did redouble his grief in as much as for that he seemed concerned in any thing which belonged to Policrite and that this slave appeared to him worthy of such good fortune as that in losing him hee lost almost all hopes of ever discovering where Policrite was He forbare not notwithstanding to have watch kept for a while to see whether any bodie should come to that rural Cottage or no but at last wearie of wearying out his people he dispenced with their further trouble therein and abandoned his fortune absolutely to the guidance of the gods As he was one daie in this sad mood Solon came to Claria hee was at first much joied to hear a name he so dearlie loved but considering what an alteration there was in him since he had seen him and how confounded he should bee to acknowledge his weakness to him though he knew that lawful love was not a passion to which Solon had declared himself an enemy this joy suffered a little allay He went notwithstanding with much eagerness to meet him but sadness having so deeply seised upon his heart and eyes the satisfaction which he received to see the famous Solon was so inward as there hardly appeared any sign thereof in his countenance Solon no sooner saw him but he observed his melancholy and Philoxypes on his part looking on Solon in stead of the peacefull physiognomy and that chearful and pleasing aspect which he had wont to have in his eyes he seemed to see a great deal of sorrow The first complements being over and Philoxypes having brought Solon to his chamber Sir said he the sight of you would surely much rejoyce me did I not see some signs of sorrow in you of which I must needs request to know the cause Noble Prince reply'd Solon I should have prevented you and have desired to know the cause of your melancholy before having afforded you leasure to inform your self of mine But I confesse unto you the Law-giver of Athens is not at present in a condition of prescribing Laws unto himself and that the sorrow I feel is stronger then my reason Philoxypes embracing him then straitly conjured him to tell him the reason thereof and desired him to believe he would do all that laie in his power to comfort him But Sir said he I thought that Philosophie had been a salve to you against all the misfortunes of life and that sorrow was a thing unknown to Solon to whom whole Greece gives the name of wise Philosophie said this famous Athenian is a vain-glorious art which boasts of governing in places wherein she hath no great power she may doubtlesly said he teach men to bee vertuous make them know whole nature teach them how to discourse and give them Laws and Precepts for the government of Kingdoms and Common-wealths Nay she may oft times make us overcome our passions but when an equitable feeling which nature gives us is to be overcome believe me Philoxypes the same Philosophy which hath sometimes made us lose Crownes without change of countenance or which hath made us not stick to refuse them is weak in lesse eminent occasions And in my particular I may say I have beene thrice in my life time abandoned by her though peradventure I have been assisted by her upon an hundred difficult occasions But yet said Philoxypes shall I not know vvhat 't is that afflicts you It very well behoves that I tell it you said Solon since 't is from you alone that I can expect any help I will not repeat unto you said he the so many particulars of my fortune which formerly I have acquainted you withal for I believe you have not forgot them but that you may perfectly know the cause of my grief I must howsoever take the rise of my discourse afar off and tell you some circumstances of my life which you have not yet known You know I never believed that marriage was incompetible with Philosophy and true Wisdome as Thales that famous Milesian did imagine you know likewise that I married a personage of great worth and understanding by whom I had children who died soon after they were born one onely son excepted whom I have bred up carefully intending to make him worthie of that noble bloud whence he is descended He was about 14 or 15 years old when I vvas at Milet about some affairs of mine where I visited wise Thales who was one of my very good friends He civily reproacht me with my weakness and said I did sufficiently witness my indulgencie to love by a little image of Cupid which I one day consecrated to that Deitie and placed in the park belonging to the Academie there vvhere they who run vvith the sacred Torch are wont to assemble themselves Passing from one thing to another we spake of the happiness and of the misfortunes of marriage and thus our discourse varying as it oft fals out from our first subject wee spoke of news and other such like matters Presently after Thales feigning to have some order to give to one of his folk about his own affairs rose to speak to him in his ear and came and took his place again Not long after I might see a stranger come whom I knew not vvho told him he was come from Athâ—ns not above ten daies ago Prest by the natural desire of curiositie to know whether there was nothing of new befaln in my Countrey since my departure thence I askt him whether he knew any thing of considerable there or no No said he save onely that the day I came away on I saw the Funeral observed of a young youth of the best rank vvhereat all the people of note in the Town vvere present and vvere very sensible of the sorrow this childs death vvould cause in his Father vvho vvas not then at Athens I confess when I heard him speak thus my colour changed fearing my son might be concerned