THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 29 



fit opportunity stirs up rebels and seditious persons, 

 that with impious courage do molest princes, and 

 endeavour to subvert their estates ; but being sup 

 pressed, the same natural disposition of the people 

 still leaning to the viler sort, being impatient of peace 

 and tranquillity, spread rumours, raise malicious 

 slanders, repining whisperings, infamous libels, and 

 others of that kind, to the detraction of them that 

 are in authority ; so as rebellious actions and sedi 

 tious reports differ nothing in kind and blood, but as 

 it were in sex only, the one sort being masculine and 

 the other feminine. 



ACTION AND PENTHEUS, OR A CURIOUS 



MAN. 



The curiosity of men in prying into secrets, and 

 coveting with an undiscreet desire to attain the know 

 ledge of things forbidden, is set forth by the ancients 

 in two other examples, the one of Acta3on, the other 

 of Pentheus. 



Actaeon having unawares, and as it were by 

 chance, beheld Diana naked, was turned into a stag, 

 and devoured by his own dogs. 



And Pentheus climbing up into a tree with a 

 desire to be a spectator of the hidden sacrifices of 

 Bacchus, was strucken with such a kind of frenzy, 

 as that whatsoever he looked upon, he thought it 

 always double, supposing, among other things, he 

 saw two suns and two Thebes; insomuch, that 

 running towards Thebes, spying another Thebes 

 instantly turned back again, and so kept still 



