Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/433

 Tin; WISDOM OF Tin; VH;.TS. .is are grafted on a stock a great deal sooner. You may sec it in day, whieh in the generation of stones, is long ore it become hard, but in the burning of bricks is very quickly effected. Also in moral passages you may ol)serve that it is a long time ere, by the benefit of nature, sorrow can be assuaged, and comfort attained ; whereas philoso phy, which is, as it were, art of living, tarries not the leisure of time, but doth it instantly and out cf hand ; and yet this prerogative and singular agility of art is hindered by certain golden apples, to the infinite prejudice of human proceedings : for there is not any one art or science which constantly perseveres in a true and lawful course, till it come to the proposed end or mark, but ever and anon makes stops after good beginnings, leaves the race, and turns aside to profit and commodity, like Atalanta. &quot; Ueclinat cursus, aurumque volubile tollit.&quot; Who doth her course forsake, The rolling gold doth tuke. And therefore it is no wonder that art hath not the power to conquer nature ; and by pact or law of conquest to kill and destroy her; but on the con trary, it falls out that art becomes subject to na ture, and yields the obedience as of a wife to her husband. PROMETHEUS, OR THE STATE OF MAN. THE ancients deliver that Prometheus made a man of clay, mixed with certain parcels taken from divers animals, who, studying to maintain this his work by art, that he might not be ac counted a founder only but a propagator of human kind, stole up to-heaven with a bundle of twigs, which he kindled at the chariot of the sun, came down again, and communicated it with men ; and yet they say that notwithstanding this excellent work of his, he was requited with ingratitude in a treacherous conspiracy; for they accused both him and his invention to Jupiter, which was not so taken as was meet it should, for the information was pleasing to Jupiter and all the gods: and therefore in a merry mood granted unto men, not only the use of fire but perpetual youth also, a boon most acceptable and desirable. They, being as it were overjoyed, did foolishly lay this gift of the gods upon the back of an ass, who, being wonderfully oppressed with thirst and near a foun tain, was told by a serpent which had the custody thereof, that he should not drink unless he would promise to give him the burden that was on his back. The silly ass accepted the condition, and so the restoration of youth, sold for a draught of water, passed from men to serpents. But Prome theus, full of malice, being reconciled unto men, after they wore frustrated of their gift, but in a chafe yet with Jupiter, feared not to use deceit in VOL. I. 39 sacrifice; for having killed tuo hulls, and in one of their hides wrapt up the lloh anil hit i.f tin-in both, and in the ntluT only the hones, vith a at show of religious devotion gave Jupiu r his choice, who, detesting his fraud and h |i&amp;lt;.rn&amp;gt;y, but taking an occasion of revenge, chose that which was stopped with bones, and so turning to revenge, when he saw that the insolency of Pro metheus would not be repressed but by laying some grievous affliction upon mankind, in the forming of which he so much bragged and boast ed, commanded Vulcan to frame a goodly beauti ful woman, which being done, every one of the gods bestowed a gift on her; whereupon she was called Pandora. To this woman they gave in her hand a goodly box full of all miseries and calami ties, only in the bottom of it they put Hope ; with this box she conies first to Prometheus, thinking to catch him, if peradventurc he should accept it at her hands, and so open it; which he, neverthe less, with good providence and foresight refused : whereupon she goes to Epimetheus, who, though brother to Prometheus, yet was of a much differing disposition, and offers this box unto him, who without delay took it, and rashly opened it ; but when he saw that all kind of miseries came flut tering about his ears, being wise too late, with great speed and earnest endeavour clapped on the cover, and so with much ado retained Hope sitting alone in the bottom; at last Jupiter laying many and grievous crimes to Prometheus s charge, as that he had stolen fire from heaven, that in con tempt of his majesty he sacrificed a bull s hide stuffed with bones, that he scornfully rejected his gift, and besides all this, that he offered violence to Pallas, cast him into chains, and doomed him to perpetual torment; and by Jupiter s command was brought to the mountain Caucasus, and there bound fast to a pillar that he could not stir; there came an eagle also, that every day sat tiring upon his liver and wasted it; but as much as was eaten in the day grew again in the night, that matter for torment to work upon might never decay. But yet they say there was an end of this punishment: for Hercules crossing the ocean in a cup, which the sun gave him, came to Caucasus, and set. Prome theus at liberty by shooting the eagle with an arrow. Moreover, in some nations there were instituted in the honour of Prometheus, certain games of lamp- bearers, in which they that strived for the prize were wont to carry torches lighted, which whoso suffered to go out, yielded the place and victory to those that followed, and so cast back themselves, so that whosoever came first to the mark with his torch burning got the prize. This fable demonstrates and presseth many true and grave speculations, wherein some things have been heretofore well noted, others not so much us touched. Prometheus doth clearly and elegantly signify Providence : for in the universality of nature, th&amp;lt; 2c2