Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/43

Rh

SOP had thus far born All the Indignities of a Tedious Slavery, with the the Contancy of a Wie Man, and without either Vanity or Abjection of Mind. He was not Ignorant however of his own Value; Neither did he Neglect any honet Way or Occaion of Advancing his Name and his Credit in the World; as in One Particular Intance among the Samians, on a Strange Thing that happened There upon a Very Solemn Day. The Ring, it eems, that had the Towne-Seale upon't was lay'd omewhere in Sight, Where an Eagle could come at it; She took it up in the Aire, and dropt it into the Boome of a Slave. The Samians took this for a Fore-boding, that Threat'ned ome dimal Calamity to the State, and in a general Conternation They preently called a Councell of their Wie Men; and Xanthus deired ome few Days time for further Conideration. Upon This, he betook himelfe to his Study, and the More he Beat his Brains about it, the further he found himelfe from and hope of Expounding The Secret. This put him into a deep Melancholly; which made Æop very Importune, and Impatient, to know the Caue of it; with Aurances, That he would erve his Mater in The Affair, Whatever it was, to the Uttermot of his Power. Xanthus hereupon laid the Whole Matter before him, and told him in Concluion, that he was not only lot in his Reputation, but in Danger to be Torn to Pieces by the Rabble. When Æop found how the Cae tood, Never Trouble your Head any further, ays he, Do but follow my Advice, and I'le bring you off as well now as ever I did before. When you Appear to Morrow to give in your Anwer, I would have you Speak to the People after this Manner.

I need to tell your Widoms, That o Many Heads o Many Minds, ''and o many everall Men, o many everall Conceptions of Things; Nay and further, That every everall Art, or Proeion requires a Ditinct Faculty or Dipoition, that is more or les Peculiar to it elf. It is the Cutom of the World for People in All Caes where They are either Ignorant or Doubtfull, to Repair to Men that have the Reputation of'' Rh