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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 79038 ***
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber’s Note: The period spelling and grammar of 1669 is retained
+unchanged, including many inconsistencies. Some obvious typographical
+errors have been corrected. The Roman numerals of the fables have been
+checked and corrected where necessary, as have the reference numbers in
+the alphabetical index (though some fables are missing from the index
+entirely, and others appear twice).
+
+
+
+
+                                  FABLES,
+                                    OF
+                                   ÆSOP
+
+                             And Other Eminent
+                               MYTHOLOGISTS:
+                                   WITH
+                         _Morals and Reflexions_.
+
+                      By Sir _Roger L’Estrange_, Kt.
+
+                _The Third Edition Corrected and Amended._
+
+                                 _LONDON_,
+  Printed for _R. Sare_, _B. Took_, _M. Gillyflower_, _A. & J. Churchil_,
+                 _G. Sawbridge_, and _H. Hindmarsh_, 1669.
+
+                                  LONDON:
+               REPRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY JOHN GRAY AND CO.,
+                        W. G. S. URQUHART, MANAGER,
+               5, GOLDSMITH’S ROW, EAST HARDING STREET, E.C.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+AN
+
+Alphabetical Table,
+
+Referring to the NUMBER of the Respective
+
+FABLES
+
+
+  A.
+
+  Ant _and Fly_., 34
+
+  Ant _and Pigeon_., 203
+
+  Ant _and Grasshopper_., 217
+
+  Ant _formerly a Man_., 188
+
+  Ape _wanting a Tayl, and Fox_., 51
+
+  Ape _and Fox King_., 116
+
+  Ape _and two Brats_., 248
+
+  Apes _Dancing_., 375
+
+  Ape _and Dolphin_., 169
+
+  Ape _and Mountebank_., 397
+
+  Ape _Judge, Fox and Wolfe_., 415
+
+  Ape _and Lyon in’s Kingdom_., 416
+
+  Apes _Kingdom_., 413
+
+  Apples _and Horse-Turds_., 134
+
+  Arion _and a Dolphin_., 382
+
+  Aristotles _Tyrant_., 489
+
+  Ass _and Lyon Hunting_., 7
+
+  Ass _Braying and Lyon_., 10
+
+  Ass _and Whelp_., 15
+
+  Ass _and Mastiffe_., 491
+
+  Ass _and Ungrateful Master_., 24
+
+  Ass, _Ape and Mole_., 26
+
+  Ass _and Wolfe_., 36
+
+  Ass _and Pamper’d Horse_., 38
+
+  Ass _Laden and Horse_., 63
+
+  Ass, _Lyon and Fox Hunting_., 206
+
+  Ass _to Jupiter_., 208
+
+  Ass _in a Lyon’s Skin_., 224
+
+  Ass _and Two Travellers_., 376
+
+  Ass _and Country-man_ (_Alarum_.), 262
+
+  Ass _puts in for an Office_., 306
+
+  Ass, _Sick and Wolfe_., 314
+
+  Asses _Wish_., 317
+
+  Ass _Green and a Widow_., 332
+
+  Ass, _Lyon and Hare_., 346
+
+  Ass, _Lyon and Cock_., 150
+
+  Ass _Wild and Tame_., 190
+
+  Asses _to Jupiter_., 191
+
+  Ass _and Frogs_., 192
+
+  Ass _Gall’d and Raven_., 193
+
+  Ass, _Lyon and Fox_, [_Treachery_.], 194
+
+  Ass _and Old Man_., 358
+
+  Ass _to be Taught Grammar_., 363
+
+  Asses _and Country-man_., 372
+
+  Ass, _Lyon and Wolves_., 396
+
+  _Two_ Asses _Laden with Salt and Spunge_., 408
+
+  Ass _Judge of Musick_., 414
+
+  Asses _Two, Laden_ [_Oats and Money_.], 417
+
+  Ass _Challeng’d by a Boar_., 418
+
+  Ass _and Shadow_., 421
+
+  Asses _Skin_., 437
+
+  Ass _carrying an Image_., 487
+
+  Astrologer _and Traveller_., 94
+
+
+  B.
+
+  Bat _and Weazle_., 39
+
+  Bat, _Birds and Beasts_., 40
+
+  Bat, _Bramble and Cormorant_., 144
+
+  Belly _and Members_., 50
+
+  Bear _and Two Friends_., 227
+
+  Beasts _and Fishes League_., 274
+
+  Bear _and Bees_., 290
+
+  _Three Things better for_ Beating., 316
+
+  Bever _Hunted_., 89
+
+  Bee _Master_., 166
+
+  Bee _went over to the Drones_., 461
+
+  Bees _and Drones_., 474
+
+  Birds _and Beetles_., 289
+
+  Bitches _Bed-maker_., 463
+
+  Bitch _ready to Puppy_., 323
+
+  Bishop _and Curate_., 356
+
+  Blackbird _afraid of a Kite_., 409
+
+  Bladder _with Beans_., 423
+
+  Blinkard _Buying of Wheat_., 371
+
+  _Washing a_ Black-a-more., 159
+
+  Boar _and Horse_., 56
+
+  Boy _and False Alarums_., 74
+
+  Boy _and Fortune_., 233
+
+  Boy _and Thief_., 241
+
+  Boy _and Goldfinch_., 295
+
+  Boy _and his Mother_., 98
+
+  Boy _and Snake_., 131
+
+  Boy _and Cockles_., 163
+
+  Boys _and Frogs_., 398
+
+  Boy _would not learn his Book_., 454
+
+  Boar _and Fox_., 319
+
+  Brother _and Sister_., 473
+
+  Bustard _and Cranes_., 212
+
+  Bull _and Goat_., 218
+
+  Bull _and Mouse_., 245
+
+  Bull _and Ram_., 331
+
+  Bull _and Gnat_., 450
+
+
+  C.
+
+  Cat _and Cock_., 2
+
+  Cat _and Venus_., 61
+
+  Cat _and Mice_ [_Dissembling_.], 318
+
+  Cat _Counterfeiting and Mice_., 115
+
+  Case _of Conscience at Play_., 498
+
+  Camel _at first Sight_., 70
+
+  Camel _praying for Horns_., 78
+
+  Capons _Fat and Lean_., 264
+
+  Cardinal _and an Old Friend_., 276
+
+  Christian _and Pagan_., 362
+
+  Cock _and Diamond_., 1
+
+  Cock _and a Fox_ [_Case_.], 400
+
+  Cock _and Horses_., 439
+
+  Cocks _and Partridge_., 84
+
+  Cock _and Two Young Men_., 58
+
+  Collier _and Fuller_., 64
+
+  Country-man _and Snake Frozen_., 9
+
+  Country-man, _Snake and Child_., 30
+
+  Country-man _and Fortune_., 231
+
+  Country-man _and an Oxe_., 242
+
+  Country-man _and a Boar_., 244
+
+  Country-man _and Hercules_., 246
+
+  Country-man _and Hawk_., 257
+
+  Country-man _and River_., 259
+
+  Country-man _and Mouse_., 280
+
+  Country-man _and Kid_., 340
+
+  Country-fellow _Climbing a Tree_., 369
+
+  Country-man _and Hog_., 360
+
+  Country-man _and Jupiter_., 460
+
+  Country-man _and Panther_., 490
+
+  Covetous-man _and an Envious_., 238
+
+  Covetous _Embassador_., 275
+
+  Counsel _of Birds for Chusing Kings_., 309
+
+  Cockle _and Jupiter_., 322
+
+  Corrupt _Officer_., 349
+
+  Cocks _Fighting_., 123
+
+  Cock _and Fox_ [_Peace_.], 353
+
+  Counsel _of Beasts_., 399
+
+  Cobler _turn’d Doctor_., 401
+
+  Cobler _and Financier_., 402
+
+  Country-fellow _and a River Running_., 422
+
+  Consultation _about securing a Town_., 448
+
+  Crow _and Muscle_., 12
+
+  Crow _and Pitcher_., 239
+
+  Crow _and Raven_ [_foreboding_.], 178
+
+  Crow _and Dog_., 179
+
+  Crow _and Raven_., 462
+
+  Crab _Old and Young_., 221
+
+  Crows _and Pigeons_., 386
+
+  Cuckow _and Hawk_., 261
+
+  Cunning _Woman_., 93
+
+  Cuckow _and Little Birds_., 419
+
+
+  D.
+
+  Daw _and Borrow’d Feathers_., 33
+
+  Daw _and Pigeons_., 181
+
+  Daw _with a String at’s Foot_., 182
+
+  Demades _the Orator_., 253
+
+  _One willing to put off_ Death., 350
+
+  Death _and an Old Man_., 113
+
+  Devil _Refus’d to Marry_., 459
+
+  Demetrius _and Menander_., 447
+
+  Dog _and Shadow_., 6
+
+  Dog _and Thief_., 21
+
+  Dog _Old and his Master_., 25
+
+  Dog, _Sheep and Wolfe_., 29
+
+  Dog _and Butcher_., 59
+
+  Dog _and Wolfe_., 68
+
+  Dog _in a Manger_., 76
+
+  Dog _with a Bell_., 226
+
+  Dog _and Lyon_., 250
+
+  Dog _run away from his Master_., 288
+
+  Dog _invited to Supper_., 106
+
+  Dog _and a Wolfe_., 119
+
+  Dog _and Cock on a Journey_., 143
+
+  Dog _Trusty and his Master_., 464
+
+  Dog _and his Master_., 484
+
+  _One Bit by a_ Dog., 88
+
+  Dog _and Cat_., 488
+
+  Dogs _and a Raw Hide_., 420
+
+  Dogs _Town and Country_., 284
+
+  Dr. _and Patient_ [_All’s well_.], 95
+
+  Dr. _and Patient_ [_sore Eyes_.], 114
+
+  Drs. _and a Sheep_., 485
+
+  Dr. _Vint’ner and Botcher_., 494
+
+  Droll _and a Bishop_., 296
+
+  Droll _and a Crooked Old Man_., 277
+
+
+  E.
+
+  Eagle _and Arrow_., 48
+
+  Eagle _and Fox_., 72
+
+  Eagle _and Daw_., 75
+
+  Eagle _and Owl_., 214
+
+  Eagle _and Tortoise_., 220
+
+  Eagle _and Beetle_., 378
+
+  Eagle _and Pye_., 279
+
+  Eagle _and Rabbets_., 333
+
+  Eagle _and Man_., 107
+
+  Eagle, _Cat and Sow_., 403
+
+  Eagle _sets up for a Beauty_., 445
+
+  Eagle _and Leveret_., 483
+
+  Eele _and Snake_., 271
+
+  Enemies _Two at Sea_., 91
+
+  Estritch, _Birds and Beasts_., 41
+
+
+  F.
+
+  Father _and his Sons_ [_Unity_.], 62
+
+  Father _and Sons_ [_Industry_.], 108
+
+  Farmer _and his Dogs_., 69
+
+  Fawn _and Stag_., 124
+
+  Farmer _and his Servant_., 470
+
+  Fisherman _with Little Fish_., 216
+
+  Fisherman’s _Good Luck_., 110
+
+  Fishermen _disappointed_., 112
+
+  _One at a_ Fish-Dinner., 407
+
+  Fisherman _and Pipe_., 109
+
+  Fishing _in Troubled Waters_., 168
+
+  Fir _and Bramble_., 237
+
+  Fishes _and Frying-Pan_., 273
+
+  Fig-Tree _and Thorn_., 466
+
+  Fly _upon a Wheel_., 270
+
+  Flea _and Man_., 139
+
+  Flea _and Hercules_., 140
+
+  Florentine _and Horse-Courser_., 361
+
+  Flattery, _No Law against it_., 480
+
+  Fox _and Raven_., 13
+
+  Fox _and Stork_., 31
+
+  Fox _and Carv’d Head_., 32
+
+  Fox _and Sick Lyon_., 54
+
+  Fox _and Weazle_., 55
+
+  Fox _and Lyon_ [_first sight_.], 71
+
+  Fox _and Hare to Jupiter_., 79
+
+  Fox _and Leopard_., 252
+
+  Fox _and Worm_., 225
+
+  Fox _and Cat_., 374
+
+  Fox _and Hedge-Hog_., 254
+
+  Fox _and Gossips_., 263
+
+  Fox _and Sick Cock_., 315
+
+  Fox _and Hare_., 325
+
+  Fox _praising Hares Flesh_., 338
+
+  Fox _and Goat_., 83
+
+  Fox _that lost his Tayl_., 101
+
+  Fox _and Bramble_., 102
+
+  Fox _and Crocodile_., 103
+
+  Fox _and Huntsmen_., 104
+
+  Fox _and Grapes_., 129
+
+  Fox _and Crab_., 175
+
+  Fox _Condemn’d_., 406
+
+  Fox _and Wolfe_., 410
+
+  Fox _and Cock_ [_sore Eye_.], 432
+
+  Fox _and Dragon_., 475
+
+  Fox _and Divinity Cock_., 424
+
+  Fowler _and Pigeon_., 66
+
+  Fowler _and Chaffinch_., 291
+
+  Fowler _and Blackbird_., 96
+
+  Fowler _and Partridge_., 132
+
+  Fool _and a Hot Iron_., 438
+
+  Fool _and a Sieve_., 465
+
+  Fortune-Teller., 92
+
+  Fortune _and Two Friends_., 453
+
+  Frog _and Mouse_., 4
+
+  Frog _Chuse a King_., 19
+
+  Frog _and Oxe_., 35
+
+  Frogs _and Tortoises_., 286
+
+  Frogs _wanting Water_., 142
+
+  Frogs _Two Neighbors_., 165
+
+  Frogs _and Bulls_., 404
+
+  Frogs _and Sun_., 405
+
+  Fryer, _Laique and Wolfe_., 366
+
+  Friends _Few_., 486
+
+  _One had a mind to try his_ Friends., 337
+
+
+  G.
+
+  Gard’ner _and his Dog_., 151
+
+  Gard’ner _and his Landlord_., 387
+
+  Gard’ner _and Mole_., 440
+
+  Gnat _and Bee_., 345
+
+  _A Man Refuses a_ Glyster., 313
+
+  Gnat _and a Lyon_., 201
+
+  _One Dreamt he found_ Gold., 359
+
+  Goat _and Vine_., 149
+
+  Gourd _and Pine_., 380
+
+  Goose _and Goslin_., 222
+
+
+  H.
+
+  Hares _and Frogs_., 27
+
+  Hare _and Sparrow_., 431
+
+  Hare _and Tortoise_., 133
+
+  Hares, _Foxes and Eagles_., 187
+
+  _Two Men and a_ Halter., 477
+
+  Hen _and Golden Eggs_., 247
+
+  Hermit _and Soldier_., 301
+
+  Hedge-Hog _and Snake_., 324
+
+  Hen _and Swallow_., 195
+
+  Hedge _destroy’d_., 449
+
+  _Sick_ Hermit., 281
+
+  Hercules _and_ Pluto., 455
+
+  Horse _and Lyon_., 37
+
+  Horse _and Hog_., 299
+
+  Horse _Skittish_., 479
+
+  Horse-man’s _Wig Blown off_., 228
+
+  Hound _and Mastiff_., 172
+
+  Husband-man _and Stork_., 73
+
+  Husband-man _and_ Ceres., 256
+
+  Husband-man _turn’d Soldier and Merchant_., 305
+
+  Husband, _Wife, and Ghostly Father_., 357
+
+  Husband _and Wife twice Marry’d_., 302
+
+  Huntsman _and Currier_., 300
+
+  Husband _Jealous_., 312
+
+  Hypocrite., 497
+
+
+  I.
+
+  Image _Expos’d to Sale_., 446
+
+  Impertinent _and a Philosopher_., 327
+
+  Impertinent _Doctor and Patient_., 205
+
+  Impostor _to the Oracle_., 86
+
+  Industry _and Sloth_., 352
+
+  Joy _and Sorrow near a-kin_., 433
+
+  Jupiter _and an Ape_., 213
+
+  Jupiter _and a Bee_., 125
+
+  Jupiter _and a Serpent_., 138
+
+  Jupiter _and Fraud_., 183
+
+  Jupiter _and Modesty_., 184
+
+  Jupiter_’s Wedding_., 185
+
+  Jupiter _and a Herds-man_., 200
+
+  Jupiter_’s Altar Robb’d_., 385
+
+  Jupiter _and a Farmer_., 435
+
+  Jupiter_’s Two Wallets_., 388
+
+
+  K.
+
+  Kite _Sick and her Mother_., 17
+
+  Kite, _Hawk and Pigeons_., 20
+
+  King _and a Rich Subject_., 389
+
+  Kingfisher., 167
+
+
+  L.
+
+  Lark _and her Young_., 52
+
+  Lark _in a Net_., 145
+
+  Lapwing _Preferr’d_., 297
+
+  Lad _Robbing an Orchard_., 342
+
+  Lamb, _Wolfe and Goat_., 384
+
+  Laconique _Try’d and Cast_., 492
+
+  Lady _in Tears for a Set of Horses_., 496
+
+  Luck _Good and Bad_., 230
+
+  Lyon _and Bear_., 5
+
+  Lyon _Old_., 14
+
+  Lyon _and Mouse_., 16
+
+  Lyon _and Frog_., 202
+
+  Lyon _and Goat_., 210
+
+  Lyon _and Bulls_., 236
+
+  Lyon _and Man_., 240
+
+  Lyon _and Mouse_., 303
+
+  Lyon _and Hog_., 344
+
+  Lyon _and Bull_., 120
+
+  Lyon _in Love_., 121
+
+  Lyon, _Fox and Wolfe_., 156
+
+  Lyon _and Man in the Wood_., 430
+
+  Lyon, _Boar and Vulturs_., 456
+
+  Lyon _Generous_., 472
+
+  Lyon _Raging_., 412
+
+  Lyoness _and a Fox_., 122
+
+
+  M.
+
+  Man _and Satyr_., 243
+
+  Man _Wicked and the Devil_., 308
+
+  _One that Cur’d_ Mad-men., 368
+
+  Man _and Weazle_., 441
+
+  Man _and a Swallow_., 127
+
+  Man _and a Wooden God_., 105
+
+  Man _and the Picture of a Lyon_., 100
+
+  Man _and Two Wives_., 141
+
+  Man _in Tears for the Loss of his Wife_., 443
+
+  _Unhappy_ Match., 173
+
+  _Young Fellow about to_ Marry., 426
+
+  Matchiavel _Condemn’d_., 493
+
+  Mercury _and Fishermen_., 377
+
+  Mercury _and a Traveller_., 97
+
+  Mercury _and a Carpenter_., 128
+
+  Mercury _and a Statuary_., 170
+
+  Mercury _and Tiresias_., 171
+
+  Merchant _and a Sea-man_., 390
+
+  Mice _and Oak_., 287
+
+  Mice, _Cat and Bell_., 391
+
+  Miller _and Rat_., 500
+
+  Miser _burying his Gold_., 146
+
+  Miser _and his Bags_., 351
+
+  Miser _and Rotten Apples_., 458
+
+  Mountain _in Labour_., 23
+
+  Mountebank _and Bear_., 478
+
+  _No to_ Morrow., 495
+
+  Mouse _in a Chest_., 255
+
+  Mouse _City and Country_., 11
+
+  Mouse _and Kite_., 321
+
+  Mole _and her Dam_., 136
+
+  Moon _begs a New Gown_., 425
+
+  Mule _Boasting_., 118
+
+  Musician., 176
+
+
+  N.
+
+  Nightingale _and Hawk_., 343
+
+  Nightingale _and Bat_., 162
+
+  _One would have no Ill_ News., 457
+
+  Nurse _and Wolfe_., 219
+
+
+  O.
+
+  Oak _and Willow_., 215
+
+  Old _Man and Lyon_., 100
+
+  Old _Fellow and Young Wench_., 278
+
+  Owl _and Little Birds_., 379
+
+  Owl _and the Sun_., 434
+
+  Oxe _and Heifer_., 249
+
+  Oxen _and Timber_., 294
+
+  Oxen _and a piece of Timber_., 265
+
+  One _carry’d his Plough to Ease his_ Oxen., 373
+
+
+  P.