vvhich made mee ask him whether he knew not the name of that unfortunate Father I have forgot it said he but I know hee is a man of great integritie and who is much esteemed of in that place I confesse Sir that since Philosophy teacheth sinceritie as well as modestie I thought I might be the man spoken of was willing to know the truth without offence to good manners his name doubtlesly said I was not Solon pardon me said he his name came just to my memory as you pronounced it To what end serves it to deny it I could not heare so sad news vvithout sorrow and that so great as Thales pitied me and jesting at my weakness asked me whether it were advantageous for a wise man to marry or no Putting himself thereby in a condition to have studied Philosophie for others not being able to make use thereof himself After this he told mee there was not one word true of all that this man had said that he had not so much as been at Athens of a long time and that
unto himself 't is here where the Gods have hidden the Treasure which I seek for And indeed he had not walked far when he saw the fair unknown one accompanied by the same old man and the same woman which he had formerly seen and by three or four others all meanly clothed which seemed to take a by-way which led to a little Temple which lies towards the Sea side and which was built for the accommodation of strangers who traffique in that Island and land on that side The Temple not being above six furlongs from this little rural habitation 't was but a walk to go thither on foot Philoxypes ravisht at this encounter went towards them and addressing his speech to the old man after having saluted and looked on the fair unknown with more admiration then at first Father said he know you who they be that live in that little house which I see yonder amongst the Rocks Sir said he they are people who merit not the honor you do them in speaking to them nor doe I know how my Cabbin should cause curiosity in a man of your condition Whilest the old man spoke Philoxypes had his eyes fixt upon the fair unknown one so attentively as he made her blush and forced her to turn her head aside he willingly would have spoken to her but that as he told me afterward hee was affraid to ruine himself in so pleasing an inchantment and that he should finde as much rudenesse in her conversation as she had sweetnesse in her eyes to boot that he saw her to be so modest as he easily imagined she would not speak long unto him in her parents presence for he perceived she behaved her self as if she were the old mans daughter hee enquired also of the good old man if he went oft to that Temple whether his abode there had been long whether he were of Cyprus or no whether that were his whole family and a hundred other things to continue the conversation To all which though the other answered exactly Philoxypes did hardly hear any thing he said thus they parted after he had tane his leave of them all hardly knowing what he said Not having learnt any thing but that he had once more seen the fair unknown one that she was much more lovely then he had thought her to be that he knew her abode and the Temple whether she sometimes went He pursued her with his eyes as far as he could but at last being ashamed of what he did and seeking a reason for it he returned back the same way and went into his Gallery it being the only place in all his house wherein he pleased himself When he was come thereinto he began to walk with more disquiet then he had wont to be acquainted withall And far from his former design of bringing the fair unknown one to the Court he did as far as in him lay put on a resolution of never seeing her more himself so much was he affected with this second sight To this purpose he went forthwith out of his Gallery got on horse-back and returned to Paphos the King who loved him dearly and who had as much of friendship for him as of love for the Princesse Aretephile complained of his so long abode in the Countrey and made as much of him as could be He immediately entreated him to visit the Princesse Aretephile because there had been some little quarrel between them which he acquainted him withall making the most he could of it Phyloxypes obeys him visits the Princesse and makes them friends but let him do what he pleaseth or go whither he will his thoughts are still busied about the fair unknown one he compares her with all the beauties that he sees and whether he behold Aretephile Thimoclea Agharista or whosoever else he can see none but his sister the fair Princesse of Salamis who comes any way neer her for beauty but he preferred the other a thousand times before her as being a thousand times more beautiful then whatsoever the world hath of beauty Two days after he returned to Claria and the next day he went to the aforesaid little Temple whether those that were of the Island went seldome or never it being only built for strangers And this was the reason wherefore the beauty of the fair unknown one had not been noised abroad neither in Apid which is not far from thence nor in Soly which is very neer it nor in Claria which joyns upon it Phyloxypes then maugre himself went thither whether he was no sooner come but he saw the fair maid still accompanied with the same company who devoutly prayed to the Goddesse that is there adored In fine Sir to keep that no longer from you which Philoxypes had much adoe to acknowledg to himself this last sight fully conquered him for the sacrifice being somewhat long love had time enough to fasten him with his chains not to be untyed You may believe