The mystical initiations; or, Hymns of Orpheus / translated from the original Greek: with a preliminary dissertation on the life and theology of Orpheus. By Thomas Taylor.

Date:
1787
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The mystical initiations; or, Hymns of Orpheus / translated from the original Greek: with a preliminary dissertation on the life and theology of Orpheus. By Thomas Taylor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    242/256 (page 225)
    ( 225 ) Accept thefe rites, accord each juft defire, And gentle health, and needful good infpire# LXXXIV. TO SLEEP. The Fumigation from a Poppy. SLEEP, king of Gods, and men of mortal birth, Sovereign of all fuftainM by mother Earth ; without ceafing; becaufe tears are fymbols of their providence in rnortal concerns, which are continually fubjedl to exiftenec and decay : but laughter is a iign of their efFe<Sls in the uni- verfe, and of its principal parts, which are ever moved in one and the iame orderly manner. Hence, fince we divide demi- nrgical powers between Gods and men, we aflign laughter to the generation of the Gods, but tears to the formation of men or animals. Hence, the poet fings in his Hymn to the Sun, 0 Apollo, ihe mortal race of men is the fubjeSi of thy tears J but the celefial race of Gods fpiings from laughter. But fince we divide tile works of divinity into things celeftlal, and thofe fubjedl to the moon ; after the lame manner, we attribute laughter to the firil, and grief to the fecond. Lailly, when we reafon con- cerning the generations and corruptions of things below the moon, vve refer the one to the weeping, and the other to the laughter of the Gods. And hence in our myileries, the miiiinei's of facred rites, at a certain time order each of thefe to be celebrated. He then concludes with an excellent obfervatiotiy that men of fimple underilandings arc unable to comprehend intelle6hially myilical ceremonies and fables of this kind ; fince f(ch men deilitote of fcience, produce nothing but abfurd con- iuiion about the rel’gic'O of the Gods.