THE PARABLE OF THE MAGPIES.  
THIS is an Age of Riddles, the World is becomes a mere Fairy-Land, inhabited by Chimera's Monsters, Elves and Changelings; Men act as if were at Cross purposes, and therefore wonder not if the Press brings for Parables.  
The late Prevarication and Flight of a certain Overseer of the Levites in a small Island, puts me in mind of a Tale, which is not to be found in all Aeasop's Fables, and yet it runs much after the same manner. Take it as follows:  
There was a time when all the Birds in the Air were summoned to swear Allegiance to the EAGLE, whom by unanimous consent, they had chosen to be their King. The OSTRIDG who reigned over them before, having deserted his Government, (as is the manner of that unnatural Bird,) and so the Throne vacant. Now the EAGLE had gained the Hearts and Affections of all the feathered Kind's: The Falcons, Herns, Storks, Swallows, Larks, and innumerable other sorts of Highflying Birds came in and took the Oath, especially the Blackbirds, were very promt and ready to give all the Demonstrations of their Loyalty they were capable of. To these joined the Nightingales, and Thrushes, a harmless cheerful sort of Birds, that were always merry in the midst of Afflictions, and would sing best when pric'k with Briers and Thorns. They all swore Loyalty to the EAGLE. charpt and caroled his Praises, so that the Hills and Valleys, Forest and Plains, echoed his Renown: they also form themselves into Troops, and had the over sight of all inferior Magpies, and followed him to the Wars; for the abdicated OSTRICH having fled to the WLTURE for protection, and made a League with Him, came with huge Armies and invaded the eagle's Dominions; But the Black birds, Nightingales and Thrushes, as I have said, stood firm to Him, and drove away his Enemies, being resolved never to forsake Him, till they have subdued the: OSTRICH and the WLTURE, with all that adhere to them.  
Now among all the Birds that lived under the eagle's Government; none were so Treacherous and Disloyal as some MAGPIES, a Bird of two colours, Double-tongued, and much addicted to Quibbles and mental Reservations; yet some of these took the Oath of Allegiance to the EAGLE: But others stood out, and chattered against it, squinting at all such as took it. There was one Old One that had his Nest by a Riverside, he was the Ringleader of the Nonswearing MAGPIE, a surly Old Maggot that would not come near the eagle's Court, nor so much as chatter out a How-d'ye to Him, but kept hiving in's Nest under pretence of Illness. To him there resorted daily the other Nonswearing MAGPIES, with great numbers of Jackdaws, Rooks, Swallows and Martin's, that the MAGPIES had drawn into their Sedition. From him they received Instructions, and took there Masures, how to behave themselves in their their several respective Districts, (for some of them were DIGNIFYED MAGPIES, Jackdaws, Rooks, Swallows, and Martin's, in such and such a Province of the eagle's Dominions,) and when they had sufficiently learned their Cue, away they flew to their Charges, and made it their business to preach up Nonswearing, Non obeying, Non. fight, etc. as formerly they had done Non-resisting; for all their Doctrines ran upon Nons and Negatives, the Daughters of Passive Obedinece.  
By these Arts they drew to their Party great Numbers of Geese, Owls, Buzzards, and such like silly birds, who fluttered together at certain times, and kept their Night Cabals, plotting Treason against the EAGLE, and contriving how to restore the Abdicated OSTRICH to the Crown. To this end, they held a private Correspondence with Him, and the VULTURE inviting them to send an Army to invade the eagle's Dominions, and promising them all manner of Assistance and readiness to join with them at their first Appearance:  
Amongst the rest of the Dignifyed MAGPIES concerned in this Plot, there was one arch Wagg more active than the rest, who having learned the way of training up Pigeons to carry Letters (as usual at Aleppo and Babylon,) writ two Letters, one to the OSTRICH, and another to his Mate. The Tenor whereof is as follows:  
To the OSTRICH.  