it had been easie for Philoxypes to have spoken to this maid as shee came out of the Temple and to have followed her home if he had pleased but though love had already gotten the upper hand in his heart yet had it not driven out shame from thence And Philoxypes did me the honour to tell mee afterwards that he was so ashamed of his own weaknesse and of the meanness of this maids condition as he sometimes wisht to be dead This little assembly being gone and he being returned home strangely perplext what said he to himself is it possible that Philoxypes that unflexible Philoxypes who could never be wrought upon by all the fair Ladies of Cyprus should be in love with one born in a Cottage bred up amongst Rocks and savage people Ah no no it cannot be I would rather rip out my heart then suffer it any longer to retain so mean and so unworthy an affection But said he presently afterwards there is somewhat of Divinity in Supream beauty which is not to be resisted And if this unknown one be more fair then all the Princes of the world she better deserves the love of the inflexible Philoxypes then all they do Yet I am sure said he when the wise Solon told me That a man might without shame be once in his life time overcome by love he understood it not to be by the love of a shepherdess as doubtlesly she is at these words not having power to end his speech and say Whom I love shame stopt his mouth and for a while he said nothing Then suddenly re-assuming his speech No no said he Solon would not approve the folly which possesseth me For in fine to love a person so beneath ones self a person whose name one is affraid to ask one to whom one hath never spoken and to whom I dare not speak for fear of finding her mind unworthy of her beauty one who peradventure will not understand my language who peradventure hath neither vertue nor goodnesse and whom the Gods
Philoxypes his secret from the King As oft as the King came into his chamber and saw him in that pitifull condition he resolved to think no longer on Aretaphile but as soon as he came from him or that Philoxypes grew any thing better this resolution slackned a little Nor was he yet resolved what to do but the feavor having at last left Philoxypes and the Physitians continuing still to affirm that he would infallibly die if the cause of his Melancholy whence his malady proceeded were not taken away the King seemed to have put on a very strong resolution to pluck from out his soul the passion which possest him He then resolved to visite Aretaphile no more who not knowing what to think of this change in the King thought it might be he was offended that shee had not all this while been to see Philoxypes whom he so dearly loved especially since almost all the Ladies of the Court had been to visit him For during his sickness the Princess of Salamis and Princess Agarista had never left him so as the Ladies might with decency enough go thither Yet so it happened that the day that Aretaphile came thither Philoxypes being much better then he was they were gone forth so as Aretaphile going accompanied with four or five of her women found him all alone T is true shee was not there long without company for the King came thither presently after Philoxypes blusht when he saw him come in and seemed so amazed at this encounter as if he had been really in love with Aretaphile the King who observed this his change of countenance being much concernd to see that he should be the cause of Philoxypes danger after a great strife within himself drew near to Princess Aretaphile who out of her respect would have given him her place which he would not accept of and after having looked upon her a while without speaking he sigh 't and said Madam will you not cure Philoxypes Sir said she if his health depend on me your Majesty should soon be eased of the grief his sickness causeth in you Philoxypes who found a great alteration in the Kings countenance was afeard least he might say somewhat which might have made Aretaphile know his opinion of him wherefore not affording the King leasure to reply Sir said he though I believe Princess Aretaphile be able to do great things and to charm great pains yet I think I may say without offending her that those evills which I lie under depend not on hers wil that none but the Gods them selve can withdraw me from the grave Philoxypes pronounced these words in so sad a manner as endeavouring to overcome whatsoever opposed his design of saving Phyloxypes drawing yet a little nearer to the Princess Aretaphile for fear least they that were in the chamber might over hear him Madam said he making a sign to Phyloxypes that he would not be interrupted I shall tell you a thing which will much surprise you I conjure you notwithstanding to give it a favourable interpretation and to oblige me so far as to believe that upon better tearms then the saving of Philoxypes life I would not tell it you no not though mine own life were concerned therein Oh! Sir cried out this sick Prince if your Majesty end what you have begun to say you will hasten my death instead of retarding it Princess Aretaphile amazed to hear what she heard and not able to guess what the matter should be looked sometimes upon the King sometimes upon Philoxypes but at last the king compleating his determination t is you Madam said he to the Princess Aretaphile who send Philoxypes to his grave your charms have been more powerfull then his reason though his nobleness hath been yet greater then his love He loves you divine Aretaphile not daring to tell you so Hee will not so much as acknowledg it