CHAPTER XII

Of the Phœnix.

That there is but one Phœnix in the World, which after many hundred years burneth it self, and from the ashes thereof ariseth up another, is a conceit not new or altogether popular, but of great Antiquity; not only delivered by humane Authors, but frequently expressed also by holy Writers; by _Cyril_, _Epiphanius_, and others, by _Ambrose_ in his Hexameron, and _Tertullian_ in his Poem _De Judicio Domini_; but more agreeably unto the present sense, in his excellent Tract, _De Resurrectione carnis_. _Illum dico alitem orientis peculiarem, de singularitate famosum, de posteritate monstruosum; qui semetipsum libenter funerans renovat, natali fine decedens, atque succedens iterum Phœnix. Ubi jam nemo, iterum ipse; quia non jam, alius idem._ The Scripture also seems to favour it, particularly that of _Job_ 21. In the interpretation of _Beda_, _Dicebam in nidulo meo moriar, et sicut Phœnix multiplicabo dies_: and _Psal._ 31. δίκαιος ὥσπερ φοῖνιξ ἀνθήσει, _vir justus ut Phœnix florebit_, as _Tertullian_ renders it, and so also expounds it in his Book before alledged.

[Sidenote: _Against the story of the Phœnix._]

All which notwithstanding, we cannot presume the existence of this Animal; nor dare we affirm there is any Phœnix in Nature. For, first there wants herein the definitive confirmator and test of things uncertain, that is, the sense of man. For though many Writers have much enlarged hereon, yet is there not any ocular describer, or such as presumeth to confirm it upon aspection. And therefore _Herodotus_ that led the story unto the _Greeks_, plainly saith, he never attained the sight of any, but only in the picture.

Again, Primitive Authors, and from whom the stream of relations is derivative, deliver themselves very dubiously; and either by a doubtful parenthesis, or a timorous conclusion overthrow the whole relation. Thus _Herodotus_ in his _Euterpe_, delivering the story hereof, presently interposeth, ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐ πίστα λέγοντες; that is, which account seems to me improbable. _Tacitus_ in his annals affordeth a larger story, how the Phœnix was first seen at _Heliopolis_ in the reign of _Sesostris_, then in the reign of _Amasis_, after in the days of _Ptolomy_, the third of the _Macedonian_ race; but at last thus determineth, _Sed Antiquitas obscura, et nonnulli falsum esse hunc Phœnicem neque Arabum è terris credidere_. _Pliny_ makes yet a fairer story, that the Phœnix flew into _Egypt_ in the Consulship of _Quintus Plancius_, that it was brought to Rome in the Censorship of _Claudius_, in the eight hundred year of the City, and testified also in their records; but after all concludeth, _Sed quæ falsa nemo dubitabit_, As we read it in the fair and ancient impression of _Brixia_; as _Aldrovandus_ hath quoted it, and as it is found in the manuscript Copy, as _Dalechampius_ hath also noted.

Moreover, Such as have naturally discoursed hereon, have so diversly, contrarily, or contradictorily delivered themselves, that no affirmative from thence can reasonably be deduced. For most have positively denied it, and they which affirm and believe it, assign this name unto many, and mistake two or three in one. So hath that bird been taken for the Phœnix which liveth in _Arabia_, and buildeth its nest with Cinnamon; by _Herodotus_ called _Cinnamulgus_, and by _Aristotle_, _Cinnamomus_; and as a fabulous conceit is censured by _Scaliger_. Some have conceived that bird to be the Phœnix, which by a _Persian_ name with the _Greeks_ is called _Rhyntace_; but how they made this good we find occasion of doubt; whilest we read in the life of _Artaxerxes_, that this is a little bird brought often to their Tables, and wherewith _Parysatis_ cunningly poisoned the Queen. The _Manucodiata_ or Bird of Paradise, hath had the honour of this name, and their feathers brought from the _Molucca's_ do pass for those of the Phœnix. Which though promoted by rarity with us, the _Eastern_ Travellers will hardly admit; who know they are common in those parts, and the ordinary plume of _Janizaries_ among the _Turks_. And lastly, the Bird _Semenda_ hath found the same appellation, for so hath _Scaliger_ observed and refuted; nor will the solitude of the Phœnix allow this denomination; for many there are of that species, and whose trifistulary bill and crany we have beheld our selves. Nor are men only at variance in regard of the Phœnix it self, but very disagreeing in the accidents ascribed thereto: for some affirm it liveth three hundred, some five, others six, some a thousand, others no less then fifteen hundred years; some say it liveth in _Æthiopia_, others in _Arabia_, some in _Egypt_, others in _India_, and some in _Utopia_; for such a one must that be which is described by _Lactantius_; that is, which neither was singed in the combustion of _Phaeton_, or overwhelmed by the innundation of _Deucalion_.

