Gleanings of antiquities / By John Beaumont, Gent.

  • Beaumont, John, -1731.
Date:
1724
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Gleanings of antiquities / By John Beaumont, Gent. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    161/226 (page 147)
    this Belly ifiued the confufed Voice which paffed for the Voice of Apollo; and he thinks we may hence conclude, that the Engafirimuthay or Pythia* was a Ferfon who repeated or explained more diftin&ly what had been faid from the Belly of the Tripod after a more confufed and lets intelligible manner. Now, as for thefe farther Particulars of Mn Schottus; Whereas he fays the ‘Tripod was the Mouth of Apollo, who gave Anfvvers himfelf, and not the Pythia, and that file only explained the Words oh- fcurely delivered by Apollo through the ‘Tripod; this is contrary to what Plutarch, and mod of the other bed: Authors have writ, and the Frieds attending the Oracle might eafily have contrived that great rum¬ bling Noife in the Tripod, for amufing the People, without making it the Voice of Apollo to deliver ob- fcure Words to be explained by the Pythia ; and fo making her as an Attendant on a Puppet-Show, to ex¬ plain what the Puppets fay. And if Apollo himfelf fpake, I would ask why could not the Priefts take the Words from his Mouth as well as the Pythia, fo that fhe would be ufelefs, unlefs the Words became more Authentick by coming from theMouth of an old Wo¬ man than from Apollo ; and X wifh he had told us whether he thought that which he calls the Voice or obfcure Words of Apollo, really proceeded from a Py-* thonick Spirit, or only by contrivance from the Priefts attending the Oracle, for I find him generally inclin/d to Dr. Van Dale's Opinion, viz,, that all Things relating to the Oracle were carried on by their Im- pofture. And if it be his Opinion there was no fuch Thing as a Pythonick Spirit, I wifh he would read the Anfwer Father Baltus has writ to Mr. FontenelleA Book of Oracles, which is an Abridgment of Dr. Van Dale ; and he will find that Anfwer has (V lenced him : So that no Reply has been made, and I believe Mr. Scottus may find it will not bear a fair Reply, and X have given an Abftradt of that Anfwer U a beneath.