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 LXXVI. ADVERTISEMENT.

Many of the Literati who do much apprehend the severity of the Reformation, which by Order from Apollo, is now in Treaty in Pernassus, do seditiously rise in Rebelli∣on against the Reformers; and his Majesty appeaseth the tumult by applying a fitting remedy.

ALl those that submitted to the Reformation which is at this time treated of in Pernassus with much severity, took up Arms in a se∣ditious manner some eight daies ago, and ran to the Reformers houses, carrying Links and Fire-brands with them to burn those reverend Re∣formers in their own houses. Who, as soon as they were aware of the uprore, fortified themselves within their house, and they from within, and the other from without, let fly at one another, so as a very bloudy and cruel skermish was begun; and those without grew so outragious, as they fastned a Petar to the Gate. Apollo, who was soon advertised of this disorder, that he might prevent any inconvenience which might arise from this tumult, sent forthwith his Guard of Provincial Poets thither, who were commanded in chief by the great French Ronsard, ordering him to let those men in Arms know in his name, that they should immediately lay down those their seditious Arms, upon pain of being from that very instant declared to be ignorant; and that as soon as they should apply themselves to him, he would be ready to hear their grievances.

These men immediately obeyed his Majesties commands, before whom when they appeared, Apollo with an angry countenance asked them, whether or no they were those rash, those insolent people, who pretended to live in that disorderly and abusive way of licentiousness, and not be made return to the way of well-living, from which it was e∣vidently known that they had very much gone astray. Sir, said Iovan∣ni Scopa, a Neapolitan, in name of all that were to be reformed, We ingenuously confess that our faults are heynous in condition, in number infinite, and very fitting to be amended; we are so far from hating (as your Majesty may perchance believe) Reformation, and the Reformers, as we do greatly love it and them; but the rage to see that the end of our Reformers is far from the pretence wherewith they palliate their Re∣formation, hath put into our hands these weapons of despair. For if those who pretend our Reformation, as zealously intending our wel∣fare, should let us plainly see that they desire nothing of us but our own good, we should as willingly submit to the pleasing yoke of Reforma∣tion, as any man of honour ought to do; but it is long since, that after our so many sufferings, we have at last clearly found, that this Reformati∣on is not introduced out of any charitable intentions towards us, not out of a desire to remove scandals, but out of a wilely end, to keep

those grand Literati, who do so much hate a privat life, and covet nothing but food for their ambition, in the power which they have of dominiering over their inferiors. Hence it is, Sir, that this our Reforma∣tion meets with so many complaints, and such venim against our Refor∣mers; who foolishly perswading themselves, to be able to correct mens vices, and to purge the world of that ignorance which doth so much deform it, by their only outward appearing good intention to Refor∣mation, are pleased with our complaints, their main ends being, that the world may believe, that our complaint, which is occasioned by their fowl proceedings with us, springs from our being nauseated with our correction; and yet the clean contrary to this is true: For finding our selves griev'd by the evil opinion which men have, more then they ought to have, and daily more and more opprest by those whose power is greatest in Pernassus, there is not any one that doth listen unto us, nor mind what we say, though we cry never so lowd for Justice. For men of power are alwaies honoured and exalted, though they deserve the contrary; and such wretched people as we, are opprest and afflicted, let our deserts be never so good. And hence it is that we who are ill at ease, do continually complain more of the Physick not proportionate to our disease, then of our malady it self; and of our Physitians, whose end in curing us, is not (as it ought to be) our health, but their daily gain in exercising their Authority, and in feeding their ambition by the food of other mens injuries. But that which afflicts us most, Sir, is, That in this our corrupt and depraved age, the important business of Reformation should be begun by the most threadbare and ruin'd people that are in Pernassus. We (as your Majesty may see) are for the most part hunger-starv'd Grammarians, broken Correctors of the Press, woful Ushers of Schools, and poor vulgar Poets, of so miserable a con∣dition, as we live by conceits, which we daily borrow from the fruit∣ful wits of Latin Poets and Orators, so as if our daily necessities were not abundantly supplyed by the bounty of our alwaies most reverend Callepine, if we were not fed by the free defrayment of our Cornucopia, and clothed out of the Wardrobe of Mario Nizzolio, what sort of peo∣ple, how poor so ever, could be compared to us? But to speak unto your Majesty with that freedom which becomes such as are overwhelm∣ed with despair, the thefts of Ausonius Gallo, the execrable avarice and immense ambition of Seneca, Martials unpolished language, Aristo∣tles perfidiousness, Catullus, Tibullus, and Propertius their unbridled lusts, the bac bitings of Iuvenal and Perseus, Lucians impiety, Ovids ob∣sceneness, and those libidinous Treaties of Virgil, which it is not fit for me to name in this place, for fear of offending your Majesties chaste ears, are those who through their dissolute vices have brought the State of Pernassus into the miserable condition that now it is in: And yet these whom I may freely say are the true Authors of so many scandals, are all of them great personages, the chief Lords of Learning, and are so powerful in this Court, as their vices are reputed vertues: And that which makes us rage the more in our despair, is, that these our Refor∣mers do rather stand in fear of such men as these, then that they have courage to correct their enormities: and yet your Majesty greatly de∣sires that the Justice which is exercised in this your State, should be like the generosity of the Falcon, whose proper instinct it is to prey

