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alleviate the diftrefs, and with their jeers and humour di- versify the folemnity of the tragick fcene : much like the mimes in comedy, and the fefcennines in the Atellan fports. See Satykical.

At firft it was only in the tragedies exhibited in the feafts of Bacchus, that fatyrs, the fuppofed companions and priefts of that god, were introduced j but afterwards they made a part in the folemnities of the other deities. So that fatyr, in its firft inftitudon, was wholly dramatick. — V. Scalig. Poet. 1. I. c. ii & 12. See alfo the article Satyrical. Roman Satyr. — Dacier, after Cafaubon, traces the inftitution of the Roman fatyr very minutely; and diftinguifhes three fpecies or ftates of it : the firft dramatick, the fecond narra- tive, the third that called the Varronian or Menippean fatyr. The ancient Romans had been without any fcenical enter- tainments for almoft four hundred years; till chance and merriment in one of their feftivals gave rife to the faturnine and fefcennine verfes, which for fome years fupplied the place of theatrical performances. Thefe verfes were rude, and without any meafure, being extemporary, and the pro- ductions of a lavage people, who had no other inftructors than the fumes of wine. Accordingly they were fluffed with grofs railleries, and accompanied with gesticulations and dances. An idea of them may be formed by conceiv- ing a knot of country fellows, dancing in a hobbling man- ner, toiling about their home-fpun jokes, and expofing each other's failings. Thus Horace, Epiji. i. lib. 2.

Fefcennina per hunc inventa licentia morem

Verftbus alternis opprobria rujlica fudit. The ancient Roman fatyrs then were a fort of innocent far- ces, where fpe&ators and actors were indifferently rallied. — And thus they continued till the time of Ltvius Androni- cus, who firft attempted to write plays in imitation of the Greeks. This new entertainment appearing more noble and perfect, drew crowds of fpectators, which occafioned the fatyrs to be neglected for fome time ; but they were af- terwards refumed, and tacked to the ends of comedies, much like the modern farces. They were annexed more peculiarly to the Atellane pieces, and on this occafion chang- ed their name fatyrs for that of exodia, which they ever after retained. See Exodium.

After Livius Andronicus, Ennius having obferved the eager- nefs of the Romans for fatyr, imagined that poems not ac- commodated to the theatre, but retaining the gall, raillery and pleafantry of the theatrical Jatyr 9 would not fail of fuc- cefs. Accordingly, he wrote difcourfes under the title of fatyrs, in which he took the liberty of mixing feveral forts of verfe together, as hexameters with iambick trimeters, and trochaic tetrameters. In thefe pieces were found the fame I variety, raillery, allufions, fables, and even dialogue, in a , word every thing that conftituted the character and beau- ] ty of the firft fatyrs, except the dancing and mufick. Pa- CUVius fucceeded, who alfo writ fatyrs in imitation of his j uncle, or according to others, his grandfather Ennius, When Pacuvius was in his prime, Lucilius was born, who alfo compofed fatyrs, fomewhat of a new turn, endeavouring to imitate the character of the ancient Greek comedy, of which the Romans had but an imperfect image in their own fatyrs. This feems to be what Horace meant when he faid, fatyr I. lib. 2.

■ Quid, cum eft Luc'tlius aufus

Primus in hunc operis componere carmina morem. He could not mean, that the Romans had no fatyrs before Lucilius, fince that poet was preceded by Ennius and Pacu- vius, whom he imitated. Horace's defign was only to hint that Lucilius's manner and turn was new, that he had em- bellifhed this poem, infomuch that he might be looked upon as its firft author. But in fact, Lucilius only added to it a little more politenefs and fait, without other alteration. And though like Ennius he did not mix together feveral forts of verfe in the fame piece, yet he compofed different poems, fome of which were entirely hexameter, others iambic, and others trochaic, as appears from his fragments. The third kind of fatyr was the Varronian or Menippean, fo called from its author Varro, the moft learned of the Ro- mans, and becaufe in this he imitated the manner of Me- nippus the Gadarenian, a cynic philofopher. This fatyr was not only a mifcellany of different forts of verfe, but was alfo interlarded with profe, and Greek, and . Latin. — Seneca's poem on the death of Claudius, Petronius's Satyricon, Lucian's Dialogues, the Golden afs of Apuleius, and the Casfars of the emperor Julian, are fo many fatyrs in the Varronian taftc*.— To the fame head may alfo be re- ferred the Catholicon of Spain, the Moris Encomium of Erafmus, the Don Quixot of Cervantes", the advertife- ments from Parnaffus of Boccalini, the Tale of a Tub by Dr. S. tifc. — ,l V. Dacier Difcours fur la Satire, in Mem. de Liter, de V Acad. R. des Infer. T. 3. p. 2^.6. feqq. And in the preface to his verfion of Horace's fatyrs. b V. Rapin Reflex. fur la poet, en Partic. §. 28. Oeuv. Diverf T. 2. p. 20$. feqq, SATYRICAL, fomething relating to, or that partakes of the nature of fatyr. See Satyr.

We have fatyrical poets ; fatyrical preachers, as South j faty- rical hiftorians, as Burnet and Mezeray ; fatyrical philofo- phers, as Apuleius and Montaign. — In the heathen theolo-

gy, we find a fatyrical god, viz. Momus: Homer in hie Therfites gives the character of a fatyrical courtier. The Dutch have been charged with fatyrical prints, and medals; which have fometimes coft them dear.

