If, therefore, Felicity ought not perhaps to have been put among the select gods, because they did not attain to that noble position by merit, but by chance, Fortune at least should have been placed among them, or rather before them; for they say that that goddess distributes to every one the gifts she receives, not according to any rational arrangement, but according as chance may determine.She ought to have held the uppermost place among the select gods, for among them chiefly it is that she shows what power she has.For we see that they have been selected not on account of some eminent virtue or rational happiness, but by that random power of Fortune which the worshippers of these gods think that she exerts.For that most eloquent man Sallust also may perhaps have the gods themselves in view when he says: "But, in truth, fortune rules in everything; it renders all things famous or obscure, according to caprice rather than according to truth."(4) For they cannot discover a reason why Venus should have been made famous, whilst Virtus has been made obscure, when the divinity of both of them has been solemnly recognized by them, and their merits are not to be compared.Again, if she has deserved a noble position on account of the fact that she is much sought after--for there are more who seek after Venus than after Virtus--why has Minerva been celebrated whilst Pecunia has been left in obscurity, although throughout the whole human race avarice allures a far greater number than skill? And even among those who are skilled in the arts, you will rarely find a man who does not practise his own art for the purpose of pecuniary gain; and that for the sake of which anything is made, is always valued more than that which is made for the sake of something else.If, then, this selection ofs has been made by the judgment of the foolish multitude, why has not the goddess Pecunia been preferred to Minerva, since there are many artificers for the sake of money? But if this distinction has been made by the few.wise, why has Virtus been preferred to Venus, when reason by far prefers the former ? At all events, as I have already said, Fortune herself--who, according to those who attribute most influence to her, renders all things famous or obscure according to caprice rather than according to the truth--since she has been able to exercise so much power even over the gods, as, according to her capricious judgment, to render those of them famous whom she would, and those obscure whom she would; Fortune herself ought to occupy the place of pre-eminence among the select gods, since over them also she has such pre-eminent power.
Or must we suppose that the reason why she is not among the select is simply this, that even.Fortune herself has had an adverse fortune? She was adverse, then, to herself, since, whilst ennobling others, she herself has remained obscure.
CHAP.4.--THE INFERIOR GODS, WHOSE NAMES
ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH INFAMY, HAVE BEEN BETTER DEALT WITH THAN THE SELECTGODS, WHOSE INFAMIES ARE CELEBRATED.
However, any one who eagerly seeks for celebrity and renown, might congratulate those select gods, and call them fortunate, were it not that he saw that they have been selected more to their injury than to their honor.For that low crowd of gods have been protected by their very meanness and obscurity from being overwhelmed with infamy.We laugh, indeed, when we see them distributed by the mere fiction of human opinions, according to the special works assigned to them, like those who farm small portions of the public revenue, or like workmen in the street of the silversmiths,(1) where one vessel, in order that it may go out perfect, passes through the hands of many, when it might have been finished by one perfect workman.But the only reason why the combined skill of many workmen was thought necessary, was, that it is better that each part of an art should be learned by a special workman, which can be done speedily and easily, than that they should all be compelled to be perfect in one art throughout all its parts, which they could only attain slowly and with difficulty.Nevertheless there is scarcely to be found one of the non-select gods who has brought infamy on himself by any crime, whilst there is scarce any one of the select gods who has not received upon himself the brand of notable infamy.These latter have descended to the humble works of the others, whilst the others have not come up to their sublime crimes.Concerning Janus, there does not readily occur to my recollection anything infamous; and perhaps he was such an one as lived more innocently than the rest, and further removed from misdeeds and crimes.He kindly received and entertained Saturn when he was fleeing;he divided his kingdom with his guest, so that each of them had a city for himself,(2) the one Janiculum, and the other Saturnia.But those seekers after every kind of unseemliness in the worship of the gods have disgraceed him, whose life they found to be less disgracful than that of the other gods, with an image of monstrous deformity, making it sometimes with two faces, and sometimes, as it were, double, with four faces.(3) Did they wish that, as the most of the select gods had lost shame(4) through the perpetration of shameful crimes, his greater innocence should be marked by a greater number of faces?(5)CHAP.5.--CONCERNING THE MORE SECRET DOCTRINE OF THE PAGANS, AND CONCERNINGTHE
PHYSICAL INTERPRETATIONS.