SIR,  
THE PIGEON who brings this Dispatch, will be our Credentials, in giving you such an Assurance of our unfeigned Duty and Fidelity, as will be adequate to your very Wishes: Yet pardon an Error, which (if it be one) is the effect of my Ambition, to satisfy you from my own Mouth, and give you this Testimony under my Claw, That I shall snatch every opportunity, not slighting the least, and laying wait for the greatest, to acquit ourselves your devoted Friends.  
SIR! I writ in the Plural, because I deliver the sense of the Chief MAGPIE as well as mine own, and the others of our Nest; Who though diminished in number, yet, if our Arithmetic does not fail us, we have no Ciphers amongst us, but are making a progression in our Interests, that is, in Yors.  
The Bearer will, I presume, give you a true Character of us, when he shall satisfy you, That we are really what we send ourselves,  
Decemb. 31. Yours entirely. I wish you the merriest New Year.  
To the OSTRICH'S Mate.  
AS I am not able to chatter out the unparallelled Complacency I took this time Twelvemonth, in receiving that Token of your Condescension and Clemency, under your own Claw. So I have hoped about ever since in no small uneasiness, for want of the means to return you my humble Thanks, and renew my solemn Protestations of unfeigned Loyalty. From which, if I ever flinch, may my Wings be clipped, and I be never able to mount above a Grasshoppers Leap from the Ground. This I declare in the Name of the Chief MAGPIE, and the rest of our Feather, as well as on my own score. You may repose an entire confidence in us, nor only for our unchangeable Fastness in the Practice of so just and well-grounded a Resolution; But also for our most vigorous endeavours to advance your Cause, which is our own, beyond the possibility of a Separation.  
There is no necessity, that I should particularise, since the Pigeon who bears this, can and-will discover to you the bottom of our Hearts. I wish you could penetrate into them, to behold the Sincerity and Devotion with which we consecrate ourselves to your Service. I wish you a jolly New-Year, and numerous, a very numerous sequel of them, and all very merry ones. Your Young Heir we hear is well fledged, he has our most passionate Vows. His Friends increase daily, and his Adversaries lose ground.  
Decemb. 31.  
After Margery had writ these Letters, (for you must note by the way, that these things were done, when Birds and Beasts were as good Scholars as men,) he began to whit his Bill, plum his Feathers, and hop about, to the Tune of Packington's Pound. He thought he had conquered the World, and got both the Indies in his Claws. But alack and welladay! the Pigeon that carried 'em was seized and all the Roguery discovered, and poor MADGE was fain to hop out of sight for't. For the EAGLE had a Cock belonging to him, who was very wakeful, and his Name was Chanticleer: This Cock had always a shrewd Eye to the MAGPIES, and their Gang; he watched all their motions, so that they could hardly mute, but he was privy to't. 'Twas he that seizjd on the Pigeon, and brought him to the eagle's Palace, loaden with Letters to the OSTRICH and the VULTURE; among the Rest were these two of Margeries own Penning. Upon which Margery very prudently changed Colours, and turned his White and Black into a deep Red, and so flew away toward the VULTURE'S Territories, there to Chatter at large the Contents of his Fawning Letters.  
This MAGPIE had the Character of a flattering, selfish perfidious, insinuating Bird. He it was that formerly Crowned the OSTRICH, & being afterwards discontented at the OSTRICHE'S Government, with others of his Feather, sent and invited the EAGLE to come and rescue them from the OSTRICHE'S Tyranny: But as soon as he had gratified them in that, and the EAGLE had by the general consent of all the Birds, taken possession of the OSTRICHE'S vacant Throne, this False hearted MAGPIE and his Complices turn tail squint at his Proceed, slight his Favour, and make such a Chattering, that all the honest Birds were justly offended at the Noise. Yet some of the OSTRICHE'S Creatures began to listen to them with delight, and such Artifice was used, that many simple, well-meaning Birds, were deluded into the MAGPIES Faction.  