Lastly, Many Authors who have discoursed hereof, have so delivered themselves, and with such intentions, that we cannot from thence deduce a confirmation. For some have written Poetically, as _Ovid_, _Mantuan_, _Lactantius_, _Claudian_, and others: Some have written mystically, as _Paracelsus_ in his Book _De Azoth_, or _De ligno et linea vitæ_; and as several Hermetical Philosophers, involving therein the secret of their Elixir, and enigmatically expressing the nature of their great work. Some have written Rhetorically, and concessively, not controverting, but assuming the question, which taken as granted, advantaged the illation. So have holy men made use hereof as far as thereby to confirm the Resurrection; for discoursing with Heathens who granted the story of the Phœnix, they induced the Resurrection from principles of their own, and positions received among themselves. Others have spoken Emblematically and Hieroglyphically; and so did the _Egyptians_, unto whom the Phœnix was the Hieroglyphick of the Sun. And this was probably the ground of the whole relation; succeeding Ages adding fabulous accounts, which laid together built up this singularity, which every Pen proclaimeth.

As for the Texts of Scripture, which seem to confirm the conceit, duly perpended, they add not thereunto. For whereas in that of _Job_, according to the Septuagint or Greek Translation we find the word Phœnix, yet can it have no animal signification; for therein it is not expressed φοῖνιξ, but στέλεχoς φοίνικος, the trunk of the Palm-tree, which is also called Phœnix; and therefore the construction will be very hard, if not applied unto some vegetable nature. Nor can we safely insist upon the Greek expression at all; for though the Vulgar translates it _Palma_, and some retain the word Phœnix, others do render it by a word of a different sense; for so hath _Tremellius_ delivered it: _Dicebam quod apud nidum meum expirabo, et sicut arena multiplicabo dies_; so hath the _Geneva_ and ours translated it, _I said I shall die in my Nest, and shall multiply my days as the sand._ As for that in the Book of Psalms, _Vir justus ut Phœnix florebit_, as _Epiphanius_ and _Tertullian_ render it, it was only a mistake upon the Homonymy of the Greek word Pœnix, which signifies also a Palm-tree. [SN: Consent of names.] Which is a fallacy of equivocation, from a community in name inferring a common nature; and whereby we may as firmly conclude, that Diaphœnicon a purging Electuary hath some part of the Phœnix for its ingredient; which receiveth that name from Dates, or the fruit of the Palm-tree, from whence, as _Pliny_ delivers, the Phœnix had its name.

Nor do we only arraign the existence of this Animal, but many things are questionable which are ascribed thereto, especially its unity, long life, and generation. As for its unity or conceit there should be but one in nature, it seemeth not only repugnant unto Philosophy, but also holy Scripture; which plainly affirms, there went of every sort two at least into the Ark of _Noah_, according to the Text, [SN: _Gen. 7._] _Every Fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort, they went into the Ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein there is the breath of life, and they that went in, went in both male and female of all flesh._ It infringeth the benediction of God concerning multiplication. God blessed them, saying, [SN: _Gen. 1._] _Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth:_ And again, [SN: _Chap. 8._] _Bring forth with thee every living thing, that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth:_ which terms are not appliable unto the Phœnix, whereof there is but one in the world, and no more now living then at the first benediction. For the production of one, being the destruction of another, although they produce and generate, they encrease not; and must not be said to multiply, who do not transcend an unity.

As for longævity, that it liveth a thousand years or more; beside that from imperfect observations and rarity of appearance, no confirmation can be made; there may be probable a mistake in the compute. For the tradition being very ancient and probably Egyptian, the _Greeks_ who dispersed the Fable, might summ up the account by their own numeration of years; whereas the conceit might have its original in times of shorter compute. For if we suppose our present calculation, the Phœnix now in nature will be the sixth from the Creation, but in the middle of its years; and if the _Rabbins_ Prophecie [SN: _That the World should last but six thousand years._] succeed, shall conclude its days not in his own but the last and general flames, without all hope of Reviviction.

