to have been designed as emblematical memorials of what the real Son of God and Saviour of the world, was expected to do and suffer for our sakes; Νουσων θελκτήρια παντα κομίζων as the Orphic hymn* speaks of Hercules. It is very extraordinary that there are exploits attributed to this mighty character, supposed to have been performed by him, even before his mother Alcmena brought him into the world! Thus he is made to assist the gods in conquering the rebellious giants,† while some ancient authors mention "an oracle or tradition in 66 heaven, that the gods could never conquer "them without the assistance of a man.' Surely then, even the pagans had some idea, however confused, of that mysterious union of a human with a divine nature, which was to be exhibited in "the Desire of all nations, "who verily was foreordained before the foun * Ver. 14. "Ipse (Hercules) creditur gigantas interemisse cum "cœlo propugnaret, quasi virtus deorum." And who these giants were, is evident from what follows:- "Horum pedes “in draconum volumina desinebant." Macrob. Saturn. i. 20. Apollodor, Bibliot. i. 20. "dation of the world, but was made manifest "in the last times." R It is also told of Hercules, that he slew an enormous serpent, which guarded some celebrated apples in the sacred garden of the Hesperides. It has already been shewn that this tradition and others of a like nature, may be traced up to the primeval paradise. The forbidden fruit is clearly pointed at in this mythic legend; and the introduction of the tempter, who is here represented as "guarding them," instead of seducing others to gather them, exhibits just that kind of variation from the original and true history, which proves there was no collusion between the borrowed tradition, and the inspired account, to the truth of which, such tradition adds its correlative testimony. This tradition respecting Hercules, the serpent, and the apples of the Hesperides, is stated in a very remarkable manner by Eratosthenes,* cited by a learned living author. Speaking of the constellation of the serpent,† * Erat. Catast. sec. iii. and iv. cited by Faber in Hor. Mos. Annot. vol. i. p. 345. Hygin. Poet. Astron. pp. 361–369. + On the Farnese globe, (the only ancient one perhaps in the world) about forty of the constellations yet remain nearly perfect. The asterism Engonasis, or Ingeniculus, is one of them; and, according to Avienus, represents Hercules almost he says, "This is the same as that which 'guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides, "and was slain by Hercules. For, according "to Pherecydes, when all the gods offered pre"sents to Juno upon her nuptials with Jupiter, "the earth also brought golden apples. Juno, admiring their beauty, commanded them to "be planted in the garden of the gods; and finding that they were continually plucked "by the daughters of Atlas, she appointed a "vast serpent to guard them. Hercules over"came and slew the monster. In this constel"lation accordingly, the serpent is depicted rearing aloft its head, while Hercules placed "above it with one knee bent, tramples with his 66 ઃઃ foot upon its head, and brandishes his club in "his right hand." Here we recognize again the analogy between the gods of Olympus and the paradisaic family, with the other memorials relating to Eden justly incorporated therewith. Homer likewise mentions a tradition of Hercules having overcome and mortally wounded tired with his long fight with the serpent, which kept the garden of the Hesperides: in memory of which, Jupiter placed his figure in the heavens, with his heel bruising the great serpent's head. Avien. ver. 193. Spence's Polym. Philostratus actually gives this mythic hero Hercules the title of "the "Saviour of men!" Vit. Apoll. lib. viii. 9. the king of the infernal regions, in which instance, the character of Pluto is confounded with that of the serpent. Τλη δ Αιδης εν τοισι πελώριος ωκυν οιστον Hercules it was, according to some, who instituted the Nemean games, respecting the origin of which, there was an obscure story about a serpent. In all these memorials, one leading feature appears discernible, bearing testimony to the blessed promise of a deliverer from the power and influence of the serpent; a promise handed down amongst all generations, and shedding, as it were, through clouds and darkness, a ray upon the most gloomy regions of heathenism. There is yet another circumstance in which Hercules presents a traditionary type of the expected Saviour. It is affirmed of him, that on a certain occasion, he was swallowed by a great fish, in whose belly he remained three days and three nights, but at last escaped alive. This piece of legendary history plainly relates, in a primary sense, to the prophet Jonah, who was "a sign to the Ninevites," and who is alluded to by Christ himself, when he says, "For "as Jonas was three days and three nights in "the whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be "three days and three nights in the heart of "the earth." Now, Eneas Gazæus calls the fish that devoured Hercules by the very name mentioned both in St. Matthew and the Septuagint: "as Hercules also is reported, when he "was shipwrecked, to have been swallowed "by a whale, and yet to have been saved." Lycophron calls the fish the Canis Carcharias or sea dog, according to Bochart; and particularly alludes to the period he remained in the monster's belly: * Lycoph. Cassand. ver. 33.; and the Scholia of Isaac. p. 20. Rom. ed. 4to. Æneas Gazæus cit. ap. Bochart, vol. iii. 742. Cyrillus et Theophylact. ap. Voss. de Orig. Idol. lib. ii. 15. Grotius de Verit. lib. i. sec. 16. not. 105. |