The great CONJUNCTION, OR, Parlement of STARS.

VPon a time, the Stars complained to Apollo, that he dis­played his beames too much upon some malignant Planets; That the Moone had too great a share of his influence, and that he was carryed away too much by her motion: They complained also, that the constellation of Li­bra (which holds the ballance of Justice) had but a dim light, and that the Astrean Court was grown altogether destructive, with divers other grievances. Apollo hereupon, commanded Mercury to summon a generall Synod, where some out of every Asterisme throughout the whole Firmament were to meet; Apollo told them, I am placed here by the finger of the Almighty, to be Monarch of the Skie, to be the Measurer of Time, and I goe upon his errand round about the world every foure and tweny houres: I am also the Fountaine of Heate and Light, which, though I use to dispence and diffuse in equall proportions throughout the whole Uni­verse; yet there is difference 'twixt objects: a Castle hath more of my light then a Cottage, and the Cedar hath more of me then the Shrub: But touching the Moon, (the second great Luminary) I would have you know, that she is dearest unto mee, therefore let none repine that I cherish her with my beames, and confer more light on her then any other. Touching the malignant Planets, or any other Star, of what magnitude soever, that moves not in a re­gular motion, or hath run any excentrique exorbitant course, or that would have made me to move out of the Zodiak, I put them over unto you, that upon due examination and proof, they may be unspher'd or extinguished. But I would have this done with mo­deration; I would have you to keep as neer as you can betweene the Tropiques and temperate Zones: I would have things reduced [Page 6] to their true Principles, reformed, not ruin'd; I would have the spirit of malice and lying, the spirit of partiality and injustice, the spirit of tyranny and rigour, the base spirit of feare and jea­lousie to be farre from this glorious Syderean Synod; I would have all private interests reflecting upon revenge or profit, to be utterly banished hence: Moreover, I would not have you to make grievances, where no grievances are, or dangers, where no dangers are; I would have no creation of dangers; I would have you to husband time as parsimoniously as you can, lest by keep­ing too long together, and amusing the world with such tedious hopes of redresse of grievances, you prove your selfe the greatest grievance at last, and so from Starres, become Comets: Lastly, I would have you be cautious how you tamper with my Sove­raigne power, and chop Logicke with mee in that point; you know what became of Him, who once presumed to meddle with my Chariot. Hereupon the whole Host of Heaven being con­stellated thus into one great Body, fell into a serious deliberation of things; and Apollo himselfe continued his presence, and sate amongst them in his full lustre, but in the meane time, whilest they were in the midst of their consultations, many odde Aspects, Oppositions, and Conjunctions hapned betweene them: for some of the Sporades, but specially those mongrel small vulgar stars, which make up the Galaxia (the milkie way in Heaven) gather in a tu­multuous disorderly manner about the body of Apollo, and com­mit many strange insolencies, which caused Apollo (taking young The Prince Phosphorous the Morning-Star with him) to retire himselfe, and in a just indignation to withdraw his Light from the Synod: so all began to be involv'd in a strange kind of confusion and obscurity; they groaped in the dark, not knowing which way to move, or what course to take, all things went Cancer-like retrograde, be­cause the Sunne detained his beames and irradiations from them.

[...] OR, The Great Councell of BIRDS.

UPon a time the Birds met in Councell, for redresse of some extravagancies that had flowne unto the volatill Empire; Nor was it the first time that Birds met thus; for the Phrygian Fabler tells us of divers meetings of theirs: And after him we read that Apollonius Thyaneus, undertook the inter­pretation of their language, and to be their Drogoman.

They thus assembled in one great Covie by the call of the Eagle their unquestioned hereditary King, and by vertue of his Royall Authority, complaints were brought, that divers Cormorants and Harpies, with other Birds of prey, had got in amongst them, who did much annoy and invade the publique liberty: sundry other Birds were questioned, which caused some to take a timely flight Finch, &c into another ayre.

As they were thus consulting for advancement of the com­mon Mechanick Mariners. good, many Rooks, Horne-Owles and Sea-Gulls flock'd toge­ther, and fluttered about the place they were assembled in, where they kept a hideous noyse, and committed many outrages, and nothing could satisfie them, but the Griffons head, which was therefore chopt off, and offered up as a sacrifice to make them E. Straff. leave their chattering, and to appease their fury for the time.

