credit say he lived LXXVII or CIX years But if he was in the flower of his Age in the LXXXIVth Olympiad that is above LX years after Olymp. LXVIII 3. in which I place the death of Pythagoras or placing it in Olymp. LXX 4. which is but IX years after and that is the lowest I can go I must needs say Empedocles was a very young Conjurer or he flourish'd in a very old Age or which I rather believe there is no credit to be given to these two Historians This will farther appear by the account they give of Abaris whom also they make a great Conjurer and train'd up to it by Pythagoras So much Porphyry had said But Jamblichus much out-does his Master For having told us that Abaris came for improvement in knowledge into Greece he saith that in his way home from thence being now well stricken in years he came to see Pythagoras in Italy There he gave Pythagoras the Arrow upon which he used to ride aloft in the Air though elsewhere he saith Pythagoras took away his Arrow and kept it till he made him confess all he cared to know of him When there in Italy they had spent as much time together as Jamblichus pleas'd then he brings them to Agrigentum in Sicily and there he sets them to try if they can work any good upon Phalaris In his 32d Chapter Jamblichus sheweth his Talent in the making of Speeches for them and of Answers for Phalaris till they came to be upon ill terms Then he makes Phalaris resolve to kill them both and he makes them for prevention set the People against him by whom he saith Phalaris was kill'd the same day that he had determin'd to kill both Pythagoras and Abaris Now this is so fine a Romance that it is pity there should be no truth in it but only that there was such a City and that there were such Persons It is civil to grant that in the time of Pythagoras there was such a one as Abaris living though Authors differ much about the time of his coming into Greece For as Harpocration tells us Hippostratus placed it in Olymp. III others in Olymp. XXI Pindar in the time of King Croesus and Euseb. Chronicon hath it twice namely there and in Olymp. LXXXII But granting that Abaris was in Greece in Croesus's time which is the only time that consists with Jamblichus's story Then according to Euseb. Chronicon his coming was in Olymp. LIV 2. that was while Pythagoras was abroad in his Travels according to Jamblichus's Account which makes his coming into Italy to be in Olymp. LXII that is full XXX years after By this time Abaris though he came out of Greece with him must needs be very well stricken in years much more if he came after Pythagoras was setled in Italy But what becomes of Phalaris the mean while See in my account 572 before Christ. There it appears the latest we can bring Phalaris to die is in Olymp. LVII 4. that is XVI years before Jamblichus makes Pythagoras come into Italy After this Phalaris could neither kill nor be killâ—d but in a Romance and I take all this Story of Jamblichus to be no other For the rest of the 218 Names of Disciples in his Catalogue I can bring none of them within the time of Pythagoras's Life but Milo and Parmenides whom I mention in my account in the years 539 and 504 before Christ. There are scarce two more of them that ever saw Pythagoras for ought that appears in any good Author though here are the names of several more that were Philosophers of the Pythagorean Sect. Yet even these together with them before mention'd will not make up the odd number of eighteen For the other two hundred I take them to be insignificant Names invented by Jamblichus only out of vain Ostentation To conclude I do not lay any weight at all upon the Testimony of Jamblichus nor much on that of his Master Porphyry where he doth not mention his Author But I quote them sometimes in the following account as in a History of the British Kings I would Geoffry of Monmouth But then naming my Author for want of a better where I think what he says may be true I should leave all I said from him to the reader with a perfect indifference whether he believ'd him or not With the like indifference as to every thing but what I have Scripture for I commit these Papers into your hands desiring you to take them only as my Opinion which is all that you ask of SIR Your Affectionate Friend and Servant W. Cov. and Lich. Mar. 30. 