OF CURIOSITY. 169 



* whole day was fpent in gallantry, till feme of 

 •' the neighbouring inhabitants, growing envi- 

 ' ous at their mirth, rulhed in with drawn 

 ' fwords. The elder part of the company tryed 

 ^ to appcafe the younger, promifing the very 



* next ciiy they would bring the rioters to 

 ' juftice. This they performed, and the third 

 ^ day the caufe v/as heard, and what with accu- 

 ^ fations, pleadings, exceptions, and the judg- 

 ' ment itfelf the w^hole day was taken up, on 

 ' which the term fet by Jupiter expired. On 

 ' their return to Greece all the coun trey flocked 



* in upon them to hear the wonders of the moon 

 ' defcribed, but all they could tell was -, for 



* that was all they knew; that the ground wa5 

 ' covered with green, intermixed with flowers, 

 ^ and that the birds fung amongft the branches 

 ^ of the trees i but what kinds of flowers they 



* faw, or what kinds of birds they heard, they 



* were totally ignorant. Upon which they were 

 ' treated every wherewith contempt.' If we ap- 

 ply this fable to men of the prefent age, we 

 fliall perceive a very jufl: fimilitude. By thefe 

 three days the fable denotes the three ages 

 of man. Firfl: youths in which we are too 

 feeble in every refped to look into the works 

 gf the Creator. All that feafon is given up to 



idle- 



