ΔΕΝΔΡΟΛΟΓΙΑ. DODONA'S GROVE, OR, THE VOCAL FOREST.  
By I. H. ESQr.  
By T.B. for H. Mosley at the Prince's Arms in St Paul's Churchyard. 1640   

To the Common Reader.  
OPinion, is that high and mighty Dame,  
Which rules the World, and in the Mind doth frame  
Distaste or liking; for in humane race,  
She makes the fancy various as the face.  
Sometimes the Father differs from the Son,  
As doth the Gospel from the Alcharon!  
Or Loyola from Calvin, which two brands,  
In strange Combustions hurl fair Europe's Lands:  
So that amongst such Atoms of mankind,  
You scarce can two encounter of one mind.  
This makes my Trees all Aspen, 'cause they must  
Lie open to every Wind, and vulgar gust:  
Yet much they fear not any Critics knocks,  
Unless they chance to stumble amongst the blocks.  
— Ex quovis stipite non fit Mercurius.   

To the Critical READER.  
IF Satyrs here you find, think it not strange,  
'Tis proper Satyrs in the Woods should range;  
And for free speech, why may not Verse or Prose  
Sat under Trees as safely, as the Rose?  
Yet here is nothing, though a Grand Inquest  
You should empanel, but may bide the Test:  
For petty juries, let the Reader know,  
Composures of this kind stoop not so low.   

To the rarely accomplished, and worthy of best employment, Master HOWEL, upon his Vocal FOREST.  
Believe it, Sir, you happily have hit  
Upon a curious Fancy, of such wit,  
That far transcends the vulgar; for each Line,  
Me thinks, breathes BARCLAY, or a BOCCOLINE.  
I know you might (none better) make the Vine,  
The Olive, Ivy, Mulberry, and Pine,  
With others, their own Dialects expose,  
But you have taught them all rich English Prose.  
I end and envy, but must justly say,  
Who makes Trees speak so well, deserves the Bay.  
Henry Wotton.   

On the Vocal Forest, to I. H. Esq.  
COme THEOPHRASTUS, and resign thy Pen,  
Thy Trees are taught to speak, theyare grown to Men:  
Men were transformed to Trees, and some are still  
Mere Blocks; but MERCURY now proves his skill,  
And charms the Grove; the wagging leaves first mutter,  
At'he change, and straight State-Language they do utter.  
The pleasant Arbour gently whispers This,  
Trees have their Keys, as well as ARGENIS.  
Hedges have ears, the rural Proverb says,  
Court-Proverb tells, th'ave tongues, and tongues of Bays.  
'Twas JOTHANS' style, to wrap in tongues of Trees,  
As sacred Rolls report, State-Mysteries.  
No Poplar here, no Medlar succour findeth,  
True-heart of Oak, the loyal Author mindeth▪  
Spring stately Grove, be thousand Winters green,  
And in thy Rind be names of Princes seen:  
Though VULCAN Iron-marks, our Forests bear,  
Nor Axe, nor Fire APOLLO'S Grove doth fear.  
T. P. S. T. D.   

DODONA'S GROVE. OR, THE VOCAL FOREST.  
IT fortuned not long since, that Trees did speak, and locally move, and meet one another; Their airy whistlings, and soft hollow whispers became Articulate sounds, mutually intelligible, as if to the soul of vegetation, the sensitive faculties and powers of the intellect also, had been co-infused into them: They travelled to strange Countries, crossed Seas, made peace and war, alliances and leagues, assumed names and Characters of distinction, and discharged all the functions of Rational creatures.  
In the sacred Oracles we read of one that discerned men to walk like Trees, but here clean contrary, you shall see Trees walk like men. We read also there of a mighty Monarch, that was meant by a Tree; And it is no new Character of man, that, He is a Tree reversed.  
The great Sicilian Antiquary leaveth upon record, that in the nonage of the world, men's voices were indistinct and confused; And sojourning chiefly in Woods, by a kind of assimilation and frequent impressions in the ear, they resembled those soft susurrations of the Trees wherewith they conversd; until Time, (which ripeneth) and Art which perfecteth all things, & hath a greater interest in speech then Nature herself, did distinguish these misshapen sounds into syllables, and so by degrees into language.  
At that time, when this parley of Trees begun, I myself was but a little, little Plant newly sprung up above ground; And passing through the terrible Birch to Boetia, where I took in my best Sap, and came by degrees to a consistent growth (which was not very high, in so much that some think I was set in the wane of the Moon) I was transplanted from Boetia to Tamisond, And thence as my Genius strongly led me, I often crossed the Seas, and ranged up and down through most of the Forests of the lower world; And as I passed along, I observed the motions, and studied the properties of sundry sorts of Trees, as well foreign, as home sprung, and of them I intent to relate some passages; In the narration whereof I will endeavour to go between the Bark and the Tree, as near as possibly I can with safety, to sift out, and set down the truth of things, for the prime virtue of story is verity.  
Wherefore I hope to obtain a candid construction of this rough hewn, ill timbered discourse, and that the Reader will be pleased as he shall pass along through these woods, to afford me sometimes his second thoughts, and observe also the constant vein of impartiality, which runs through the whole work, which he shall find to be such, that it will infranchise his judgement everywhere: And such, I know will dispense with my errors and slips, for it is very hard but one passing through so many Forests as I intent, may meet with some stumbling blocks in his way.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.— Sacra Jovi Quercus. A Character of DRVINA.  
THere is a goodly Forest, Druina by name, anciently called the White Forest, wherein the royal Oak rules in chief, and with such a latitude of power, that He stretcheth forth his branches to the Sea, and his boughs unto the great Rivers. It was ordained by Heaven, that She should be principally protected by Neptune, who with a flying guard of brave winged Coursers doth engarrison her so strongly, that, lying safe in his bosom, she may be said to be — Media insuperabilis Vnda. She being endowed with those two properties which that great Register of nature's secrets requires in an invincible Country, viz. A secure and easy going out for the Native, and a doubtful hard coming in for the stranger; which made the Caerulean God so indulgent of his Druina, and to repose in her such a rare confidence, that besides the cluster of Diadems which begird her high fronded forehead by land, he transmitted to her long since his very Trident, making her Impress, yea, Empress of the Sea, and that in so high a degree of Sovereignty, that in her own waves, he gave her an Exclusive propriety; in so much that the utmost extent of her desmenes royal, are adjudged, by some great Clerks, to be the shores of the neighbouring Forests.  
Whereby she is grown so famous through all the inhabited earth, and formidable to the next adjacent regions, that maugre all their menaces, pretensions, and practices, she gives them the law upon salt water; which makes her a terror to her foes, a shelter to her friends, and security to her neighbours; But above all, she hath thereby a constant strength to defend herself: And self defence hath been always held the first maxim of policy.  
Much more might be spoken in honour of Druina, which I suspend, until I have made you acquainted with some of her neighbouring Forests, because I am to make often transcursions into them as I pass along; And first of her next opposite neighbour Ampelona, where the Majestic Vine doth monarchize in the highest degree of Sovereignty.   

A CHARACTER OF AMPELONA.  
Road Caper vitem; tamen hic, cum stabis ad arras,  
In tua quod fundi cornua possit, erit.  
ANd now I am upon a piece of the Continent and one of nature's best pieces, one of her chiefest Granaries and Winecellars; a square of 550. miles' travers, take the diameter where you will, thronging with such multitudes of sappy and spriteful plants, that the general calcule which was made in the last perambulation exceeded eight millions; a rare soil that in no larger a circumference, can give radical moisture to such a number without borrowing of any; Corn, Wine, and Salt, her three rich staples do so abound in her, that she seasoneth, and keeps from starving very many of her neighbours, but specially the Forest of the South, which otherwise would perish for the staff of life.  
There is no Region on Earth so daintily watered, with such great navigable Rivers, whereof some are said to be paved with Trout, bordered with crevices, and embroidered with Swans; And upon these multitudes of brave Cities stand, and all her great ones stand so; but amongst them the midland towns are most flourishing and abounding in wealth, which shows that her riches are intern and domestic; For as it is the mark of a good housewife to be more Vendax, then Emax, rather a seller then Buyer, so is it of a good Country; And such a one is Ampelona, which sends forth far more, than she fetcheth in. The Warlike Vine swayeth here in the most absolute form of supremacy that may be, for He not only makes Peace and War, summons and dissolves general meetings, pardoneth, naturallizeth, ennobleth, stamps, and layeth value upon coins, but also enacts laws, executes justice, and layeth impositions at pleasure; and He may thank Druina for this boundless power, for when she by the strength of her horned Yew had field down a great number of the strongest Trees that were in Ampelona, and made such firm invasions into her very bowels, that there could be no universal assembly, the necessity of the times cast the power of the three estates upon the Vine himself, that his mandates should stand for laws, whereby he laid what taxes, and made what levies he pleased; His successors made virtue of this necessity, which though temporary at first, continueth ever since; For sovereignty where she gets an inch, sticks not sometimes to stretch it to an ell. But that which made it more passable was, that the burden lighted chiefly upon the poor coppices and Vnderwoods'; so that ever since, the Vine himself with the taller sorts of Trees, specially the holy Yews (who engross more than all the rest, and are thought by computation to have the third part of the Forest,) suck all the sap, and leave the poor shrubs to dry up, fade away, and wither; and when they have got any moisture, they serve but as sponges for others: Out of which disproportion ariseth this inconvenience, that they become pusillanimous, and almost useless for military services, being so often peeled, that they never come to be perfect and firm timber.  
It is always a mixed government 'twixt Peace and War, which finds perpetual employment for many of her stirring spirits, having the advantage thereby to be furnished upon all occasions with experienced martial instruments; for Ampelona having open frontiers contiguous every where with some Alien, She cannot join Peace and security together, nor fetch a sound sleep, but Hercules-like with club in hand. She is the greatest one knot of strength in the Western world, and for the situation fittest to disjoin or unite her neighbour's forces, and consequently to be Arbitratrix and compoundress of any quarrel that may intervene: And never, since she wore the Imperial diadem, was Ampelona so potent, nor then, so well knit and compacted as now she is; so that it is held a maxim, If Ampelona combat not herself, she is invincible; And this she hath too often done, turning the sword of civil broils into her own bowels, so far that the bell hath often told, but never yet rung quite out for her liberty, which was thought not long since to be upon point of expiring; and no wonder, sheabounds so with quick sets and wildings, and a world of boiling volatile spirits, impatient of peace any longer than they are recovering the ruins of war; present danger magnanimats them, and inflames their courage, but expectation makes it languish; so that the Forest of the South (which is ever emulous of Ampelona) compareth their valour to a squib, or fire of flax, which burns and crackles for the time, but suddenly extinguisheth; Indeed fury when the first blast is spent turns commonly to fear, and they that are possessed therewith may be said to be like the month of March, which entereth like a Lion, but goeth out like a Lamb.  
Ampelona is one of the chiefest climes of compliment and courtship under heaven, which puts so large a distance 'twixt the tongue and the heart, that they are seldom relatists. Most of her Plants have the Heliotropian quality of the Marigold and Tulip, who follow the motion of the Sun opening and shutting with him; The fancy predominates more than the judgement, but they in whom both these concur are admirable, as there is amongst them at present a notable example, which serves for a mighty prop to the Vine, and 'tis well known no Tree needs props more. For friendship, love commonly flames there, before it burns, and so cannot be long lasting, for though first affection maketh deepest impression, yet that love is held most permanent, which dives into the soul by soft degrees of mutual society, and is matured by time; very acute they are, and cautelous in treating, & therein have proved (more than once) too hard, for plain down right dealing Druina; finally some say, one shall best discern an Ampelonian, and most to his advantage, if one look upon him, as we use to do upon scarlet (his prime colour) the die whereof is better discerned by quick glances, and a passing eye, then by a fixed.  
I write not this to deerogate from noble Ampelona, for I honour her in a most high degree, having practically found her better sort of Trees though allowed their fancies, (and that they participate somewhat with the Cork, and are subject to be shaken with incertain winds) to be the most generous, daring and venturous spirits, and fullest of resolution and mettle for their Country and honour, of any upon the surface of the earth, and what was said before must be understood, as the Philosophers use to restrain many propositions in their Schools, Non de singulis generum, sed de generibus singulorum: No where are there more quick inventive and penetrating capacities, fraught with all kind of scientifiall knowledge; Not any are more generally imitated for fashion, comportment and garb, which many of her neighbours do follow to a forced kind of affectation, thinking they are not refined till then; not any have more of the Cavalier than they, the Levant parts ring more of them, and their martial achievements then of any other Nation.  
But I have sojourned too long in Ampelona, I will now cross the Hills to Elaiana, whence if a meridian wind bloweth, I am sure to know when I am near her, by those sweet fragrant odours she casts from her very shrubs, for the bruit animals there make themselves beds of Rosemary and Thyme.  
But strange it is, and indeed very strange to me, that there being but a hill, yea a small bridge of partition 'twixt Ampelona, and Elaiana, there should be such an antipathetical and quite differing genius in their plants; I know, Nature delights, and triumphs in dissimilitudes, but here she seems to have industriously studied it: The nature of the one is debonnaire and aco'stable; of the other retired and supercilious: The one quick and spriteful; The other slow and saturnine; The one bushy and tufted on the top; The other lop'd short: The one delights in a close thick rind; The other goes thin and scarified; The one gay underneath, the other without, which makes some of them to be compared to the Cinnamon Tree, whose Rind is more worth than the body; The one takes the ball before the bound; The other stayeth for it, and commonly fetcheth a surer stroke; The one in the carriage of his designs is like the Wind, the other like the Sun in the fable, when they went to try their strength upon a passengers cloak The one knows how to shuffle the Cards better; the other playeth his game more cunningly; The one digests all he swallows; The other is subject to cast it up again; The one contracts and enchains his words speaking pressingly and short; The other delights in long breathed accents, which he prolates with such pauses, that before he be at a period of his sentence, one may reach a second thought.  
In fine Saturn swayeth o'er the one, and Mercury o'er the other, with whom the Moon also hath a great stroke, so that some think the bush which the man in the Moon carrieth on his back, did grow first in Ampelona, and that the wheel of fortune was made of a piece of her timber; Out of these various premises you may infer that there is a political, moral and natural opposition and difference 'twixt these so near neighbours; both in their comportment, garb, fancy and humour, so far, that one may say, what the one is not, the other is▪ insomuch that if you would fetch one from the remotest parts the Sun displays his beams upon, yea from the very Antipodes; he will agree with either, better than they one with another; yet they both symbolise in this, that they love to look upon themselves through multiplying glasses, and the bigger end of the prospectife. But I must hasten to Elaiana.   

A CHARACTER OF ELAIANA.  
AND now I am come from God's blessing to the warm Sun, who is a little too prodigal of his beams here, which makes the soil less fruitful, and to be a kind of wilderness in comparison of Ampelona, being like a Leopard's skin, here a spot, and there a spot inhabited; she swells so every where with huge hills; And some would make a question whether the minds of the Inhabitants or her mountains be highest; the tops whereof by reason of the tenuity and clearness of air, (for sometimes you shall not see in the whole hemisphere from morning to night as much cloud as would line a Monmoth Cappe) you may discern above two hundred Miles off, and some of them periwigd with snows all the year long, And on some, one shall find more difference in point of temper of air, 'twixt bottom and top, then 'twixt Summer and Winter in other places; But where Elaiana hath valleys, there she is deliciously fertile, such blessings humility carrieth always with her; Her rivers having for the most part high banks, and shallow bottoms, serve not for Navigation, but are wheeled up into small Cataracts, and so divided into sluices, to humectat the bordering soil, and make it wonderfully productive: A cheap Country to travel in, for one will hardly find meat for money, (but sauce good store) the conveyance of provision being so difficult, yet this scarcity carrieth with it a notable advantage for Military uses, wherewith nature seems to recompense her, for her Plants are the tougher thereby, and can endure more than they that sprout forth of wanton soft soils; Moreover her abruptness, barrenness and heat, carry with them another mighty benefit, for she cannot be so easily overrun by foreign force, in regard that besides the difficulty of passage, an army would either starve for want, or miscarry, for the unusual heat of the clime, which I believe was the reason, that the Roman Eagles could hardly fly over her in nine score years, whereas they flew through and through Ampelona in less than nine.  
For the quality every thing she bears is passing good, only she fails in the quantity, And did she abound in plenty, as she excels in perfection of all things (by reason of the full concoction the Sun makes) specially had she Corn proportionable to her greatness, she would prove terrible to all her neighbours.  
The mighty Olive who now swayeth, thrives well, and fructifieth by engrafting upon the lovely Ampelonian Vine. He keeps his Court near the very centre of Elaiana, like the Sun in the Heavens, which being in the midst, equally communicats his beams to all. And a spacious kingdom is like a great Indian hide, plant your foot on one side or corner, the other will bond up against you, tread on the middle, all parts will lie flat; so some hold it a maxim in policy, for the Prince to reside in the very navel of his kingdom, to encounter all insurrections with the more celerity, that may arise in any other part. But now me thinks I spy a satire with a huge bushy head rushing out of Ampelona, and breaking out into this critical discourse of Elaiana; That the time was when Elaiana did contain and content herself within the circumference of her own boundaries, without any further encroachments, but of late years she hath shot up, and spread her branches far and near into all parts of the habitable earth, whereby she is grown up to so monstrous and giantlike a proportion, that she is become formidable to all her neighbours, in such sort, as she puts every one to stand upon his guard, and have a continual larum-bell in his ears; they stand gazing at her vast bulk, and wonder when she will leave growing; for in her political designs she differs from all her Neighbours, in regard that whereas they do only labour and cast about how to conserve and secure what they have already, and keep the scales even, her counsels tend still to enlarge and augment her territories. The discovery of Columbina, I confess, together with the conquest, was a work of hers; yet it is observed those vast treasures she transports thence thrive little, in regard of the Ocean of humane, though savage blond, she spilt there; so that some affirm the blood would overpoise all the gold she had ever thence, if they were counter-balanced; And as that treasure was first got by such effusions of blood, so the greatest part of it, hath been spent ever since in blood, for most of the broils of the Western world have been fed and fomented by it.  
But that immense tract of earth she holds under that clime, is preserved rather by the conceit and report of her greatness, then by any intrinsicke strength: yet I cannot deny but her dominions are very spacious, that the Sun never forsakes her quite, perpetually shining in some part or other above her hemisphere: a grandeza, I confess, that none of all the four Monarchies could vaunt of, no not the Roman, whose greatness was said to have no horizon, though falsely, for he could never cross Ganges, or climb over Caucasus, Insomuch that Elaiana glorieth, Apollo only with his chariot can measure the extent of her territories: And they speak of certain Ambassadors that came not long since to the now regnant Olive from a Pagan Emperor, upon whose credential letters was endorsed this superscription; To the King who hath the Sun for his helmet.  
Public fame hath long given out that Elaiana aimeth at the fifth Monarchy, but that is a fond conceit of hers and building of Castles in the air; for she hath been told long since by the Oracle, that she shall never attain it, because all other soils reject her plants, and fly from under their shadow as the Serpent from the Ash, who will leap sooner into a fire: in so much that from those places to which she gives protection, she seldom hath any affection; for the Elaianians are observed to partake of the nature of Oil in divers qualities, therefore most properly are they governed by the Olive. First, Oil is observed to swim still on the top, and the reason the Naturalists give, is, because air doth most predominat in it, so are they lifted up with an airy conceit (for ambition is nought but air) that they are only designed to be Lords Paramount of the world.  
Oil will hardly or never (unless it be well beaten) mingle and incorporate with any other liquid thing: so they, wheresoever they come, do very hardly agree, and sympathise with any other Nation. Oil hath a dilating quality, that by soft insensible degrees it spreads and still gains upon the body where it falls, so they by politic close ways use to eat into, and encroach upon their neighbours, or more properly for this subject they are like the Tartarian plant Boraneth, which growing up to the visible form of a LAMB, insensibly eats up all the grass round about it.  
Lastly, Oil is slow, smooth and solid, so are they observed to be in their motion, though it be a question yet unresolved, whether their affected gravity and slowness in their negotiations have tended more to their prejudice or advantage: And they would bring all others, that have to do with them, to follow their pace, it being one of their maxims, that policy must move after the motion of Saturn, the highest of the Planets: yet although they are long in consulting, they are quick and sudden in executing their designs, and therein are rather of the nature of the Mulberry, which the Arbolists observe, to be long in begetting and keeping his buds, but the cold seasons being passed, he shoots them all out in a night.  
Another obstacle to Elaiana's, pretended Monarchy may be, that it is observed, the Sovereign Ministers she employeth abroad in the highest kind of trust, are so intentive for the improvement of their own fortunes, that it is grown to a proverb, some of them gnaw, others eat, and some devour in those places, wherein they are deputed to bear Sovereign sway; Add hereunto that her form of government is none of the pleasingst, for she chooseth to rule rather by fear than love, And where she gets any love, it is drawn as thread through a needle's eye, out of the apprehensions of fear, it being one of her principles,  
That obedience derived from such a love is surest, in reward that fear as the carefullest and greatest housewife of our passions, swayeth more powerfully o'er all the rest, and keeps them still in centinel, And so makes good subjects, as it did Gods at first, Primus in orbe Deos fecit Timor—  
Besides all this, as one hath lately observed, Elaiana hath been a good while troubled with a fastidious issue, which she caused to be made at first for a dizzines in the head that proceeded no doubt from that huge height she is mounted unto; It was cauterizd at first by Itelia, who fetched her iron from Druina and Ampelona; at the beginning it purged only the gross humours, but afterwards it exhausted her very radical moisture, (which she suckd chiefly from Columbina,) and her natural heat (the two columns of life) began to decay. She was often with Apollo to have this issue stopped, but there after a long debate, she was positively advised, by the unanimous vote of the most exquisite Doctors assembled of purpose to know the nature of her disease, for to continue the issue still open, for if she stopped it, she was like to fall into a worse malady, viz. a dangerous dropsy, whereof there appeared in her some symptoms, by the unquenchable thirst she hath of domination and rule.  
Moreover it is lately given out that she intends a speedy pilgrimage to Delphus, for a cordial against the weakness of her stomach, in regard the concocting heat seems to be somewhat impaired; for whereas before she never used to disgorge, what she had once swallowed, she hath lately cast up some good bits, yea the most precious and sweetest she had, when she cast up the last, all her Saints were a while taken away from her, so that she had not one left to pray unto; whereby it appears though her appetite be as good as ever it was to like all she seeth, yet the retentive virtue of her stomach is not so strong as formerly.  
Lastly, the Regions o'er which the broad spreading Olive signorizeth, are squared up and down, and dispersed by such an unsociable distance (which makes him receive baffles sometimes from petty companions) that except Elaiana herself, and not all she neither, but that part which gives the Castle for its crest, together with Columbina, and some triennial donatives she hath from Hipparcha, the income doth no where countervail the charge of garrisons and governors. Yet I must confess, the two benefits that accrue to him by this diversity of territories are very considerable, First the opportunity to propagat piety; Secondly, to have choice of employments for his subjects, and means thereby to breed up wise, undertaking and heroic spirits;  
For great commands elevate the mind to great thoughts, which being conversant with weighty, and high passages, the soul is inlargd thereby; whereas inferior states by their petty employments and slender rewards impoverish and abase the fancy, rendering it too narrow for high undertake. Countries of conquest cannot be conserved without continual expense, nor their service used with like assurance, specially by Elaiana,  
which can rely no where upon mere love and fiduciary obedience, unless it be at her own home, where I cannot deny but she is exemplarily loyal to herself in a high exact obedience. Touching other places she may be said to hold them, as one should do a Wolf by the ears; nor will I speak now of the crazines of her title to many of them: So, that she is never in perfect tranquillity abroad; and she esteems herself to be in a manner in perfect peace, if she hath only to do with that huge Bramble of Alclarona; so that it may be hence inferred, that the Olive is of late years much degenerated from his Primitive nature, for whereas he was used to be the Emblem of peace, he now ruffleth in a continual course of arms; And this is the reason I believe, that the branch of Olive, which at the beginning was the ancient cognisance of Elaiana, is turned of late years to the Ragged staff.  
The Ampelonian Satire, having thus disgorged his stomach suddenly ran in, and re-imboschd himself.  
For my own particular, let AMPELONA tattle what she will against Elaiana, I profess to honour her for sundry reasons, I very much honour her for the solidness and secrecy of her Counsels; For her loyalty to her Prince, her patience and admirable phlegm, her painful and long moulded consultations (proles tardè erescentis Olivae) her deep prudence and circumspection, and indeed the Olive being sacred to Pallas is an Emblem of prudence as well as of peace; she deserves honour for her constancy, though with infinite expense and numberless inconveniences, for the recovery of her own; And without doubt it was a singular blessing from heaven, that the discovery of Columbina, with the conquest thereof was reserved for her; I respect her for her perpetual professed feud against the common enemy, That her plants never rove abroad to bear arms for any strange Prince, whereas others receive pay, and serve under the banners of Infidels, and oftentimes against their own natural Princes; And as for Wars, so for Wares they go not abroad any where to traffic but into the dominions of their own Prince, which makes the Olive to have no small advantage of his neighbours upon any sudden breach.  
Amongst other places where the Martial Olive shoots forth his imperious boughs, Leoncia is one, and thither I am bound next, but the worst is, that I must pass through the very heart of Ampelona; a mighty incommodity. For she being in perpetual diffidence, or actual enmity with her, but always emulous and suspectful of her, I am afraid to be stopped or searched, if not stripped in the way; And if I pass by Sea, I may chance fall from the trying pan into the fire, I mean into the hands of the Italians, who of all other are most skilful in rummaging and pillaging; Besides I use to have a squeazie stomach on salt Water, for I do nothing but tell what Tree the Ship is made of.   

A CHARACTER OF LEONCIA.  — Noli irritare Leonem. 
AND now have I gained Leoncia the cockpit of the Western world, and Academy of arms for many years. The modern (though meanest) kind of Militia is here altogether in practice, which consists in blockments and batteries, not pitched fields. Never was there such a small circumference of ground, so turned up, and unboweled by the Pioneer, so watered with blood, and calcined as it were by the flames and fury of War: which hath made it a fatal piece of inheritance to Elaiana, who hath tuggd here so long for her title, with such a vast profusion of treasure and effusion of blood, that if she had not been drained this way, she might have tiled her palaces with occidental gold and silver, and by this time happily have made herself Mistress of Timaurania her next transmarin neighbour, and regaind the Mount of Olives and achieved other high feats against Alcharona: The vast expenses she hath been at, to reduce Leoncia to her old obedience, and entire subjection, exceed the value of the thing itself forty times over at least, if all Leoncia were to be sold in the market by outcry; And questionless envy herself must needs acknowledge this so costly a constancy in Elaiana never to abandon her own, to be a brave magnanimous virtue.  
Leoncia hath many Groves of different plantations, but in the stem of Elaiana they all met as lines in one centre, and came to be engrafted all upon one stock, some by conquest, others by donation, and session, but most of them by inoculations; There was a design more than once to reduce them all to a kingdom; But the multiplicity of customs, and miscellany of municipal rights, that sundry places claim by inheritance, were not compatible with a Monarchy: and the invading of this freedom of customs with that of the conscience, was the first fatal cause of Leoncias' revolt from her allegiance to Elaiana.  
The royal Olive was solemnly sworn at his Inauguration to observe these things inviolable; then to come to visit her once every seventh year, himself; as also to rid her quite of all foreign force, and to perform other obligatory conditions; But he being once gone, and being dispensed withal for his septenniall visit by a holy instrument from Petropolis, he resolved to govern them by subaltern Ministers, who it seems scrud up the pins of power too high, they laid on new taxes, felled down some of the ancientest tall Trees (as the Roman did the heads of the poppies) so that they might be compared to the Axe in the Fable, who having got a handle of the Woods with much entreaty, fell afterwards to cut down and destroy them at pleasure: A Counsel of blood was erected, and a harder yoke laid upon the conscience in holy rites. One reason the Olive gave, was, that Leoncia herself began to infringe her old privileges by introducing new forms into divine service, and abolishing the old, in which by virtue of his primitive oath he was indispensably sworn to continue them; And thus the argument was retorted.  
Druina and Ampelona intervend to compose these differences, but they had a short answer of the Olive, that he needed not the help of any, to reduce his own subjects to conformity, but the odds that were, he would refer to the Cedar his Cousin, who as it seems proving no indifferent Arbiter, Leoncia sheltered herself (though Druina had the first tender made her both of protection and Sovereignty) under the branches of the Royal Vine, who sending the very next of his own stem to govern her, he attempted, by the praecipitat Counsel of some green springals about him, to ravish her, and render himself absolute. But he had a foul repulse; yet she proffered again her protection to the Vine, who having a most pernicious fire kindled (as it was thought after by the Factors of Elaiana) within the very bowels of his own Forest, he had work enough cut him out to extinguish that. Hereupon she made her humble recours to DRVINA, who as well for her own security (as the state of things than stood) as moved with much Princely compassion to succour the afflicted, gave her shelter. In so much that ever since Druina hath served her as a back of steel, and her forces have been the very sinews of her strength against the strokes of the ragged staff, and the iron rod of Elaiana; who in those Groves she reserves yet under her protection and obedience, continueth to cut and lop her to close, that one shall hear up and down a repining rather against the harshness of government, than a desire of revenge against the Enemy.   