1699. A Chronological Account Of the LIFE of PYTHAGORAS AND Of other Famous Men his Contemporaries Pythagoras's Age OF Pythagoras the Samian Philosopher Years before Christ Olympiads there is nothing said by any of the Ancients that I know which can make us think he was born before Olymp XLIII save only that of Plin. Nat. Hist. II. 8. who says that in Olymp. XLII and V. C. 142 he first found that Venus was sometimes the Morning Star and sometimes the Evening Star But it is not improbable that in this Pliny might mistake Pythagoras for his Master Thales of whom see the year 585 before Christ. N. PYTHAGORAS born this year if Years before Christ 605 Olympiads 43 3 4. he was the same that is here mention'd in the year 588 before Christ. This year also suits best with Antilochus's Account which follows in 583 before Christ. Years before Christ 604 Olympiads 44 Θ. Nabopolassar King of Babylon Next his Son Nabocolassar or Nebuchadnezzar who had reigned about two years with his Father This year Jan. 21 was his first Thoth according to Ptol. Canon Years before Christ Olympiads 45 N. PHERECYDES born this year Suidas He was born in the Isle of Syrus one of the Cyclades Strabo x. Pythagoras was at first his Disciple Cicero Tusc. Qu. I. Diod. Sic. Excerpt and many others Years before Christ 594 3. Olympiads 46 3. SOLON was this year Archon at Athens Diog. Laert. from Sosicrates So Euseb. Chronicon in 1 MS. Clem. Alexandr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he was Archon in Olymp. XLVI He made his Laws in the time of Tarquinius Priscus A. Gellius XVII 21. He made them the year that he was Archon and that with the help of EPIMENIDES who came thither from Crete and having expiated the City in Olymp. XLIV as Suidas saith or in Olymp. XLV as Eus. Chron. Pontaci or Olymp. XLVI as Laertius returned home and died soon after D. Laert. l. 110 being 154 years old as Xenophanes said he had heard Ib. III. of Xenophanes see in the year 540 before Christ. Years before Christ 592 Olympiads 47 ANACHARSIS Scytha now came to Athens Eucrates being Archon D. Laert. 1. 101. Years before Christ 588 Olympiads 48 Pythagoras Samius offer'd himself to play at Fisticuffs among the Boys at the Olympic Games but having long Hair and wearing Purple
Jamblichus 100 wanting one or according to the nameless Writer in Photii Biblioth CCXLIX 104 years or according to a nameless Writer in Galen's Works 117 years But if the Reader is not yet tir'd I will go on with him to the end of the 90 years which is as far as I see any ground Years before Christ 505 4. Olympiads 68 4. Here the Death of Pythagoras is plac'd in one MS of Eus. Chron. Years before Christ 504 Years before Christ 69 HERACLITUS now flourish'd D. Laert. Pythagoras's Age 83 IX beginning PARMENIDES now flourish'd D. Laert. IX 23. Now Cynaethus Chius first rhapsodied Homer's Verses Schol. in Pindar Nem. B. Years before Christ 502 Olympiads 69 2. HECATAEUS the Historian flourish'd Pythagoras's Age 85 for now he endeavour'd to disswade Aristagoras from taking Arms against Darius King of Persia Herodot V. 36. Pythagoras's Age 87 N. ANAXAGORAS the Philosopher Years before Christ 500 Olympiads 70 born this year D. Laert. II 7. from Apollodorus This is confirm'd by Democritus saying of himself thaâ—â—e was 40 years younger than Anaxagoraâ— D. Laert. V. 41. for Democritus was born Olymp. LXXX Ib. Pythagoras's Age 89 Mariana's Copy of Eus. Chron. places Years before Christ 498 7. Olympiads 70 3. the death of Pythagoras this year Pythagoras's Age 90 Θ. PYTHAGORAS died Eus. Chron. Scal. Years before Christ 497 6. Olympiads 70 4. and Pontac from 4 MSS. Most say he lived 90 years D. Laert. III. 44. The accounts of his death are various The likeliest is that which we have in the Excerpta of Diod. Sic. Porphyry and Jambl. c. 35. They tell how one Cylon of Croton a rich ambitious boisterous man having offer'd himself to be taken into the College and being refus'd was thereby so enraged that he got the Mob together and fell upon Milo's house when Pythagoras and his Disciples were all there together and burnt the house and all that were in it except two or three that narrowly escaped Some say Pythagoras was one of them that were burnt there Others say he escaped out of the Fire and was kill'd in pursuit Others that he fled to Caulonia thence to Locri thence to Tarentum but being no where receiv'd at last he went to Metapontum and there got into the Muses Temple where being kept from Victuals 40 days he was starved Hermippus whom Josephus calleth the most eminent Writer of Pythag. Life hath a most unlikely story of his death He saith that being ingag'd with â—he Agrigentines against the Syracusans and his Party being worsted he was taken in Flight because he would not run over a Bean Plot and so was kill'd by the Enemy D. Laert. hath an Epigram on his Death according to this Story which I think indeed is fitter for a Poet than an Historian After his Death those of his Disciples that were living are said to have been dispersed into Greece and the neighbouring Countries And