"that might displease them, and especially rejected "the character of dictator, which was detested in Sylla, and odious in Cæsar himself.

66

46

66

"The generality of persons who raise themselves, assume new titles to authorise their new power. He "chose to conceal a new power under familiar names "and common titles of honour. He caused himself "to be called [x] emperor from time to time, to preserve his authority over the legions; he was created tribune, to dispose of the people, and was called prince of the senate to govern it. But by uniting "so many different powers in his person, he charged "himself also with different employments, and be"came the general, the magistrate, and the senator, "when he had attained the sovereignty. Thus he "made no other use of his power but to remove the confusion which universally prevailed. He restor"ed the people to their rights, and retrenched only "the canvassing that was usual in the election of magistrates. He restored the senate to their an"cient splendor, after he had first banished corruption "" from it. For he contented himself with a moderate power, which did not leave him the liberty of doing ill; but he exercised an absolute one, when he was to impose upon others the necessity of doing "well. Thus the people were as free as before in $6 every other respect, but that of being seditious; and ઢ the senate was full as powerful, except that it could "not be equally unjust. Liberty lost nothing, but the "ills which it might occasion, nor any thing of the happiness it could produce.

[y] Upon his first entrance on his sovereign authority, he had the pleasure of seeing the temple of Janus shut, which was never done, but when war had ceased throughout the empire. M. de Tillemont observes, after Eusebius, that the son of God being upon the point of making himself man, to bring us from hea

[x] He transmitted the title of emperor to his successors, as also that of Augustus, which he re

ceived after the famous battle of Actiu'n.

[y] M. de Tillem. Vie d'Aug.

ven the true peace with God, ourselves, and the rest of mankind, was pleased at the same time to give an image of that inward peace, by establishing an outward and visible peace upon earth. This peace and union of a great number of provinces in one and the same monarchy, was agreeable to the designs of God, by the facility it gave the preachers of the gospel to pass from province to province, and universally dif fuse the light of the faith; and the people not being engaged by the troubles and tumult of wars, gave a willing ear to what they preached, and embraced the faith with joy, when God had opened their hearts by his grace.

It is thus, that God, the sole arbiter of all human events, determines, as lord of all, the fate of empires, prescribes the form of them, regulates their limits, marks out their duration, and makes the very passions and crimes of men subservient to the execution of his gracious and just designs in favour of mankind and by the secret springs of his admirable wisdom, disposes at a distance, and without man being sensible of it, the preparations for the great work to which all the rest relates, which is the establishment of his church, and salvation of his elect.

PART IV.

OF FABLE AND ANTIQUITIES.

i

IT remains that I speak in this fourth part of Fable and Antiquities, and this I shall do in a very few words.

CHAP. I.

OF FABLE.

THERE is no subject in literature, either of greater use than what I now speak of, or more susceptible of profound erudition, or more perplexed with doubts and difficulties. My design is not to pe

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netrate

"that might displease them, and especially rejected "the character of dictator, which was detested in Sylla, and odious in Cæsar himself.

66

66

"The generality of persons who raise themselves, assume new titles to authorise their new power. He "chose to conceal a new power under familiar names "and common titles of honour. He caused himself "to be called [x] emperor from time to time, to pre"serve his authority over the legions; he was created "tribune, to dispose of the people, and was called "prince of the senate to govern it. But by uniting "so many different powers in his person, he charged "himself also with different employments, and became the general, the magistrate, and the senator, "when he had attained the sovereignty. Thus he "made no other use of his power but to remove the "confusion which universally prevailed. He restor"ed the people to their rights, and retrenched only "the canvassing that was usual in the election of magistrates. He restored the senate to their an"cient splendor, after he had first banished corruption "" from it. For he contented himself with a moderate power, which did not leave him the liberty of doing ill; but he exercised an absolute one, when he was to impose upon others the necessity of doing "well. Thus the people were as free as before in every other respect, but that of being seditious; and * the senate was full as powerful, except that it could "not be equally unjust. Liberty lost nothing, but the "ills which it might occasion, nor any thing of the happiness it could produce

86

[y] Upon his first entrance on his sovereign authority, he had the pleasure of seeing the temple of Janus shut, which was never done, but when war had ceased throughout the empire. M. de Tillemont observes, after Eusebius, that the son of God being upon the point of making himself man, to bring us from hea

[x] He transmitted the title of emperor to his successors, as also that of Augustus, which he re

ceived after the famous battle of Actiu'n.

[y] M. de Tillem. Vie d'Aug.

ven the true peace with God, ourselves, and the rest of mankind, was pleased at the same time to give an image of that inward peace, by establishing an outward and visible peace upon earth. This peace and union of a great number of provinces in one and the same monarchy, was agreeable to the designs of God, by the facility it gave the preachers of the gospel to pass from province to province, and universally diffuse the light of the faith; and the people not being engaged by the troubles and tumult of wars, gave a willing ear to what they preached, and embraced the faith with joy, when God had opened their hearts by his grace.

It is thus, that God, the sole arbiter of all human events, determines, as lord of all, the fate of empires, prescribes the form of them, regulates their limits, marks out their duration, and makes the very passions and crimes of men subservient to the execution of his gracious and just designs in favour of mankind and by the secret springs of his admirable wisdom, disposes at a distance, and without man being sensible of it, the preparations for the great work to which all the rest relates, which is the establishment of his church, and salvation of his elect.

PART IV.

OF FABLE AND ANTIQUITIES.

IT remains that I speak in this fourth part of Fable and Antiquities, and this I shall do in a very few words.

CHAP. I.

OF FABLE.

THERE is no subject in literature, either of greater use than what I now speak of, or more susceptible of profound erudition, or more perplexed with doubts and difficulties. My design is not to pe

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P

netrate

netrate into these obscurities, or to resolve them, but only to exhort youth not to neglect a study which may be of great advantage to them. I shall therefore confine myself to two reflections, which yet I shall but lightly touch upon. One relates to the origin of Fable, and the other to its utility.

ARTICLE I.

OF THE ORIGIN OF FABLE.

FABLE, which is a medley composed of real facts and ornamental falshoods, took its rise from truth, that is, from history, as well sacred as profane; the several events of which have been altered in different manners, and at different times, either by popular opinions, or poetical fictions.

I say, that Fable took its rise in part from sacred history, and that its first and principal origin is to be found there. The family of Noah, perfectly instructed in religion by that holy patriarch, preserved for some time the worship of the true God in all its purity. But when, after their fruitless endeavours to build the tower of Babel, they were divided and dispersed into different countries; the diversity of language and habitation was soon followed by an alteration of worship. Truth, which till then had been conveyed by the sole channel of tradition, subject to a thousand variations, and was not yet fixed by scripture, the secure guardian of facts, truth, I say, was obscured by an infinite number of Fables, and those of the latest invention increased the darkness of such as were more ancient.

1

The tradition of great principles and great events was preserved amongst all people, not without some mixture of fiction, but with evident and very discernible traces of truth; a certain proof that these people were all sprung from the same original.

Hence arose the universal notion of one supreme God, almighty, the Lord and Creator of the world;

and