It ought to be remembered here, That there was an old Grudge between the MAGPIES and the BLACKBIRDS, the former being conscious of the harsh, grating Noise they made, envied and persecuted the latter with their Followers, the Nightingales and Thrushes, because of the sweet harmonious Notes they sung in the Woods and Groves, which drew all the Birds, into Admiration of their Melody! So that multitudes of the MAGPIES Party abandoned them, and went over to the Blackbirds: Nay, some of the MAGS themselves were so enamoured of the Blackbirds Music and innocent manner of like that they voluntarily underwent a Metamorphisis and became Blackbirds: But there were but a few of these, and they were of the inferior MAGPIES. However, the great ones were highly incensed at this Desertion of some of their own Feather, and whole Coveys of their Followers. Whereupon they got the OSTRICHES, EAGLES, or whosoever was King of the Birds at that time, to erect. High-Commission Coarts, Star-Chambers, and other Seats of Judicature, whither the Black Birds were cited, and there were sencenced to Imprisonment, pecuniary Mulcts, and whatsoever else the MAGPIES pleased to inflict on them. This grew in time to be a great Grievance in the Commonwealth of Birds; so that in process of time, these Animosities were improved into a Civil War During which the Chief MAGPIE (even the Predecessor of him whom I before mentioned, the Old surly Nonswearing MAGPIE, whose Nest was by a Riverside,) lost his Head, for endeavouring to force the Black Birds to wear his Colours, and for other illegal Impositions against the Laws of Nature, and the general sense of all the Birds in the Air. After him, the whole Generation of MAGPIES went to Pot, except such as won'd turn Black Birds.  
But in twelve years' time the MAGPIE'S Interest faced about again, and they fell to their old Trade of Domineering, Persecuting, and Tyrannising over the Black Birds. Which continued till the OSTRICH came to be Crowned; when he for his own Ends took the Lash out of the MAGPIES CLAWS, at which they chattered and shaped, with their Bills, huffed and bounced; and though they themselves had brought the OSTRICH to the Throne, yet now they grew weary of Him, and never would be at quiet, till they had chased him away again, and brought the EAGLE to the Crown; and because he would not countenance their oppression of the Black Birds, therefore they forsook him also, and his Interest, and endeavoured to calumniate the Loyalty, Service and Zeal of the Blackbirds, who stood stoutly to him at all turns.  
During these Bicker and ill Offices between the MAGPIES and the Black Birds, it was thought convenient, that a Public Convocation of the former, should be called for an Accommodation. But all came to nothing; for the Prosocuter of the MAGPIES, having scraped the Ground with his Reverend Claws, and almost kissed it with a submissiive Bow of his learned Noddle; made an Oration to this Effect, That if the least Feather or Straw were plucked out of their old weather beaten Nest, all would either fall to the ground, or be blown away by the Wind, and so their young ones would be forced to take shelter in the Black Birds Quarters. To this eloquent: Harangue, the rest of the MAGPIES all said Amen And so the matter lies where it did before, between two Stools. Sub judice Lis est. Yet 'tis thought that if the Black Birds could but obtain a fair and equal hearing of their Cause, they would soon make the MAGPIES ashamed of their Tyrannous, proud, covetous Actions; and convince the World that those Pre-bald Birds regarded nothing, but the satisfaction of their Ambitious Designs, Self-will, Lust and Avarice.  