yet his Family is said to have continued at or about Croton His Wife Theano was born there according to Clem. Alex. from Didymus and D. Laert. and Suidas But Porphyry says she was of Crete Some say that she and her Son Telauges revived or continued his School Others say it was done by Aristaeus of Croton that married his Daugh. Theano His Son Arimnestus is mention'd by Porphyry from Duris Samius and said to have taught Democritus the famous Philosopher D. Laert mentions his Son Marmacus and D. Damo Suidas seems to call that Son Mnesarchus and also mentions his D. Arignote and Myia Another D. of his is call'd Sara But of all these we have nothing that looks like a Certainty in my opinion FINIS ERRATA P. vii l. 2. have also from p. ix l. 12. for LVII r. LXII p. 5. l. 1. for 5 2. r. 52. p. 10. l. 12.41 should be in lin 15. p. 11. l. 22. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 N. is here put for the Birth and Θ. for the Death of any Person * Jonsius de Script Hist. Philos VIII 2. Herod 11. Diod. Sic. Philostr vit Apoll. Ty. iii. 6. Porph. p. 188. Porph. p. 201. Schol. in Sophoclis Electram Diog. Laert VIII 4. Schol. in Apoll. Argonaut I. D. Laert. VIII 4. D Laert. VIII 14. Porph. p. 191. Jambl. c. 28. Herod II. Diog. Laert from Heraclides Porph. p 191. D. Laert. VIII 36. Philostr III. 707. VI. 18. V. 15. Diog. Laert VIII 41. from Hermippus Chrysost. Hom. II. in Joh. Cyril in Julian III. Porph. p. 193. Jambl. c. 28. P. 194. Porph. p 191 192. Jambl. c. 28. Porph. ib. Jambl. c. 13. Jambl c. 28. Porph. p. 190. 1 Cor. I. 21. Acts IV. 13. V. Hierocl infra Julian Apost in Spanheim's Edition of Cyril lib. X. p. 327. John XX. 30 31. Mar. XVI 20. 1 Cor. XV. 6. V. Uss. Annal A. D. 54. Pearson Posthum Act II. 32. IV. 33. V. 32. John IX 47. Acts IV. 16. Mat. IX 34. XII 24. Mat. XXVI 59 60. Luke XXIII 14. Origen contra Celsum I. p. 30 55. II. p. 93 94. P. xx xxv Origen contra Celsum III. p. 126 127. VIII p. 407. Origen contra Cels. I. p. 8. Orig. cont Cels. I. P. xvii Origin contra Cels. III p. 125 129. Orig. cont Cel. III. 125 129. Herod IV. Orig cont Cels. III. p. 129. Holstein de vitâ scriptis Porph. c. 10. Hieron praef Dan. De vit scr Porphyr c 4. Euseb. hist. VI. 19. Porph. v. Plotini p. 4. Euseb. hist. VII 12. VIII 4. Hoâ—st ib. c 10 De vit Scr. Porph. c. 7. p. xiii Lact. de Justit v. 2. Lact. de mort perfec c 16. Euseb. de Mart. Palaest c. 5. Eus. cont Hier. Edit Oxon 8 o. p. 264. Gal. 6.11 Act. 22.3 Act. 26.24 Rom. 3.8 2 Pet. 3.3 2 Tim 4.6 2 Pet. 1.14 Philost VIII 12. Philost I. 3. Ib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ib. I 3. I 2. Philostr Soph. II. p. 617. He writ a book of Love-Epistles Suid. I 1. IV 3. IV. 8. Empusa P. ix C. 1 c. 1. IV. 3. IV. 5. III 8. VI 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. xxxi I 4. VIII 12. I 9. Tacâ— Ann. II. 42. Tac Annal II 42. P. xxix VIII 12. VIII 12. P. v. I 1 2. Euseb. in Hier. I â—3 p. 25. I 2 3. VII 1. III 13. Lucian in Pseudo-Mant p. 476. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. xxx P. xxix Philost Soph. II. p. â—â—â— Eus. hist VI. Phil. vit Apol. l. 18 24. Sext. Empir Pyrth III 24. I 3. More 's Mystery of Godliness IV 3 4. V 7 1. Phil. VIII 13. Eus. hist. VI 21. Lampr. Alex A. § 29. Mystery of Godliness V 7 8. Vopisc Divus Aurel c. 24. Mr. Dodwell 's praelect prooem in hist. Aug. V. 6. V. Lact. de mort perfec Juliani Epist xxxiv xl xli liii lx lxi Juliani Orat IV. Crat VII Ib. Jambl. vit Pyth c. 2 p. 28. c. 2. p. 29. Ib. P. viii p. vi vii viii P. 43. c. 27. p. 127. c. 19. p. 94. P. xiii c. 19. p. 94. c. 2. p. 31. l. 5. c. 4. p. 36. l. 27. c. 4. ending c. 5. beginning c. 7. p. 47. l. 23. c. 36. p. 220. l. 4. c. 30. p. 154. l. 22. c. 23. p. 103 l. 15. Herodot IV 56. c 23. p. 103. l. 11 15. Dissert p. 362. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porph. vit Pyth. p. 193. Jambl. c. 28. p. 127 128. p. xi VIII 3. c. 23. p. 103. l. 15. D. Laert. VIII 56. ibidem VIII 74. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 19. p. 92. l. 32. p. 93. l. 10. c. 28. p. 131. l. 28. c. 36 p. 221 c.
