Kaina kai palaia Things new and old, or, A store-house of similies, sentences, allegories, apophthegms, adagies, apologues, divine, morall, politicall, &c. : with their severall applications / collected and observed from the writings and sayings of the learned in all ages to this present by John Spencer ...

Death put off from one to another. [ 1992]

PLutark in the life of Solon tells a story, that on a time the young men of Ionia, standing by the River side, where the Milesian Fishermen had new∣ly cast in their net, bought of them that present draught. And it so happened that when they drew their net unto the shore, they found therein,* 1.1 besides their Fishes, a Golden Table or Trivet, which Helena had let fall in that place as she sailed towards Troy; Whereupon the buyers required the same as part of their bargain, but the sellers would part with nothing but their Fishes; The conten∣tion grew hot, and would have come to a height, had not both sides concluded to rest satisfied with the arbitration of Apollo, who determined it should be given to the Wisest of all Men,* 1.2 so they sent it to Thales Milesius then looked on as the Wi∣sest Man in all Greece, but he refusing the same, caused it to be sent to Bias Prie¦naeus, and he returned it to a third, the third unto a fourth, and so from one to another, till at last it came to Solon, And he judging Apollo to be the wisest, caused it to be presented for an Altar in the house of his Oracle: Now so it is that as these Men did in modesty with the Golden Trivet, so all Men out of fear

deal with Death;* 1.3 When it knocks at the poor Mans door, he sends it to the Rich mans gate; The Rich man payes dear to translate it to the Scholler; He with his learning perswades it to the City; the Citizen will carry it himself to the Court; the Courtier hath no desire to bid it welcome, and therefore he poast∣eth it over to his Page; he like a wild Buck runs away, and leaves it to take hold of his Lord; the Lord had rather it should carry away his Lady, and the Lady would more willingly prefer her Maid, and so of all the rest, all refuse it, none will accept of it, every one puts it off to another.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Suidas. D••iog. Laert. in vita Thaletis.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &
• * 1.3

  M••rtis diem o••nes affutu∣rum 〈◊〉〈◊〉; ••um tamen o••nes aut pene o••nes differr•• conantur, &c. Aug. de gratia No. Test.