A CHARACTER OF ITELIA.  
— Et jam nos inter opacas  
Musa vocat salices.  
AMongst others which did Emancipat themselves from their obedience to Elaiana, Itelia was the chief, who by creating her GROVE of WILLOWS to a republic, and drawing after her five and more of the neighbouring Groves into one body politic, in lieu of the Olive, took the Orange to govern her, yet far from the degree of Sovereign power, but rather to serve her in a high martial way: And to bear up against the Orange, the Olive did luckily light upon a notable Ligurian Thorn who made the willows to feel his Prickles in many places, and 'twixt the Orange and thorn sundry brave encounters, and cunning traverses of war happened. By these means Itelia brought one of her Fisher towns to be the prime Mart of all Leoncia, and to a stupendious height of commerce and riches, and other strange feats she hath done since, to the astonishment and admiration of all that know her. And it seems all things conspired to raise Itelia to this pass; First, the distance of her great Master; the humour of her plants being of a nature patient and industrious and more inclinable to a democratical government; Add hereunto the quality of the Country every where indented with water, and thereby fortified, and made inaccessible, nature herself undertaking that way her protection, so that she can overwhelm and turn herself into one pond when she list. Hereunto concurd a further advantage of situation, having behind her Elatena, and her great king the Fir, for her friend, and those places which afford all kind of materials for shipping, and for all kind of nutriment and military supplies hard before her Druina and Ampelona, both swarming with superfluous Graffes, and suspectful of Elaiana's greatness, and thereby not unwilling to contribute strength for community of danger, and consequently of reciprocal conservation, which must needs be the strongest tie of Political love.  
But now me thinks I spy again a Sun burnt wainscot faced Satire rush out of Elaiana, swelling with spleen and revenge and bursting out into these vociferations; That Itelia is the nearest neighbour to Hell of any place upon earth, because seated lowest, and so is thought to confer sometimes with infernal spirits: That she is a double Vsurpresse, in detaining not only Elaiana from her right, but the very fish of the Sea also from their habitation; That she lives upon others idleness; That her state is patched up of depredations; That she is the rendezvous of all schismatics; that if one wanted a religion, he might have his choice there; That God and nature never intended her for a mansion to rational creatures, she being destitut of the most necessary things that conduce to maintain them; That she burns up her earth before the day of judgement; That whereas her willows were used to be of a pliable and humble nature, they are degenerated lately to Trees of a tougher bulk, yea into stubborn poplars; so that if occasion were offered, the Oak and the Vine would find it a harder task to suppress them, than ever they had to raise them; That in her negotiations with Druina and Ampelona she hath turned entreating to treating: That she hath been the Incendiary directly or collaterally of all the combustions that have happened this side the line, ever since her revolt from the Olive; That she is a forge of false Coins, whereby she hath damnified Elaiana as much as any other way, by importing counterfeit stamps: that she hath rare inventions to export Gold and Silver, to raise or depress their rates, and abase the allay; That she hath reaches beyond JEWE, or GENUA in new ways of Usury, in Banks, Lotteries, and Lombard's, in bargaining and bartering, for she will make the Fox tail pay for the whole skin; That she mars her neighbour's Markets abroad, underselling them in their own commodities; That she is grown extraordinary witty in devising new tortures, by fire and water, as she made trial lately upon the Druinians in Baymona: In fine that She is a nest of Water Rats, a mount of Pismires, the Caterpillar Canker and Cobwebs that infects the Olive and hinders his further growth, the verminet that corrodes his mines.  
Thus the Elaianian satire did rave, and rend the very air with his loud clamours, but in regard they are but the fruits of adusted choler, and the evaporations of a vindicative spirit, Itelia needs not much care for them, besides she must give loser's leave to speak. For my own particular, I profess to respect and love Itelia for divers regards, yea, I admire the Itelians for their industry and inventions at shore & sea, where they swim like Elephants, whiles other wade like sheep, and indeed they are the only doers of miracles in these modern times, for they force an habitation with infinite expense and pains out of the very jaws of Neptune, by checking his impetuous billows, and teaching the world, how much art, can curb and control Nature.  
I love them for their cleanliness, in their food, fabrics, and shipping; for their singular parfimony, for their perseverance, and indefatigable pursuit of their designs at home and abroad, For that rare unity and unanimous zeal they have to the common good, which is such that so many differing Groves seem to be but one Tree girt about with the cincture of concord.  
I wonder at them for their prudent and equal distribution of wealth, not one amongst them being excessive rich or excessive poor, nor upon any part of the earth fewer beggars, it being as rare to see one there, as it had been to have met with a Poet in Plato's commonwealth. I honour them for their exactness in military discipline, for no where is the marching Soldier more regular, I commend them for their plain downright dealing, and punctuality in payment of cambios, contracts and the Soldier's Salary, and herein give me the service of a commonwealth, rather than a kingdom; And lastly, I must love them in regard they are the surest confederates of Druina, for I know not, where else she can pick out a fast friend, or reposefull confident of such reciprocal interest, and whose politic ends are so concentricke; a friend that will shine with her in the dark, if need be, as old willows use to do: That she helps away Druina with many of her superfluous Graffs, and breeds her military Instruments, and touching the mutual dependency of conservation between them, that Emblem of the two pitchers swimming together representing Druina and Itelia with this motto, Si concutimur, frangimur, carrieth with it a great deal of truth. I respect her that she stuck close to Druina in two great actions; one of defence, the other of offence against Elaiana; And could Elaiana have brought her intentions home to her aim, as to have ranged all Leoncia to an entire obedience, and so have made her her chief rendezvous, and magazine of instruments of war, and Academy of arms, what just danger and perpetual concussions of fear, she would have struck into Druina and Ampelona also, one of a mean capacity and foresight may easily judge.  
And now that Itelia is come to so convenient and settled subsistence, it were no unwholesome advice that she would take for her motto, — Nil ultra, hic terminus esto.  
A true maxim it is, and ever hath been, that, that state which goeth out of the lists of mediocrity, passeth also the limits of safety: there is a cloud of examples to this purpose: while Sparta kept herself within those boundaries that Lycurgus prescribed unto her, she was both safe and flourishing; but attempting to enlarge her territories by new acquests of other Cities in Greece and Asia, she went every day declining: But what need I rake the ashes of antiquity for instances so far off? Let Adriana her sure friend and confederate forewarn her, who no longer than one age ago, thinking by offensive undertake upon her neighbours to spread her wings wider, was like to mewe all her feathers.  
Therefore Itelia should do well, to stand now chiefly upon the defensive, specially near home, for it is no less prudence, to preserve then purchase, And if she thinks to grapple more, I fear it will weaken her hold, and must needs prejudice some places which now flourish with commerce under her, that have risen out of the ruins of these she goeth about to fasten upon on further, and besides (which is not the least thing to be thought upon) it will breed scruples and ombrages of doubts in her confederates, and draw on herself more envy than she is aware of.  
It is not improper that the Itelian is compared to the Ant for his sedulity and labour; and let him still continue an Ant, for if he think to turn to a fly Elaiana will tell him she hath a proverb, that God ●ives wings to the Ant, that she may destroy herself the sooner.  
The truth is, that Itelia is grown up, by an extraordinary industry, to a mighty height and subsistence of wealth, and navigable power: and the world is now at that pass, that he who is Lord of the Sea, is also of the shore; Nor I dare avouch, did the Roman republic though as well swaddled in her infancy, as any that ever was, come near her in so short a time, and some observe that in her proceedings she draws to a near analogy with the R●man, whose two most advantageous virtues in casting the foundation of that vast monarchy, was pains, and parsimony; for the first, she is admirable, specially at Sea, where She swims like the great Leviathan, and carrieth away Druina's fish by whole fleets, turning them abroad into present treasure, or bartering them for rich commodities; and this may be said to be one of the main staples of her commerce. It is traffic that gives her a being, in the mystery whereof she over-reacheth all others, for navigation being her only trade, and having little or no lands at all to manure, she digs into the bowels of the deep, and having had in times passed but a few fisher boats, she now displayeth her colours through all parts of the vast Ocean, where any of the winds blow, which from the number of four she first brought to a subdivision of two and thirty, And of these four worthies which compassed the terrestrial Globe one was hers, two of the other of Druina.  
And it seems Nature herself hath purposely designed her Natives and the Country itself for Navigation and Negotiation; Them, as I said before by a dextrous kind of propensity, the Country, by apt position; For many mighty rivers passing through her Territories to disimboke themselves into the Ocean, they may be said to pay her tribute as well as to Neptune; which rivers branching themselves into large and bearing streams, do so fitly serve one another, and all the whole, that it seems dame Nature, in framing humane bodies did not discover more providence in the distribution of veins and arteries for the easy conveyance of blood into each part, as she hath showed here in dispersing, and disposing of those waters so orderly for traffic: These Rivers bring her what the large continent of Rhenusium, and other Eastern dominions use to afford, and she lying between them and the Sea, furnisheth them with all sorts of far fetched foreign commodities; Thus she makes a rare virtue of necessity, for having almost nothing of her own, yet She abounds with all things.  
Furthermore it is observed that war, which useth to impoverish others, enricheth her, for naval prizes make up a good part of her wealth; But while want and war makes her thus troth up and down, it is questioned, if her plants were rooted in some self sufficient soil, whether they would still continue so industrious; or whether they would subsist as well if they were suffered to rest in a supine and perfect peace, as they have done hitherto in war; peace leaving every one to attend his particular pleasure or profit, while the apprehensions of fear in time of war make all concur for the common safety: And the long familiar habitude, they have had of arms is such, that they have as much certainty in their art of War, as others have in theirs of peace.  
Touching these doubts I will not undertake their decision, but leave it to them, who have felt the pulse of their dispositions longer than I There is no part of the habitable earth, considering the small circuit of territory Leoncia hath, where there is a greater number of martial instruments, for the Olive cut his Ragged staff out of one of these Groves, at first, where there is also a greater confluence of all sorts of exotic plants, and where one may find more differing rites, customs and tempers of humours. They that border upon Ampelona are quick, vivacious and approaching the conversable nature of their neighbours: They that spring up in the middle part, which are the right L●oncians, somewhat more flow, and retired. The Itelians discrepant from both, respectless of gentry, of few words, for they barrel up commonly more than they can broach, and so may be said to be like a great bottle with a narrow neck; yet are they most cunning and circumspect in negotiating, specially when they have been tampering with the Vine or the hop, and are dabbled a little with their liquor. They are of a homely out side, and heavy in action, which heaviness is recompensed with two notable advantages, advisedness and perseverance, mighty friends to great attempts; And all this may be imputed to the property of the soil itself, which being all 'twixt marsh and moorish, hath such a qualifying force, that when plants of a more vivacious temper come to engraft amongst the Willows and Osiers, their imps presently partake rather of the nature of the soil, than the stock, and so do all animals else.  
Having thus traversed the diameter of Ampelona, visited Elaiana, passed through Leoncia, and taken such a painful survey of Itelia, and her associated Groves, I should seem injurious to Druina to have saluted her so slightly; Therefore I will re-imbarke and steer my course thither again, and then proceed in my main design.   

OF DRVINA.  
And now me thinks I am arrived in a little new world, so self sufficient that she seems as it were to thrust away from her all the world besides, as being a substantive that can stand by itself.  
This is she upon whom the beams of true piety did shine in the very infancy, for no sooner had the Roman Eagles been there displayed, but the standard of the cross appeared: The first Emperor and King that ever marchd under that banner issuing out of her bowels. This is she, who had three great Kings her Captives at once, who made one of herroyall Okes carry away in triumph Ampelonas' Lilies upon his victorious branches where they have grown and blossomed ever since. The Imperial Cedar served under her colours, quartering his arms with hers, and receiving pay himself; And in that Martial Forest of Ampelona, her exploits were so admirable, that it hath been questioned, and that by no mean Critics, whether her's there, or sometimes Rome's high feats of arms against the Hannibalian Carthage were more difficult and glorious.  
This is she that performed such costly expeditions and Martial pilgrimages to the upper world, and in her voyage thither (as a revenge for inhospitality) conquered the Citherean Isle, and for her exemplary prowess was offered the Crown of the holiest of Cities, and more than once the Imperial diadem of the western world; Her Monarques living in that sublimity and largeness of repute, that they were taken to be the common Arbiters of Sovereign quarrels up and down the world. In fine, this is she who of late years raised the Willows to such a height from a company of Shrubbs, by preserving them from being crushed by the ragged Staff of that broad spreading Olive Elaianas' King, whom she exhausted and reduced to such an exigent, that by public Declaration he proclaimed himself insolvent of those vast sums he had taken upon credit; whereby it was then said, He made more ill faces up and down amongst the Banquiers on the Exchanges, than ever that famous Painter Michael Angelo made good. This is she who clothes not only her own natives and circumiacent neighbours, but the remotest regions of the earth with her rich fleeces, where the innocent creatures that bear them in that exuberancy, being free from the affrightments of all savage and rapacious animals, feed securely upon the luxurious honysuckled earth, which dame nature, by a most exact distribution (as if she had wantonized and played the Bawd with herself) hath cut out into varieties of sportful plains, fertile valleys, and delightful hills, whose bowels in sundry places are pregnant either with inexhaustible veins of most useful, and well concocted minerals, or necessary fuel: No Region abounds more with Chases, Parks, Woods, Groves, and goodly Trees, and of all other, Druina is beholden to Trees, for with their Boughs a good part of her preserved itself from the enemy by a notable stratagem: Her lower region swarms with all sorts of fowl, her Rivers with fish, and her Seas with whole shoals and mountains of them, which her neighbours know too well. This is she which for the benignity of the clime is called the female Paradise, and not without good judgement did that great Archflamin give her youth the attribute of Angels, she produceth such pure complexions. And the heavenly (bodies it seems) work not here outwardly only, but they have an intern inclinatory operation upon the motions of the mind also in a different manner from others, for her natives are not so light and airy, as her next transmarin neighbours, nor so affectedly grave and slow as others, nor so dull and heavy as those of that soil, whence they were first transplanted, but of a middle composed temper, symbolising nearest with them of Bombycina; And it is well known, that the Druinian hath been eurey where so cried up for an innated integrity, that before he mingled with Forreners, and so by Coalition with them grew more Mercurial; he was accounted the uprightst dealer of any other upon earth, and to this day he retains much of his primitive esteem, that in divers places abroad, his very word will countervail the bond or pawn of another.  
To conclude, this may be termed the land of fortune, and a microcosm of herself, which by the gentle influence of the stars, abounds with that affluence of all things, that for hospitality among her own, and towards all comers else there's not her parallel: her delight is to have old Trees without doors, and old servants within; And indeed so plentiful she is in hospitality, that I have heard Druina taxed abroad, that too many in her, do use to dig their own graves with their teeth. Besides, some think that since the hop hath got amongst them, her Trees being subject to be filled with stones and gravel, it hinders the length of their growth, withal, 'tis observed the Grape doth them no good, being of late years used to be so sophisticated with sulphury heterogeneous mixtures; Add hereunto their too early inoculations; And that odd kind of smoke which hath fatally got amongst them, and being so excessively suckd, must needs dry up their radical moisture, and so hasten their fall: but all this is accidental: I will end with one property Druina is cried up for, above all other, that when Foreigners, though sprung up under the daintiest climes take once rooting in her, she makes them quickly forget their own homes: As if the lotus grew only here, the virtue of whose fruit is, to cause in the eaters an oblivion of all other soils; and indeed the lotus of all other Trees hath most affinity with the Oak.  
There is no place upon the habitable earth, where the muses have two such dainty Groves of Laurels, so choice and rich seats, which both for plentiful exhibitions, and sumptuous edifices of that kind are unparallelled: They perpetually produce hopeful young cions, which germinat with all kind of knowledge, and come by degrees to a perfect maturity, whereby she is always furnished with nurseries of scientifical grasses, which she disperseth up and down to unfold the sacred Oracles, for which she is now as renowned, as some times she was for her Druids; And for a cumble of all felicity piety shines here in her genuine true lustre, neither adulterated with any forced colours to set a specious gloss upon her, by any fantastic form of outward ceremony; Nor is she bereaved of such decent robes and rites (whereof some fanaticke spirits would strip her stark naked) that may make her appear in a venerable and comely garb: This stately Forest hath multitudes of gentle lodges, and strong retraites, amongst which the great Emporiall Tamisond is the prime, which take all her dimensions together, (for she hath not the advantage of the circular figure) with her suburban, and conterminent fabrics, may well compare in magnitude and number of souls with the greatest assembly of houses in the lower world. For wealth and an ubiquitary commerce, none can exceed her, And for government diurnal and nocturnal with a grave rich and magnificent magistracy, there's not her fellow. The proud River which makes her bed at her feet is arched over with such a curious pile of stones, that, considering the rapid course of the deep stream that roars under it, may well take place amongst the wonders of the world; The Nereian goddess comes twice every natural day fourscore thousand paces off to visit her, to render her thanks as it were, for the rich tribute she useth to pay her. Here is the Imperial chamber of Druinas Monarque, the prime rendezvous of Nobles and Gentry, the sole staple of the Merchant, all the prime tribunals of justice and equity, and no where is the criminal part thereof so cautiously executed, or the life of the meanest shrub more valued, I could wish the civil part were answerable in point of expedition, and that john an Okes had not so many turnings and windings in this Forest. In sum, this is the epitome of all Druina, so that some have asked abroad whether Druina be in Tamisond, or Tamisond in Druina; And herein (and that not undeservedly) Druina is taxed abroad of a solecism in her government, that she should suffer to run into one Grove, that sap which should go to vegetat the whole Forest; so that some have compared Tamisond to the spleen in the natural body, by whose swelling the other members become ill affected; whereas her foreign neighbours, by a wholesome distribution appropriate some staple commodity or peculiar charter of commerce to several places, whereby they equally flourish, grow populous, potent and opulent.   

A CHARACTER OF CARDENIA.  
TOwards the septentrional corners of Druina, there stands another Forest which serves her for a shelter as 'twere against blustering Boreas, well set, but nothing so thick, with stout and tough Trees (though grown somewhat knobby of late) of a different plantation and policy, which hath been but lately co-afforested with her: at that time when she threw the fortunate cast of sice-ace, and when to her three former Lions, there was a fourth added for her defence, which made Druina verify that, which all former ages held for a Paradox, and take for the burden of her song (and I hope there will be never cause to the contrary:) Omne bonum nobis ex Aquilone venit.  
An ancient Forest she is, for she pretends to show a continued uninterrupted succession of above one hundred Kings.  
As at other times, so specially this last half century of years, she hath produced many venturous and martial spirits, who for their prowess in the North east parts have purchased a great esteem.  
A long time the royal Vine made use of her Trees as of matches to set Druina a fire, whensoever she attempted any thing against him, puzzling her with unlucky diversions, therefore the Vine reserves to this day a row of them about him for his safety. This caused many of the Marshal Okes to make sundry shrewd inroads into Cardenia, so far as to bring away her Kings Captive, and make some of them breath their last in battle; But now for the greater glory of Druina, they are both engrafted upon one stock into one body politic, and receive mutual benefit from each other, the one sap, the other strength; For by this conjunction, I hope, Druina may rest secure, that the Lilies shall never hereafter make use of the Thistle against her Roses; And so she may prove Carduus Benedictus unto her.   

A CHARACTER OF MONTICOLIA.  
TOwards the hilly corners of Druina remain yet her very Aborigenes, and ancient Indigenae, the first nursery of Plants, that sprouted out of her, fatally thrust amongst an Assembly of mountains. They long time wrestled and strenuously tugged for their liberty, and that with a no less magnanimous than constant pertinacity, yea when they were reducd to a handful, hemmed in between those hills, they did notable feats; At last being over set with multitudes (which hath been the fortune of the bravest spirits upon earth) they chose to bow a little, rather than break. Yet with this proviso, that the Princely spray which should be their top Tree, should spring forth from amongst themselves: So prevalent is the instinct of nature, and energy of fancy they bear to their own soil.  
And very remarkable it is, that after the revolution of above one thousand years, and so many turmoils and changes of governments and masters, (Druina having four times yielded to the fury of foreign force) the just hand of providence should bring the royal Oak to sprout again out of this ancient stock, and that Druina should resume, and be known again by her primitive denomination; A race of resolute stout Trees they are, much valuing the antiquity of their growth, and so abounding with mettle and heat, that they quickly take fire, and become touchwood; they often clash their branches one against the other, and very sensible they are of parting with the least drop of sap.  
The Trident-bearing God hath not such secure and commodious inlets, or rather a Gallery of Closets, to court and embosom himself into our Grandam Earth, in all the vast expanded Ocean.  
The prime of the nine Hero's (whom beside that which is fabulous, there is truth enough to make famous) was a plant of this growth, by whose conquests Druina may lay just claim (though she had no other) not only to Lurana, but other dominions also, nay if first discovery may entitle a right, to Columbina also, which as some strongly conjecture, was found out by a straying Prince of Monticolia seven ages since: And this presumption is drawn from the analogy of speech, wherein there are divers words that are the same in both languages, both for sound and sense, with other traces and marks. The most admired of all profane Prophets whose predictions have been so much scanned and cried up, and are yet valued up and down the world, did vaticinate here: And the first Monastery that ever the world had, wherein the sacred fire of Christian piety did burn, was amongst these mountains, the sparkles whereof flew so far, that divers Regions, which groped before in the dark corners of paganism, were enlightened thereby.  
Beside observable it is, what a precious blessing is lately found out (having been reserved and locked up as it were all this while in Nature's bowels) to make this most ancient part of Druina happy now in the decrepit age of the world; A rich mine and generative mint of treasure, the gainful returns whereof, exceed more and more the labour and charge of those multitudes that are hourly set a work thereby.   