greatest of them in his Age. These learned men no doubt had seen the Books that he publish'd namely his four Books of Iudicial Astrology and his Books of Sacrifices to shew what sorts of them would best please every God I find no other Books that he writ And these could not but confirm those Philosophers in their opinion of him We have these things and much more of this kind from Philostratus whom we have reason to believe in these things though not in many other for in these he agrees with him that lived nearest Apollonius's time Of all the Writers now extant the nearest to the time of Apollonius was Lucian as I have shewn And what opinion he had of him we may see in his account of another of the same Trade one Alexander a Famous Impostor Lucian tells us of this Alexander that being at first a handsome Youth he was abused by one of Tyana that made him his Catamite This execrable Sodomite being as Lucian saith not only a Countryman of Apollonius but also one of his Companions that knew all His way of acting the part of a Philosopher to make this young man the more passive to his Lust train'd him up to Magic and taught him the use of Charms and made him a great Proficient in all the other arts of Cheating in which he excell'd This is all that we have of Apollonius from Lucian And we had not known so much of him as this but that Lucian having occasion to speak of a Companion of his that set up at his Trade and took Apprentices at it thereupon brings him in as the Master-workman of his Age in all that way of Diabolical Practice This was the Reputation he had as it seems till above a hundred years after his Death Then outcomes this Book of his Life compos'd as I have shewn out of unknown Memoirs brought into the World by an unknown hand They are said to have been Brought to the Empress Julia as I have shewn That might be though they were first born in her Court She might as well order the first Devising as the composing of them inâ—o a History Philostratus owns that what he did was by Her order And she was her self a Philosopher as he tells us a great Intriguer all acknowledge No doubt she had very great reasons for such an extraordinary thing as this was to canonize a Magician a hundred years after his death and to advance him even to be a God Whether she had a mind this way to draw off her Son the young Emperor from the esteem he had of the Christians whom he favour'd on his Nurses account that was of that Religion or whether to do honour to a Disciple and inâ—imate Friend of the Magi that were Noted to lie with their Mothers and thereby to countenance her wicked design of drawing her Son to her Bed These are but Conjectures But whatsoever the matter was it was She as Philostratus owns that set him upon the design of writing the Life of Apollonius at such a rate that whoever believ'd it could not but look upon him as a fit Rival for our Blessed Saviour Her and her Son Caracalla I take to have been the Emperours that order'd him to be worshipped at Tyana where he was born That Emperors did order this Philostratus tells us in a Chapter which I take to be an addition to the end of his Book And sure this could not be done by any Emperors before Lucian's time For if it had he durst not have writ those things that I have quoted from him Considering also that her Sister or Neice Mammaea the Mother of Alexander Severus was a Christian I do not wonder at that which Lampridius hath in this Emperors Life Where he saith he had the Images of Christ and Apollonius together in his Lararium Of his Mother he had his Birth and Education and it was his Aunt Julia that rais'd him to that Greatness in which being to furnish a Closet for his Devotion he thought to please them both in setting up his Aunt 's God together with his Mother's As the bigotted Heathens could not but be pleas'd with the Honour done to Apollonius in order to the Lessening of our Blessed Saviour so no doubt the Devil would promote it what he could And therefore I am inclin'd to be of Dr. More 's opinion that the Devil might make that appearance to Aurelian in the name of his Saint Apollonius to perswade that incensed Emperor to spare his City of Tyana for his sake Tho' otherwise it is not improbable that Vopiscus might Invent this part of his History For as my most learned Friend Mr. Dodwell shews he writ it in the first heat of Diocletian's Persecution and dedicated it to the Praefectus Urbis who had the same concern in this matter at Rome that Hierocles had at Nicomedia And by the high Encomium he gives Apollonius out of a Greek Book as he tells us which could be no other than his Life written by Philostratus it is plain he had the same wicked design with Hierocles namely to set up this Magician for a Rival to our Saviour and thereby to bring Contempt on his holy Religion and on all them that suffer'd and died for it in that Persecution But when Godâ—s time was come to set up the Kingdom of Christ three or four Emperors that Oppos'd it with the utmost Malice and Rage were successively taken away by the visible hand of God the Iustice whereof two of them at their death did acknowledge Then the Devil being thrown out of Heaven all his Angels fell with him Christianity came to be the establish'd Religion And Then to use the Phrase of a Gentleman that had more Wit than