They fell foule afterwards upon the Pies, who were used to be Bishops. much reverenced, and to sit upon the highest pearch in that great Assembly: they called them Idolatrous and inauspitious Birds, they hated their mixt colour, repined at their long traine, they tore their white feathers, and were ready to peck out their very eyes: they did what they could to put them in Owles feathers (as the poore Sheep was in the Woolfs skin) to make them the more hated, and to be star'd and hooted at wheresoever they passed. The Pies being thus scar'd, presented a Petition to the royall Eagle, and to this his great Counsell, that they might be secured to re­paire safely thither to sit and consult, according to the ancient [Page 8] Lawes of the Volatill Empire continued so many ages without controllment or question: in which Petition they inserted a Pro­test or Caveat, that no publique act should passe in the interim. This Supplication, both for matter and form, was excepted a­gainst, and cryed up to be high Treason, specially that indefinite Protest they had made, that no Act whatsoever should be of any validity without them, which was alledged to derogate from the High Law-making power of that great Counsell, and rended to retard and disturb the great Affairs which were then in agitati­on: so the poore Pies, as if by that Petition they had like the Black-bird voyded Lime to catch themselves, for Turdus cacat sibi malum, were suddenly hurried away into a Cage, and after ten long Moneths canvassing of the point, they were unpearch'd, and rendred for ever uncapable to be members of that Court, they were struck dumb and voice-lesse, and suddenly blowne up away thence, though without any force of powder, as once was plotted against them. But this was done when a thin number of the ad­verse Birds had kept still together, and stuck close against them, and after that the Bill concerning them had been once ejected, which they humbly conceived by the ancient order of that Court could not be re-admitted in the same Session. They peti­tioned from the place they were cooped in, that for heavens sake, for the honour of that noble Counsell, for Truth and Justice sake, they being as free-born Denisons of the ayrie Region, as any other Volatills whatsoever, their charge might be perfected, that so they might be brought to a legall triall and not forced to languish in such captivitie. They pleaded to have done nothing but what they had precedents for: And touching the Caveat they had inserted, it was a thing usuall in every inferiour Court of Ju­dicature, and had they forborn to have done it, they had [...] their own nest, and done wrong to their successors. It was affirmed they had been members of that Body politique, long before those lower pearch'd Birds, who now would cast them out; and that they had been their best friends to introduce them to have any thing to doe in that generall Counsell: they prayed they might not be so cruelly used, as the Solan goose, and Redshanke had used them, Scot. [Page 9] who were not content to braile and clip their wings onely, but to seare them so, that they should never grow again; to handle them so unmercifully, was not the way to make their adversaries Birds of Paradice: In fine, they advised them to remember what the sick Kite's mother answered him, when he desired her to pray to the gods for him, How canst thou, said she, expect any good from the gods, whose Temples thou hast so violated? At last, upon the importuni­ty and pitifulnesse of their Petitions, the accusation of Treason, which kept such a noyse at first, being declined against them, they were released in the morning, but cooped up again before night: and after the revolution of foure full Moones, they were restored again to a conditionall liberty, under which they remaine till this day.

