FABLES. 



235 



MERCURY AND THE CARVER. 



MERCURY being very desirous to know what 

 credit he had obtained in the world, and how he 

 was esteemed among mankind, disguised himself, 

 and went to the shop of a famous Statuary, where 

 images were to be sold. He saw Jupiter, Juno, 

 and himself, and most of the other gods and god- 

 desses: so, pretending that he wanted to buy, he 

 asked the prices of several, and at length pointing 

 to Jupiter, What, says he, is the lowest price you 

 will take for that? A crown, says the other; and 

 what for that r pointing to Juno : I must have 

 something more for that. Mercury then, casting 

 his eye upon the figure of himself, with all his sym- 

 bols about it, Here am I, said he to himself, in 

 quality of Jupiter's messenger, and the patron of 

 artisans, with all my trades about me; and then 

 smiling with a self-sufficient air, and pointing to 



VOL. IV. 



2 H 



