God, of the Nature of the Soul, but above all of the Atoms, is propos'd, and often ftrenuously defended: Nay, we must in that Cafe be oblig'd to neglect almost all the Writers of Antiquity.-And, to fay all in a Word, almost all the Authours of the preceding Ages, the Poets, the Hiftorians, the Oratours, and the Philofophers, muft all be lay'd afide, if their Writings were once to be try'd by the Standard of our Religion, and by the Precepts of Christianity.The Affertions we find in Lucretius, that are contrary to the Chriftian Faith, are indeed of the greatest Moment: but then they are fo evidently falfe, that they can by no Means lead a Christian into Errour.-What Danger can accrue to us from the ridiculous Doctrine of his Atoms, fince it is fo easy to be refuted? On the contrary, we may from thence reap this great Advantage, that, having difcover'd the Falfity of his Affertions concerning the Nature of Things, we fhall be the more diligent to find out the Truth; and, having found it, to retain it the more strongly in our Memory.It can not be deny'd, but that Lucretius is a fage and discreet Writer; bus eadem quæ in hoc poëmate de providentiâ & animi naturâ, maximè vero de atomis illis ambigitur, ac fæpe acerrime propugnatur: immò neceffe erit omnes ferè antiquos fcriptores rejiciamus-&, ut verbo dicam, pænè omnium ætatum fcriptores, poëta, hiftorici oratores, ac philosophi abjiciendi funt omnes; fi eorum fcripta ad Chrifti ac Dei noftri præcepta, noftræque pietatis normam exigantur. - Jam in Tito noftro quæ Chriftianæ adverfantur Religioni, maximi quidem illa funt ponderis ; fed tam funt perfpicuè falla, ut nemini ea fraudi effe poffunt Chriftiano Admirabilis autem & ridicula de minutis illis corpufculis fententia, quid habet quæfo periculi, cùm nullo negotio refelli poffit ? Immò utilitatem hanc ea res adfert fummam, quòd dum in falfa ea incidimus de rerum obfcuritate & naturà decreta, accuratius etiam de vero ipfo cognofcendo laboremus, ejufque rationes melius percipiamus, perceptas memoriæ infigamus firmius.- Certè in hoc poëtâ omnia gra vitatis Writer; nor is there in all his Poem any. Token or Footstep of Intemperance; Nay, there are many excellent Things contain'd in it, and many that well deferve to be read and remember'd: For, in the first place he teaches, that they only are fit to be trufted with the Administration of the Government, who excell others in Prudence, Wisdom, and Moderation. How difcreetly, and ftrongly too, does he argue for the Restraint of Ambition, and for avoiding the Miseries of inteftine Divisions and Civil Wars; the Calamities that in his Days afflicted the Republick of Rome! He extols Philofophy, and the Studies of the Wife in a Style incredibly fublime. How beautiful is his Poetry when he treats of Serenity of Mind, and of the Contempt of Death! In how many places, and in how excellent and almoft divine a Diction does he confute the Superftition of the Vulgar, and their fabulous Belief of the Torments of Hell! How elegantly does he detect the Frauds, and deride the Vanity of Aftrologers! Not to mention with how great Severity he diffuades from Avarice, and fhews the many Ills that arife from the Greediness of Riches; nor how wholesome are his In vitatis funt plena; nulla intemperantiæ nota aut veftigium.quin præclara in eo continentur multa, multa lectione & obfervatione digniffima. Primùm enim docet eos effe dignos quibus refpublica regunda credatur, qui ingenio, sapientià ac modeftiâ cæteros antecellunt. De ambitione verò coërcendà, de crudelitate, bellifque fugiendis civilibus, quæ peftes tum rempublicam lacerabant, quàm graviter differit ! Philofophiam verò ac fapientium ftudia incredibili orationis majeftate extollit. Tum de animi tranquillitate, de contemnendà morte pulcherrimis canit verfibus. Hinc & fuperftitiones vulgi quàm multis locis ; de inferis illa figmenta, quàm præclarà ac propè divinâ oratione revincit! Eleganter etiam aftrologorum vanitatem ridet, fraudefque detegit: ut nihil jam dicam, quantà cum feveritate avaritiam pellendam effe doceat, quæque ex divitiarum infinità cupiditate mala exiftant. Rurfus de frugalitate victûs, cultufque moderatione, & Inftructions concerning Temperance, Frugality of Living, and Modefty of Apparel. As to what relates to the Restraint of the other Cupidities of the Mind, and fordid Pleasures of the Flesh, fo excellent indeed are the Inftructions he gives us, that what Diogenes writes of Epicurus feems to be true, that he was falfly accus'd by fome for indulging himself too much in Pleasure and Voluptuoufnefs; and that it was a downright Calumny in them to wreft his Meaning, and interpret what he meant of the Tranquillity of the Mind, as if it had been spoken of the