108 ADVA* CEMENT OF LEARNING. [BOOK U. 



PERSEUS,&quot; OR WAR. 



Explained of the Preparation and Conduct necessary to War. 



&quot;THE fable relates, that Perseus was despatched from the 

 east by Pallas, to cut off Medusa s head, who had committed 

 great ravage upon the people of the west ; for this Medusa 

 was so dire a monster, as to turn into stone all those who but 

 /ooked upon her. She was a Gorgon, and the only mortal one of 

 the three ; the other two being invulnerable. Perseus, there 

 fore, preparing himself for this grand enterprise, had presents 

 made him from three of the gods : Mercury gave him wings 

 for his heels ; Pluto, a helmet ; and Pallas, a shield and a 

 mirror. But though he was now so well equipped, he posted 

 not directly to Medusa, but first turned aside to the Greaj, 

 who were half-sisters to the Gorgons. These Grea) were gray- 

 headed, and like old women from their birth, having among 

 them all three but one eye, and one tooth, which, as they had 

 occasion to go out, they each wore by turns, and laid them 

 down again upon coming back. This eye and this tooth they 

 lent to Perseus, who, now judging himself sufficiently fur 

 nished, he, without farther stop, flies swiftly away to Medusa, 

 and finds her asleep. But not venturing his eyes, for fear 

 she should wake, he turned his head aside, and viewed her in 

 Pallas s mirror, and thus directing his stroke, cut off her head ; 

 when immediately, from the gushing blood, there darted 

 Pegasus winged. Perseus now inserted Medusa s head into 

 Pallas s shield, which thence retained the faculty of astonish 

 ing and benumbing all who looked on it.&quot; 



This fable seems invented to show the prudent method ot 

 choosing, undertaking, and conducting a war. The chief thing 

 to consider in undertaking war is a commission from Pallas, 

 certainly not from Venus, as the Trojan war was, or other 

 slight motive. Because the designs of war ought to be jus 

 tified by wise counsels. As to the choice of war, the iable 

 propounds three grave and useful precepts. 



The first is, that no prince should be over- solicitous to 

 subdue a neighbouring nation : for the method of enlarging 

 an empire is very different from that of increasing an estate. 

 &quot;Regard is justly had to contiguity or adjacency in private 

 lands and possessions ; but in the extending of empire, the 



Ovid, Metaia, iv. 



