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 LXXXI. ADVERTISEMENT.

The Vertuosi of Pernassus, after having paid in the ac∣customed Donative of a Milli•…•…n of Conceits to his Ma∣jesties Treasurer, according to their wont, ask a favour of him.

THose who exactly understand the affairs of this State, know that the Vertuosi of Pernassus do not onely pay into the Exchequer, the Tythe of all the fruits of their wits, but a Tax which is laid upon every one according to his Talent. Whence it is that Ovid pays in to the publike receivers, yeerly eight Elegies, Virgil fourscore Heroick Verses, Horace five Odes, Martial eleven Epigrams, and others accor∣ding as they are taxed. Moreover the Vertuosi do every year by name of a Donative (yet such a Donative as if it be not willingly given, may without the loss of its modest Title, be levyed out of their goods by the Serjeants, and sold by the Candle) pay in into the Delphick Trea∣sury a Million of Conceits, which are after liberally distributed by the Muses to the meaner sort of the Literati, who wanting invention, deserve assisting for the meer love which they bear to learning; and up∣on this so large a Donative, his Majesty is pleased to grant his Vertuosi some such gracious favors as they are permitted to demand. So as the last week after the Donative was prepared, the Vertuosi resolved in a general Assembly to beg seven boons of Apollo, which were all put in a Scedule which was to be presented unto him. But the polisht Class•…•…s of Politicians told them, that upon occasion of demanding Graces from a Prince out of merit, they must shun the error of demanding many things; not onely for that Princes, who do quickly take distaste when they are to acquit themselves of an obligation, era annoyed at

the demand of many favours, but for that it always falls out that he who asks many things, is rewarded with the slightest. That therefore in such a case it were wisely done to beg but one onely boon, provided it were of moment, which upon such an occasion could not be denyed by the Prince without a mark of much ingratitude. The Politicians Advice was much commended by the whole Colledge of Vertuosi, and was followed by them. Wherefore the next day Bernardino Bis∣cia, and Tiberio Cerasi, the Vertuosi's Aadvocates, were sent unto his Majesty, who when they had presented Apollo with the Donative, did humbly beseech him, that in chusing Judges for his Courts of Justice, and other Officers for publike Magistracy, he would be pleased to chuse men of a benign Nature, of a courteous Genius, humble spirit, and patient Minde; and that he would send certain Hyteroclical, Bankrupts, phantastical, proud, insolent men, who were so arrant beasts, as did more vex and grieve those miserable men who had suits at Law, by their discomposed phantastical brains, then the suits themselves did; to be Boatsons and Auditors in the Galleys, where they might ercise their vexatious Talents of wit amongst slaves, which were so un∣supportable to free-born men.