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Circles, their peftilent Malice in befieging; his Iron Hands, their merciless Slaughters; his Eagle's Talons, their greedy Rapines; his plumed Body, their continual Rumours, and Scouts, and Fears, and fuch like. And sometimes thefe Rebellions grow fo Potent, that Princes are enforced (transported as it were, by the Rebels, and forfaking the chief Seats and Cities of the Kingdom) to contract their Power, and (being deprived of the Sinews of Money and Majefty,) betake themselves to fome remote and obfcure Corner within their Dominions. But in process of Time, (if they bear their Misfortunes with Moderation,) they may recover their Strength, by the virtue and industry of Mercury; that is, they may (by becoming Affable, and by reconciling the Minds and Wills of their Subjects with grave Edicts and gracious Speech,) excite an Alacrity to grant Aids, and Subfidies, whereby to strengthen their Authority anew. Nevertheless, having learned to be wife and wary, they will refrain to try the chance of Fortune by War, and yet study how to fupprefs the Reputation of the Rebels by fome famous Action, which if it fall out answerable to their Expectation, the Rebels finding themselves weakened, and fearing the Succefs of their broken Projects, betake themselves to fome flight and vain Bravadoes, like the hiffing of Serpents, and at length in despair betake themselves to Flight; and then when they begin to break, it is safe and timely for Kings to purfue and opprefs them with the Forces and Weight of the Kingdom, as it were with the Mountain Etna.

III. The Cyclops, or the Minifters of Terror.

HEY fay that the Cyclopes, for their fierceness, and Cruelty, were by Jupiter caft into Hell, and there doomed to perpetual Imprisonment; but Tellus perfuaded Jupiter that it would do well if, being fet at liberty, they were put to forge Thunderbolts, which being done accordingly, they became fo Painful and Industrious, as that Day and Night they continued Hammering out in laborious Diligence Thunderbolts, and other Inftruments of Terror. In procefs of time Jupiter having conceived a Displeasure against Æsculapius, the Son of Apollo, for restoring a dead Man to life by Phyfick; and concealing his Diflike, (because there was no just Cause of Anger, the Deed being pious and famous,) fecretly incenfed the Cyclopes against him, who without delay flew him with a Thunderbolt. In revenge of which Act, Apollo, (Jupiter not prohibiting it) Shot them to Death with his Arrows.

This Fable may be applied to the Projects of Kings, who having cruel, bloody, and exacting Officers, do first punish and displace them; afterwards by the Counsel of Tellus, that is of some bafe and ignoble Perfon, and by the prevailing respect of Profit they admit them into their Places

again, that they may have Inftruments in a readiness, if at any time there should need either Severity of Execution, or Acerbity of Exaction. These fervile Creatures being by Nature Cruel, and by their former Fortune exasperated, and perceiving well what is expected at their Hands, do fhew themselves wonderful Officious in fuch kind of Employments; but being too Rash and precipitate in feeking Countenance and creeping into Favour, do sometimes take occafion from the fecret Beckonings and ambiguous Commands of their Prince, to perform fome hateful Execution. But Princes (abhorring the Fact, and knowing well, that they fhall never want fuch kind of Inftruments,) do utterly forfake them, turning them over to the Friends and Allies of the wronged, to their Accufations and Revenge, and to the general Hatred of the People; fo that with great Applaufe, and profperous Wishes and Acclamations towards the Prince, they are brought rather too late, than undefervedly, to a miferable End.

Iv. Narciffus; or, Self-Love.

HEY fay, That Narciffus was exceeding Fair and Beautiful, but wonderful Proud and Difdainful; wherefore despifing all others in respect of himself, he leads a folitary Life in the Woods and Chases with a few Followers, to whom he alone was all in all; among the reft there follows him the

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Nymph Echo. During his Course of Life, it fatally fo chanced that he came to a clear Fountain, upon the Bank whereof he lay down to repose himself in the Heat of the Day: and having espied the shadow of his own Face in the Water, was fo befotted, and ravished with the Contemplation and Admiration thereof, that he by no means poffible could be drawn from beholding his Image in this Glass; insomuch that, by continual gazing thereupon, he pined away to nothing, and was at laft turned into a Flower of his own Name, which appears in the beginning of the Spring and is facred to the infernal Powers, Pluto, Proferpina, and the Furies.

This Fable feems to show the Dispositions and Fortunes of those, who, in respect either of their Beauty or other Gift wherewith they are adorned and graced by Nature, without the help of Industry, are fo far befotted in themselves, as that they prove the Cause of their own Destruction. For it is the property of Men infected with this Humour, not to come much abroad, or to be Conversant in Civil Affairs, especially seeing those that are in publick Place, muft of neceffity encounter with many Contempts and Scorns, which may much deject and trouble their Minds; and therefore they lead for the most part a solitary, private, and obscure Life, attended on with a few Followers, and those, fuch as will adore and admire them, and like an Echo flatter them in all their Sayings, and applaud them in all their Words. So that being by this Custom feduced and puffed up, and, as it were, stupified

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with the Admiration of themselves, they are poffeffed with so strange a Sloth and Idlenefs, that they grow in a manner benumbed, and defective of all Vigour and Alacrity. Elegantly doth this Flower, appearing in the beginning of the Spring, represent the likeness of these Men's Dispositions, who, in their Youth do flourish, and wax famous; but being come to ripeness of Years, they deceive and fruftrate the good Hope that is conceived of them. Neither is it impertinent that this Flower is faid to be confecrated to the infernal Deities, because Men of this Difpofition become unprofitable to all Human Things: For whatsoever produceth no Fruit of itself, but paffeth, and vanisheth as if it had never been, (like the way of a Ship in the Sea,) that the Ancients were wont to dedicate to the Ghofts and Powers below.

v. Styx, or Leagues.

HE Oath by which the Gods were wont to oblige themselves, (when they meant to ratify any Thing so firmly as never to revoke it,) is a Thing well

known to the Vulgar, as being mentioned almost in every Fable; which was when they did not invoke or call to witness any Celestial Majesty, or Divine Power, but only the River Styx, that with crooked and Meandry Turnings encircleth the Palace of the infernal Dis. This was held as the only manner of their Sacrament; and, befides it,

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