Cap. XVIII.
Æſop's Voyage to Delphos; his barbarous Uſage There, and his Death.
WHEN Æſop had allmoſt taken the Whole Tower of Greece, he went to Delphos, either for the Oracle ſake, or for the ſake of the Wiſe Men that Frequented the Place. But when he came thither, he found Matters to be quite otherwiſe then he expected, and ſo far from deſerving the Reputation they had in the World for Piety and Wiſdom, that he found them Proud, and Avaritious, and Hereupon Deliver'd his Opinion of Them under this Fable.
I find (ſays he) the Curioſity that brought me Hither, to be much the Caſe of People at the Sea ſide, that ſee ſomething come Hulling toward them a great way off at Sea, and take it at firſt to be ſome Mighty Matter, but upon Driving Nearer and Nearer the Shore, it proves at laſt to be only a heap of Weeds and Rubbiſh. See Fab. 189.
The Magiſtrates of the Place took Infinite Offence at this Liberty and preſently enter'd into a Conſpiracy againſt him to take away his Life, for fear he ſhould Give them the ſame Character elſewhere in his Travells, that he had done there upon the Place. It was not ſo Safe they thought, nor ſo Effectual a Revenge to make him away in private; but if they could ſo contrive it, as to bring him to a ſhamefull End, under a Form of Juſtice, it would better anſwer their Buſineſs and Deſign. To Which Purpoſe they cauſed a Golden Cup to be ſecretly convey'd into his Baggage, when he was packing up to Depart. He was no ſooner out of the Towne upon his Journy, But Immediately Purſued and taken upon the way by Officers, and Charged with Sacrilege. Æſop deny'd the Matter, and Laughed at them All for a Company of Mad Men; But upon the Searching of his Boxes, they took the Cup, and ſhew'd it to the People, Hurrying him away to Priſon in the Middle of his Defence. They brought him the Next Day into the Court, Where Notwithſtanding the Proof of his Innocence, as clear as the Day, he was Condemned to Dye; and his Sentence was to be Thrown Head-long from a Rock, Down a Deep Precipice. After his Doom was paſt, he Prevailed upon Them, with much ado to be heard a few Words, and ſo told them the Story of the Frog and the Moule, as it ſtands in the Fable.
