96 THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 



vished and betrayed all passengers : and so great 

 were the mischiefs they did, that these isles of the 

 Syrens, even as far off as man can ken them, ap 

 peared all over white with the bones of unburied 

 carcases. For the remedying of this misery a double 

 means was at last found out, the one by Ulysses the 

 other by Orpheus. Ulysses, to make experiment of 

 his device, caused all the ears of his company to be 

 stopped with wax, and made himself to be bound to 

 the main mast, with special commandment to his 

 mariners not to be loosed, albeit himselt should re 

 quire them so to do. But Orpheus neglected and 

 disdained to be so bound, with a shrill and sweet 

 voice singing praises of the gods to his harp, sup 

 pressed the songs of the Syrens, and so freed him 

 self from their danger. 



This fable hath relation to men s manners, and 

 contains in it a manifest and most excellent parable : 

 for pleasures do for the most proceed out of the 

 abundance and superfluity of all things, and also out 

 of the delights and jovial contentments of the mind : 

 the which are wont suddenly, as it were, with 

 winged enticements to ravish and rap mortal 

 men. But learning and education brings it so to 

 pass, as that it restrains and bridles man s mind, 

 making it so to consider the ends and events of 

 things, as that it clips the wings of pleasure. And 

 this was greatly to the honour and renown of the 

 muses ; for after that, by some examples, it was made 

 manifest that by the power of philosophy vain plea 

 sures might grow contemptible ; it presently grew 



