The mirror of fortune, or, The true characters of fate and destiny wherein is treated of the growth and fall of empires, the destruction of famous cities, the misfortunes of kings and other great men and the ill fate of virtuous and handsome ladies : whereunto is added Moral, politick, and natural reflection upon several subjects / written in French by Monsieur Chevreau : and newly translated into English by D. Decoisnon.

CHAP. II. Of Craetus King of Lidia, and Oeta King of Colcos.

SOme Men have been of opinion, that it was impossible for just Men to act without for∣tune, what prudence soever they made use of, as for Souldiers to fight without their Arms; and 'tis to this purpose, that Sir Francis Bacon saith, that Riches are the same to Vertue, as the Cariage is to an Army: to fit these words to my Discourse, and to make use of the same comparison; as the baggage often hin∣ders an Army from marching, and that the care Men take sometimes of it, is the loss of the Victory; so I affirm, that Riches do not always allow Vertue the power to act, and that in this case, a Mans ruine is caused ordinarily by his over-care of them; Solomon, to shew that they were not the matter it self, saith plainly, That they are as a Tower of defence, in the ima∣gination of the possessors of them; and if we ex∣amine them rightly, we shall find that they have filled Men with perturbations, whose heart they could not fill with content, and that they have caused the loss of more Men, than ever they have secured. If Craesus had not been so rich, he had doubtless been more hap∣py,

and his ambition and miseries had not been so lamented. This King of Lidia, considering the Mines of Gold which his Country was full of, fancied, that not wanting the sinews of War, so he could not want a good success, and proposed to himself the defeat of Cyrus, the Monarch of the Medes, of the Assians and Persians. But all the Nobility of Lydia was cut in pieces, at the first encounter: Craesus was forced to fly to Sardis, and to acknow∣ledge to his shame, that deliberations are in Mens power, but the advents in the power of fortune. Cyrus calling to mind that this King had assisted Balthazar, King of Babilon against him, and that he had been the first that had declared War against him, made a happy use of this Victory, and having Besieged him in Sardis, pressed him so hard, that Craesus found himself his Captive, almost at the same time that he was become his enemy: he was laid in a straight Prison laden with chains, his Son and him, was used like a Tirant, and spoiled of his Dignities and Kingdom. Cyrus vengeance went yet farther, apprehending that the Lydians, who he had made new Subjects, would make the Imprisonment of their King a pretext of Rebellion, and that's the reason that he sent one of his Souldiers, as Herodotus relates, to secure himself by the death of that King, of his possessions and hopes; the Souldier had no

sooner lifted up his Sword, to cut off Craesus Head, but his Son that never spoke before, cryed out, O Persian do not slay my Father, for he is King of Lydia; and so the Souldier for∣bore his blow, being surprised that the hor∣ror of his action had untyed the tongue of a dumb Man, and that love had done in him more then nature could. Cyrus taking this pro∣digie for an ill omen to himself, caused a great fire to be made, that he might see his enemy consumed before his face, and so commanded him to be thrown into it, to take away all sus∣pition of his ambition, when he should see his ashes; but by a Miracle no less admirable then the first, a showr of rain quenched all the flames, so that Craesus trod upon the coals with as little hurt, as if he had trod upon flow∣ers. Carion relates this history otherwise; he saith that Craesus cryed out, Solon, Solon, as soon as he saw that dreadful fire, and Cyrus hearing him, asked him why he did not rather call upon the gods for assistance, then upon a Philosopher. One day I shewed my Domi∣nions, and all my treasures, answered Craesus, to this Athenian, and asked him, if all his morals which taught him in what felicity consists, could find any that was greater and more ap∣parent then mine; but he answered me, that one could not judge the happiness of a Man, but after his death, and calling him to mind, I