+
+  Peacock _to Juno_., 80
+
+  Peacock _and Pye_., 204
+
+  Peacock _and Crane_., 234
+
+  Peach-Apple _and Black-berry_., 135
+
+  Pigeon _and Pye_., 260
+
+  Pigeon _and Picture_., 196
+
+  Pigeon _and Crow_., 197
+
+  Pigeons _Reconcile the Hawks_., 347
+
+  Pike _sets up for Sovereignty_., 334
+
+  Plain _Horse wins the_ Prize., 339
+
+  _One that lost his Money at_ Play., 370
+
+  Priest _and Pears_., 298
+
+  Priest _and Epiphany_., 364
+
+  Priest _and Sick-man_., 367
+
+  _Two_ Pots., 229
+
+  _Large_ Promises., 111
+
+
+  R.
+
+  Raven _and Wolves_., 381
+
+  Raven _and Swan_., 160
+
+  Rats _that Eat Copper_., 451
+
+  Raven _and Snake_., 180
+
+  Reason _of State_., 482
+
+  River _Fish and Sea-Fish_., 251
+
+  River _and Fountain_., 307
+
+  Rich _Man would be no Richer_., 444
+
+  Rich _Man and Poor_., 468
+
+  Rich _Man and Servant_., 282
+
+
+  S.
+
+  Satyr _and Fire_., 471
+
+  Sea-men _Praying to Saints_., 272
+
+  Sheep _and Crow_., 77
+
+  Sheep-biter _Hang’d_., 330
+
+  Sheep _Quarrels with the Shepherd_., 335
+
+  Shepherd _turn’d Merchant_., 99
+
+  Shepherd _and Wolves Whelp_., 155
+
+  Shepherd _and Sheep_., 199
+
+  Shepherd, _Wolfe and Fox_., 42
+
+  Shipwrack _of Simonides_., 476
+
+  Smith _and his Dog_., 117
+
+  Snake _and File_., 44
+
+  Snake _to Jupiter_., 285
+
+  Snake _and Crab_., 154
+
+  Soldier _and Two Horses_., 292
+
+  Son _Singing at his Mother’s Funeral_., 311
+
+  Sow _and Dog_., 152
+
+  Sow _and Bitch_., 153
+
+  _Two_ Soldiers _go Halves_., 429
+
+  _The Incorrigible_ Son., 329
+
+  Spider _and Gout_., 383
+
+  Spaniel _and Sow_., 293
+
+  Stag _Drinking_., 43
+
+  Stag _and Oxen_., 53
+
+  Stag _and Horse_., 57
+
+  Stag _with One Eye_., 147
+
+  Stag _and Lyon_., 148
+
+  Sun _and Wind_., 223
+
+  Swallow _and other Birds_., 18
+
+  Swallow _and Spider_., 258
+
+  Swan _and Stork_., 267
+
+  Swan _and Goose_., 158
+
+  Swallow _and Crow_., 161
+
+
+  T.
+
+  Taylor _and his Wife_., 354
+
+  _A_ Tavern _Bill paid with a Song_., 365
+
+  _Conscientious_ Thieves., 498
+
+  Thrush _taken with Birdlime_., 49
+
+  Thrush _and Swallow_., 65
+
+  Thunny _and Dolphin_., 90
+
+  Thieves _that Stole a Cock_., 177
+
+  Tree _and Wedge_., 47
+
+  _Old_ Tree _Transplanted_., 82
+
+  Trees _Streight and Crooked_., 266
+
+  Travellers _and a Bag of Money_., 164
+
+  Travellers _by the Sea-side_., 189
+
+  _Two_ Travellers _of Differing Humours_., 393
+
+  _Two_ Travellers _find an Oyster_., 411
+
+  _A Bragging_ Traveller., 85
+
+  Travellers _Dreaming_., 481
+
+  Trumpeter _taken Prisoner_., 67
+
+  Tyger _and Fox_., 235
+
+
+  V.
+
+  Usurers _and Curryers_., 392
+
+  Vultur’s _Invitation_., 211
+
+
+  W.
+
+  Wax _and Brick_., 304
+
+  Wasps _in a Honey-Pot_., 126
+
+  Wasps, _Partridges and Husbandman_., 137
+
+  _Old_ Weazle _and Mice_., 81
+
+  Wench _parting with her Sweet-heart_., 269
+
+  _A Creaking_ Wheel., 336
+
+  _The Inconsolable_ Widow., 268
+
+  _An Old Man gives over_ Whoring., 326
+
+  Widow _had a Mind to Marry_., 283
+
+  Wife _and Drunken Husband_., 157
+
+  Wolfe _and Lamb_., 3
+
+  Wolfe _and Crane_., 8
+
+  Wolfe _and Sow_., 22
+
+  Wolfe, _Kid and Goat_., 28
+
+  Wolfe _and Fox_., 42
+
+  Wolves _and Sheep League_., 45
+
+  Wolves _and Dogs agree_., 394
+
+  Wolfe, _Lamb and Goat_., 60
+
+  Wolfe _and Kid_., 207
+
+  Wolfe _and Porcupine_., 320
+
+  Wolfe _and Sheep-skin_., 328
+
+  Wolfe _and Lyon_., 130
+
+  Wolfe _and Kid_., 174
+
+  Wolfe _and Sheep_., 186
+
+  Wolfe _turn’d Shepherd_., 395
+
+  Wolfe _turns Religious_., 436
+
+  Wolfe _and Fox_., 467
+
+  Wolfe _and Hog_., 469
+
+  Wolfe _and a Weak Young Man_., 341
+
+  _A Trepanning_ Wolfe., 499
+
+  _A_ Woman _and her Maids_., 209
+
+  _An_ Old Woman _and the Devil_., 232
+
+  _A_ Woman _would Dye for her Husband_., 310
+
+  _A_ Woman _brought Fire into the House_., 348
+
+  _A_ Woman _and a Fat Hen_., 87
+
+  Woman _and Two Daughters_., 198
+
+  _A_ Woman _Drown’d_., 355
+
+  Woman _and Thrushes_., 428
+
+  Woman, _Cat and Mice_., 442
+
+  Woman _Reviv’d with Beating_., 452
+
+
+
+
+THE LIFE OF ÆSOP.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. I.
+
+_Of_ Æsop_’s Country, Condition, and Person_.
+
+
+_Æsop_ (according to _Planudes_, _Camerarius_ and Others) was by birth,
+of _Ammorius_, a Town in the _Greater Phrygia_; (though some will have
+him to be a _Thracian_, others a _Samian_) of a mean Condition, and in
+his person deformed, to the highest degree: Flat-Nos’d, Hunch-Back’d,
+Blabber-Lipp’d; a Long Mishapen Head; His Body Crooked all over,
+Big-Belly’d, Baker-Legg’d, and his Complexion so swarthy, that he took
+his very Name from’t; for _Æsop_ is the same with _Æthiop_. And he was
+not only Unhappy in the most scandalous Figure of a Man, that ever was
+heard of; but he was in a manner Tongue-Ty’d too, by such an Impediment
+in his speech, that People could very hardly understand what he said.
+This Imperfection is said, to have been the most sensible part of his
+Misfortune; for the Excellency of his Mind might otherwise have Atton’d
+in some Measure, for the Uncouth Appearance of his Person (at least if
+That Part of History may pass for Current.) There goes a Tradition,
+that he had the good Hap to Relieve certain Priests that were Hungry,
+and out of their way, and to set them Right again; and that for that
+good Office, he was upon their Prayers, brought to the Use of his
+Tongue: But _Camerarius_, whom I shall Principally follow, has no Faith
+in the Miracle, And so He begins his History with the tracing of him
+to _Samos_, and from thence Prosecutes it through the most Remarkable
+Passages of his Life, to the Last Barbarous Violence upon him at
+_Delphos_. As to his Impediment in his speech, whether there were any
+such thing or Not, or how he came to be cur’d of it, the Reader is at
+Liberty what to Believe and what Not. And so likewise for Twenty Other
+Passages up and down this History; Some of them too Trivial, and others
+too Gross to be taken Notice of, Upon this Argument and Occasion: Let it
+suffice, that (according to the Common Tradition) he had been Already
+Twice Bought and Sold; and so we shall Date the Story of his Adventures;
+from his Entrance into the Service of at least a Third Master.
+
+As to the Age he liv’d in, it is Agreed upon among the Antients, that it
+was when _Crœsus_ Govern’d _Lydia_; as also that _Xanthus_, a _Samian_,
+was his Master. _Herodotus_ will have it to be one _Jadmon_ a _Samian_
+too; but still according to the Current of most Writers, _Xanthus_ was
+the Man.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. II.
+
+Æsop _and his Fellow-slaves Upon their Journey to_ Ephesus.
+
+
+It was _Æsop_’s Fortune to be sent to _Ephesus_, in Company with other
+Slaves to be sold. His Master had a great many Burdens to Carry, and
+_Æsop_ begg’d of his Companions not to over Charge him. They found him
+a Weakling, and bad him please himself. The Parcel that he Pitch’d upon
+was a Panier of Bread; and twice as heavy as any of the rest. They called
+him a thousand Fools for his pains, and so took up their Luggage, and
+away they Trudg’d together. About Noon, they had their Dinner deliver’d
+out of _Æsop_’s Basket, which made his Burden Lighter by one half in the
+Afternoon, then it had been in the Morning: And after the next Meal he
+had Nothing left him to Carry, but an Empty Basket. His Fellow-Slaves
+began Now to Understand, that _Æsop_ was not so Arrant a Fool as they
+took him for; and that they Themselves had not half the Wit they Thought
+they had.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. III.
+
+Æsop _is accus’d by False Witnesses for Stealing his Master’s_ Figs; _and
+brings himself off by his Wits, to the Confusion of his Accusers_.
+
+
+_Æsop_ was not of a _Make_ to do his Master much Credit in the Quality of
+a _Houshold Servant_: So that he rather sent him abroad into the _Fields_
+a Digging, and to take care of his _Husbandry_. By the time he had been
+there a While, his Master went out after him to see how he went on with
+his Work; and found Every thing done much to his Satisfaction. In this
+_Interim_ comes a Countryman to him with a Present of most Delicious
+_Figs_; which he was so Wonderfully delighted with, that he gave them in
+Charge to his Boy _Agathopus_ to see them carefully laid up till he came
+back from the _Bath_, whither he was then a going. _Æsop_, it seems, was
+now gone home upon some Particular Business, and _Agathopus_ laid hold
+of This Occasion to tell One of his Companions, of a Design he had, both
+upon the _Figs_, and upon their _Fellow-Servant_. _What have we more to
+do_ says he, _than to Stuff our Guts with These_ Figs _our selves, and
+then lay the Roguery upon_ Æsop, _who is at This Instant in the House
+where they are_? And _then, when our Master comes to Examine the Matter,
+we are Two Witnesses to One against him, which will make it so clear a
+Case, that the Silly Cur will not have the Face to Deny the Fact_. The
+Plot, in short, was agreed upon; and to work they went, upon the _Figs_,
+making themselves Merry upon Every Bit they Swallow’d, to Consider how
+_Æsop_’s _Carcase_ was to pay for All.
+
+The Master, upon his coming from the _Bath_, call’d immediately for
+his _Figs_, and hearing that _Æsop_ had been before-hand with him, he
+sent for him in a Rage, and Rattled him with a Thousand _Traytors_ and
+_Villains_, for Robbing his House, and Devouring the Fruit that he
+had set apart for his own Palate. This Miserable Wretch, heard, and
+understood All that was said; but by Reason of an Imperfection in his
+Speech, he was not able to speak one Word in his Own Defence. His Enemies
+in the mean time Insulting over him, and calling for _Justice_ upon so
+Insolent a Cheat. They were now advancing from Reproches to Blows, when
+_Æsop_ cast himself at his Master’s Feet, and begg’d his Patience only
+till he might go out, and come in again. He went his way immediately,
+and fetch’d a Vessel of Warm Water; took a Large Draught of it, in his
+Masters Presence, and with his Finger in his Throat brought it all
+clear up again without any Other Mixture. After This Experiment upon
+_Himself_, he gave his Master to Understand, that if he would be pleased
+to put his _Accusers_ to the same _Test_, he should quickly see what was
+become of his _Figs_. The Proposal seem’d so Reasonable, that he Order’d
+_Agathopus_ and his Fellow to do the Like. They made some Difficulty at
+first of following _Æsops_ Example; but in the end, upon taking a Soup of
+the same Liquor, their Stomachs Wambled, and up came the _Water_, _Figs
+and all_. Upon this Evidence of the Treachery and Falshood of _Agathopus_
+and his _Companion_, the Master Order’d them to be Soundly Lash’d, and
+made good the Old Saying, _Harm Watch, Harm Catch_.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. IV.
+
+_The Sale of_ Æsop _to_ Xanthus.
+
+
+Upon the Merchants Arrival at _Ephesus_, he made a quick Riddance of
+All his Slaves but Three. That is to say, a _Musician_, an _Orator_,
+and _Æsop_. He dress’d up the Two Former in Habits answerable to their
+Profession, and Carry’d them to _Samos_, as the Likeliest Place for
+a Chapman. He shew’d them there in the open Market, with Æsop for a
+Fool betwixt them; which some People took much offence at. While they
+were attending upon the Place, there came among other _Samians_, one
+_Xanthus_, an Eminent Philosopher of that City, with a Train of his
+Disciples at his Heels. The Philosopher was mightily pleased with the
+Two Youths, and ask’d them one after another about their Profession,
+and what they could do. The one told him he could do _any thing_; the
+other that he could do _ev’ry thing_; this set Æsop a laughing at ’em.
+The Philosopher’s Pupils would needs know what it was that made Æsop
+so merry. Why, says he, if the Question had been put by your Master, I
+should have told him the reason of it.
+
+_Xanthus_ in the mean time was beating the Price of the Two other Slaves,
+but the Terms were so high, that he was just upon turning about to go
+his way, Only the Pupils would needs have him put the same Questions
+first to the Ill favour’d Fellow, that he had done to the other Two; and
+so _Xanthus_, for the Humour sake, Interrogated Æsop what _He_ could
+do. _Nothing at all_, says he. How comes That says the Philosopher? My
+Companions, says the Other, Undertake every thing, and there’s Nothing
+left for me to do. This gave them to Understand, that the Man knew well
+enough what he said, and what he Laugh’d at. Well! says _Xanthus_, but if
+I should give Money for you Now, would you be Good and Honest? I’ll be
+That, says Æsop, whether you Buy me or No. Ay, but tell me again, says
+the Philosopher, Won’t you run away? Pray says Æsop, did you ever hear
+of a Bird in a Cage that told his Master he Intended to make his Escape?
+_Xanthus_ was well enough pleased with the Turn and Quickness of his Wit;
+but, says he, That Unlucky Shape of yours will set People a Hooting and
+Gaping at you wherever you go. A Philosopher says Æsop should value a man
+for his Mind, Not for his Body. This presence of Thought gave _Xanthus_ a
+High Opinion of the Wisdom of the Man; and so he bad the Merchant set him
+his Lowest Price of That Miserable Creature. Why says he, you had as good
+Cheapen a Dunghil; but if you’ll bid me like a Chapman for either of the
+Other Two, you shall have this Phantome into the Bargain. Very good says
+the Philosopher; and without any more ado what’s your selling Price? The
+Merchant speaks the Word, The Philosopher pays the Money, and takes Æsop
+away with him.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. V.
+
+Xanthus _Presents_ Æsop _to his Wife_.
+
+
+_Xanthus_ had no sooner made his Purchase, and carry’d 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 complaining of Careless Servants; And I have
+brought 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 Sweet 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 presently. Some Monster
+says she, I’ll be Hanged 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 Æsop toward them; she gave him a Fierce
+Look, and Immediately 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? Æsop said
+not one Word all This While; ’till _Xanthus_ Rouz’d him with a Reproof.
+Oh 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! Æsop, 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 Scomm made her Stark Mad, and the Reproche
+was so Cutting too, that _Xanthus_ himself did not well know how to
+take it. But Æsop brought himself off again from the Malice of any ill
+Intention, by a Passage out of _Euripides_ to this Purpose. _The Raging
+of a Tempestuous 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 yourself
+as Glorious on the other side, in the Rank of Good Women. _Vavasor_ the
+Jesuite, in his _De Ludicra Dictione_, takes Notice of a Blunder here in
+the Chronology of the Story. For Æsop was Murder’d at least Fourscore
+Years before _Euripides_ was Born. But to follow the Thred of the
+Relation; Upon this Oblique Admonition, the Woman came to herself again,
+and took Æsop into her good Graces, who render’d his Master and Mistress
+All the Offices of a Faithful Servant.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. VI.
+
+Æsop’s _Answer to a Gard’ner_.
+
+
+Some Two or Three Days after the Encounter above mentioned, _Xanthus_
+took Æsop along with him to a Garden to buy some Herbs, and the
+_Gard’ner_ seeing him in a Habit of a Philosopher, told him the
+Admiration he was in, to find how much faster Those Plants shot up that
+Grow of their own accord, than Those that he set Himself, though he took
+never so much Care about them. Now you that are a Philosopher, Pray will
+you tell me the meaning of This? _Xanthus_ had no better answer at hand,
+then to tell him, That Providence would have it so: Whereupon Æsop brake
+out into a Loud Laughter. Why how now Ye slave You, says _Xanthus_, what
+do you Laugh at? Æsop took him aside and told him, Sir, I Laugh at your
+Master, that Taught You no better: for what signifies a Gen’ral Answer to
+a Particular Question? And ’tis no News Neither that Providence orders
+All Things: But if you’ll turn him over to me, You shall see I’ll give
+him another sort of Resolve. _Xanthus_ told the _Gard’ner_, that it was
+below a Philosopher to busy his head about such Trifles; but says he,
+If you have a Curiosity to be better Inform’d, you shall do well to ask
+my Slave here, and see what he’ll say to you. Upon this, the _Gard’ner_
+put the Question to Æsop, Who gave him this Answer. The Earth is in the
+Nature of a _Mother_ to what She brings forth of her Self, out of her own
+Bowels; Whereas She is only a kind of a _Step-Dame_, in The Production
+of Plants that are Cultivated and Assisted by The Help and Industry of
+Another: so that it’s Natural for her to Withdraw her Nourishment from
+the One, towards The Relief of the Other. The _Gard’ner_, upon this, was
+so well satisfied, That he would take no Mony for his Herbs, and Desired
+Æsop to make Use of his Garden for the future, as if it were his own.
+
+There are several Stories in _Planudes_, that I shall pass over in this
+Place (says _Camerarius_) as not worth the while: Particularly The Fables
+of the _Lentills_, the _Bath_, the _Sow’s Feet_, and several Little Tales
+and Jests that I take to be neither well Laid, nor well put together;
+Neither is it any matter, in Relations of this Nature, Whether they be
+True or False, but if they be Proper and Ingenious; and so contriv’d,
+that the Reader or the Hearer may be the better for them, That’s as much
+as is required: Wherefore I shall now Commit to Writing Two Fables or
+Stories, One about the bringing his Mistress home again, when she had
+left her Husband; Which is drawn from the Model of a Greek History set
+out by _Pausanias_ in his Description of _Bœtia_; The Other, upon the
+Subject of a Treat of _Neats Tongues_, which was taken from _Bias_, as we
+have it from _Plutarch_ in his _Convivium Septem Sapientum_.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. VII.
+
+Æsop’s _Invention to bring his Mistress back again to her Husband, after
+she had Left him_.