A CHARACTER OF LURANA.  
Opposite to Monticolia Lurana stands, separated by a most boisterous and working sea; she is replenished and very thick set with strong and well trunked Trees of all sorts, reduced at last to a perfect obedience to Druinas diadem partly by voluntary reddition & desire of protection, and partly by conquest: A multiplying and healthy spacious Forest she is, plentifully furnished with all those benefits, that air, earth, and water use to afford for necessity or pleasure. There are no where such huge ponds and fresh lakes, with goodly rivers and safe maritime harbours inviting foreign commerce, the soil fat and luxurious in divers places, and antipathetical to all venomous creatures, as Druina her neighbour is to all ravenous; Her lower region is stirred, and rarified with fresh quickening winds more frequently than other Forests, which makes her less subject to contagious diseases; so that I believe the saying of that Elaianian General (who being asked what he thought of Lurana, answered; That when the ill spirit proffered our Saviour all the kingdoms of the earth, he verily believed he intended to have still reserved Lurana for himself) proceeded rather from the resentment of the ill success and disgraceful repulses he had there, then from any sound judgement, or demerit of the Country; Nor can I subscribe to him that said LURANA was a good Country for them only to live in, who wanted a Country, that sh●e is a frippery of Bankerupts, who fly thither from Druina to play their aftergame. The plants here are of a strenuous Bulk, agile and very patient of hardness, though not of labour, for the greatest fault of this great FOREST is, that she swarms with too many Drones, whereby She may be called insignis, sed segnis terra, Somewhat incomposed they are in their trimming, extraordinary tender (and so are the brute Animals also) of their young ones, crafty and of a passable reach of understanding, light of belief and great listeners after news, which may be imputed to the long time of their unsettled government, fearing always some innovation or imminent danger, And by reason of their frequent revolts they have drawn upon themselves the pressures of war so often, that it seems to have somewhat cowed their spirits, as may be gathered from the very accent of their words, which they prolate in a whining kind of querulous tone, as if they were still complaining & crestfallen; nor do they believe to have come yet to the worst, for they have an old prophecy that the time will come when Lurana shall weep o'er the Druinians graves. Before this rough forest was civillizd, and trimmed by Druina, she had peculiar laws & customs of her own, but some of them were such that as one said, if they had been practised in Hell they would have turned up tupsiturvie the very kingdom of Satan, Some of Druinas Monarches made voyages thither in their own persons; and many of the royal stem were sent to govern, but always one of her prime Elms, to whom I read of four general submissions that were made▪ but the conquest could not be consummated till of late years, which may be imputed to some errors in the course of civil and martial policy.  
It was the practice of that self admiring mistress of the last Monarchy, into all Countries where she took footing, with the lance to bring in her language, and laws; This was not done here, but the Natives were left still incapable of Druinas laws, which only extended to her own plantations: So that the law of the Conqueror, did neither protect their lives, nor revenge their deaths, for it was no felony to fallen down any of them, yea in time of peace: Nor in civil causes could they implead or commence suit against any of the Druinians, or imbud, engraff, insoliat or inoculat upon any of them unless he were formerly enfranchised by charter of denization; so that the mere Luranians were reputed, outlaws, enemies and Aliens in their own soil; But this may be ascribed not so much to the policy of Druina, as to the great ones that came thither from her to plant themselves and push on a fortune, who dissuaded the communication of Druinas laws to the natives, because they might oppress, spoil, rob, peel, prune, and grub them up at pleasure; In these unsettled times many of Druina, and of late years of Cardenia also took firm rooting in the best and fattest soils of Lurana, so that they are grown since to a notable height; Amongst whom (now that I treat of Trees) the Cork did thrive wonderfully, and no doubt but by a singular benediction from above, the dew of heaven falling so plentifully upon his endeavours, as appears in all his branches, which he sees grafted upon noble scutcheons, and honourable shields; so that he may be called the miracle of his time, all things considered.  
Another reason that hindered a settled peace, and period of this conquest, was those vast proportions of lands which were distributed among Druinas Adventurers, which were such, that the whole Forest was in a manner cantonizd amongst a very few in number, of whom some had regal rights, there being eight County Palatines at once where the royal writ could not run; They had also implicit Commission left to discretion, and not tied to any regular form of plantation; And those huge tracts of ground they lorded over begat wealth, wealth usherd in pride, and pride tumultuary contentions amongst themselves, which gave the Luranians advantage to fish in those troubled waters for their liberty, and make often encroachments upon them; But had the Oak himself gone to the Forest, the inferior Trees had not shot up so high.  
Another mistake was, that the first undertakers made ill choice of the seats of their habitations; for they erected forts and houses in the open plains, turning the Natives into the Woods and places of fastness, whence they made eruptions and retraicts at pleasure, and whereas Caesar sometimes spoke of the Scythians, Difficilius erat invenirc, quam vincere;  
These were the oversights in civil policy, now there were also some in the conduct of the martial affairs; first, the small handfuls of Soldiers Druina sent, which came either unseasonably, or ill accommodated and paid. Then the cold pursuit of the main design, which like fire newly kindled under green wood, was often made to flash a little, and so left to go out. So that for the reduction of this spacious Forest to a perfect rule of obedience, Druina stood all this while in her own light, and could not see the Wood for Trees: until there sprung up a notable Virago a Princely female, for whom it seems the high hand of providence had as it were pointed out, and reserved this exploit; who besides the suppression of some intestine rebellions in her own Forest, the raising of Itelia to a free and fair Grove of Willows, and reaching her Princely boughs to settle the Crown of Ampelona upon the right royal Vine, besides the naval wars with Elaiana, and sundry other costly diversions, yet she made a full and final conquest of Lurana; And this work was done in a fullness of time, and concurrence of all felicity, when her royal successor was to bring another Sovereign Crown to aggrandise, and add to the Imperial and triumphant glory of Druina. Her predecessors in their course of government did but sometimes cast up the ground, and so leaving it fallow, it became quickly o'ergrown with weeds; But she like a great housewife did cast seed into it, sowing therein her own laws, and utterly extirpating all other; she did engraff all upon one stock, making no difference 'twixt the Luranian and them of Druina, by which coalition she received all alike into her immediate protection under the safe shadow of her Royal branches, making the beams of justice to be equally displayed upon all with like lustre. Yet for all this there was little return of the vast expense of treasure that might have served to purchase as great a Crown, which was employed to compass these ends, nor could Lurana though a most copious Country of herself, be brought by any parsimonious policy to support herself, but still Druina must part with her very radical moisture, and waste her own vital spirits to preserve her authority there, until that of late years the royal Oak did light upon Count Rhodophill (a stout and solid instrument most proper for so knotty a task, as well for courage as Counsel, and cut out for government and high affairs) who balancing all matters in the scales of his high and spacious understanding, hath so rectified all obliquities, beginning first with the vindication of wrongs done to the house of the Almighty; And so regulated the exorbitant expenses both civil and military, that the old arrearages under which that Crown had long groaned being defrayed, he hath brought Lurana to uphold and maintain herself, and return Druina for her protection, fruitfulness, and reducement to civility, a settled tribute proportionable to her greatness and plenty; So happy and advantageous it is▪ for a Prince to employ an able and idoneous Minister for the conduct of his state affairs; He hath wouned up the strings of that Musical instrument (which Lurana gives for her crest) so dextrously, and tuned her Orpheus-like (who in times passed by his melodious strains made the very Trees to follow him) to such a key, that she never gave a truer note; And indeed the right way was never hit upon, until now; Druina's Majesty never stood so high a tiptoe, nor shined with a greater lustre; The Sovereign power which Druinas Monarch useth to transmit for ruling and regulating that rough Forest, was never so individed and entire in the person of one, whereas before some of the great ones carried themselves in that height, as if they had been Colleagues with him: The scales of justice never moved more equally, for whereas before matters passed through a large grate, they may be said to be sifted now through a silken sive: commerce never flourished more; And the military forces (which are the finewes, and best security of a conquered Country,) were never better appointed, more exactly disciplined, and punctually paid; And whereas before, all places of profit and honour were either ingross'd or forestalld by reversionary grants (the bane and bugbears of industry) or conferred upon unworthy and ill affected Ministers, Druinas Monarque may now exercise all acts of grace and bounty with more freedom and choice; A singular incitement and golden spur to virtuous and active spirits; Lastly, the royal desmesnes and treasure was never more improved, for whereas formerly Lurana served as a goose for every one to pluck, her feathers go only now to fill the pillow of the Crown: So that putting all this together, Lurana may say as once that seven held City which was head of the last Monarchy (and pretends to be still of the Hierarchy) did say, Lateritia fui, futura sum marmorea.  
But I have wandered too long in this Forest, I will now hoist sail, and return to Druina, where I shall fix myself a while, but in regard the wind is not fair, I will stay a little, and spend the time to deduce out of what hath been spoken this short Corollary.  
Touching the relation that Druina with her united Crowns, hath to other states, it is to be considered, that the power of this part of the world, is balanced between the Oak, the Vine, and the Olive; as for the CEDAR and others, they shall come in hereafter.  
Elaiana hath the advantage of both the other in treasure, but she is thin planted, hath divers nurseries to supply, many irons perpetually in the fire, wants Corn, her dominions lie scattered, hath bold accessible coasts, and the conveyance of her Bullion from Columbina subject to be intercepted in the passage; And should Druina break out again into any traverses of War, and serious Hostility with her, Druina hath lately got no small advantage of her, by acquest of those Islands which lie in the Career to Columbina, which she colonizeth, and fortifieth daily more and more.  
Ampelona is thick set, and abounds with stirring Spirits, lieth close together; and being roundish and passable, no one part is far from succouring each other: She superabounds with Corn; which is quickly convertible to Coin; and being the common Mart and Thorow-Faire, lying in the middle of so many great Neighbours, can never want Money: Insomuch, that if you go to the intrinsique value of things, she will not, in regard of these Advantages, want much in weight, of the huge bulk of Elaiana.  
Druina being surrounded with the Sea, and having always so many moving invincible Castles in Sentinel, is hardly to be invaded; her King being said to keep as a Tortoise in his shell, and having many other Insularie advantages. So that it may be very properly said of the Oak, as the holy Prophet speaks of another great Tree; That the Waters make him great, and the Deep sets him on high.  
Druina would hardly be able to deal with any of the other single, unless upon the Defensive; but joined with Itelia, she can give them both Law at Sea; and confederating with either of the other two, she is able to oppress the third.  
Now, the only entire Head that confronts Elaiana's greatness, and is the Remora that stops her progress, is Ampelona: Therefore, that saying carrieth with it a great deal of Truth, and no less Caution; That the day of the ruin of AMPELONA, is the Eeve of the subversion of DRUINA. Therefore, from the time the Olive grew to be so great, Druina for strong reasons of State, hath inclined ever since, rather to maintain Ampelona, than any way to enfeeble her. And once, when the adventurous Vine was taken prisoner by the Olive, which was about the time that the Olive began first to shoot out his branches so wide, the Oak did contribute to ransom him.  
Moreover, in that memorable great Incendium, which raged so long by intermissive fits throughout the whole Body of Ampelona; to quench which, Elaiana, out of pretence of zeal to Religion, sent great Barrels of Water, though some say they were filled with Pitch and Oil, which did rather increase and feed the Fire: I say, at that time, when there was a Design to Provinciate the whole Kingdom; Druina, though offered a Canton, would not accept of it.  
So then, this link of mutual conservation enchaining them, the Oak may be presumed to be a sure Confederate of the Vine and the Willows also, all the while they contain themselves within those bounds they are in, at present. But if they should overmaster the Olive in Leoncia, it would much alter the case.  
No addition could make Ampelona more dangerous and suspectful to Druina, than Leoncia; for so it were far worse than if the Olive had all Leoncia solely to himself, in regard they would fall into one continued and entire piece.  
But to conclude, there cannot be a truer Maxim, for the safety of Druina and her Confederates, than this of a late great Statesman: Decrescat OLIVA, nec crescat VITIS.  
And thus have I finished the perambulation of Druina, with all her Pourliews, and Perquisits, together with her next transmarine neighbours, with whom she hath most pratique and necessary intelligence. I should now pass to Rhenusium (and so o'er the Mountains, to Bombycina) but that I am afraid to lose myself in so vast a Forest, before I should begin my promised Story: Therefore I will defer their Character to some emergent occasion out of the matter itself, and in the interim resume my subject, and return to my first Epoch. But before I proceed, I will give the Reader this short touch, that I do not purpose, by this discourse of Trees, to bring him into a Labyrinth, or impervious dark Thicket; for I know some, under borrowed Names and Types, have affected obscurity, of purpose to amuse the Reader, and make themselves admired for profound Reaches, when oftentimes their Fancies prove flat Impertinencies, and Nonsense: No; the Woods that I will lead him into, shall be fair and open (as he may partly perceive, by what hath preceded) so that he may easily distinguish 'twixt the kinds of Trees; it shall be lucus à lucendo.  
And imagine I am now returned to Druina; where I find all things flourishing, in a rare conjuncture of Peace, Security, Honour, and Plenty, under the Branches of the stately Caledonian Oak, newly settled in his triumphant Throne, begirt with Cions of his own royal Stem, and encircled with multitudes of ancient and nobly extracted Elms, holy and reverend Yewes, learned Laurels, stout Poplars, with other goodly Trees; the Lilies and Roses White and Red, did bourgeon round about him, the Muses and Graces made Festivals, the Fauns, Satyrs, and Nymphs, did dance their Roundelays, all the Trees of the field did clap their hands; and never were seen such Haltionian days: The Saturnian times of Gold let none henceforth admire, behold a true Pearly Age.  
All the neighbouring Forests stood at a gaze, envying this high felicity: The Vine, the Fir, the Myrtle, the Willows, sent to congratulate and comply with Druina; but above all other, the Olive, so shrewdly shaken before by her.  
To perform which work, the prime Officer of Honour Elaiana had by Land, was sent Ambassador, and that in a most high and courtly manner, to present the newly enthronised OAK with a Branch of Olive, the Emblem of Peace, and Elaiana's ancient Cognisance: Which being accepted, Druina in correspondence of State, sent her prime Officer at Sea, her Thalassiarcha, in such a splendid equipage, that Elaiana rings of the renown of it, to this day. The parts adjoining to Elaiana's royal Court did so strain themselves to entertain and welcome him, with his numerous Train, that some years passed, before they could recover themselves many miles about: for so grateful was his Errand, being an Embassy of Peace, and so bitter were the resentments and fatal effects of the former War, that young and old did bless him as he passed; deeming he had been some Angel descended from Heaven, and that his attendants were some kind of Seraphins, they so admired their comeliness; which did unbeguile the vulgar of the odd opinion the Loyalists had formerly infused into them, by their concionatorie Invectives, That the Druinians, since they left Petropolis, were transformed into strange horrid shapes; some having Dogs heads, others Swine's countenances, others huge tails hanging behind them.  
Such Ceremonies as these being mutually performed 'twixt Druina and her Confederates, and some other domestic Triumphs ended; the royal OAK (as well to express his Princely acknowledgement for his free and peaceful reception to Druina's Throne, without the least motion of opposition or murmur, which usually happen at such Changes, (whereat the neighbouring Princes, specially Ampelona's then Warlike Monarch, stood in a kind of admiration) which reception was accompanied also with unparallelled acclamations of Epidemical joy, as also for redress of divers Grievances, rectifying of Enormities, and enabling wholesome Laws) sent out Summons for a general Assembly, where his Royal Majesty, with all the noble Elms, the grave and learned Yewes, and a selected number of the choicest Poplars, should meet in one Body, to consult of the common Good; and here you might behold a goodly sight, the Epitome of all Druina.  
But there preceded a notable act of Princely grace: For whereas some, out of the motions of a malevolent spirit, and impostumated hearts, had, during the former universal Exultations of joy, been detected, to have had a most Treasonable and dangerous Design on foot against the Majesty of the Royal OAK, whereof they had been legally convicted and doomed; He merely, out of his inclination to Mercy, (wherein Kings come nearest to the Almighty) sent a private Missive, all of his own Characters, to pluck tnem out of the very jaws of Death; even then, when having made their peace with Heaven and Earth, the fatal Axe was imminent to fall upon them, and cut them quite off. And as this first, so were the rest of his whole reign high Acts of Clemency.  
But upon the very point, when the forenamed great Congregation was to re-assemble; behold, a horrid Plot of such a nature, that it seemed rather to have been a Piece hammered in Hell, by a Conventicle of Cacodaemons, then traced by humane invention. A sulphureous Mine it was, prepared and fitted with that Artifice, that in one Puff it should have blown up to the Clouds, and made but a Squib of that mighty Assembly, with many thousands of innocent Souls besides: Druina's Sovereign Monarch, with his Royal Consort, and Princely Imps, Root and Rinde, Stem and Stock, Bud and Blossom, had all been blasted; the reverend Yewes, noble Elms, and stout Poplars, had been all turned to Charcoal; yea, the fury of it had extended to the Embryo in the Womb; nay, the very inanimate Bodies had not been exempt; the sumptuous ancient Structures near adjoining, all the Tribunals of justice, yea, the prime Sanctuary Druina had, would have gone to wrack; nay, it would have raised up her dead Princes out of their sleeping Urns, to behold this black Spectacle: My hair stands on end, my heart trembleth at the horror of it: The Trinacrian Vespers, and Bartholomean Massacre, were nothing to this. And Religion must be the Mask, to cover this Hellish attempt: Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum?  
Sacred Lady, must thou be the Mantle to cover this infandous Work? Thou which usest to go clad in the white Vest of Innocence, must thou have a Deianira's Shirt now cast upon thee, a Robe of Blood? Thou which marchest always with the Armour of Light, must thou be made accessary to such a horrible Act of subterranean darkness? Thou which enjoinest subjects indispensable obedience to their Sovereigns, because they are the anointed and Archetypes of the Almighty, yea Gods upon earth, must thou be now made a complice to Assassins and Traitors? In fine, thou to whom the Prince of peace left for legacy his seamelesse close-woven garment of unity to deck thyself, must thou be brought to make ruptures and throw the ball of discord 'twixt Sovereign and subject? Absit, absit.  
For the discovery of this prodigious plot, specially the quality of it, it seems by some secret supernatural instinct, Druinas Monarque himself, when all his great Sages were at a stand, hit right upon it, for it being fore-threatned, and advertisement being fortunately lighted upon, that a sudden blow should be given, which should be no sooner doing, than a piece of paper burning, His Majesty entering into the secret Cabinet of his own deep and freeborn thoughts positively avouched, that it must be some project of nitre, than which nothing is more sudden and impetuous, more violent and irresistible: and herein he proved as much Prophet, as Prince.  
For oftentimes the conceptions of Kings are as far above the vulgar, as their condition is, for being higher elevated, and walking upon the battlements of Sovereignty, they sooner receive the inspirations of Heaven.  
They which make profession to pry into mysteries of estate, passed divers judgements upon this, some gave out, that the warlike Vine had sent advice of it, and that the then secretest of Druinas Sages, that great instrument of state had foreknowledge of it, but suffered the fatal thread to be spun out to that length for some politic respects, and then to cut it off in the very nick.  
Not long after a notorious high act of Treason, drawing to a near analogy with this, for the instrument was led by the same ill spirit, except that the one was single, yet upon the person of a public person, the other of multitudes, if you consider the Agents or Patients; The one was crushed in the shell, as it was upon point of hatching, and so most happily prevented, but this was fully perpetrated upon the body ot the great Martial Vine which swayed the Sceptre of the than most flourishing Ampelona; And Religion that holy and harmless Matron, must be made to sharpen the point of that fatal steel which did scarify and penetrate him to the very heart, and suddenly felled him to the ground; It was done when he had a potent Army so famed and feared far and near, composed of choice Veteranes upon a great mystical design in perfect equipage, which continueth a riddle to this day: And in the midst of those triumphs that were prepared for his Queen who had her Temples newly begirt with Ampelonas' royal diadem. And her fancies it seems the night before were prophetical, having dreamed that those Diamonds wherewith her Crown were embellishd, did turn to Pearls, which are accounted the Emblems of tears.  
But most remarkable it is what one of his own Confidents did forewarn him of twenty years before, who told him being newly come to the Crown, and forced to comply with the times in point of Ecclesiastical affairs, and being assaulted and wounded in the mouth by a young Loyalist.  
Sir, You see how just and punctual GOD Almighty is in his judgements, for I hope you have denied the Religion you were first nurtured in, but from the teeth outward, so he hath struck you there, but take heed your heart go not from it, for he will strike you there the next time, which proved precisely true.  
Not unlike this prophetic judgement was that which fell upon one of his predecessors not long before, who being so incensed against the Eusebians, that he vowed to pluck out one of their eyes to stigmatize and distinguish them from others; He was thrust the very same day into the eye himself by an Eusebian, whereof he breathed his last.  
A hard fate it was that three of Ampelona's Royal Monarques should fall within so narrow a compass of time by such mortal strokes. The last the most accomplished of all the rest, was the most lamented, who out of his cold Vine seems, me thinks, to send this mournful caveat to the greatest potentats on Earth.  
That they are but weak penetrable things, and though somewhat refined and kneaded from that courser sort of stuff, which goeth to the composition of the Citizens of the world, yet they are so much the more brittle ware, only they differ in their office, which nevertheless makes them to have far less to hope for, then to fear.  
A greater example hereof there could not be then in this great Puissant Prince, a Prince in whom nothing of worth was wanting, a pattern of all heroic virtues, except that he was transported sometimes too far by that Sex, which overcame the first, the strongest, and wisest, that ever were of humane race.  
Wonderful he was in acts of peace and war, he had been victorious in four main battles, before he could peaceably wear the Crown, he weeded the Kingdom of such as were devoted to Elaiana, and manumizd it, from that most dangerous confederacy which was fermenting many years, weakening it by arms, but dashing it to pieces by wit.  
For his Acts of peace, he inrichd Ampelona with a greater proportion of silk and wool, he beautified her in many places with sumptuous structures, cut passages 'twixt great Navigable Rivers, and was like to do the like 'twixt Sea and Sea. And some say he had a design to erect such a spiritual independent dignity in Ampelona, that his subjects should not need to clammer the hills so often to Petropolis; he dismorgagd the Crown demeans, made an increase of munition, arms and treasure, and left behind a mass of Gold that surmounted the height of a Lance; And all this may be ascribd to his own activeness.  
For, as for the outward windows of his Soul, he was rarely quick and perspicacious, so was he inwardly Eagle-eyed, and perfectly versed in the humours of his subjects. And such a great Artist he was in government, that he preserved Ampelona (which abounds more than one part of the Earth besides with boisterous spirits and hot working brains) twenty years together without the least tintamarre or noise of commotion:  
A brave sprightful Prince he was, composed of such a mould, that though he wanted but very few years of his grand Climacterique, when the mortal Stab was given him; yet the Anatomists adjudgd, That if Nature had been suffered to have run her own course in him, without this fatal interruption, he might have doubled his Age.  
Never was there Monarch, that Lorded more over his Subjects hearts: Which, as in many passages of his Life, so after his Death it appeared; when by the universal Vote, he was eternizd to future Ages with the Title of GREAT, and that his Statues should be erected in all the Mart Towns of Ampelona. — stat Magni nominis Vmbra.  
The Martial Vine being thus cut down, Ampelona fell under a Female Government, (a Female of rare endowments and Princely worth) until the succeeding young royal Cion should come to maturity: And they speak of an old Law, That the Heir of AMPELONA'S Crown is adjudgd then to have passed his Minority, when he is grown to the height of a Sword. So that during this Government, it may be said (notwithstanding the contrary Proverb:) Lunae radiis maturescebat botrus.  
Not long after the Vine, the mighty Olive his neighbour fell, who with his Beads was said to preserve all his time his spacious Dominions, as his Imperial Grandsire did by the Pike, and his Sire, that great Magus of his days, by the Pen; who, for some rare virtues that dwelled in him, I cannot pretermit with silence.  
He was the greatest Conqueror of himself, and King of his own affections, that ever was; being always at home within himself, in an admired equal temper of humours: No change at all was found in him at good or bad Events, or any sudden tumultuary Chance; whereof I will give a few notable instances.  
After that memorable great Battle and Naval Expedition against Alcharona, (when all Bombycina, with the adjacent Islands, were at the stake) was won, the relation being brought him, what a glorious Victory was got, and with what difficulty, and how long she fluttred upon the wings of doubtful success, he was not surprised a whit with any exulting motions of joy; only he said, That his Brother, who was Generalissimo in the service, had ventured very far: And it was the first time that he ever deigned to style him Brother, though they were of the same Stock, but he a Branch of the wild Olive. These were the most important and gladsomst tidings that possibly could be brought him, both concerning himself and all the Western world, as the case then stood.  
For ill news also, he was the same: For, in that mighty Expedition against Druina, when the very Virgin news was brought him of the most disastrous miscarriage of his Fleet, that monstrous Sea-Giantesse, the hugest that ever spread sail upon salt water, take Bulk and Building together; when all the circumstances were punctually related unto him, he was not moved a jot from himself, but calmly said, He had sent them to fight against DRUINA, not against the Deity of Heaven. And these were the saddest news that possibly could come. This having been an Enterprise so much ruminated upon, so moulded and matured by time, with infinite expense; the legality of the Act confirmed and animated by a special Benediction from the great Archflamin, and puffd up with such a certitude and infallibility of hopes and presumptions, that in Petropolis there were Bonfires already made, in joy of the Conquest of Druina. Yet, at the said long expected relation, there appeared not in him the least alteration or resentment in the world, for the miscarriage of this Mighty Action, and Invincible Fleet, as she was termed; which proved, as one said, but a kind of Morris-dance upon Druina's Waves.  
Another time, being shut up a whole day in his Closet, to dispatch some private instructions for Leoncia, about the time of her first revolt; and bringing them forth fairly written, to be dried, his then Secretary (that famous minister of State) being with the suddenness of his coming surprised, poured the Ink-box all over the Writings, and so defaced them, that they were made altogether illegible: This did not a whit stir him, but calmly called for more Paper, to rescribe them; showing him the difference 'twixt the Ink-box and Sandbox, against the next time.  
Thus in Eclipses and Sunshine, in Calm and Tempests, at ill or fortunate Occurrences, he was immovably the same; nor could any sudden inexpected contingency, were it of never so great consequence, distract, much less divorce him from himself.  
The Philosophers teach, That in natural Bodies, all things decay by the inward conflict of their Principles, and reluctancy of the predominant Elements: for, if a Body were eavenly balanced by the four Elements whence the humours are derived, it would be unperishable.  
The manners of the mind often follow the temper of these humours, therefore in this Prince it seems, there were the sedomst and weakest struggle amongst them that could be; A serious reserved speculative Prince he was, and could see far and near without Spectacles or Prospective, and as it was said of one of Druinas Monarques, he was used to stand in the dark to others, but he made all the world to stand in the light to him. He would often complain against his Sister of Druina, in that she fomented the Itelians his own natural Subjects against him, that she intercepted his Treasure, and countenanced her Captains to rob him in Columbina, and all this without provocation as he thought, pretending that he had deserved otherwise of her, by being once the chiefest instrument of saving her life, and restoring her to liberty, and having an Ambassador resident then at her Court, when these traverses of Enmity happened. He was a great example of PIETY in his kind, and that in so intense a degree, that he was used to say, If he knew the Princely plant which first sprung out of him did but brandle or haesitat in his Religion, he would have his breast ripped up, and those thoughts plucked out of him, nay he would gather sticks himself to burn him.  
The cause of the so early fall of that Prince is a riddle to this hour, but one time in a gay humour he wished in the hearing of his Sire, he had Elaiana's Crown upon his head but only one day; And this extravagant wish (as 'twas thought) did him no good; for not long after, he was transplanted into the other World by an immature Fate.  
Another Argument, or rather Monument, of the Piety of this Platonique Prince, was that Work of Wonder, that glorious Structure, which with expense of eight Millions of Treasure, and twenty three years of Time, (he himself enjoying the contentment of it twelve whole years after it was finished) he caused to be erected, in memory of that famous Battle he got against Ampelona, being then in Leoncia: And not as much in honour of the day, as of the Martyr, whose day it was; proportioning the Fabric to the shape of that Instrument he suffered upon. The Handle of it, makes a Magnificent Royal Palace; the Body, an huge Assembly of Cloisters, which make up a Convent, and an Academy. And so intentive were his thoughts upon this Piece of Piety, that when the long-longd for tidings were posted to him, of the miscarriage of the forementioned Fleet, which sailed at first with the wings of such confidence against Druina; he then having his eyes fixed upon a Mason, who was fitting a Cornerstone, he would neither ask, hear, or read one syllable, until he saw that Stone settled. Such a vast Pile was never reared up by Scaffold: and I subscribe to them that hold, the World hath not the like, in one entire Piece. And built it is with that unusual solidness, and moderate height, that it seems in his first thoughts he intended to make a Sacrifice of it to perpetuity, and to contest with the Iron Teeth of Time. It hath a Quadrangle for every Month in the Year: and whosoever will take an exact survey of it, must go above 30000 paces forward, about and backward, within the circumference of the Walls; and the very keys of this huge Edifice, poise above 1000 weight. This great Magus being seized upon by the hand of Death, he said none should carry him to his own Sepulchre, meaning that mighty Monument, but himself: Where he was no sooner come, but this huge Olive, which flourishd so long, (though shaken with many shrewd storms) fell, as they say, of vermiculation, being all worm-eaten within.  
The succeeding Princely Olive, though in profound reaches of Policy he came short of him, yet in Piety he rather exceeded him. He relied more upon the Spiritual power then the Temporal, holding it the safest course: And indeed, it was one of the Cardinal instructions his expiring Sire left him; and the other was, that he might war with all the world, if he were in peace with DRUINA. A little after, he yielded to treat with the Itelians as with Free-States; from which words, they ever since derive their independency, though Elaiana deny, that she ever pronounced them positively free, but retorts the argument upon them: For, if she condescended to treat with them as with Free-States, the Hypothesis must be, that they were not free: for the Topique Axiom is, Nullum simile est idem; but whether it will hold in Policy, I will not determine.   

