Part iX

In fine, he was fo much admired for thefe. "things, that ^A/hen he went to the Olympick Games, the eyes of all men were fixed on him ; neither was their difcourfeof any thing fo much as of Empe^Ioclns.
CHAP, V. ,
His Death.
His death, f faith Laertim) is varioufly repor¬ ted. Hsraclides having related the ftory of the breathlefs woman, how much Empedocles was admired for railing a dead woman to life, adds, that he appointed a Sacrifice in the field of Pijtanaxy and invited thither many of his friends, amongft whom' was Paufavias. After the feaft was done, the company withdrew themfeives to reft, but he ftir’d not out of the place where he lay at fupper. The next morning • when they arofe, he alone was miffing, which giving them occafion to enquire after him of the lervants, they faid they knew not what was be¬ come of him, only one of them faid, that about Midnight he heard a great voice, calling Empe- , doclss-y whereupon rifing up, he faw a heavenly light, and a fplendor of Torches, but nothing elfe. They were all amazed at this accident, and Paufanms going down, fent forth others to enquire more ftritftly, but was at laft perfwaded not to trouble himfelf any further^ faying, that the thing that had fallen out, deferved prayer, and that facrifice Ihould be made to him as to a god. Hermppm faith, that he made the Sacrifice upon the cure he wrought on Panthea, and that the Perfons invited were eighty.
Hippobottfs affirms* that he rofe up from his place and w'ent to where he leaped into
the fire, that he might leave behind him an opi¬ nion that he was a god ; and that afterwards, it was difcovered by one of his Sandals, which the fire caft up again, for his Sandals were of Brafs. But this report Paufamas contradids.
Diodorus the Ephefan , having told how he cured the Selimncians of the Plague, adds, that the Selwmcians upon a time feafting by this River, Empedocles appeared to them, and they rifing up, worffiipped him, and prayed to him as a god: which opinion he defiring to continue, caft himfelf into the fire.
This relation Timam contradids, affirming, that he departed into Pelopotinefus, and never re¬ turn’d ; whereby it came to pafs, that the man- mer of his death is not* known. He likewife in his fourth -Book exprefiy confutes Herachdes, for he proveth that Ptfianax was a Syracufiany and had not any eftate or field at yigrigentum' that Paufaniasy upon that report, ereded in memory of his friend, either a little Image or Chappel, as t» a god, for he wasrich. And how, faith he, could he caft himfelf into the flames of zy£tna, of which being fo far diftant, he never makes anv mention? Indeed he died in Pelcpnvnejus, and it is no wonder that hisTombis not known, for it hath happened fo to many others befides. Thus Tim/eus ; adding, that Herachdes tells ex¬ traordinary things, as among the reft, the ftory of a man that fell out of the Moon.
Hippobotm affirms, that a Statue of Empedocles cover’d,. which flood firft at .Mgrigentum, was aftervvards plac’d before the Senate houfe at Rome uncover’d, being brought thither by the Romans, of which lairh Laertins , there are vet fome pidures.
Neanthes relates, that going in his Chariot to a great folemnity at Mejjenuy he fell and broke bis thigh ; of which he died, being feventy feven years old. His Sepulcher is at Megara: but in the accompt of his years Arijlotle differs, who faith he died at fixty. Yet . others affirm, he lived toan hundred and nine ycatsof age. He flourifhed in the Olympiad.
But Democritus the elates, in Ho¬
mers words, that.
About hu neck he knit a ropey and fed
From a high cliff ; hts joul ovent down to bed.
In the forementioned Epiftle of Tdauz^es, it is faid, that being exceeding old, he fell into the Sea, and fo died. Thus much for his death.
CHAP. VI.
His IVrittrgs,
ARffotle in his Sophift affirms, that Empedo- La.-rt.
cles firft found out Rhecorick, Zeno Diale- dick ; and in his Book concerning the Poets, that Empedocles's ftyle was -Homerical, and that he was weighty in his expreffions, ufing Meta- pht^s much, and other Poetical figures ; and that having written, among other Poems, the paffage of Xerxes over th6 Hellefponty and a Hymn to Apolloy they were both burnt by a fifter, or, as Hieronims/s, a daughter of his, the Plymn up¬ on miftake ; the Pe^ffan Poem wittingly , for that it was imperfedt. He adds, that he wrote Tragedies alfo, and Politicks : but Herachdes, fon of Scrapion, aferibes the Tragedies to ano¬ ther. H ler on im us ^a\th, he. lighted upon forty three of them ; Neanthes, that he wrote Trage¬ dies when he was young, and that he had a fight of them.
Moreover he wrote Booksconcerning Naturt and Lufirations, which extended to jooo verfes, and a Medicinal Dijeourfe, containing fix hundred verfes.
His Lufirations, Clemens the Rhapfodift col- letfted, and fung at the Olympick Games, as Phavdrinus faith in his Commentaries.
CHAP. VII.
His Opinions.
Ft E held that there are (a) four Elements, a pita.
X Pftc, Air, Water, Earth ; and two prin- plac. f cipai powers. Amity and Difeord ; oneunitive, '*3* the other diferetive: for thus he writes;
To the four roots of all, attention give ;
The zyEther Jove ; Juno, by whom ive live\
Next thefe ts Pluto ; Neftis Ufi, wbofe eyes- Afford the mortal [om.tain jrefii jupplies.
He