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 Eleventh ADVERTISEMENT.

The excellent Vertue of Loyalty and Faithfulness being se∣cretly departed from Parnassus, Apollo, when he knew where she had hid her self, sent the Muses, Melpomene and Thalia, to perswade her to return.

THe Noble Palace of Fidelity, which was formerly frequented by Princes, chief Officers, and abundance of the Senators of the most famous Commonwealths, is of late so little frequented, as it appears to be the house of desolation: In so much, as on the 18 of this present month, the abode of so excellent a Vertue was seen to be shut up: Which, as soon as Apollo heard of, he commanded that the Gates should be broken o∣pen, and that Fidelities self should be asked the reason of so great a novel∣ty. His Majesties command was forthwith obeyed; and the house was found to be totally void of Inhabitants. Which when the Vertuosi heard, they put on mourning weeds, sprinkled themselves over with ashes, and made other demonstrations of true sorrow; and Apollo in particular was so much grieved, and those very effects of inward sorrow were discern∣ed in him, which he shewed when the sad and memorable accident hapned of his son Phaeton. And his Majesty very well knowing that all humane Government would be quite overthrown, when the firm foundation of Fidelity which sustains, so great a building should fail, he immediately caused Proclamations to be every where made, wherein he granted even to the ignorant sort of people, and to all others that were incapable of the noble Prerogative of living with honor in the memory of men, a hundred years of immortality, to be given to whosoever should find out where so renowned a Vertue had hid her self. And he gave Letters Patents for the making good his word, out of the Bank of Homer, Virgil, Livie, and of wealthy Tacetus, all of them chief Merchants in Parnassus, who by their pretious Ink, doe use the noble Traffick of eternizing peoples names in the memory of other men. The largeness of the reward, invi∣ted many to go in search of her; and much diligence being used in the pursuit, The Royal Majesty of Fidelity was found in the Dog-Kennel of that famous Hunter Acteon, and the beautifull Adonis. This so strange news was quickly brought to Apollo, who immediately dispatched away the two Learned Muses, Melpomene and Thalia, with charge to bring her from that place so unworthy of her presence, and to re-conduct her to her wonted habitation; but all was in vain, for that famous Princess bit∣terly bewailing her own unfortunate condition; Say (said she) you Di∣vine Goddesses, to my Lord Apollo, that fraud who hath ever been my capital enemy, hath at last got the victory, in the dispute which hath been perpetually had between her and me, and that base self-interest, which in these unfortunate times doth tyrannize over the souls in all the best Nations, hath banished me from out the heart of man, which was former∣ly wholly mine. Let his Majesty likewise know, that the whole world

is so sunk in the mud of filthy pollution, as that Fidelity which hath been alwaies resolute to serve her Prince honourably, even to the effusion of her last drop of bloud, and to the emission of her utmost spirits, and which was formerly so admired and coveted, is now accounted a foolish and vain ostentation; and tell him, That to have a fradulent soul, full fraught with perfideousness, and ready to use all execrable infidelity, thereby the bet∣ter to fit ones self to the time, place, and person, is now a daies cryed up for wisdom, sagacity, and wariness of wit; and unfortunate I, nautiated to see such approbrious things, was forced to put on the resolution you see, to live amongst these dogs, amongst which I now fully find that faith∣fulness toward their Masters, which I have alwaies so much laboured to in∣graff in the self-interessed and perfidious heart of man.