did him good Religion having taught the people to say Grace there was no more danger of the crooked Pin in the Pudding those palpable Lyes of Apollonius would not go down and so for ought I find Hierocles quite lost his labour Next Jamblichus who as Eunapius saith in his life was a greater Scholar than his Master Porphyry and who was no less a Hater of Christians yet living under Christian Emperors a she did all the time of his age for writing Books he durst not write Professedly against the Christian Religion But taking this to be a safe way he went on with his Masters design of setting up Pythagoras to be a Rival to our Saviour In order to this he took up all the stuff that Porphyry in his life of Pythagoras had gather'd ready to his hand He worked it over again his own way oftentimes making use of Porphyry's words Then for farther Embellishment he added out of his own Invention whatever he thought would either adorn his Subject or promote the design of his Writing His design was plainly to subvert the Christian Religion But so as not to run himself in any danger on that account
that had no design to serve with a Lye would have named before Apollonius Tyaneus whom yet Hierocles so much admires that he thinks himself modest for saying only this He was a Favourite of the Gods whereas the Christians say that Christ was God himself for those few strange things that are told of him First For Philostratus on whose single word all the credit of this story of Apollonius depends of what value his word is must be judged by considering how he was qualified for an Historian To begin with the opportunities he had to inform himself it is certain he could say nothing of his Own knowledge For as himself tells us Apollonius died a few weeks after the Emperour Domitian that was in the year of our Lord 96. But Philostratus did not write this till above a hundred years after How came he then by all the stuff with which he hath filled a large History He tells us that while he lived in the Court of Julia that most infamous Empress the Mother and Wife of that horrible brute Caracalla the Minutes of Apollonius's Life written by one Damis that lived with him were presented to her by one of Damis's Relations and she being a Lover of fine Language delivered them to this Sophist Philostratus to put them into a handsome dress But that we may not think these Minutes were all that he had for the furnishing of his History he tells us he had besides an account from one Maximus of Aegae how Apollonius past his time in that Town for the two or three years that he lived there being then about 20 years of Age almost a Boy as Hierocles words it And this is all the help he had from these two Lovers of Truth as Hierocles calls them But there was besides one Moeragenes that writ IV Books On or Against Apollonius but he is not to be heeded saith Philostratus because he was ignorant of many of our Stories so he lost the Honour of being recorded by Hierocles for one of the lovers of Truth In short except the little things that hapned in the short time that Apollonius was at Aegae for any thing else of his Life Philostratus doth not pretend to have any Author but Damis Yet all that he had of Damis was no more than a Table-book of Minutes as Philostratus owns And those might be written by any one else for ought he knew For it was a hundred years after Damis's death before he saw or heard of them Till then they were not known And then a Nameless man pretending to be a relation of Damis brought them and said they were written by Damis Thâ—s is all the Authority we have for Philostratus's Legend But he saith in the Chapter before he had some things from Town-talk in the places where Apollonius had been and some things he had that other men said of him and some things from Epistles that Apollonius had written to Kings c. As for the Talk of things done a hundred years ago that is very uncertain but of what Authority were these Epistles There may well be a doubt of this For the Epistles in Diogenes Laertius were generally forged by Sophists And Philostratus being a Sophist and one that knew how to write to Kings might be the very man that forged the Epistles now extant We have reason to like them the worse for agreeing too well with his History But besides he seems to doubt that his Reader might suspect these Epistles and therefore question his History To fence against this he saith he took things that were more certain from the Authors that he names afterwards Damis c. Of how little credit those Authors were we have seen And if things taken out of them were more certain as he himself tells us then there is no credit at all to be given to his