clear evidence, and the intricate labyrinths of fable, for the delightful, though folitary, paths of truth. The learned reader may eafily guess at the nature of Mr. Taylor's clear evidence,, when he learns that it is collected intirely from the writings of the later Platonifts. That others may know where to feek for illumination on fo fublime a subject, we fhall transcribe a specimen of Mr. T.'s differtation, in which he appears in the double character of an Orphic theogogue, and the tranflator of Proclus. After having ftated, and attempted to explain, the well-known Orphic, or rather Platonic, divifion of beings into fuch as move only, fuch as are intirely moved, and fuch as both move and are moved, he proceeds thus: All things, therefore, depend upon unity, through the medium of intellect and foul. And intellect is of an uniform effence; but foul of a mental form voids, and the body of the world vivific, or vital, rixos. The first cause of all is indeed prior to intellect, but intellect is the first recipient of a divine nature; and foul is divine, fo far as it requires an intellectual medium. But the body which participates a foul of this kind is divine, in as great a degree as the nature of body will admit. For the illuftration of intellectual light, pervades from the principle of things, to the extremes; and is not totally obfcured, even when it enters the involutions of matter, and is profoundly merged in its dark and flowing receptacle. < Hence we may with reafon conclude, that not only the universe, but each of its eternal parts, is animated, and endued with intellect, and is in its capacity fimilar to the univerfe. For each of these parts is a universe, if compared with the multitude it contains, and to which it is allied. There is, therefore, according to the Orphic and Platonic theology, one foul of the univerfe; and after this others, which from participating this general foul, difpofe the entire parts of the universe into order; and one intellect which is participated by fouls, and one fupreme God, who comprehends the world in his infinite nature, and a multitude of other divinities, who diftribute intellectual effences, together with their dependent fouls, and all the parts of the world, and who are the perpetual fources of its order, union, and confent. For it is not reasonable to fuppofe that every production of nature should have the power of generating its fimilar, but that the universe and primary effences fhould not more abundantly poffefs an ability of fuch like procreation; fince fterility can only belong to the most abject,, and not to the moft excellent na tures. In confequence of this reafoning, Orpheus filled all things with Gods, fubordinate to the demiargus of the whole, Aney, every one of which performs the office deftined to his divinity, by his fu perior leader. Hence according to his theology there are two worlds, the intelligible and the fenfible. Hence too his three demiurgic principles: Jovial, Dionyfiacal, and Adonical, ae, Avian, Adevaix, from whence many orders and differences of Gods proceed, K 4 intel intelligible, intellectual, fuper-mundane, mundane, celeftial, at. thors of generation. And among thefe fome in the order of guardian, demiurgic, elevating and comprehending Gods; perfecters of works, vivific, immutable, abfolute, judicial, purgative, &c. and befides, thefe to each particular divinity, he added a particular multitude of angels, dæmons, and heroes; for, according to Proclus, relating the opinion of Orpheus, and the theologifts †, "About every God there is a kindred multitude of angels, heroes, and dæmons. For every God prefides over the form of that multitude which receives the divinity." He likewife confidered a difference of fex in these deities, calling fome male, and others female; the reafon of which diftinction Proclus f, with his ufual elegance and fubtilty, thus explains: "The divifion of male and female comprehends in itself, all the plenitudes of divine orders. Since the caufe of ftable power and identity, and the leader xonyos of being, and that which invests all things with the first principle of converfion, is comprehended in the mafculine order. But that which generates from itself, all various progreffions and partitions, measures of life and prolific powers, is contained in the female divifion. And on this account Timæus alfo, converting himself to all the Gods, by this divifion of generated natures, embraces their univerfal orders. But a