The poets tell us, that the inhabitants of the old world being totally
destroyed by the universal deluge, excepting Deucalion and Pyrrha,
these two, desiring with zealous and fervent devotion to restore
mankind, received this oracle for answer, that “they should succeed by
throwing their mother’s bones behind them.” This at first cast them
into great sorrow and despair, because, as all things were levelled by
the deluge, it was in vain to seek their mother’s tomb; but at length
they understood the expression of the oracle to signify the stones of
the earth, which is esteemed the mother of all things.
EXPLANATION.—This fable seems to reveal a secret of nature, and correct
an error familiar to the mind; for men’s ignorance leads them to
expect the renovation or restoration of things from their corruption
and remains, as the phœnix is said to be restored out of its ashes;
which is a very improper procedure, because such kind of materials
have finished their course, and are become absolutely unfit to supply
the first rudiments of the same things again; whence, in cases of
renovation, recourse should be had to more common principles.