Epistles So much for the Authority now for the Matters of his History Some of them I dare say were such as Lucian had never heard of and yet He liv'd mid-way between Apollonius and his Historian Particularly I cannot believe he ever heard of that Story of Apollonius how he made the people at Ephesus stone an old Beggar who as He told them was a Daemon and when the Stones had made a Hillock over his body he bad the people remove the Stones which they did and found under them not a man but a Mastiff as big as the biggest sort of Lion and foaming at Mouth as if he had been mad So likewise he tells how Apollonius being invited with many other Guests by his Friend Menippus to his Wedding he found that the amiable Bride was a She-Devil that was in love with Menippus and pretending to be a great Fortune had provided the Wedding Dinner with a noble Antendance and all manner of Delicacies but upon his telling his Friend what she was she together with her Attendance and Dinner vanisht leaving Apollonius to make her Excuse to the Bridegroom and his Company Here were Subjects for Lucian to have bantered upon beyond any that are in his Book so that because they are not There I say again one may be sure he never heard of them He that could thus descry Devils might as well ken Souls one would think and tell what Bodies they had passed through especially being a Pythagorean Philosopher I have shewn Apollonius could do that as well as Pythagoras himself though Philostratus doth not tell us that ever his Soul dwelt as that of Pythagoras did in the Body of a Son of Mercury that had that Gift from his Father But he was not to be measur'd by Pythagoras being as Philostratus tells us far the greater Man of the two He out-did him in many things and particularly in this that he could call up the Souls of any of the Heroes and entertain himself with them at his Pleasure Particularly at the Tomb of Achilles where that Heroe appear'd sometimes frightfully to others who therefore warn'd Apollonius not to come near him he laught at them and spent a whole Night there in Conversation with Achilles till the Cocks-crowing which it seems warns the Sprights away But the next day he told his Company all this how the Ghost appear'd to him at first but five Cubits high but rose up by degrees to be twelve perhaps swelling with Indignation against his Countrey-men of Thessaly of whom he bitterly complained That whereas they used to worship him formerly now they had this good while left it off He called Apollonius by his Name And told him I am glad you are here for I have long lookt for such a one as you to tell them of this But for one thing he expostulated with Apoâ—lâ—nius too That he had receiv'd into his Company one Antisthenes that was of the race of King Priamus and that used to sing the Praises of Hector whom belike Achilles hated even after Deaâ—h But it seems Apollonius having done this
ignorantly now he was told of it discarded the young Gentleman All this as Philostratus says was in the minutes of Damis who was present at that time And with Him I go next to Apollonius's Travels of which Philostratus tells us many wonders that he saith Damis saw among which are the most incredible things that we read in the Travels of Sir John Mandevill But he tells us many more and greater than that Knight has in his Book Particularly this which Damis confesseth made him stare When he was among the Bramins they brought him to a Treat where he saw four Tables that walked and placed themselves in an apt Figure each of these was supported by an Image that served them with Drink Two of these Images pour'd out Wine and the other two Water one hot and one cold to every Guest according to his drinking and for Dinner there came in Dishes of all the best Fruits of the Season invisible till they were upon the Table and there they set themselves in order for eating then the Earth thrust up heaps of Grass that were softer than Beds for the Guests to lie upon Philostratus saith indeed that how they did these things Apollonius neither asked nor cared to Learn that is he took all to be done by Magick But he liked these Magicians never the worse for it as appears by the high Praises he gave them at every mention that he made of them afterwards Which so prick'd the Gymnosophists when he was with them in Aethiopia that they to shew him a proof of their skill made an Elm-tree speak to him It spoke he saith articulately but it was with a Woman's voice perhaps because the Greek word for an Elm is of the Feminine Gender These are very rank fulsome Lyes but they are but a small tast of the abundance that Philostratus gives us out of his Damis's Minutes What he tells of