I ragguagli di Parnasso, or, Advertisements from Parnassus in two centuries : with the politick touch-stone / written originally in Italian by that famous Roman Trajano Bocalini ; and now put into English by the Right Honourable Henry, Earl of Monmouth.

The C. ADVERTISEMENT.

Apollo refuseth to receive a Censure presented him by a Lit∣terato, which was made upon the Poem of an Italian Ver∣tuoso.

APollo had already ended the toilsom course of day, when descending in his radient Charriot to the West, a Vertuoso, whose name Menan∣te doth wisely conceal, for fear of drawing some mischief upon himself, came before Apollo, and presented his Majestie with a very severe cen∣sure which he had made upon the Poem of an Italian Vertuoso. Apollo did openly appear to be so little satisfied with that present, as manifest signes of anger were seen in him: in so much as turning to Petrach who was by him, he said that it was great folly in men who not considering how they were addicted to whom they presented any thing, would offer spectacles to those that are blind, a lute to him that is deaf, or wine to an abstenious man. His Majestie then turned towards the Litterato, who would have pre∣sented him with the Book, and told him, that the good of Melloans was

given to such as he was, and the outside to hogs; that therefore he should carry such trash as those in a cart to the common-shore, or throw them into the river, and that he should present him with what of good and vertuous he had found in that Work; which he would not only very willingly read, but be beholding to him for it. The unlucky fellow answered, That he had only minded the errors of the Poem, not taking notice of such things in it as deserved praise. Whereat Apollo was so incenst, as though at that time (as it falls out continually in his setting) the beams of his face were very much sweetned and allaid; yet through anger his countenance grew as fiery as if it had been noon-day, and answer'd that unlucky wretch thus; It grieves my very heart to have met with one of those malitious fools, who labour by their pens to purchase that shame, which wise men so much abhor: And though your shameful demeanor deserves a much greater pennance, I will at this time be content with this which I now give you: Pick out with your hands, without the help of a sive or fan, all the darnel and chaf which you shall find in a bushel of corn, which I will presently cause to be given you by my Factor General Columella, and bring it to us, we will tell you what you shall do with it. The bushel of corn was forthwith delivered out unto him by Columella, which was so ful of darnel and chaf, as he spent much time in cleansing it, and presented it to his Majesty in a great hand∣basket. Apollo bad him carry the darnel to the Market and sell it, and he would freely give him all the money he could make of it. The silly soul said he did not only dispair to find any customer for that despicable com∣modity, but that to appear in the Market with a basket full of such vile stuff, would make him be laught at. Apollo bad him then go give the dar∣nel to somebody, and thereby purchase a new friend; the wretch reply'd, he durst not present so poor a thing to any man, which if he should do, he should be but derided. Then Apollo's fury being very much over, he said, if the refuse cul'd from such things as were good, were not fitting merchandize for wise men, and that they were neither worth selling nor giving, he was convinced out of his own mouth that he had been ill advised when he un∣dertook the business of leaving the roses which he found in the Poem by him censured, to make an unuseful and shameful collection of the thorns or prickles: And that in the reading of other mens labours, the wary Ver∣tuosi imitated the Bee, which knew how to gather honey even from bit∣ter flowres. And that there being no sublunary thing which was not knead∣ed with some imperfections; some bran would be found in the Works of Homer, Virgil, Livy, Tacitus, and Hyppocrates, who were the wonders of writing, if a man would be curious in sifting them; but that he was satis∣fied if the flowre of his Vertuoso's Composures were currant merchan∣dize: That the defects of good Authors were conceal'd by the juditious and friendly readers, and publisht only by such as are malitious. And that to make profession of taking out the worst things only out of other mens writings, was the office of base beetles which spent their lives with much gusto amidst the filth of excrements: a thing very far from the practice of those honoured Litterati who feed advantagiously upon good things. And that since his beloved Poets thought Time the most pretious Jewel which the East produced, he could not well see how he could be so very a fool as to believe that they would cast away their hours in perusing his maliti∣ous detractions, which they might advantagiously spend in reading the Works of Pindarus, Sophocles, Ovid, and of his beloved Heracli. This

unfortunate Censurer was no sooner parted full of confusion from Apol∣lo, when he against whom the Censure was made came hastily in, earnestly desiring permission that he might reply by way of Apology to his malevo∣lent friend. Apollo smiled, and told him, that he appeared as little wise, who would by his Apology put a value upon other mens prating, as Cen∣surers appeared malitious: That it was the greatest part of gross ignorance, to lend an ear to the back-biting babling of those whisperers, who not having sufficient parts to publish their own talents, foolishly believe they may win credit by carping at others; and that the Travailer who being annoi'd with the noise of Grashoppers in the midst of scorching Iuly, should alight from his horse to kill them all, were a very fool; whereas he were wise, who though he had a pair of good ears, would seem to be deaf, pass on his way, and let them sing and burst.