Colloquies of Erasmus, Volume I. by Desiderius Erasmus
page 253 of 655 (38%)
page 253 of 655 (38%)
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with a Viper, and here lies the _Dipsas_ Serpent upon the Catch, hid
under the Shell of an _Estridge_ Egg. Here you see the whole Policy of the Ant, which we are call'd upon to imitate by _Solomon_ and _Horace_. Here are _Indian_ Ants that carry Gold, and hoard it up. _Ti._ O good God! how is it possible for a Man to be weary of this Entertainment. _Eu._ And yet at some other Time you shall see I'll give you your Belly full of it. Now look before you at a Distance, there is a third Wall, where you have Lakes, Rivers, and Seas, and all Sorts of rare Fishes. This is the River _Nile_, in which you see the _Dolphin_, that natural Friend to Mankind, fighting with a _Crocodile_, Man's deadly Enemy. Upon the Banks and Shores you see several amphibious Creatures, as Crabs, Seals, Beavers. Here is a Polypus, a Catcher catch'd by an Oyster. _Ti._ What does he say? [Greek: airĂ´n airoumai]; _The Taker taken._ The Painter has made the Water wonderfully transparent. _Eu._ If he had not done so, we should have wanted other Eyes. Just by there's another Polypus playing upon the Face of the Sea like a little Cock-Boat; and there you see a Torpedo lying along upon the Sands, both of a Colour, you may touch them here with your Hand without any Danger. But we must go to something else, for these Things feed the Eye, but not the Belly. _Ti._ Have you any more to be seen then? _Eu._ You shall see what the Back-side affords us by and by. Here's an indifferent large Garden parted: The one a Kitchen Garden, that is my |
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