the best governed and wisest nations of the world? Fable informs us, they were blind worshippers of the devil, who bent their knees before, gold, silver, and marble; who offered incense to statues that were deaf and dumb; who acknowledged, as gods, animals, reptiles and plants; who were not ashamed to adore an adulterous Mars, a prostituted Venus, and an incestuous Juno, a Jupiter polluted with all manner of crimes, and for that reason most worthy of the first -place among the gods. What great impurities, what monstrous abominations, were admitted into their ceremonies, their solemnities and mysteries? The temples of their gods were schools of licentiousness, their pictures invitations to sin, their groves places of prostitution, their sacrifices a frightful mixture of superstition and cruelty. In this condition were all mankind, except the people of the Jews, for near four thousand years. In this state were our fathers, and we should have likewise been, if the light of the gospel had not dispersed our darkness. Every story in fabulous history, every circumstance of the lives of the gods should fill us at once with confusion, admiration and gratitude, and seem to cry out to us aloud, in the words of St. Paul to the Ephesians, [k] Remember and forget it not, that, being sprung from Gentiles, ye were strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. 1 A second advantage of Fable is, that in discovering to us the absurd ceremonies and impious maxims of paganism, it ought to inspire us with new respect for the august majesty of the Christian religion, and the sanctity of its morals. We learn from ecclesiastical history, that an holy [] bishop, in order to eradicate entirely all dispositions to idolatary out of the minds of the faithful, brought to light, and publicly exposed all that was found in the inside of a temple andria. Theod. [k] Eph, ii. v. 11, 12. v. c. 22. Ruff, ii Socr. v. c. 16. he he had caused to be demolished; the bones of men, the members of children sacrificed to devils, and several other footsteps of the sacrilegious worship, which the pagans paid to their deities. The study of Fable should produce a like effect in the mind of every sensible person, and it is this use that the holy fathers and all the apologists of Christianity have made of it. It is impossible to understand the books which have been written upon this subject, without having some knowledge of fabulous history. St. Augustine's great work, intitled, De Civitate Dei, which has done so much honour to the church, is, at the same time, both a proof of what I lay down, and a perfect model of the manner how we ought to sanctify profane studies. The same may be said of the other fathers, who have gone upon the same plan from the beginning of Christianity, Theophilus of Antioch, Tatian, Arnobius, Lactantius, Theodoret, Eusebius of Cæsarea, and especially St. Clement of Alexandria, whose Stromata are not to be understood by any one, that is not versed in this part of ancient learning. Whereas the knowledge of Fable makes the understanding of them extremely easy, which we ought to look upon as no small advantage. It is also very useful (and particularly to youth, for whom I write,) for the understanding both of Greek, Latin, French, and English authors, in reading of which they must be often at a stand, without some acquaintance with Fable. I do not speak only of the poets, to whom we know it is a kind of natural language; it is also frequently made use of by orators, and sometimes, by an happy application, supplies them with very lively and eloquent turns: such, for instance, amongst a great many others, is the following passage in Tully's oration concerning Mithridates king of Pontus. [m] The orator takes notice that this prince, flying before the Romans, after the loss of a battle, found means to escape out of the hands of his covetous conquerors, by scattering upon the [m] Pro Lege Manil. n. 22. road, road, from time to time, a part of his treasures and spoils. In like manner, says he, as is told of Medea, that when she was pursued by her father, in the same country, she scattered the members of her brother Absyrtus, whom she had cut to pieces along the way, that his care in gathering up the dispersed members, and his grief at the sight of so sad a spectacle, might retard his pursuit. The resemblance is exact, except that, as Tully remarks, ta the father of Medea was stopped in his course by sorrow, and the Romans by joy. There are different species of books exposed to the view of the whole world, such as pictures, prints, tapestry and statues. These are so many riddles to those who are ignorant of fabulous history, from whence their explication is frequently to be taken. These matters are likewise frequently brought into discourse, and it is not, in my opinion, over agreeable to sit mute, and seem. stupid in company, for want of being instructed, whilst young, in a matter so easy to be learned. All these reasons have ever made me