+
+
+The wife of _Xanthus_ was wellborn and wealthy, but so Proud and
+Domineering withal, as if her Fortune and her Extraction had Entituled
+her to the Breeches. She was Horribly Bold, Meddling, and _Expensive_;
+(as that sort of Women commonly are) Easily put off the Hooks, and
+Monstrous hard to be pleased again: Perpetually chattering at her
+Husband, and upon All occasions of controversy, Threatning him to be
+gone. It came to this at Last, that _Xanthus_’s stock of Patience being
+quite spent, he took up a Resolution of going another way to Work with
+her, and of trying a Course of Severity, since there was nothing to be
+done with her by Kindness. But this Experiment, instead of mending The
+Matter, made it worse; for upon harder Usage, The Woman grew Desperate,
+and went away from him in Earnest. She was as Bad ’tis true as Bad might
+well be, and yet _Xanthus_ had a kind of _Hankering_ for her still:
+Beside that there was matter of Interest in the Case: and a Pestilent
+Tongue she had, that the Poor Husband Dreaded above all things Under the
+Sun: but the man was willing however to make the Best of a Bad Game, and
+so his Wits and his Friends were set at Work, in the fairest Manner that
+Might be, to get her home again. But there was No good to be done in’t it
+seems; and _Xanthus_ was so visibly out of Humour upon’t, that Æsop in
+Pure Pity bethought himself Immediately how to Comfort him. Come Master
+(says he) Pluck up a good heart; for I have a Project in my Noddle
+that shall bring my Mistress to you back again, with as good a Will as
+ever she went from you. What does me Æsop, but away Immediately to the
+Market among the Butchers, Poulterers, Fishmongers, Confectioners, _&c._
+for the Best of Every thing that was in Season. Nay he takes private
+People in his way too, and Chops into the very house of his Mistresses
+Relations, as by Mistake. This Way of Proceeding set the whole Town a
+Gog to know the Meaning of all this Bustle, and Æsop innocently told
+everybody That his Master’s Wife was run away from him, and he had
+Marry’d another: His Friends up and down were all Invited to come and
+make Merry with him, and This was to be the Wedding Feast. The News flew
+like Light’ning, and happy were they could carry the First Tydings of
+it to the _Run-away-Lady_: (for every body knew Æsop to be a Servant in
+That Family.) It Gathered in the Rolling, as all Other Stories do in the
+Telling: Especially where Womens Tongues and Passions have the spreading
+of them. The Wife, that was in her Nature Violent, and Unsteady, order’d
+her Chariot to be made ready Immediately, and away she Posts back to her
+Husband: falls upon him with Outrages of Looks and Language; and after
+the Easing of her mind a Little; No, _Xanthus_, says she, Do not you
+Flatter your self with the hopes of Enjoying another Woman while I am
+alive. _Xanthus_ look’d upon this as one of Æsop’s _Master-pieces_; and
+for that Bout All was well again betwixt Master and Mistress.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. VIII.
+
+_An Entertainment of Neats Tongues._
+
+
+Some few days after the Ratification of This Peace, _Xanthus_ Invited
+several Philosophers of his Acquaintance to Supper with him; and
+Charges Æsop to make the Best Provision he could think of, for their
+Entertainment. Æsop had a Wit waggish Enough, and This General Commission
+furnished him with Matter to work upon. So soon as ever the Guests were
+set down at the Table, _Xanthus_ calls for Supper, and Expected no less
+than a very Splendid Treat. The First Service was _Neats Tongues_
+sliced, which the Philosophers took Occasion to Discourse and Quibble
+upon in a Grave Formal way, as _The Tongue_ (for the purpose) _is the
+Oracle of Wisdom_, and the like. _Xanthus_, upon This, calls for a Second
+Course, and after That for a Third, and so for a Fourth, which were
+All _Tongues_, over and over again still, only several ways Dressed:
+Some Boil’d, Others Fry’d, and some again serv’d up in Soupe, which
+put _Xanthus_ into a Furious Passion. Thou Villain, says he, Is this
+according to my Order, to have Nothing but _Tongues upon Tongues_? Sir
+says Æsop, without any hesitation, Since it is my Ill fortune to fall
+under this Accusation, I do Appeal to All These Learned Persons, whether
+I have done Well, or Ill, and pay’d that Respect to your Order which I
+ought to do.
+
+Your order was, That I should make the Best Provision that I could think
+of for the Entertainment of These Excellent Persons, and if the _Tongue_
+be the Key that Leads Us into All _Knowledge_, what could be more proper
+and suitable then _a Feast of Tongues for a Philosophical Banquet_?
+
+When _Xanthus_ found the Sence of the Table to be on Æsop’s side; Well my
+Friends says he; Pray will You Eat with me to Morrow, and I’ll try if I
+can mend your Chear; and Mr. _Major Domo_, says he to Æsop, let it be the
+Care of your Gravity and Wisdom to provide us a Supper to Morrow, of the
+very worst Things You can Think of.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. IX.
+
+_A Second Treat of Tongues._
+
+
+_Xanthus_’s Guests met again The Next day according to The Appointment;
+and Æsop had provided them the very same Services of _Tongues and Tongues
+over and over_, as they had the night before. Sirrah (says _Xanthus_ to
+his Servant) what’s the Meaning of This; That _Tongues_ should be the
+_Best_ of Meats _One_ Day, and the _Worst_ the _Other_? Why Sir says he,
+There is not any Wickedness under the Sun, That the _Tongue_ has not
+a part in. As Murders, Treasons, Violence, Injustice, Frauds, and All
+Manner of Lewdness: for Counsels must be first Agitated, The Matter in
+Question Debated, Resolv’d upon, and Communicated by Words, before the
+Malice comes to be executed in Fact. _Tongue, Whither wilt Thou!_ (says
+the Old Proverb) I go to _Build_ (says the _Tongue_,) and I go to _pull
+down_.
+
+This Petulant Liberty of Æsop, Gall’d his Master to the very Soul of
+him, and one of the Guests, to Help forward his Evil Humour; Cry’d out,
+_This Fellow is enough to make a Body Mad_. Sir (says Æsop) you have
+very Little Business to do of your own I perceive, by the Leisure you
+have to Intermeddle in Other Peoples Matters; You would find some other
+Employment else, then to Irritate a Master against his Servant.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. X.
+
+Æsop _brings his Master a Guest That had no sort of Curiosity in him_.
+
+
+_Xanthus_ laid hold of the Present Occasion, and was willing enough to
+be furnished with a Staff to beat a Dog. Well Sirrah, says he, since
+this Learned Gentleman is too _Curious_; go you your ways and find me
+out a Man that has no Curiosity at All, or I’ll Lace your Coat for ye.
+Æsop, the next day, Walked the whole Town over on This Errand; and at
+Last, found out a Slovenly Lazy Fellow, Lolling at his Ease, as if he
+had Nothing to do, or to take care for; and so up to him he went in a
+Familiar Way; and Invited him to his Master’s to Supper. The Clown made
+no Ceremony of promising, but fell Presently to asking what kind of Man
+his Master was? And what, says he, are we going just now? (for this Poor
+Devil look’d upon a Meal’s Meat _Gratis_, as a Blessing Dropt into his
+Mouth out of the Skies) Come (says Æsop) we are going this very Moment;
+and Wonderfully Glad he was to find by the Booby’s discourse, That he had
+met with a Man so fit for his Purpose. Away they went together, and so
+strait into the Parlour, where the Blockhead throws Himself down Dirty
+and Beastly as he was, upon a Rich Couch. After a very little While, in
+comes _Xanthus_ to Supper, and asks Æsop who That Man was? Why This is
+the Man, says Æsop, that you sent me for; that is to say, a Man that
+has no _Curiosity_ in him at All. Oh that’s very well, says _Xanthus_,
+and then told his Wife in her ear, That if she would be but a Loving
+and Obedient Wife to him, and do as he bad her, he would now save her
+Longing, for, says he, I have been a Great while Seeking for an Occasion
+to pick a Quarrel with Æsop, and I have found it at last. After this
+Whisper, _Xanthus_ takes a Turn in the Parlour, and calls aloud to his
+Wife. Heark ye Sweet Heart, says he, go fetch some Water, and Wash the
+Feet of my Guest here. Away she goes, brings a Bason to the side of the
+Couch, where the Clown was laid at his Length, and bad him put forth his
+Feet for her to Wash them. _Xanthus_ little thought she would have done
+it. But the Clown, after a little Stumble within himself, that ’twas
+fitter for the Maid to do’t, then the Mistress; Well says he, If it be
+the Custom of the Family, ’tis not for me to be against it: and so he
+stretch’d forth his _Feet_ to the _Washing_.
+
+So soon as ever the Company had taken off the Edge of their Stomachs;
+_Xanthus_ calls for a Bumper, and puts it into the hands of the Clown,
+making No doubt but he would have allow’d his Host the Honor of being his
+Taster. The Fellow, without any Scruple, Whips up the Drink, and gives
+_Xanthus_ the Pot again Empty, who was now the Second Time Disappointed
+upon the matter of _Curiosity_, or _No Curiosity at All_. He had a
+Mind still to be upon Poor Æsop’s Bones, and made another Tryal of the
+Humour of his Guest. There was a particular Dish that the Clown fed
+very Heartily upon: _Xanthus_ fell into a Rage against the Cook for the
+Ill-Dressing of it, and Threat’ned to have him brought and Lash’d in the
+very Parlour. The _Bumpkin_ took no Notice of it at All, but without
+speaking one Word on the Cooks Behalf; It was Nothing to him he thought,
+what other People did with their Servants.
+
+They were come Now to their Cakes and Pyes, and the Clown Guttled upon
+them without Mercy. _Xanthus_ Resolves then upon Another Tryal; Calls
+for his _Pastry-Cook_ and tells him, Sirrah, says he, you spoil every
+thing that goes through your hands. There’s neither Spice, nor any other
+Seasoning here. The Cook told him, That if they were either Over or
+Under-Bak’d, it was his Fault; But for the Spice and Seasoning, it was
+his Mistresses, for it was All put in that she Deliver’d. Nay Wife, says
+_Xanthus_, if it sticks there, By All that’s Sacred, I’ll Treat you no
+better then if you were a Slave bought with my Money. Wherefore Strip
+Immediately and Prepare for a Dog-Whip. _Xanthus_ thought with himself;
+that If any thing in the World could move this Barbarous Brute, he would
+have put in a Word at Least to save a Woman of Honour from so Scandalous
+an Indignity. But says this Loggerhead to himself; There’s an old saying;
+_What have We to do to Quench other Peoples Fires?_ And I’ll e’en keep
+my self Clear of Other Peoples Matters; Only he took _Xanthus_ by the
+Hand indeed, and told him if he would but Stay a Little, he’d go fetch
+his own Wife too, and so they might take the lash by Turns. In one word,
+_Xanthus_ missed his Aim at last; and though he was troubled at the
+Miscarriage, he could not but Laugh yet at the Simplicity of the Man, and
+Confess, that Æsop was in the Right, in bringing a Person to him that had
+no Curiosity at all.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. XI.
+
+Æsop_’s Answer to a Magistrate_.
+
+
+It happened some few days after the Last Passage above, that _Xanthus_,
+having some Business at the Publick Hall, sent Æsop to see if there were
+any Great Throng of Men there; a Magistrate meets him Upon the _Way_,
+and Asks him whither he was going? Why truly, says Æsop, I am going I
+know not whither. The Magistrate took it that he Banter’d him, and bad
+an Officer take him into Custody and Carry him to Prison. Well, says
+Æsop, to the Magistrate; Is it not true Now, that I did not know Whither
+I was going? Can you Imagine, that when I came out of the house this
+Morning, I had any thoughts of going to _Prison_? The Magistrate was
+well enough pleased at the fancy, and Discharg’d him Upon it, and so he
+went forward to the Hall; Where among a world of People, he saw one Man
+arrest another upon an Action of Debt. The Debtor Pleaded Poverty; but if
+he would Compound for half, it should go hard but he’d make a Shift to
+Pick it up, he said. Well with all my Heart, says the Creditor, Lay down
+the Mony upon the Nail, and the Business is done: for a man had better
+Content himself with Half, then Lose All, And I reckon that Mony as good
+as lost, that a Man must go to Law for; Æsop upon this, went back and
+told his Master, that he had been at the Hall, and saw but one Man there;
+This was a Riddle to _Xanthus_; Insomuch that he went himself to Learn
+the Truth of the Matter. When he came to the Place, he found the Court
+extremely Thronged, and turning short upon Æsop, in great Indignation,
+Sirrah, says he, are all these People come since you told me there was
+but one Man here? ’Tis very true, says Æsop, There was a Huge Crowd, and
+yet but _one Man_ that I could see in That vast _Multitude_. This seems
+to be taken out of the Life of _Diogenes_.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. XII.
+
+Xanthus _undertakes to Drink the Sea dry_.
+
+
+There happened not Long after This, to be a Merry Meeting of
+Philosophers; and _Xanthus_, one of the Company. _Xanthus_ had already
+gotten a Cup too much; and Æsop, finding they were like to set out his
+hand; Sir, says he, ’tis the Humour of _Bacchus_, they say, first to make
+men _Chearful_, and when they are past That, to make ’em _Drunk_, and in
+the Conclusion, to make them _Mad_. _Xanthus_ took Offence at Æsop; and
+told him, That was a Lecture for Children. (_Laertius_ makes this to be
+the saying of _Anacharsis_.) The Cups went round, and _Xanthus_ by this
+time had taken his Load, who was mightily given to talk in his Drink;
+and whatever was uppermost, out it came, without either Fear or Wit. One
+of the Company observing the weak side of the Man, took the Opportunity
+of Pumping him with several Questions. _Xanthus_ (says he) I have read
+somewhere, that it is Possible for a Man to Drink the Sea Dry; but I can
+hardly believe it. Why says _Xanthus_, I’ll venture my House and Land
+upon’t, that I do’t my self. They Agreed upon the Wager, and presently
+off went their Rings to Seal the Conditions. But Early the next Morning,
+_Xanthus_ missing his Ring, thought it might be slipt off his Finger, and
+asked Æsop about it. Why truly says Æsop, I can say Nothing to the Losing
+of your _Ring_; But I can tell you that _you Lost your House and Land
+last Night_: and so Æsop told him the Story on’t, which his Master it
+seems had utterly forgotten. _Xanthus_ began now to Chew upon the Matter,
+and it went to the Heart of him to consider, That he could neither do
+the thing, nor yet get quit of his Bonds. In this trouble of Thoughts he
+Consults Æsop, (whose advice before he had rejected) what was to be done
+in the Case. I shall never forget, says _Xanthus_, how much I owe you for
+your Faithful Services; and so with fair Words Æsop was prevailed upon
+to Undertake the bringing of him off. ’Tis Impossible to do the thing,
+(says he) but if I can find a way to Dissolve the Obligation, and to gain
+you Credit by it over and Above, That’s the Point I suppose that will do
+your business. The Time appointed, says Æsop, is now at hand, Wherefore
+do you set a bold face upon it, and go to the _Sea-side_ with all your
+Servants and your Trinkets about you, and put on a Countenance, that you
+are just Now about to make good your Undertaking. You’ll have Thousands
+of Spectators there, and When they are got together, let the Form of the
+Agreement and the Conditions be read, Which runs to this Effect. That you
+are to Drink up the Sea by such a Certain Time, or to forfeit your House
+and Land, upon Such or Such a Consideration. When This is done, call for
+a Great Glass, and let it be filled with _Sea-Water_, in the Sight of
+the Whole Multitude: Hold it up then in your Hand, and say as Follows.
+_You have heard Good People, what I have Undertaken to do, and upon what
+Penalty if I do not go Through with it. I confess the Agreement, and the
+Matter of Fact as you have heard it; and I am now about to drink up the
+Sea; not the Rivers that run into’t. And therefore let All the Inlets be
+Stopt, that there be Nothing but pure Sea left me to drink. And I am now
+ready to perform my part of the Agreement. But for any drinking of the
+Rivers, There is nothing of that in the Contract._ The People found it so
+clear a Case, That they did not only agree to the Reason and Justice of
+_Xanthus’s_ Cause, but hissed his Adversary out of the Field; Who in the
+Conclusion made a Publique Acknowledgment, that _Xanthus_ was the Wiser
+and Better Man of the Two; But desired the Contract might be made void,
+and offer’d to Submit Himself further to such Arbitrators as _Xanthus_
+Himself should direct. _Xanthus_ was so well pleased with the Character
+his Adversary had given him, of a Wise Man, That All was Passed over,
+And a finall End made of the Dispute. _Plutarch_ makes this to have been
+the Invention of _Bias_.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. XIII.
+
+Æsop _Baffles the Superstition of Augury_.
+
+
+In the days of Æsop, The World was mightily addicted to _Augury_; that is
+to say, to the Gathering of _Omens_ from The Cry and Flight of _Birds_.
+Upon this Account it was, that _Xanthus_ one Day sent Æsop into the
+Yard, and bad him look well about him. If you see _Two Crows_ (says he)
+you’ll have _good Luck_ after it, but if you should Chance to spy _One
+Crow Single_, ’tis a _Bad Omen_, and some Ill will betide you. Æsop
+stept out and came Immediately back again, and told his Master that he
+had seen _Two Crows_. Hereupon _Xanthus_ went out himself, and finding
+but _One_ (for the Other was flown away) he fell Outragiously upon Æsop
+for making Sport with him, And order’d him to be soundly Lash’d for’t,
+but just as they were stripping him for the Execution, In comes One to
+Invite _Xanthus_ abroad to Supper. Well Master, says Æsop, and where’s
+the Credit of your _Augury_ Now? When I, that saw _Two Crows_, am to be
+_beaten like_ a Dog, and You, that saw but _One_, are going to _make
+merry_ with your Friends? The Reason and Quickness of this Reflexion,
+Pacified the Master for the Present, and sav’d the Poor Fellow a sound
+Whipping.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. XIV.
+
+Æsop _finds hidden Treasure_.
+
+
+As _Xanthus_ was Walking once among certain Monuments, with Æsop at his
+Heels; and Plodding upon several _Epitaphs_, there was one Inscription
+in _Greek Letters_, that _Xanthus_ with all the Skill he had, could not
+tell what to make of. Well, says Æsop, let me see a Little if I can
+Uncypher it. And so after laying Things and Things together a While,
+Master, says he, What will you give me, If I find you out a Pot of Hidden
+Treasure now? One _Half_ of it, says _Xanthus_, and your _Liberty_. So
+Æsop fell to Digging, a Matter of four Yards from the Stone that had
+the Inscription; and there found a Pot of Gold which he took up and
+deliver’d to his Master; and Claim’d his Promise. Well, says _Xanthus_,
+I’ll be as good as my Word; but you must first shew me how you came to
+know there was Treasure, by the Inscription: for I had rather be Master
+of that Secret, than of the very Gold it self. Æsop Innocently open’d
+the whole Matter to him. Look you Sir, says he, Here are these Letters,
+α; β; δ; ο; ε; θ; χ; which are to be thus Interpreted, α stands for
+ἀποβὰς; β for βήματα; δ for δέσσαρα; ο for ὀρύξας; ε for εὑρήσεις; θ for
+θησαυρὸν; χ for χρυσίου; In English, _Dig four Paces from this Place, and
+you shall find Gold_. Now says _Xanthus_, if you are so good at finding
+out Gold, you and I must not part yet. Come Sir, says Æsop, (perceiving
+that his Master played fast and Loose with him) To deal freely with you,
+This Treasure belongs to King _Dionysius_. How do you know that? says
+_Xanthus_. Why by the very Inscription, says Æsop: for in That Sence α
+stands for ἀπόδος; β for βασιλεῖ; δ for Διονυσίῳ; o for ὅν; ε for εὗρες;
+θ for θησαυρὸν; χ for χρυσίου. In English, _Give_ Dionysius _the Gold you
+have found_. _Xanthus_ began to be afraid when he heard it was The King’s
+Mony, and Charged Æsop to make no Words on’t, and he should have the
+One Half. ’Tis well, says Æsop; but This is not so much your own Bounty
+yet, as The Intention of Him that Bury’d it; for the very same Letters
+direct the Dividing of it. As for Example once again Now, α stands for
+ἀνελόμενοι; β for βαδίσαντες; δ for διέλεσθε; o for ὅν; ε for εὕρετε; θ
+for θησαυρὸν; χ for χρυσίου; In English, _Divide the Gold that you have
+found_. Why then, says _Xanthus_, let us go home and share it. No sooner
+were they got Home, but Æsop was presently laid by the Heels, for fear of
+Blabbing, crying out as Loud as he could, this comes of trusting to the
+Faith of a Philosopher; The Reproche Nettled his Master: But however he
+caused his Shackles to be taken off upon’t, and Admonished Æsop to keep
+his Licentious Tongue in a Little better Order for the future, if ever he
+hoped to have his _Liberty_. For That, says Æsop, Prophetically, I shall
+not Need to beg it of you as a favour, for in a very few days I shall
+have my Freedom, whether you will or no.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. XV.
+
+Æsop _Expounds upon an Augury, and is made Free_.
