after Esop and in the moral of another, he goes so far as to mention (h) the order of monks, which did not subsist till near a thousand years after him. In the same manner, in the life of Esop, he makes him go to the court of Nectanebus in Egypt, whereas Nectanebus did not reign there till 200 years afterwards he carries him likewise to that of king Lycerus at Babylon, who never reigned there at all; and indeed is only a king of his own creation.

From all those fictions, mistakes, and absurdities, when considered together, it must sufficiently appear, that Planudes ought to be rejected, an an evidence of no credit at all; and I shall therefore, in the following account, lay him entirely aside: together with Philostratus' tale of. Mercury's visit to Esop, in the early part of his life, and those other legendary stories of his being engaged (i) in two battles, and writing two books, after he was dead.

To leave these wild and visionary writers for something more certain, it appears from authors of very good credit, that Esop flourished in the (k) time of the seven famous Sages of Greece: and notwithstanding almost A 3

(b) He also makes him ufe words and fentiments in the fcripture ftyle rather than the heathen. Bayle, Note K. 43(i) Meziriac's life of Efop, chap. 8.-Both mentioned by Bayle; Art. Ef. Notes C. and N.

(k) Laertius, in Chilo.

as many (1) countries might lay in their claim for him, as there were cities which contended for being the birth-place of Homer, he was most probably a native of Phrygia. Many authors affirm it, in general; and one in particular, says, that he was born in (m) Cotium a city of that province in the Lesser Asia.

Esop was probably of low parentage; for the whole that we hear of him in his youth is, that he was a (n) shepherd's boy, and afterwards a slave. His first master, in that capacity, was (0) Caresias of Athens. In that city he had a fair opportunity of learning the Grecian language in its perfection: and there also he might be led to the thought of writing Fables, from the mode of instruction then in fashion, which was by conveying

(7) Maximus Tyrius names Sardis in Lydia, for the birthplace of Efop. Diff. 20. And Phrygia. Diff. 33.-Julian, the island of Samos. Orat. 7. p. 207.-Suidas, the island of Samos, &c.The fcholiaft of Ariftophanes, and Heraclides (in Gronov. Thef. Gr. Tom. 6. p. 2897.) Mefembria, a city in Thrace. And befides several of the perfons before mentioned, Lucian, Phædrus, Aulus Gellius, and Stobæus, fpeak of him as a Phrygian. So that the weight of authority is much the most prevalent for his being born in Phrygia; and if the account of the proverb (mentioned p. x.) be true, that alone would make all other authorities quite unneceffary.

(m) Suidas.

(n)Philoftratus; in the life of Appolonius, Lib. 56. 5. (0) Meziriac, ch. 2. from Aphthonius. Bayle calls him Carafius, as from Meziriac.

it in moral sentences, or proverbs and a Fable (in Esop's manner) is nothing else but a story invented for that purpose. It is also said (and I think with very good reason) that Esop chose this method (p) because his station as a slave would otherwise have weakened his authority; which defect he was willing to supply by the strength and beauty of his allegories.

His next master after Caresias was (9) Xanthus; and his third, Idmon, (r) sirnamed the Wise, of the island of Samos. It was with the last, that he had the famous Rhodopis for his fellow slave, according to Herodotus and Plutarch; and according to Pliny (s) she

A 4

(p) Meziriac, ch. 3-probably from Phedrus Introd, to Lib. 3, ver. 33, to 38.

(7) Suidas.

(r) So Plutarch calls him; de ferâ numinis vindictà, p. 556, 557.-Herodotus calls him Jadmon, B. 2. c. 134.

() Minimam ex his, (the pyramids of Egypt,) fed laudatiffimam, a Rhodope meritricula factam, Æfopi, fabularum philofophi, conferva quondam, & contubernalis hæc fuit, Plin. L. 36. c. 12.

Contubernalis fignified of old the (wife, or) mate, of a flave-Qualicunque villico contubernalis mulier affignanda eft; quæ contineat eum, & in quibufdam rebus adjuvet. Columella, de Re Ruft. L. 1. c. S. Contubernalis mulier propriè dicitur fervi; nam uxoris nomen in liberâ tantum ponitur. Scævola, de fidei Com. Lib. Leg. Thais 45, S. 15. Contubernium propriè fervile connubium. Paul. Lb. Sent. 2. c. 10.

There is some reason to imagine they were a remarkably handsome couple: for as fhe is faid to have had her name from the beauty of her complexion, he seems to me tọ havehad his from the particular Iparkling of his eyes.

was his wife, or mate, during his servitude there. It was the same Rhodopis, who afterwards became so celebrated, and so extremely (t) rich. Idmon was so much pleased with the behaviour and wisdom of Esop, that after having been some time in his service, he gave him (u) his liberty.

Esop, after having obtained his freedom gradually acquired so great a reputation, that at length he was considered as equal to the most celebrated (w) of the seven Sages of Greece, his contemporaries: so that what Horace said of Stertinius, perhaps in his humorous way, (a) "That he was the eighth of the wise men," might be said of Esop very seriously; nay, there are some who very much prefer his manner of instruction to that of the philosophers just mentioned, (y) and give good reasons for their opinion. He

(t) She made a noble prefent to the temple at Delphi, from the tenth of her fubftance, according to Herodotus ; and Pliny fays the built one of the famous pyramids of Egypt. Nat. Hift. Lib. 36. c. 12. Herodotus fays, the pyramid afcribed to her was built long before her time; and that though fhe was very rich, fhe could not have been able to fuftain the immenfe charge of that building. B. 2. ch. 134, and 135.

(u) Meziriac, ch. 4. from the Scholiaft on Aristophanes Aves, Herodotus, and Plutarch. (w) Meziriac, Chap. 5.

(x) Hor. Lib. 2. fat. 3. 296.

(y) Efopus ille, e Phrygia fabulator, haud immerito fapicns exiftimatus eft: quum quæ utilia monitu fuafuque erant non severè, non imperiofè, præcepit & fenfuit, ut Phi

was well acquainted with those great men, particularly with Solon and Chilo. He was received with them in the court (%) of Periander, King of Corinth, who himself was one of the number; and in that of Croesus, King of Lydia, in his capital of Sardis. He was much beloved (a) by that prince; and it was in his court that Esop showed he had more wisdom, or at least more political wisdom, than all of them, on the following occasion: Croesus (b) after having shown these Sages the magnificence of his court, and the vastness of his riches, asked them, "Whom they thought the happiest man?" Some of them named one, and some another: Solon (whom I think without injury we may look upon as superior to all the rest) in his answer gave two instances. The first was that of one Tellus, a poor Athenian, but of great virtues; who had eminently distinguished himself by his care and education of his family, and at last lost his life in fighting for his country: the other was of two brothers, who had given a very remarkable proof of their A 5

lofophis mos eft; fed feftivos delectabilefque apologos comméntus, res falubriter ac profpicienter animadverfas, in mentes animofque hominum cum audiendi quâdam illecebrâ induxit. Aulus Gellius, Noctes Art. L. 2. c. 29.

(z) Sent thither by Crofus; Plutarch's Convivium Sapient.

(a) Suidas. Art. Efopas.

(6) Meziriac, ch. 5.-Plutarch in the life of Solon.