * D/sf. Laert. lib. I. 
 
 ^ Lih.6. /'.449, 45-2. & iih.2. p. 601. Arïji. Vol lib. 6. p.ll. 
 
 S Di'jg. Laert. and Plut, life of Sthn» ^ D* Hal, lib. la. 
 
 of ^ 
 
M. Freret's Letter. 8j 
 
 Of the word xutcc, (about) which fliews that this date 
 need not be ftri£lly taken. And indeed Diogenes La- 
 Crtius fhews us, that he flourifhed about the 60^** 
 Olympiad, that is, about 40 years after ; which if we 
 underftand of the time of his death, which was at the 
 age of 80, he will then have been 50 years old when 
 he went into Italy, and he will appear to have been 
 born about the 520^^ year before Chrift. If Pytha- 
 goras the Philofopher be the fame with him who of- 
 fered to fight at the Olympic games among the chil- 
 dren, and upon being rejefted defired to be received 
 among the men, and gained the prize in the 48^*^ 
 Olympiad; he was 16 or 17 in the year 585 before 
 Chrift, and was fcarce older than Cyrus. This is the 
 opinion of Dr. Bentley, who is able to defend himfelf 
 againrt all the objeélions which have been made to 
 him. But without entring into this difpute, it is fuf- 
 ficient for your vindication, that Pythagoras was re- 
 turned from his travels, and capable of conferring 
 with Cyrus when this Prince went into Greece, in 
 the year 565 before Chrift ; which cannot be denied 
 in any of the different fyftcms which the learned have 
 form'd concerning the time of Pythagoras's life. 
 
 You have likewife fufficient foundation for bring- 
 ing him into a difpute with Anaximander. This Phi- 
 lofopher muft have feen Pythagoras though he was 
 older than he, being, according to Apollodorus in 
 Diogenes Laertius, 64 years of age in the 2'^ year of 
 the 48'*^ Olympiad, that is, in the year 585 before 
 Chrift. And it is likewife a beauty in your work to 
 fee the young Pythagoras triumphing over the fophif- 
 try of the Materialift. It is not to be doubted but 
 the Milefian Philofopher was the firft inventor of the 
 doftrine of the Atomifts ; as Ariftotle ', Cicero ^, 
 Plutarch ^ and SimpUcius *" teftify. The ro ''Atfu^ov 
 
 iphyf. lib. I. cap. 4, h De Nat. Deor. lib. 1. 
 
 ' Flacit, Fbil, lib,i, c. 5. "» Comm, in EPi£i, 
 
 of 
 
84 M. Freret*s Letter.' 
 
 of Annximander was an infinite matter: HisdoftrÎÀe 
 is the lame with that of Spinoza. 
 
 You fee. Sir, that complaifance had no part in my: 
 approbation of the chronology of your book j you 
 were not obliged to adhere fo fcrupuloufly to truth, 
 you might have contented yourfelf with probability j 
 the nature of your work did not require more : Ne- 
 verthelefs this cxaélnefs will, I am perfuaded, give it 
 new beauties in the opinion of thofe who are verfed 
 in ancient hiftory. Exa£lnefs is not incompatible 
 with a fine imagination ; and it degenerates into dri- 
 aefs only when a writer is of a cold and heavy genius. 
 
 I am, &c. 
 
 FRERET. 
 
 The END. 
 
 ;'::.>7 J..-: 
 

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