wish that somebody would be at the pains to draw up an history of the fabulous times, which might be put into the hands of all the world, and be expressly calculated for the use of youth. F. Galtruchius's work is somewhat of this kind, but it is too short; as is also, F. Jouvenci's treatise, intitled, Appendix de Diis, which otherwise is excellent. M. L'Abbé Banier's performance, in three volumes, contains most of what is wanting upon this subject, the substance of it being taken from history itself, which is the best system in this kind, and explains the different sources of it with great sohidity and erudition. But this work is too learned and too large for boys, as that also of F. Tournemine would be; of which he has given us such a plan as makes us wish the work was finished. There has been lately published, a book, entitled Dictionnaire de la Fable. It may be very useful in clearing up any difficulties difficulties relating to Fable, which may occur in reading, but it is not a continued history. One single volume, of a reasonable length, might be made to contain the most considerable and remarkable facts, and such as would contribute most to the understanding of authors. I should think it would be adviseable to omit what barely relates to learning, as it would render the study of Fable more difficult and less agreeable, or at least to throw all reflections of this kind into short notes; but, it would be absolutely requisite to throw out every thing that might be prejudicial to purity of manners, and not only to leave out any story, but even any expression that might give the least offence to any chaste or Christian ears. I have engaged a person, who has a great deal of knowledge, judgment and piety, to undertake this small performance, which cannot but be very useful to all young persons of both sexes; and I hope in a little time it will be in a condition to be published. CHAP. II. OF ANTIQUITIES. BESIDES the events contained in history, and the reflections which are the natural consequence of them, this study contains still another part, which, though less necessary and agreeable indeed, may yet be very useful, if made with judgment and discretion; I mean the knowledge of usages, customs, and whatever else is understood by the name of Antiquities. The readers of history are in some respect like travellers. There is generally some end proposed, either of going into their own country, or to some other place, whither their business or their interest leads them; and it is this end, this motive, which puts them in action, and sets them a-going. Notwithstanding, if they have leisure and curiosity, they take care by the way, to examine whatever they meet worth notice, and insert in the journals or memoirs they draw up for their own pri vate use. Thus also we should act in studying history; besides the series of facts and events, and the wise reflections arising from them, we should carefully collect whatever relates to usages, customs, laws, arts, and a thousand other curious branches of knowledge, which serve as ornaments to the mind, and likewise contribute very much to the perfect understanding of what we read. THE USEFULNESS OF THE STUDY OF ANTIQUITIES. This study, to a certain degree, is absolutely necessary to all masters. There are in all authors a great many expressions, allusions, and comparisons, which cannot be understood without it; and it is scarce possible without it to make one single step in the reading of history, and not to be puzzled with dif ficulties, which a very slight knowledge of Antiquity would frequently resolve. Let any one lightly run over the first book of Livy, which, with the origin of the Roman people, contains that of the greatest part of their laws and customs, and he will soon be sensible of the utility and advantage of the study I am now recommending. I know, that this study, like all others, if carried too far, has its rocks and dangers. There is a kind of obscure and ill managed learning, which is employed only upon questions equally vain and frivolous, which hunts after what is most abstruse and uncommon in every subject, and is almost wholly con-. fined to the discovery of such things as are absolutely superfluous, and which it is often better to be ignorant of, than to know. [n] Seneca, in more than one place, complains of this bad taste, which, taking rise among the Greeks, transferred itself to the Romans, and began to seize upon the nation. [o] He [n] Ecce Romanos quoque invasit inane studium supervacua discendi. Lib. de Brev. Vit. cap. xiv. [o] Plus scire velle, quàm sit satis, intemperantiæ genus est. ... An tu existimas reprehendendum, qui supervacua usu sibi comparat, & pretiosarum rerum pompain in domo explicat? non putas eum, qui occupatus est in supervacuâ literarum supellectile? quid quòd ista liberalium artium consectatio molestos, verbosos, intempestivos, sibi placentes facit, & ideò non discentes necessaria, quia supervacua didicerunt. Epist. 88. observes, |