OF RHENUSIUM. AND BOMBYCINA.  
ABout these times there arrived in Druina a Rhenusian Prince (Altapinus,) and Rhenasium abounds with Princes, yet they are from the beginning but branches fallen from the Imperial Cedar, whereof some are grown up single, other are multiplied into a great number of Groves.  
Huge is that extent of ground which belongs to the perambulation of this large Forest, which were she entirely subject to the Cedar, would prove formidable both to the Vine, the Olive, and the Oak with all other, and would be able of herself to make head against that huge Giantess Alcarona; But Rhenusium being divided between so many absolute Princes, and they of about equal puissance, (as a great River cut into many Channels grows weaker and shallower) Rhenusium strives only to counterpoise herself.  
Her Trees are well timbered, tall and beautiful, they are all commonly of the nature of the Plane, or Hortensius his graffs, which love to be watered with wine, but they use not only to be watered therewith, but to be overwhelmd and drowned therein, for they drink often passively, which made one ascribe unto them these two properties. To understand more than they can utter; And drink more than they can carry. And the universality of this vice, seems to take away the infancy of it; so that whosoever is temperate there, must needs be more temperate than any where else, for he must be so, per antiperistasin, being surrounded, and besieged as it were about with the contrary habit. The time was that the Cedar stretched forth his Imperial branches as far as the Mountains of the Moon, and that the King of Birds nested within his leaves, thick feathered, and with fullsummd wings fastening his Talents East and West; but now I know not by what fate or fortune 'tis come to pass, the Eagle is become half naked, and the Cedar very thin lewd, so that for many Ages it hath been a kind of continual Autumn with him. In so much that whosoever will undertake now the Imperial diadem, must have of his own wherewith to support and protect it; which I believe is one of the reasons, that it hath continued these two Ages and more years in that stem which is now so much spoken of, and envied in the World. And this reason of State sounds well why the Septemvirate lets it continue there so long, because this Race having its hereditary territories as Ramparts upon those regions that the huge Eastern Bramble Tyrannizeth over, is best able to preserve Rhenusium from his Fury.  
But to know the true cause why the Cedar hath so long warped, and fallen to this decay, I must lead you over the hills to Bombycina, that great Magazine of wits, and Minion of Nature, where some places acknowledge no other season but the spring; and they who abstract Paradise from the Earthly Globe, would have it to be in that part of the Heavens which is her Canopy.  
Petropolis is the City which once awed not only all Bombycina, but signorizd over most parts of the habitable earth, so far, that her trophies and territories were said to know no frontiers; yet at first the circuit of her walls was hardly a mile, and her pomerium and perquisits adjoining where they stretched furthest, scarce six, and the first number of her plants about 3000. Yet with time and fortune she so swollen up, that she became 50. miles about, and her Dominions above 3000. miles long; And the number of Graffs which sprang at one time in and about her walls, in a famous cense that was made, amounted to above three millions.  
Hence the Imperial Cedar shot out his warlike branches far and near for many ages, until the Ivy clasping and clinging close about him, suckd out of him much of his very radical moisture to vegetat and quicken himself, so that those twine and embracements of the Ivy proved but as judas kisses, and this mongst many others is one of the causes of the Cedars decay, out of whose ruins the Ivy did climb up to a monstrous height; And if it be lawful to pass from Trees to Birds, that memorable comparison which one publicly preached in the very Court of the Ivy, when he was Residentiarie upon the skirts of Ampelona three Ages since was not improper, at which time that renowned Poet Laureate did so bitterly inveigh against the exorbitancies of Petropolis, calling her the mother of heresy, shop of vice, and forge of falsehood; which comparison was, that this so high grown Ivy was like that featherlesse bird, which went about to beg plumes of other birds to cover his nakedness, they moved with commiseration clad him with part of their own, to which work the Eagle did contribute much; This Bird having his bareness covered with those adventitious feathers, did thrive wonderfully, and grew so gay that they all turned to Peacock's plumes, into whose nature the Bird himself did also degenerate, and it is well known what the Peacock is Emblem of. He began to peck at, and prey upon those Birds that were his benefactors, until he made some of them stark buzzards.  
Others have compared the Ivy to the Stag in the fable, which shrouded himself under the branches of the Vine in a time of necessity, which being passed, he fell a browzing, and to eat those leaves which preserved him; Thus the Ivy is said to use the Cedar, with others of his Patrons, who out of a high conceit of sanctity they held of him, because he was the great Arch Flamen, protected him upon all occasions, and would not stand out with him in any thing: But pity it is, that the fruits of Piety should be so abused; and that, that high degree of honour, that great Archflaminship which at first was ordained to be a spur to holiness, should after become a stirrup to pride.  
And as Petropolis at her first rise, when she came to be Mistress of the fourth Monarchy, and was at her highest flourish, used to clip the wings of victory, that she should not fly away from her; so she would have done to Religion also, since the Ivy came to be her Lord, that it should be found no where else, but between her walls; which made all the World to have recourse to her, as to the sole Oracle of sacred Truth, the Source of saving Knowledge, and Consistory of Mercy: and going about to monopolise Religion by these steps, she made mere Merchandise of holy things, and grew to be an excellent Chemist, that could transmute Led into Gold; persuading the silly Client, that out of that Led he might make Keys to open Heaven Gates. Thus Religion got wealth, Piety begot Policy, than the Daughters were said to devour their Mothers.  
Add hereunto, that it was the practice of the Ivy, to suscitate and engage the Cedar, with other Princes whom he could get into his grapple, to holy Expeditions abroad, and sometimes to make them clash their branches one against the other, at home; whereby he took often opportunity, to seize upon something towards the strengthening and embulking of himself.  
Thus the Ivy clinging so close to the Conscience, brought the Cedar, the Vine, and the Oak, with all the Western Potentates, to bow unto him, and do homage to his very Trunk, and in a manner to idolatrize him, and tremble as the Asp before him.  
He qualified the Cedar with the Character of his first Son; the Vine, of his younger; and the Oak, of his adopted; though I know no reason, why the Oak may not challenge the right of Primogeniture above all the rest, in regard his Crowns were first irradiated with the gleams of sacred Truth; and, as some great Clerks avouch, before Petropolis herself: and touching that Title, which doth peculiarize Druina's Monarch from all other, it is much more ancient than the common opinion holds it.  
The Olive, this last centenary of years, hath much complied with the Ivy, making profession to be his Champion: and indeed, he hath more reason than others to induce him thereunto, in regard he holds most of his Dominions in Fee of him; and amongst the rest, Hipparcha, which is one of the fairest Flowers of his Crown, being the most delicious Soil of all Bombicina: and this he detains from the Ivy, much against his will, for he should be the true possessory Lord thereof: But the Olive dispenseth with his Conscience, to pass it over with a Compliment, and a Heriot once every year, though he incur the thunder of an unavoidable Curse thereby. But it is observed, that that brave prancing Courser, which Hipparcha gives for her Crest, being formerly so full of mettle, that he would scarce brook Bridle or Saddle, hath been so broken and brought low by her, that he will now very patiently take the Bit, and bear a Packsaddle or Panniers, if need require, which they lay on him once every three years.  
The Ivy, by the degrees aforesaid, being led by such another Genius, it seems, as the first Nursery of Plants Petropolis had, who varnishd all their attempts with a singular reverence to the Gods, came from very small beginnings to a stupendious height. But there is one shrewd brand on it, that his greatest Patron opened a way to the Empire by a black way of perfidiousness and Treason, in felling down that Cedar, which was his liege Lord and Master; and to comply with the Ivy, condescended to give him, among other benefits, Petropolis for his Court. Ever since, the great Archflamin hath wonderfully thriven: for proceeding to domineer over, and captivate the noblest part of the intellectual Creature, he assumed power to depose Sovereign Princes, to dispose of their Diadems, and to dispense with their subjects from all ties of natural obedience. And so liberal he hath been, as to give away Druina (which he termed his inexhausted Source) once to the Vine, another time to the Olive; but with this Proviso, if they could conquer her: wherein they both soulely failed, though they employed the utmost of their strength.  
And the Ivy came to do these Feats by force and terror, a course very disagreeable to his Calling: For the Temporal and Spiritual Power should have an analogy with those two faculties of the Soul, the Will, and the Understanding: The Will dealeth with the Understanding by way of power and peremptory command, but the Understanding, after a sweet way of meekness, conducts the Will by persuasions and strength of Reason, and so leads him along in a Golden Chain.  
He amusd the World, that the Keys which open and shut Heaven, and let down to Hell, hang upon his Branches; the threats of his displeasure, came to be as dreadful as Thunderbolts: but of late years, they are found to be of a clean contrary quality: For the Thunderbolt is observed to quash and crush those Bodies, which with their toughness resist, but to spare those which are pliable and yielding; as oft times we find the Body of the Tree crushed to flitters, when the Bark is not touched: but those Fulminations which are darted from Petropolis, are of a quite different nature; for upon them that withstand and bear up against them, they are as Thunderbolts fallen into the Sea, forceless.  
And hereof the Royal Oak (and some hold, That the right Oak, being JOVE'S Tree, sacra jovi Quercus, is exempt from the stroke of Thunder) made first proof of, of any other Sovereign Prince; then the Fir, the Ash, with others, followed: And memorable is the Answer which one of the Royal Firres made Petropolis, when she would have exacted a new Pecuniary Duty of him; and it was this: That he had received Life from his Parents, the Kingdom from his People, and Religion from Petropolis, which if Petropolis desired, let her ' take it to her again.  
Moreover, this great Archflamin amusd the world, That he was endued with the Spirit of infallibility, That he was a speaking Scripture; so that, Heresy was defined to be nothing else all the world over, than an opinion in holy things contrary to his decision. And easy it was to induce the Poplars to believe this, who were allowed no other Books but Images; and taught besides, That Ignorance was the Mother of Devotion; and that in praying, God Almighty would understand them well enough, though they did not understand themselves, nor the words wherein they prayed: And in such Orisons, how is it possible that the heart and tongue should be Relatives?  
But strange it seems to me, that He who is mounted to this high Office, should be quite out of the reach of all Error, (for, commonly when one climbs very high, his head is subject to turn) considering, how grossly ignorant some of them were, that they understood not the Language of the Liturgy, considering also what prodigious Vices reigned in some of them; And Vice, Ignorance, and Error are commonly individual Mates, ushering in one another.  
Their own Secretary, one that was best capable to know their intrinsique Counsels, Practices, and Humours, hath left upon record, That some of them made way unto this more than humane Dignity, by Murder, others by Poison, many by Simony, some by the Sword, and one by tampering with ill Spirits; Adultery, Incest, and Blasphemy, have branded some of them; Fornication held a Peccadillo, and Pride became an inseparable companion to it: And one of the cunningest sleights of the Devil, is, when he cannot fall one upon plain ground, to lift him up with Pride. Which here grew so visible, that many believe the power of the Ivy had been long since at an end, had not the reputation and reverence the World bears to the humility and poverty of some innocent Graffs, that creep up in holy Orders under him, borne out the scandal of his Excesses: For it was plainly discovered, that whereas the Owl was used to build his Nest in the Ivy, Superstition and Error (which are also Birds of Darkness) thrust him out, and took his room.  
But of late years, that super-politique and irrefragable Society of the Loyalists have proppd up the Ivy; so that all their consultations and study tends to aggrandise him, to render him sole and supreme Lord of all the Earth: And, as for the Spiritual Power they would hoist him up to be the only Head; so for the Temporal, they would also have one Lord Paramount. And because it is most probable, to bring that mighty work to pass by the Olive, in regard of his spacious Dominions; therefore, all their policy tends to exalt him: insomuch, that of late years it is observed, of what Soil soever a Loyalist is, he is half Factor for the Olive. And when at the beginning of the Tumults in Leoncia, he was advisd to erect Citadels and Forts up and down, to keep under his subjects, One of his then greatest Sages answered, It would far more secure the Country, if the Societies of the Loyalists were multiplied for their Convents would serve for Castles.  
Profound Clerks they are, and the chiefest Court Rabbis, and the closest sort of Intelligencers; for they have a way to screw into the most inmost Closets of Princes, and to go between the very Bark and the Tree; though many times they prove Earwigs and Caterpillars to the tallest Trees. Nor do they make their Mercury's ex quolibet ligno; for they never admit any Blocks into their Society, but the best-timbred and choicest Plants, which they rear up for such uses, as best suits and goes along with the grain of their Genius. And though it be against their Canon, to receive Money for Alms; yet wheresoever they plant, they presently grow up to an incredible increase of Wealth.  
These Seraphical Fathers do so undervalue all other Orders, that they have a saying:  
The Church is the Soul of the World, the Clergy the Soul of the Church, and they the Soul of the Clergy.  
Amongst other points Petropolis holds, and these Loyalists with their main policy labour to uphold, one is, That whosoever they be, though they have the same primitive Symbol and substance of Faith with her; yet if they grow not within her enclosure, they are no other than Logs ordained for Hell-fire. Which Opinion, though it carry with it an hot kind of Zeal, it hath little Charity, I am sure, with it: For, besides those Myriads of Plants which grow up, and fall, under the Oak, the Fir, the Ash, and the Willows, and are thick set with Petropolitans in Rhenusium and Ampelona, with sundry other Forests, which have long since shaken off the still-encroaching Ivy; that vast Tract of Earth which Volgania contains, and those numberless multitudes which are up and down Alcarona; nay, those which are in and about the holiest of Cities, with that immense Region, which some hold to extend from one Tropic to the other, Lorded over by jochan Belul, who terms himself also the Head of the Church, and Touchstone of sacred Truth, and Tree of Knowledge, etc. (whom that great Clerk, and late Corrector of Times, would have to bear another Name, but wrongfully) I say, that huge Territory, which this great Monarch, with his Abuna, doth possess; since all these bear the general Character of Christians, and have the grounds and exercise of the Rites of true Piety, though in divers forms, it is an hard Censure, to judge that they are nought else but Brushwood, prepared for eternal flames, and utterly incapable to be made Timber for the enlarging of the Court of Heaven: But I believe this Tenet proceeds from a kind of Policy, to serve only for Terror.  
Let none mistake me, as if, while I treat of Trees, I should go about to make poisoned Arrows of them, to dart at Petropolis: No; I reverence her from my very Soul, for the first ancient Mother Church: but it hath been the practice of the common Enemy, That where Truth erecteth her Church, he helps Error to rear up a Chapel hard by.  
I firmly subscribe, and submit myself to whatsoever was ordained and acted in her, the first four Centurie of years; for, nothing makes more for the confirmation of my Faith, than her Doctrine and practise then.  
For in those Ages, a great many of her blessed Archflamins creeping lowly upon the ground, yielded themselves to be made Bonfires, for the maintenance of Truth; and out of their ashes, sprung up more and more innumerable holy Plants, which did wonderfully propagate, and they were all endued with the virtue of the Palm; the more they were oppressed and overset with the weight of Persecution, the faster, stronger, and straighter they grew up.  
In those days, the light of Divine Knowledge did stream from Petropolis, in beams of Innocence, Simpleness, and Humility; but afterwards (alas) it came to be offuscated and half choked up with Fogs of humane Fancies.  
Some presume to affirm, that if the Almighty would assume a visible extern shape, it should be compounded of Light and Truth, they are so essential unto him: Petropolis was once adorned with both these; but long since, the one hath been shrewdly dimmed, the other depraud, though neither quite extinguished (as some affirm in her.) So that I believe Druina had never forsaken Petropolis, had Petropolis stood firm to herself, and not swerud from her first grounds.  
But I find, that all the Devices and Crotchets of new Inventions which crept into her, tended either to enrich or enlarge the Ivy. The Bark of the Prime Apostle was employed to Piracy, and his Keys to unlock the Treasuries of Princes; and where they could not do, the Sword should break them open. But for his imaginary Exchequer, wherein were hoarded the redundancy of good works, nothing must open that, but Keys of massy Gold; Arguments were turned to Arms, and Mitres to Helmets: which made the World, in stead of being rectified, to run headlong into strange obliquities of Schism and Confusion. As much, if not more affiance and conceit of comfort began to be had in them, who once were sinners, and but yet supposed Saints, then in the Saviour himself: Vows and Orisons were made to them, that knew nothing of the heart; and amongst such a number of petty Deities, God was half forgotten. Dignities in Heaven, were disposed of on Earth; and to one of their Modern Saints, that place is given, which Lucifer lost. And the blessedst of mortal Wights, that ever breathed the Air of this lower Region, now questionless the highest Saint in the Celestial Hierarchy, began to be so impertinently importuned, that a great part of Divine Liturgy was addressed solely to her, in such a way that she questionless detests. They came so far in this point, that to make a perfect Salve for a sick Soul, they held there must be a mixture and compound made of Milk and Blood, and that they are both of equal virtue.  
Traditions and the Ivies decretals were made of equal force, and as authentical as the sacred Charter itself, and as much obliging the Conscience; and his Commands observed with more terror, than those which were delivered by the Voice of the Almighty, in Thunder and Lightning. It came to pass, that it grew a common thing, for one to plant a Tree, and with one part to heat his Oven, with the other to roast his Meat, and to make his God of the third.  
And whereas at the beginning, Man was made after God's image, which must be understood of the intern graces of the Soul, it grew a common practice, to make God after man's image in extern gross corporeal shapes, whereas the incomprehensible Majesty of the Almighty can neither be circumscribed in place, nor represented in Picture, but darkly describd by an aggregation of his Attributes.  
And whereas He being a Spirit ought to be served in spirit, and chiefly with intern worship, and engraven only in the Tables of the heart, most of His service came now to be extern in shows and representations, His Temples being filled with certain kinds of Antique faces and great Puppets in every corner; so that Petropolis became (as a little after her first foundation she was) a mere Grove of Idols.  
Moreover the mind was carried away with such a fond conceit, that Heaven, and that eternal weight of glory which is reserved there for the Blessed, might be over-merited by surplusage of works; Whereas there was never any proportion yet 'twixt infinity and things finite; nor was this Earth ever held but an indivisible point, and a thing of no dimension at all in respect of the Heavens; and there should be always a kind of proportion 'twixt the work and the reward.  
Thus they thought to climb up to Heaven, upon the Tree of their own Merits, whereas they should have observed that the Publican was bid to come down the Tree, before Grace could descend upon him.  
After this unlucky brood of errors, there crept in odd Philosophical subtleties, and forced terms of Art, which did much puzzle Sacred Theologie, and threw as it were dirt in her face, with their classical distinctions, cavils, quiddities, and so transformed her to a mere kind of sophistry and logomachy.  
Yet all this cannot deprive Petropolis of the Character of a true Church, (I cannot say adverbially true (and God is a lover of adverbs) she still hath the essential grounds, with the extern profession and exercise of saving knowledge. Though Tares repullulat, there is Wheat still left in the Field, the Foundation is good, though some odd Superstructures have been raised upon the first story; And he that pries into her with impartial eyes, will find that she is not so corrupt in her positions, as in her practice, for many who have been alured by her Books, have been averted again by her Churches, and the sight of her ceremonies, and antique forms, which in some places are such, that whereas Divinity should go clad like a Grave Venerable Matron, she may be said to be accoutred rather like a Courtisane.  
But some there are who do prosecute Petropolis with such a black irreconcilable malice, that whatsoever hath been once practised in her, though arbitrary and indifferent in itself, tending happily to decency and extern Ornament only, they hold it to be flat Idolatry; They think they can never fly far enough from her, whereby many of them striving to fly from superstition fall into flat profaneness, holding this hatred of Petropolis to be a point of holiness; so that they may be said to hate her Religion rather, than the corruption which depraves it; Nay such is their malignancy in this kind, that it extends to the very inanimat Creatures of Stone, Wood and Glass, so far, that had they their wills, there should not a Roof, Wall or Window stand which was once consecrated by Petropolis. And he was well served for his blind Zeal, who going to cut down an ancient white Hauthorne-Tree, which because she budded before others, might be an occasion of Superstition, had some of the prickles flew into his eye, and made him Monocular.  
Yet for all the specious fruits of sanctity these Dotard Trees outwardly bear, they are found commonly rotten at the heart, they are like putrified Wood shinining in the dark; And their fruit like that which is said to grow hard by the Sodomitique Lake, fair and goodly without, but hanled, crumbleth to Ashes; So injurious they are to Prayer (being the very Marrow into which the Soul melts in her Dovotion to Heaven) that the would thrust her out of her own House (the Temple) at least give her a small room that may be (unless she prove the extemporal issue of their own shallow brains) harrowed over with such impertinent Tautologies, and bold Expostulations.  
Such a deadly feud they have to hierarchy and degrees in holy Functions, that they account those high Luminaries which from all times have been apppointed for the Guidance and Government of the Church, to be nought else but Comets, and ill boding Stars.  
In their Conventicles they do commonly bella cum personis magis, quam peccatis gerere. Seldom do they give their Flocks any Milk, but strong Meats; they still thunder out Lightning and Tempest, and the dreadful Curses of the Law, which must needs whoorry many a poor Conscience upon dangerous Rocks, and doubts, and fits of Despair, and seldom do they apply the sweet, and Soule-solacing Lenitiffs of the Gospel, wherewith the corresives of the Law should be tempered, whence it may be inferred, that they think oftener of Hell than Heaven.  
Add hereunto, that some of these great Santons will not stick to expound the sacred Text, upon the warrant of their own private spirits, as if God Almighty appeared to them out of a Bush; but hereby they usually work themselves into some odd illumination of an egregious dotage: For they should learn,  
That in holy things, he that strikes upon the Anvil of his own Brain, is in danger to have the sparkles fly into his Face, which must needs dazzle him: nor is he unlike him, who layeth together hot burning Coals with his naked Fingers, in stead of a pair of Tongues.  
I could wish, that these sciolous Zelotists had more judgement joined with their Zeal, that they would not run away so far from their Text; it were well, that they would suffer Reason to persuade them, before she invades them, as commonly in Argument she doth: That they had more of the spirit of Conformity and Obedience, to the Constitutions and Commands of lawful Authority; which commonly every ignorant and shallow mechanic spirit amongst them, will presume to censure or demur upon, and upon every trivial Cavil raise Clamours. As in Itelia, where these fanatique spirits most swarm, not long ago two of their greatest Clerks kept a mighty ado, Whether AARON'S Ephod was of Seagreen, or Sky-colour: and this disturbed a while the whole Assembly, there being hot abetters on both sides. And indeed, these obstreperous sceptics are the greatest bane of Divinity, who are so full of the spirit of Contradiction, that they raise daily new disputes, and multiply Controversies, so that they are almost without number.  
And if the Loyalists on the one side, and they on the other were quite grubd up (For they are but Brambles in the Lords Vinyard) or cut down (and there is a strong warrant that every Tree which beareth not good fruit should be cut down) or that they were sent to plant in Utopia, it were no great matter. For with their extremes they blow the bellows, and are the common Incendiaries of all combustions wheresoever they come; For the One, they have it from their first Planter who had been of the profession of blood; therefore they would propagat Piety as Alcharona doth hers, with the sword, and so make Religion to be Gladij pedissequa, and which is worse, the Mantle, to palliate all their designs, so that if one should pry narrowly into the carriage of their actions, it would put him in mind of that damnable tenet of the Atheist, In nomine Domini fit omne malum.  
And between these two, the Western Church, yea, Faith herself, that sacred Lady, doth suffer as 'twixt two Malefactors, the one disturbing her peace, the other depraving her doctrine; but the time will come that they shall be both crushed to pieces, on both sides, and not a bone of hers broken.  
But nothing is so natural to the humane Creature, and which he longs after, and delights in more, than novelty and change, yea in holy things; And as long as he is compounded of the four Elements, whose very being consists in mutability, his brain must still fluctuate with new fancies; As long as there are diversity of Climes, whence the Celestial bodies send down their influences, and make impressions upon the mind in different degrees of temper, there must be various Ideas and conceptions of the Deity, as well as of all other things; And as time doth work a revolution in itself, so it doth in all sublunary matters; We grow weary of old things, of Moral and Politic Laws, of the most exact and regularst Languages, of outward habits, yea the inward habitudes are subject to this; nay Religion herself is not exempt, but like the Moon hath Eclipses, Changes and Spots; But as some Astronomers affirm those Specks which are discerned in the body of the Moon to be caused, by the shadowy reflections of Rocks & Mountains which are upon the surface of the Earth; So the swelling vain conceits, that arise, and puff up the mind, are the causes of such blemishes in Religion.  
An undeniable principle it is, that there is but one Truth, and one Tracke which leadeth to the right notion of the Almighty: And certainly He being a Spirit and the most simple of essences, they approach nearest this Track, who serve Him, as I said before, in Spirit and simplicity of thoughts, with the least mixture of extern Rights and humane inventions: for as in Heraldry, 'tis held a rule, that the plainer the Coat of Arms is, the more ancient it is: so in the blazon of true Religion, the more simple and plain the form is, (yet I always presuppose decency) the nearer it comes to the old Primitive times.  
Therefore, that Religion which hath least of the outward object, to avoid all occasions of Idolatry, but worships the Godhead by a speculative act of the Understanding, and goeth directly to Himself: That Religion which derogates from the Creature, and ascribes most glory to the Creator: That which transfers not his Honour, (whereof he is most jealous) or mis-applyeth it to any other: That which makes the poor peccant Soul rely only upon the Riches of his Mercy, and so by a necessary recourse to enbosome and endear herself unto him; That Religion surely is most agreeable to the invisible and omniscious God.  
And my heart trembleth, when I think how few there are of this, upon the surface of the Earth: For, as one who had conversd far and near with the Citizens of the world, doth avouch, if the Globe of the Earth were divided into thirty parts, they would hardly make up three parts of thirty.  
But whither am I thus transported? I hope to be dispensd withal, for the quality of the subject, which is the unum necessarium, which made me dwell so long upon it. I should now post back to Druina; but that before I part with Bombycina, I must needs salute the amorous Myrtle (and her Metropolis Adriana) in regard she hath been always a true Confederate to the Royal Oak.   

