eighth was
one Echelaus by name, and appointed head of the rest by the oracle
himself; and he was a bachelor. A daughter of one of these seven was to
be sacrificed, but who it should be was to be decided by lot, and the
lot fell upon Smintheus's sister. Her they dressed most richly, and so
apparelled they conveyed her in abundance of state to the water-side,
and having composed a prayer for her, they were now ready to throw her
overboard. There was in the company a certain ingenuous young gentleman
whose name was Enalus; he was desperately in love with this young lady,
and his love prompted him to endeavor all he could for her preservation,
or at least to perish in the attempt. In the very moment she was to be
cast away, he clasps her in his arms and throws himself and her together
into the sea. Shortly after there was a flying report they were both
conveyed safe to land. A while after Enalus was seen at Lesbos, who
gave out they were preserved by dolphins. I could tell you stories more
incredible than these, such as would amuse some and please others; but
it is impossible to command men's faith. The sea was so tempestuous and
rough, the people were afraid to come too near the waters, when Enalus
arrived. A number of polypuses followed him even to Neptune's temple,
the biggest and strongest of which carried a great stone. This Enalus
dedicated, and this stone is therefore called Enalus to this day. To be
short and to speak all in a few words,--he that knows how to distinguish
between the impossible and the unusual, to make a difference between
the unlikely and the absurd, to be neither too credulous nor too
distrustful,--he hath learned your lesson, Do not overdo. ([Greek
omitted], NE QUID NIMIS.)

Anacharsis after all this discourse spake to this purpose: Since Thales
has asserted the being of a soul in all the principal and most noble
parts of the universe, it is no wonder that the most commendable acts
are governed by an overruling Power; for, as the body is the organ of
the soul, so the soul is an instrument in the hand of God. Now as the
body has many motions of its own proceeding from itself, but the best
and most from the soul, so the soul acts some things by its own power,
but in most things it is subordinate to the will and power of God, whose
glorious instrument it is. To me it seems highly unreasonable--and
I should be but too apt to censure the wisdom of the gods, if I were
convinced--that they use fire, an