yet I know for certain that unless you take compassion on him he will infallibly die I therefore speak no more to you in my own behalf said he in a strange Melancholy manner but deal less rigorously with him then you have done with me since he deserves it better and if your Ambition be not to be satisfied without a Sovereign power I promise you divine Princess that if I cannot place Philoxypes upon the Throne he shall alwaies be so near it as his place shall hardly be discernable from mine In fine said he if Philoxypes die I shall die and so I shall for ever lose you but if you save Philoxypes I may at least hope to languish on a while and to share part of your esteem not being able to pretend any longer to any part of your affection Nor think not said he That this which I do is any mark of weakness in my affection since on the contrary it denotes the violence thereof For in fine if I could resolve to abandon you and to follow Philoxypes to the grave I would not yeild up to him the part I pretend to have in your affection though he be more worthy thereof then I but not being able to see him die for my sake without expiring with grief I must live that he may live and consequently must endeavour for a while to prolong the satisfaction I take in seeing you Aretaphile was so astonisht to hear the King speak after this manner and Philoxypes so afflicted as astonishment and sorrow producing the same effect in these two personages they staid a good while without speaking Aretaphile had opinion good enough of her beauty to suffer her selfe easily to be perswaded that Philoxypes was in love with her and she had likewise opinion good enough of his Generositie to believ he durst not discover his passion But as nothing that was not King could touch her heart she was strangely perplext to hear what she heard and sometimes she thought t' was peradventure but a pretext sought by the King to break with her Philoxipes on his side thinking that at the last he must be fain to tell the King the truth that he might disabuse him was so strangely confused as he could not open his mouth so as the King seeing them both so surprized and finding that peradventure his love might quickly make him unsay all that his friendship had made him affirm rose up and without expecting what Aretaphile would answer Madam said he the pittifull condition which you see Philoxypes is in perswades you better then I can do and he doubtlesly will pardon me if I speak not so long to you for him as I have formerly done to you for my self which said he went his way though Philoxypes desired him to tarry assuring him that he would wholly disabuse him This mean while though Aretaphile had a great minde to be gone too yet being imbitterd in minde and desirous to know a little more precisely what the business of this so strange adventure would prove shee staid a little after the King and looking upon
might cure me if I loved one that were inconstant the scorn I should have of her weakness might consolate me if I were jealous a part of my melancholy would pass away in seeking how I might prejudice my Rivals were Policrytes absence bounded the hope of her return how long so e're it were would allay my discontents Nay vvere any person vvhom I should love dead I think my sufferings vvould not be so great as they are For in fine my mallady is such as doth stupifie reason and makes the soul almost insensible In this manner did the king and PHILOXYPES entertain themselves I endeavoured to comfort them both but to tell you truth my reasons vvere not listned unto as for Philoxypes he knew not what remedy to seek for for having learn'd by the slave who gave him Policrite's letter that t was a good while since shee went away he could not dream of following her nor knew he where to seek after her All he could do was to give order to his people to watch night and day about the Cottage with directions to stay any who should come thither that they might learn by them what this too faithfull Slave would not discover and to follow him whersoever he should go believing probably that Cleanthes had not left him alone in that house without some secret reason and without having a design to return or at least to send somebody thither on his behalf or that the Slave himself should return to him As for the King it fared not thus with him he knew that it was at Aretephiles feet that he was to seek for pardon he would not notwithstanding make his dear Philoxypes returne so soon to Paphos but staid the next day at Claria But though there was no hope of finding Policrite Philoxypes desired the King that he would be pleased to send to all the ports of the Island to know whether Cleanthes had tane shipping in any of them or no it being easie to be known by reason of the many women that were in his company which would make him remarkable The King promised him to do what he desired but conjured him also not to refuse to go with him to Paphos to assist him in getting Aretaphiles pardon Philoxypes appeared visibly displeased to be forced to return to the Court but being so much obliged to the King and the king being upon ill tearms with his Mistress onely out of his Love to him he thought it became him to go as he did When we were come to Paphos the King went that very night to Princess Aretaphiles lodgings and found her onely accompanied with her women She received him with all the civility that was due to his condition but also with as much coolness as could be expected from an incensed party Seeing Philoxypes with the king Sir said shee with a malicious smile did not I tell