A CHARACTER OF ADRIANA.  
ANd here behold a thing of wonder, Adriana sited upon an assembly of Islands, in the very jaws of Neptune: where being planted at the very first a Christian (a prerogative she worthily vaunts of above all other) she hath continued a Virgin ever since, near upon twelve long Ages, under the same form and face of Government, without any visible token, or least wrinkle of old Age.  
The great Archflamin espoused her once to Neptune; and a Prophecy there is, That she shall continue a Virgin, until he forsakes her: and he, of late years, is observed to shrink, and grow weaker about her, as if she had made him overlabour himself too much upon her. And it is well known, no place swims more in all manner of wanton pleasure; witness those multitudes of Medlars which make their Beds, and are permitted to grow about the Myrtle, for which she is so much spoken of all the world over.  
Most renowned Adriana hath been, for brave exploits up and down the World, having wrestled with the greatest of Earthly Potentates; She re-establishd the Eastern Cedar more than once, in his Throne; she restored the Ivy twice in his holy Seat, being chasd out of Petropolis: which made the great Archflamin of late years to be foully taxed of a kind of ingratitude, in offering to cause her Armouries to be defacd in his Court, having so well deserved of him: But it is thought, since she expelld the Loyalists out of her Territories, Petropolis hath still a grudge to her, which lieth yet indigested, and is in her like Lees in the bottom of a Tub of Wine, which at the least stirring of the Vessel is ready to rise up.  
By the Charter of her Saint, she is to have in her Arsenal as many warlike Vessels, as there be days in the year; and in the Summer season, as many in course as there be hours in the natural day, to scour three hundred miles of Sea, whereof she is Protectress. And some kind of Vessels she hath, which knew not how to be beaten, until of late years that top of Druina's Cavaliers (one that hath spirit enough to actuate that goodly tall Bulk) receiving from them some affronts, met with them handsomely, and bangd them to good purpose.  
In that dangerous League, when most of the Occidental Potentates were banded against her, and in a manner conspired to sink her, she bore up above water, against them all. But her custom hath been, to piece the Lion's skin with a Fox tail, and so to supply the weakness of Force, by wiliness of Art, and advantage of Treaty. And it is well known, how the Myrtle hath taught the Willows of late years part of her Cunning; between whom, there is an irrefragable Confederacy, to bait Elaiana, and stop the further growth of the Olive.  
Amongst other things, Adriana is much cried up for, her rich Treasure is one, which Elaiana hath often attempted to exhaust: And one of her Ambassadors desiring on a time to see it, seemed to slight it, in comparison of his great Master's Treasure, which is perpetually growing, and hath no bottom, as that had: Which made one say, That Adriana, in relation to the four Elements, hath her City in Water, her Treasure in the Air, her Virtue in Fire, which makes the Earth so to fly away from her.  
True it is, that of late years the Myrtle hath been at a stand, in improving the Treasure of her Saint, since Elaiana hath crossed the Equinoctial, and found out a Track by Sea to Levantina; whence Adriana did use to receive, not far from her own home, and dispense through all the Western world, those aromatic and dainty Fruits the Indian Trees afford: but she gives out, that the loss of that Trade is recompensed, by certain singular Immunities she hath through some of the Dominions of Alcarona: So that of late years she is shrewdly suspected to be a Concubine to the huge Bramble, who hath often loppd her Myrtle, and cut off the only Regal Branch she had: And against him it must be confessed, she is the greatest Rampart, and best Security all the Western Princes have any where by Sea.  
Thus the Myrtle flourisheth still: And truly, a rare and wonderful thing it is, that for so long a tract of Time, considering the violent storms that have shaken her so often, she should still continue fresh, and without warping, or any considerable change, or the least symptom of old Age, as I said before. Whereas other Political Bodies, of a far greater Bulk, have met with their Grand Climacterique, and received Changes, in a far shorter Revolution of Time.  
For Political Bodies, as well as Natural, have their degrees of Age, Declinings and Periods; which I cannot so properly term Periods, as Successions or Vicissitudes. Commonweals have often turned to Kingdoms, and Realms have been cut out into Republics; the ruin of one, being still the raising of the other; as one foot cannot be lifted up, till the other be down: Witness those four mighty Monarchies, which were as Spokes upon Fortune's Wheel, or as so many Nails driving out one another.  
And so is it also in Natural Bodies; the corruption of one, is still the generation of another: so that, it seems, Nature hath her Wheel also, as well as Fortune; and these Changes and Chances, tend to preserve the whole from decaying. So, that the opinion of that Adrianian, since much enriched by a Learned Druinian, is far from deserving to be exploded for a Paradox, viz. That the Universe doth not decay or impair at all in the whole, but in its individuals and parts.  
For, as the preservation of the World, is a continual Production; so in this Production, as I said before, the corruption of one, foreruns the generation of another: Therefore, to bear up the whole, if there be a decay in one place, 'tis recompencd in some other: so that one may say, Nature danceth in a Circle, and by this Circulation, preserves the visible World.  
The Meteorologists observe, that amongst the four Elements, which are the ingredients of all sublunary Creatures, there is a notable kind of correspondency: the Fire, by condensation looseth to the Air; the Air, by rare-faction looseth to the Fire; Water attenuated, becomes Air; Aire thickened, becomes Water; the Earth, by secret conveyances, le's in the Sea, and sends it back fresh; her Bowels serving, as it were, for a Lymbique. So that we see hereby, there is a punctual retribution, and a kind of mutual compensation between them, which, doubtless, tends to the propagation and increase of all compounded Bodies; amongst which, there is also a perpetual and restless succession of Individuals, to keep the whole from failing. For, as a Ship (as one made a very apposite comparison) riding at anchor, tosseth and tumbleth up and down perpetually, yet cannot go beyond the length of the Cable to which she is tied, and so in this turbulent motion showeth a constancy: so is it with the Universe, wherein all things hang by the Plummets of Providence.  
Therefore, I cannot subscribe to their speculation, that think the World hath been long since in a Hectic Fever, and so drawing on to a Consumption: That neither Vegetable, Sensitive, nor Rational Creatures, are in that height of perfection, as in former times: That Virtue shines not with so strong a lustre: That Invention is far shallower, and Age shorter: That the Modern World, compared with the Ancient, is as a Dwarf upon a Giant's shoulders, or as Noon shadows compared to the Mornings.  
I must confess, Antiquity is venerable; which makes us extenuate things present, and extol things passed, and make it still the Burden of our Song, Well fare the old Times; implying thereby, a palpable decay or dotage in all things.  
Yet we find, that the two great Luminaries of Heaven, and the rest of the Celestial Bodies, have still the same virtue and operation, without the least imaginary diminution; all Elementary Bodies receive vigour and strength from their influence.  
Therefore I do not see, how the present can be so far inferior, in point of perfection, to them of former Ages, considering the virtual Causes remain still in the same strength: and as for Invention, Wisdom, and Learning, I do not see, but the second thoughts of latter Ages, may be as wise as those of elder Times.  
I know, the time must come, that Heaven and Earth shall pass away, and that there will be a final Dissolution, though no Annihilation of the Matter, but a destruction of the Old Form, and introduction of a New.  
And of late years, some would be so foolhardy, as to presume to be more of the Cabinet Counsel of God Almighty, than the Angels themselves, (by whose ministry, some say, he created the World) as to point at the precise Time of this Dissolution: amongst other arguments, they fetch down one from Heaven itself; which is, that the Polar Star, which is in the tail of the lesser Bear, was in Ptolomey's time twelve Degrees from the Pole of the Equator; this Star hath insensibly still crept nearer the Pole, so that now 'tis but three Degrees off, when it comes to touch or make the nearest approach that can be to the Pole, which may well come to pass in 500 years; Nature herself, they say, must expire, or some notable Period.  
But I have been carried away too far by this Speculation, caused by Adriana; which, of any Political Body, may be produced for an instance, against a general decay, and impairing of the Modern World: Though some, which repine at the Myrtles prosperity, say, That those stout and venturous Trees, wherewith she was used to be fenced, are lately degenerated (in point of valour) to weak Reeds, for their Pusillanimity, and too much Caution, when they come to any Warlike encounter.  
And now it is high time for me to shake hands with Adriana, and Bombycina also; whereof I must not forget to tell you, that the Olive now occupyeth four parts of seven, if she were so divided: And to his Greatness, and the apprehension of fears and jealousies they have, that he would fish in troubled waters, may be ascribd the Concord and Calm of Bombycina's Princes; who, as once the Mice would have hung a Bell at the Cat's Neck, but after consultation, could not agree who should venture first to put it on; would plot something still against the Olive. Add hereunto, that besides this Peace, there is plenty of Treasure, that comes to Bombycina by the Olive, who makes one of her proudest Cities his Scale, for remitting his Monies to Leoncia: But that City, in respect of him, may be said to be as a Partridge under a Falcon's wings; who can seize upon her at pleasure, but doth not, for politic respects.  
Bombycina was used to be most under the Mulberry, the wisest of all Trees; for, he never puts forth his Buds, till all the cold weather be passed: And so indeed, the Plants Bombycina produceth, are accounted the wisest, politiquest, and most reserved and cautious of all other. 'Tis a Rule amongst them:  
That he cannot be essentially wise, who openeth all the Boxes of his Breast to any.  
They are, for the most part, of a speculative complexion; And he is accounted little less than a fool, who is not melancholy once a day. They are only bountiful to their betters, from whom they hope to receive a greater benefit: To others, the Purse is closest shut, when the Mouth opens widest; nor are you like to get a piece of Cake there, unless yours be known to be in the Oven.  
Yet are they the greatest embracers of Pleasure, of any other upon Earth; and they esteem of Pearls as Pebbles, so they may satisfy their gust, in point of Pleasure or Revenge. Here you shall find Love and Hatred, Virtue and Vice, Atheism and Religion, in their Extremes; for the greatest Wits depraud, are the most dangerous; Corruptio optimi, est pessima: Yet the Character one lately gave of them, seems to savour too much of the Satire: viz.  
That the Bombycinian is unnatural in his Lust, irreconcilable in his Hatred, and unfoordable in his thoughts; That with one breath, he bloweth hot and cold; and to compass his own ends, he will light a Candle to the Devil.  
I know, there is no Country, without her Nick.  
As Ampelona, to be a great Bedlam.  
Bombycina, a great Bordello.  
Rhenusium, a huge Brewhouse.  
Elaiana, Nature's Sweating-Tub.  
Druina, a Stage of Mimiques.  
Lurana, a Frippery of Bankrupts.  
Monticolia, a Conventicle of Hills.  
Cardenia, the Urinal of the Planets.  
And Itelia, the Suburbs of Hell, being situated lowest of any other upon the Earthly Globe.  
For my own particular, were I to associate with a stranger, I would single out a Bombycinian before any other, for my conversation: for, of those twelve several sorts of Forreners I have had occasion to converse withal, I never knew any yet symbolising so much with them of Druina, or complying more with their humour.   

OF THE ARRIVAL OF Prince ALTAPINUS in DRVINA.  
But it is high time for me to return now to my Rhenusian Prince Altapinus, newly arrived in Druina upon a high design of love, and no less than to the fairest branch of the Royal Oak, that Mirror of all perfections; The Itelians and the old Fox of Ardennes, with Druinas greatest Archflamin, did mainly advance the work, together with the Princely Orange, and the Willows; but the Royal Fir of Elatena, and that great Queen from which she sprang, gave but cold consent thereunto, and it was thought it lessened some part of her natural affection towards her ever after. Yet Altapinus was admitted a Suitor, and as he was in hot pursuit of this brave attempt of love, behold a most mournful accident of fate intervenes; the fall of that brave Standell, which should have immediately succeeded the Royal Oak, in all his Dominions; This struck an Earthquake into all hearts for the present, which were affected with various passions of grief, fear, amazement, and dark suspicions, that in regard his fall was so immature and sudden, it could not be without some sinister practice of violent means, nor can some be weaned from that conceit to this day, imputing the cause of it to a precocitie of Spirit and valour in him, and that therefore some infectious Southern Air did blast him. But this is certain that there was intelligence of it in Elaianas' Court amongst the Luranian Loyalists a pretty while before his fall.  
This incomparable Prince was so lamented, that all kind of Trees throughout the whole Forest hung down their heads, and seemed to be turned to Cypresses for the time, which being expired, the nuptials of Prince Altapinus were consummated, and when the conjugal knot was a tying, the Princely Bride was observed to be possessed with a sudden apprehension and eruptions of joy, which as the iron decree of fate would have it, turned after into many pangs, God wot, of anguish and sorrow.  
For being but a few years settled in Rhenusium, during which time all the neighbouring Princes envied their high felicity; Behold the Cedar, by the instigation of the Loyalists, fell out with the Homebians who had elected him to be their King, provided that he would keep their privileges inviolable, but they alleging he had infringed them, they would continue no longer under the shelter of his boughs, but shook him off, tore his Seals, and resumd liberty to choose another King.  
Hereupon they made a proffer of their Crown (I cannot say it was the maiden proffer) to Pr: Altapinus, who consulting upon it, though not so maturely, as the disastrous events showed afterwards, accepted it. Many there were which animated him thereunto, and amongst other motives of incitement they used, one was, that if he had courage enough to adventure upon the fairest branch, and sole of that kind of Druinas Royal Oak, he might very well venture upon a Crown when it was tendered him.  
Thus he went triumphantly to Homebia where he was inaugurated and crowned king with many high expressions of joy and triumph.  
About these times behold a fatal torch appeared in the Heavens, placed there by the great Architect of the world, to forewarn Mortals of their miseries, And the direfullst effects it produced were under that clime:  
Those blazing lamps which in this latter age had appeared in the asterisms of Cassiopaeia, the Serpent and Swan brought not forth such horrid events as this in the VIRGIN sign.  
It were to digress from the scope of this discourse, to make disquisition whether these unusual lights be hospites or Indigenae, new-come guests or old Inhabitants in Heaven, or whether they be mere meteorological impressions not transcending the upper Region, or whether to be ranked amongst celestial bodies; I leave the indagation of this high cause to the Disciples of johannes de sacro bosco of john of holy bush, it being not the subject of my Trees at this time. But these hairy lamps have been noted to have been always the fatal Ushers of calamity and alterations in states; And as upon earth prodigious births portend no good, so these new engendered monsters above, point always at some sad events to follow, either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, wars, pestilence, or famine, all which have most miserably raged through poor Rhenusium ever since, and cease not to this very hour; and that with such fury, that in many places the bed cannot privilege the sick, nor the cradle the suckling, nor the great belly the Embryo, nor the Tribunal the Magistrate, nor the Altar the Priest:  
The chief grounds of all which, was imputed to this revolt of the Homebians, from the Cedar. For the heavens bright eye had scarce run one whole career through the Zodiac, but towards that season of greatest mirth throughout the whole year, The Cedar had capitulated with the Elder, (who from that time forward fell sick of the gall, (a disease incident to old trees) against Altapinus, though he was the principal branch of his stock) to muster up certain military forces to his use, for the expense of which service he engaged part of his Country to him, with which forces, though fewer in number, and tired with long marches, he suddenly assailed Altapinus his royal army, and got the day. The Elder pursued his victory to the very walls, where Altapinus with the Princely Carbasilis reigned, and being surprised were constrained to fly in confused manner with half bag and baggage.  
Thus the Inconstant goddess turned her wheel about, and for this shadowy Crown made him lose the substance, viz. his Princely inheritance, the brave territories of Baccharia. Some there are which thought it much that Altapinus appeared not himself in the field, the day of this battle, in regard his newly worn Crown stood upon the fortune of it; And that having good store of treasure in cash he suffered his Soldiers to be heartless, and ready to mutiny for pay, most of that treasure falling afterwards a booty to the enemy.  
The infortunate Altapinus traversing up and down Rhenusium came at last with the Princely Carbasilis to Itelia, where the martial Orange well-comd her with high demonstrations of joy, and his first congratulation was, that if she had been the Masculine Plant, Homebias' Crown had never been lost so slightly.  
And good reason they had to be welcome to Itelia, for it is more than conjecturd, that 'twas she who put Prince Altapinus upon this fatal enterprise to advance her own ends. For the truce with Elaiana being then upon point of expiring, she had no hope to draw Druinas Monarch, whose genius was so strongly bend for peace, but by these means, into military engagements, that so part of Elaianas' strength might fall upon him: but Itelia reckoned without her host in this point.  
For the first tidings being brought him of that undertaking, He calls his sages together, and in a profound sense of sorrow, and a kind of prophetic spirit (and the Oak of all other Trees is only fatidicall) told them, what a fearful infortunate business this would prove; And that the youngest there amongst them should not see the end of it; which by sad experience hath proud too true, & yet continueth. Moreover he was used to say that the Homebians made use of Altapinus, as the Fox did of the Cat's foot to pull the Apple out of the fire for his own eating: And from that day to his last, he disavowed the Act, nor would he afford Altapinus the title of King, alleging that it would be a dangerous precedent to justify the tumultuary uprisings of subjects in that kind against their King.  
And as this disastrous business begun with an ominous Comett, so there hath an ill planett, hung over it ever since, for scarce any enterprise hath prospered in the procedure of it, but one calamity still usherd in another. Finis unius mali, Gradus est futuri. As if some ill-boding Mandrake had been found out, and grubd up in Baccharia, at the beginning of this fatal undertaking. The Cedar having thus debelld the Homebians, to are the labels of most of their ancient laws, made new ordinances, and put some of them to exquisite torments, pretending that, that Crown belonged no more to him by Election, but that he was their proprietary Liege Lord by Conquest. Nor did he hold this to be an equal reparation for the indignity he had received by Altapinus, but made his recourse to his Nephew the Olive, whom he partly entreated as being the strongest of his stock (and therefore should be sensible of the affront) and partly summoned him as being Prince of the Rhenusian Empire, and holding Leoncia and other territories in homage of him, to assist him with some auxiliary forces, to vindicat this high disgrace, which was done him by Altapinus.  
Hereupon the Olive lent him his great Captain the Thorn, with the flower of his forces in Leoncia, who shortly after invaded Baccharia (Altapinus his ancient patrimony, and Carbafilis jointure) whereof he impatronizd himself without scarce one stroke given; though at that time the Princes that were his confederates, had in a ready martial equipage twice the number the Thorn had: But it seems they all proved stupid unwieldy blocks, and they coloured their cowardice with some presumptions they had, that Dolus versabatur in Generali; that their chief leader was corrupted before hand with Elaianas' gold. Thus that great body of logs disbanded in part, yet some kept still together, as shall be said hereafter.  
The Cedar upon this new acquest, disengaged his own territory that he had transmitted to the Elder, and gave him part of Baccharia for caution for his disbursments; And to the Olive he transferrd the tenablest and strongest places there to hold them as Commissary under him.  
While these feats were a doing in Rhenusium, a hardy Cavalier, as he hath given notable proofs both at Sea and shore, was sent from Druina against the Timauranians at the request of the royal Olive, and this was done by the negotiation of Mordogan that notable engine of policy; And it was done of purpose, as it appeared afterwards, to weaken and divert the strength of Druina, while the Thorn invaded, and seized upon Baccharia.  
This Cavalier complained he was sent to fight with his arms tied behind him, for his Commission being so strict (and strength without Commission sufficient, is like a match without fire) that could not meddle with any thing upon the land, Elaiana also failing of that kind of supply she had promised to join to his, he could not do those exploits which might have been atchieud with such a power; yet his attempt before Galeri was brave, had the Heavens continued propitious, and to speak the truth of any public expedition, Druina made abroad ever since, this redounded least to her prejudice; For he met with no passive encounter, at all, but was master of the Sea, and secured traffic all the while; But as the foresaid attempt in Galeri road for fyring all kind of bottoms wherein (her offensive strength only consists) was prevented and dashed, by sudden still perpendicular cataracts of rain: so an Age since when that restless Martialist Elaianas' King and Emperor had an enterprise to destroy Galeri, being in sight of shore, with a most powerful fleet, one of her Flamens went upon a rock hard by, and after some kind of exorcising speeches and postures, he took a long white wand, and struck the waves thrice, And going thereupon to the Town, he encouraged the inhabitants thereof with notable exaggerations of confidence, that they should be of good cheer, for before night there should be Elaianians in Galeri market as cheap as birds.  
Hereupon the Heavens did suddenly change hue, and a most fearful tempest fell, In so much that the Emperor himself escaped with extreme difficulty; And it fell true that his Soldiers were sold by multitudes in Galeri's Bannier towards the evening a little after the shipwreck.  
I will not presume to pry into the secrets of the Almighty disposer of all things whose handmaid nature is, how far he lets lose the reins to the ill spirit of the air, to cause such sudden impressions upon the Elements, whereof there are daily wonderful examples amongst this crew of Corsaries.  
I know Philosophy and strength of art can do much, and by connexion of natural Agents and patients fitly applied can produce such effects that may seem admirable to those that know not the cause; but for these extemporal meteors, I believe it is beyond the reach of humane skill, unless the ill spirit hath a hand in it.  
But what a foul shame is it, that one base Nest of Picaroons should confront and daily damnify all the Western World? Unless the dishonour thereof be recompencd with this advantage, That the Voyaging Merchant sails with stronger and better-built Vessels, which may serve the public upon occasion of Wars.  
These times were very fatal to Favourites, both in Elaiana, Druina, and Ampelona.  
In Elaiana, that ancient Elm, which bore up that spacious Monarchy like another Atlas, and served as a mighty Prop to the Olive, and did what he would in Petropolis for so many years, was removed from the Helm: but foreseeing the storm which was like to fall upon him from the Secular power, he wisely transformed himself into an Yew; and 'tis well known, what high prerogatives the Yews have in Elaiana.  
His eldest Graff succeeded him a while in Royal favour; but he quickly fell, by the malignancy of great ones; the apprehension whereof, sunk so deep into him, that it brought him to his last end. His brave old Sire hearing that, sent him word a little before his fall; That he understood he was dying like a Fool (of mere conceit;) for his own part, he feared no other enemies, but his years.  
In Druina also, that high-growne Tree, which had been long fostered under the indulgent branches of the Royal Oak, became enamoured with the fair Consort of one of the noblest Elms in the whole Forest; who having continued some years fruitless, and fearing a perpetual barrenness with him, articled against his frigidity, and so pleaded for a Divorce: He perceiving Majesty to appear in it, made but cold opposition.  
Hereupon it was referrd to the reverend Yews, to determine; and amongst them, some gave their suffrage for a Nullity.  
A discreet Confident of that great Tree, (which came from a low Plant to be so eminent) dissuading him from engraffing upon another's right, was taken as a block out of the way, clapped in Prison, and afterwards made away by Poison.  
Hereupon He, with his new Consort, being after an exact Scrutiny, found by the Sages of the Law to be privy to this black Act, were adjudgd to be struck off by the stroke of justice: but by the clemency of the Royal Oak (who never quite forsook any whom he once favoured) they were still permitted to live; but for ever removed, from being any more so near, under the shadow of his pure and Vice-detesting boughs.  
And as in natural privations, there is no recession to habit, so is it commonly in the favour of Princes; whence if one fall, he is never readmitted into that fullness and strength of confidence and grace.  
But the inferior instruments in this black Act, suffered: Which gave occasion to some Critics abroad, to compare DRUINA'S Laws to them of SOLON'S, that were like Cobwebs, through which great Flies broke out, while the small ones were entangled.  
Nor did the first act of this, do any good to the honour of the Civil Laws of Druina. Yet a notable piece of exemplary justice was acted upon the Guardian of Druina's prime Fortress; who being found only privy to some of these passages, was doomed to death, to the terror of others, for betraying that high trust that belongs to that Office: And his death was the more remarkable, because he confessed, that Heavens just judgement was fallen upon him; in regard, that to restrain himself from Gaming, whereunto he was excessively addicted, he made a solemn Vow, (which he often broke afterwards) That if he played any more, above such a value, he might suffer upon such a fatal Tree.  
That nimble Eirenarch (so cried up by Reports) who then stood at the Helm of the Law, wherein he was so active, that Druina's Monarch was used to say, He was like a Cat throw him which way you would, he would light on his feet: This justicer proceeded with that acrimony to cut down this (now pitied) great Tree, with his high-descended Mate, and others, that of their sprigs he made a Rod for himself; for ever after, he went always declining: which some held to be a deserved judgement upon him, in regard he was often observed to insult upon misery, and to lose a Life sooner than a jest, when he sat upon the Tribunal of justice..  
In Ampelona also, about this conjuncture of time, a politic Plant of Bombicina's growth, being by the favour of that stately Tree, out of which the now regnant Vine sprouted forth, made to over-top all the rest of the noble and Princely Elms in that Forest, was at the Gate of the Royal Court suddenly felled, draggd up and down, his privat'st parts lopped off, miserably chopped, and the remainder of his body reducd to ashes, whereof part was hurled into the air, part into the water, to extinguish the very memory of him. While this Tragic act was a perpetrating, the general Cry about him, was Vivat Rex: whereby was fulfilld the prediction of a Wizard, with whom he had tampred not long before, touching the course of his fortunes; who told him, That in short time they should be such, that he should be carried about the streets of Tutelia with such a public acclamation of joy.  
His Consort, an Enchantress, as some would have her, ran the same destiny: But that which made the world speak of it the more, was, that after he had been thus, as a man would think, quite extinguished, his Process was form; whereby he was found guilty of nought else, that I could learn, which was actionable, but of Ambition, which like the Crocodile, never leaves growing; and that being an exotique Plant, he went about to take too deep rooting in AMPELONA.  
The procedure of this business seemed very strange to the world, that the Royal Vine, having already assumed the Character of JUST, should give way, that such a horrid Tragedy should be acted in his own Royal Palace, (for Palaces of Kings should be Sanctuaries) and that the Delinquent was not proceeded against, by Legal form of Law, till after this violent Death, which preceded the Sentence of Condemnation?  
He that succeeded him in favour, did suddenly make such a flight, that from vulgar Shrubs, he made himself, and two more which were nearest to him in stock, to be rankd amongst the tallest Elms in Ampelona: yet he fell also by a kind of fatal destiny (Pestilential, though not so precipitate) in the first heat of the Wars against the Eusebians, to which he had incited his Royal Master.  
What will become of Ramundas, who hath the Vogue at present, in comparison of whom, for transcendency of height and continuance, the other two were but Mushrooms; I will not undertake to divine: But observed it is, That the ground whereon Favourites stand, is no where more slippery, and fuller of Precipices, then in AMPELONA: Which makes Ramundas to barricado himself with as much policy and strength as may be devisd, against all shocks of Violence.   

OF THE TREATY OF an Alliance with ELAIANA.  
THe treaty of an alliance 'twixt Druina and Elaiana, (a piece long hammered upon the Anvil of policy, and national wisdom) did now openly appear and advance itself; To which end the Royal Oak, to remove all blocks that might lie in the way, rid himself of those places he held in deposito of the Itelians to prevent any request or proposition that should happily come that way from Elaiana; And considering the daily expenses Druina was at, and the vast sums she was out upon them, and that most necessary dependency of conservation and community of danger, that was and still must be 'twixt her and Itelia, this Act was not such a great solecism in policy, as some Critics would have it, who in regard they were the very keys of Itelia, and her associated Groves, observed, that while Druina kept them in her hands, she was more awed and respected by the Willows than she hath been since.  
At the close of this business, the royal Oak did an act full of Majesty by forbearing much of those huge sums which might have been demanded; And it was in recognition of those rich presents, Carbasilis received, when she passed through the Willows to Baccharia.  
To negotiate this great business of alliance 'twixt Druina and Elaiana, Earl Mordogan a shrewd complying Instrument, was employed, and going to have his first audience, a piece of the royal palace fell under him which could be no good omen.  
Mordogan had studied the Genius of Druinas Monarch so exactly, that he seldom departed from him with refusals, he had such a rare faculty by facetious ways to dispatch the most important affairs of state; He employed all his art (and I believe his heart also went along) and left no stone unrolld to bring this mighty work to pass; yet so infortunate he was, that his endeavours proved plausible neither in Druina nor Elaiana: But for my part, I am clearly of opinion, that he really wished well unto, and loved the Druinians next to them of his own soil best of any other, and so much he protested being arrested, by the iron mace of fate, a little after he had been designed to return to Druina, when summoned to his last end, it was no time for him to boggle with the world; And the gracious Oak now regnant (to whom the Olive did churlishly put over young Mordogan for a reward of the manifold services of his dead sire) did not only resent his fall, but vindicat him from those aspersions that were malevolently cast upon him to have always played with a staff of two ends, the one of Olive, the other of Oak. Yet he received divers outrages in Druina, and one time when he had been rudely used and assaulted as he passed through the streets of Thamisond, and news thereof being posted, though not by his means, to Elaianas' Court, where the Royal Oak had then two Sovereign Ministers representing himself, yet there was no violence at all offered them or theirs; which made Elaiana take the advantage to arrogat to herself more civility in this kind than Druina This caused him to say, that Druinas bran was very course, but her flower wondrous fine; for the taller sort of Trees who could look over into the true state of things, highly esteemed him, though the poplars who see no further than the rind, contemned and vilified him, bringing him often upon the stage, and making him the common subject of their pasquils, wherein he rather gloried, then grew discontented.  
Amongst other facetious passages of Mordogan, I cannot omit one which happened upon his last departure from Druina, At which time being magnificently feasted by the chiefest Magistrate of Thamisond, In the midst of these jollities, he asked leave to begin two healths; The first, was to the KING his Master's mistress, The second to his Wife; the healths being gone round, he thus expounded himself. That his great Master's mistress was Levantina, and none are so fond of a Mistress, but if a friend hath a private favour of her, he will wink at it; and such was Levantina, who though she properly belonged to his Master, yet he suffereth the brave adventurers of Druina (whereof many were there present) to have a bout with her, and he passeth it by, and takes not much exception at it; But his Master's Wife was Columbina whom he desired to have wholly to himself, and therefore that none should meddle with her; (But the Willows of late have gone about to make him a notorious Cuckold, and have had ready money to lie with her.)  
Like to this was that, when a little after the going of Altapinus to Homebia he was invited to a solemn meeting, where that flexanimous and golden tongued Orator (than guardian of the King's conscience) began the King of Homebias' health, he pleasantly pledged it, and passed it over, saying it was the first time that ever he pledged the Cedar's health in Druina.  
For his opinion in holy things, he had a charitable conceit of Druina's Religion, and seemed to slight many things in that of Petropolis, as will appear by these few instances following. In a serious discourse once of holy orders, when many things were canvasd pro & con, he said,  
That he feared the same doom, and destiny attended the Loyalists that befell in times passed, another great Religious order of Cavaliers, who were grown so excessively rich, that they were utterly suppressed with a strange kind of suddenness every where, and so became a common booty to their Princes. 
Guic.   
Another time when that sappy and fruitful Tree (out of whose stock sprouted that comely Elm which grew so high under the branches of the Royal Oak, and did flourish long in his sole favour) had such a vogue at Court, that she hoisd up, and tumbled down some great Officers at pleasure, and that extraordinary recourse was had to her for matters of grace, Earl Mordogan dispatching a post to Elaiana, sent advise that there were never better hopes of DRVINAS conversion to Petropolis then then, for they began to worship the Mother more than the son.  
Lastly, when that long flourishing Favourite in Elaiana, had fallen, and to shelter himself from those storms which he foresaw, would thunder upon him from the temporal power, did cover himself with a scarlet robe (the highest of spiritual dignities) Mordogan was asked by Druinas Monarch, whether he had sent for a benediction from his new elected Cardinal, He answered, There was once in Elaiana one who had a Plum Tree in his Garden which was wind fallen, and there being a statue made of the Trunk of this Tree and placed in the Church for adoration, he was asked why he neglected to worship that statue as he did others, He answered, that he knew that statue from a plant, and what kind of fruit the Tree had borne, therefore he thought there was no adoration expected from him.  
Out of these instances you may infer that he was an Anti-Loyolist, and liked not all things in Petropolis.  
Nor was that noble Elm Count Sophronio whom Druinas Monarch employed to Elaiana to this end, less dextrous and discreet, who although he was not so nimble and Mercurial as Mordogan, yet he rather exceeded him in solidity and a high reach of understanding. He made a rare discovery of certain plants, that were rotten at the heart, (yet daily served about the Royal Oak) that were devoted by pensionary obligations to the Olive. He went bravely attended to the Cedar's Court, and so to the Eldars, with whom he was not behind hand. He engaged his own argentry to make up a some of treasure to preserve those troops from disbanding, which were then in motion for the recovery of Baccharia under CAMPANTHROPO, That admired Captain of his time, who was said to make Soldiers spring up out of the very earth to follow him, though he had not a cross to pay them salary; And although he had been put many times to the foil and to extreme exigents, yet he never fell sans resource, but still rallied his squandered squadrons, and made offensive head again, And most brave was that Retreat (and honourable retreat is the difficultst thing in the feat of arms) which he made, when by the point of the sword, he passed through the very heart of Leoncia to his intended rendezvous, where he caused the Thorn to burn his tents and raise the costly siege he had then a foot, before one of the prime towns of the Itelians.  
And this was the greatest cloud that ever fell upon the Thorn, since he entered into Elaianas' service, but he dispelld it not long after, and made his honour to shine with a greater lustre than ever, by taking in that Town whereof the Orange was proprietary Lord, notwithstanding that the Oak, the Vine, the Fir, and the Ash appeared, some more, some less in that action for the Willows.  
Some say this sunk so deep into the Princely Orange, that it did accelerate his fall, which happened not long after.  
And he being gone, the Thorn wisely retired to Bombycina the Soil whence he first sprung, fearing that fortune who being a Female love's Youth best, would frown, and turn her back towards him now in his declining times.  
There was a strong emulation 'twixt these two great Martialists, And the ORANGE derogating one day from the thorn, because he was sprung out of a Merchant's stock, and consequently was not capable of competition with him who came of a PRINCELY Extraction; He sent him word that it was a more glorious thing for a Merchant to have command over Princes, then for a Prince to be commanded by Merchants.  
A brave quarter-giving Enemy the Thorn was, but the service of the Olive (unless you throw into the Scales the high honour and fame he purchased thereby) proud over precious to him, for he spent not only the vigour of his days therein, but exhausted much of that great estate he brought with him so far, that his own plants, some of them, are forced to subsist merely by Pensions from Elaiana. But that which was worse being before a Town in Bombycina near his own home, which he had so blockd up and stormed, as that he had her as a Bird in a Cage, he was suddenly commanded by inexpected order from Elaiana to raze his works, and raise the siege, notwithstanding that the War continued longer; This they say he resented so deeply, that retiring to his own natural Soil, he presently after fell. But it is no new trick in policy, for diverting the least dishonour that should fall upon the State, to destroy some Instruments, and make them Sacrifices for the public. This great Captain had so highly deserved of the Olive (and Cedar also by taking in of Baccharia) that his services seemed to transcend all reward; And by him one may learn this lesson.  
That supererogatory services, and too great benefits from Subjects to Kings are of dangerous consequence, when they make the mind more capable of merit then duty.  
Those fearful Fires which were kindled through all parts of poor Rhenufium, had now raged extremely, to quench which, the Royal Oak sent sundry of his Noble Elms in many costly legations from time to time, but good King, While he laboured for peace, they made themselves ready for battle.  
And herein the Cedar proved very ingrateful to him, considering the fairness of his proceedings; And touching the Elder, what could be expected from him but knotty and crooked hollowhearted dealings? Yet by his high credit with the Olive, he often assuaged the fury of those conflagrations, by suspension of Arms and cessation of all acts of hostility, and preserved Baccharia a long time from invading; And he proceeded so far by treaty, that he was proffered to have the Imperial Ban taken off, of Altapinus upon his conformity to a submission, that so he might be rendered capable to treat, and travel through Rhenusium; to have also an entire surrender made of his possessions to his Eldest Graff, which should be affianced to one of the Cedars branches, and in the interim to be brought up in Druina's Court. Moreover he should be restored to his Dignity after that old decayed Elder should fall, upon whom the said Dignity had been in a shuffling imperfect manner conferred, yet with this proviso, that the next Heir should not be prejudiced.  
These propositions being sent to ALTAPINUS, he replied, that whereas the adverse party, required a Personal submission, and that this should precede all other things, by natural order used in like cases, the restitution of his Country which was a thing material should go before, and then the other which is but a point of Ceremony, should follow; And whereas he had already complied with the Cedar to sign an Instrument for the conditional resignation of the Crown of Homebia, and done other acts of Conformity, and no performance at all on the Cedar's side; If these intentions of his were real, the said submission might be done as well by a Deputy.   

