Page:Life and Writings of Homer.pdf/63

Rh of warm Fancies, who thought they might invent as well as their Maters, there were many traditional Stories tacked to the former; ometimes untowardly enough, and ometimes o as to make a tolerable Piece of the literal Relation, but confounding when applied to the Allegory. Thee are all the (Sacred Traditions) mentioned o often by Herodotus, with a Declaration that he will not publih them; and of the ame kind is the  (the divine Tradition) recommended by Orpheus to his favourite Scholar, and quoted by a primitive Father for another purpoe.

Allegorical Religion having been tranplanted into Greece, found it a very proper Soil for uch a Plantation. It took deep root in the Minds of the Greeks, who were groly ignorant, and prepoeed with no rival Opinions: They made Additions to it of their own, and in a few Ages it was incorporated with their Manners, mixed itelf with their Language, and gained univeral Belief. Such was its Condition when Homer made his Appearance in the World: It had attained its Vigour, and had not lot the Grace of Novelty and Youth. This is the Criis, when every body affects to talk in the prevailing Stile; which joined with the early metaphorical Cat of the Language, is one