+
+
+_Æsop_ had thus far born All the Indignities of a Tedious Slavery, with
+the Constancy of a Wise Man, and without either Vanity or Abjection
+of Mind. He was not Ignorant however of his own Value; Neither did he
+Neglect any honest Way or Occasion of Advancing his Name and his Credit
+in the World; as in One Particular Instance among the _Samians_, on a
+Strange Thing that happen’d There upon a Very Solemn Day. The Ring,
+it seems, that had the Town-Seal upon’t was laid somewhere in Sight,
+Where an Eagle could come at it; She took it up in the Air, and dropt
+it into the Bosom of a Slave. The _Samians_ took this for a Foreboding,
+that Threat’ned some dismal Calamity to the State, and in a general
+Consternation They presently called a Counsel of their Wise Men; and
+_Xanthus_ in the first Place, to give their Opinions upon This Mysterious
+Accident. They were All at a Loss what to Think on’t; only _Xanthus_
+desired some few Days time for further Consideration. Upon This, he
+betook himself to his Study, and the More he Beat his Brains about it,
+the further he found himself from any hope of Expounding The Secret.
+This put him into a deep Melancholly; which made Æsop very Importune,
+and Impatient, to know the Cause of it; with Assurances, That he would
+serve his Master in The Affair, Whatever it was, to the Uttermost of his
+Power. _Xanthus_ hereupon laid the Whole Matter before him, and told him
+in Conclusion, that he was not only lost in his Reputation, but in Danger
+to be Torn to Pieces by the Rabble. When Æsop found how the Case stood,
+Never trouble your Head any further, says he, Do but follow my Advice,
+and I’ll bring you off as well now as ever I did before. When you Appear
+to Morrow to give in your Answer, I would have you Speak to the People
+after this Manner.
+
+_I need not tell your Wisdoms, That_ so Many Heads so Many Minds, _and so
+many several Men, so many several Conceptions of Things; Nay and further,
+that every several Art, or Profession requires a Distinct Faculty or
+Disposition, that is more or less Peculiar to it self. It is the Custom
+of the World for People in All Cases where They are either Ignorant or
+Doubtful, to Repair to Men that have the Reputation of Philosophers, for
+Counsel and Satisfaction. But this, under favour, is a Great Mistake; for
+it is with Philosophers, as it is, I say, with other Arts and Professions
+that have their Functions apart the One from the Other. Wisdom ’tis true,
+may be call’d properly enough the Knowledge of Things Divine and Humane,
+but will you therefore expect that a Philosopher should do the Office
+of a Shoomaker or a Barber, because the Trades are conversant about
+Humane Things? No No Gentlemen, a Man may be a Great Philosopher without
+any Skill at All in the Handling of the Awl, or the Razor. But if the
+Question were concerning the Government of Life and Manners, the Nature
+of Things Celestial or Terrestrial; The Duties that we owe to God or Man;
+you could not do better then repair to Philosophers for satisfaction. But
+for Reading upon Prodigies; or Commenting upon the Flight of Birds, or
+the Entrails of Beasts, These are Things quite Beside the Philosophers
+Business. If there be any thing you doubt of that falls under the
+Cognizance of Philosophy, I am ready to serve you in’t; But your present
+Point being_ Augury, _I shall take leave to Acquaint you that a Servant
+I have at home, is as likely to make a Right Judgement that way as any
+Man I know. I should not presume to name a Servant; Neither Perchance
+would you think fit to make use of one; If the Necessity of your present
+distress, were not a very Competent and Reasonable Excuse._
+
+Here’s your Speech, says Æsop; and your Credit sav’d whether They’ll
+hear me or Not. If they send for me, The Honour will be yours, in case I
+Deliver my self to their Liking, and the Disgrace will be Mine then if I
+Miscarry. His Master was pleased beyond Measure with the Advice, but he
+did not as yet Understand Whither it Tended.
+
+_Xanthus_ Presented himself Early the next Morning before the Council,
+Where he Dilated Upon The Matter according to his Instructions, and so
+referr’d Them to his Servant for the Clearing of the Difficulty. The
+People with one Voice cry’d out _Where is he? Why does not he Appear?
+Why has not his Master brought him along with him?_ In short, Æsop was
+Immediately fetch’d into the Court, and at the very First Sight of him,
+They All burst out a Laughing by Consent. This Fellow, says one, may have
+Skill perhaps in Divining, but he has Nothing that’s Humane about him.
+Another asked Where he was Born, and whether or no Blocks had the Faculty
+of Speech in his Country. Æsop, upon This, Address’d himself to the
+Council.
+
+_You have here before ye_, (says Æsop) _an Ungracious Figure of a Man,
+which in truth is not a Subject for your Contempt, Nor is it a Reasonable
+Ground for your Despair, upon the Matter in Question. One Wise Man values
+Another for his Understanding, not for his Beauty; Beside that the
+Deformity of my Person is no incapacity at All as to your Business. Did
+you never taste Delicious drink out of an Ill Look’d Vessel? or did you
+never drink Wine that was Vapid, or Eager, out of a Vessel of Gold? ’Tis
+Sagacity and Strength of Reason that you have Occasion for, not the force
+of Robust Limbs, nor the Delicacies of Colour and Proportion. Wherefore
+I must beseech you not to Judge of My Mind by My Body, nor to Condemn me
+Unheard._ Upon this, they All cry’d out to him, If he had any thing to
+say for the Common Good, That he would speak it. _With your favour_, says
+he, _It is for that End I presume, that ye have called me hither, and it
+is with a Great Zeal for your Service, that I stand now before ye: But
+when I consider the Weight of the Matter in hand, and the Office That I
+am now to Perform, it will as little stand with your Honors Perhaps, to
+take the Opinion of a Slave into your Councils and Debates, as it will
+with my Condition to offer it. Beside the Risque I run of my Master’s
+Displeasure upon the Event. But All This yet may be Obviated, my Fears
+secured, my Modesty gratifi’d, and your own Dignity preserved, only by
+making me a Freeman before hand, to Qualify me for the Function._ They
+all said it was a Most Reasonable Thing, and presently treated about the
+Price of his Liberty, and order’d the _Quæstors_ to pay down the Money.
+When _Xanthus_ saw that the thing must be done, He could not Decently
+stand Higgling about the Price; But making a Virtue of Necessity, he
+chose rather to _Present_ Æsop to the Common-Wealth, then to _Sell_ him.
+The _Samians_ took it very kindly, And Æsop was Presently _Manumiz’d_ and
+made a Citizen in Form, Proclaim’d a Freeman; and after this Ceremony,
+he Discoursed upon the Subject of the Portent as follows.
+
+_I shall not need to tell so many Wise and knowing Men, that the Eagle
+is a Royal Bird, and signifies a Great King; that the Dropping of the
+Ring in the Bosome of a Slave that has no Power over himself, portends
+the Loss of Your Liberties, if you do not look to your selves in Time;
+And that some Potent Prince has a Design upon ye._ This put the _Samians_
+all a-fire to hear the Issue of the Prediction. In some short time after
+there came Ambassadors from _Crœsus_ the King of _Lydia_, to Demand a
+Tribute on Behalf of their Master, and Threat’ned the _Samians_ with
+a War in the Case of a Refusal. This Affair came to be Debated in the
+Council, where the Majority was rather for Peace with Slavery, then for
+running the Risque of a Dispute; but they would not come to a Resolution
+yet, without first Consulting Æsop What They had best to do; Who gave
+Them his Thought upon’t in Words to This Effect.
+
+_Every Man in this World has Two Ways before him, That is to say_, First,
+_The Way of Liberty, that’s Narrow and Rugged at the Entrance, but
+Plainer and Smoother still the further you go_. Secondly, _The Way of
+Servitude or Slavery, that seems to be Easie at first, but you’ll find
+it afterwards to be full of Intolerable Difficulties_. The _Samians_,
+upon These Words, Declared themselves Unanimously for Liberty, and that
+since they were at present Free, They would never make Themselves Slaves
+by their own Consent: So The Ambassadors Departed, and there was a War
+Denounced.
+
+When _Crœsus_ came to Understand the Resolution the _Samians_ had taken,
+and how Inclinable they were to a Compliance, till Æsop, by the Power
+only of a few words, Diverted them from it, he Resolv’d to send for and
+Discourse with Æsop. So He made an offer to the _Samians_, upon their
+sending Æsop to him, to put a Stop at present to the course of his Arms.
+When Æsop came to hear of their Proposition, he told them That he was not
+against their sending of him, Provided only that he might tell them One
+Story before he Left them.
+
+_In Old Time_, (says he) _when some Beasts talked better Sence then
+Many Men do now a days, there happen’d to be a Fierce War betwixt the
+Wolves and the Sheep, And the Sheep, by the help of the Dogs, had rather
+the Better on’t. The Wolves, upon This, offer’d the Sheep a Peace, on
+Condition only that they might have their Dogs for Hostages. The Silly,
+credulous Sheep agreed to’t, and as soon as ever they had parted with the
+Dogs, The Wolves break in upon them, and Destroy’d them at pleasure._ See
+_Fab. 45_.
+
+The _Samians_ quickly smelt out the Moral of this Fable, and cry’d out,
+One and All, that they would not part with Æsop: But this did not hinder
+Æsop however from putting himself abord, and taking a Passage for _Lydia_
+with the Ambassadors.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. XVI.
+
+Æsop _Presents himself before the King of_ Lydia.
+
+
+Immediately Upon Æsop’s Arrival in _Lydia_, he Presented himself before
+the King, who looking upon him with Contempt, Hatred, and Indignation; Is
+This a Man says he, to hinder the King of _Lydia_ from being Master of
+_Samos_? Æsop then with a Reverence after the _Lydian_ Fashion, deliver’d
+what he had to say.
+
+_I am not here_ (says he,) _Great King in the Quality of a Man that’s
+Given up by his Country, or under the Compulsion of any force; But it
+is of my own Accord that I am now come to lay my self at your Majesty’s
+Feet, and with this only Request, that you will vouchsafe me the Honour
+of your Royal Ear, and Patience but for a few words._
+
+‘There was a Boy hunting of Locusts, and he had the Fortune to take a
+Grasshopper. She found he was about to kill her, and Pleaded after this
+Manner for her Life. Alas (says she) I never did any Body an Injury, and
+never had it either in my Will or in My Power to do’t. All my Business is
+my Song; and what will you be the Better for my Death? The Youth’s Heart
+relented and he set the Simple Grasshopper at Liberty.’
+
+Your Majesty has now that Innocent Creature before you: There’s Nothing
+that I can pretend to _but my Voice, which I have ever employ’d so far as
+in me Lay, to the Service of Mankind_. The King was so Tenderly moved
+with the Modesty and Prudence of the Man, That he did not only give him
+his Life, but bad him ask any thing further that he had a Mind to, and
+it should be Granted him. Why then, says Æsop, (with that Veneration,
+Gratitude and Respect that the Case required) I do most humbly implore
+your Majesties favour for my Country-Men the _Samians_. The King Granted
+him his Request, and Confirmed it under his Seal; Beside that the Piety
+of making that Petition his Choice, was a further Recommendation of him
+to his Royal Kindness and Esteem.
+
+Æsop, soon after This, returned to _Samos_ with the News of the Peace,
+where he was Welcom’d with All the Instances of Joy and Thankfulness
+Imaginable; Insomuch that they Erected a Statue for him, with an
+Inscription upon it, in Honour of his Memory. From _Samos_ he return’d
+afterwards to _Crœsus_, for whose sake he Composed several of _Those
+Apologues_ that pass in the World to This Day under his Name. His
+Fancy lay extreamly to Travelling; but above All other Places, he
+had the Greatest Mind to see _Babylon_: To which End he got Letters
+of Recommendation from _Crœsus_ to the King there: who, according to
+_Herodotus_, was a Friend, and an Ally of _Crœsus_’s, and his Name,
+_Labynetus_; not _Lycerus_, and _Planudes_ has Handed it down to us
+upon a Great Mistake. But his Curiosity led him first to pass through
+_Greece_, for the sake of the _Seven Wise Men_, whose Reputation was
+at That Time Famous All over the World. He had the Good Hap in his
+Travels to find them at _Corinth_, together with _Anacharsis_, and
+several of their Followers and Disciples, Where they were All Treated by
+_Periander_ at a _Villa_ of his not far from the Town. This Encounter
+was to the Common Satisfaction of the Whole Company; the Entertainment
+Philosophical, and Agreeable, and among other Discourses, they had some
+Controversy upon the Subject of Government; and which was the most
+Excellent Form: Æsop being still for _Monarchy_, and the _Rest_ for a
+_Common-wealth_. He Travell’d thence, a while after into _Asia_, and so
+to _Babylon_, according to his first Intention.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. XVII.
+
+Æsop _Adopts_ Ennus. Ennus_’s Ingratitude and Falseness, and_ Æsop_’s
+Good Nature_.
+
+
+It was the Fashion in those Days for Princes to Exercise Tryalls of Skill
+in the Putting and Resolving of Riddles, and Intricate Questions; and
+He that was the Best at the Clearing or Untying of Knotty Difficulties
+carry’d the Prize. Æsop_’s_ Faculty lay notably that way, and render’d
+him so serviceable to the King, that it brought him both Reputation and
+Reward. It was his Unhappiness to have No Children, for the Comfort and
+Support of his Old Age; So that with the King’s Consent, he Adopted a
+young Man, who was Well Born, and Ingenuous enough, but Poor; His Name
+was _Ennus_. Æsop took as much care of his Instruction as if he had
+been his own Child, and Train’d him up in those Principles of Virtue
+and Knowledge that might most probably render him Great and Happy. But
+there’s no working upon a Flagitious and Perverse Nature, by Kindness
+and Discipline, and ’tis Time lost to think of Mastering so Incurable
+an Evil: So that _Ennus_, after the Manner of other Wicked Men, heaping
+One Villany upon another, Counterfeits his Fathers Name and Hand to
+Certain Letters, wherein he Promises his Assistance to the Neighbour
+Princes against _Labynetus_. These Letters _Ennus_ carry’s to the King,
+and Charges his Father with Treason, though in Appearance, with All
+the trouble and unwillingness that was possible, Only a Sense of his
+Duty to his King and his Country, swallow’d up All other Respects of
+Reverence and Modesty that a Son owes to a Father. The King took All
+these Calumnies for Instances of _Ennus_’s Affections to him, without the
+Least Suspicion of any Fraud in the Matter: So that without any further
+Enquiry, he order’d Æsop to be put to Death. The Persons to whom the Care
+of his Execution was Committed, being well Assured of his Innocence and
+of the Kings Ungovernable Passions, took him out of the Way, and gave it
+out that he was Dead. Some few Days after this, there came Letters to
+_Labynetus_ from _Amasis_ the King of _Ægypt_, wherein _Labynetus_ was
+Desired by _Amasis_ to send him a certain Architect that could raise a
+Tower that should hang in the Air, and likewise Resolve All Questions.
+_Labynetus_ was at a Great Loss what Answer to return, and the Fierceness
+of his Displeasure against Æsop being by This time somewhat Abated, he
+began to Enquire after him with Great Passion, and would often Profess,
+That if the Parting with One half of his Kingdom could bring him to Life
+again, he would Give it. _Hermippus_ and Others that had kept him out of
+the Way, told the King upon the Hearing of This, That Æsop was yet Alive;
+so They were Commanded to bring him forth; which they did, in All the
+Beastliness he had Contracted in the Prison. He did no sooner Appear,
+but he made his Innocence so manifest, that _Labynetus_ in Extreme
+Displeasure and Indignation, commanded the False Accuser to be put to
+Death with most Exquisite Torments; But Æsop, after all this, Interceded
+for him, and Obtained his Pardon, upon a Charitable Presumption, that
+the Sence of so Great a Goodness and Obligation would yet Work upon
+him. _Herodotus_ tells the story of _Cambyses_ the Son of _Cyrus_, and
+_Crœsus_, and with what Joy _Cambyses_ received _Crœsus_ again, after he
+was supposed to be put to death by his own Order; but Then it Vary’s in
+This, that he Caused Those to be put to Death, that were to have seen the
+Execution done, for not Observing his Commands.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. XVIII.
+
+Æsop_’s Letters of Morality to his Son_ Ennus.
+
+
+Upon Æsop_’s_ coming again into Favour, he had the King of _Ægypt_’s
+Letter given him to Consider of, and Advised _Labynetus_ to send him
+for Answer, That Early the next Spring he should have the Satisfaction
+he Desired. Things being in this State, Æsop took _Ennus_ Home to him
+again, and so order’d the Matter, that he wanted neither Counsels nor
+Instructions, nor any other Helps or Lights that might Dispose him to the
+Leading of a Virtuous Life, as will Appear by the Following Precepts.
+
+_My Son_ (says he) _Worship God with Care and Reverence, and with a
+Sincerity of Heart void of All Hypocrisie or Ostentation: Not as if
+that Divine Name and Power were only an Invention, to Fright Women and
+Children, but know That God is Omnipresent, True and Almighty_.
+
+_Have a Care even of your Most Private Actions and Thoughts, for God sees
+Thorough you, and your Conscience will bear Witness against you._
+
+_It is according to Prudence, as well as Nature, to pay that Honour to
+your Parents that you Expect your Children should pay to you._
+
+_Do All the Good you can to All Men, but in the First Place to your
+Nearest Relations, and do no Hurt however, where you can do no Good._
+
+_Keep a Guard upon your_ Words _as well as upon your_ Actions, _that
+there be no Impurity in Either_.
+
+_Follow the Dictates of your Reason, and you are Safe; and have a Care of
+Impotent Affections._
+
+_Apply your self to Learn More, so long as there’s any Thing Left that
+you do not know, and Value Good Counsel before Money._
+
+_Our Minds must be Cultivated as well as our Plants; The Improvement of
+our Reason makes us like Angels, whereas the Neglect of it turns us into
+Beasts._
+
+_There’s no Permanent and Inviolable Good, but Wisdom and Virtue, though
+the_ Study _of it Signifies Little without the_ Practice.
+
+_Do not think it impossible to be a Wise Man, without looking Sour upon
+it. Wisdom makes Men Severe, but not Inhumane._
+
+_It is Virtue not to be Vicious._
+
+_Keep Faith with All Men. Have a Care of a Lye, as you would of
+Sacrilege. Great Bablers have No Regard either to Honesty or Truth._
+
+_Take Delight in, and frequent the_ Company _of Good Men, for it will
+give you a Tincture of their_ Manners _too_.
+
+_Take heed of that Vulgar Error, of thinking that there is any Good in
+Evil. It is a Mistake when Men talk of profitable Knavery, or of Starving
+Honesty; for Virtue and justice carry All that is Good and Profitable
+along with them._
+
+_Let every Man mind his own Business, for Curiosity is Restless._
+
+_Speak Ill of No body, and you are no more to Hear Calumnies then to
+Report them: Beside that, they that Practice the One, Commonly Love the
+Other._
+
+_Propose Honest Things, Follow Wholesome Counsels, and Leave the Event to
+God._
+
+_Let no Man Despair in Adversity, nor Presume in Prosperity, for All
+Things are Changeable._
+
+_Rise Early to your Business, Learn Good Things, and Oblige Good Men;
+These are three Things you shall never Repent of._
+
+_Have a Care of Luxury and Gluttony; but of Drunkenness Especially; for
+Wine as well as Age makes a Man a Child._
+
+_Watch for the Opportunities of doing things, for there’s Nothing Well
+done but what’s done in Season._
+
+_Love and Honour Kings Princes and Magistrates, for they are the Bands of
+Society, in Punishing of the Guilty, and Protecting the Innocent._
+
+These, or such as these, were the Lessons that Æsop read daily to his
+Son; but so far was he from mending upon Them, that he grew Every Day
+worse and worse, shewing that it is not in the power of Art or Discipline
+to Rectify a Perverse Nature, or (as _Euripides_ says) to _make a Man
+Wise that has no Soul_. But however, according to _Neveletus_, he came
+soon after to be Touched in Conscience for his Barbarous Ingratitude, and
+Dyed in a Raging Remorse for what he had done.