acknowledge that that which flattered me, hath been my destruction, and that I ought to have trembled at that which I trusted in, and that I have my chief good in that which hath ruined me. Cyrus was so earnestly touched by those words, that he fearing such a disgrace might follow his prosperities, would not suffer him to dye by a death, which another might inflict upon himself; however, though he did not loose his life, yet he lost his riches; his sorrows neither restored to him his treasures, nor his Crown, and no other Companion ever since, but his resentment and his shadow; and fortune which preserved him from death, did not preserve him from servitude. Oetha King of Colcos, was as Craesus, the richest in his time, and hence the Poets affirmed, that the Golden Fleece was in his Island, and we shall find that it was the subject of his despair, as well as of his pride. Paul Arose writes, that Peleus, King of Peloponess, or Thesalia, as Bocass re∣lates having no Children, looked upon his Kinsman Jason, as his best and lawfullest Suc∣cessor, and set all his inclinations upon him, as this Man set all his upon Virtue. But as Sir Francis Bacon saith, that suspitions dispo∣seth Kings to Cruelty, Husbands to Jealousie, and the Discreetest to Inconstancy; those of Peleus, changed in length of time his good nature, and caused him to interpret so ill the

finest actions of Jason, that he became perswa∣ded, that it was by them he aspired to tyran∣ny. It would have been a small matter, if he alone had been troubled, for he might have dissipated those chimerals, of which he was the architect, and with as little trouble would have suppressed his enemies as fast, as he himself raised them. But his suspicions were helped on, by the policy of his flatterers; and because that those which are Created by a Mans self, are but like certain humming Bees, which sting not, and that those which are entertained by false accusations, have always their sting at the end, he found himself in such a deep inquietude, that he began to look up∣on his Nephew, as the enemy of his rest and his life. Nevertheless, because his fears should be perceived by him, he proposeth to him to go to Colcos, assured him, there was no dan∣ger, but he might overcome by his courage, and so represents his passage over the sea, so easy, that he doth not know which will be sweeter to him, the Tempest or the Calm. Ja∣son, whose blind ambition could not be mo∣derated, either by difficulties or by councel, giveth ear to his Uncle with joy, represents to himself the Golden Fleece, and looks up∣on it but as upon his own, and fancied that he had already vanquished them, which he was going to encounter. Peleus made use of this

young Prince's Credulousness, gave orders for his Equipage, and made him arms worthy of his great resolution and birth, and sent him away with all the Nobility of Greece. Though he dispaired of the enterprise, and thought to take his last farewell of him, yet Jason did not come short of his hopes, he overcame all obstacles that opposed his Forces, and both his Ships and his Glory found a passage where ever they came. When he was at Colcos, Me∣dea Oetas Daughter, had no sooner seen the pleasing countenance of this young Conque∣ror, but she was touched with it, her heart yielded at the first sight of that secret enemy of hers, and her reason was not strong enough to overcome all his graces; her caresses suc∣ceeded her passion; till he found himself ob∣liged to give her some returns of Love, she always strived to serve him, and to indear him, and to forget nothing that could perswade him that she loved him more then her own Fa∣ther, and that love was stronger in her then natural affections. Jason, to be certain of it, desired her to find out a way to betray the guards of her Fathers Treasures, assured her, that she should share with him in his good for∣tunes; he found her so inclined to his will, that she forgot all fears and respects, to show him, that she would be mindful of her promise. Neither did she betray Jasons hopes, but her

cruelty went so far, that she killed Oetas grand∣son Egralius, whose limbs she scattered in the way she thought he would pursue her, that so the care he should have of gathering them, might distract him from his pursuit, whilst she should avoid his punishment by her flight; in effect, the pity he took of the Child, stopped the vengeance he had prepared for the Mother, he took up with horror those bloody reliques, and thought that the justice of the gods, was too much offended with this unparalleld Mur∣ther, not to revenge the authors and the accom∣plices of it. It is certain, that Oetas resent∣ment was extreme sensible, and that Philoso∣phy afforded him no remedy for his grief; but if he was unhappy in his Children, he was no less in his own person; and never King at diversity of time was more Magestick, and more to be commiserated; his Neighbors find∣ing him harder put to it to maintain his ground then to pursue them; executed with facility, that which before they had undertaken but with shame; took away from him all hopes, spoiled him of his Kingdom, and forced him to lead a life, which could no otherwise be tearmed, but a long death. Therefore it is not without reason, that Pausanias in Philostratas speaks of Fortune, which held Pluto the god of Riches in her arms, to shew us, that those that possess them, are Subjects to her, and

to put us in mind, that we should not make any other use of them, than Rabirius Posthu∣mus, which Cicero praiseth so worthily, as having not pursued them as a prey to his ava∣rice, but as an instrument to his vertue and goodness.