Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/428

 300 THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. that he had entertained a wicked guest into his condemned, their very names are hateful, and all family, and a man odious to the goddess, and an their glory ends in obloquy. imp-.nger of their divinity, that had dared, with In that Diomedes is said to be murdered by his sword, to assault and wound that goddess, his host, it gives us to understand that the dif- who, in their religion, they held it sacrilege so ference of religion breeds deceit and treachery, much as to touch. Therefore, that he might ex- even among nearest acquaintance, piate his country s guilt, nothing respecting the Now in that lamentation and mourning was duties of hospitality, when the bonds of religion not tolerated but punished ; it puts us in mind, tied him with a more reverend regard, suddenly that let there be never so nefarious an act done, slew Diomedes, commanding withal that his yet there is some place left for commiseration trophies and statues should be abolished and de- and pity, that even those that hate offences should stroyed. Neither was it safe to lament this yet in humanity commiserate offenders and pity miserable destiny; but even his companions in their distress, it being the extremity of evil when arms, whilst they mourned at the funeral of their mercy is not suffered to have commerce with captain, and filled all the places with plaints and misery. Yea, even in the cause as well of lamentations, were suddenly metamorphosed into religion as impiety, many men may be noted and birds like uiuo swans, who when their death ap- observed to have been compassionate. But on proacheth, sing melodious and mournful hymns, j the contrary the complaints and moans of Dio- This fable hath a most rare and singular sub- medes followers, that .is, of men of the same ject: for in t.ny of the poetical records, wherein ! sect and opinion, are wont to be shrill and loud, the heroes are mentioned, we find not that any j like swans, or the birds of Diomedes. In whom one of them, besides Diomedes, did ever with his sword offer violence to any of the deities.

d indeed, the fable seems in him to represent Ihe nature and fortune of man, who of himself doth propound and make this as the end of his actions, to worship some divine power, or to j memories. follow some sect of religion, though never so vain and superstitious, and with force and arms to defend the same: for although those bloody quarrels for religion were unknown to the ancients, the heathen gods not having so much as a touch also that part of the allegory is excellent, to sig nify, that the last words of those that suffer death for religion, like the songs of dying swans, do wonderfully work upon the minds of men, and strike and remain a long time in their senses and f that jealousy, which is an attribute of the true God, vet the wisdom of the ancient times seems to be so copious and full, as that, what was not known by experience, was yet comprehended by meditations and fictions. They then that en- ileavour to reform and convince any sect of teligion, though vain, corrupt, and infamous, (shadowed by the person of Venus, not by the force of argument and doctrine, and holiness of life, and by the weight of examples and authority, but labour to extirpate and root it out by fire and sword, and tortures, are encouraged, it may be, Ihereunto by Pallas, that is by the acnty of pru dence, and severity of judgment, by whose vigour and rfficacy, they see into the falsity and vanity of these errors. And by this their hatred of pravity, and good zeal to religion, they purchase DAEDALUS, OR MECHANIC. MECHANICAL wisdom and industry, and in it unlawful science perverted to wrong ends, is shadowed by the ancients under the person of Daedalus, a man ingenious, but execrable. This Daedalus, for murdering his fellow servant that emulated him, being banished, was kindly enter tained, during his exile, in many cities and prin ces courts: for indeed he was the raiser and builder of many goodly structures, as well in honour of the gods, as the beauty and magnifi cence of cities, and other public places, but for his works of mischief he is most notorious. It is he that framed the engine which Pasiphae used to satisfy her lust in company with a bull, so that by his wretched industry and pernicious device, that monster Minotaur, the destruction of so many hopeful youths, took his accursed and infamous beginning; and studying to cover and increase one mischief with another, for the security and to themselves great glory, and by the vulgar, to | preservation of this monster he invented and built whom nothing moderate can be grateful, are es- j a labyrinth, a work for intent and use most nefa- teemed and honoured as the only supporters of j rious and wicked, for skill and workmanship, truth and religion, when others seern to b,e luke- j famous and excellent. Afterwards, that he might warm and full of fear. Yet this glory and hap- I not be noted only for works of mischief, but piness doth seldom endure to the end, seeing rvery violent prosperity, if it prevent not altera tion by an untimely death, grows to be vinpros- ingenious device concerning the clue o perous at last : for if it happen that by a change : - L ^ of government this banished and depressed sect H?* strength, and so bear up again, then these zed.uus men, so fierce in opposition before, are sought after as well for remedies, as for instru ments of destruction, he was the author of that )f thread. by which the labyrinth was made passable with out any let. This Daedalus was persecuted by Minos with great severity, diligence, and inquiry, but he always found the means lo avoid and