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IN those times when in Man, the several Mem∣bers of his Body acted not as now they do, all by a mutual consent, but every one did accord∣ing to his own Fancy. The Feet and Hands envi∣ously
accused the Stomach of Slothfulness; You, said they, receive all our good things, and enjoy them: We take the pains, whilst you reap all the Profit and Pleasure; whatsoever we acquire by our Labour and Industry, you devour, living in continual Laziness: You therefore shall take your choice of two things, either to learn some Art for your own Maintenance, or else resolve to Perish by Hunger; and thus in a Passion these Members deserted it. Now the Stomach know∣ing not how to subsist of it self, begged several times, with great Humility, their Help and Fa∣vour; but they still refused to listen to it. So that being for some days forced to live without Nou∣rishment, its natural heat was quite gone, and Thirst having dryed up the Throat, Nature had utterly lost all her Powers; And then alas! the Hands, when too late, perceiving the Body ready to expire, offered it Meat and Food in abund∣dance, with all sorts of Delicates; but it was to no purpose, for the Stomach having been long empty, was become feeble, and could not per∣form its Functions. Thus died the whole Body, by the Effects of the Envy and Dissenti∣on of its Members.
The Society of the Members with the Stomach, are like Human Society, each Member having need of the rest of the Members to be able to subsist: So does every one want the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and Friendship of other Men; for Riches and Honour are not sufficient here without Friends to stand by and assist us. But I cannot pass by this admirable Fable, without giving a larger account of its History and Allegory. Titus Livius tells us in
his Decades, That the People of Rome revolt∣ing from the Senate, had assembled together on Mount Aventine, resolving no longer to pay O∣bedience to the Senate. But the Senate sent Menenius Agrippa, a man of great Au∣thority and Reputation in the City, who related to them this Fable at large, letting them see by the Example of the Stomach, and Parts of mans Body, the mutual dependence of the Senate and the People one upon another. For do not think (said he) my fellow Citizens, that tho the Government or Senate seem Idle to you, and that they keeping the People to their several Trades and Occupations, are for that Rea∣son the less necessary for your preservation. It is the Government which dispenses the Heat to you, which fits and distributes the good Nourishment to all its most remote Members. Nor suppose that you work for them, but they much more for you. Do not then so weaken this part of you, by your factious Mutinies, that it be made incapable of serving you; for after some little time, Necessity will constrain you to fly to the Senate for their help, when perchance it may not be in their power. Your Seditions and Extravagancies may oblige them to take another course, and then you will live with∣out defence, void of all Counsel and Help, without Riches, without Authority, and in one word, a Prey to your Neighbours. This, or the like Speech, wrought so effectually with the Mutineers, that they all retired home to their Houses. By which we may Iudg how necessary
it is, that there should be a mutual Union of all the Members for preservation of the Body, ei∣ther Natural, or Politick: For it is impossible, that either the one, or the other should subsist with∣out Concord, which is the Chain that binds them together. 'Tis therefore no wonder, that the Au∣thor hereof, proposed this Fable of the Stomach and the other Members, to make us hate Factions and Divisions, which often prove the Ruin and utter Destruction of Common∣wealths, by exposing them to the Fury of their Enemies. Concordiâ res parvae crescunt, Dis∣cordiâ, vel maximae dilabuntur. Salust: