THE LIFE OF AESOP
Translated by Sir Roger L'Estrange
CHAPTER V
Xanthus presents AEsop to his Wife
XANTHUS had no sooner made his Purchase, and carried his
Jewel home with him, but having a kind of a nice froward Piece to
his Wife, the great difficulty was how to put her in humour for the
Entertainment of this Monster, without throwing the House out
at the Window. My dear, says he, you have been often com-
plaining of careless Servants; and I have bought you one now that
I am confident will fit your Turn. He shall go and come, and wait,
and do every thing as you would have him. Oh, your Servant,
Sweat heart, says she, but what did he cost you? Why truly, very
reasonable; but at present he's a little tann'd, and out of Case, you
must know, with his Journey, says the Husband, and so he order'd
him to be call'd in. The cunning Gipsy smoak'd the Matter pre-
sently: Some Monster, says she, I'll be hang'd else. Wife, Wife,
says Xanthus, if you are a good Woman, that that pleases me must
please you too. While these Words were between his Lips, up
comes AEsop towards them; she gave him a fierce Look, and im-
mediately discharg'd her Choler upon her Husband. Is this a Man
or a Beast? says she, and what clearer Proof in the World could
you have given me now of an insufferable Hatred and Contempt?
AEsop said not one word all this while, till Xanthus rouz'd him with
a Reproof. O Villain! says he, to have a Tongue and Wit at Will
upon all other Occasions, and not one diverting Syllable now at a
Pinch, to pacify your Mistress! AEsop, after a short Pause upon't,
bolted out an old Greek Saying, which is in English to this Effect,
From lying at the Mercy of Fire, Water, and a wicked Woman, good
Lord deliver us. If the Wife was heartily angry before, this Scorn
made her stark mad; and the Reproach was so cutting too, that
Xanthus himself did not well know how to take it. But AEsop
brought himself off again from the Malice of any ill Intention, by
a Passage out of Euripides to this Purpose: The Raging of a tem-
pestuous Sea, the Fury of a devouring Fire, and the pinching Want
of Necessaries for Life, are three dreadful things, and a Body might
reckon up a thousand more; but all this is nothing to the terrible
Violences of an impetuous Woman, and therefore, says he, make your
self as glorious on the other side, in the Rank of good Women.
Vavasor the Jesuit,in his Treatise De Ludicra Dictione, takes notice
of a Blunder here in the Chronology of the Story. For AEsop was
murder'd at least fourscore Years before Euripides was born. But
to follow the Thread of the Relation; upon this oblique Admoni-
tion, the Woman came to her self again, and took AEsop into her
good Graces, who render'd his Master and Mistress all the Offices
of a faithful Servant.