PRINCE ROCALINO'S journey to ELAIANA.  
WHile matters were thus in hot agitation, and no particular assurances yet had, and because that commonly Dolus versatus in universalibus, the Royal Oak sent a choice confident to Elaiana's Court (for there was the mill where these matters were a grinding) to know the truth, and reality of things, who having boldly acquitted himself of his charge, and brought advise that matters were still involved in generals, Behold a most rare adventure, Prince Rocalino, with Villerio, and two discreet confidents well versed in the Olives Court, post away in private disguise to Elaiana, traversing the whole diameter of Ampelona, where Rocalino came in so favourable a conjuncture of time, that he saw the splendour of the Ampelonian Court in a set stately show, where among other rarities, he beheld one of Nature's choicest pieces, the Princess Aretine, sparkling like a constellation amongst the rest, in moving measures.  
Little thought he then, that she was predestined for him, by the high hand of heaven where all marriages are made;  
But humane eyes cannot see beyond their horizon, they cannot discern future contingencies, and in the conduct of worldly actions, what we desire or dread seldom directly falls out, but something intervenes and concludes we lest thought of, and if what we expect do happen, they come not many times till after the search, which showeth that there is a supernatural all-disposing power above; Wherefore it is not safe for our minds to stay at second causes, for this may induce a forgetfulness of the first, but we must pass higher, and by a speculative act of the understanding observe the disposition, dependency and subordination of causes to the high will of providence, and then we will confess with the Poet, that the chief link of nature's chain is tied to the foot of jupiters' chair.  
From Ampelona's Court Rocalino flew upon the wings of love towards Elaiana, and it was in the beginning of that season, that the Lady Flora useth to clothe our Grandam Earth, with a new livery diapered with various flowers, and chequerd with all delightful objects; a season that was used to be no less proper, than propitious to lovers. The pretty songsters of the spring with their various notes did seem to welcome him as he passed, the woods put forth their blossoms, the earth her Primroses and daiseyes to behold him, the air blew with gentle Zephyr's. But in the Heavens it was observed there was an inauspicious conjunction between jupiter and Saturn that dull and malevolent planet.  
Rocalino being come with no less difficulty than danger to the Olives royal Court, the first thing he did was to dispatch a post presently to Druina to carry news of his safe arrival there. That night and next day after there were dark whispers up and down, but towards the evening Villerio went privately to the royal palace where he had audience, and whence Chenandra the sole engrosser of the Olives favour, did accompany him back to welcome Prince Rocalino, who magnifying that brave journey, and discovering wonderful motions of joy,  
He said the Olive and the Oak should part the world between them, and that it should be a match presently, for he doubted not but he came thither to be of their Religion; whereunto answer being made, that he came not thither for Religion, but for a Wife; Chenandra replied short, that there must be then a dispensation procured from Petropolis.  
That night Elaianas' Monarch himself came to congratulate Prince Rocalino to Sophronio's dwelling, but he met him half way, and with much compliment and mutual embraces parted for that time.  
The next day he brought forth in a solemn stately kind of march the LADY AMIRA (the jewel which should have been the prize and guerdon of that heroic adventure) to be seen of purpose by Rocalino in transitu; But it being divulged abroad it was Prince Rocalino that was come, all were transformed into a kind of amazement, which broke out after into incredible acclamations of gladness, every one extolling to the very stars, the bravery of the action, And the general vote was, that it were great pity but the Lady Amira though she were a goddess, should be thrown into his arms that very night, he had so well deserved every inch of her; They said further that all the Angels in Heaven came along with him, for the Country having extremely suffered by a long unusual drought, upon his coming there fell down most wholesome fructifying showers, wherein 'twas said, the Earth drank healths to congratulate his coming thither.  
The next morning the Royal Olive sent some prime Elms to attend Prince Rocalino in quality of Officers of state, and a little after he was brought to the royal palace in the same state Elaiana's Kings use to be attended the day of their Coronation. The Royal Olive himself accompanied him, with all the flower of his Court, and always from that day to the very last he stayed there, he gave him still the precedency, transmitting to him all petitions and matters of grace; multitudes of prisoners were released, and indeed there wanted nothing that might be added to the very height of all extern honour and ceremony.  
But let us look a little into the interior carriage of the main business, and there you shall find that, Quercus connubium, connubia tractat Oliva.  
When Rocalino arrived, matters were brought to that perfection by the strenuous negotiation of Sophronio, that there wanted nothing for the consummation of all things, but a dispensation from Petropolis, which at last came, and before that time Rocalino was not admitted to speak with the La: Amira in quality of a Suitor, but a Prince; Now the said dispensation came cloggd with an unhappy inexpected clause, thrust in of purpose, as it appeared, to retard the procedure of things, which was, that whereas there were Certain Articles condescended unto by Druina's Monarch in favour of the Petropolitans that were in that kingdom, and other Crowns under his dominion, the great Archflamin' demanded caution for the performance of them; The Royal Oak answered, that he could give no other caution than his word and oath, and Rocalino should do the like, which should be confirmed by his Counsel of state and exemplified under Druinas broad Seal; but this would not satisfy unless some Petropolitan Sovereign Prince would engage himself for them.  
Hereupon all matters were like to go off the hinges, and a buzz went out, that Rocalino intended to get away covertly.  
In these traverses Chenandra steps forth, and said there were three ways to conclude this business; two good, and one bad; The first good way was, that Prince Rocalino should become a Petropolitan.  
The second was, that as Elaiana was obliged to him for his free coming thither, so She might as freely deliver him the LADY AMIRA, trusting him without further conditions.  
The ill way was, not to trust Rocalino at all with any thing, but bind him as fast as they could.  
While matters were thus a canvasing, and gathering ill blood, Elaianas' King steppd out, and proffered to engage himself by oath, for the satisfaction of the great Archflamin, but with this proviso, that he must first consult with his ghostly fathers, whether he might do it Salva conscientia or no. Hereupon the business was referrd to a committee of the learnedst Yewes; and the state of the question was,  
Whether the Olive might with safety of conscience take an oath in behalf of Druinas Monarch, and Rocalino, for performance of such and such Articles that were agreed upon in favour of the Petropolitans, throughout the kingdoms of the Royal Oak.  
This assembly long demurrd and dwelled upon the question, and after a long protraction of time, they concluded at last affirmatively; And in case the Oak failed to execute what was stipulated, the Olive was to vindicate his Oath, and right himself by the sword.  
This difficulty being surmounted, there was exceeding great joy, and all the Capitulations were interchangeably sworn unto both by the Oak and Olive, and as Chenandra said in Elaiana, so the Royal Oak himself was so confident, that he said;  
All the devils in hell could not now break the match; whereunto a blunt facetious Knight being by, answered, that there was never a devil now left in hell, for they were all gone to ELAIANA to help to make up the match.  
But matters being screwed up to this height, the great Archflamin, as heaven would have it, f●ll; Upon which tidings the Royal Olive came to Prince Rocalino and told him that he had received very ill news, which was, that the holy Sire, who was so great a friend to the intended alliance (who had formerly writ unto, and sent to visit Prince Rocalino) was taken away by the hand of fate, and in regard there was yet no contract but a treaty only a foot, he could not proceed further in this business without a ratification of the former licence by Melissanus the newly chosen Archflamin, which by reason of his indisposition of health, and the large distance of place, could not be dispatched with that celerity that was wished: But now that his highness was pleased to stay so many years for a wife, might well stay a few months longer, and he would undertake to negotiate and procure that dispatch from Petropolis with all the expedition that might be; And if he pleased to give way that the La: Amira's journey to Druina might be deferred, until the next ensuing spring, he would give him a blank to write his own conditions, touching the surrendry of Baccharia, which might recompense his so long stay: Prince Rocalino upon this answered, that he was infinitely bound to his Majesty for all those transcendent favours he had received since his arrival to his Court, and the reasons that induced him to undertake so hazardous a journey were two; One to streigthen the league of amity with his Majesty in his own person; the other was, to give the world a greater testimony of his love to the Lady Amira to whom he had already transmitted his best affections; And he had thought the Sovereign Agents of his Royal sire, had brought matters to that ripeness, that he needed not to have come thither to treat of a marriage, but to fetch home a Wife; Now since his Majesty alleged that the late holy Archflamin bring go●e, he cannot proceed further without the approbation of Melissanus the newly Elect, he desired him to consider that if his Majesty had a spiritual sire to comply withal, he had a natural sire to obey, which was DRUINAS Royal Oak, whose top being already periwiggd with snowy age, was sickly and impotent and subject to many indispositions, therefore he feared that he being his sole Masculine plant, and the staff and comfort of his age, it had already wrought some ill impressions in him, that he wanted him so long beyond the proposed time. Besides the eyes of all DRUINA were fixed upon him, and he being their next succeeding hopes, this his so long absence might produce ill effects, and dangerous consequences of state at home; Add hereunto that there was a Royal fleet already floating on the Seas for his transfretation, and the season, if he retarded his voyage any longer, would grow rough and dangerous. Moreover his Majesty was not ignorant, that the Capitulations which his Royal Sire had signed and sworn unto, and were confirmed by his Counsel of state, were done with this proviso, that if he be not returned in Druina by such a time, all that was passed should be pro non facto.  
The Olive hearing this, stood a while at a stand, and after said, Since his Highness had pressd the necessity of his departure with such pregnant reasons; if he feared any commotion in Druina, by reason of any thing that might reflect upon these proceedings, he would send an army with him of purpose; And since matters were so, his Highness might think fit to leave a substitutive power, with whom he pleased to be contracted to the La: Amira, which should be precisely done ten days after the confirmation should come from Petropolis; And if he pleased to repose that trust in him, he would faithfully discharge it, and esteem it a singular favour, and then he might send when, and whom he pleased for her, for ever after she should be at his disposing.  
Prince Rocalino replied, That touching his first proposition, for an army to go with him, the remedy would be far worse than the disease, though there should be tumults in Druina;  
For the second, he made semblance to be mightily taken with it, saying, that of all the Grandezas he had received since his coming to his Royal Court, this surmounted all the rest, therefore he would leave a power behind in Sophronio's hands, to that end.  
This being done, Rocalino without the least ombrage of discontentment, prepares for his journey back, leaving behind him Gems of invaluable esteem, and such as was confessed, never to have been seen the like in that Court, as presents for the Lady Amira, which were, I cannot deny, very honourably returned by Elaiana after the rupture of the treaty, and public declaration of war.  
The Olive himself with the rest of the royal stem, accompanied him a day's journey of, and never were seen straighter embracements, and outward arguments of love and reiterated endearments between any, then between the Olive and Rocalino at their departure.  
But Villerio and Chenandra parted not so lovingly, Villerio telling him, That he acknowledged himself unmeasurably obliged, to the royal Majesty of the Olive, and the rest of the Princely branches in an eternal tye of gratitude, and that therefore he would mainly endeavour in what in him lay, to nourish and strengthen still the peace 'twixt the dominions and subjects of both Crowns, But for yourself Count Chenandra, you have so many ways disobliged me, that I cannot make any profession of future friendship to you without flattery; Chenandra answered very short, that h●e accepted of what he had said, and so they parted.  
Prince Rocalino taking his leave of the Lady Amira, was desired by her to see a Vestal Saint in his way as he passed, who was then cried up for miracles; In some divine exercises she was reported to be often lifted up in the air, and appear as fresh as a rose, though she was so furrowed with age, that she looked like a spirit kept in a bag by some conjurer.  
But he coming thither, and she mingling discourse with him a long time, the substance whereof was for the most part, that he should be good to the Petropolitans in Druina, and to bestow an alme amongst her poor vestal sisters, there could no elevations be discerned, or any sudden changes at all in her, or any other miraculous feats, though she could have never showed them in better company. Prince Rocalino being conveniently attended to the Sea side, and with extreme hazard embarkd, a private instrument was dispatched in his name to Elaianas' Court with instructions to Sophronio to stay the delivery of the proxy, till further directions from him; But these instructions were not to be delivered until the Ratification had come from Petropolis.  
In the interim great preparations were made against the celebration of the nuptials, The Lady Amira applied herself daily to learn Druinas language, the Sovereign Ministers which represented the person of Druinas Monarch, carried themselves rather like subjects towards her, than Ambassadors; Many rich accoutrements and presents she had provided for Prince Rocalino, Her family was assigned her, her officers distinguished, And (which weigheth much with me, for the reality of the thing) Sophronio had provided a great number of brave liveries for his attendants, as rich as any that ever were worn in that Court, and matters were cried up with such a certitude, that the mart went twenty to one, the business would take.  
At last the Ratification came plenary, and absolute from Petropolis, but a cunning rumour went out, it had come some weeks before, upon which the private instructions which were sent in Prince Rocalino's name were anticipated by Sophronio, who while he remained anxious and fearful to prefer a private order to the prejudice of the high Commission of Druina's Monarch under the greatest seal, which none can countermand or suspend but the same power that give's it, he proceeded still until new instructions came from the Royal Oak himself to stay the delivery of the said proxy;  
And that whereas before he treated singly of a match, he should now join the Restitution of Baccharia with it, for he would not marry Rocalino in joy, and leave Carbasilis in tears.  
Sophronio soliciting the royal Olive upon the new Commission, and not receiving a satisfactory positive answer, had order to depart that Court, and so all was dashed to pieces.  
Whence I learn, that in political affairs, as well as mechanical, it is far easier to pull down, then build up; for that structure which was above ten sommers a building, and that by no mean Artists, was destroyed in a moment.  
And the world adjudged Elaiana to be well apayed for the hard measure she had offered Prince Rocalino, to tantalise him so long with dilatory hopes, and let him return at last without his errand: For upon the very point, when the business should have been consummated, and the Lady Amira tendered, the motion may be said to have been rejected as it were by Druina.  
Many obstacles concurrd to hinder this great work.  
The main of all, difference in Religion; for so simple and blockish were they of Elaiana, that the common voice was, Prince Rocalino came thither to make himself a Christian; And happy had it been for that business, if he had never lodged in the Royal Palace, but had taken one of his own, wherein Druinas liturgy, and the rites of her Church might have openly appeared to unbeguile those silly wretches.  
The clashings 'twixt Villerio, Sophronio, and Chenandra, who opposed it as long as 'twas safe for him, the exceptions that were taken at Villerios' Commission.  
But pity it was, that the intendments of Sovereign Princes, specially such an action as that, which concerned the incolumity and peace of all the Western world, the quenching of those fires in Rhenusium, the reinvesting of Carbasilis in Baccharia, which as it was then given out, should be redelivered at the instance of the Lady Amira after the Match, to ingratiat herself thereby the more to the Druinians, besides a mighty advantage of commerce, for no Country is able to do DRUINA more good and less hurt than Elaiana; I say what pity it was, that all this should be frustrated by private passions and interests.  
Another rub in the way, was the disaffection of those Ministers that were sent last to Druina to finish all things, especially one of them, and he the chiefest, whose heart did not go along with the business.  
It was also discovered that the Luranians (of whom multitudes subsist by the Olive, who if the business had taken effect had been dismissed, and that Crown disburdened of those Pensions they received, but they preferring to stick there rather to a certainty, then to seek new fortunes, and begin the world again in their own Soil) did no good offices in the conduct of this business.  
Besides 'twas thought the Ampelonian, and the Myrtles Ambassadors, with others there Resident, were not idle.  
Furthermore it had been wished that some had had more Discretion joined with their Zeal to this great business, which should have made them more cautious and reserved in their speeches and behaviour, and complied better with the humour of the Elaianians, against whom & the poverty of that country, they would openly inveigh and gibe at, even in the Royal Palace.  
Some said, if they had left an eye behind them in Elaiana, they would not come thither to fetch it again; Others, that they would never return thither unless it were to Conquer her; Others, that they would never see her again unless 'twere in a Map; Others would say, they thought there was no Resurrection out of her ground.  
Which puts me in mind of that boisterous Buffoon, who said in the Royal presence of Elaianas' Monarque, that his Master was nearest and likest to God Almighty of any King upon Earth, and being asked why? He answered that God Almighty had but only one Son, and He was sent to be Crucified by jews; And Druinas King also having but one, he sent him to be crucified by Elaianians.  
But for Rocalino himself, as Elaiana rings of the renown of that heroic Enterprise, and will do, to all Posterity, so to this day his memory and fame is fresh in that Court, for his sage and Princely comportment, mixed with such a becoming gravity, that it suited with the very genius of that Nation, where a Prince without gravity, is said to be like a Peacock without a Tail. Whence it may be inferrd, that though the main business took not (which continues a dark kind of riddle to this day) yet Rocalino gained much in point of honour, besides the mighty experience (which is the great Looking-glass of Wisdom) he purchased thereby.  
Never was Lady so gallantly courted, no not Daphne herself (whom the amorous god converted to a Laurel) was wooed with that bravery, and strength of affection, which was showed with that fervour, that Elaiana very poorly made use of it, to gain time & get stricter conditions; for as I heard one of them say, Love is like a P●●●e of Charcoal, which meeting with the wind its contrary, makes it turn more ardent; Or like a rapid torrent which jusling against a dam swells higher; so love meeting with opposition grows hotter and stronger.  
But a most unworthy thing it was, and which all the world cried out at, to make this his heat of love, and coming thither, two acts which should have accelerated the business, to turn to his disadvantage. But it hath thriven with them accordingly, for it is observed that their affairs up and down the world ever since have thriven but very oddly.  
After his departure it was disputed pro & con, whether that affection whereof he had showed such brave testimonies, was real or no; howsoever it was granted by both sides, that Rocalino had purchased a high opinion of honour by it; for if it was real, he showed himself to be a great master of his affections, that he could check and call them home so soon; If it was otherwise, it discovered a high point of wisdom, to act the part of an Amorist so lively and pathetically▪ Had that blind Greek, one of the Muses first Priests, been contemporary to this heroic adventure, how proud had he been of so sublime a subject to heighten his fancy, a subject indeed adequate to Apollo himself and his whole choir of Daughters; And I cannot wonder enough, that none all this while to whom Ex meliore luto finxit praecordia Titan, have not employed their Talon to this task, considering the rareness, and richness of the matter.  
But to resume my discourse, Sophronio having received that foresaid new command from the Royal Oak, went to propound the entire & speedy surrender of Baccharia.  
The OLIVE answered, that if a treaty would be commenced with the Cedar, who was now Lord of it, and He, with the Elder, (but his Commisioners,) if he came not to terms of conformity, he would join arms with Druina to recover it, and for caution hereof he would engage that rich City whither his fleet of treasure arrives yearly.  
But this not satisfying, he went to take his leave of Elaianas' King, who had commanded Chenandra a little before to tell him in his name, that he had received advise of his Revocation, and understood also by divers advertisements, what clouds were engendering in Druinas Court, and in regard the envy which was drawn upon him proceeded from the labours and endeavours he had employed to finish the match, therefore he would hold himself much touched in honour, if for this cause any should so prevail against him as to cause his ruin or disgrace. Therefore he would write to Druina's King, and send a particular Ambassador, if need required, to represent the true state of things, in regard that Sophronio had served him with that exactness of fidelity which was well known to the world, and to Elaiana, in particular, that it deserved not only to be assisted with all good offices, but it was fit to be rewarded, and published; And that the Royal Olive for the example of his own subjects, and encouragement of those that did or hereafter should serve other Princes with that punctuality as Sophronio had done, had commanded him to offer him a blank signed by the Royal Olive himself, wherein he might set down his own conditions, both in point of title and fortune; And this he did in no way to oblige another Prince his subject, but only as an encouragement to honest and faithful proceedings, and therefore he would not make these offers in private but justifiable to the world, and would accompany all he should do, with a declaration, that this he had done, was for the service he had done his own Master.  
Sophronio replied, that he was much afflicted to hear such language; and that he desired it might be known and understood, that Elaiana was not any way beholden to him, for what ever he had done, he did it, for that he thought it fittest, for his Master's service and his own honour, without having any relation to Elaiana; And that he served a Master from whom he was assured of justice and due reward: And for those who were thought his enemies, he knew their power to be great, but he served so just a Master, that he doubted not, but his innocency would prevail against any wrong, they should intend him; And though his own integrity would not give him leave to apprehend any kind of danger or disfavour from his said Master, and were he assured to run into eminent danger, yet would he rather go home to cast himself at his feet for mercy, and thereby comply with the duty and honour of a faithful servant, then to be the greatest of Elaianas' Princes.  
So I leave this mighty business for a Riddle (as I said before) both to the present and all future ages; For the books of Kings are written in dark Characters which few can uncypher, and their Actions like deep fords, wherein Elephants may only swim; Or as great Rivers, whereof we see the course of the stream, but know not the source.  
So I leave also Sophronio preparing for his journey, and inexpressible it is, what a black kind of obstupefaction, and regret all the world was possesd withal in Elaianas' Court, specially the La: Amira, who, we thought, would have turned into one of the Heliades (those amber weeping-trees) for sorrow. Many arguments of a real love appeared from her towards Rocalino, amongst others one was, that she caused many divine duties to be performed for his safety in his return to Druina; where being landed he fell down and kissed the very earth for joy; And being come to Thamisond, one would have thought that huge body composed of such numberless pieces had been all one fire, and turned to one flame from those huge piles of sacrifices of universal joy, notwithstanding those huge cataracts of water that poured down from the meteors; But greater far, and more ardent were those inward flames of gladness, wherewith all hearts did burn and sparkle to see their Rocalino again. All mouths were full with Oaken leaves and in the Wood so wide, etc. with other such songs and catches of airy mirth; The very inanimat creatures as steeples and walls, did shake with joy, yea the very pavements and channels pledged healths for this happy return.  
Amongst other foreign congratulations which came from far and near, CARBASILIS suddenly sent, but with this Compliment,  
That next to the hand of divine providence, he might thank her, and her numerous graffs, that he came so safely and freely back, so that I cannot but deride their shallowness, and poverty of judgement, who think Elaiana had any design to detain him there.  
The Royal Oak summoned hereupon a general assembly, wherein by the relations of Villerio (and indeed he for his own particular had little reason to love Elaiana ever after for some disrespects that had passed,) the two treaties, touching the alliance with Elaiana, and restitution of Baccharia were quite dissolved by the unanimous vote of that great Assembly, not one dissenting from it, which made his Majesty say, That he thought they were led by one spirit, as the seventy Interpreters.  
And nothing could be more pleasing to the Druinians than the rupture of these treaties, as the case then stood, for they were extremely nettled to see the Princely standell of their Royal Oak return from Elaiana with a branch of willows.  
Nor indeed did the poplars and coppices and vulgar sort of Druinas Trees, specially Thamisond, ever affect this match, for they were transported with such a reasonless averseness to it, that whosoever did speak but in favour of it, or discovered any good wishes to it, he was presently held a Petropolitan, and to have swallowed a leaf of the Ivy.  
The Petropolitans throughout all Druina were exceedingly dejected and crestfallen at these proceedings, and that matters went so cross in Elaiana; And as it was observed to be an ill favoured augury, that a piece of the royal terrace fell under Mordogan at his first audience, when he came Hoc agere, when the treaty of alliance begun to be in serious agitation; so a little before this dissolution of it, another fatal accident, or rather tragic presage fell out in Thamisond: For as the Petropolitans were in midst of divine exercise, and some say inveighing against the Eusebians, the Oratory suddenly tumbled down, so that a great number of them were quashd to death by the very inanimat creatures of stones and rubbish to the consternation of all the world.  
And this happened when they were a gogge and building of Castles in the air, and at the height of their hopes, that by virtue of the said alliance, they should have a kind of liberty of conscience equal to a Toleration.  
The Royal Oak following the advice of the foresaid great Counsel prepared for a war, which quite turned the match, to powder; Mars thrusts Hymen out of doors, and janus' gates flew wide open; Then which nothing could be more thwarting and opposite, the one to his disposition, the other to his desires which had been so vehemently carried that way for many years;  
They promised to make him beloved at home, and feared abroad as much as any Prince that was, to which end they gave him round sums of moneys; A polemical Counsel was erected for the conduct of the martial affairs, and by the gracious condescent of Majesty they were to dispose of the pecuniary levies that were made to that end.  
As matters were reducd to this pass, behold a notable piece of machiavillianisme, formed and complotted against Villerio by the Sovereign Ministers Elaiana had then in Thamisond; who in a private audience they desired to have of Druinas Monarch, undertook to discover unto him a notable conjuration intended both against his royal dignity and person, which was; That Villerio with some of the Prime of his Counsel had consulted of the arguments and means that were to be taken for the dissolving of the forementioned treaties; And that their consultations passed so far, that if the Majesty of Druinas King would not accommodat himself to their Counsels herein, he should have a house of pleasure where he might retire himself to his sports, in regard that prime Rocalino had now years and parts answerable for the public government.  
The royal Oak upon this imperfect overture, made many instances unto them that they would give him the Authors of so pernicious a conspiracy; but they instead of confirming the great zeal they pretended to bear him▪ all the answer they made consisted of arguments against the discovery of the Conspirators. Hereupon his Majesty commanded some of his secretest Counsellors, with others to be examined and sworn, and that such interrogatories should be propounded unto them that were most pertinent to the accusation; whereby there was found in Villerio, and the rest who were impeached a very clear and sincere innocency, touching these foul imputations.  
This being so, new instances were made to the said Ambassadors, that they should not prefer the discovery of the names of the conspirators to the security of his royal Majesty, the truth and honour of themselves; and the hazard of an opinion to be held the tracers of a plot of such malice, sedition and danger; But the Informers continued in a knobby kind of obstinacy resolving still to conceal the names of the Authors.  
Hereupon Druinas Monarch sent two of his sages to tell them, that they being the Authors of an accusation so pernicious, had rendered themselves incapable to treat further with him, and were it not for the respect he bore to Elaiana's King whose person they did represent, he would and could by the law of Nations and the right of his own Royal justice proceed against them with such severity as the offence deserved, but for the reason aforesaid he would leave the reparation thereof to the justice of the Royal Olive himself of whom he would demand and require it.  
Hereupon the Sovereign Minister who was then employed in ELAIANA was commanded to require refaction and satisfaction against the Informers or rather inventors and forgers of the aforesaid misinformation, which was of that quality, that it was sufficient to put impressions in him of perpetual jealousies, in regard that through Villerio, they did wound Prince Rocalino, and the best of his subjects; for it was not probable, that Villerio would have hurled himself into such an enterprise without communicating of it first to him, yet notwithstanding the Royal Oak would not mingle the correspondence and friendship he holds with the Majesty of the Olive, with the faults and offences of his Ministers, but leave them, and restrain them to themselves.  
These things being represented to Elaianas' King, he seemed then to be somewhat sensible of them; but when the aforesaid Ministers were returned, they were only confined for a few days: but afterwards instead of reprehension they were rather rewarded and further employed.  
Not long after, the Royal Oak who all his life time had continued in a constant calm of tranquillity, notwithstanding that all the circumjacent Forests were often in fearful combustions about him, and had been the gracious Umpire of so many Sovereign quarrels (glorying in the attribute of peaceful (and might be said to have been the Caducean Rod which composed and charmed all dissensions 'twixt other Princes) was field by the dire hand of fate, being newly plunged in a war against Elaiana.  
From the very time that he sprouted first above ground, he was pursued with treasonable practices, and his tutelar Angel still mervailously guarded him.  
Nor was there ever any Monarch upon earth since his time that writ from the Cedar to the shrub, of a greater latitude of learned knowledge, which made him to be termed Druinas third University. Aaron's rod never bore more buds then under the branches of this gracious Oak; Nor did the Groves of the Muses and common wealth of letters so fructify at any time; so, that in the firmament of learning he will shine to all posterity a star of the greatest magnitude, Crescet oculto velut Arbor aevo, Fama.—  
Touching his profound reach in holy things, let that portrait drawn out of the sacred Oracle, and the difficultst part thereof, bear the world witness; which piece he sent the great Archflamin to pay him all old arrearages.  
Never any Country flourished more in the Commutative part of justice, as did Druina in his time, specially the first ten years, in which space, besides other places, THAMISOND did so enrich herself, that she gathered more than she had done in thirty years before.  
His stately spouse sprung out of the ancient stem of the Royal Fir of Elatena, was transplanted some years before to the celestial Paradise, whither 'twas said she went in Noah's Ark, and He in Elia's Chariot, alluding to the quality of their diseases, the one aquatike, the other hot and dry.  
In this peaceful Prince there was an admired concurrence of many high Platonique virtues, only he would sometimes come too near the fire of passion, yet never in any serious, but sudden trivial passages.  
Munificent he was beyond the ordinary custom of Kings; most confident of the fidelity of his Agents and Instruments; For he was wont ●o say, that when he employed any servant in a serious business of trust, he would not embitter the sweetness he conceaud of his fidelity with any mixtures of fear or diffidence. Yet if any miscarried, the distaste would not dwell long in him, nor I dare say did the Sun ever go down upon his anger.  
Some there were upon whom the beams of his regal favour reflected more strongly. And why not? have not the wisest of Earthly Monarques had their Favourites? For if every Creature is left free to like where he list, it were preposterous and injurious to deprive Kings of that liberty which the meanest of their Subjects enjoy, they command multitudes of Subjects as they are Kings, but they are subjects to their own passions, as they are composed of four Elements.  
The Princely Standell which had been a long time the hopes of Druinas Crown, became now the Crown of her hopes, and succeeded in the Royal Throne. — Tandem fit surculus Arbour.  
A Prince endued with such a strength of virtue, that he seems to strike malice dumb; A Prince of whom it may be said, that he hates the very names of those vices that are incident to Princes, more than other Princes hate the vices themselves. He was well balancd, and of a growth just ripe for this mighty burden, having newly taken the vest of virility, and being reared up to a comely clean timbered strong bulk, wonderful active and patient of toil; And if foreign travel begets wisdom in regard the eye, which hath a more immediate commerce with the soul, and is a faithfuller witness than the ear; He is the best travelled Prince by the Sea and Land of any, and therein hath the advantage of his neighbours.  
Of a solid and excelling judgement in the hardest and choicest things, but specially in the service and deserts of his Officers and servants, who in a Monarchy are accordingly active or careless, as the Prince is capable to distinguish and judge of their labours; Whereby I hope to see Druina vindicated more and more of the aspersions the world abroad casts upon her; that she slowly seeks after well qualified instruments, and more slowly cherisheth virtue in her own plants, but admires any thing in strangers, and is more ready to employ them, though she have of her own, equally if not better qualified. Most singularly indulgent he is of his Royal Consort, which is so acceptable to Heaven, that she corresponds with him, in bringing him forth many real fruits of his love, sweet Princely grasses, which I may well avouch, are the best for alliance and stock that ever the earth had, being as immediately extracted out of the Oak and the Vine, so are they nearly allied to the Cedar, the Olive, the Fir, the anciently descended Vine, and all the best stems of the Western world; So that if ever any Plants sprung de semine Diuûm, as some Philosophers affirmed, they may be said to have sprung so. He is inflexibly just in the expiation of the crying sin of murder, yet most tender of the life of the meanest shrub that groweth under his Princely boughs.  
Most tenacious he is, of his purposes, when they have been pondered, and laid long in the balance of mature deliberation, and winnowed by the debate of his sages. But above all things else (and indeed all things else are but babbles to this) he is most punctual in his piety to heaven; so that take all this together, this inference will result, that if he were, but one of the ordinary vulgar plants, they that know aright, would judge him to be one of the compleatest, and most virtuous of all Druina.  
But the Crown which descended upon him was inlaid with so many difficulties, that it might be justly called a Crown of thorns for many years; For after a long calm of peace, he was left newly engaged in a war against one of the greatest of earthly Monarches, and (as it was said of one of his progenitors) with a rusty sword, and empty purse, the Crown being fallen into a bottomless pit or gulf of debt, besides his own former arrears;  
The moving fortress which are the chief strength of Druina were in slender repair, his magazines of ammunition ill supplied; The Lady Carbasilis with her numerous issue were to be provided for, and he was left to seek for a spouse for himself.  
But by the special favour of heaven, he hath surmounted all these difficulties and brought the glory of Druinas diadem to cast a greater splendour than ever it did. Touching a royal Consort, the high hand of providence, reserved for him such a one, that there never sprung up above ground a more beauteous or approaching nearer some celestial deity; for through those starry casements of her soul, one may discern in her a kind of divinity transscending the race of mortals, so that in this Virginian Vine, the saying of the wisest of Kings may be verified, That a good Wife, is a Tree of life.  
This young royal Oak being now settled in his throne, he sends Villerio to visit the disconsolat Carbasilis, and to confirm a league defensive and offensive with the Willows his fast friends.  
He suddenly sends a mighty fleet against Elaiana, but the Critics of those times abroad, said, this fleet so quickly rigged showed rather the power then providence of Druina, yet she returned without any passive encounter at all.  
He employs two of his noblest Elms to treat of an alliance with that peerless piece of nature's rarities, the Lady Aretine, which great business by their wise and successful negotiation was concluded in fewer months, than Elaiana spent years in her treaty; so that the La: Aretine was entitled by holy rite, QUEEN of Druina, which she would not accept of, unless she had the title of Ampelona's QUEEN also added.  
Thus the youngest spray of the great martial Vine came to Druina, with a great mass of ready treasure, and a row of her own Country Graffes for her first set of servants; But they misdemeaning themselves by some fond fopperies of superstition in prejudice of the La: Aretine her health, and for other moral miscarriages were suddenly dismissd and sent back to Ampelona with bag and baggage, all their salaries being punctually paid them to a penny, and many of them parted with rewards;  
Though a very modern Chronicler traduceth Druina in this point, to have dismissd them without their wages, etc. But as in this, so in many other relations he takes up things upon trust; and imperfect partial information;  
A gross defect in a royal Chronologer, nor indeed can it be judgd whether his faults in this kind, or flatteries throughout the whole body of his story, be grosser; And whereas history should be the torch of truth, he makes her in divers places a fuliginous link of lies.  
The renvoy of the Ampelonians was ill taken by the Royal Vine, and the suddenness of the action did much aggravate the business, with the quality of the persons, being for the most part younger grasses, having parted with what they had in their own soil to take rooting and grow up in Druina about the Lady Aretine.  
Upon these distastes the voyaging Merchants pillage one another, as they found advantage, yet the two Kings stirred not a good while after; For it is with Kings sometimes, as with Porters, whose packs may justle one against the other, yet they remain good friends still.  
Not long after DRVINAS Monarch convokes an universal Assembly;  
To whom, He declared to have called them together for the safety of Religion, for securing his kingdoms and subjects at home, having two such mighty Monarches his actual enemies, for the assisting of his Allies and Confederates abroad, specially the Royal Fir, who had lately embarkd himself very far in open war against the Cedar principally in behalf of Prince Altapinus, and was reducd to wonderful straits, being chasd out of a great part of his dominions, by the Cedar's General.  
For these with other important motives he propounded a supply of Treasure.  
These things at first overture were well resented by the lower assembly, who with much alacrity agreed to a good round supply, and indeed it was the greatest gift that ever subjects gave KING, but before it was brought to any sound perfection, this good work was unluckily disturbed by a multitude of questions concerning the privilege of the subject, and prerogative of the Sovereign; by which delays the reality and reputation of that great Donative was much lessened, and the foreign actions, the Royal Oak was engaged in abroad received much prejudice. Yet he did formally confirm unto them all their ancient privileges, and gave two most gracious answers to their petitions tending to this end: And having complied with them thus to their hearts desire, as also in two former Assemblies wherein were delivered them as sacrifices some of the Crown Officers, and done them sundry other Acts of Princely grace, yet some extravagant spirits given over to fancy, and faction, disturbed the calm of these proceedings.  
They fall like thunder upon Villerio, alleging that he was the cause of the incongruity in government at home, and of disasters abroad; That he was the first that deflowered the Virgin honour, making her a kind of prostitut, and mere merchandise saleable for white and red earth, which is too base a price for her, that should be the prime guerdon of virtue, through whose temple only, there should be a passage to hers. They complain of his exorbitant power, having in his hands the privat'st and most reposefull offices of trust, by sea and land, & such as were incompatible and never known in the person of one subject.  
They cry out that none received advancement but his progeny, which they termed the tribe of fortune, with other high clamours: Thus he who in their former meetings was a great subject of their commendation, when for dissolving the two Treaties with Elaiana they said he had done so well, that he deserved to have his statue publicly erected in the midst of Thamisond, became now the chief subject of their complaints and grievances.  
But the rays of Royal Majesty reverberated so strongly upon Villerio, that they dispelled all those clouds, which did hang over and thus obumbrat him, and the rather because Evidence, which is the lantern of of the Law, was wanting, these accusations having no other proof but public fame.  
In these times a warlike fleet was prepared against Ampelona, in regard the Vine had not performed certain capitulations, that were promised the Royal Oak in favour of the Eusebians there, besides one moiety of the Lady Aretine's dower was not sent according to Article, with other provocations and secret motives.  
The enterprise failing, though the first Invasion (and would heaven had pleased the retreat had been answerable) was made with as brave a resolution as any martial attempt could possibly be, and in managing the Soldier Villerio, with the rest, showed undeniable assurances of valour: yet the Royal Oak was not a whit daunted hereby, but presently commanded a greater number of vessels of war to be rigged and made ready in pursuit of the same design, upon which Villerio was to go Generalissimo again; But being upon point of embarking, this great Commander having at his beck such a multitude of martial spirits was suddenly cut off, to the consternation and amazement of all the world, by a fatal stroke which was given him with a small contemptible instrument, and with such an admirable advantage, that it was impossible either by slight or art, or strength of engine, to dispatch one sooner out of this world; And which made the act more tragical, his noble Consort, then pregnant, beheld him thus felled, and weltering upon the ground presently after.  
Thus fell that procere goodly fair timbered Elm in the fullness of his strength, who had so long flourished under the gracious branches of two Royal Okes, having led half his life in that height of fortune, and affluence of all earthly pleasure; who being thus fallen, many inferior Trees grew great out of his boughs, In so much that the saying of the Philosopher, who being asked, what was a doing in heaven, answered, Magnae ollae franguntur, & ex frustis earum minores fiunt, might have been not improperly applied to what then passed in Druina. Out of this sad Catastrophe may be drawn this lesson, That great ones may secure themselves from guilt, but not from envy, which like the Sunbeams beats upon rising grounds, and towering high Trees, when the shrub is safe. 
Cernis ut ventis agitatur ingens  
Pinus.—   
He had a concurrence of all those graceful parts, that might attract Princely love, and conduce to the accomplishment of a Courtier, and had he contained himself still in that condition, he might happily have lasted until time had covered him with hoary moss.  
