Apuleius his definition of the gods of heauen, spirits of ayre, and men of earth. CHAP. 8.
〈◊〉〈◊〉 of his definition of spirits? it is vniuersall and therefore worth inspec∣•…•…. They are (saith he) creatures, passiue, reasonable, aeriall & eternall: In all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 there is no cōmunity, that those spirits haue with goodmen, but they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bad also. For making a large description of man, in their place, being 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the gods are the first, to passe from commemoration of both their 〈◊〉〈◊〉, vnto that which was the meane betweene them, viz. these deuills, thus * 1.1 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Men, ioying (a) in reason, perfect in speach, mortall in body, immortall in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…onate and vnconstant in minde, brutish and fraile in body, of discrepant con∣•…•… •…•…d conformed errors, of impudent boldnesse, of bold hope, of indurate labour, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…taine fortune, perticularly mort•…•…ll, generally eternall, propagating one ano∣•…•… of life, slowe of wisdome, sudden of death and discontented in life, these dwell 〈◊〉〈◊〉. In these generals (common to many) he added one, that he knew was false 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (b) slowe of wisdome: which had he omitted, hee had neglected to perfect •…•…ription. For in his description of the gods, he•…•… saith, that that beatitude 〈◊〉〈◊〉 men doe seeke by wisdome, excelleth in them, so had hee thought of any 〈◊〉〈◊〉 deuills, their definition should haue mentioned it, either by shewing them •…•…ticipate some of the gods beatitude, or of mans wisdome. But hee hath no •…•…ion betweene them and wretches: though hee bee fauourable in discoue∣•…•… •…•…eir maleuolent natures, not so much for feare of them, as their seruants 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ould read his positions: To the wise hee leaues his opinion open inough, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…hat theirs should bee: both in his seperation of the gods from all tem∣•…•… of affect, and therein from the spirits, in all but eternitie: and in his •…•…tion that their mindes were like mens, not the gods, nay and that not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wisedome, which men may pertake with the gods, but in being proue to