you Philoxypes would recover without my medling with him Madam said he Philoxypes is much worse then I believed him to be but thanks to Heaven I will not lay his death to your charge since you are not the cause of his disquiet May it please the Gods that you put not Philoxypes in a condition of reproaching you with my death No no Sir said shee your life is in no danger as long as Philoxypes lives your Majesty needs fear nothing Alas Madam cry'd the king deal not so hardly with me Alas Sir said shee go not about I beseech you to perswade me to things so directly opposite one to another in so short a time it is not above four or five days since you did me the honour to tell me at Philoxypes his lodging that you would no more sue to me for your self that my affection was a thing wherein you did no longer desire a part and if I remember well you did also intreat me not to deal so rigourously with Philoxypes as I had done with you And it may be said shee expressing an extremity of Malice that yeelding much to your intreaties upon that occasion I should have granted what you have demanded for Philoxypes had my friendship been necessary to safe his life but since God be thanked he needs it not he may be pleased to content himselfe with my esteem and your Majesty may likewise be satisfied with my respect which is all I can or ought to give you For in fine to make me believe that you love me after being able to permit that another should love me and you your selfe wish me to love him is a thing not easie to be understood nor yet easily disjested beleive me Sir said shee to love ones rival better then ones Mistresse is a thing whereof there are not many examples and which may allow me to let those know who shall be acquainted with the business that t is an excellent way to make a faithful servant a very bad invention to make a Princess love him who treats her after that maner Shal the compassion I had of Philoxipes Madam replyd the king destroy me for ever in your good opinion me I say who underwent an unexpressable torment before I could resolve to pitty him me who did not yeild you up save onely because I could not abandon you and who found that PHILOXYPE'S death did hasten mine If you could have loved Aretaphile answerd the princess more then Philoxypes you would have lamented his misfortune and yours you would have endeavoured to have cured him by absence or by a thousand otherwaies you would have bewaild his death when it should have happened and would yet have been comforted by the sole sight of Aretaphile but because you love PHILOXYPES better then you love Aretapile you resolve without much difficulty to lose her Yet Sir you could yeild up to PHILOXYPES no more then that part which you held in her which was not peradventure so great as you believe Ah! inhumane princesse said the king make me not dispair and know that when I made a surrender of you to Philoxypes I was resolved to die It may be Sir said shee If I had so much weaknesss as to lend a favourable ear to what you now say that upon the first occasion that should present it self and upon the first suspicion you should have that any one should bear me never so little good will you would again conjure me to be his cure No no Sir said shee with a yet more serious face you never loved me nor do you know what it is to love Love is somewhat above reason or generosity which hath reasons of its own a man may give his own life for his friend but as for the Mistress whom he loveth it would be more just and more usuall to quit all his friends for her interest then to yeild her up to any one friend In fine said shee you may perchance have thought you could have lived without me for had you dream't you must have dyed me thinks you might as well have dyed without yeilding up
Aretaphile to Philoxypes as after having surrendered her to him But Sir since you have rather chosen to specifie an extraordinary mark of Generosity then to give the commonest proofe of love I have no more to say neither have I more to do but to preserve my heart as free as it hath allwaies been The king seeing he could not appease this haughty spirit call'd Philoxypes in into his aid come said he come make amends for the fault which you have innocently committed and if you will preserve my life as I would have done yours be a mean of replacing me in the condition wherein I was before I had compassion of you Madam said Philoxypes addressing his speech to the Princess if you judge of the Kings love to you by his Friendship to me what may you not expect from thence since to save my life he could for some few moments onely renounce the possession of so inestimable a jewel And will you not then believe That upon the least occasion which should present it self he would for your service sacrifice not onely Philoxypes but even all his subjects nay even his own life No Sir said she you are not so much bound to the King as you imagine and instead of your desiring me to judge of his love to me by the friendship he bears to you I shall advise you to judge of his friendship to you onely by his love to me and to believe that since he was able to yeild me up he never had so resolute a passion for Aretaphile as to deserve that Philoxypes should be much beholden to him for what hee hath done for him since he would have done the like for any other But cruell princess said the King what will you have me to do me thinks said she I should demand no unjust thing of you if I should humbly intreat you to think no longer on Aretaphile and quietly to enjoy the life of Philoxypes which hath cost you so