THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 59 



and dismal spectacle in her left hand : for question 

 less to men sitting- as it were upon the pinnacle of 

 prosperity, the thoughts of death, and painfulness of 

 sickness and misfortunes, perfidiousness of friends, 

 treachery of foes, change of estate, and such like, 

 seem as ugly to the eye of their meditations, as those 

 Ethiopians pictured in Nemesis pitcher. Virgil in 

 describing the battle of Actium speaks thus elegantly 

 of Cleopatra. 



Regina in mediis patrio vocat agmina sistro 

 &quot; Nee durn etiam geminos a tergo respicit angues.&quot; 



The queen amidst this hurly-burly stands, 

 And with her country timbrel calls her bands ; 

 Not spying yet, where crawl d behind her back, 

 Two deadly snakes with venom speckled black. 



But not long after, which way soever she turned, 

 troops of Ethiopians were still before her eyes. 



Lastly, it is wisely added that Nemesis rides 

 upon an hart, because an hart is a most lively crea 

 ture. And albeit, it may be, that such as are cut off 

 by death in their youth prevent and shun the power 

 of Nemesis; yet doubtless such, whose prosperity 

 and power continue long, are made subject unto 

 her, and lie, as it were, trodden under her feet. 



ACHELOUS, OR BATTLE. 



It is a fable of antiquity, that when Hercules 

 and Achelous as rivals contended for the marriage 

 of Dejanira, the matter drew them to combat, 

 wherein Achelous took upon him many divers shapes, 

 for so was it in his power to do, and amongst others, 



