Theophrastus; In the entertainments we make together, or rather
those you give me, I am only to say Grace,
Tantum laudare paratus.
To tell you truely what Nations were the first introducers of
Polygamy, I professe I am not able, nor do I trouble my self
about it,
Tros, Rutulusve fuit, nullo discrimine habebo.
However it be, I shall give you more credit then H••rodotus,
who says that in the Indies, there are a sort of Ants, lesse then
Doggs, but somewhat bigger then Foxes; this is the Text, at least
of the book which I have: But I know not whether my Herodotus
be the same with yours.
But to the purpose; you have put me into a great disorder about
Theocritus, with whom I was the best satisfy'd in the World. But
to return to the other of whom we spoke of, tell me what he means
when he says that Venus sent the Women's difease among the Scy∣thians,
who had profan'd her Temple at Ascalon.
Your verse of Athenaeus, that Wine is the great Horse of the
Poets, is very pleasant: but, be ingenuous, did you not endeavour
to make it an Alexandrian Verse? 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 I am
pleas'd with, and alludes very fortunately to the French Phrase, to
baek the great Horse, as you have ingeniously observed. But that
great Horse often casts his Rider, and it may be said of him, that
he bites and kicks.
For the Edentulum of Plautus, I concur with you, that his
meaning is not, that it doth not bite, for it were a fault, but that
it is a facetious manner of speaking, to expresse it's age, that is, it's
perfection.
What would you have me to do with Ulpian, who calls the
Christians Impostors, idem Trebatio & Papiniano videbatur.
We may be overthrown by the Digests, but the Code is much of
our side.
The Sentence out of Pliny I like well, rerum naturae nas∣quam,
&c. When I saw the Elephant, I said, that he seem'd a Crea∣ture
rudely cast by Nature, and that there was greater artifice in
a fly.
But it's well remembred; I think I shall take a great journey,
the King hath bestow'd on me that of Florence, to acquaint the
great Duke with the news of the Queen's lying in. This must
needs be advantageous to me, and in some sort, pleasant; but I