+
+The Spring was now at Hand, and Æsop was preparing for the Task he had
+Undertaken About the Building of a Tower in the Air, and Resolving All
+Manner of Questions: But I shall say no more of That Romantick part of
+the History, then that he went into _Ægypt_, and Acquitted himself of his
+Commission to _Amasis_ with Great Reputation. From thence back again to
+_Labynetus_, Laden with Honours and Rewards; from whom he got leave to
+Return into _Greece_; but upon Condition of Returning to _Babylon_ by the
+First Opportunity.
+
+
+
+
+CHAP. XIX.
+
+Æsop_’s Voyage to_ Delphos; _his Barbarous Usage There, and his Death_.
+
+
+When Æsop had almost taken the whole Tour of _Greece_, he went to
+_Delphos_, either for the _Oracles_ sake, or for the sake of the _Wise
+Men_ that Frequented that Place. But when he came thither, he found
+Matters to be quite otherwise then he expected, and so far from deserving
+the Reputation they had in the World for Piety and Wisdom, that he found
+them Proud and Avaritious, and Hereupon Deliver’d his Opinion of Them
+under this Fable.
+
+_I find_ (says he) _the Curiosity that brought me Hither, to be much the
+Case of People at the Sea side, that see something come Hulling toward
+them a great way off at Sea, and take it at first to be some Mighty
+Matter, but upon Driving Nearer and Nearer the Shore, it proves at last
+to be only a heap of Weeds and Rubbish_. See _Fab. 119_.
+
+The Magistrates of the Place took Infinite Offence at this Liberty,
+and presently enter’d into a Conspiracy against him to take away his
+Life, for fear he should Give them the same Character elsewhere in his
+Travels, that he had done there upon the Place. It was not so Safe they
+thought, nor so Effectual a Revenge to make him away in private; but if
+they could so contrive it, as to bring him to a shameful End, under a
+Form of Justice, it would better answer their Business and Design. To
+Which Purpose they caused a Golden Cup to be secretly convey’d into his
+Baggage, when he was packing up to Depart. He was no sooner out of the
+Town upon his Journey, But Immediately pursu’d and taken upon the way by
+the Officers, and Charged with _Sacrilege_. Æsop deny’d the Matter, and
+Laughed at them All for a Company of Mad Men; But upon the Searching of
+his Boxes, they took the Cup and shew’d it to the People, Hurrying him
+away to Prison in the Middle of his Defence. They brought him the Next
+Day into the Court, Where Notwithstanding the Proof of his Innocence, as
+clear as the Day, he was Condemn’d to Dye; and his Sentence was to be
+Thrown Head-long from a Rock, Down a Deep Precipice. After his Doom was
+past, he prevailed upon Them, with much ado to be heard a few Words, and
+so told them the Story of the Frog and the Mouse, as it stands in the
+Fable.
+
+This wrought nothing upon the Hearts of the _Delphians_, but as they were
+Bawling at the Executioner, to Dispatch and do his Office, Æsop on a
+Sudden gave them the Slip, and Fled to an Altar hard by there, in hopes
+the Religion of the Place might have protected him, but the _Delphians_
+told him, that the Altars of the Gods were not to be any Sanctuary to
+those that Robbed their Temples; Whereupon he took Occasion to tell them
+the Fable of the _Eagle_ and the _Beetle_ to this following effect, As it
+stands in the Book, _Num. 378_.
+
+Now says Æsop, (after the telling of this Fable) you are not to Flatter
+your Selves that the Prophaners of Holy Altars, and the Oppressors
+of the Innocent, shall ever escape Divine Vengeance. This Enraged
+the Magistrates to such a Degree, that they commanded the Officers
+Immediately to take Æsop from the Altar, and Dispatch him away to his
+Execution. When Æsop found that Neither the Holiness of the Place, nor
+the Clearness of his Innocence was Sufficient to Protect him, and that he
+was to fall a Sacrifice to Subornation and Power, he gave them yet one
+Fable more as he was upon the Way to Execution.
+
+_There was an Old Fellow_ (says he) _that had spent his Whole Life in the
+Country without ever seeing the Town. He found himself Weak and Decaying,
+and Nothing would serve, but his Friends must needs shew him the Town
+once before he Dyed. Their Asses were very well Acquainted with the Way,
+and so they caused them to be made Ready, and turned the Old Man and the
+Asses Loose, without a Guide to try their Fortune. They were overtaken
+Upon the Road by a Terrible Tempest, so that what with the Darkness, and
+the Violence of the Storm, the Asses were Beaten out of their Way, and
+Tumbled with the Old Man into a Pit, where he had only time to Deliver
+his Last Breath with this Exclamation. Miserable Wretch that I am, to
+be Destroy’d, since Dye I must, by the basest of Beasts; by Asses. And
+that’s my Fate now in suffering by the Hands of a Barbarous, Sottish
+People, that Understand Nothing either of Humanity or Honour: and Act
+Contrary to the Tyes of Hospitality and Justice. But the Gods will not
+suffer my Blood to lye Unrevenged, and I doubt not but that in Time the
+Judgment of Heaven will give you to Understand your Wickedness by your
+Punishment._ He was speaking on, but they Pushed him Off Head-long from
+the Rock, and he was Dashed to Pieces with the Fall.
+
+The _Delphians_, soon after This, were visited with Famine and
+Pestilence, to such a Degree, that they Went to Consult the Oracle of
+_Apollo_ to know what Wickedness it was had brought these Calamities upon
+Them. The Oracle gave them this Answer, That they were to Expiate for
+the Death of Æsop. In the Conscience of their Barbarity, they Erected a
+_Pyramid_ to his Honour, and it is upon Tradition, that a Great Many of
+the Most Eminent Men among the _Greeks_ of that Season, went afterwards
+to _Delphos_ upon the News of the Tragical End of Æsop, to Learn the
+Truth of the History, and found upon Enquiry, That the Principal of the
+Conspirators had laid Violent hands upon Themselves.
+
+
+
+
+THE PREFACE.
+
+
+_We have had the History of_ Æsop _so many times over and over, and
+dress’d up so many several Ways; that it would be but Labour-Lost
+to Multiply Unprofitable Conjectures upon a Tradition of so Great
+Uncertainty._ _Writers are divided about him, almost to all manner
+of purposes: And particularly concerning the Authority, even of the
+greater part of Those Compositions that pass the World in his Name:
+For, the Story is come down to us so Dark and Doubtful, that it is
+Impossible to Distinguish the_ Original _from the_ Copy: _And to say,
+which of the Fables are_ Æsops, _and which not; which are_ Genuine,
+_and which_ Spurious: _Beside, that there are divers Inconsistencies
+upon the Point of_ Chronology, _in the Account of his Life_, (_as_
+Maximus Planudes, _and Others have Deliver’d it_) _which the whole Earth
+can never Reconcile_. Vavasor _the_ Jesuite, _in a Tract of his_, de
+Ludicra Dictione, _takes Notice of some four or five Gross Mistakes of
+This Kind_. [Planudes (_says he_) brings _Æsop_ to _Babylon_, in the
+Reign of _Lycerus_; where there never was such a Prince heard of, from
+_Nabonassar_ (the first King of _Babylon_) to _Alexander the Great_.
+He tells us of his going into _Ægypt_ in the Days of King _Nectenabo_;
+which _Nectenabo_ came not into the World till well nigh Two Hundred
+Years after him. And so he makes him Greet his Mistress upon his first
+Entrance into his Master’s House, with a bitter Sentence against Women
+out of _Euripides_; (as he pretends) when yet _Æsop_ had been Dead, a
+matter of Fourscore Years, before T’other was Born. And once again, He
+brings him in, Talking of the _Pyræan Port_, in his Fable of the _Ape
+and the Dolphin_: A Port, that the very Name on’t was never thought of,
+till about the _Seventy Sixth Olympiad: And Æsop was Murder’d, in the_
+Four and fifti’th.] _This is enough in All Conscience, to Excuse any Man
+from laying over-much Stress upon the Historical Credit of a Relation,
+that comes so Blindly, and so Variously Transmitted to us: Over and
+above, that it is not one jot to our Bus’ness (further then to Gratify an
+Idle Curiosity) whether the_ Fact _be_ True or False; _whether the_ Man
+_was_ Streight, _or_ Crooked; _and his_ Name, Æsop, _or_ (_as some will
+have it_) Lochman: _In all which Cases, the Reader is left at Liberty
+to Believe his Pleasure. We are not here upon the_ Name, _the_ Person,
+_or the_ Adventures _of this Great Man; but upon the Subject of his_
+Apologues _and_ Morals; _And not of_ His _alone, but of several other
+Eminent Men that have Written after his Copy; and abundantly Contributed
+in those Labours, to the Delight, Benefit, and Instruction of Those that
+were to come after them_.
+
+_There are, ’tis True, a Certain Set of Morose and Untractable Spirits
+in the World, that look upon Precepts in_ Emblem, _as they do upon_ Gays
+_and_ Pictures, _that are only fit for_ Women _and_ Children, _and look
+upon them to be no better than the Fooleries of so many_ Old Wives Tales.
+_These are a sort of People that are Resolv’d to be pleas’d with nothing
+that is not_ Unsociably Sour, Ill Natur’d, _and_ Troublesome; _Men that
+make it the_ Mark _as well as the_ Prerogative _of a_ Philosopher, _to
+be_ Magisterial, _and_ Churlish; _As if a Man could not be_ Wise _and_
+Honest, _without being_ Inhumane; _or, I might have said, without putting
+an Affront upon_ Christian Charity, Civil Society, Decency _and_ Good
+Manners: _But they are not aware All this while, that the_ Foundations
+_of_ Knowledge _and_ Vertue _are laid in our_ Childhood; _when Nothing
+goes Kindly down with us, that is not Season’d and Adapted to the Palate
+and Capacity of those Tender Years. ’Tis in the very_ Nature _of us,
+first, to be Inquisitive, and Hankering after New and New_ Sights _and_
+Stories: _And 2dly, No less Sollicitous to Learn and Understand the_
+Truth _and_ Meaning _of what we_ See _and_ Hear: _So that betwixt the
+Indulging and Cultivating of This_ Disposition, _or_ Inclination, _on
+the_ One hand, _and the Aplying of a Profitable_ Moral _to the_ Figure,
+_or the_ Fable, _on the_ Other, _here’s the Sum of All that can be done
+upon the Point of a_ Timely Discipline _and_ Institution, _toward the
+Forming of an Honourable, and a Vertuous Life. Most Certain it is, that
+without This Early Care and Attention, upon the Main, we are as good
+as Lost in our very Cradles; for the Principles that we Imbibe in our
+Youth, we carry commonly to our Graves; and it is the Education, in
+short, that makes the Man. To speak All, in a Few Words_, Children _are
+but_ Blank Paper, _ready Indifferently for any Impression, Good or Bad
+(for they take All upon Credit) and it is much in the Power of the first
+Comer, to Write Saint, or Devil upon’t, which of the Two He Pleases.
+Wherefore let the_ Method _of Communication be never so Natural and
+Agreeable, the_ Better; _the Worse still, if the_ Matter _be not Suited
+to the Prudence, the Piety, and the Tenderness that is Requisite in the
+Exercise of such a Function. Now this is a Nicety that Depends, in a
+Great Measure, upon the_ Care, Providence, Sobriety, Conduct _and_ Good
+Example _of_ Parents, Guardians, Tutors, _&c. Nay it Descends to the very
+Choice of such_ Nurses, Servants, _and Familier_ Companions, _as will
+apply themselves Diligently to the Discharge of This Office_.
+
+_As it is beyond All Dispute, I suppose, that the Delight and Genius
+of Children, lies much toward the Hearing, Learning, and Telling of_
+Little Stories; _So this Consideration holds forth to us a kind of
+Natural Direction to begin our Approaches upon that Quarter, toward the
+Initiating of them into some sort of Sense, and Understanding of their
+Duty. And This may most properly be done in a way of_ History _and_
+Moral; _and in such a manner, that the Truth and Reason of Things, may
+be Artificially and Effectually Insinuated, under the Cover, either
+of a_ Real Fact, _or of a_ Supposed _One: But then These very Lessons
+Themselves may be Gilt and Sweeten’d, as we Order Pills and Potions; so
+as to take off the Disgust of the Remedy; for it holds, both in_ Vertue,
+_and in_ Health, _that we love to be_ Instructed, _as well as_ Physick’d,
+_with_ Pleasure. _This is an Article that would both Bear and Require a
+Volume: But without Dwelling any longer upon it, I shall content my self
+with some short General Touches, and so Proceed._
+
+_It may be laid down in the First Place, for an_ Universal Rule, _never
+to suffer Children to learn any thing, (now_ Seeing _and_ Hearing, _with
+Them, is_ Learning) _but what they may be the_ Better _for All their
+Lives after. And it is not sufficient neither, to keep them clear of
+any Thought, Word or Deed, that’s_ Foul, Scandalous, _and_ Dishonest;
+_but there are Twenty Insipid_ Twittle-Twattles, _Frothy_ Jests, _and
+Jingling_ Witticisms, _that look, as if they had no Hurt in them; and
+yet the Wonting of us to the Use and Liking of These Levities, Leads,
+and Innures us to a_ Mis-understanding _of Things, which is no less
+Dangerous than a Corruption of_ Manners. _Beside that there’s no need of
+Entertaining them with These Fopperies, having so much Choice of Useful
+Matter at hand, as Good and Cheap. Briefly, in the Case of This Method
+of Instruction and Institution, let but the Fancy or the Figure be Clear
+and Pertinent, and the Doctrine in the Direction of it can never fail
+of_ being so too. _But without this Guard and Caution upon the Conduct
+of the Affair, This Humour of_ Mythology _may turn to a_ Poyson _instead
+of_ Nourishment: _And under the Pretext of a Lecture of_ Good Government,
+_Degenerate into an Encouragement to_ Vanity _and_ Debauch. _For while
+the Memory is Firm, and the Judgment Weak, it is the_ Director’s Part
+_to_ Judge _for the_ Pupil, _and it is the_ Disciples _to_ Remember _for_
+Himself; _And we are also to take This along with us, that when a Child
+has once Contracted an Ill Train or Habit, it will Cost as much time
+to Blot out what he is to_ Forget, _as to Possess him of what he is to
+Retain in his_ Memory.
+
+_Let it not be Understood now, as if the_ Thing it self _were_ Childish,
+_because of the_ Application _of it; or as if Boys and Men were not
+Indifferently of the same Make, and Accountable more or less for the
+same Faculties and Duties. So that the Force and Dignity of This way
+of Operation, holds good in all Cases alike; For there’s Nothing makes
+a Deeper Impression upon the Minds of Men, or comes Lively to their
+Understanding, than Those Instructive Notices that are Convey’d to them
+by Glances, Insinuations, and Surprize; and under the Cover of some_
+Allegory _or_ Riddle. _But, what can be said more to the Honour of this_
+Symbolical _Way of Moralizing upon_ Tales _and_ Fables, _then that the
+Wisdom of the Ancients has been still Wrapt up in_ Veils _and_ Figures;
+_and their Precepts, Councels and Salutary Monitions for the Ordering
+of our Lives and Manners, Handed down to us from all Antiquity under_
+Innuendo’s _and_ Allusions? _For what are the_ Ægyptian Hierogliphicks,
+_and the whole History of the_ Pagan Gods; _The Hints, and Fictions of
+the Wise Men of Old, but in Effect, a kind of_ Philosophical Mythology:
+_Which is, in truth, no other, than a more Agreeable Vehicle found out
+for Conveying to us the Truth and Reason of Things, through the_ Medium
+_of_ Images _and_ Shadows. _But what needs any thing more be said for the
+Reputation and Authority of This Practice and Invention, considering the
+Frequent and the Edifying Use of Apologues in_ Holy Writ: _And that our
+Blessed Saviour Himself, has not only Recommended, but inculcated, This
+way of Teaching by_ Parables, _both in his Doctrine and Example, as the
+Means that Divine Providence made use of for Gaining the Idolaters and
+Infidels over to the Christian Faith? What was it that brought, even_
+David himself _to a Sight and Detestation of his Sin in the Matter of_
+Uriah _and to a Sense of his Duty, by the Prophet_ Nathan_’s telling
+him a Story at a Distance (and by God’s Own Direction too) of a_ Rich
+Man that had a World of Sheep himself, and forc’d away a Poor Man’s
+Only Lamb from him, that he Lov’d as his Own Soul? _How did_ David
+_take Fire at this Iniquity in Another Man, till upon second Thoughts
+his Conscience brought it home to his Own Case, and forc’d him to pass
+Judgment upon Himself? Now this is but according to the Natural Biass
+of Humane Frailty, for every Man to be Partial to his own_ Blind-side,
+_and to Exclaim against the very Counter-part of his Own Daily Practise.
+As what’s more Ordinary, for Example, than to have the most Arbitrary
+of_ Tyrants, _to set up for the_ Advocates _and_ Patrons _of_ Common
+Liberty; _or for the most Profligate of_ Scoffers _and_ Atheists, _to
+Value themselves upon a Zeal for the_ Power, _and_ Purity _of the_
+Gospel? _In two Words, What’s more Familiar then to see Men_ Fighting the
+Lord’s Battles _(as they call it) against_ Blasphemy _and_ Prophaneness,
+_with_ One _hand; and at the same time offering Violence to his_ Holy
+Altars, Church _and_ Ministers _with the_ Other! _Now These People are
+not to be dealt withal but by a Train of Mystery and Circumlocution; a_
+Downright Admonition _looks liker the_ Reproach _of an_ Enemy, _then
+the_ Advice _of a_ Friend; _or at the Best, it is but the Good Office
+of a Man that has an Ill Opinion of us: And we do not Naturally Love to
+be_ Told _of our_ Faults, _by the_ Witnesses _of our_ Failings. _Some
+People are too_ Proud, _too_ Surly, _too_ Impudent, _too_ Incorrigible,
+_either to_ Bear, _or to_ Mend _upon the Liberty of_ Plain Dealing.
+_Others are too_ Big _again, too_ Powerful, _too_ Vindictive, _and_
+Dangerous, _for either_ Reproof _or_ Councel, _in_ Direct Terms. _They
+Hate any Man that’s but Conscious of their Wickedness, and their Misery
+is like the_ Stone in the Bladder; _There are Many Things Good for’t, but
+there’s no coming at it; and neither the_ Pulpit, _the_ Stage, _nor the_
+Press, _Dares so much as Touch upon’t. How much are we Oblig’d then, to
+those Wise, Good Men, that have furnish’d the World with so sure, and so
+Pleasant an Expedient, for the Removing of All These Difficulties! And
+to_ Æsop _in the First Place, as the_ Founder, _and_ Original Author,
+_or_ Inventer _of This Art of Schooling Mankind into Better Manners; by
+Minding Men of their Errors without Twitting them for what’s Amiss, and
+by that Means Flashing the Light of their Own Consciences in their Own
+Faces. We are brought Naturally enough, by the Judgment we pass upon the
+Vices and Follies of our Neighbours, to the Sight and Sense of our own;
+and Especially, when we are led to the Knowledge of the Truth of Matters
+by_ Significant Types, _and_ Proper Resemblances; _for we are much more
+Affected with the_ Images _of things, then with the_ True Reason _of
+them. Men that are_ Shot-free _against All the Attaques of_ Honour,
+Conscience, Shame, Good Faith, Humanity, _or_ Common Justice, _have yet
+some_ Weak-side _or other, like_ Achille_’s Heel, that was never dipt;
+and This Contrivance of Application, by_ Hints _and_ Glances, _is the
+Only way under the Heavens to Hit it._ [Who shall say to a King, What
+dost thou?] _comes up to the very Stress of this_ Topique. _There’s no
+Meddling with Princes, either by Text, or Argument._ Morality _is not the
+Province of a_ Cabinet Councel: _And_ Ghostly Fathers _Signify no more
+then_ Spiritual Bug-bears, _in the Case of an Unaccountable Priviledge_.
+Tell the House of _Israel_ of their Sins, and the House of _Jacob_ of
+their Transgressions: _was a Guide, Undoubtedly, like an_ Old Almanack,
+_for the Year ’twas Writ in; but Change of_ Times _and_ Humours, _calls
+for_ New Measures _and_ Manners; _and what cannot be done by the Dint of_
+Authority, _or_ Perswasion, _in the_ Chappel, _or in the_ Closet, _must
+be brought about by the_ Side-Wind _of a Lecture from the_ Fields, _and
+the_ Forrests. _As the Fable of the_ Raging Lion _Preaches_ Caution,
+_and_ Moderation _to the Extravagances of_ Cruel, _and_ Ambitious Rulers,
+_by shewing them that_ Tyranny _is a_ Scourge _of_ Humane Nature, _in
+Opposition to All the_ Blessings _of a_ Well-Order’d Government; _and
+that they do but_ Plague other People, _to their_ Own Infamy, _and_ Ruin.
