Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/28

2  Appearance of his Peron (at leat if That Part of his Hitory may pas for Current.) There goes a Tradition, that he had the good hap to Relieve certain Priets that were Hungry, and out of their way, and to et them Right again, and that for that good Office, he was, upon their Prayers, brought to the Ue of his Tongue: But Camerarius whom I hall Principally follow, has no Faith in the Miracle, And o begins his Hitory with the tracing of him to Samos, and from thence Proecutes it through the mot Remarkable Paages of his Life, to the Lat Barbarous Violence upon him at Delphos. As to his Impediment in his peech, whether there were any uch thing or Not, or how he came to be cur'd of it, the Reader is at Liberty what to Believe and what Not. And o likewie for Twenty Other Paages up and down this Hitory; Some of them too Triviall, and others too Gros to be taken Notice of, Upon this Argument and Occaion: Let it uffice, that (according to the Common Tradition) he had been Alreadie Twice Bought and Sold; and o we hall Date the Story of his Adventures; from his Entrance into the Service of at leat a Third Mater.

As to the Age he liv'd in, it is Agreed upon among the Ancients, that it was when Crœus Govern'd Lydia; as alo that Xanthus, a Samian, was his Mater. Herodotus will have it to be one Jadmon, a Samian too; but till according to the Current of mot Writers, Xanthus was the Man.

T was Æop's Fortune to be ent to Epheus, in Company with other Slaves to be old. His Mater had a great many Burdens to Carry, and Æop begg'd of his Companions not to over Charge him. They found him a Weakling, and bad him pleae himelf. The Parcel that he Pitch'd upon was a Panyer of Bread; and twice as heavy as any of the ret. They called him a thouand Fools for his pains, and o took up their Luggage, and away they Trudg'd together. About Noon, they had their Dinner deliver'd out of Æop's Basket, which made his Burden