It hath beene the opinion amongst some of the Ancients, that their Heavens and Elysian fields were in the Moone where the aire is most quiet and pure. Thus _Socrates_, thus _Plato_,[1] with his followers, did esteeme this to bee the place where those purer soules inhabit, who are freed from the Sepulchre, and contagion of the body. And by the Fable of _Ceres_, continually wandring in search of her daughter _Proserpina_, is meant nothing else but the longing desire of men, who live upon _Ceres_ earth, to attaine a place in _Proserpina_, the Moone or Heaven. [Sidenote 1: _Nat. Com. lib. 3. c. 19._] _Plutarch_ also seemes to assent unto this, but hee thinkes moreover, that there are two places of happinesse answerable to those two parts which hee fancies to remaine of a man when hee is dead, the soule and the understanding; the soule he thinkes is made of the Moone, and as our bodies doe so proceede from the dust of this earth, that they shall returne to it hereafter, so our soules were generated out of that Planet, and shall bee resolved into it againe, whereas the understanding shall ascend unto the Sunne, out of which it was made where it shall possesse an eternity of well being, and farre greater happinesse than that which is enjoyed in the Moone. So that when a man dies, if his soule bee much polluted, then must it wander up and downe in the middle regions of the aire where hell is, and there suffer unspeakable torments for those sinnes whereof it is guilty. Whereas the soules of better men, when they have in some space of time beene purged from that impurity which they did derive from the body, then doe they returne into the Moone, where they are possest with such a joy, as those men feele who professe holy misteries, from which place (saith he) some are sent downe to have the superintendance of Oracles, being diligent either in the preservation of the good, either from or in all perils, and the prevention or punishment of all wicked actions, but if in these imployments they mis-behave themselves, then are they againe to be imprisoned in a body, otherwise they remaine in the Moone till their body be resolved into it, & the understanding being cleared from all impediments, ascends to the Sunne which is its proper place. But this requires a diverse space of time according to the diverse affections of the soule. As for those who have beene retired and honest, addicting themselves to a studious and quiet life, these are quickly preferred to a higher happinesse. But as for such who have busied themselves in many broyles, or have beene vehement in the prosecution of any lust, as the ambitious, the amorous, the wrathfull man, these still retaine the glimpses and dreames of such things as they have performed in their bodies, which makes them either altogether unfit to remaine there where they are, or else keepes them long ere they can put off their soules. Thus you see _Plutarchs_ opinion concerning the inhabitants and