+The Old Lion in Disgrace, _Reads a Lesson to us of the_ Improvidence,
+_and the_ Desperate Consequences _of a_ Riotous, _and a_ Careless Youth.
+The Fox in the Well, _holds forth to us upon the Chapter of a_ Late
+Repentance. The Frogs Petitioning for a King, _bids People have a care of
+Struggling with_ Heaven _for_ they know not what. _It is Certainly True,
+that the most Innocent Illustrations of this Quality may lie open to a
+Thousand Abuses and Mistakes, by a Distorted Misapplication of them to_
+Political, _or_ Personal _Meanings; but Those_ Capricious Fault-Finders,
+_may as well pick a Quarrel with the_ Decalogue _it self, upon the same
+Pretence; if they shall come once to Apply to This or That_ Particular
+_Wicked Man, the_ General Rules _that are Deliver’d for the Government
+of_ Mankind, _under such and such Prohibitions; as if the Commandments
+that Require_ Obedience, _and Forbid_ Murder, Uncleaness, Theft, Calumny,
+_and the like, were to be Struck out of the_ Office, _and Indicted, for
+a_ Libellous Innuendo _upon All the Great Men that come to be Concern’d
+in the Pains and Forfeitures therein Contain’d. In fine, ’tis the_
+Conscience _of the_ Guilty, _in All These Cases, that makes the_ Satyr.
+_Here is enough said, as to the Dignity, and Usefulness of This way of
+Informing the_ Understanding _what we_ Ought _to do, and of Disposing
+the_ Will _to Act in a Conformity to that Preception of Things; having so
+Clear an Evidence of_ Divine Authority, _as well as the_ Practice _of the
+Best of Men, and of Times, together with the Current of_ Common Consent,
+_Agreeing all in favour of it. I shall now Wind up what I have to say, as
+to the_ Fables Themselves, _the_ Choice, _the_ Intent, _and the_ Order
+_of them, in a very Few Words_.
+
+_When I First put Pen to Paper upon This Design, I had in my Eye only
+the Common_ School-Book, _as it stands in the_ Cambridge _and_ Oxford
+Editions _of it, under the Title of_ [Æsopi Phrygis Fabulæ; una cum
+Nonnullis Variorum Autorum Fabulis Adjectis:] _Propounding to my self
+at that Time, to follow the very Course and Series of that Collection;
+and in One Word, to Try what might be done, by making the Best of the
+Whole, and Adapting Proper and Useful Doctrines to the several parts of
+it, toward the turning of an_ Excellent Latin Manuel _of Morals and Good
+Councels, into a_ Tolerable English One. _But upon Jumbling Matters and
+Thoughts together, and laying One thing by Another; the very State and
+Condition of the Case before me, together with the Nature and the Reason
+of the Thing, gave me to Understand, that this way of Proceeding would
+never Answer my End. Insomuch, that upon this Consideration, I Consulted
+other Versions of the same Fables, and made my Best of the Choice. Some
+that were_ Twice or Thrice over, _and only the self same Thing in other
+Words; These I struck out, and made_ One Specimen _serve for the rest.
+To say Nothing of here and there a Trivial, or a Loose Conceit in the
+Medly, more than This; that such as they are, I was under some sort of
+Obligation to take them in for Company; and in short, Good, Bad, and
+Indifferent, One with Another, to the Number in the Total, of 383 Fables.
+To these, I have likewise subjoin’d a Considerable Addition of other
+Select_ Apologues, _out of the most Celebrated Authors that are Extant
+upon that Subject, towards the Finishing of the Work._ _As_ Phædrus,
+Camerarius, Avienus, Neveletus, Apththonius, Gabrias, _or_ Babrias,
+Baudoin, La Fontaine, Æsope en Belle Humeur, Audin, _&c._
+
+_Another Man in my Place now, would perhaps take it for a Notable Stroke
+of Art, Good Breeding, to Complement the Reader with Twenty Fooleries of_
+Apology, _and_ Excuse, _for such an Undertaking; As if the Honestest,
+and the most Necessary Part of a Man’s Life, and Bus’ness, were a thing
+to be Asham’d of. Now All that I have to say upon this_ Common Place,
+_is in Three Words, that I meant well in what I have done; and let the
+Performance be what it will, I Comfort my self yet in the Conscience
+of a Good Intention. I shall not Charge any of My Failings upon the
+Importunity of my Friends, though I have not wanted Earnest and Powerful
+Instances and Encouragements to proceed upon This Work; over and above
+the Impulse of a Natural Curiosity and Inclination that led me to’t. But
+these were Temptations that I could Easily have Resisted, or put by, in
+favour of a Carcass that’s in a manner, past Labour; if it had not been
+for Another Motive, that I shall now tell the Reader in Confidence, and
+so Conclude._
+
+_This_ Rhapsody _of_ Fables _is a Book Universally Read, and Taught
+in All our Schools; but almost at such a Rate as we Teach_ Pyes _and_
+Parrots, _that Pronounce the Words without so much as Guessing at the
+Meaning of them: Or to take it Another way, the Boys break their Teeth
+upon the Shells without ever coming near the Kernel. They Learn the_
+Fables _by_ Lessons, _and the Moral is the least part of our Care in a
+Child’s Institution: so that take Both together, and the One is stark
+Nonsence, without the Application of the Other; beside that the Doctrine
+it self, as we have it, even at the Best, falls Infinitely short of the
+Vigour and Spirit of the Fable. To supply This Defect now, we have had
+several English_ Paraphrases _and_ Essays _upon_ Æsop, _and Divers of
+his Followers, both in_ Prose _and_ Verse: _the Latter have perchance
+Ventur’d a little too far from the Precise Scope of the Author upon the
+Privilege of a Poetical License: And for the Other of Ancient Date, the_
+Morals _are so_ Insipid _and_ Flat, _and the Style and_ Diction _of the_
+Fables, _so_ Coarse _and_ Uncouth, _that they are rather Dangerous, then
+Profitable, as to the Purpose they were Principally Intended for; and
+likely to do Forty times more Mischief by the One then Good by the Other.
+An_ Emblem _without a_ Key _to’t, is no more then a_ Tale of a Tub;
+_and that Tale sillily told too, is but One Folly Grafted upon Another.
+Children are to be Taught in the first Place, what they_ Ought _to do_.
+2dly, _The_ Manner _of Doing it: And in the third Place, they are to be
+Innur’d by the Force of_ Instruction _and_ Good Example, _to the_ Love
+_and_ Practice _of Doing their_ Duty; _whereas on the Contrary, One Step
+out of the way in the Institution, is enough to Poyson the Peace, and the
+Reputation of a whole Life. Whether I have, in this Attempt, Contributed
+or not, to the Improvement of these Fables, either in the_ Wording, _or
+the_ Meaning _of them, the Book must stand or Fall to it self: But this I
+shall Adventure to Pronounce upon the whole Matter, that the_ Text _is_
+English, _and the_ Morals, _in some sort, Accommodate to the_ Allegory;
+_which could hardly be said of All the Translations, or Reflexions
+before-mention’d, which have serv’d, in truth, (or at least some of them)
+rather to teach us what we should_ Not _do, then what we_ should. _So
+that in the Publishing of these Papers, I have done my Best to Obviate
+a_ Common Inconvenience, _or, to speak Plainly, the_ Mortal Error _of
+pretending to Erect a Building upon a False Foundation: Leaving the whole
+World to take the same Freedom with Me, that I have done with Others:
+Provided that they do not Impute the_ Faults, _and the Mis-Pointings of
+the_ Press, _to the Author_.
+
+
+
+
+THE FABLES OF ÆSOP, &c.
+
+
+
+
+FABLE I.
+
+A _Cock_ and a _Diamond_.
+
+
+As a _Cock_ was turning up a Dunghill, he spy’d a _Diamond_. Well (says
+he to himself) this sparkling Foolery now to a Lapidary in my place,
+would have been the Making of him; but as to any Use or Purpose of mine,
+a _Barley-Corn_ had been worth Forty on’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that’s Industrious in an Honest Calling, shall never fail of a
+Blessing. ’Tis the part of a Wise Man to Prefer Things Necessary before
+Matters of Curiosity, Ornament, or Pleasure._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Moralists will have _Wisdom_ and _Virtue_ to be meant by the
+_Diamond_; the _World_ and the Pleasures of it, by the _Dunghill_; and
+by the _Cock_, a _Voluptuous Man_, that Abandons himself to his Lusts,
+without any regard, either to the Study, the Practice, or the Excellency
+of better Things.
+
+Now, with favour of the Ancients, this Fable seems to me, rather to hold
+forth an Emblem of _Industry_ and _Moderation_. The _Cock_ lives by his
+_honest Labour_, and maintains his Family out of it; His Scraping upon
+the _Dunghill_, is but Working in his _Calling_: The _precious Stone_ is
+only a gawdy _Temptation_ that Fortune throws in his way to divert him
+from his Business and his Duty. He would have been glad, he says, of a
+_Barley Corn_ instead on’t; and so casts it aside as a thing not worth
+the heeding. What is all this now, but the passing of a true Estimate
+upon the Matter in question, in preferring that which Providence has made
+and pronounc’d to be _the Staff of Life_, before a glittering Gew-Gaw,
+that has no other Value, than what Vanity, Pride and Luxury have set
+upon’t? The Price of the _Market_ to a _Jeweller_ in his _Trade_, is
+one thing, but the _intrinsick Worth_ of a thing to a Man of _Sense_,
+and _Judgment_, is another. Nay, that very Lapidary himself, with a
+coming Stomach, and in the _Cock’s_ place, would have made the _Cock’s_
+Choice. The Doctrin, in short, may be this; That we are to prefer things
+_necessary_, before things _superfluous_; the Comforts and the Blessing
+of Providence, before the dazling and the splendid Curiosities of Mode
+and Imagination: And finally, that we are not to govern our Lives by
+_Fancy_, but by _Reason_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. II.
+
+A _Cat_ and a _Cock_.
+
+
+It was the hard Fortune once of a _Cock_, to fall into the Clutches of a
+_Cat_. _Puss_ had a Months Mind to be upon the Bones of him, but was not
+willing to pick a Quarrel however, without some plausible Color for’t.
+Sirrah (says she) what do you keep such a bawling, and screaming a Nights
+for, that no body can sleep near you? Alas says the _Cock_, I never wake
+any body, but when ’tis time for People to rise, and go about their
+Business. Nay, says the _Cat_, and then there was never such a lycentuous
+Rascal: Why, you make no more Conscience of Lying with your own Mother,
+and your Sisters——In truth, says the _Cock_ again, that’s only to provide
+Eggs for my Master and Mistress. Come come, says _Puss_, without any more
+ado, ’tis time for me to go to Breakfast, and _Cats_ don’t live upon
+_Dialogues_; at which word she gave him a Pinch, and so made an end, both
+of the _Cock_, and of the _Story_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. III.
+
+A _Wolf_ and a _Lamb_.
+
+
+As a _Wolf_ was lapping at the Head of a Fountain, he spy’d a _Lamb_,
+paddling at the same time, a good way off down the Stream. The _Wolf_ had
+no sooner the Prey in his Eye, but away he runs open-mouth to’t. Villain
+(says he) how dare you lye mudling the Water that I am a drinking?
+Indeed, says the poor _Lamb_, I did not think that my drinking there
+_below_, could have foul’d your Water so far _above_. Nay, says t’other,
+you’ll never leave your chopping of Logick, till your Skin’s turn’d over
+your Ears, as your Fathers was, a matter of six Months ago, for prating
+at this sawcy rate; you remember it full well, Sirrah. If you’ll believe
+me, Sir, (quoth the innocent _Lamb_, with fear and trembling) I was not
+come into the World then. Why thou Impudence, cries the _Wolf_, hast thou
+neither Shame, nor Conscience? But it runs in the Blood of your whole
+Race, Sirrah, to hate our Family; and therefore since Fortune has brought
+us together so conveniently, you shall e’en pay some of your Fore-Fathers
+Scores before you and I part; and so without any more ado, he leapt at
+the Throat of the miserable helpless _Lamb_, and tore him immediately to
+pieces.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+’Tis an easy Matter to find a Staff to beat a Dog. _Innocence is no
+Protection against the Arbitrary Cruelty of a Tyrannical Power: But
+Reason and Conscience are yet so Sacred, that the Greatest Villanies are
+still Countenanc’d under that Cloak and Colour._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Pride and Cruelty never want a Pretence to do Mischief. The Plea of _Not
+Guilty_ goes for Nothing against Power: For Accusing is Proving, where
+Malice and Force are Joyn’d in the Prosecution.
+
+When Innocence is to be oppress’d by Might, Arguments are foolish things;
+nay the very Merits, Virtues, and good Offices of the Person accus’d, are
+Emprov’d to his Condemnation: As the Industry and Watchfulness of the
+_Cock_ here, in the calling of People out of their Beds to work when ’tis
+time to rise, is turn’d upon him as a Crime. Nay, such is the Confidence
+of a spightful Cruelty, that People shall be charg’d (rather then fail)
+with things utterly impossible, and wholly foreign to the Matter in
+question. The _Lamb_ it self shall be made malicious. And what is this
+now, but the lively Image of a perverse Reason of State, set up in
+opposition to Truth and Justice; but under the August Name and Pretence,
+however of Both? As Loyalty, for the purpose, shall be call’d Rebellion,
+and the Exercise of the most necessary Powers of Government, shall pass
+for Tyranny and oppression. Decency of Religious Worship shall be made
+Superstition; Tenderness of Conscience shall be call’d Phanaticism,
+Singularity and Faction; and the very Articles of the Christian Faith
+shall be condemn’d for Heresie. Villanies have not the same Countenance,
+when there are Great Interests, Potent Meditations, Presents, Friends,
+Advocates, Plausible Colours, and Flourishes of Wit, and Rhetorique,
+Interpos’d betwixt the Sight and the Object. There are ways of
+_Deceiving_ the Eyes, as well as of _Blinding_ them; so that the Cause of
+the Innocent must be Remitted at last to that Great and Final Decision,
+where there is no longer any Place for Passion, Partiality, Corruption,
+or Error. But as to the Business of this World, when the _Cocks_ and the
+_Lambs_ lie at the Mercy of _Cats_ and _Wolves_, they must never expect
+better Quarter; especially where the Hearts Blood of the One, is the
+Nourishment and Entertainment of the Other.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. IV.
+
+A _Frog_ and a _Mouse_.
+
+
+There fell out a Bloody Quarrel once betwixt the _Frogs_ and the _Mice_,
+about the Sovereignty of the Fenns; and whist Two of their Companions
+were Disputing it at Swords Point, Down comes a _Kite_ Powdering upon
+them in the _Interim_, and Gobbles up both together, to Part the Fray.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. V.
+
+A _Lion_ and a _Bear_.
+
+
+There was a _Lion_ and _Bear_ had gotten a _Fawn_ betwixt them, and there
+were they at it _Tooth and Nail_, which of the Two should carry’t off.
+They Fought it out, till they were e’n glad to lie down, and take Breath.
+In which instant, a _Fox_ passing that way, and finding how the case
+stood with the Two Combatants, seiz’d upon the _Fawn_ for his Own Use,
+and so very fairly scamper’d away with him. The _Lion_, and the _Bear_
+saw the Whole Action, but not being in condition to Rise and Hinder it,
+they pass’d this Reflexion upon the whole matter; Here have we been
+Worrying one another, who should have the Booty, ’till this Cursed Fox
+has bobb’d us Both on’t.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_’Tis the Fate of All_ Gotham Quarrels, _when Fools go together by the
+Ears, to have Knaves run away with the Stakes_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is no more than what we see Dayly in Popular Factions, where
+Pragmatical Fools commonly begin the Squabble, and Crafty Knaves reap
+the Benefit of it. There is very rarely any Quarrel, either Publique, or
+Private, whether betwixt Persons, or Parties, but a Third Watches, and
+hopes to be the Better for’t.
+
+And all is but according to the Old Proverb, _While Two Dogs are Fighting
+for a Bone, a Third runs away with it_. _Divide and Govern_, is a
+Rule of State, that we see Confirm’d and supported by Dayly Practice
+and Experience: So that ’tis none of the Slightest Arguments for the
+Necessity of a Common Peace, that the Litigants Tear one another to
+pieces for the Benefit of some Third Interest, that makes Advantage of
+their Disagreement. This is no more then what we find upon Experience
+through the whole History of the World in All Notable Changes, and
+Revolutions; that is to say, the Contendents have been still made a Prey
+to a Third Party. And this has not been only the Fate and the Event of
+Popular Quarrels, but the Punishment of them; for the Judgment still
+treads upon the Heel of the Wickedness. People may talk of _Liberty_,
+_Property_, _Conscience_, Right of _Title_, _&c._ but the main Business
+and Earnest of the World, is _Money_, _Dominion_, and _Power_, and how
+to Compass Those Ends; and not a Rush matter at last, whether it be by
+Force, or by Cunning. Might and Right are Inseparable, in the Opinion of
+the World; and he that has the Longer Sword, shall never want, either
+Lawyers, or Divines to Defend his Claim. But then comes the _Kite_, or
+the _Fox_, in the Conclusion; that is to say, some Third Party, that
+either by Strength, or by Craft, Masters both Plaintiff and Defendant,
+and carries away the Booty.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. VI.
+
+A _Dog_ and a _Shadow_.
+
+
+As a _Dog_ was crossing a River, with a Morcel of Good Flesh in his
+Mouth, he saw (as he thought) Another Dog under the Water, upon the very
+same Adventure. He never consider’d that the one was only the _Image_ of
+the Other; but out of a Greediness to get Both, he Chops at the _Shadow_,
+and Loses the _Substance_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+All Covet, All Lose; _which may serve for a Reproof to Those that Govern
+their Lives by Fancy and Appetite, without consulting the Honour, and the
+Justice of the Case._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is the Case of unreasonable, and Insatiable Desires; as in Love,
+Ambition, and the Like; where People are still reaching at More and More,
+till they lose all in the Conclusion.
+
+There are more Meanings of _Substance_ and _Shadow_; of Mistaking One
+for T’other; and Losing All by Chopping at More; then the bare Sense
+and Letter of the _Dog_, the _Flesh_, and the _Image_ here in the
+Fable. Under these Heads are comprehended all Inordinate Desires, Vain
+Hopes, and Miserable Disappointments. What shall we say of those that
+spend their Days in Gaping after Court-Favours and Preferments; Servile
+Flatteries, and Slavish Attendances? That Live and Entertain themselves
+upon Blessings in Vision? (For Fair Words and Promises, are no more than
+Empty Appearances) What is all This, but Sacrificing a Mans Honour,
+Integrity, Liberty, Reason, Body, Soul, Fortune, and All, for _Shadows_?
+We place our Trust in Things that have no Being; Disorder our Minds,
+Discompose our Thoughts, Entangle our Estates, and Sell our selves, in
+One Word, for Bubbles. How wretched is the Man that does not know when
+he’s Well, but passes away the Peace and Comfort of his Life, for the
+Gratifying of a Fantastical Appetite, or Humour! Nay, and he Misses his
+Aim, even in That too, while he Squanders away his interest, and Forfeits
+his Discretion, in the Pursuit of One Vanity after Another. Ambition
+is a Ladder that reaches from Earth to Heaven; and the First Round is
+but so many Inches in a Mans way towards the Mounting of All the Rest.
+He’s never well till he’s at the Top, and when he can go no Higher, he
+must either Hang in the Air, or Fall; For in This Case, he has nothing
+above him to Aspire to, nor any Foot-Hold left him to come down by.
