[Two Eagles come together: One from the Eaſt, and the other from the Weſt.]
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PIGRAMMAXLVI.
Iupiter è DELPHIS aquilas miſiſſe gemellas Fertur ad Eôas Occiduaſque plagas:
Dum medium explorare locum deſidereat Orbis, (Fama ut babet) Delphos hæ rediêre ſimul.
Aſt illæ lapides bini sunt, unus ab ortu, Alter ab occaſu, qui bene conveniunt.
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ISCOURSEXLVI.
Ciaro, in his book of the Nature of the Gods, declares the moſt Ancient Apollo to be the Son of Vulcan, the Defender of Athens; which opinion is very true, when as it ought to be, it is tranſferred to an Allegory. For Vulcan produces the Philoſophical Sun which is Apollo. But the opinion of his being the ſon of Jupiter has prevailed. For when Latona has twins in her womb, that is Apollo and Diana, which ſhe had conceived by Jupiter, Juno being jealous, ſent Python, a Serpent of a Vaſt magnitude, to perſecute and Vex her whilſt ſhe was with child. The miſerable woman, after many and tedious wanderings, was at length carried by a ſhip into the Iſland of Ortygia, to her ſiſter Aſteria, who governed theſe and that Iſland, being almoſt wholly overflown with the Sea; yet afforded place for Latona whilſt ſhe was in Travail; from whence it was called Delos or, “Manifeſt”, which before was, [here a word in Greek] or “Not manifeſt.”
There ſhe brought forth her children: The firſt that came forth was Diana, and ſhe did the office of a Midwife to her Mother, who laboured in the birth of her brother Apollo. From whence it came to paſs women in Travail call upon her Deity by the names of Diana, or Ilithyia, becauſe ſhe ſhows Light to Infants newly born, their Eyes being opened. Apollo therefore being born and grown up, ſlew Python the Tormentor of his Mother, with his Arrows. He likewiſe ſlew the Cyclops, becauſe they made Thunder for Jupiter to deſtroy his Son, Aeſculapius: For it was with Thunder that Jupiter ſtruck him down to Hell becauſe he had reſtored Hippolitas to life, that had been torn in pieces by Horſes.
That theſe things are merely Chemical we have demonſtrated in many places. For Latona, Cynthia, Apollo and Python are requiſites of this Art, which have ſuch relations one to another, as have been declared before. For theſe ſame things, being divulged in the Writings of the moſt Ancient Poets, as Orpheus, Linus, Muſeus and Homer, they gave occaſion to the Ignorant to aſcribe religious worſhip and Veneration to Apollo, and to erect Innumerable Temples to him, both in Europe and Aſia. But that which was moſt celebrated was at Delos, where there was a Vaſt number of Statues made of Solid gold and ſilver, of great weight and Artifice, being there eſpoiled by many Kings and Princes, with other moſt precious gifts [which had been] preſented by all ſorts of perſons out of their peculiar devotion. Pauſanius relates that there was a Bronze Skeleton of admirable workmanſhip hung up at the Top of the Temple by Hippocrates. There was likewiſe that famous Tripos, which Mulciber made and gave to Pelops, that was afterwards conſecrated to Apollo by Pelops, when he married Hippodamia, the Daughter of Onomeus, King of Elis. This was erected in the middle of the Temple where Pythia, ſitting
upon it, received the Inſpiration of the Devil breaking forth from a profound Hollow, and being filled with it, propheſied and gave anſwers to thoſe who enquired after the events of things to come. Delphos was ſeated near the foot of Parnaſſus in Boetia; not far from the Temple was the Divining Fountain named Caſſietis, which extinguiſhed ſuch burning Torches as were brought near it, but if they were removed afar of, they ſuddenly took fire and were rekindled. The water of the ſame fountain gave a power of propheſying to ſuch as drank of it, but then their lives were ſhortened by it. There being a concourſe therefore from all parts of Europe and Aſia to the Delphic Oracles, the Poets feigned that Parnaſſus was in the middle of the Earth, and that they proved by an example of Jupiter, who had made experiment of it by ſending forth two Eagles. But this thing not being ſupported by the Credit of any Hiſtory it may not be repugnant to the Truth to aſcribe it to Chemical matters, eſpecially in as Apollo, in all his Circumſtances and his Original, has before been declared to be Chemical; although afterwards the Devil confirmed the ſuperſtition of men, and under that Name gave forth Propheſies.
The two Eagles are two Stones, one of which comes from the Eaſt, the other from the Weſt, as the Philoſophers have many ways demonſtrated. Jupiter has ſent them forth as his Enſign-bearers. The Eagle ſeems indeed to be the Friend of Apollo, or Sol, becauſe ſhe proves her young ones by the Sunbeams, and diſowns thoſe as illegitimate who cannot endure them. Its feathers are reputed not to putrefy, although mixed with other things, and that they devour the feathers of other birds, and that they eaſily admire of being gilded. It does not die of old Age or ſickneſs, but of Hunger. For the upper part of his Beak grows ſo crooked that he cannot feed himſelf, which having caſt off, he plunges himſelf three times in a fountain, and is ſaid by theſe means to be reſtored to Youth again. Hence the Pſalmiſt ſays, “Thy Youth ſhall be renewed like that of an Eagle.”
This of all birds is never affected with Thunder. It has war with the Dragon who therefore hunts after its Eggs. All theſe endorſements of its Nature have given occaſion to the Philoſophers in their Art, to extol the Eagle and liken their Stone to it. There are innumerable Examples of this Kind in their Books, which at preſent we Shall not Mention.