Page:A trip to the moon (IA triptomoon00mcde).pdf/46

 and for a Reason, refer you to their own Comment upon that Passage, where they have rendered it Land Animals. Pythagoras himself has given us a Reason for abstaining from Beans, viz. because they are like Mens Testicles. He did not know but that a Man's Testicle had as good a Relish as a Bean, which if it should ever be found out, might occasion the Castration of some of his Followers, and by that means render them incapable of Pleasures which it was his Desire they should enjoy, and he foresaw they wou'd be much addicted to. By these few Instances, the rest may be guess'd at, and known, as well as Hercules by his Foot.

Pythagoras had certainly an odd Way of thinking; but his Successors have found out Things that he never dream'd of. He taught, that when the Soul leaves a Body, it becomes happy or miserable, according to the Circumstances of the next Body that receives it: But his Successors teach, that it is in their Power to continue their Kindness to their Friends, after their Separation from a Body; and to that End, have invested certain Persons with Power to know what becomes of others, and make their Sufferings have a speedy End; for they hold for their own Interest, that their Friends are miserable after leaving the Body they were last in, and will continue to be so till they assist them. This plainly shews, that Pythagoras was better natur'd than his Successors, who make their Gain of Peoples Misery, which, tho' imaginary, wou'd become real, were it in their Power to make it so. He indeed attributed much to Numbers, and was a great Proficient in the Mathematicks; but they support a bad Cause by the Numbers that adhere to it: Whence it will follow, that he that cheats half the World, is an honester Man than him that cheats only a fourth Part.