The Royal Majesty which first took him into favour, agenid and trained him up for his own turn by certain degrees in the most pertinent affairs and Mysteries of State, observing therein the progress of nature which suffereth no motion to pass from one extreme to another, but by intermediat spaces, as she useth to pass from Winter to Summer by the interposition of the spring, and so return to Winter by Autumn: so that Platonike Prince served himself of certain pawses to advance and employ him; And he was no improper piece to work upon, having so pliable and gentle a genius, that he grew very pregnant and dextrous in the art of government.  
Among other maxims of policy he proposed to himself in the conduct of his affairs, one was to neglect apologies, whereof he said, he saw no other fruit then to multiply discourse, and humour the vulgar, nor did he ever value any pasquils that were dropped up and down, so far, as to think them worthy of his revenge, which questionless was a well settled Rule, for Libels neglected quickly find their own graves; and dissipat to air.  
He was none of those Idolaters that worship the beast with many heads, that use to burn incense to the vulgar.  
And as herein, so in many other things, great abilities appeared in him, for extraordinary must be the wisdom of him who floateth upon the stream of Sovereign favour, wherein there is seldom any sistence, 'twixt sinking and swimming. A sure friend he was, and a resenting foe, a brave Master to servants, and a remembrer of the least good office; For his stock; he transplanted most of them to plentiful soils. And doubtless he had a brave soul to actuat that comely composure; And an innated valour appeared in him, when he put himself upon the Soldier's defence as he received the mortal stab. I will conclude with part of a Character that a judicious Cavalier gave lately of him; He was a great example of Sobriety and temperance, but not of continency.  
The Assassin that field him found oftentimes strong and strange reluctancies in himself, nor could he give any other reason that pushd him forward to this black attempt, but that he was blasted by the great Assembly, and so thought it an act agreeable to heaven to take away the partition wall between the King and his people, and make him a sacrifice to the public, though with an unavoydablenesse of his own destruction, confronting thereby death in the face; Whereby was verified that saying, that he who is careless of his own life, is master of another's. But Heaven forbid that this custom which hath such a vogue in other parts, should take footing in DRVINA.  
This tragedy being acted, the Royal Oak pursueth his design for supporting of Petrina, with the Eusebians in Ampelona, but this disaster as it bred confusion for the time, so it caused a stand in the procedure of that great action, which gave the Vine respite to finish those stupendous circumvallations and barricadoes he had reared up by sea and land to begird Petrina; In so much that when another noble Elm was sent with strength sufficient to have achieud a greater exploit, he found her passed cure.  
This some say went to the very heart of Elaiana, who in regard of that notable advantage, and addition of united power the Vine got hereby, would have found some way or other to have relieved Petrina, had she thought Druina would have missed it.  
The great Assembly aforesaid rejoined, and met again in one body, and now he that was supposed to be the cause of the tempest being thrown overboard, there were great hopes a calm should ensue, but the storm continued as furious as ever, and unlucky passions blustered as much, if not more, than they had done formerly in Villerios' time.  
They flew a fresh upon other great Officers and questioned a duty, that for guarding of the seas, and common defence of the realm had been indisputably granted to so many preceding Kings for a bene esse, which they made difficulty to afford the Royal Oak regnant, unless he would first renounce alright to it, and so receive it merely from them. Thus they choppd logic with Sovereign Majesty who moved with these traverses, resolved though to his unutterable grief to dismiss this great Counsel, but upon the point when this was to be done in form, the lower assembly in a strange tumultuary manner adjournd themselves, before they had received his royal pleasure. They denied him his Officers at arms, violated the prolocutor, being twice sent for, delayed to let in his messenger, and discontentments turning thus to a strange kind of disobedience, they broke up in confusion.  
Add hereunto that notwithstanding there was another peculiar Assembly of Reverend Yewes of purpose for the regulating and sweeping clean of the house of the Almighty, yet the poplars must make it their office to tamper with the constitution of holy things; And indeed this is one of the greatest scandals and brands, that not only Petropolis, but other Forreners (who have with her forsaken Petropolis) cast upon Druina. viz. that her Ecclesiastical Ordinances are the commands and injunctions of this secular power, and members of this Assembly, who not only confirm (which may become them well enough, and is necessary for a general obedience) but take upon them to be judges herein. So that one being asked what they did in that lower great Assembly, he was answered pleasantly, That they were making of a new Creed; Another was overheard to say, that he could not be quiet in his Conscience, until the holy text should be confirmed by an Act of theirs. Whence may be inferrd, that some of them believe, it belongs to them to make sanctions, as well as statutes.  
This induced the Royal Oak, though he be responsible to none for an account of his actions but to the high Majesty of Heaven, to publish an open protest unto the world, for the satisfaction of his better sort of subjects, of the causes of these disorders, declaring that while Villerio lived, he was entitled to all the distempers and ill events of former assemblies, therefore much endeavour was used to demolish him as the only wall of separation 'twixt their Sovereign and them, but he now being cut off, no alteration was found amongst them at all, or calmness in their proceedings.  
He was pleased to declare further, that he imputed not these commotions to the whole Assembly, knowing that there were amongst them, many religious, grave and well minded Patriotts, but the sincerer and better part of them being over-borne by the clamours and practices of others, who careless of their duties, and taking advantage of the times and his necessities, constrained him to break off that meeting, which had it been answered with like duties on their parts, as love on his, might have proved happy to all Druina.  
These fatal distempers as they did much hurt to the body politic at home, for they were like humours stirred in the natural body without evacuation, so did they produce disadvantageous effects abroad, and better had it been that the Raysers and fomenters of them had never sprang up in Druina.  
The Royal Fir had engaged himself in the quarrel of Altapinus against the Cedar, and he had proceeded so far as to the imminent and actual danger of his own person. And expecting from Druina those monthly supplies which were promised by capitulation, partly for want of them, the one half of his territories being already over-runne and plundered, he was constrained to shuffle up a peace with the Cedar (without Druinas privity.)  
And it was high time for him, for whereas the Fir was used to be a dwelling for the stork, the Eagle was like to build his nest there.  
The foresaid great expedition to relieve Petrina did also suffer hereby, and indeed the whole party of the Eusebians every where up and down the world, who had their eyes fixed upon Druinas Monarch their defender. Who so much labouring to take the old wont great trodden way, for supplies towards the support of such public designs, was constrained at last to take the higher road, by having recourse to his Sovereign prerogative to ballast the common purse of the state;  
And a kingdom is like a Ship at Sea, whose ballast should be the Prince's Coffers; which if they be light and empty, she will do nought but tumble up and down, nor can she be made to run a direct and steady Course.  
About this time fell one of the noblest Elms in the whole Forest, extracted of the ancient stock of the Monticolians, that bore the smallest, yet chiefest staff of office and command in Druinas Court; And his fall was the more remarkable, because the night immediately before he was discoursing of, and slighting the art of those foolish Astrologers, and Genethliacal Ephemerists, that use to pry into the horoscope of Nativities, whereof one had much tampred with his, and positively affirmed he should not reach 51. years, And now said he, I have lived (thanks be to Heaven) fifty one years and a day complete, But the next morning he was taken with an Apoplexy, whereof he presently died; much lamented he was, for his nobleness, and marvelous candour of disposition, and other brave endowments, and therefore generally beloved in City, Court, and Country. And being a long time averse to the match with Elaiana Mordogan put a shrewd pernicious compliment upon him; For being at a private audience in discourse with Druinas Monarch, he fell to magnify the greatness, loyalty, and wealth of his subjects; and specially of this noble Elm, who had such rooting in the hearts of the poplars, that upon any faction, or tumult, he verily thought he could draw after him all the Trees of the Forest. But this was spoken of purpose to make some impression of jealousies in the breast of Majesty.  
As these traverses happened in Druina, behold Bumelias' King the Martial Ash, holding himself to be much affronted by the Cedar in that he would vouchsafe no audience to his Ambassadors, and that he encroachd upon the Territories of his ALLIES; As also for some preventive reasons of state; He crosseth those cold Seas, and rusheth into Rhenusium like a whirlwind, carrying all before him though with small numbers at first, not exceeding 7000. Yet like a ball of snow tumbling down a hill, he still gathered strength as he passed: and made Chips of all the Trees he met withal. He restored two of his said Allies to their entire possessions, and proceeding further, and being dared as he was a Cavalier by that great Veteran Captain then the Cedars General (who the day before had shrewdly shaken the plane) to meet him in pitched field; He answered that he was something more than a Cavalier, and that he had thousands under him as good as that General himself, therefore he would not fail to find him out speedily.  
The next day he kept his word and gave him battle, where he carried away as fair and complete a victory as possibly could be, and thereby he freed the Planes Country from the impendent dangers that hung over it.  
He marchd still on, making his passage by the point of the sword every where, He crosseth the great River that denominates Rhenusium, upon whose banks he kept his festivals in an admired triumphant manner in one of the chiefest Archflamins towns, whither Ambassadors resorted unto him from far and near, as if he had been some Cesar. The Royal Vine being displeased that he had crossed that great River, and invaded the Territories of the Church (whereof he had taken the protection) without his privity, sent to tell him by his Ambassador;  
That if he did not stand to his Articles, he had an Army of 80000. to enter into Rhenusium when he pleased. The magnanimous Ash answered, that he had not infringed the least tittle of what was articled, that they aimed at one mark, and their ends were concentrike, and he knew how to make his way in Rhenusium, better than he could tell him.  
And touching the Archflamin in whose metropolis he then kept his Court, he had broke promise both with the Royal Vine and him, by ceasing to be neutral; As for the menace he sent, if Ampelona had 80000. to rush into to Rhenusium, be had 20000. and with them he would be sooner at the walls of Tutelia, than those 80000. could be on the frontiers of Rhenusium.  
Afterwards he made himself master of Baccharia, but to reinvest Altapinus there, he would have tied him to hard, and indeed to very harsh terms; first, That he should make no leavy of Military forces, without his consent. That he should supply him with so many thousands upon his own charge during these wars; that he should still reserve two of the chiefest Towns of Baccharia in deposito, where he might put in garrison to be maintained by the contributions of the Country; That he should make no league or confederacy with any other, without his privity and consent.  
That there should be free exercise of the Bumelian Religion throughout all Baccharia, and an Academy, and Schools erected to that end. That he should acknowledge, under God, to have received his Country from him; with divers other such restrictions.  
But that noble stout Elm whom the Royal Oak employed at that time in Rhenusium in a high quality, of purpose to observe his motions, would not condescend hereunto.  
Hence Bumelias' King breaks his way to the Elders Court, where he shook him ill favouredly for the time, ranging through the very bowels of his Country, and plundering all wheresoever he came, as far as his very cells and closerts.  
But as no violent course lasteth long, this irresistible torrent of his trophies was stoppd by the dire hand of destiny, so that in the throng of his own victorious troops, this martial Ash was felled, the greatest of his enemies whom he most redoubted for his valour, falling before in his sight. So that, as in life, so at, and after his death he proud a Conqueror, falling upon the bed of honour and victory both at once, in a party coloured field Gules and Argent, but the crest Sable, so that it was impossible for a Soldier to bid the world farewell, in a braver manner.  
His fall for the present struck an earth quake into all minds, nor could the vulgar be induced a great while to believe that he was field, thinking him to be impenetrable, and above the stroke of fate.  
An Heroic Prince he was, and in such a height, that it was said the soul of Caesar had entered into him; So that some think he sprung of the race of that Tree, whereof Achilles' spear, and Hercules Club were made, only he was taxed to be over-ventrous and headstrong; besides there were some, that observed him, to be somewhat elated by that monstrous course of conquering, but as Adrianas' Ambassador apologizd for him, He had been more than a mortal wight, if he had not been somewhat altered at the success of such high feats, which were such, that considering the quality of the Country, Townes, and enemies, none of the twelve Caesar acts, paralleled his in so short a time.  
But I will relate a thing worthy of wonder; amongst others who received contentment at the proceedings of the Warlike Ash, Melissanus the great Archflamin would be often inquisitive, and well pleased to hear of any successful encounter of his against the Cedar.  
Some think the reason was, in regard the Cedar had a little before disturbed the peace of Bombicina, and joined with Elaiana to kindle a new fire in her, therefore he was well contented to see him a little shaken. Others say, there was some secret tye, that if the Ash should compass his designs in Rhenusium, he should assist Melissanus to recover Hipparcha, (which the Olive hath so long detained from Petropolis) as a reward for his neutrality: Hereupon when there was a great Contracto in the holy Senate, at the time when the Cedars and Olives Ambassadors demanded pecuniary supplies out of the holy treasure for the support of Religion in RHENUSIUM and preventing the further spreading of the ASH, the IVY himself answered, That he was satisfied Religion was neither the subject nor scope of those Wars; And that the holy treasure, was to be reserved, and issued for holy uses, and not misapplied to any other ends.  
Whereunto one of the prime members of that high Senate, replying, That the Ivy for his coldness in the Cedar's quarrel was traducd abroad for half an Heretic, he was taken up very short, and adjudgd corrigible for such presumptuous language.  
Amongst many others, which had obligations to the martial Ash, the Plane received no small benefit by him; for he preserved his Country three several times from impendent and actual danger; but it seems he quickly forgot him, for after his fall he shuffled up a peace with the Cedar in which the Bumelians were quite excluded: And it had been wished, that the princely plane, (though allowed his sprinklings of wine, because as the Arbolists observe it is more natural to him, and makes him thrive better than any other Tree) had in these traverses been less wavering, and not suffered himself to be shaken with such incertain blasts: for I cannot tell how often he put in, and pulled out his pin from the stake.  
Had the adventurous Ash surviud that fatal, yet victorious, day he fell on, many think the Cedar was so far shrunk that he had been put to very hard shifts to have made head against him to any purpose again. For indeed his progress was such, that both sides stood at a stand, gazing and doubting where his conquest would terminat. And had he brought his intents home to his aim, he would have cast the policy of the lower world into a new mould, and happily have put his own confederates to stand upon their guard; And as for many others, so had it not been wholesome for Druina, that his acquests had extended further, which makes me, that I cannot wonder enough at the shallowness and impertinent zeal of the vulgar sort in Druina, who were still so eager, and joyful to hear him still go on, and carried away with such an ignorant devotion for his successes, when it little concerned their religion or security. Amongst divers others who rejoycd and triumphed at the fall of the warlike Ash, the Elder lifted up his hollow boughs, so high, that a little after he took heart of grace to court one of the youngest sprays of the Imperial Cedar for his Consort, though in point of age he quadrupply exceeded her, being cauterizd in four several places about his body to have vent for his malignant humours, wherewith it seems he much abounded, specially towards Prince Altapinus, who was one of the nearest to him in stock; Besides his young Consort was sprung as close to him, and as near as could be out of his own stem. Yet neither disparity of years, nor propinquity of stock, could hinder the design policy had herein, but he carried her clear away;  
And what fruit can be expected of this inoculation, but black unsavoury berries, and Flowers only to make the tartest Vinegar, such as the ELDER naturally bears.  
And what fruit also the beech will produce by his late engrafting upon the other spray, though in a far ignobler way, (having by letters and instruments) attempted a Princely Graft, which as far precels her, which he hath lighted upon, as a Damask Rose doth the Cowslip in nature's workmanship, quantum lenta solent inter viburna cupressi,) I had rather expect then determine.  
But these kind of infolliations wresting so far the laws of nature, have seldom proved prosperous; I know not what they may do upon this modern politic race, which as she pretends to have mounted to this might and largeness by these means, so she goeth on, to cement her designs, and fortify herself still by this course; But some of the best genethliacal Arbolists observe, that though these unequal imbuddings may flourish for a time, they will fade away at last by a fate, that avoidable useth to attend them.  
Before the lowest of the celestial bodies had finished her monthly course, ALTAPINUS also fell, who had been a companion to the warlike Ash in many of his exploits through Rhenusium; A Prince who by a hard destiny, became a tennis-ball a long while to the blind Goddess; A Prince in whom many virtues did cohabit. He was free from that vice Rhenusium is so naturally addicted unto, where the custom is so general that it takes away the conscience to be peccant therein.  
Very sedulous he was in the pursuit of his affairs, parsimonious and wonderfully indulgent of his young Cions, and the glory of her sex Carbasilis, who though Homebias Crown was lost, yet by her Princely comportment, she got then another kingdom which she retains ever since, as may be inferrd out of her name;  
For at the beginning of these unlucky traverses, she wisely turned herself (though sprouted naturally of the Oak) into a palm, and with a more than feminine courage took for her motto ever since, — Sub mole resurgo. For it can hardly be judgd, whether her various sorts of pressures, or patience were greater.  
Many brave adventurous spirits fell for love of her; amongst others I cannot forget, the high-hearted martialist Brunonio, who first lost his lands, than one of his chiefest limbs, and lastly his life in her quarrel.  
Nor can I omit here a Noble Elm sprung up in the streets of Tamisond, who hath been a most constant and resolute Adventurer, and conversd with danger a great while for her, though with extraordinary expense, the late loss of his liberty, and many traverses of apparent hazard, even to the admiration of the Ash himself, and envy of others.  
Not long before these times, there being interchangeable overtures made on all sides; The Royal Oak renewed a peace both with the Vine and the Olive, 'twixt whom there passed many shocks; for the Olive, the worst that Druina suffered was, that she exchanged Coals for Sugar.  
And now behold a glorious serenity of peace again in Druina, having had two of her potentst neighbours upon her back at once.  
It hath been a maxim often verified in policy; That Kings may marry, but not their Crowns, and never was this more exemplified, then by the alliance of those Princely sprays that sprung of the last great Martial Vine, who notwithstanding that of themselves there were never any in whom sweetness of disposition, and virtue herself was more resplendent in such a degree, as if the three graces had contributed their utmost power to make them good; yet I know not by what fate or fortune 'tis come to pass, there have fallen out divers traverses of War, since the inarching of those grasses, upon the Olive, the Pine, and the Oak; Which yet continueth, and is daily exasperated 'twixt the Olive and the Vine, who though at first, they crossed one another's designs by sending auxiliary forces in collateral ways, they do now directly and in good earnest, clash their branches one against the other.  
For the justness of their quarrel, I will not undertake here to debate it; nor determine whether a just fear without any active invasion or offence be sufficient grounds to Ampelona for a war, and whether it may deserve the name of a defensive. I have read that the true cause of the Peloponnesian War (though they were blanchd with other specious colours) was the over-growing greatness of Athens, which did as it were impose upon the Lacedæmonians a necessity of arms; Preventive Wars have been practised by the best policied states, they rid the Forest oftentimes of superfluous plants; and are as a purge for the body politic: And in all ages it hath been held a main part of providence, to have an eye,  
That their confining neighbours, should neither by too near an approach, or increase of territory, or enfeebling of confederates, nor by engrossing of trade, or stopping of passage, receive any addition of strength, And in point of wealth to bear up still in equal proportion, upon the enhancement of the rates of coin, excrescence of demeanes, or imposition of tolls; This makes the Vine so Salt his subject, and the Olive pepper his so much.  
The lawfulness of war in the general was never questioned, so it have a Sovereign head, not otherwise. For the Almighty is the God of Hosts and arms, as well as of peace; And wars well grounded are nought else but suits of appeal to the consistory of heaven, when there is no superior on earth to determine the cause: And besides the lawfulness hereof, there seems to be a kind of inevitableness and necessity in it; Some Philosophers were of opinion, that the world doth subsist by a perpetual strife in some part or other, I go not above the concave of the Moon, where the celestial bodies, though in relation to us (poor mortals) they seem to strange, and have their contrary motions, eclipses and oppositions, yet amongst themselves they are in a most regular, and constant sweet course of concord; But for the elementary world, all things are in a kind of restless conflict; The Elements themselves, which are the primitive ingredients of all bodies, are in perpetual combat, they still encroach one upon another, and labour to repel each other, but amongst the rest the fire is most vigorous and ravenous, the earth hath frequent fits of the Palsy, the Sea is never still, the air is agitated with winds, and new monsters and meteorological impressions are hourly engendered; so in humane bodies composed of this stuff, there is an incessant warfare amongst the humours for predominancy, and while this natural war lasteth, the earth cannot be without civil and political preliations, the mind following most commonly the temper of the body.  
But a mad tenet it was of the Candian (in that divine and high soaring Philosopher) that peace is but a naked and empty name, a kind of Chimaera, and that every state expects but its advantage to set upon the skirts of the other, whence he concludes, that there is always a kind of fermentation of war, and no kind of real love and league between Princes, but only an impuissance or inconveniency to do hurt.  
An age there was, and 'twas the last, when Druina, Ampelona, and Elaiana were so circumspect, and Eagle eyed, that scarce an acre of ground, could be gotten by either of the three, but the other two would be sure to do their best, to set the scales even again. And the like diligence hath been practised in divers other Regions, and it seems is now by Ampelona, by reason of the late new acquests the Olive, and his race in Rhenusium have made; which induceth her to stick more close than ever to Itelia, as also to the Bumelians, who else I believe had gone near to have quite disbanded long before now.  
The Princely Sycomore which stood as a screen 'twixt Ampelona and Rhenusium hath smarted for this, being fallen just under the same fatal predicament, as Altapinus; both exulating from their own patrimonial Territories.  
But a hard case it seems to be, that the Princely spray which was of the self same ancient stock with the Sycomore, being branches of the same Tree, should in the verdantst season of her virginity, be coupled according to the true rites of sacred law, with Ampelonas' apparent heir, and then, poor Lady, to be abandoned without the least imaginary fault of hers;  
And more strange it seems to the world, that Ampelona, specially that now her prime Minister of state is of a holy function, should go about to prefer a particular temporary custom of hers, viz that her Heir apparent should not any ways dispose of himself to marriage, without the privity and consent of the State, to the prejudice and flat breach of the eternal law of the Almighty: And so to attempt the nullifying of that act, and loosening of that knot which by divine Ordinance should be indissoluble; And so make a kind of medlar of that Princely Sycomore, she being every way superior to his first Consort.  
It is true, policy is warrantable, yet but as a handmaid to divinity, and absurd it is to make the Mistress stoop and give place to the servant; Policy is like the Apocrypha, which is allowed to be digested into one volume, and read with the sacred Text, but when it thwarts any thing that is Canonical, away with it.  
The ravishing of the Sycomore's Country, happened in an unlucky time for young Altapinus, for, I believe, it rendered the Treaty for a restitution of Baccharia more knotty and difficult; In so much that some think they must be put in Counter-scales hereafter, and move both upon one hinge.  
A much famed statist Elaiana had half an age since, was used to say, that if Ampelona had three things favourable, she were eternal, viz. Petropolis, the Sea, and Counsel.  
Touching the first, Melissanus who now sways the great Archflaminship, is mightily devoted to her, having been so long rooted in her, that it seems he naturally affects her soil and plants.  
And oftentimes we find that nature herself yields to custom, that great Giant, who is so prevalent, that oftentimes, we shape the discourse of reason, and course of nature to the inbred notions and preconceptions it hath imprinted in our minds, besides, habitual frequency of conversation is one of the greatest loadstones of love.  
For the Sea, Itelia serves her for her dock and Arsenal, nor was she ever so improved and potent that way; And I wish Itelia may never have cause to rue the time she did it.  
For Counsel, she hath lighted upon an Instrument of a marvelous contriving and sedulous spirit, as solid as he is subtle, which is rare under that Clime, In so much that some have termed him the prodigy of prudence, others have soared higher, and called him the grand Genius, and tutelar Angel of Ampelona, others fly yet higher, and call him the supreme Intelligence, the spirit that moves the heavens and the stars, the Phoenix of the earth, and such like superlatives, and Hyperboles.  
He is so strongly rooted in the opinion of the Royal Vine, that he post-poseth filial, and fraternal love, to his favour towards him.  
Some give other Characters of him, and call him the Incendiary of Ampelona, that his mind is of the colour of his habit, sanguine; That he is endued with the same spirit, that sometimes a famous Archflamin in Elaiana was, who said that Gunpowder in the field gave as sweet a perfume, as Incense at the Altar;  
This makes him keep such a stir with Drum and trumpet up and down in many places; yet though that humour suits with the colour of his Coat, it doth not I am sure with his calling. Nor because he hath got a peculiar title to distinguish him from others, should he be so far elated with that Eminency as to expect priority of place of such high Ministers, who immediately represent Sovereign and independent Majesty, and if he be stout in this point, he must give them leave to be stately.  
But for his intermeddling with arms, he is the more excusable, because many others of his Coat in these times are not only martial directors, but Commanders and Actors in open field, making Tents their Temples, and singing Te Deum with the noise of the Canon, so that those Wars which are now in motion, may be called The holy Wars, being directed and managed most, by such Ministers.  
And here I will insert a late passage of a great provincial Governor, and the oldest Martialist of Ampelona, who coming to visit a great Archflamin, that is now a Naval General, He sent to desire him to have a little patience, for he was dispatching some Captains and other Officers, who were to go presently to Sea upon a design of consequence. The provincial Governor staying not, the Archflamin went the next day to excuse himself to him. The Veteran Governor hearing he was there, sent to desire him to stay a little, for he was newly entered into a piece of Saint Austin, de Civitate Dei, and as soon as he had read it over, he would attend his Reverence.  
But to give Ramundas this prime Minister of state in Ampelona (for that's his title) his due, (and I honour him the more, because the first great act he did when he came to the helm was the alliance with Druina) The Royal Vine hath done notable feats by the strength of his Counsel.  
He hath debelld the Eusebians who formerly stood upon the strength of their own guard, having sundry maritime and inland Forts, and places of fastness for their security, but they are brought to subsist now merely by his mercy, having no other assurance for their safety, but his pleasure.  
And it seems he easily dispenseth with himself to perform, what his two immediate predecessors were bound by sacred tie, and Article to observe. For he hath declared long since,  
That what the one did, he did it out of fear; what the other, his great sire, did, he did it out of love (though he had his ears often stoppd with Cotton at their petitions) but for his part, he neither loved them, nor feared them.  
And it must be granted, this was one of the greatest weaknesses Ampelona had, for foreign Princes and some of her own Grandees, served themselves of the Eusebians, as of matches to set her on fire within doors at pleasure.  
The ancient Elms that lifted up their heads so high in their governments, which some held as confidently as if it had been their inheritance, and so lessened the opinion of the vassal to the Sovereign, he hath removed, and placed therein inferior Trees, not of so ancient a stock, whereof some are triennial, others during pleasure.  
He hath mervailously enhanced the revenues, and perquisits of the Crown, to many millions more than it was, though with a pitiful excoriation of the poorer sort, so that from 14. they are mounted to 20. millions in the last estimat that was made.  
He hath clammerd over the huge neighbouring hills, making his way by the sword's point, and settled one of his own vassals, though opposed by the Cedar and Olive to be one of the Sovereign Princes of Bombycina, and in the passage seized upon the territories of the Princely Pine who made half resistance, but having effected his purpose, he freely surrendered it, yet reserving still to himself a key to enter Bombycina at pleasure.  
He hath disturbed the passage Elaiana had got through the vale, from Bombycina to Rhenusium.  
He hath so scourged the Sycomore, who had offended him, that he hath sent him to wander up and down for another soil to plant himself in.  
He hath regaind, though with infinite toil and treasure those Islands Elaiana had a while rooted herself in near Bombycina.  
And lastly, to bring you nearer home, he gave the Olive many smart knocks when he thought to have planted himself in the confines of his Country, which proud too hot a soil for the Elaianians, which made one of them to leave behind this motto upon the walls of a forsaken Fort.  
O Ampelonians, if we had been such as the world takes us to be, and you such as you have been wont to; be our deeds had been yours, and yours ours.  
These high feats the Vine hath done since he was proppd by this Genius; And behold lately a mighty blessing droppd down from heaven upon him, and all Ampelona, viz. a rare masculine branch sprung out of him, and the lovely Olive, his Royal mate, after twenty three years' inoculation, which hath transformed all the world to wonder. So that Ampelonas' great Queen may answer her teeming neighbours as the Lioness did the Fox, who reproaching her of sterility and such slowness in breeding said, 'tis true, I breed slowly, but what I bring forth is a Lion; the application is obvious; And I hope the Lion of the Tribe of judah will be graciously pleased to make this inexpected regal late offspring a Prince of peace, that his birth may quash all far fetched reaches of ambitious policy, and put Christendom in a new mould of peace, lest, besides those parts wherein she is already stuck, she feel in other of her members, the prickles of that huge Bramble, who hath it for the prime part of his Litany, That intestine wars be still fomented 'twixt Christian Princes; And good reason he hath to pray so, for the greatest arms he ever used against them were their own divisions.  
Nor is Druinas Monarch destitute of prudent and strenuous Counsel, though he need it not so much, for he can see better without spectacles; Nor is his favour like that of the Vine, and Olive's ingrossd all by one, but every one of his prime independent Ministers is his Favourite within the bounds of his own Office; He hath an Intelligence to every sphere, amongst whom he diffuseth his beams, according as they shall move in a regular motion every one in his own Orb, and stand subordinate to him their primus Motor; And indeed, as the system and symphony of music is not made by one or two, but diversity of strings and notes, so political harmony consists in the correspondence of the greatest Ministers, and their unanimous resolution after some conflict of opinions, for as fire breaks out of flint by concussion, so wisdom and truth issueth out of the agitation of argument.  
Tamisond never flourished more with building and bullion, and bravery of all things. Her great Sanctuary, the greatest take all dimensions together, of any in the European world, which by the iron teeth of time and injury of the meteors had so mouldered away, that she was upon point of being reducd to her first principles, a confused Chaos of stone and rubbish, is like to look as youthful as ever she did;  
When the Eagle built his nest, every bird brought in a feather; And certainly a good spirit cannot dwell in him, who grumbles to send a stone towards the bearing up of the House of the Almighty.  
Nor doth Tamisond increase this way by houses, Palaces or streets only, but she hath a whole new Town reared up lately to enlarge her skirts; And whereas before, her walls were of light combustible matter, they are now of a new solid structure and stuff.  
Though some would think, that in regard she draws on in this kind so much to the West, she is towards her declining times; and they ground this augury upon the height of bravery and profuseness she is come to, which commonly bring with them, luxury and softness, and they have been always observed to be symptoms of a waning state.  
For naval strength, since Druina sat in Thetis lap, and had her white cliffs washed with her waves, she was never so well appointed; Not long since, the world thought she had been fallen to so low an ebb, that she was not able to set out a fleet Royal to Sea, which made some so insult over her, that they questioned her Sovereignty, yea in her own waves; But lately she hath appeared like herself, and put them all to silence, unbeguiling the world of this erroneous opinion.  
The late moving Castle she hath built, hath already purchased such renown; that it is confessed by all her neighbours, there never floated the like upon salt waters.  
She hath restored a Foreign Emperor to his right; And it is the duty of Sovereign Princes, to see wrong vindicated, and right take place though amongst Barbarians being sought unto▪ And besides the glory of that action, there is a special benefit accrues thereby to Druina, for that nest of base ravenous birds which so much impeached her commerce is pulled down, and many of her own plants, who languished in that hot scorching soylein most miserable slavery, brought home.  
They cannot therefore have their hearts well planted in them, who repine at such contributions which the sages of the law have once avouched legal, since they daily see such necessary and glorious effects thereof;  
And the (legal) levies the Sovereign raysers of the subject, are as vapours which the sun exhales up into the middle Region (the womb of the Meteors) which fall down afterwards in sweet silver showers to fructify the earth.  
The golden chain of policy hath been always held to be, That the defence of a kingdom is the office of the Prince, the honour of the Peers, the service of the Soldier, and the charge of the subject, for Qui sentit commodum, sentire debet & onus.  
Add hereunto, that allegiance is an act of reciprocation; as it binds the King to protect, so it ties the subject to contribute, and by this correspondence there is a quid pro quo.  
But as in Druina, so in all other Forests, it is usual for the Poplars to clash their branches, and still make a noise at the present times and soloecismes, in government, though they know neither the disease, nor the remedy. They think to discern the least moat in the body politic, building certain fantastic forms of ruling, and soothing their shallow imaginations, that they could set the state in such frames, the particular application whereof would prove absurd and gross impertinencies.  
Touching eminent or imminent danger, though there be some Arcana Imperii in every state, which the Sovereign and his sages should only know and not disperse amongst the vulgar, It was apparently visible, how the fairest flower of Druinas diadem, the dominion of the Seas was aimed at, and like to be plucked off, was it not high time then for her to rig her vessels, and put herself upon an extraordinary guard?  
Moreover they are far wide who think Druina can join security and peace together, as long as the Olive with the Cedar and the Vine are up in actual arms by Sea and Land hard before her, for a peace may be clapped up between them with that suddenness, that some of those forces which are now in motion may inexpectedly fall upon her skirts. Touching Ampelona some have been overheard to say that the late invasion upon her Islands for relief of Petrina sticks still in her stomach but half digested, thinking she hath not repaired her honour to the height, nor taken equal revenge according to the rules of retaliation, by that successful repulse only.  
And for Elaiana some hold (though I do not) never yet made hearty peace with any Eusebian Prince, and the peace she makes proceeds either from disability or unseasonableness to hurt. And since she holds the Canons of the last great Counsel (whither 'twas said the holy Ghost was used to be sent in cloake-bagges from Petropolis) in so much reverence and authority as the sacred Oracles themselves which were immediately inspired from heaven, of which Canons one was, that Haereticis (meaning the Eusebians) non est tenenda fides; since I say that Elaiana stands so readily appointed and so near, it would very ill become the policy of Druina, to let her vessels lie rotting upon the Carine, and not to be ready upon a preventive guard, lest she re-incurre that aspersion which in former ages stuck fowlly to her, which was to be wise, a posteriori, after the blow was given, when Hannibalis Ante Portas.  
And now that all the neighbouring Forests, which had been formerly shaken, and riven with the thunderbolts of war, did admire and envy the sweet peace and serenity of Druina, her Royal Oak being only — Medijs tranquillus in undis; Behold an unhappy mist did rise in the North in Cardenia, (and Cardenia is known to be much subject to mists.) Some say Cardenia hath the same quarrel to her Sovereign, that she hath to the Sun for dwelling too far distant from them: but it was discovered that this cloud was engendered of the exhalations of divers discontented spirits, specially some of the great ones, who did suscitat the inferior sort of Flamens, that depended upon them for their subsistence to vent seditious doctrine against the Hierarchy, and chiefest governor's in holy things, fearing that by a post-liminous way something should be re-annexd both to Church and Crown, which had always been possessed by them time out of mind.  
These obstreperous Sermocinators (who in Cardenia sway as much, if not more, upon the conscience than the Loyalists else where do) make easy impressions upon the minds of the vulgar, specially the females who first broke out into acts of violence, so that it may be said this sedition came in, as sin did first into the world, by the female sex, who relying upon the immunity of their kind, did many unbefitting and strange barbarisms, little tending to the honour of Cardenia, And with these the meaner sort of mechanikes concurd, and at last the tallest Elms appeared, so that the whole Forest was in a fearful combustion, and the Bells every where rung backward, the Regalia seized upon, and government thrust quite of the hinges.  
A strange league is made without consent of royal Majesty, point blank against the laws of Cardenia, and nothing will serve their turn but the utter extinguishing of the greatest Luminaries of the Church, and the abjuration of whatsoever the late royal Oak (who they glory to have been the most religious and learnedst Prince that ever wore Diadem) had done in point of ecclesiastical government. The meaner sort of the dispensers of sacred Oracles (who of all other, were the greatest monsters of ingratitude to their Sovereign (who had found out a way not long before to augment and a scertaine their stipends, and free them from that servile kind of clientele they stood in to the seculars) in lieu of pious documents and wholesome doctrines tamper chiefly with matters of state, and out of a fanatique zeal minister more fuel to increase the flames;  
they cried out that the ready way to return to Petropolis, was, to pass by Druina; that her form of public prayer (though they acknowledge the first Compilers thereof to be glorious Martyrs) was mere Idolatry.  
This little tended to the honour of Cardenia, for all her neighbours cried out against her, that she should cast such a brand upon the Eusebian Religion, as to lose all respects of passive obedience, if need had been, (for subjects should be willows, and not Okes) and to stand in open defiance and arms against their natural liege Lord; And where people run together and join in arms (be it for defence or offence) without a Sovereign head, I know what term it deserves, all the world over. The sages of Druina consult how to quench these flams. Some were of opinion, that, all the while they broke not out into incursions by land, or depredations at Sea, nor took in foreign force, nor did any extern act of violence; it was not dishonourable for Druina, to look on a while, yet pinch them in commerce every way, and to be sure to keep them at the staff's end. Bombycina hath a saying, That the Prince, who upon every commotion of the subject, rusheth presently into open war, is like him who sets his own house a fire to roast his eggs. King's have many ways to meet with their people, besides effusion of blood, and profusion of treasure, they have long reaches. Non nôst longas Regibus esse manus?  
Nor is Phlebotomy, in the body politic, as well as the natural, prescribed for all diseases. Some of the wisest Emperors have gone to work with mutinous subjects by cunctation, as the Sun did to take away the passengers cloak, not as the ruffling wind; for Royal Majesty like the Sun hath her rays also, which dazzleth the eyes of disloyalty, and glancing upon rebellion, makes it melt to nothing, like a Gorgon's head, or a Bear reared up of snow. But it hath been the fate of the best and potentst monarchs to have water thrown sometimes into their Wine by tumultuous subjects, witness the Vine, and the OLIVE hard by.  
But I trust Cardenia will not be so ingrateful to Druina, as to receive Plums from her so many years, and now to throw the stones at her.  
The Thistle I hope will not offer to clash against the Sovereign Rose, considering the multiplicity of advantages she hath by her.  
And the single Lion (though rampant) will be better advisd then set himself against three, considering how often he hath felt their paws: A good instrument may (by some ill favoured accident) be out of tune, but being put in again, the music will be as good as ever, I hope Cardenia will prove so.  
And now will I put a period to this parley, this jargon of Trees, for I can find them no further matter of discourse, unless I should make them to prophecy, and so outrun their Epoch. Many more things could have been couched here (as a discerning Reader may well perceive) which I leave to future ages, and transmit to the post-Nati, when the times shall be enfranchizd, and posterity manumitted: For there be some Historical truths, which are like the Medlar not ripe enough (to be written) till they be rotten: Nor was this shadow of Trees dark enough for them, it being my intention at first not to pursue or press this allegory so far as to enslave my matter unto it, and so put it in a kind of stocks, but that I did obtain leave of myself sometimes by obvious and easy expressions to comply with the Readers capacity; Otherwise he might have thought it to have been some senseless fantastic Romance, which might have brought him to that pass, that he could not have been able as he went along to have seen the Wood for Trees; No, it will appear that I labour to bring him often into the Plains, and that I was very careful to shun the bogs, for they are dangerous, and there is no state without them.  
Wherefore I hope this knotty ill twisted piece, will pass current without exception, offence or calumny; and that my impartial dealing will serve for a Pale to fence out the Goats from my Forest, though I must confess there may some few criticisms or grains of brown salt, and small dashes of vinegar be found here and there, to make the discourse more sapid, but this tartness is far from any gall or venom, wherewith the pages of some Modern Authors of our next transmarin neighbours do usually swell, and are yet exposed to vent by public authority though they writ flat and plain without any disguise at all; I presume you have tasted no such bitterness here, albeit I might have done it with more privilege and good manners, writing under types. No; you shall find no black satyrs range in my woods; if there be any, they are white harmless ones, and drawing near to the nature of Fairies.   

