Fab. XXX. Of the Jay and Peacocks. WHo hath not heard of that moft cruel fight, When by the Eagles beafts were put to flight ? When, from Supplies fell in at letting Sun Of Harpyes, Furies, and fad Birds of night, Tygres like Steers, like Sheep bold Lyons run: Then firir. on birds and beafts men to the height Did feaft them/elves, and they who often prey'd On flaughter'd Armies, now a Prey are made. 'Mongil: other Chances of that dreadful day, A wing of Peacocks was difcomflted : Their valiant Leader 'mongil: the formofr. lay, His Angel-plumes dy'd with his own blood red. This had a Page, a proud and foolifli Jay, Whom from an Egge, he in his nefr. had bred: This (trips his Lord, and boldly then affumes His train ofW Argus ILys, and gaudy Plumes. When to the Eagles Court the proud Jay got, And like a Turky-Cock ftruts up and down, Sueing to draw in ^ Juno's Chariot, As if tho/e gaudy Feathers were his own : WithL ove fair Pea-hens here he follows hot, Keeps company with noble birds, or none : Among the Wits,and Braveries did fir, And would be (ftrange) a Bravery and a Wit. His tongue condemned to evcrlafting prate, Boafting his Beauty, Wealth, and better Notes, Brought (a ) Argus was feigned to be a man with an hundred eyes, to whofe cufto. dy funt delivered ,<, rransfbrm'd into a Cow ; who, by the command of" J-fiter , being call into a dead deep, wa flain by Mercury. This Jable is at large related by Ovid in the firft of D,mc Areftorid* ferv*dam traiUit Until flic Jo gave to Argus guard A hundred eyes his Heads large circuit llarr'd; Whereof, by turns, at once two only flcpt, The ocherwatch'd and ftill their ft a-cionf kept. Which way fo e'r he ftands he /. foiei, b.behind him.was before his cyes,c# c. The Moral of this Fable preiTed by Pontius, i thus ex- Argus cnintccelum eft> vigiUntu h- mina flammx vGtbcre*, & v*ru UbcntU [tier* Argus is Heaven.xthereal fire his eyes, That wake by turns and Stars that fee and rife. Thele fparklc on the brow of ftiady night, But when Apollo rears his glorious light. They vanquifli'd by fo great a fplen- dor die, And buried in obfcure Oljmfns lie. (i)lbat the Chariot of Jano was drawn by Peacocks appears from many of the Roman Mcddals , whence its Jzxplicat atquc fttas ales Junonia pert- The Poets feign'd that fm converted the eyes of Argus, after he wa ilain by Mercury, in her peacocks Train OiiLl.l. Meum. Excifitks, vtlHtrifqmf** Saturnia pemu CtUoctt, & gimmu c*udamjhll*ntil>tis impln. Yet that thofe Starry Jewels might it Jum, fix'd them in her peacocks