servant of _Minos_ gat his Mistris _Pasiphae_ with child, from whence the Infant was named _Minotaurus_. Now this unto the fabulosity of those times was thought sufficient to accuse _Pasiphae_ of Beastiality, or admitting conjunction with a Bull; and in succeeding ages gave a hint of depravity unto _Domitian_ to act the Fable into reality. In like manner, as _Diodorus_ plainly delivereth, the famous Fable of _Charon_ had its Nativity; who being no other but the common Ferry-man of _Egypt_, that wafted over the dead bodies from _Memphis_, was made by the _Greeks_ to be the Ferry-man of Hell, and solemn stories raised after of him. Lastly, we shall not need to enlarge, if that be true which grounded the generation of _Castor_ and _Helen_ out of an Egg, because they were born and brought up in an upper room, according unto the Word ὦον, which with the _Lacœdemonians_ had also that signification. Fifthly, We applaud many things delivered by the Ancients, which are in themselves but ordinary, and come short of our own Conceptions. Thus we usually extol, and our Orations cannot escape the sayings of the wise men of _Greece_. _Nosce teipsum_, of _Thales_: _Nosce tempus_, of _Pittacus_: _Nihil nimis_, of _Cleobulus_; which notwithstanding to speak indifferently, are but vulgar precepts in Morality, carrying with them nothing above the line, or beyond the extemporary sententiosity of common conceits with us. Thus we magnifie the Apothegms or reputed replies of Wisdom, whereof many are to be seen in _Laertius_, more in _Lycosthenes_, not a few in the second Book of _Macrobius_, in the salts of _Cicero_, _Augustus_, and the Comical wits of those times: in most whereof there is not much to admire, and are methinks exceeded, not only in the replies of wise men, but the passages of society, and urbanities of our times. And thus we extol their Adages, or Proverbs; and _Erasmus_ hath taken great pains to make collections of them, whereof notwithstanding, the greater part will, I believe, unto indifferent Judges be esteemd no extraordinaries: and may be parallel'd, if not exceeded, by those of more unlearned Nations, and many of our own. [Sidenote: _A pedantical vanity to quote Authors in matters of common sense or of familiar acknowledgement._]