What are become of the Charms of Musick, by which Men and Beasts, Fishes, Fowls, and Serpents, were frequently enchanted, and their very Natures changed; by which the Passions of Men were raised to the greatest Height and Violence, and then as suddenly appeased, so as they might be justly said to be turned into Lyons or Lambs, into Wolves or into Harts, by the Powers and Charms of this admirable Art? 'Tis agreed by the Learned, that the Science of Musick, so admired by the Ancients, is wholly lost in the World, and that what we have now is made up out of certain Notes that fell into the Fancy or Observation of a poor Friar, in chanting his Mattins. So as those two Divine Excellencies of Musick and Poetry are grown, in a Manner to be little more, but the one Fiddling, and the other Rhyming; and are indeed very worthy the Ignorance of the Friar, and the Barbarousness of the Goths that introduced them among us. What have we remaining of Magick, by which the Indians, the Chaldeans, the Egyptians were so renowned, and by which Effects so wonderful, and to common Men so astonishing, were produced, as made them have Recourse to Spirits or Supernatural Powers, for some Account of their strange Operations? By Magick, I mean some excelling Knowledge of Nature, and the various Powers and Qualities in its several Productions, and the Application of certain Agents to certain Patients, which by Force of some peculiar Qualities produce Effects very different from what fall under vulgar Observation or Comprehension. These are by ignorant People called Magick and Conjuring, and such like Terms and an Account of them, much about as wise, is given by the Common Learned from Sympathies, Antipathies, Idiosyncrasies, Talismans, and some Scraps or Terms left us by the Egyptians or Grecians of the Ancient Magick; but the Science seems with several others to be wholly lost. . . It may perhaps be further affirmed, in Favour of the Ancients, that the oldest Books we have are still in their Kind the best. The two most ancient, that I know of in Prose, among those we call Profane Authors, are Æsops Fables and Phalaris's Epistles, both living near the same time, which was that of Cyrus and Pythagoras. As the first has been agreed by all ages since, for the greatest Master in his Kind, and all others of that Sort have been but imitations of his Original; So I think the Epistles of Phalaris to have more Race, more Spirit, more Force of Wit and Genius than any others I have ever seen, either Ancient or Modern. I know several Learned Men (or that usually pass for such, under the Name of Criticks) have not esteemed them Genuine, and Politian with some others have attributed them to Lucian: But I think he must have little skill in Painting, that cannot find out this to be an original; such Diversity of Passions, upon such Variety of Actions and Passages of Life and Government, such Freedom of Thought, such Boldness of Expression, such Bounty to his Friends, such Scorn of his Enemies, such Honour of Learned Men, such Esteem of Good, such Knowledge of Life, such Contempt of Death, with such Fierceness of Nature and Cruelty of Revenge, could never be represented but by him that possessed them; and I esteem Lucian to have been no more capable of Writing, than of Acting what Phalaris did. In all one writ, you find the Scholar or the Sophist; and in all the other, the Tyrant and the Commander. THE FABLES OF LA FONTAINE. [JEAN DE LA FONTAINE, the noted French fabulist, was the son of a superintendent of woods and forests, and was born at Château-Thierry in Champagne, July 8, 1621. He left the College of Rheims at the age of nineteen to study for the ministry, but gave up that pursuit after two years. Invited to Paris by the Duchesse de Bouillon, he enjoyed the patronage of the Duchesse d'Orleans, Madame de Sablière, and Madame d'Hervart; and was on intimate terms with Molière, Boileau, Racine, and other contemporary celebrities. He became a member of the French Academy in 1683, but not without some opposition from Louis XIV., with whom he was never a favorite; and died at Paris, April 13, 1695. The "Fables," with which his name is chiefly associated, appeared between 1688 and 1694, the first six being inscribed to the Dauphin of France. His other writings consist of two volumes of "Contes" (tales), “The Love of Psyche and Cupid," and some unimportant comedies.] THE WOLF AND THE DOG. A PROWLING Wolf, whose shaggy skin Once met a mastiff dog astray. Sir Wolf, in famished plight, The wolf, by force of appetite, Accepts the terms outright, A galled spot on the mastiff's neck. "What's that?" he cries. "Oh, nothing but a speck." "Not always, sir; but what of that?" That has more charms than you? I've heard not of it. Cease, then, your envious complaint; Will take your boasted plumage from your back." THE LION GOING TO WAR. The lion had an enterprise in hand; Held a war council, sent his provost marshal, A monarch provident and wise THE STAG SEEING HIMSELF IN THE WATER. A stag admired the branching wood The branches of the copse; My legs are my disgrace." As thus he talked, a bloodhound gave him chase. Where forests thickest grew. What else, in such a strife, |