viderer, non distulit puellam invitare ad pigiciaca sacra.  Sed et podagricum se esse lumborumque solutorum omnibus dixerat, et si non servasset integram simulationem, periclitabatur totam paene tragoediam evertere.  Itaque ut constaret mendacio fides, puellam quidem exoravit, ut sederet super commendatam bonitatem, Coraci autem imperavit ut lectum, in quo ipse iacebat, subiret positisque in pavimento manibus dominum lumbis suis commoveret.  Ille lente parebat imperio puellaque artificium pari motu remunerabat.  Cum ergo res ad affectum spectaret, clara Eumolpus voce exhortabatur Coraca, ut spissaret officium.  Sic inter mercennarium amicamque positus senex veluti oscillatione ludebat.  Hoc semel iterumque ingenti risu, etiam suo, Eumolpus fecerat.  Itaque ego quoque, ne desidia consuetudinem perderem, dum frater sororis suae automata per clostellum miratur, accessi temptaturus, an pateretur iniuriam.  Nec se reiciebat a blanditiis doctissimus puer, sed me numen inimicum ibi quoque invenit.

I was not so concern’d at this as the former; for a little after my strength return’d, and finding my self more vigorous, I cry’d out, the courteous gods are greater that have made me whole again.  For Mercury, that conveys and reconveys our souls, by his favours has restor’d what his anger had seiz’d:  Now I shall be in as great esteem as Protesilaus or any of the antients.  Upon which taking up my cloaths, I shew’d my whole self to Eumolpus, he startl’d at first, but soon, to confirm his belief, with both hands chaf’d the mighty favour of the gods.

This great blessing makes us merry, we laughed at Philumene’s cunning, and her childrens experience in the art, which wou’d profit ’em little with us; for to no other end were they left, but to be heirs to what we had.  When reflecting on this sordid manner of deceiving childless age, I took occasion to consider the condition of our present fortune, and told Eumolpus that the deceivers might be deceiv’d, that therefore all our actions shou’d be of a piece with the character we bore.  “That Socrates, the wisest of men, us’d to boast he never saw a tavern, nor ever had been in the common company that frequents such places.  That nothing was more convenient than a discreet behaviour.  All these are truths, nor shou’d any sort of men,” added I, “more expect the sudden assaults of ill fortune, than those that covet what’s other men’s.  But how should pick-pockets live, unless, by some well order’d trick, to draw fools together, they get imployment?  As fish are taken with what they really eat, so men are to be cheated with something that’s solid, not empty hope; thus the people of this country have hitherto receiv’d us very nobly:  but when they find the arrival of no ship from Africk, laden, as you told ’em, with riches, and your retinue, the impatient deceivers, will lessen their bounty; therefore, or I’m mistaken, our fortune begins to repent her favours.”

“I have thought of a means,” said Eumolpus, “to make our deceivers continue their care of us.”  And drawing his will out of his purse, thus read the last lines of it.