There wants not some, who affirm, that in that great Counsell of Birds, there were some Decoyes (and 'tis well known where De­coyes Holland. were first bred) who called in, not onely these mongrill ob­streperous Birds from abroad to commit such outrages as were spoken of before, but drew after them also many of the greatest Birds, who sate in that Assembly, to follow them whither they listed: Others, who were of a more generous extraction, disdained to be such Buzzards, as to be carried away hood-wincked in that manner, to be Birds of their feather. Thus a visible faction was hatched in this great Counsell, as if the said Decoyes had disgor­ged and let fall some graines of Hemlock seeds amongst them to distemper their braines. Or, as if some Spinturnix, that fatall in­cendiary Bird, or some ill-boding Scritch-Owle, which as stories tell us appeared once at Rome, in a famous, though unfortunate great Councell (when there was a schisme in the Popedome) had appeared likewise here. There wanted not also amongst them some Amphibious Birds, as the Barnacle, which is neither Fish nor Fowle; and the cunning Batt, who sometimes professeth himself a Bird, sometimes a Mouse. I will not say there were any Paphla­gonian Birds amongst them, who are known to have double hearts: But 'tis certaine, that in this confusion there were some malevo­lent Birds, and many of them so young, that they were scarce fledg'd, who like the Waspe in the Fable, conspired to fire the [Page 10] Eagles nest, (and a Waspe may sometimes doe mischiefe to an Eagle, as a Mouse to an Elephant.) Moreover, some of these light brained Birds flew so high, that they seemed to arrogate to them­selves, and exercise royall power, but foolishly; for we know what became of the Crow upon the Ram's back, when she thought to imitate the Eagle: And it was observed that they were most eager to attempt those high insolences against Jove's Bird, who had been stark naked, and as bare as Cootes, unlesse he had feathered them; so that the little Ant was more gratefull to Esops Bird, then those Birds were to the Eagle, their liege Lord. But the high-borne Bird with the two golden wings, the noble Faulcons, the Martlets, M. Hert. the Ravens, the Swan, the Chough, and all the ancient Birds of the E. South. E. Westm. mountains remained faithfull and firme to the Eagle, and scorned E. Worce. to be carried away by such Decoyes; As also the generous Ostri­ches, E. Dover. Wales. who unlesse they had had an extraordinary stomach, could Digbies. not have digested such yron pills as were offered them. Amongst other great Birds which banded against the Eagle, the flying Dra­gons, E. Pemb. green and white, were busy, specially the white; And for the E. Warw. Green, considering he was an ancient bird of the Mountains, and that his Progenitors had been so renowned for their rare loyalty to the Crown, every one wondred that he should be drawn so far by the foresayed Decoyes, as to be the first of his race that should clap his wings against his Soveraign Liege Lord.

The foresaid destractions continued still, and increased more and more in that generall convolation of Birds; therefore the Turtle would stay there no longer, there was so much gall a­mongst them: the Pelican flew away, he saw Piety so vilified; the Dove was weary of their company, she found no simplicity and plain dealing amongst them: And the Kings-Fisher, the Halcyon, (the Embleme of Peace) quite forsook them, he found so much Arondelle. jarring, dissentions, and bandings on all sides; the Swallow also, who had so ancient and honourable a ranke amongst them, got into another ayre, he fore-saw the weather was like to be so foul: Her Majesty And lastly, Philomela, the Queen of Volatills, who was partner of the Eagle's nest, abandoned them quite, and put a Sea 'twixt her and them; nay, the Eagle himself withdrew his royall presence [Page 11] from them; so the Decoyes afore-said carried all before them, and comported themselves by their Orders in that hight, as if like the Lapwing, every one had a Crowne on his head; they so inchanted in a manner, all the common sort of Oppidan, rurall, and Sea-birds, and infused such a credulity into them, that they believed them to have an inerring spirit, and what came from them, was as true as the Pentateuch: Moreover, it was shrewdly suspected, that there was a pernicious plot amongst them to let in the Stork, who is never seen to stay long in any Monarchie.

[...], The gathering together, or Parlement of FLOWERS.