Satyrical poetry had its origin at Athens ; though its perfec- tion be owing to the Romans. According to father Mour- gues, and Bianchini 3, it was at firft a fort of tragedy acted at the feafts of Bacchus, whein fatyrs were introduced con- vening with heroes b. Burette rather takes it for a fort of paftoral farce tacked to the ends of tragedies c. One of the chief ornaments of it was a wild, grotefque fort of dance performed by fatyrs, and called Sicinnis i. SeeDANCfNG. — ' Mourg. Trait, de laPoef Franc, c. 4. Mem. deTrev. Nov. 1723. p. 2149. b Bianchin Delia Satira Jtaliana, P. I. p. 5. feqq. Giorn. de Letter d'ltal. T. 20. p. 203. c Buret. Mem. 2. fur la Danfe, in Mem. Acad. R. Infcript. T. 2. p. 1 63. d. Buret. 1. c. Averan. PreeleSt. ap. Bill. Cboif T. 22. p. 34. The fatyrical (hews of the Greeks were thorough malque- rades : the actors herein were difguifed varioufly, fome in the habits of fatyrs, Sileni, Centaurs, Mxnades, and other of Bacchus's crew ; while others perfonated giants, cyclopes, monfters, and even beafts: the whole making a medley more romantick and extravagant than any thing on the modern ftage, unlefs perhaps fome of our late grottefque pantomime entertainments 1 . The only piece of the kind now extant is- the ktK.au* of Euripides b . — a V. Boind. furies Mafq. & Ha- bits de Theatr. des Anc. in Mem. Acad. R. Infer. T. 5. p. 176, & 188. b V. Fabric. Bibl. Grac. 1. 2. c. 18. §. 2. p. 645. Satyric Fountain. See the article Fountain. SPINOZISM, or Spinosism, the doctrine of Spinoza ; or, atheifm and pantheifm propofed after the manner of Spinoza. See Atheist.

The great principle of Spinozifm is, that there is nothing pro- perly and abfolutely exifting, but matter, and the modifica- tions of matter ; among which are even comprehended, thoughts, abftract and general ideas, comparifons, relations, combinations of relations, &c. See Matter, Sub- stance, Sc. ,

Benedict Spinoza, or Efpinoza, was a man well known in Holland. He was born a Jew, at Amfterdam ; but did not make profeffion of any religion, either the Jewifh or Chrif- tian. — He compofed feveral books in Latin ; the moft cele- brated whereof, is his Traclatus Tbeologico-Politicus, wherein he overturns the foundation of all religion ; the book, ac- cordingly, was condemned by a publick decree of the ftates ; though it has fince been fold publickly, and even reprinted, both in Latin and French, in that country, and lately in Englifh at London.

Spinoza, here, infinuates, that all religions are only political engines, calculated for the publick good ; to render the people obedient to magiftrates, and to make them practife virtue and morality.

He does not here lay down his notion of the Deity openly ; but contents himfelf with fuggefting it. — In his Eth'tcks, publifhed among his pofthumous works, he is more open and exprefs ; maintaining, that God is not, as we imagine him, an infinite, intelligent, happy and perfect Being ; nor any thing, but that natural virtue, or faculty, which is dif- fused throughout all creatures. See Nature. Numbers have undertaken to refute Spinoza's doctrine ; but all very weakly, except what we have in Dr. Clarke's fer- mons at Boyle's lecture.- — Witfius in Holland, Majus in Germany, and de la Mothe in England, wrote againft his Traclatus : but Bredenbourg, according to M. Bayle, fuc- ceeded beft on the fubject ; who, however, is faid to have afterwards been a convert to Spinozifm, and to have written a demonstration of the truth of it. — The writers againft Spinoza's Ethicks, are Velthuyfius, in his Traclatus de cultu naturali £ff origine moralitatis : de Verfe, in I'lmpie convaincu, ou differtation contre Spinoza : Poiret in Fundamenta atbeifmi everfa : Wittichius in Anti-Spinoza ; Lami in Nouvel Atheifme renverse, Jaquelot in Differtations far I'exijtence de Dieu : Jens in Examen Philofophicum fexta definitionis partis prima Ethices Bened. Spinoza. Befides many others enumerated in Colerus's life of Spinoza, p. 132. Jenichen's Hijhr. Spino- zifmi Leenkofian, p. 58. feqq. Buddeus's Thefes de Atheifmo iff Superjlitione, cap. 1. §. 26. and Fabricius's Syllab. Script, de veritate religionis Chri/tiana, p. 357. feqq. Spinoza, in his Traclatus above-mentioned, is very full on the fubject of the authors of the fcriptures ; and endeavours to ihew, that the Pentateuch is not the work of Mofes ; contrary to the common opinion, both of the Jews, and Chriftians. He has alfo his particular fentiments, as to the authors of the other books. — This part of the work has been anfwered by M. Huet, in his Demonjlratio EvangeUca ; and by M. Simon, in his Hijl. Crit. du v'teux Tejl. See Pen- tateuch.

Spinozifm is a fpecies of naturalifm, or pantheifm, or hylo- theifm, as it is fometimes called, /. e, of the dogma which allows of no other God but nature, or the univerfe j and, therefore, makes matter to be God. — Accordingly, Bud- deus, in a difiertation de Spinozifmo ante Spinozam, proves at large, that Spinoza's doctrine of God and the world, is far from being his own invention, but that it had been held by

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