These running PIES will not always appear above board themselves, but are in Fee with Hawks, Falcons, and such like Birds of Prey, who are their Setters for any Game. Thus they once employed a hundred and seventeen of these Ravenous Birds to join in a Petition to the Eagles' Grand Council of State, against the Phoenix, who was made Governor over the Eagles' Chief Grove, and had kept his place for two years together, but because he was a faithful Friend, and Loyal Subject to the Eagle, and was entering upon his third year of Government, the Magpies chattered, and set the Hawks and Falcons to scream against him, who disgorged a world of false and frivolous Accusations in the Council House, but all came to nothing, for that Loyal Senate would not countenance the Envious Calumnies of Malcontents. This made the MAGPIES and the rest of their Gang stark mad, to see the Phoenix shine brighter for their Persecution: So now they resolved to hazard all at once, and make quick work on't. The Ostrich must be sent for over in all haste, and the more to encourage him, the invited him to come as soon as the Eagle was gone to visit some of his Allies and Friends abroad. Now the MAGPIES hoped about, longing for the day when the Eagle would take his flight beyond Sea, being then in their own Conceits, cocksure of restoring the OSTRICH again to his Crown. But as I have told you before, poor Pilgarlick the Pigeon that was to carry the News to the Ostrich, was caught in a Gin, with Two of his Companions, and out came all the Treason. These were all tried for their Lives, and one of them was condemn'p to be choked with Hempseed. Now when the day of Execution was come, this Pigeon fell sick with the very smell of the Hempseed, and desired that a certain MAGPIE a Friend of his, would chatter over a Form of Prayer that was used among the MAGPIES in the Visitation of the Sick. So the Magpie chattered, and the Pigeon could, and having finished their Devotions, the Pigeon very orderly took his Hempseed, which soon spoiled his cooing for ever after, to the great grief of the Magpies and their Gang. It would even grieve ones Heart to see how the MAGPIES sneaked about a●ter this fatal Blow? How humble and downish they looked, not jetting it along as they used to do, and looking over your head, but in a more submissive posture, like good your Worship on a Wooden Leg, or like an Owl in an Ivy-Bush, that cares not to be seen. Alas poor Madge! A Cup of Sack for Madge! Mag's a Rogue, ah poor Madge, Madge, Madge, not a word of the Pudding. Mag's at hide and seek; and all the Gang are in a Spiritual Maze, as mute as Mum chance, that was hanged for saying of nothing. What is become of the seven Golden Candlesticks? Why, by my Sol Man, Is't believe they'll aw●turn Prince's Metal in a short time, or the D— hale 'em by the Bread Lugs to H—  
Good morrow Mr. Mayor of Queenborough. Slap, says the Casement, down falls the leaden two pence. Confound your Worship, SIR.  
FINIS.   

ADVERTISEMENT.  
* ⁎ * On Friday Morning next will be published Monsieur in a Mousetrap, or the Parable of the Herring pond. By the Author of the Magpies.  
The History of the Royal Congress at the Hague, with the Names, Characters, and Equipage of the Sovereign Princes that compose this Most August Assembly, together with an Account of the Glorious Canopy and Chair of State. The several curious and admirable Fireworks, the many Triumphal Arches, with the other vast Preparations made for His Majeshy of Great Britain, with an exact Draught of the manner of King William's entering into the Hague, and reception by the State's General. Trauslated from the Dutch Copy, Printed at Leiden.  
An Account of the late Horrid Conspiracy, to Depose their present Majesties K. William and Queen Mary, to bring in the French, and the late King James, and ruin the City of London. Also some brief Reflections on the Trials of the Lord Preston and Ashton. By a Gentleman who was present at those Trials.  
Remarks upon the Life, Trial, and Acquitment of Arthur Earl of Torrington.  
A Penitentiary Sermon preached upon two young Persons doing Penance in a public Congregation, to which is added an accurate Treatise of Fornication, written upon an extraordinary occasion, by W. Barlow, M. A.  
The Wonders of Free Grace, or, a complete History of all the Remarkable Penitents that have been Executed at Tyburn for these last 30 years, with a Sermon preached in the shearing of a Condemned Malefactor.  
The third Volume of the Pocket Library (completing the two former) containing a further account of the Author's Juvenile Rambles, with his first Project of girdling the World.  
The Vanity and Impiety of Judicial Astrology by Francis Own, M. A.  
The Triennial Mayor, or, the new Rapparees, a satire, Price 6 d.  
The Antiweesils, a Poem, price 6 d.   

London, Printed for B. Griffiitts, 1691.