342 THE LIFE OF PERICLES.
course to moue laughter. Now Zenon contrariwise did counsell all those that said Pericles grauitie was a presumption, and arrogancie : that they should also follow him in his presumption. For to counterfeit in that sort things honest and vertuous, doth secretly with time breed an affection and desire to loue them, and afterwards with custome euen effectually to vse and follow them. So Pericles by keeping Anaxagoras companie, did not onely profite himselfe in these things, but he learned besides to put away all superstitious feare, of celestiall signes and impressions seene in the ayre. For to those that are ignorant of the causes thereof, such sights are terrible, and to the godly also fearefull, as if they were vtterly vndone : and all is, because they haue no certaine knowledge of the reason that naturall Philosophic yeeldeth, which in stead of a fearefull superstition, would bring a true religion accompanied with assured hope of goodnesse. Some say a man brought Pericles one day from his farme out of the countrey, a Rammes head that had but one home, and that the Prognos-ticator Lampon considering this head, that had but one strong home in the middest of his forehead, interpreted, that this was the signification thereof. That being two tribes and seuerall factions in the city of Athens touching gouernment, the one of Pericles, and the other of Thucydides: the power of both should be brought into one, and specially into his part, in whose house this signe did happen. Further, it is said that Anaxagoras being present, did cause the Rammes head to be clouen in two peeces, and shewed vnto them that stood by, that the braine of this Ramme did not fill the pan of his natural place, but inclosed it selfe in all parts, being narrow like the point of an egge, in that part where the home tooke his first roote of budding out. So Anaxagoras was raaruellously esteemed at that present by all those