UPon a time, The Flowers assembled, and met in one gene­rall Counsell, by the authority and summons of the So­veraign Rose, their undoubted naturall King, who had ta­ken the Lilly for his royall spouse. The dew of Heaven fell plen­tifully upon this happy conjunction, which made them to Bour­geon, to propagate and prosper exceedingly, in so much, that the sweet fragrant odor which they did cast, diffused it self over all the earth. To this meeting came the Violet, the Gilliflower, Rose­mary, the Tulyp, Lavender and Thyme, the Cinquefoyle (though of M. Ham. a forren growth) had an honourable ranke amongst them, and as some observed got too much credit with the royall Rose. The Flowers of the field were admitted also to this great Counsell; the Couslip, the Honysuckle and Daisie had their Delegates there pre­sent, to consult of a Reformation of certain abuses which had ta­ken rooting in the Common wealth of Flowers, and being all un­der [Page 12] the Rose, they had priviledge to speak all things with free­dome; Complaints were made that much Cockle and Darnell, with other noxious Herbs and Tares were crept in amongst them, that the Poppie did pullulat too much, with divers other grievan­ces. The successe of this Senat, this great Bed or Posie of living Flowers, was like to prove very prosperous, but that the herb Bri­ony, Wormwood, Wolfebane, Rue, and Melampod (the emblems of Sedition, Malice, Feare, Ambition and Iealousie) thrust in a­mongst them, and much distempered their proceedings: These brought in with them the Burr, which exceedingly retarded and intangled all businesses; and it was thought, that the Thistle was cot. too meddling amongst them, which made matters grow to that acrimony and confusion, as if the herb Morsus diaboli had got in a­mongst them. Amongst many other good-morrowes, they pro­pounded to the Rose, that he should part with his prickles, and transmit his strength that way to be disposed of by them; the Rose liked not this bold request of theirs, though couched in very smooth language, but answered, I have hitherto condescended to every thing you have propounded, much more then any of my Predecessors ever did; but touching these prickles, which God and nature hath given mee, and are inherent in me and my stock from the beginning, though they be but excressencies, yet you know they fortifie and arme me, Armat Spina Rosam, And by them I protect you and your rights from violence, and what protection I pray can there be without strength? therefore I will by no means part with them to enfeeble my regall Power, but will retain them still, and bequeath them to my Posterity, which I would be loth to betray in this point; nor doe I much value what that silly in­sected Animal, the King of Bees tells me sometimes, when hum­ming up and down my leaves, he would buzze this fond belief in­to me, how it added much to his Majestie, that nature gives him no sting, as all other Bees have because he should rely altogether upon the love and loyalty of his subjects. No; I will take warning by the Eagle, the King of Volatills, and by the Lyon, King of Qua­drupedals, who (as the Prince of Moralists reports) when by fayre Plut. insinuations the one had parted with his tallons, the other with [Page 13] his teeth and ongles, wherein their might, and consequently their Majesty consisted, grew afterwards contemptible to all creatures, and quite lost that naturall alleaigeance and awe which was due unto the one from all birds, and to the other, from all beasts of field and forest.

The Assembly of Architects

THere was an ancient goodly Palace, composed of divers pie­ces, and partition'd into sundry Chambers, Halls and Courts which were supported by mixt Pillars, partly Corinthian, partly Ionique, but principally by the Dorique, the King of Columnes, having the firmest Pedestall: Some tooke exceptions, and alledged, that some of the said Courts were too high, and some of the Cham­bers in this Structure were too wide. The Lord of this Palace call'd together the best Masons and Architects, to advise with him (not without him) for mending of those faults, the better contrivance of the roomes, and to reduce the Building to a just proportion. They solemnely met, and falling to consultation hereof, they found that the Chamber which was spangled with Stars, and where his private Councell of State did use to sit, were too wide; they thought that the Court erected on the North side, and that learned Court where Ecclesiasticall matters were scanned, was too high; These, with that peculiar Court which was erected for the support of Honour, they went about in lieu of rectifying, to ruinate and raze to the very ground; and some of these Masons (for indeed they were rather Masons then true Architects) were so precise and over criticall, that they seem'd to find fault with the position of the Chappell that belong'd to this Palace, because, for­sooth it stood East and West, which situation, only in regard it was ancient, they held to be a superstitious posture; They seem'd to re­pine [Page 14] at the decencie, riches and ornaments of it▪ with divers other frivolous exceptions. The Lord of the Palace said little to that, but touching the errors and disproportions in the foresaid Courts and Chambers, he was very willing they should be amended, and reduced to a true dimension and symmetrie; and that all other roomes should be searched, and swept cleane: but hee would be loth to see those ancient pieces quite demolish'd, for that would hazard the fall of the maine Fabrique, his princely hereditary pa­trimony (descended upon him from so many wise Oeconomists and royall Progenitors) in regard of the juncture and contignation those parts had with the whole frame. To mend a thing by demolishing it, is as curing a sicke body by knocking him in the head: he told them it was easier far to pull downe, then build up; one may batter to pieces in one houre, that which cannot be built in age: That everlasting Villaine, who burnt the Ephesian Temple, destroyed, as it were in a trice, what was a rearing up ten long Olympiads: He wish'd them further to be very cautious how they meddled with the Angulars and Basis of that royall Structure; for so they might prove as wise as those Architects, who tooke out some of the foundation stones, to repaire the roofe. Last­ly, he told them, that if they intended to pull downe any part of his now standing Palace, they should be well advised before hand of the fashion whereof those new pieces should be, which they purposed to reare up in the roome of the old.

