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.

XLVII▪ ADVERTISEMENT.

The Roman Monarchy desire to be resolved by Cornelius Ta∣citus in a Politick Doubt; and receive full satisfaction therein by Melibeus, the Mantuan Shepherd, who was ca∣sually there.

THe Illustrious Roman Monarchy, which before it was trampled upon by the barbarous Northern Nations, lived here in Parnassus in that height of glory, which no other human worth could ever arive at; under pretence of going a hunting, went in disguise the other day to find out Co•…•…nelius Tacitus, who for his recreation was retired to his Countrey∣house; and told him, that she was come to him only to be resolved in a Doubt which had a long time troubled her mind, the which she had con∣ferred about with many other great Polititians, and had not received such satisfaction from them, as she hoped to do from him, who was the greatest Statist and Arch-Flamming of all Modern Policy. And that the busi∣ness which so much troubled them, was, That the Kingdom of France, Spain, Egypt, Soria, the Commonwealth of Carthage, and the rest of the Immence States which she possest in Asia, Africa, and Europe, were of themselves formidable to every one, before they were joyned to her but that being all of them united in her person, instead of strengthening her, they had made her weaker then she was before; a thing which they did the more wonder at, for that it was evidently know, that many threads made a strong Rope, and many little twigs a strong rafter; and yet an infi∣nite number of Principalities being joyned together, had not formed that eternal and great Monarchy, which men did expect?

Tacitus answered to this, that the question was of weight, and therefore deserved to be maturely consulted, that he would return the next day to Parnassus, where when he should have cast his eye over his Annals and Histories, he believed he should thereout draw such an answer, as would give her Majestie full satisfaction. The Roman Monarchy was very well pleased with this Answer; and just as she was going to take her leave and be gon, Melibeus, that famous Shepherd, who had brought a dish of Curds and Cream, and two new Cheeses that very morning, as a present to Tacitus, and had heard the question asked by that great Monarchy, de∣sired her that she would be pleased to stay, for that he would instantly give full satisfaction to her in that which she desired to know:

Tacitus and the Roman Monarchy smiled upon Melibeus, and bad him hold his peace, and go look to his sheep, for that was his profession. Me∣libeus then boldly answered, That no sort of men whatsoever knew bet∣ter how to discourse of, and resolve State-affairs, then Shepherds; That Princes should be happy if they used the same charity in governing their Subjects, as shepherds do in feeding their flocks, and the people most hap∣py if they would imitate sheep in their obedience to their Princes. Taci∣tus and the Roman Monarchy marvailed much at this bold and resolute answer of this Shepherd; wherefore they bad him freely make his con∣ceit

known: With which permission Melibeus thus began;

Most powerfull Queen, (as it is well known to my Virgil) am a shep∣herd of Mantua, and I should much injure this my gray head and beard which you see, if I were not absolute Master of my profession. I say then, that in so many years that I have had the charge of sheep, I have clearly learnt, that a shepherds power and greatness, consists not (as many that are covetous and ambitious believe) in having many millions of sheep; but only in having so many as a good shepherd may keep with his eye, go∣vern with his rod, and rule with his whistle. And the reason is apparent; for shepherds are beggers when they have too few sheep: for great po∣verty forceth him to milk them too dry, and to shear them too close. Shep∣herds are alwaies wealthy and happy in a mean (wherein all perfection con∣sists) whereas in Immensity they run certain danger, for that it is very hard to govern such a number of sheep as is disproportionable to the forces of any one man. Whence it is, that silly sheep, when in too numerous flocks, first grow lean, and then of necessity die, through the meer care∣lesness of him that looks unto them. This disorder is occasioned, for that flocks of too disproportionate a greatness, instead of good institutions, are full of fowl confusions; and the Proverb frequently made use of, and di∣ligently observed by us shepherds, is true, That a few sheep will not sup∣ply the necessities of a Shepherds Cottage; many will; and infinity be∣get confusion; and are rather prejuditial, than of use.

