THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 69 



foolishly lay this gift of the gods upon the back of an 

 ass, who being wonderfully oppressed with thirst and 

 near a fountain, was told by a serpent which had 

 the custody thereof, that he should not drink unless 

 he would promise to give him the burthen that was 

 on his back. The silly ass accepted the condition, 

 and so the restoration of youth, sold for a draught 

 of water, passed from men to serpents. But Prome 

 theus, full of malice, being reconciled unto men, 

 after they were frustrated of their gift, but in a 

 chafe yet with Jupiter, feared not to use deceit in 

 sacrifice ; for having killed two bulls, and in one of 

 their hides wrapt up the flesh and fat of them both, 

 and in the other only the bones, with a great 

 shew of religious devotion gave Jupiter his choice, 

 who detesting his fraud and hypocrisy, but taking an 

 occasion of revenge, chose that which was stopped 

 with bones, and so turning to revenge, when he saw 

 that the insolency of Prometheus would not be re 

 pressed but by laying some grievous affliction upon 

 mankind, in the forming of which he so much 

 bragged and boasted, commanded Vulcan to frame 

 a goodly beautiful woman, which being done, every 

 one of the gods bestowed a gift on her ; whereupon 

 she was called Pandora. To this woman they gave 

 in her hand a goodly box full of all miseries and ca 

 lamities, only in the bottom of it they put Hope ; 

 with this box she comes first to Prometheus, thinking 

 to catch him, if peradventure he should accept it at 

 her hands, and so open it ; which he nevertheless, 

 with good providence and foresight refused : where- 