The Insurrection of the Winds.

IT fortuned, that the Winds banded against Eolus: And Boreas (the North-wind) began to bluster first, and would blow where [Page 15] he listed, he grew so boisterous, that as he is call'd Scopa viarum, the high-way Beesome, he seem'd to sweep all before him Southward, insomuch, that uniting all his strength into one body, hee made towards Eolus in a hostile armed manner, and so obtained of him what he desired. After his example (and an odde example it was) the West-wind, his fellow subject rose up, alledging, that though he blew from the left-side of Heaven, yet hee deserved to be as much favoured as Boreas. In regard he drove a far richer trade, and blew upon a more fertile Countrey, which brought in much more benefit to the rest of Eolus his Dominions; therefore hee would have his liberties also assur'd him, which hee pretended were as ancient as the others: And he puft with such an impetu­ous violence, that his blasts brought with them (God wot) divers showres of blood, and whole Cataracts of calamities▪ And as it is observed in the course of Naturall things, that one mischiefe sel­dome marcheth alone, but ushers in another, and hath alwayes its concomitants, so these North and Western gusts, as one wave useth to drive on another, made all the winds in the compasse, both co­laterall and cardinall, to rise up and rebell against Eolus, even under that very Clime, and in those Horizons, where he kept his prin­cipall residence and royall Court. And this popular wind (for 'twas no other, take it all joyntly in one puffe) did rage with that vehemencie, that it turn'd every where into fearefull flames of fire, (issuing out of a kind of Ignis fatuus, which by its reper­cussions, and furious arietations, did a world of mischiefe, as if it had been that incendiary Prester wind, or rather an Haraucana, that Indian gust, which alwayes brings the Divell along with it (as those Savages believe) had blowne here, For, surely God was not in this wind. Yet some were so simple, to thinke that this wind proceeded from divine inspirations; nay, they came to that height of prophanenesse, as to father it upon the Holy Ghost, though no­thing could be more different to his sweet motions, nothing so directly opposite to his soft gentle breeses and eventilations; for no holy consecrated thing could stand before this Diabolicall wind, downe went all Crosses it met withall; it batter'd downe Church and Chappell windowes (and I feare the walls and steeples [Page 16] will next to wracke) It was so violent, that it overturn'd all stone Tables that stood Eastward; it blew away all the decent Vests and Ornaments of the Church; the Bishops Mitre▪ (an order con­temporary with Christianity it selfe) did quake like an Aspen leafe before it; nay, it shrewdly shooke the very Imperiall Scep­ter, and Crowne which stood on Eolus his head, so that he was like to become Ludibrium Ventorum. But the highest Deity of heaven, He who walketh upon the wings of the wind, and makes weight for them, and gathereth them in his fist when he pleaseth, hating such an odi­ous rebellion, rebuked these tumultuous winds, he caused a conta­gious ayre, to rush in and mingle with them, and infect them with new diseases; besides whispers of jealousies, doubts and diffidence blew and buzz'd more and more amongst them, so that they could not trust one another, insomuch, that it made them to fall into confusion amongst themselves, which is the common fate of all rebellions. So Eolus recovered his Monarchy, and as they say, there is no wind but blowes some body good; so this turn'd much to the advantage of Eolus, for he grew ever after more firme and bet­ter establish'd in his regall power, because hee put a competent guard in those Climes whence all these boistrous winds burst forth, and so secur'd himselfe ever after, that they could not blow where they listed.

Rebellion suppress'd, makes the Prince the stronger: And so you have the Princi­pall Morall all of this Parable in briefe.