The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

296 TIlE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS.
discipline. whence follows the building of houses, which Democritus afterwards laboured to mainerecting of towns, planting of fields and orchards tain, attributing eternity to the first matter and
with trees, and the like; insomuch, that it would not to the world: in which he comes somewhat
not be amiss to say, that even thereby stones and near the truth of divine writ, telling us of a huge
woods were called together and settled in order. deformed mass, before the beginning of the six
And after serious trial made and frustrated about days' work.
the restoring of a body mortal, this care of civil The meaning of the fable is this: by Ccelum may
affairs follows in his due place; because, by a be understood that vast concavity or vaulted complain demonstration of the inevitable necessity pass that comprehends all matter; and by Saturn
of death, men's minds are moved to seek eternity may be meant the matter itself, which takes from
by the fame and glory of their merits. It is also his parent all power of generating; for the uniwisely said in the fable, that Orpheus was averse versality or whole bulk of matter always remains
from the love of women and marriage, because the same, neither increasing or diminishing in rethe delights of wedlock and the love of children spect of the quality of its nature; but by the divers
do for the most part hinder men from enterprising agitations and motions of it were first produced
great and noble designs for the public good, hold- imperfect, and ill agreeing compositions of things,
ing posterity a sufficient step to immortality, with- making, as it were, certain worlds for proofs or
out actions. essays, and so in process of time a perfect fabric
Besides, even the very works of wisdom, al- or structure was framed, which would still retain
though amongst all human things they do most and keep his form: and therefore the government
excel, do nevertheless meet with their periods. of the first age was shadowed by the kingdom of
For it happens that after kingdoms dnd common- Saturn, who for the frequent dissolutions and
wealths have flourished for a time, even tumults, short continuances of things was aptly feigned to
and seditions, and wars arise; in the midst of devour his children. The succeding government
which hurly-burlies first laws are silent; men re- was deciphered by the reign of Jupiter, who conturn to the pravity of their natures; fields and fined those continual mutations unto Tartarus, a
towns are wasted and depopulated; and then, if place signifying perturbation. This place seems
their fury continue, learning and philosophy must to be all that middle place between the lower suneeds be dismembered, so that a few fragments perficies of heaven and the centre of the earth, in
only in some places will befound, like the scatter- which all perturbations, and fragility, and mortaled boards of shipwreck, so as a barbarous age ity or corruption are frequent. During the former
must follow; and the streams of Helicon being generation of things in the time of Saturn's reign
hid under the earth, until the vicissitude of things Venus was not born: for so long as in the unipassing, they break out again and appear in some versality of matter, discord was better and more
other remote nation, though not perhaps in the prevalent than concord, it was necessary that there
same climate. should be a total dissolution or mutation, and that
in the whole fabric; and by this kind of generaCELUM, OR BEGINNINGS.. tion were creatures produced before Saturn was
deprived of his genitals. When this ceased, that
WE have it from the poets by tradition, that other which was wrought by Venus immediately
Ccelum was the ancientest of the gods, and that came in, consisting in settled and prevalent conhis members of generation were cut off by his son cord of things, so that mutation should be only in
Saturn. Saturn had many children, but devoured respect of the parts, the universal fabric remaining
them as soon as they were born; Jupiter only whole and inviolate.
escaped, who being come to man's estate, thrust Saturn, they say, was deposed and cast down
Saturn his father into hell, and so usurped the into hell, but not destroyed and utterly extinkingdom. Moreover, he pared off his father's guished; because there was an opinion that the
genitals with the same falchion that Saturn dis- world should relapse into the old chaos and intermembered Ccelum, and cast them into the sea, regnum again, which Lucretius prayed might not
whence came Venus. Not long after this, Jupiter, happen in his time:
being scarce settled and confirmed in this kingdom, Qu od procul / nobis fle-tat fortuna gubernans;
was invaded by two memorable wars; the first Et ratio potius quam res persuadeat ipsa."
of the Titans, in the suppressing of which Sol, o, guiding providence be gre-ielq
who alone of all the Titans favouring Jupiter's That this dooms-day be far removed from us;
side, took exceeding great pains. The second was And grant that by us it may be exnected,
of the giants,'whom Jupiter himself destroyed Rather than un us, in or tines erreetel.
with thunderbolts; and so all wars being ended, For afterwards the world should subsist by its
he reigned secure. own quantity and power: yet from the beginning
This fable seems enigmatically to show from there was no rest; for in the celestial regions there
whence all things took their beginning, not first followed notable mutations, which iv s.he.nuch differing from that opinion of philosophers, power of the sun, predominating over super r