divifion of this kind is particularly accommodated and proper to the prefent Theory, becaufe the univerfe is full of this two-fold kind of Gods. For that we may begin with the extremes, heaven correfponds with earth, in the order and proportion of male to female. Since the motion of the heavens imparts particular properties and powers, to particular things. But on the other hand earth receiving the celestial defluxions, becomes pregnant, and produces plants and animals of every kind. And of the Gods exifting in the heavens, fome are diftinguished by the male divifion, and others by the female: and the authors of generation, fince they are themselves deftitute of birth, are fome of this order and others of that, for the demiurgic choir is abundant in the univerfe. There are alfo many canals as it were of life, fome of which exhibit the male and others the female form. But why fhould I infift on this particular? fince from the abfolute unities, whether endued with a mafculine or a feminine form, various orders of beings flow into the universe." With respect to the Hymns, or Initiations, here tranflated, Mr. T. agrees that they are juftly afcribed to Onomacritus, though he seems to think, with Gefner, that this Athenian did not abfolutely forge them, but rather altered the dialect of the old Thracian poet, making probably fuch additions and fubtractions as he is faid by Herodotus & to have used in other in * Θεοι Νοητοί, Νοεροί, Υπερκόσμιον, Εγκόσμιοι, Οὐράνιοι, Γενεσίεργο. Εξ Inter hos, aliæ ταξεις φρερητικών θεών, Δημιουργικών, Αναγωγών, Συνεκτικών Τελεσιεργών, Ζωογόνων, Αιρεπίων, Απολύτων, Κριτικών, Καθαρτικών, δε Efchemb. Epig. p. 58. In Tim. p. 290. + In Timæum, p. 67. See Herod. lib. vii. p. 508. with Weffeling's Note. ftances ftances. It is not probable, fays Mr. T. that they should have been the invention of any writer more modern than Onomacritus; and yet Cudworth reafons plaufibly, at leaft, to prove they have been interpolated-a charge which our tranflator, we fuppofe, thought beneath his notice. Granting, however, that the Orphic Hymns now extant may be in general attributed to Onomacritus, it is natural to fuppofe an agreement between them and the Pythagorean theology, as far as any idea of it can be obtained. Upon this principle Mr. T.'s induftry has been employed in examining the Denarius Pythagoricus of Meurfius. We funjon the following inftances of fimilarity, collected by Mr. T. not because we think the real or fuppofed arcana of the Pythagorean or Orphic theology admits of any fatisfactory explanation, but to fhew that he has spared no pains in what he thinks a ufetul puriunt: In the first place then, among the various names afcribed to the monad or unity, are thofe of the following Gods; viz. the Sun, Jupiter, Love, Proteus, Vefta. Now in the hymn to the Sun we find the epithet abi Zu, O immortal Jove. In that to Love Tupidpomos or wandering fire, which is likewife found in the hymn to the Sun. In the hymn to Love, that deity is celebrated as having the keys of all things; viz. of æther, heaven, the deep, the earth, &c. And Proteus is invoked as poffeffing the keys of the deep ↑ Again, Vesta, in the Orphic hymns, is the fame with the mother of the Gods; and the mother-f the Gods is celebrated as always governing rivers, and every fea ;" which perfectly agrees with the appellations given both to Love and Proteus. Again, among the various epithets afcribed to the dead, or number two, are, Phanes, Nature, Justice, Rhea, Diana, Cupid, Venus, Fate, Death, &c. Now Phanes, in the Orphic hymns, is the fame with Protogonus; and Nature is called newToysia, or firstborn, and, or Juftice, as alfo g, or Fate. Likewife Rhea is denominated θύγατες πολυμερής Πρωτογονοί», or daughter of much formed Protogonus; and in the fame hymn the reader will find other epithets, which agree with the appellation given to Nature. Again, both Nature and Diana are called wxuxia, or fwiftly bringing forth; and Love as well as Nature is called pun, or two-fold. In Jike manner Rhea and Venus agree, for he fays of Venus arra vàg ix cïbes irn, for all things are from thee; and of Rhea, Mńτng μer To SENT ME SITE , or mother of Gods and mortal men. After which he exprefsly fays that earth and heaven, the fea and the air, proceed from her divinity. Befides this, he celebrates Venus as governing the three Fates; ngarés Town gw. And lastly, he fays of Love, after representing that deity as invested with the keys of all Intellect. Syft. Book i. chap. 4. Η απάντων κληίδα ἔχοντας, Aidéç, seans. 