Concerning its generation, that without all conjunction it begets and reseminates it self, hereby we introduce a vegetable production in Animals, and unto sensible natures, transfer the propriety of Plants; that is, to multiply within themselves, according to the Law of the Creation [SN: _Gen. 1._], _Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed is in it self_. Which is indeed the natural way of Plants, who having no distinction of sex, and the power of the species contained in every _individuum_, beget and propagate themselves without commixtion; and therefore their fruits proceeding from simpler roots, are not so unlike, or distinguishable from each other, as are the off-springs of sensible creatures and prolifications descending from double originals. But Animal generation is accomplished by more, and the concurrence of two sexes is required to the constitution of one. And therefore such as have no distinction of sex, engender not at all, as _Aristotle_ conceives of Eels, and testaceous animals. And though Plant-animals do multiply, they do it not by copulation, but in a way analogous unto Plants. So _Hermaphrodites_ although they include the parts of both sexes, and may be sufficiently potent in either; yet unto a conception require a separated sex, and cannot impregnate themselves. And so also though _Adam_ included all humane nature, or was (as some opinion) an _Hermaphrodite_, yet had he no power to propagate himself; and therefore God said, _It is not good that man should be alone, let us make him an help meet for him_; that is, an help unto generation; for as for any other help, it had been fitter to have made another man.

Now whereas some affirm that from one Phœnix there doth not immediately proceed another, but the first corrupteth into a worm, which after becometh a Phœnix, it will not make probable this production. [SN: _Irregularities._] For hereby they confound the generation of perfect animals with imperfect, sanguineous with exanguious, vermiparous with oviparous, and erect Anomalies, disturbing the laws of Nature. Nor will this corruptive production be easily made out in most imperfect generations; for although we deny not that many animals are vermiparous, begetting themselves at a distance, and as it were at the second hand (as generally Insects, and more remarkably Butter-flies and Silkworms) yet proceeds not this generation from a corruption of themselves, but rather a specifical and seminal diffusion, retaining still the Idea of themselves, though it act that part a while in other shapes. And this will also hold in generations equivocal, and such as are not begotten from Parents like themselves; so from Frogs corrupting, proceed not Frogs again; so if there be anatiferous Trees, whose corruption breaks forth into Bernacles, yet if they corrupt, they degenerate into Maggots, which produce not them again. For this were a confusion of corruptive and seminal production, and a frustration of that seminal power committed to animals at the Creation. The problem might have been spared, _Why we love not our lice as well as our children?_ _Noah's_ Ark had been needless, the graves of Animals would be the fruitful'st wombs; for death would not destroy, but empeople the world again.

Since therefore we have so slender grounds to confirm the existence of the Phœnix, since there is no ocular witness of it, since as we have declared, by Authors from whom the story is derived, it rather stands rejected; since they who have seriously discoursed hereof, have delivered themselves negatively, diversly, or contrarily; since many others cannot be drawn into Argument, as writing Poetically, Rhetorically, Enigmatically, Hieroglyphically; since holy Scripture alledged for it duly perpended, doth not advantage it; and lastly, since so strange a generation, unity and long life, hath neither experience nor reason to confirm it, how far to rely on this tradition, we refer unto consideration.

But surely they were not well-wishers unto parable Physick [SN: εὐπόριστα.], or remedies easily acquired, who derived medicines from the Phœnix; as some have done, and are justly condemned by _Pliny_; _Irridere est vitæ remedia post millesimum annum reditura monstrare_; It is a folly to find out remedies that are not recoverable under a thousand years; or propose the prolonging of life by that which the twentieth generation may never behold. More veniable is a dependance upon the Philosophers stone, potable gold, or any of those Arcana's whereby _Paracelsus_ that died himself at forty-seven, gloried that he could make other men immortal. Which, although extreamly difficult, and _tantum non_ infesible, yet are they not impossible, nor do they (rightly understood) impose any violence on Nature. And therefore if strictly taken for the Phœnix, very strange is that which is delivered by _Plutarch_ [SN: De sanitate tuenda.], That the brain thereof is a pleasant bit, but that it causeth the head-ach. Which notwithstanding the luxurious Emperour [SN: Heliogabalus.] could never taste, though he had at his Table many a Phœnicopterus, yet had he not one Phœnix; for though he expected and attempted it, we read not in _Lampridius_ that he performed it; and considering the unity thereof, it was a vain design, that is, to destroy any species, or mutilate the great accomplishment of six days. And although some conceive, and it may seem true, that there is in man a natural possibility to destroy the world in one generation, that is, by a general conspire to know no woman themselves, and disable all others also: yet will this never be effected. And therefore _Cain_ after he had killed _Abel_, were there no other woman living, could not have also destroyed _Eve_: which although he had a natural power to effect, yet the execution thereof, the providence of God would have resisted: for that would have imposed another creation upon him, and to have animated a second Rib of _Adam_.