little Ah said he if I should have purchased the life of Philoxipes at the losse of your affection I should have bought it more deare then if I should have given my Crown for it Confess the truth said this malicious Princess if Philoxypes had been as sick of Ambition as you did think him love sick he would not for certain be yet cured and you would not so soon have forgon your Scepter as you did Aretaphile Phyloxipes who easilie conceived the hidden sense of these words whereunto the King replyed not so was he over born with grief said Madam if the King shall confess unto you that he hath done amiss and shall ask your pardon for it will you be more inexorable then are the Gods and will you shew no mercy when the King said shee shall have done to cure me of any malady of minde if any such shall befall me so extraordinary a thing as that which he hath done for you I shall then see of what minde I shall be In fine Sir All that the King and Philoxypes could do or say did no waies avail with this imperious Princess When they were come from her and were returned to the Palace Philoxypes who was well acquainted with Aretaphiles humour told the King he knew a way how to work his reconcilement with her Alas said the King there are few things I would not do to purchase that content speak therefore my dear Phyloxypes must I be long in pain must I sigh abundantly and pour forth abundance of tears and must I be everlastingly prostrate at her feet No Sir said he you shall onely put the Crown upon her head But replied the King I would gladly not have owed Aretephiles love to her Ambition on the contrarie I would have had the Crown of Cyprus to have been a reward of her affection to me Five or six daies being thus past over and Philoxypes not being able to tarry any longer at the Court he desired leave of the King to return to CLARIA Those who the King had sent to the Port towns vvhich vvere neerest to Paphos returned at the same time but brought no news of Policrite so as the unfortunate Philoxypes returned to his solitariness in great despair He had yet engaged the King not to discover the cause of his melancholy nor vvere there any that knew it but he the Princess Aretaphile and my self nor did the Princesse know any more then that Philoxypes vvas faln in love vvi … one that he knew not It would be very hard to relate unto you what life he led when it was fair weather he went to visit Policrite's Cottage and all the places where he had seen her or spoken with her he went to ask more questions of the slave who was there and whom they had ever had an eye unto not finding any one that spoke with him nor that he spoke with any one But all the addresses this Prince could make could not prevail against the fidelity of this slave who deserved a better condition When Philoxypes could not walk abroad he walked in his Gallery gazing on the picture of his dear Policrite When he call'd to mind how contented a life he led before he fell in love he almost wished he had never seen Policrite but when he remembred her charming beauty her bewitching mind and the happy howres which he had enjoied in her company though shee had alwaies concealed the esteem she had for him he preferr'd all the sorrows he had suffered since he was in love before all his former pleasures Oh! would he sometimes say to himself when he should read Polycrite's letter how sweet how pleasing and how cruel things have I learnt in one day Policrite is of illustrious birth Policrite will alwaies remember me and Policrite will never more see me Alas if it be so said he why have I not recourse to death and what shall I do with so unfortunate a life Then suddenly remembring that Policrite was alive and that she did not hate him he conceived a beam of hope that peradventure shee might make enquirie after him and knowing how miserable a life he led she might at last resolve to let him know in what part she lived This thought afforded him only so much hope as to keep him from dying not so much as to comfort him in his misfortunes Living then in this manner all the rest of the Winter he went sometimes to see the King when the King could not come to him and despairing of all remedie he only expected death or news of Policrite the one or the other whereof were the object of all his thoughts the bounds of all his desires The Spring it self which seems to inspire joy into whole nature wrought no alteration in him He beheld the roses in his Gardens blush with the same melancholie as hee had seen his knots white with Snow in Winter Those who watched over Cleanthes his slave brought him word one morning that he was suddenly dead This anger some news
he had said all this by his directions which he had caused to be given him when he rose from me to speak in the ear with one of his servants At my return to Athens I found my son alive indeed but I found the whole Town in confusion by reason of some disorder that had happened between those that were descended from Megacles and those that were come of them that had been of the Citonien conspiracie The Megarians surprised the port of Nisa and re took the Isle of Salamina w … had caused me so much trouble And to add to the misfortune all the people were seised on with a superstitious snare vvhich perswaded them that spirits returned that fantosmes and apparitions appeared and this imagination prevailed so much with most of them as there was an universal humiliation Those who had the charge of the sacred things said that they found infallible signes by the Victims that the town needed purification and that the gods were