2. h. 1 πόντο κληίδας ἔχοντα. Σαὶ ποταμοὶ κρατέονται αεὶ καὶ πᾶσα θάλασσας things; things; thou alone ruleft the governments of all thefe; which he likewife affirms of Death in the fame words. And thus much for the duad.' In the fame manner he proceeds through the remaining num-' bers, from the triad to the decad; and concludes his differtation by lamenting that, in an age fo barbarous as the prefent, the Commentary of Proclus on Plato's Cratylus, is not likely to be published he comforts himself, however, with the hope that his own labours will in fome meafure fupply its place, by opening the pure fources of genuine wifdom. To this end, he promiles copious and truly philofophic notes, which, together with the tranflation, we fhall now briefly confider. : Notwithstanding Mr. T.'s opinion, that the beft effects are to be expected from tranflations of fuch works as contain the myfteries of ancient philofophy, we cannot help thinking that this poetical verfion of the Orphic Hymns is expofed to a manifeft dilemma. For fcholars, who can read them in the original Greek, will be difpofed to decline Mr. T.'s affiftance; and the mere English reader will either never perufe the work fo kindly provided for him, or perufe it, we fear, with an ungrateful (mile. Grave though we be, our own rifibility has been provoked, fometimes by the ftrange appearance which the compound epithets, fo natural to the Greek language, affume when literally tranflated into English +; and fometimes by the wanton adoption of * In the hymn to Love, Mἂν γας τέτων παντων οἴηκα κρατύνεις. And in that to Death οἵ πάντων θνητῶν οἴηκα κρατύνεις. Mr. Taylor was aware of this difficulty, though he seems to claim the merit of fubduing it. Indeed where languages differ fo much as the ancient and modern, the moft perfect method, perhaps, of transferring the philofophy from the one language to the other, is by a faithful and animated paraphrafe: faithful, with regard to retaining the fenfe of the author; and animated, with refpect to preferving the fire of the original; calling it forth when latent, and expanding it when condenfed. Such a one will every where endeavour to improve the light, and fathom the depth of his author; to elucidate what is obfcure, and to amplify what in modern language would be unintelligibly concife. Thus most of the compound epithets of which the following Hymns chiefly confift, though very beautiful in the Greek language; yet when literally tranflated into ours, lofe all their propriety and force. In their native tongue, as in a prolific foil, they diffufe their fweets with full-blown elegance; but shrink, like the fenfitive plant, at the touch of the verbal critic, or the clofe tranflator. He who would preferve their philofophical beauties, and exhibit them to others in a different language, muft expand their elegance, by the fupervening and enlivening rays of the philofophic fire; and, by the powerful breath of genius, fcatter abroad their latent but copious sweets. If fome sparks of this celestial fire fhall appear to have animated the bofom of the tranflator, he will confider himself as well rewarded for his laborious undertaking.' other other expreffions equally awkward, and utterly unauthorised by the original. The epithets φιλενθεος, Φιλοι ρος, and μανικός, are all tranflated fanatic, which word Mr. T. feems to have used in the sense of the Latin word from which it is derived. Fanaticus, we are well aware, means numine affiatus ; but fanatic, we apprehend, is never ufed in a good fenfe, by any author of repute *. Of the following paffages, our Tranflator feems to have totally miftaken the meaning: Και Σεμέλην, Βακχs τε συνευατηρας ἁπανίας Ρ. 113. O pow'r all-ruling, holy, bonour'd light'-ibid. Prophet of difcourfe'. Ρ. 152. Γυμνάζεσα κόρη, φρικώδη θυμον έχεσα, Γοργοφόνε, φυγολεκίε, τεχνων μητέρ πολυολίες • Gymnaftic virgin, of terrific mind, Dire Gorgon's bane, unmarried, blefed, kind : • A ftable confcience, and an upright mind; Whofe fouls perverse thy bondage ne'er defire, But more untam'd decline thy fcourges dire'- p. 195. We must confefs, that we have too little tafte, or too little knowlege, to difcover beauty, or even propriety, in Mr. T.'s tranflations of the following paffages: Νύμφαι, θυγατέρες μεγαλήτορος Ωκεανοίο - Nymphs, who from Ocean's ftream derive your birth'- p. 181. * See pages 131, 133, 148, 152, 155, 182, and 183, of Mr. T.'s franflation. Ειρηνην, |