A VOTE.  
FOR Conclusion, my incessant vows and hearty orisons to heaven early and late shall be, that the high Majesty which is here meant by the Oak, may in vigour, and strength of constitution (if it be within the possibility of nature) attain unto the age of the Oak, which is observed to exceed all other terrestrial creatures in longaevity. May he be to his enemies as the Oak is to the Olive, which as the Arbolists observe, shrinks away to nothing, if he be but near the roots of the Oak; may Honour set up her stand in him, and victory her tent under his branches; may he be like that blessed Tree planted on the water's side (as he is already surrounded and strengthened with waters) which brings forth her fruit in due season, whose leaf fadeth not, and prospereth in all his undertake.  
Long may his fruitful Vine infolliat and clasp about him with embracements of Princely love, that their souls may transmigrat into each other: Long may the dew of heaven distil upon them, to make them bourgeon and propagat amongst themselves, until they be encircled with a large row of young gems, and cions of their own royal stock, which to the fullness of earthly contentment, they may see shoot up and germinat, and engrafted also upon other Princely scutcheons and shields, and so grow ripe to succeed them here, when they shall be transplanted to the celestial Paradise, to become true jerusalem Okes, to flourish there for ever with the Tree of life, and behold him who trod the Wine press, and once suffered upon a Tree, to purchase for them, that shall be truly engrafted into him here, Palms of Victory, and immarcessible ghirlands of glory and triumph to all eternity.  
So prayeth, The loyallst, and lowliest of their Majesties, VOTARIES and VASSALS, james Howell.