XXIX
OF THE METAMORPHOSES AMONGST THE GREEKS, COLLECTED BY OVID
THE OPINION of the transmigration of souls naturally leads to metamorphoses, as we have already seen. Every idea that strikes the imagination, and amuses it, presently spreads throughout the world. As soon as you have persuaded me, that my soul can enter into the body of a horse, it will not be difficult for you to make me believe, that my body may be also changed into a horse.
The metamorphoses collected by Ovid, which we have already slightly touched upon, should, in no respect, astonish a Pythagorian, a Bramin, a Chaldean, or an Egyptian. The gods were changed into animals in ancient Egypt. Derceto was become a fish in Syria; Semiramis was changed into a dove in Babylon. The Jews write in much more early times, that Nabuchodonosor was changed into a bull, without in-eluding Lot’s wife, who was transformed into a pillar of salt. Are not the apparitions of gods and genii in human shape real though transitory metamorphoses?
A god cannot well commune with us, unless he be metamorphosed into man. It is true that Jupiter took upon him the figure of a beautiful swan to enjoy Leda. But these cases are seldom met with; and in all religions the divinity takes upon him a human shape, when he comes to give orders. It would be difficult to understand the voice of gods, if they appeared in the shape of bears or crocodiles.
In fine, the gods metamorphosed themselves in almost every place; and as soon as we were instructed in the secrets of magic, we metamorphosed ourselves. Many credible people transformed themselves into wolves; and the word wolf-man is still a proof amongst us of this metamorphosis.
What gives weight to the belief of all these prodigies and transmutations, is that no formal proof can be given of their impossibility. There is no argument to be opposed, if a person should aver that a god came yesterday to my house in the figure of a handsome young man, and my daughter will be brought to bed in nine months of a beautiful child that the God had deigned to confer upon her. My brother, who was so daring as to doubt the fact, was turned into a wolf: he actually went into the woods and howled. If the girl is really brought to bed, if the man who is changed into a wolf affirms that he has actually undergone this metamorphosis, you cannot demonstrate that the thing is not true. The only resource left you is to summon before a judge the young man, who counterfeited a god, and impregnated the young lady; and to watch the uncle, the wolf-man, and get witnesses of the imposture: but the family will not expose themselves to this examination; they will maintain with the priests of the Canton, that you are a profane ignorant man; they will show you that since a caterpillar can be changed into a butterfly, a man with equal facility may be changed into a beast; and, if you dispute, you will be impeached at the inquisition of the country, as an impious wretch, who neither believes in men-wolves, nor in gods, who get girls with child.