Apollonius without that Authority himself as I have shewn doth acknowledge to be very Vncertain Such he owns those stories to have been that he tells us of a Choire of Swans that happening to be in the Meadow where his Mother fell in Labour Sung him into the World and also of a Choire of Virgins that sung him into Heaven if the lying Cretans may be believ'd that gave Philostratus the words of their Song For the distance of time between his Birth and his Death he owns it to be very uncertain He saith it was as some say 80 years as some 90 and as some above 100. But therein as well as in many other things he shew'd his want of Chronology For if as he tells us Archelaus rebell'd against the Romans when Apollonius was at Aegae being then but 16 years old then he must have been born in or very near the first year of our Lord for it was certainly A. D. 17 in which Archelaus after a very short struggle yielded and was deposed for his Rebellion And as I have shewn from Philostratus himself Apollodorus died A. D. 96. Therefore according to Philostratus's own account he died at the Age of 96 or 97 years old which is none of the years above mention'd So uncertain was also the place of his death For as Philostratus saith some say he died at Ephesus some say in the Isle of Candy and some in Minerva's Temple at Lindus For Philostratus's part not daring to strain the credit of Damis by making him side with any of them he declares that Dâ—mis said nothing of the manner of his Death But then delivering the opinions of others he saith Thus died Apollonius adding if he Died at all O rare Historian that having not only assured us he was Born but having given a particular account of his Father and his Mother and the Green Chamber he was Born in comes at last to make a Doubt whether he ever Died or no. What would this man have the Reader think of his Apollonius that he was greater than Apollo or than Jupiter himself So it seems For both these Died as we have shewn from Pythagoras himself who own'd it was after their Deaths that they were made Gods and Pythagoras could not but Know this for as this Writer tells us Pythagoras was Among them sometimes and Apollo came to him and own'd that it was He that spoke to him Yet here Philostratus that told us all this though he durst not speak out that Apollonius did Never die yet he intimates this was his Opinion and would incline his Reader to believe it Certainly your Tzetzes did not exceed in calling him the most lying Philostratus Among all the Writers that I know there is scarce a greater Liar in the world Nor was there a greater Impostor than Apollonius whom on the sole credit of Philostratus's History Hierocles so much extolls as the great Favourite of the Gods and fitter to be called a God than our Blessed Saviour But to shew more particularly what Apollonius was we must not wholly reject his lying Historian For if we do we are quite in the dark there being no other that writ of Apollonius within two hundred years after his death Lucian only excepted And therefore to make the best of what we have in these two Writers I shall begin with Philostratus and take the best Information we can get of him Now according to this Historian Apollonius was bred up at first among the Pythagoreans and always affected to be thought a Philosopher of that Sect. For he strictly observed the rules of Pythagoras though he understood not his Doctrine But he not only imitated but much out did him in his Travels And according to the way of that Sect which was much addicted to the Worship of Daemon's he made it his bâ—siness wheresoever he went to restore the Gentile Idolatry which was then much sunk by the preaching of the Christian Religion This no doubt might entitle him to the Devil 's especial Assistance by which he might do Wonderfull things and might as he Boasted he did know more than all the men in the world That was nothing to him He would be thought to be a God and therefore he boasted of things which no Man could know or do He declared he knew all the Languages of Men without any teaching and that he understood not only their Words but even their silent Thoughts Damis as soon as he heard this fell down and worshâ—pped him he could do no less looking upon him as a Daemon saith the Historian Others that saw his Tricks and heard such things from him soon found both what he was and what he would be at They saw he was either a Magician or a grand Cheat. This was the common Opinion they had of him according to Philostratus who notably fenceth against it They also saw what he drove at even to be thought a God Of this he was accused to the Government and that by Philosophers even by Euphrates the