Princes and Commonwealths were happy if they had the property of Cammels, to stoop down humbly to the ground to take up the load of Government; and if they could put a period to their pride and ambition, by rising up on their legs, and not suffering any more load to be laid upon them, when they know they have sufficient for their strength to bear: but men do all their life-time, long to grasp a great stack of Hay, to the end that they may at one burthen carry it all home to their own Barns; which falling afterwards by the way, they find that after so much industry and pains, they have laboured in vain. Hence it is, that for 1600 and odd years that I have been a Shepherd in Arcadia, I never had in my Pen∣folds above 500 Sheep, which affording me the certain gain of 500 crowns a year, I have still been held to be very fortunate by all the Shepherds of Arcadia. I therefore think that shepherd unhappy, who being blinded by avarice, thinks to grow rich in one day, by having many flocks of sheep, which not being able all of them to be looked unto by the Masters eye (which is that which fattens the sheep, and which is the flocks chiefest fe∣licity) he commits them to the custody of careless boys, and oft-times rents them out to cruel Shepherds, who out of greediness to reap a little Interest more then the sheep can yield, do lose the Principal. Neither have there wanted amongst us shepherds those Alexanders the great, who to asswage their thirst of Government, have not been ashamed to ask of God, that he would create new Worlds. For in our Arcadia was one Menalcas, one that did alwaies envy me, and was my mortal enemy; who thinking he should be able to crush me if he could get more sheep then I had, was not content with 500 sheep which he had, but that he might make himself absolute Monarch of all the Shepherds of Arcadia, took up money at use, sold the greatest part of his Patrimony, and having got together a good sum of money, he sent for three flocks of sheep, each of them consisting of 500 from Spain, France, and England, where he knew the best sheep were, and paid excessively for their transporting;

which being strangers, and not acquainted with the Shepherd, nor yet understanding his voice nor whistle, they were but ill-favoredly led to their pasture in the morning, and brought back again at night to their folds. Wherefore Menalcas, to bring his sheep to better obedience, which went still wandring up and down, set dogs upon them; which not being known to the sheep, were alwaies hated by them, and they were the more incenst, for that to their natural hatred, they added offences; which be∣got such obstinacy, dispair, and disobedience in the sheeps hearts, as they began infinitely to abhor their shepherds, and the being guarded by dogs. Moreover when they found they were to be milkt or shorne, they hid themselves in woods; and then it was that all the shepherds of Arcadia, knew that dispair may make Conies turn Lions. Wherefore the Spanish sheep grew so inraged, as they even ventur'd to bite the shepherds; the French kickt the pail down with their feet, wherein they had been miklt; and the English sheep, that they might not obey strange shepherds, nor have their wool torn off by unknown dogs, forbore to graze, chusing rather to die for hunger, then to live in that slavery. It was more strange to see, that the same profit of Cheese, Wool, and Lambs, which those forrein sheep so willingly yielded to their own Country shepherds, were with so ill-will paid to Menalcas, as thinking they were not only ill treated, but tyrannically massacred, they seemed to be glad that they were become barren, and laught to see their shepherd undone.

Menalcas being exceedingly afflicted at this novelty, was forced to send to Switzerland for a new regiment of dogs, to bring his sheep to better obedience; which remedy proved both chargeable and unfortunate; for these dogs growing so cruel to the sheep, as even to worry them, and eat them up; this cruelty wrought such effect in the sheep, as they began re∣solutely to throw off all obedience. So as afflicted Menalcas fell at last into the misfortune of listning to a Florentine, a damn'd Master of Policy, who told him, that wary shepherds had no better way to make forrein sheep which were disobedient, serviceable unto them, then by keeping them poor and lean; which as soon as it was put in practice, proved so pre∣juditial both to the sheep and sheepherd, as Menalcas could not get so much as one Cheese, nor half a tod of wool from his sheep, and the sheep died for want of meat. And in one months space, Menalcas lost both his Interest and Principal; and (which caused much mirth in all the Arcadian shep∣herds) from being a happy shepherd of a noble flock, fell, through his gree∣dy ambition to be a woful Merchant of sheep-skins: A great misfortune, wholly occasioned through the ignorance that men have of shepherds A∣rethmatick, which differs so from the Merchant-like Arethmatick used in other affairs, as Menalcas who gained 500 crowns a year by 500 sheep, fell far short of getting a thousand, by a thousand. For it is true, that in common Arethmatick twice five, makes ten, and thrice five, fifteen, and so forward; but in Pastoral Arethmatick, twice five, makes three, thrice five makes one, and four times five, makes that cypher which ruins as ma∣ny as by grasping at too much, holds fast nothing.