Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/42

16 Xanthus, I’le be a good as my Word; but you mut firt hew me how you came to know there was Treaure, by the Incription: for I had rather be Mater of That Secret, then of the very Gold it elf. Æop Innocently opened the whole Matter to him. Look you S$r,$ ays he, Here are thee Letters. α; β; δ; ο; ε; θ; χ; which are to be thus Interpreted, α stands for ἀποβάς; β for βήματα; δ for τέσσαρα; ο for ὀρύξας; ε for ἑυρήσεις; θ for θησαυρὸν; χ for χρυσίου; In Englih, dig Four Paces from this Place, and you hall find Gold. Now, ays Xanthus, if you are o good at finding out Gold, you and I mut not part yet. Come Sir, ays Æop, (perceiving that his Mater play’d Fat and Looe with him) To deal freely with you, This Treaure belongs to King Dionyius. How do you know that? ays Xanthus. Why by the very Incription, ays Æop: for in That Sence, α tands for ἀπόδος; β for βασιλεῖ; δ for Διονυσίῳ; ο for ὃν; ε for εὗρες; θ for θησαυρὸν; χ for χρυσίου. In Englih, Give Dionyius the Gold you have found. Xanthus began to be afraid when he heard it was The Kings Mony, and Charged Æop to make no Words on’t, and he hould have the One Halfe. ’Tis well, ays Æop; but This is not o much your own Bounty yet, as The Intention of Him that Bury’d it; for the very ame Letters direct the Dividing of it. As for Example once again Now. α tands for ἀνελόμενοι; β for βαδίσαντες; δ for διέλεσθε; ο for ὃν; ε for ἕυρετε; θ for θησαυρὸν; χ for χρυσίου; In Englih, Divide the Gold that you have found. Why then, ays Xanthus, let us go home and hare it. No ooner were they got Home, but Æop was preently lay’d by the Heels, for fear of Blabbing, crying out as Loud as he could, This comes of truting to the Faith of a Philoopher; The Reproch Nettled his Mater: But however he caued his Shackles to be taken off upon’t, and Admonihed Æop to keep his Licentious Tongue in a Little better Order for the future, if ever he hoped to have his Liberty. For That, ays Æop, Prophetically, I hall not Need to Beg it of you as a favour, for in a very few dayes I hall have my Freedom, whether you will or no.