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and do believe (if there be no impiety in it, as I hope not) that he was, as among Heathens in ſome reſpect, a fore-runner of Chriſt, to diſpoſe them the better when the time ſhould come to imbrace (and it did it effectually) the Goſpel. Many other Phyloſophers, that have been of greateſt fame, were certainly great Magicians, as Orpheus, Pythagoras, Empedocles, and the like, as by thoſe things that have been written of them by ſeveral ancient authors may be collected. But above all I give the preminence to Apollonius Thianeus, a man of later times, and of whom we may ſpeak with more confidence and certainty. This was the man whom ancient Heathens very tenacious of their former worſhip and ſuperſtitions, did pitch upon to oppoſe unto Chriſt. His Life hath been written by divers, four of them were joyned together and oppoſed to the four Goſpels: and Hierocles, a famous Phyloſopher of thoſe times, made a Collation of his Miracles with thoſe of Chriſts, who was anſwered by Euſebius, yet extant. Sure it is, they prevailed ſo much, that he was for a long time worſhipped by many, and in ſundry places as a very God; yea, by ſome Roman Emperors, as we find in Hiſtory. Philoſtratus hath written his Life in very Elegant ſtile (as Photius judged) in 8 books, which are extant. And though they contain many fabulous things, as any man may expect by the undertaking, yet have they ſo much truth and variety of ancient learning, that I think they deſerve to be better known then commonly they are; but cannot be underſtood, I am ſure, as they ſhould be, by any tranſlation either Latine or French that ever I ſaw: For the Paris Edition, though it boaſt of great things (as the manner is) yet how little was performed may eaſily appear unto any that will take the pains to compare it with the former edition of Aldus: Which I ſpeak not to find fault, but becauſe I wiſh that ſome able man would undertake the work; there is not any book, by the Tranſlations yet extant, that more needeth it. What uſe Scaliger made of him, may appear by his frequent quotations in his Notes upon Euſebius, in the Hiſtory of thoſe times. As for Appollonius his Miracles or wonderful Acts (which is our buſineſſe here) though many things have been added, ſome, probably, done by Impoſture, yet I do not ſee how it can be doubted but he did many ſtrange things by the help of Spirits, which things may be judged by due obſervation of circumſtances; as for example, That being convented before Domitian the Emperor in the prefence of many, he preſently vaniſhed and was ſeen a great way off (at Puteoli I think) about the ſame time. That at the very time when Domitian was killed at Rome, he ſpake of it publickly and of the manner of it at Epheſus: and ſo of many others, which ſeem to me (as unto moſt) almoſt unqueſtionable. The greateſt wonder to me is, that ſuch was his port and outward appearance of Sanctity aud Simplicity, that even Chriſtians have thought reverently of him, and believed that he did his wonders by the power of God, or by ſecret Philoſophy and knowledg of Nature not revealed unto other men. So Juſtine Martyr, one of the ancient Fathers of the Church judged of him, as is well known. Moſt later Phyloſophers that lived about Julians time, and before that, as alſo the Emperors themſelves, many of them, were great Magicians and Necromancers, as mayeaſily