Mystagogvs poeticvs, or, The muses interpreter explaining the historicall mysteries and mysticall histories of the ancient Greek and Latine poets : here Apollo's temple is opened, the muses treasures discovered and the gardens of parnassus disclosed whence many flowers of usefull delightfull and rare observations never touched by any other mythologist are collected / by Alexander Ross.

The INTERPRETER.

1. SIsiphus was killed by Theseus for his cruelty and op∣pression; thus God is just, who punisheth the wic∣ked here and hereafter: for not onely did Sisiphus suff••r death here, but is tormented also in hell. If there were no other punishment for wickednesse but death temporall here, who would be afraid to sin, seeing death puts an end to all miseries and pains? Mor•• arumnarum requies, non cru∣ciat••••. Neither is God unjust in punishing twice; for indeed death temporall is but the beginning of death eter∣nall, which ought to be eternall, because the majestie of the person offended, and the desire of the person offending are eternall, albeit the sin it self be but temporary. 2. Si∣syphus

was a tale-bearer, and did not conceal the secrets of the gods, nor the particular love of Jupiter to Aegina the daughter of Asopus; by this wee may learn to be silent, and not to reveal or divulge the secrets of others, esp••cially of princes; Magnum silentii praemium. 3. The sins of Si∣syphus were many, for which hee was punished in hell; to wit, inf••delity, in not concealing th•• secrets of the go••s; ingratitude to them who had made him their secre∣tary; profanenesse in speaking irreverently of Jupiter; op∣pression in robbing and killing of strangers, and divers o∣ther sins; by which wee s••e that sin never goeth alone, and that God nev••r punisheth but when h••e is justly of∣fended. 4. The work of Sisyphus is like the work of worldly men, they toile night and day for pl••asures, ho∣nours, pr••fit, but the work is never at an end; and when they think to end, they are but beginning. 5. Many ric•• and honourable men are like ••isyphus his stone, when they are advanced to the top of the hill of honour and wealth, doe suddenly tumble down again to the bottome, and hee that is a king to day may be a begger to morrow: why then should men toil with so much labour, vexation, and sweat for that which is so apt to run downe the hill from them?