Pleasures of the Body of which likewise our Poet moft elegantly fings in the Beginning of his fifth Book. Concerning fome of the Phenomenons of the Heavens, he advances indeed feveral Opinions that are falfe, or rather ridiculous; but yet they are confonant to the Epicurean Doctrine : and, on the other hand, how true are many of his Affertions concerning Thunder; the Nature, Force, and Swiftness of Lightning; the Magnitude of the Sea; the Winds; and many other Things of the like Nature! With how wonderful a Sweetnefs does he fing the firft Rife of the World, of the Earth, of the Heavens, and of all the feveral kinds of & aurapneia fanctiffimè præcipit. Quod autem ad reliquas αὐταρκεία animi cupiditates, corporifq; turpiffimas voluptates refrænandas attinet, de iis profecto tam fcribit copiosè & fanctè, ut verum effe videatur id quod de Epicuro fcribit Diogenes, falsò accufari eum à quibufdam, quòd voluptati nimium tribueret; meramque effe illorum calumniam, qui ea, quæ vir ille de animi tranquillitate intellexiffet, ad corporis voluptates detorquerent: quâ de re etiam initio libri fecundi poeta nofter elegantiffimis canit verfibus.-De rebus autem fublimibus etfi nonnulla adferat falfa, aut potius ridicula, decretis tamen fuæ doctrinæ confentanea, quàm multa rurfum vere, de to nitru, de fulminis naturâ, vi, & mobilitate, de maris magnitudine, de ventis, rebufque id genus aliis profatur! Mirà porrò fuavitate mundi, ac terræ, cœlique & omnium animantium ortum canit: tum de fermonis, imperiorum, le of Animals! As likewife the Origine of Speech, of Government, of Laws, and of all the Arts! How full and fatisfactory are his Difputations of the Flames of Mount Etna, of the Averni, and of the Causes of Difeafes! How excellently has he defcrib'd, as it were in a Picture, that memorable and dreadful Plague, which defolated Athens, and the whole Countrey of Attica! Thomas Scauranus. Carus alone, of all th' Aufonian Bards, In Search of Truth imploy'd his painful Mufe, Greedy to view the fecret Holds of Nature, And tow'ring, foar ev'n to th'immortal Gods: But oft, alas! he fwerves, by thee milled, O Epicurus, from the Paths of Truth. Quintus Serenus in his Poem of Phyfick. If, after many Years of kind Endeavours, No tender Off-fpring blefs the nuptial Joys; Whether the Female or the Male be curft With Barrenness, fhall be unfung by me: The fourth of great Lucretius folves the Doubt. Michael gumque, & omnium artium origine, multaque alia lepidiffimis verfibus libro quinto prodidit; Denique de Ætnæ ignibus quam copiofè, de Avernis, de morborum caufis, de nobiliffimâ illâ ac teterrimà Athenienfium peftilentià, quàm egregio & admirabili carmine omnia, quafi in tabellâ depicta, minoribus nobis expofuit! Thomas Scauranus. Aufonios inter vates Lucretius unus Quint. Serenus, lib. de Medicina. Irrita conjugii fterilis fi munera languent, Nec fobolis fpes eft, multos jam vana per annos; Hoc poterit magni quartus monftrare Lucreti, Michael Michael Du Fay in his Epiftle Dedicatory to the Dauphin of France, only Son to the moft Chriftian King Lewis XIV. Tho' in the Writings of Lucretius there are fome Opinions that difagree with the Doctrine of the Chriftian Religion; yet, of all the Latine Authours, he is esteem'd to be the moft judicious and elegant. For, laying afide the Veil of Fables, he disputes plainly, accurately, and with great Strength of Wit, concerning the whole Nature of Things: His Language is intirely correct and pure, his Diction exceeding elegant, his Style plain and eafy, tho' at the fame time majeftick and fublime: His Poem abounds with a wonderful Plenty of moral Sentences; and the admirable Connection, obferv'd through the whole, is indeed furprizing: By the Lecture of it, not to mention the other Advantages, we may acquire a nobler Magnanimity against the Blows of Fortune, a greater Fortitude againft the Fear of Death, a ftronger Conftancy against Superftition, and a more conftant Temperance againft the burn Michael Du Fay in Epift. dedicatoriâ ad Sereniffimum Delphinum, Ludovic. XIV. Regis Chriftianiffimi filium unicum. Quamvis enim apud Lucretium reperiantur ejufmodi fententiæ, quæ à Chriftianæ Religionis inftitutis abhorreant; tamen inter Latinos authores & graviffimus habetur & elegantiffimus. Nimirùm dilucidè, remotis etiam fabularum involucris, purâ Latinitatis integritate, præftanti fermonis, elegantià, divino carminis nexu, mirâ fententiarum ubertate, gravique fimul ac fimplici ftyli majeftate, de totâ rerum naturà fubtiliter & acute difputat. Unde, ut cætera taceam, poffit & elatior animi magnitudo contra fortunæ impetus ; & major fortitudo contra mortis timorem; & fortior conftantia contra fuperftitionem; & temperantia conftantior adverfus æftum |