8

Dr. Mayne, look on the story as a fiction; and for my part, I can see no reason either to believe he ever professed Christianity, or, if he did, why he might* not more probably die in his bed at so great an age as fourscore and ten, than be torn in pieces and devoured by dogs, when he was too feeble to defend himself. So early began the want of charity, the presumption of meddling with GOD's government, and the spirit of calumny, amongst the primitive believers.

Of his posterity we know nothing more, than that he left a son behind him, who was as much in favour with the Emperor Julian, as his father had been with Aurelius, the philosopher. This son became in time a famous sophist, and among the works of Julian we find an Epistle of that great person to him. "

9

I find that I have mingled, before I was aware, some things which are doubtful with some which are certain; forced indeed by the narrowness of

8 Dr. Jasper Mayne, who published à translation of some select Dialogues of Lucian in folio, in 1664. The translation, however, was made in 1638, when he was a Student of Christ-Church.

* This being a posthumous piece, and consequently not having been corrected by the author, I have here ventured to substitute might, instead of must, which latter word is found in the printed copy.

This assertion, as Fabricius has observed, is disproved by chronology. From the death of Marcus Aurelius to the accession of the Emperor Julian, was an interval of more than one hundred and eighty years. The favourite of Julian, therefore, could not be Lucian's son.

the subject, which affords very little of undisputed truth. Yet I find myself obliged to do right to Monsieur d'Ablancourt,' who is not positively of opinion that Suidas was the author of this fable; but rather that it descended to him by the tradition of former times, yet without any certain ground of truth. He concludes it however to be a calumny; perhaps a charitable kind of lie, to deter others from satirizing the new dogmas of Christianity, by the judgment shown on Lucian. We find nothing in his writings, which gives any hint of his professing our belief; but being naturally curious, and living not only amongst Christians, but in the neighbourhood of Judea, he might reasonably be supposed to be knowing in our points of faith, without believing them. He ran a muck, and laid about him on all sides, with

2

• Nicolas Perrot, Sieur d'Ablancourt, whose translation of the Dialogues of Lucian into French was first published at Paris in 1634. The style being elegant, though the version is extremely unfaithful to the original, Menage called this work of d'Ablancourt, la belle infidele.

any

2 Of this phrase, which I have not met with in author before the Restoration, Dr. Johnson could not discover the origin. Our author again uses it in one of his poems:

"Frontless, and satire-proof, he scow'rs the streets, "And runs an Indian muck at all he meets.'

The late Rev. Mr. Pegge, who many years ago published a short Essay on the derivation of this phrase, under the fictitious name of T. Row, (see GENTLEMAN'S Maga

more fury on the heathens, whose religion he professed; he struck at ours but casually, as it came in his way, rather than as he sought it: he

ZINE, vol. xxxviii. p. 283,) conceived that it came to us from the island of Java, in the East Indies, perhaps through the medium of Holland. Tavernier (he observes) says, certain Java Lords on a particular occasion called the English, traitors, and drawing their poisoned daggers, cried-a mocca upon the English! killing a great number of them, before they had time to put themselves in a posture of defence.' VOYAGES, vol. ii. p. 202. Again he tells us, that a Bantamois newly come from Mecca, was upon the design of moqua; that is, in their language, when the rascality of the Mahometans return from Mecca, they presently take their axe in their hands, which is a kind of poniard, the blade whereof is half poisoned, with which they run through the streets, and kill all those which are not of the Mahometan law, till they be killed themselves.' Ibid. p. 199.

A writer, who dates his letter from Bengal, March 17, 1770, (GENT. MAG. vol. xl. p. 564,) says, that this explication is nearly, though not quite, accurate. The word (he observes) is Indian, as had been suggested, and is used particularly by the Malays on the same occasion on which we use it, though the particular meaning of it he did not know. "The inhabitants of the islands to the eastward of Bengal, such as Sumatra, Berneo, Banco, and the coast of Malay, are very famous for cock-fighting, in which they carry gaming to a much greater excess than the customs of Europe can admit. They stake first their property, and when by repeated losses all their money and effects are gone, they stake their wives and children. If fortune still frowns, so that nothing is left, the losing gamester begins to chew or eat what is called

contemned it too much, to write in earnest against it.

We have indeed the highest probabilities for our revealed religion; arguments which will preponderate with a reasonable man, upon a long and careful disquisition; but I have always been of opinion that we can demonstrate nothing, because the subject-matter is not capable of a demonstration. It is the particular grace of GoD, that any man believes the mysteries of our faith; which I think a conclusive argument against the doctrine of persecution in any church. And though I am absolutely convinced, as I heartily thank GOD I am, not only of the general principles of Chris

bang, which I imagine to be the same as opium: when it begins to operate, he disfigures himself, and furnishes himself with such weapons as he can get, the more deadly, the fitter for his purpose; and the effect of the opium increasing, he at length becomes mad. This madness is of the furious kind, and when it seizes him, he rushes forth, and kills whatever comes in his way, whether man or beast, friend or foe; and commits every outrage which may be expected from a man in such circumstances.— This is what the Indians call a muck, or perhaps, as Mr. Row says, a mocca; and when it happens, the neighbours rise, and combining together, hunt down and kill the wretched desperado, as they would any other furious or destructive animal.'

From the couplet quoted above, it appears that our author was acquainted with the Indian origin of this phrase. The literal meaning, however, of a much, or a mocca, yet remains to be discovered.

tianity, but of all truths necessary to salvation in the Roman church, yet I cannot but detest our Inquisition, as it is practised in some foreign parts, particularly in Spain and in the Indies.

Those reasons which are cogent to me, may not prevail with others who bear the denomination of Christians; and those which are prevalent with all Christians, in regard of their birth and education, may find no force, when they are used against Mahometans or heathens. To instruct, is a charitable duty; to compel, by threatenings and punishment, is the office of a hangman, and the principle of a tyrant.

But my zeal in a good cause (as I believe,) has transported me beyond the limits of my subject. I was endeavouring to prove that Lucian had never been a member of the Christian church; and methinks it makes for my opinion, that in relating the death of Peregrinus, who being born a Pagan, pretended afterwards to turn Christian, and turned himself publickly at the Olympick Games, at his death professing himself a Cynick philosopher, it seems, I say, to me, that Lucian would not have so severely declaimed against this Proteus, (which was another of Peregrinus his names,) if he himself had been guilty of that apostacy.

I know not that this passage has been observed by any man before me.3 3 And yet in this very

3 This observation had been made by Gilbertas Cognatus, and Thomas Hickes, in his Life of Lucian, printed

in 1634,