jESOFS FABLES. Stood where I ftand, a Cattle on thy back, This Gown had left theefeeding at the Rack. This is a clod heavier than Earth; ruch Souls, Were all Heaven Sun, would fee no more than Moles: But when our Mailer enters, I adviie That clofe thou ly, for he hath Argus eys; To icape from him, that is a Work, a Task, Would all the Shifts of fubtile w Proteus ask, Scarce iaid, but in the bufy Mailer came, And firfl his Servant's Negligence did blame, Gathers the Offals, did the Litter (pread, The Labouring Yoke-mates with his own Hands fed; Here^ there, he pries, and iearcheth every part, Three Fathom under Hay he finds the Hart. Glad of the Prize,aloud for Aid he cals, Streight on the Deer,i Troup of R ufticks fals; . No hope of Quarter, he with weeping Eys Chief Mourner was at his own Obicquies. ; M Pntea, was King of the Eg)f-titxs about the time of the Trojan war; feign'd tohavechang'd himfelf into fundry forms , now Seining a Beaft, now a Tree nowVire. Ovid Met*-morph 1.8. t tjuibm in plur ttbi compltxi terram n Proteu.erc-. atifiie Others have power themfelves at will to change, As thou blue Proteus, that in Seas doft range. Who now a Man, a Lyon now appears Now a fell Boar.a Serpent'* fliape now A Bull with tbreatning Horns now feem'ft to be, Now like a Stone, now like a fpreading And iometimes I flows, Sometimes like fire fliows. a gentle River verfe to Water, Which he attain'd ,it feems, by his con-rerfation with the Magicians oiE^jft, of whofeftrange performances of that nature the Scripturei make mention. But Diodtrus Sictdu) faies, that the Kings of that Countrey wore fome-times the Shapes of Lyons, Balls, and Dragons on their heads, as marks of Regality ; fometimes Trees, Fire, and i'ic like which was the originil of this Grecian Fable. Mora l. ' When urgent Dangers prefs, 'tis hard tofiun; Stem Fortune loves to end, as/he begun : On Fear, and Haft, bad CounfeUftiU attend; Let none feeJ^Kefuge from unable Friends. o