upon that Pigeon, which of many others that fly before her, hath the rankest wing. And certainly it does not only appear to be foolish, but is a very sad thing, that when a body hath received mortal wounds in its most principal parts; these our Reformers, for the cure thereof, do ap∣ply medicines only to the ball of the foot, or wash the heels with rose∣water; by which shameful way of proceeding, they rather seem to mock the world, then to mind the mending of men. And what a hellish piece of charity is this which our Reformers use towards us, in being so curious in discovering our defects, and in making us lose our reputati∣on, and the good opinion which hitherto men have had of us, without induing us with that amendment and vertue, wherein these our Refor∣mers profess themselves to be so great Masters? And, Sir, if these men do so compassionate a straw which they see in our eyes, why take they not the beam away which is in their own? A hellish charity, I must say again, to seem as if they did bewail other mens evils, and indeed make merry with their own miseries. Is it not a great piece of cruelty to put a probe of Iron into a wound which a man minds not to amend, or else knows he cannot cure? Who knows not that mens vices have so long corrupted their manners, as a man may say this world was born lame, or maimed? Which being most true, is it not gross ignorance in our Re∣formers to believe that in three or four daies they will be able to make him walk upright, who was born with a lame leg? Evils, which by rea∣son of long continuation, are incureable, ought rather to be winked at by wise men, then exasperated by corroding medicines; it being of ill example, and of very bad consequence to make him known to be lame, who for ought any man knows, hath no defect in his legs: For men who are in perfect charity with their neighbours, do first secretly cure their defects, before they discover them to the world; for no man ever won renown by robbing another man of his honour. But that which troubles us most, is, to see that for the cure of our poverty, we have Se∣neca proposed unto us, who was Master of so immense riches, which God knows how he came by; to the humble and abject, insolent A∣ristotle, and gluttonous Martial, to those that die for hunger. And if it be true, which any man who is in his right wits cannot deny, that a gluttonous Physitian is not likely to do any good by perswading ano∣ther to keep a strict diet; what good is there to be expected from his Reformation, whilst Martial, who is so obscene in his Verses, wils us to speak modestly? Aristotle (who to revenge injurious words, made use of poyson even to his Prince) to pardon injuries received; when Chastity is recommended unto us by Ovid, the Father of all Lascivi∣ousness; Piety by Lucian, who so openly plaid upon God; Ausonius Gallo, who so shamefully sackt •…•…gypt, which was given to him to Go∣vern, admonishing us to abstain from other mens goods: And when chaste love is prescribed unto us by Virgil, who hath made himself so infamous by so highly celebrating his Alexis? Nothing, Sir, hath greater operation or fruit in matter of Reformation, then when those that are to be reformed, think well of their Reformers, and then the good example of great men. For he who cures an a king head, enli∣vens all the rest of the body; but he who to cure the Megrim, anoints the feet only, doth both Oleum & operam perdere. Therefore that such fruit may be gathered from this Reformation, as is wished for by honest

men, we beg that as a special favour from your Majesty, which in all Justice ought not to be denied us, that we may be permitted to put the Reformers in mind of such things as shall be thought fit for the increase of their honour, and for the universal good, and that they may have plenary power to correct our misdemeanors, that so we proceeding with them in tearms of love, and they with us in tearms of charity, the Reformation proving essential, and not only in appearance, may abundantly produce amendment both in life and manners.

Although the standers by thought that La Scopa had spoke too free∣ly in Apollo's presence; yet his Majesty commended the Proposition as very just, and calling for a particular of such things as they desired should be reformed, did first dismiss the Auditory, which was very great, and afterwards did by writing commend a business of that im∣portance, to his Regio Collaterale, induing them with ample Autho∣rity to decide it actually as they should in reason, Sola Veritate facti, inspecta, omni, & quacun ue Appellatione remota.

The Negative to this was often broacht, and disputed: and though the greatest part of the Collaterale, thought the desire of those that were to be reformed, very just; yet after a long argumentation had thereupon, Giacomo Menocchio, one of the chiefest of those Coun∣sellers being brought into the Collaterale, said, with an incens'd coun∣tenance, and in an angry tone; You through your hair-braind rash∣ness, make your selves appear to be a rabble of insolent people, since you have presumed to go about to reform Poets, Philosophers, and others of the chiefest Literati of this Court, whose names you are not worthy to take within your mouthes, and by your bold∣faced behaviour, have committed high Treason, having so highly offended your superiors; Who time out of mind, find themselves in peacefull possession, and enjoy the Ius Quaesitum of reforming o∣thers, without being ever to be reformed by any one. Nor must you by playing the good Companions, live according to your own humors, but in spight of your hearts submit your jobernols to the sacred precepts of Nature; which not without a great My∣stery, is contented, that greater Fishes devour the lesser; nor is it possible to take from small flies, special priviledge which they have over lean Cattel, without overthrowing the whole body of the Civil Law.