+Every Man has what’s Sufficient, at Hand, and in Catching at more then
+he can carry away, he loses what he Had. Now there’s Ingratitude, as
+well as Disappointment, in all these Rambling and Extravagant Motions:
+Beside, that Avarice is always Beggerly; for He that Wants, has as good
+as Nothing. The Desire of More and More, rises by a Natural Gradation
+to Most, and after that, to All; Till in the Conclusion we find our
+selves Sick and Weary of All that’s possible to be had; sollicitous for
+something else, and then when we have spent our Days in the Quest of the
+Meanest Things, and at the Feet too of the Worst of Men, we find at the
+bottom of the Account, that all the Enjoyments under the Sun, are not
+worth struggling for. What can be more Vainer now, then to Lavish out
+our Lives and Fortunes in the Search and Purchase of Trifles; and at
+the same time to lye Carking for the Unprofitable Goods of this World,
+and in a restless Anxiety of Thought for what’s to come. The Folly, in
+fine, of these Vexatious and Frivolous Pursuits, shews it self in all the
+Transports of our Wild and Ungovern’d Affections.
+
+Here is further set forth in this Emblem, All the Fabulous Torments of
+Hell, even Above-Ground. Men that are Tainted with this Appetite are
+ready to dye of _Thirst_, with _Tantalus_, and the Water running at
+their very Lips. They are Condemn’d with the _Sisters_, to the Filling
+of _Tubs_ with _Holes_ in ’em; which is but a Lively Figure of so much
+Labor spent in Vain, upon the Gratifying of Unreasonable Desires. What’s
+a Man’s Contending with Insuperable Difficulties, but the Rolling of
+_Sisiphus’s Stone_ up the Hill, which is sure before hand, to Return
+upon him again? What’s an Eternal Circulation of the same Things, as
+well as the same Steps, without Advancing one Inch of Ground towards
+his Journey’s End, but _Ixion_ in the _Wheel_? And all this while, with
+Cares and Horrours at his Heart, like the _Vultur_ that’s Day and Night
+Quarrying upon _Prometheus’s Liver_.
+
+But after all that’s said upon this Subject, of our Mistake, and
+Punishment, the Great Nicety will lye in Rightly Distinguishing betwixt
+the _Substance_, and the _Shadow_; and in what degree of Preference the
+one stands to the other. Now this must be according to _Epictetus’s_
+Distribution of Matters, into _what we have in our own Power_; and
+_what not_; and in Placing things Honest and Necessary, before other
+Subordinate Satisfactions. _Æsop’s Dog_ here was in the Possession of
+a very Good Breakfast, and he knew very well what he had in his Mouth;
+but still, either out of Levity, Curiosity, or Greediness, he must be
+Chopping at something else, that he neither wanted, nor Understood, till
+he lost All for a _Shadow_; that is to say, for just nothing at All.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. VII.
+
+A _Lion_, an _Ass_, &c. a Hunting.
+
+
+A _Lion_, an _Ass_, and some other of their Fellow-Forresters, went a
+Hunting one day; and every one to go _share and share-like_ in what they
+took. They pluck’d down a Stag, and cut him up into so many Parts; but as
+they were entering upon the Dividend, _Hands off_ says the _Lion_: _This_
+Part is mine by the Privilege of my _Quality_: _This_, because I’ll have
+it _in spite of your Teeth_: _This_ again, because I took most _Pains_
+for’t; and if you Dispute the _Fourth_, we must e’en Pluck a Crow about
+it. So the Confederates Mouths were all stopt, and they went away as mute
+as Fishes.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s no Entring into Leagues or Partnerships, with those that are
+either too Powerful, or too crafty for us. He that has the Staff in his
+Hand will be his own carver._ Bought Wit is Best.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Saving the Incongruity of making the _Ass_ a Beast of _Prey_, we are to
+learn from hence the danger of Unequal Alliances; where the Poor and the
+Weak lye at the Mercy of the Rich and the Powerful; and no Remedy but
+Patience and Resignation.
+
+People should have a care how they Engage themselves in Partnerships
+with Men that are too Mighty for them, whether it be in Mony, Pleasure,
+or Bus’ness. _Find out something_, says a Court-Minion, and then upon
+the Discovery, he lays hands on’t for himself. So Says, and so Does the
+_Lion_ here to the _Ass_ and his Companions. Now this is only a State-way
+of Fishing with Cormorants. Men in Power, Plunge their Clients into the
+Mud, with a Ring about their Necks; So that let them bring up what they
+will, nothing goes down with them that they shall be ever the Better for.
+And when they come in Conclusion to Cast up the Profit and Loss of the
+Purchase, or the Project; what betwixt Force, Interest, and Good Manners,
+the Adventurer scapes well if he can but get off at last with _his Labour
+for his Pains_.
+
+Ambition, and the Insatiable Thirst of Mony, Greatness, and Glory,
+know no other Bonds of Justice or Conscience, then the Measures of a
+Corrupt Appetite. Services are paid with Smoak and Fair Words; and there
+goes a World of Unprofitable Ceremony to the Mortifying of an Honest
+Man. Promises and Protestations are only Passages of Course, and meer
+Expletives; that in the Construction of Civility, and Good Breeding,
+signifie no more then [_Your Humble Servant Sir._] All, in short, that
+the _Lion_ says and does, in this Instance, is but according to the
+Practice of Men in Power in a Thousand other Cases.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. VIII.
+
+A _Wolf_ and a _Crane_.
+
+
+A _Wolf_ had got a Bone in’s Throat, and could think of no better
+Instrument to Ease him of it, than the Bill of a _Crane_; so he went and
+Treated with a _Crane_ to help him out with it, upon Condition of a very
+considerable Reward for his pains. The _Crane_ did him the Good Office,
+and then claim’d his Promise. Why how now Impudence! (says t’other)
+Do you put your Head into the Mouth of a _Wolf_, and then, when y’ave
+brought it out again safe and sound, do you talk of a Reward? Why Sirrah,
+you have your Head again, and is not that a Sufficient Recompence?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_One Good Turn they say requires another: But yet He that has to do with
+Wild Beasts (as some Men are No Better) and comes of with a Whol Skin,
+let him Expect No Other Reward._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable will bear Divers Morals; as First, That it is but Due
+Gratitude to be Thankful to our Preservers. Secondly, The _Crane’s_ Good
+Fortune can hardly Excuse his Facility. And then the _Crane_ did Ill
+again, to Insist upon a Reward; for a Good Office pays it self; neither
+was he reasonably to Expect that so Perfidious a Creature should keep
+Touch with him. Thirdly, Though the _Wolf_ was to blame for not making
+Good his Promise, there is yet in Equity, a kind of Reward, in not
+Chopping off his Head when he had it at Mercy.
+
+The Case of the _Crane_ here, is a Case of Conscience; for ’tis a
+Nice Business to Determine, how far Wicked Men in their Distresses
+_May_ be Reliev’d; How far they _Ought_ to be Reliev’d; and to what
+Degree of Loss, Labor, and Difficulty, a Sober, a Wise, and a Good
+Man may Interpose to their Redress. He may _Give_; he may _Lend_, he
+may _Venture_, so far as Generosity and Good Nature shall prompt him;
+provided always that he go no farther than the Conscience of the Cause,
+or of the Action will Warrant him. A Man is at _Liberty_, ’tis true, to
+do many Kind and Brave Offices, which he is not _Bound_ to do: And if
+the Largeness of his Heart shall carry him beyond the Line of Necessary
+Prudence, we may only reckon upon it as a more Illustrious Weakness.
+
+Here is a Fiction of One _Crane_ that scap’d, that there might not want
+One Instance of an Encouragement to a Dangerous Act of Charity: But
+this One Instance is not yet sufficient to justifie the making a Common
+Practice of it, upon the same Terms. ’Tis possible for One Blot not to be
+Hit; or to be Over-seen perhaps. And so ’tis as possible for One Ill Man,
+either not to think of the Mischief he could do, or to slip the Occasion
+of it; but such a Deliverance however, is a Thing to Thank Providence
+for, without standing upon a Reward for the Service. The Bone in the
+Throat of the _Wolf_, may be Understood of any sort of Pinch, or Calamity
+either in Body, Liberty, or Fortune. How many do we see Daily, Gaping
+and Struggling with Bones in their Throats, that when they have gotten
+them drawn out, have Attempted the Ruin of their Deliverers! The World,
+in short, is full of Practices and Examples to Answer the Intent of this
+Fable; and there are Thousands of Consciences that will be Touch’d with
+the Reading of it, whose Names are not written in their Foreheads.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. IX.
+
+A _Countryman_ and a _Snake_.
+
+
+A _Countryman_ happen’d in a Hard Winter to spy a _Snake_ under a Hedge,
+that was half Frozen to Death. The Man was Good Natur’d and Took it up,
+and kept it in his Bosom, till Warmth brought it to Life again; and so
+soon as ever it was in Condition to do Mischief, it bit the very Man
+that sav’d the Life on’t. Ah thou Ungrateful Wretch! Says he, Is that
+Venemous Ill Nature of thine to be Satisfi’d with nothing less then the
+Ruine of thy Preserver?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There are Some Men like Some Snakes; ’Tis Natural to them to be
+doing Mischief; and the Greater the Benefit on the One side, the More
+implacable is the Malice on the other._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+He that takes an Ungrateful Man into his Bosom, is well nigh sure to be
+Betray’d; and it is no longer Charity, but Folly, to think of Obliging
+the Common Enemies of Mankind. But ’tis no New thing for good Natur’d Men
+to meet with Ungrateful Returns. Wherefore Friendships, Charities, and
+Kindnesses, should be well Weigh’d and Examin’d, as to the Circumstances
+of Time, Place, Manner, Person, and Proportion, before we Sign and Seal.
+A Man had much better take a _Tyger_ into his Grounds, then a _Snake_
+into his Bosom. How many Examples have we seen with our own Eyes, of
+Men that have been pick’d up, and Reliev’d out of Starving Necessities,
+without either Spirit, or Strength to do Mischief, who in requital have
+afterwards conspir’d against the Life, Honour, and Fortune of their
+Patrons and Redeemers. Did ever any of these Human _Snakes_ lose their
+Venom for lying under some Temporary Incapacity of Using it? Will they be
+ever the less Dangerous and Malicious, when Warmth shall bring them to
+themselves again; because they were once Frozen and Benumm’d with Cold?
+The very Credulity Encourages an Abuse, where the Will to do Mischief
+only waits for the Power, and Opportunity of putting it in Execution.
+Facility makes the Innocent a Prey to the Crafty: The _Snake_, after his
+Recovery, is the very same _Snake_ still, that he was at first. How many
+People have we read of in Story, that after a Pardon for One Rebellion,
+have been taken in Another with that very Pardon in their Pockets, and
+the Ink scarce Dry upon the Parchment? Now all this is no more then the
+_Proverb_ in a _Fable_: _Save a Thief from the Gallows, and he’ll Cut
+your Throat_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. X.
+
+A _Lion_ and an _Asse_.
+
+
+An _Asse_ was so Hardy once, as to fall a Mopping and Braying at a
+_Lion_. The _Lion_ began at first to shew his Teeth, and to Stomack the
+Affront; but upon Second Thoughts; Well! (says he) _Jeer on, and be an_
+_Asse_ still. Take notice only by the way, that ’tis the Baseness of your
+Character that has sav’d your Carcass.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_It is below the Dignity of a Great Mind to Entertain Contests with
+People that have neither Quality nor Courage: Beside the Folly of
+Contending with a Miserable Wretch, where the very Competition is a
+Scandal._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Scoundrels are apt to be Insolent toward their Superiours; but it does
+not yet become a Man of Honour and Wisdom, to Contest with Mean Rascals;
+and to Answer Every Fool in his Folly. One Indignity is not to be
+Reveng’d by Another.
+
+The very Contest sets the Master and the Man upon the Same Level; and the
+_Lion_ was in the Right, not to Cast away his Displeasure upon an _Asse_,
+where there was only Reputation to be Lost, and None to be Gotten. The
+very Beasts of the Forrest will Rise up in Judgment against such men.
+Contempt in such a Case as This, is the only Honorable Revenge.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XI.
+
+A _City Mouse_ and a _Country Mouse_.
+
+
+There goes an Old Story of a _Country Mouse_ that Invited a _City-Sister_
+of hers to a Country Collation, where she spar’d for Nothing that the
+Place afforded; as Mouldy Crusts, Cheese-Parings, Musty Oatmeal, Rusty
+Bacon, and the like. Now the _City-Dame_ was so well bred, as Seemingly
+to take All in Good Part: But yet at last, Sister (says she, after the
+Civilest Fashion) why will you be Miserable when you may be Happy? Why
+will you lie Pining, and Pinching your self in such a Lonesome Starving
+Course of Life as This is; when ’tis but going to Town along with me; to
+Enjoy all the Pleasures, and Plenty that your Heart can Wish? This was
+a Temptation the _Country Mouse_ was not able to Resist; so that away
+they Trudg’d together, and about Midnight got to their Journeys End. The
+_City Mouse_ shew’d her Friend the Larder, the Pantry, the Kitchin, and
+Other Offices where she laid her Stores; and after This, carry’d her
+into the Parlour, where they found, yet upon the Table, the Reliques of
+a Mighty Entertainment of That very Night. The _City-Mouse_ Carv’d her
+Companion of what she lik’d Best, and so to’t they fell upon a Velvet
+Couch together: The Poor _Bumkin_ that had never seen, nor heard of such
+Doings before, Bless’d her self at the Change of her Condition, when (as
+ill luck would have it) all on a Sudden, the Doors flew open, and in
+comes a Crew of Roaring Bullies, with their Wenches, their Dogs and their
+Bottles, and put the Poor _Mice_ to their Wits End, how to save their
+Skins. The Stranger Especially, that had never been at This Sport before;
+but she made a Shift however for the present, to slink into a Corner,
+where she lay Trembling and Panting ’till the Company went their Way. So
+soon as ever the House was Quiet again, Well: My _Court Sister_, says
+she, If This be the Way of Your _Town-Gamboles_, I’ll e’en back to my
+Cottage, and my Mouldy Cheese again; for I had much rather lie Knabbing
+of Crusts, without either Fear or Danger, in my Own Little Hole, then be
+Mistress of the Whole World with Perpetual Cares and Alarums.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Difference betwixt a Court and a Country Life. The Delights,
+Innocence, and Security of the One, Compar’d with the Anxiety, the
+Lewdness, and the Hazards of the Other._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Design of This Fable is to set forth the Advantages of a Private
+Life, above those of a Publick; which are certainly very Great, if the
+Blessings of Innocence, Security, Meditation, Good Air, Health, and
+Sound Sleeps, without the Rages of Wine, and Lust, or the Contagion of
+Idle Examples, can make them so: For every Thing there, is Natural and
+Gracious. There’s the Diversion of All Healthful Exercises for the Body;
+The Entertainment of the Place, and of the Rivers, without any base
+Interest to Corrupt, either the Virtue, or the Peace of our Lives. He
+that’s a Slave in the Town is a kind of a Petty Prince in the Country.
+He loves his Neighbours, without Pride, and lives in Charity with the
+Whole World. All that he sees is his Own, as to the Delight of it,
+without Envying the Prosperity. His Doors are not troubled with either
+Dunns, or Fools, and he has the Sages of All Times in his Cabinet for
+his Companions. He lives to Himself as well as to the World, without
+Brawles or Quarrels, of any sort whatsoever. He sees no Bloody Murders;
+He hears No Blasphemous Execrations; He Lives Free from the Plagues of
+Jealousie and Envy: And This is the Life in fine, that the Greatest, and
+the Wisest Men in the World, Have, or would have made Choice of, if Cares
+and Business had not Hinder’d them from so Great a Blessing.
+
+’Tis against Common Justice to pass Sentence without hearing Both sides:
+And the Only way to come to a True Estimate upon the Odds betwixt a
+Publick and a Private Life, is to Try Both. Virtue is only Glorious in
+the Native Simplicity of it, and while it holds no Communication with
+Interest, Fancy, Sense, or Ornament: Wherefore _Æsop_ has done Wisely to
+cast the Issue of the Question upon the Experiment, _Far from_ Jupiter
+(says the _Adage_) _far from the Thunder_. What signifies the Splendor,
+and the Luxury of Courts, considering the Slavish Attendances, the
+Invidious Competitions, and the Mortal Disappointments that go along
+with it. The Frowns of Princes, and the Envy of those that Judge by
+Hearsay, or Appearance; without either Reason, or Truth! To say nothing
+of the Innumerable Temptations, Vices, and Excesses, of a Life of Pomp,
+and Pleasure. Let a man but set the Pleasing of his Palate against the
+Surfeits of Gluttony and Excess, The Starving of his Mind against a
+Pamper’d Carcase; The Restless Importunities of Tale-bearers and Back
+Friends, against Fair Words and Professions only from the Teeth outward:
+Let him, I say, but set the One in Ballance against the Other, and he
+shall find himself Miserable, even in the very Glutt of his Delights. To
+say All in a Word; Let him but set the Comforts of a Life spent in Noise,
+Formality, and Tumult, against the Blessings of a Retreat with Competency
+and Freedom, and then Cast up his Account.
+
+What Man then, that is not stark Mad, will Voluntarily Expose himself to
+the Imperious Brow-beatings and Scorns of Great Men! to have a Dagger
+struck to his Heart in an Embrace; To be torn to pieces by Calumny,
+nay to be a Knave in his own Defence! for the Honester the Worse, in a
+Vicious Age, and where ’tis a Crime not to be like the Company. Men of
+that Character are not to be Read, and Understood by their Words, but by
+their Interests; their Promises and Protestations are no longer Binding
+then while they are Profitable. But _Baudoin_ has done so well upon this
+Fable, that there needs no more to be said to’t.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XII.
+
+A _Crow_ and a _Muscle_.
+
+
+There was one of Your _Royston-Crows_, that lay Battering upon a
+_Muscle_, and could not for his Blood break the Shell to come at the
+Fish. A _Carrion-Crow_, in this _Interim_, comes up, and tells him,
+that what he could not do by Force, he might do by Stratagem. Take this
+_Muscle_ up in the Air, says the _Crow_, as High as you can carry it,
+and then let him fall upon that Rock there; His Own Weight, You shall
+see, shall break him. The _Roystoner_ took his Advice, and it succeeded
+accordingly; but while the One was upon Wing, the Other stood Lurching
+upon the Ground, and flew away with the Fish.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+Charity begins at Home, _they say; and most People are kind to their
+Neighbours for their Own sakes_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It is no longer an Amity of Virtue, but of Design, when we seek our Own
+Interest, under Colour of obliging Others; and men of Frankness and
+Simplicity, are the most easily Impos’d upon, where they have Craft and
+Treachery to deal withal. The Imposture, in Truth, can hardly Miscarry,
+where there is a full Confidence on the One side, and a Plausible Address
+and Disposition on the Other; wherefore ’tis good to be Wary, but so as
+not to be Inexorable, where there is but any place for Charity it self
+to hope for better Things; Not but that a Supine, Credulous Facility
+exposes a man to be both a Prey, and a Laughing-stock, at once. ’Tis not
+for us to judg of the good Faith of mens Intentions, but by the Light we
+receive from their Works. We may set up this for a Rule however, that
+where the Adviser is to be evidently the Better for the Council, and the
+Advised, in Manifest Danger to be the worse for’t, there’s no Medling.
+The _Crow’s_ Counsel was good enough in it self; but it was given with a
+fraudulent Intention.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XIII.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Raven_.
+
+
+A Certain _Fox_ spy’d out a _Raven_ upon a Tree with a Morsel in his
+mouth, that set his Chops a watering; but how to come at it was the
+Question. O thou Blessed Bird! (says he) the Delight of Gods, and of
+Men! and so he lays himself forth upon the Gracefulness of the _Ravens_
+Person, and the Beauty of his Plumes; His Admiral Gift of _Augury_, &c.
