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A Fable. Aphthonius the So∣phist says, that the Poets were Authors of the Fable, which is a Story made on purpose to instruct Men, being an Image fit to repre∣sent the Truth. The Fable is called Sybiri∣tica, Ciliciana and Cypriana, from the seve∣ral Countries of the Men, who were the In∣venters thereof.
The Historians having no other aim but the Instruction of Men, thought that the Fable was very fit to teach, not only young Men, but also to instruct all sorts of Persons, who being always Men, have also, during all the time of their Life, some remainders of In∣fancy, and will have Instruction it self be a diversion to them. Wherefore, when the Authors of the Fable related Histories, or un∣folded the Mysteries of Nature, or taught mo∣ral Precepts, they intermixed always some∣thing of the Fable with the Truth.
Plutarch has bestowed the whole begin∣ning of his Treatise, of the manner of read∣ing Poets, to shew that the Fable was very conducible to the instruction of Men, both young and old, when 'tis handled to the purpose.
Clement of Alexandria observes, that this way of folding and unfolding the Truth with Fa∣bles, is very proper to awake and whet the Wit, and inflame Men with the love of Di∣vine and Moral Truth.
Plutarch tells us, that the Egyptians wrapped up the Mysteries of their Philosophy in Fables and Riddles; and had Sphinxes at the Gates of their Temples to unfold them; and that the Pythagoreans understood the Unity by the name of Apollo, and the number two by the name of Diana; the number seven, by that of Minerva; and the Figure Cube by Neptune; to shew that the Fables were the Images of the Philosophical Truths, that were of great moment amongst the Egyptians and Pythago∣reans.
Salustius the Philosopher says, that the Fa∣bles have somewhat of Divine, because they are made use of by Poets, who are animated with a divine Spirit, and by the Philosophers, the Pontiffs, and the Gods themselves in their Oracles. That the first use of Fables is to awake the mind, and raise it to the unfolding of the meaning thereof; and he compares the Fable to the Divinity, who exposes some of his Excellencies to the sight of all Men, and keeps some others hid, which are discover'd but by Contemplation.
Then this Philosopher distinguishes many kinds of Fables; some that have relation to the Divinity, as when Saturn devoured his Children; the meaning thereof is, that God, who is the supream Intelligence, keeps in his bosom all his operations: Some others are concerning Nature, as when Saturn, i. e. Time, devours all his Productions and Tem∣poral Natures. The others belong to the Soul, who gets into herself all her operations like Saturn. And the fourth kind of Fables concerns the Body, wherefore the Egyptians said, that Saturn was the Element of the Wa∣ter. In fine, there are mixt Fables made up of the foregoing.
We must not look upon Poets as upon meer Tale-bearers, but as Historians, who adorned the ground of their History with many plea∣sant Fictions, to render it more diverting to the Reader. And 'tis a false prejudice to think that Poetical Narrations have nothing of Truth. Learned Men assert the contrary opinion, for 'tis upon a solid ground of a true History, that Poets have wrapped up in their Poems, some Stories that were not true, but likely.
Polybius, Strabo, and many other Historians affirm, that the ground of the Iliad and Odysses of Homer is a true History, appearing to be so by the Ancient Historians.
Poets have intermixt the Fable with the Truth, to adorn their Narrations, and yet this ornament it self is grounded upon some Truth.
The most remarkable Writers, who have handled moral Fables, and introduced Beasts and Trees speaking, were Aesop among the Greeks, and Phaedrus among the Latins.
Philostratus in his Image of the Fables, re∣lates in what manner Aesop received of Mercury the Gist of writing Fables.
Aesop, says he, being a Shepherd, was often feeding his Flocks near a Temple of Mercury, wherein he entered sometimes, and offered to the God some Milk, Hony-combs and Flowers, earnestly begging of him some Beams of Wisdom. Many others met also in the same Temple, to the same purpose, and made him considerable Presents. Mercury, to ex∣press them his gratitude for their Piety, be∣stowed upon them the gifts of Sciences; some of them he endowed with the gift of Astrology, others with Eloquence, and some others with the gift of Poesy and Musick. But he forgot Aesop. Yet having a mind to reward him, he granted him the gift of wri∣ting Fables, because he remembred, that be∣ing still in his Cradle on the Mount Olympus, the Hours who nursed him up, told him the Fable of an Ox that had spoke to a Man, and had inclined him to desire the Oxen of the Sun.
Phaedrus in the third Book of his Fables, de∣dicated to Utychius, speaks thus
Now I will declare in few words, to what purpose Fables were invented. Man being in slavery and dependency, because he durst not utter his Mind, made use of these fabulous Narra∣tions, to declare the thoughts and agitations of his Soul, and secured himself from Ca∣lumny with these pleasant Stories.