incensed by reason of some secret offence committed To this effect by the advice of the wisest sort they sent an Expresse to Creta to Epimenides the Phaestien who was and doubtleslie is still an incomparable man a man whose life is altogether pure innocent and holy who eats no more then what is sufficient to maintain life and whose soul leans as little to the senses as in this life it can who is very learned in the knowledge of heavenly things and who passes in his Countrey not onely for one who hath sometimes Divine Revelations but is by the people of Crete believed to be the sonne of a Nymph called Balta However it be sir he is a man of extraordinary knowledge and virtue Epimenides not refusing the intreaties that were made unto him came to Athens and of so many famous men as were in that noted Citie did me the favour to chuse me for his most intimate friend having through his wisdome and through the peoples belief in him dissipated all their false imaginations and that by prayers Sacrifices and Ceremonies he had rid them of all their fears he would yet stay a while at Athens for my sake where certainly he told Prodigious predictions to a hundred severall people As we were speaking one day of humane weaknesses and how little a man ought to rely upon his own strength nor yet upon Philosophie I acquainted him with what had befallen me with Thales the Milesian and how much ashamed I was not to be master of my first opinions Solon said he to me is easie to be overcome on that side and as oft as fortune will make use of the affections of nature against him she will certainly overcome him For he hath a soul as tender upon such eneounters as strong against ambition But Solon said he you are to be bewailed if you do not resolve to believe me and believe that what you underwent whilest you were with your friend Thales is little in comparison of what you shall one day suffer in the person of a Daughter of whom your wife is at this present with Child I have said he observed your birth and your life and I finde that this childe which will be soon born will be a prodigie for beauty and virtue and will also be one of the happiest women in the world if you will believe my councel but also if you will not believe and follow it shee will be most unfortunate In fine saidhe If you do not what I shal say unto you you shall have the discontent to see that your Daughters beauty will make your Countrie desolate and that after having refused the sovereign power as you will one day refuse it she will make one of your Citizens fall in Love with her who will become the Tyrant of the Common wealth which will make her resolve to die rather then to marry him I confese I was much troubled to hear Epimenides speak after this manner for I had heard him foretel divers things which I had seen punctually fall out according to his predictions I then desired him to tell me what he would have me do to preserve a man who did sacrifice his whole life to the glory of Athens from having a daughter who should cause love in him that would be the Tyrant thereof He told me then That since it was not yet known in Athens that my wife was with Childe I should conceal her great belly send her into the countrey when shee should be brought to bed that I should cause this daughter to be secretly brought up not suffering her to know whose childe shee was nor yet any other body whosoever except those who were to have the care of her education that if it should so fall out as I should be forced to forsake my Countrey I must during my exile leave her in some Island upon the Egean Sea and that things being thus carried she should be infallibly happie and I should not need to fear that shee should be beloved by the Tyrant of Athens In fine Sir to shorten my discourse I obeyed Epimenides his his advise I sent my wife into the Countrey where when her time was come shee was brought to bed of a Daughter wondering at the accomplishment of the beginning of this prediction I continued to follow Epeminedes his directions who at his departure after having refused all the presents that were made him and taking for his reward onely a branch of the Sacred Olive told me that my daughter would one day cause as much joy in me by her virtue and good fortune as shee would cause sorrow in me by reason of her loss These obscure words continued fix'd in my memory so as I put my daughter into the hands of a Sister of mine whom I loved very well who was married in Corinth and was come to see me trusting onely her and her husband with the secret which Epeminedes had acquainted me withall I will not stay to tell you that soon after I lost my wife for which I was very much grieved neither will I entertain you with the disorders of Athens which are too well known to all men nor yet with the relation how I was solicited to accept of the sovereign power being put in mind that there had been Kings of my Race and that one that was descended from the illustrious Chodrus need make no scruple to accept the Scepter nor vvith vvhat stedfastness I rejected those vvho made so unjust a proposition to me follovving Epeminedes his predictions Neither vvill I tell you vvhat Lavvs I there established you knovv them and knovv hovv they vvere observed nor yet the resolution vvhich I took to quit my Countrey for the space of ten years to the end that I might make no further alterations and leave the people leasure to accustom themselves to their new Lawes But I will tell you that being readie to take my voluntarie banishment from Greece and not forgetting what Epeminedes had told me I came to