Why Fortune and Faelicity were made Goddesses. CHAP. 18.
NAy Faelicity (a) is a goddesse also now: Shee hath gotte her an Altar, a Temple, sacrifices, and euery thing fitte: VVhy should not shee haue all the worshippe to her selfe? VVhere-soeuer shee is, there should all good be. But why is Fortune preferred to the honour of a Deity? Is Faelicity one thing and Fortune another? Yes, Fortune may bee both good and badde, bu if Faelici∣ty once grow badde, shee looseth her name. Truly I thinke wee should haue all * 1.1 the goddes, of both sexes (if they haue sexes) to bee still good ones: and so thought Plato and diuers other excellent Phylosophers and States-men. How then can the goddesse Fortune be now good and now euil? Is she no god∣desse when shee is not good, but is turned imediately into a Diuell? Why then how many goddesses are there? Euen as many as there bee fortunate men, that is good fortunes. For many badde fortunes and many good, that is, at one time falling together; Fortune should bee both good and euill at once, if shee bee all these: good to these and badde to the other. But shee that is the goddesse is alwaies good: Well, suppose, is shee Faelicity her-selfe: Why changeth shee her name then? Yes, that may bee tollerated. For many thinges haue two or three names. But why then hath shee (d) diuers Temples, Altars, and ceremonies? Because (say they) that is Faelicity that doth follow a mans deserts: That good Fortune which lights casually vppon good and euill, (c) * 1.2 without any respect of deserts: and is therefore called Fortune. How can shee then bee good, comming with no discretion as well to euill men as good? And why is shee adored, beeing so (e) blinde that shee commonly ouer-runnes those that honour hir, and staies with those that scorne hir? If her seruants ob∣taine grace at her hands, and gette her to stay with them, then shee followes me∣rits, and is Fortune no more. Where is her definition then? How then doth all go by chance? If shee bee Fortune, in vaine is all hir worshippe: but if shee discerne, and help hir seruants, then she is Fortune no more. But doth not Iupiter (e) send hir also whether his pleasure is? Well if hee doe, then lette him haue all the worshippe to him-selfe: for she cannot gaine-say him, if he bid her depart to such or such a man. Or it may bee that the euill doe honour her, to gette them-selues some merite whereby they may purchase Faelicitie, and so inioy her company in steed of Fortunes.
L. VIVES.
FAelicity (a) is a] Pliny nameth her Temple often. Archelaus the Statuary sold hir Image to Lucullus for LX. HS. Plin. lib. 53. (b) Diuers Temples] Euill Fortune had a Temple at Port Esquiline. Valiant Fortune had one vpon Tibers banke: Riding Fortune by the Theater. There was also the Temple of Little Fortune, and Fortune the Virgin: another of Fortuna Primogenia,