Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/31

Rh given me Now, of an inufferable Hatred and Contempt? Æop aid not one Word all This While; 'till Xanthus Rowz'd him with a Reproof. Oh Villain! ays he; to have a Tonge and Wit at Will upon All other Occaions, and not one Diverting Syllable Now at a Pinch, to Pacify your Mitres! Æop, after a hort Paue upon't, Bolted out an old Greek Saying, which is in Englih to this Effect, From Lying at the Mercy of Fire, Water, and a Wicked woman, Good Lord Deliver us. If the Wife was heartily angry before, This Scomm made her Stark Mad, and the Reproche was o Cutting too, that Xanthus himself did not well know how to take it. But Æop, brought himelf off again from the Malice of ill Intention, by a Paage out of Euripides to this Purpoe. The Raging of a Tempestuous Sea; The Fury of a Devouring Fire, and the Pinching Want of Necearies for Life; are Three Dreadful Things, and a Body might reckon up a Thouand more; but all this is Nothing to the Terrible Violences of an Impetuous Woman, and therefore says he, Make your elfe as Glorious on the other ide, in the Rank of Good Women. Vavaor the Jesuite, in his De Ludicrâ Dictione, takes Notice of a Blunder here in the Chronology of the Story for Æop was Murder'd at least Fourscore Yeares before Euripides was Born. But to follow the Thrid of the Relation; Upon this Oblique Admonition, the Woman came to her elf again, and took Æop into her good Graces, who render'd his Mater and Mitres All the Offices of a Faithful Servant.

Some Two or Three Dayes after the Encounter above mentioned, Xanthus took Æop a long with him to a Garden to buy ome Herbs, and the Gard'ner seeing him in the Habit of a Philoopher, told him the Admiration he was in, to find how much fater Thoe Plants shot up that Grow of their own Accord, then Thoe that he set Himelf, though he took never o much Care about them. Now you that are a Philoopher, Pray will you tell me the meaning of This? Xanthus had no better anwer at hand, then to tell him, That Providence would have it o: Whereupon Æop brake out into a Loud Laughter. Why how now Ye lave You, ays Xanthus, what do you Laugh at? Æop