THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENia. 23 



only eye and one tooth among them all, both which, 

 she that had occasion to go abroad, was wont to take 

 with her, and at her return to lay them down again. 

 This eye and tooth they lent to Perseus ; and so find 

 ing himself thoroughly furnished for the effecting of 

 his design, hastens towards Medusa. Her he found 

 sleeping, and yet durst not present himself with his 

 face towards her lest she should awake ; but turning 

 his head aside beheld her in Pallas s glass, and, by 

 this means directing his blow, cut off her head ; from 

 whose blood gushing out, instantly came Pegasus, 

 the flying-horse. Her head thus smote off, Perseus 

 bestows on Pallas s shield, which yet retained this 

 virtue, that whatsoever looked upon it should become 

 as stupid as a stone, or like one planet-strucken. 



This fable seems to direct the preparation and 

 order that is to be used in making of war ; for the 

 more apt and considerate undertaking whereof, three 

 grave and wholesome precepts, savouring of the wis 

 dom of Pallas, are to be observed. 



First, That men do not much trouble themselves 

 about the conquest of neighbour nations, seeing 

 that private possessions and empires are enlarged by 

 different means ; for in the augmentation of private 

 revenues, the vicinity of men s territories is to be con 

 sidered ; but in the propagation of public dominions, 

 the occasion and facility of making war, and the fruit 

 to be expected ought to be instead of vicinity. Cer 

 tainly the Romans, what time their conquests to 

 wards the west scarce reached beyond Liguria, did 

 yet in the east bring all the provinces as far as the 