+And now, says the _Fox_, If thou hadst but a Voice answerable to the
+rest of thy Excellent Qualities, the Sun in the Firmament could not shew
+the World such Another Creature. This Nauseous Flattery sets the _Raven_
+immediately a Gaping as Wide as ever he could stretch, to give the _Fox_
+a taste of his Pipe; but upon the Opening of his Mouth he drops his
+Breakfast, which the _Fox_ presently Chopt up, and then bad him remember,
+that whatever he had said of his _Beauty_, he had spoken nothing yet of
+his _Brains_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s hardly any Man living that may not be wrought upon more or less
+by Flattery: For we do all of us Naturally Overween in our Own Favour:
+But when it comes to be Apply’d once to a Vain Fool, it makes him forty
+times an Arranter Sot than he was before._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable shews us the Danger and the Nature of Flattery. It calls
+Good Things by Ill Names, and Ill by Good; but it will never be out of
+Credit, so long as there are Knaves to Give it, and Fools to Take it. It
+is never more Pernicious then in the Courts of Great Princes, because
+a good deal of it looks like Duty; as in private Cases, it carries a
+face of Friendship. The way to Rise is to Please, and whatever is gotten
+by’t, comes by Treachery. ’Tis a Design that endangers both Body, Soul,
+and Estate; and not One man of a Million that’s Proof against it. But
+Great and Good Men will rather look for their Character in the Writings
+and Precepts of the Philosophers, then in the _Hyperboles_ of their
+Flatteries. For they know very well that _Wise Books_ are the Only _True
+Friends_.
+
+There’s a Fawning, Crafty Knave, and a Vain Easie Fool, well met, in
+this Fable of the _Fox_ and the _Raven_; which is no more at last,
+then One sort of Rascal _Cajoling_ Another; And then to shew us, both
+that Impudence will stick at nothing, and that a Self-Conceited Fop
+will swallow Any thing, the _Raven’s_ Beauty forsooth, and his Voice
+are the _Topiques_, that _Reynard_ has made choice of to Dilate upon.
+The two main Ends of Flattery, are Profit, or Safety, though there are
+many others too that are less Principal; but in some respect or other,
+Reducible to these Heads. The One is too Mercenary, and the other too
+Servile, for a man of Worth. There are also several sorts and degrees of
+it under this Division; and divers ways of Address and Application. But
+_Flattery_ is _Flattery_ still, and the Moral extends to All.
+
+’Tis in it self an Unmanly, Slavish Vice; but it is much Worse yet for
+the Alliance it has to _Hypocrisie_: for while we make other people think
+Better of themselves then they Deserve, we make them think Better of Us
+too then We Deserve: For Self-love and Vanity on the One hand, Assists
+the Falseness and Confidence on the Other, while it serves to confirm
+weak Minds in the Opinion they had of Themselves before; and makes them
+Parties, effectually, in a Conspiracy, to their Own Ruin. The Measures,
+and the Artifices of it are Many, and in divers Cases so like Sincerity,
+that what betwixt Custom, and the Nature of the Thing, it looks, in
+truth, like a Virtue, and a Duty; that is to say, where it is so manag’d,
+as to be rather Instructive then puffing up. As for Example, for a body
+to say, [_This or That was Wisely foreseen_,] Or [_You intend, I presume,
+to go This or That Way to Work_:] and the like. Such an Insinuation as
+this is, carries the Force in it of a Tacite, and a prudent Advice; for
+it both serves to point out the Reason of the thing, and it preserves
+the Decency of that Respect which ought to go along with it. ’Tis a
+good Hint, the very suggesting of such or such a Precaution, though the
+consideration perhaps never came near the t’others Thoughts. But there is
+a certain Habitual Meanness of Soul, which has so far prevail’d in the
+World, that Common Civility is no less tainted by Course and Custom, then
+Friendship and Conversation is by Corruption.
+
+It is the Parasites Art to cast himself into all Shapes that may sort
+with the Figure of his Patron, in what Post, Function, or Administration
+soever; and to frame the Air and Countenance of his Words, Looks, and
+Actions accordingly, with a respect to his Power, Wisdom, Conduct,
+Bravery, Generosity, Justice, or what other Subject he thinks fit to
+treat upon. So that let him be never so Perfidious, Shallow, Rash,
+Timorous, Envious, Malicious, Proud, Covetous, _&c._ a Little _Court
+Holy Water_ Washes off all Stains. And what is this upon the Main now,
+but an Exchange of Air for Substance, and parting with All that either
+is, or ought to be Dear to us, for a Song? The Flatterer, first Counsels
+his Patron to his Loss; and then betrays him into the making himself
+Ridiculous; as what can be more so, then for a _Raven_ to Value Himself
+upon his _Croaking_, or an _Asse_ upon his _Braying_? The only Benefit,
+or Good of Flattery is this; that by Hearing what we are _Not_, we may be
+Instructed what we _Ought_ to be.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XIV.
+
+An _Old Lion_.
+
+
+A _Lion_ that in the Days of his Youth and Strength, had been very
+Outragious and Cruel, came in the end to be Reduced by Old Age, and
+Infirmity, to the last Degree of Misery, and Contempt: Insomuch that All
+the Beasts of the Forrest; some out of Insolence, others in Revenge, some
+in fine, upon One Pretence, some upon Another, fell upon him by Consent.
+He was a Miserable Creature to all Intents and Purposes; but Nothing went
+so near the Heart of him in his Distress, as to find himself Batter’d by
+the Heel of an _Asse_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Prince that does not secure Friends to Himself while he is in Power
+and Condition to oblige them, must never expect to find Friends, when
+he is Old and Impotent, and no longer Able to do them any Good. If
+he Governs Tyrannically in his Youth, he will be sure to be Treated
+Contemptuously in his Age; and the Baser his Enemies are, the more
+Insolent, and Intollerable will be the Affront._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This may serve for a Lesson to men in Power, that they Treasure up
+Friends in their Prosperity, against a time of Need; for He that does
+not Secure himself of a stock of Reputation in his Greatness, shall most
+Certainly fall Unpity’d in his Adversity: And the Baser his Enemies are,
+the more insupportable is the Insolence, and the forwarder will they be
+to Trample upon him.
+
+The Case of this Miserable _Old Lion_ may serve to put Great Men in
+mind, that the Wheel of Time, and of Fortune is still Rolling, and that
+they themselves are to lie down at last in the Grave with Common Dust;
+And without anything to support them in their Age, but the Reputation,
+Virtue and Conscience of a well-spent Youth. Nay Age it self, is
+well-nigh sufficient to Deface every Letter and Action in the History of
+a Meritorious Life. For Old Services are Bury’d under the Ruins of an
+Old Carcass: but there are None yet that fall so Unpitied; so Just, so
+Necessary, and so Grateful a Sacrifice to the Rage and Scorn of common
+People, as those that have rais’d themselves upon the Spoils of the
+Publick: Especially when that Oppression is Aggravated with a Wanton
+Cruelty, and with Blood and Rapine, for the very love of Wickedness. It
+is a kind of Arrogance, in such a case, to be Honest, where ’tis both a
+Fashion, and a Credit to be the contrary.
+
+The _Lion_ is here upon his Death Bead; Not a Friend left him, nor
+so much as an Enemy, with either Fangs or Claws, that does not stand
+Gaping and Waiting for a Collop of him. Here he lies, Faint, Poor,
+and Defenceless, under the Judgment of Divine Vengeance, and the
+Animadversion of Humane Justice, both at once; stung in his own Thoughts
+with the guilty Remembrance of the Pride and Riot of his Youth, Abandon’d
+and Despis’d, by the Righteous Retaliation of Heaven it self: All his
+Sins, as well as all his Adversaries; his Frauds, and Cruelties; Broken
+Vows, Promises and Contracts, his Tyranny and Hypocrisie, and the
+Iniquity, in fine, of all his Councels, and Practices, for the Ruine of
+the Guiltless flying in the Face of him.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XV.
+
+An _Asse_ and a _Whelp_.
+
+
+A Gentleman had got a Favourite _Spaniel_, that would be still Toying
+and Leaping upon him, Licking his Cheeks, and playing a Thousand pretty
+Gamboles, which the Master was well enough pleas’d withall. This Wanton
+Humour succeeded so well with the _Puppy_, that an _Asse_ in the House
+would needs go the same Gamesome Way to Work, to Curry favour for
+Himself too; but he was quickly given to understand, with a Good Cudgel,
+the Difference betwixt the One Play-Fellow and the Other.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_People that live by Example, should do well to look very Narrowly into
+the Force and Authority of the President, without Saying, or Doing Things
+at a Venture: for that may Become One Man, which would be Absolutely
+Intolerable in Another, under Differing Circumstances._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Under the Allegory of the _Asse_, is Insinuated the Licence of a
+_Buffon_. There’s Mischief and Scandal in the very Sport, and Humour of
+it. There are some men that seem to have Brutal Minds wrapt up in Humane
+Shapes, Their very Caresses are Rude and Importune, and with _Æsop’s
+Asse_ here, their very Complements deserve a Correction, rather then an
+Encouragement, or a Reward.
+
+All Creatures have somewhat in them peculiar to their Several _Species_;
+and that Practice is still the Best which is most Consonant to the
+Nature of them, by a Common Instinct. The _Fawnings_ of an _Asse_ are
+as Unnatural as the _Brayings_ would be of a _Dog_, and a man would as
+soon Chuse him for his Bed-fellow as for his Play-fellow. He that follows
+Nature is never out of his Way; and that which is Best for every Man
+is Fittest for him too. He does it with Ease and Success, whereas all
+Imitation is Puti’d, and Servile.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XVI.
+
+A _Lion_ and a _Mouse_.
+
+
+Upon the Roaring of a Beast in the Wood, a _Mouse_ ran presently out to
+see what News: and what was it, but a _Lion_ Hamper’d in a Net! This
+Accident brought to her mind, how that she her self, but some few Days
+before, had fall’n under the Paw of a Certain Generous _Lion_, that let
+her go again. Upon a Strict Enquiry into the Matter, she found This to
+be that very _Lion_; and so set her self presently to Work upon the
+Couplings of the Net; Gnaw’d the Threds to pieces, and in Gratitude
+Deliver’d her Preserver.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Without Good Nature, and Gratitude, Men had as good live in a
+Wilderness, as in a Society. There is no Subject so Inconsiderable, but
+his Prince, at some time or Other, may have Occasion for him, and it
+holds through the Whole Scale of the Creation, that the Great and the
+Little have Need one of Another._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There is nothing so Little, but Greatness may come to Stand in need on’t,
+and therefore Prudence and Discretion ought to have a place in Clemency,
+as well as in Piety and Justice. ’Tis _Doing as we would be done by_;
+and the Obligation is yet stronger, when there is Gratitude, as well as
+Honour and Good Nature in the Case. The Generosity of the Lion, and the
+Gratitude of the _Mouse_; The Power, the Dignity, and the Eminence of
+the One, and the Meanness of the Other; do all Concur to the making of
+this a very Instructive Fable. Who would have thought that Providence
+should ever have laid the Life of a _Lion_ at the Mercy of a _Mouse_?
+But the Divine Wisdom that brings the greatest Ends to pass by the most
+Despicable Means, Orders the Reward of Virtue, and the punishment of
+Vice, by Ways only known to it self, in token of an Approbation of the
+One and a Dislike of the Other.
+
+Here’s a Recommendation of Clemency and Wisdom, Both in One; for the
+_Lion_, in sparing the Life of the _Mouse_, sav’d his Own; and has left
+us in this Fable, an Instance of a Grateful Beast, that will stand upon
+Record to the Confusion of many an Ungrateful Man; that is to say,
+against those that in their Prosperity forget their Friends, that to
+their Loss and Hazard, stood by and succour’d them in their Adversity.
+This is a Sin of so odious and Dangerous an Example, that it puts even
+Piety, and Gratitude it self out of Countenance. And then the Tenderness
+on the other side, is Matter of Interest, and ordinary Prudence, as well
+as of Virtue. If this _Lion_ had kill’d the _Mouse_, what would the
+_other Mice_ have said or Done afterwards, when they should have found
+the same _Lion_ in the Toil? [Have a care Good People; for this is he
+that killed our Sister, and we cannot save His Life, without Hazarding
+our Own. If the Huntsman Kill Him, we are sure he will never Kill Us;
+Beside that we shall have one Enemy the fewer for’t, when he’s gone.] Now
+the Reason of _Æsops Mouse_ here, works quite Another way. This _Lion_,
+(says he) gave Me my Life, when he had it at Mercy, and it is now My
+Turn, and Duty, to do what I can to preserve His. No Flesh, in fine, can
+be so Great, as not to tremble under the Force, and Consequences of this
+President.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XVII.
+
+A _Sick Kite_ and her _Mother_.
+
+
+Pray _Mother_, (says a Sick _Kite_) Give over these Idle Lamentations,
+and let me rather have your Prayers. Alas! my Child, (says the Dam) which
+of the Gods shall I go to, for a Wretch that has Robb’d All their Altars?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Nothing but the Conscience of a Virtuous Life can make Death Easie to
+us; Wherefore there’s No trusting to the Distraction of an Agonizing, and
+a Death-bed Repentance._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The _Kite’s_ Death-bed Devotion and Repentance works like the Charity and
+Piety of a great many Penitents we meet with in the World; that after
+the Robbing of Temples, the prophaning of Altars, and other Violences
+of Rapine and Oppression, Build an Hospital perhaps, or some little
+Alms-House, out of the Ruins of the Church, and the spoils of Widows and
+Orphans; put up a Bill for the Prayers of the Congregation; Wipe their
+Mouths, and All’s well again. But ’tis not for a Wicked Life to trust
+to the Hazzards of an Uncertain State, and Disposition at the Point of
+Death. When Men come to that Last Extremity once, by Languor, Pain, or
+Sickness; and to lie Agonizing betwixt Heaven and Hell, under the stroke
+either of a Divine Judgment, or of Human Frailty, they are not commonly
+to sensible of their Wickedness, or so Effectually touch’d with the
+remorse of a true Repentance, as they are Distracted with the terrors of
+Death, and the Dark Visionary Apprehensions of what’s to come. People in
+that Condition do but discharge themselves of Burdensom Reflexions, as
+they do of the _Cargo_ of a Ship at Sea that has sprung a Leak: Every
+thing is done in a Hurry, and men only part with their Sins in the
+one Case, as they do with their _Goods_ in the other; to Fish them up
+again, so soon as the Storm is over. Grace must be very strong in these
+Conflicts, wholly to Vanquish the weaknesses of Distressed Nature. That
+certainly is none of the time to make Choice of for the Great Work of
+reconciling our selves to Heaven, when we are divided, and confounded
+betwixt an Anguish of Body, and of Mind: And the Man is worse then Mad
+that Ventures his Salvation upon that Desperate Issue. We have abundance
+of these _Sick Kites_ in the World, that after a Sacrilegious Life, spent
+in the Robbing of the Church, would willingly be thought to Die in the
+Bosom of it.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XVIII.
+
+A _Swallow_ and other _Birds_.
+
+
+There was a country Fellow at work a Sowing his Grounds, and a _Swallow_
+(being a Bird famous for Providence and Foresight) call’d a company of
+_Little Birds_ about her, and bad ’em take Good Notice what that Fellow
+was a doing. You must know (says the _Swallow_) that all the Fowlers Nets
+and Snares are made of _Hemp_, or _Flax_; and that’s the Seed that he
+is now a Sowing. Pick it up in time for fear of what may come on’t. In
+short, they put it off, till it took Root; and then again, till it was
+sprung up into the Blade. Upon this, the _Swallow_ told ’em once for All,
+that it was not yet too Late to prevent the Mischief, if they would but
+bestir themselves, and set Heartily about it; but finding that no heed
+was given to what she said; She e’en bad adieu to her old Companions in
+the Woods, and so betook her self to a City Life, and to the Conversation
+of Men. This _Flax_ and _Hemp_ came in time to be gather’d, and
+Wrought, and it was this _Swallows_ Fortune to see Several of the very
+same _Birds_ that she had forewarn’d, taken in Nets, made of the very
+Stuff she told them of. They came at last to be Sensible of the folly
+of slipping their Opportunity; but they were Lost beyond All Redemption
+first.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Wise Men read Effects in their Causes, but Fools will not Believe them
+till ’tis too late to prevent the Mischief. Delay in these Cases is
+Mortal._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Many and Many a time has this been our own Case, both publick and
+private, when we would not Believe the Danger of things ’till the Evil
+was come upon us: But Good Counsel is cast away, upon the Arrogant, and
+Self conceited, or the stupid, who are either too Proud to take it, or
+too Heavy to Understand it.
+
+The Sowing of _Hemp-Seed_, and of _Plot-seed_ is much at one. The
+Design, and the End are Destruction, Both Alike. The _Swallow_ proposes
+the Preventing of ill Consequences in their Causes, and Obviating the
+Mischief betimes: But that Counsel is either thrown off with a Raillery,
+or not minded at all: _Governours would have enough to do, they Cry,
+to trouble their Heads with the Politiques of every Medling Officious
+Impertinent_. Well, It takes Root; shews it self in the Blade, Advances,
+and Ripens: And still the _Swallow_ is but the same Fool over again,
+for continuing the same Advice. The Hemp comes at last to be pluckt up,
+Pill’d, Dress’d, and Spun; The Nets and Snares made and laid; and yet all
+this while the _Birds_ could never find a time to Bethink themselves,
+till they came to be Hamper’d, and Ruined past Recovery.
+
+What is all this but a perfect Emblem of the Method of Destroying
+Kingdoms and States. Cautions, or the common Ways of Anticipating, or
+Defeating Conspiracies, are below the Wisdom of men of _Intrigue_, and
+_Cabal_; till at last, a Faction comes to be too hard for the Government.
+Now whether this befals a Kingdom by Envy, Ignorance, Conspiracy,
+Treachery, or Presumption, it comes all to a case, so long as it does the
+Work. It is the Bane of Society, and in truth, even of particular Persons
+too, when betwixt Laziness and Neglect, men slip all the Opportunities,
+with the _Birds_ here in the Fable, of a Safe, and of a Happy Life.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XIX.
+
+The _Frogs_ Chuse a _King_.
+
+
+In the days of Old, when the _Frogs_ were All at liberty in the Lakes,
+and grown quite Weary of living without Government, they Petition’d
+_Jupiter_ for a _King_, to the End that there might be some Distinction
+of Good and Evil, by Certain Equitable Rules and Methods of Rewards and
+Punishment. _Jupiter_, that knew the Vanity of their Hearts, threw them
+down a _Log_ for their Governour; which upon the first Dash, frighted
+the whole _Mobile_ of them into the Mudd for the very fear on’t. This
+_Panick_ Terror kept them in Awe for a while, till in good time one
+_Frog_, Bolder then the Rest, put up his Head, and look’d about him,
+to see how squares went with their _New King_. Upon This, he calls his
+Fellow-Subjects together; Opens the truth of the Case; and Nothing would
+serve them then, but Riding a-top of him; Insomuch that the Dread they
+were in before, is now turn’d into Insolence, and Tumult. _This King_,
+they said, was too _Tame_ for them, and _Jupiter_ must needs be entreated
+to send ’em Another: He did so, but, Authors are divided upon it, whether
+’twas a _Stork_, or a _Serpent_; though whether of the Two soever it
+was, he left them neither Liberty, nor Property, but made a Prey of his
+Subjects. Such was their Condition in fine, that they sent _Mercury_
+to _Jupiter_ yet once again for _Another King_, whose Answer was This:
+_They that will not be Contented when they are Well, must be Patient when
+things are Amiss with them_: and People had better Rest where they are,
+than go farther, and fare Worse.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The_ Mobile _are uneasie without a Ruler: They are as Restless with one;
+and the oftner they shift, the Worse they Are; So that Government, or No
+Government; a King of God’s Making, or of the Peoples, or none at all;
+the Multitude are never to be satisfied_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable, under the Emblem of the _Frogs_, sets forth the Murmuring and
+the Unsteadiness of the Common People; that in a State of Liberty will
+have a _King_: They do not like him when they have him, and so Change
+again, and grow Sicker of the Next, then they were of the Former. Now
+the Bus’ness is only this: They are never satisfy’d with their present
+Condition; but their Governours are still either too Dull, or too Rigid.
+’Tis a Madness for Him that’s Free, to put himself into a state of
+Bondage, and rather then bear a Less Misfortune to Hazzard a Greater.
+
+This Allusion of the _Frogs_ runs upon All Four (as they say) in
+the Resemblance of the Multitude, both for the Humour, the Murmur,
+the Importunity, and the subject matter of the Petition. Redress of
+Grievances is the Question, and the Devil of it is, that the Petitioners
+are never to be pleas’d. In one Fit they cannot be _Without Government_:
+In Another they cannot bear the _Yoke_ on’t. They find Absolute Freedom
+to be a Direct State of War; for where there’s no Means of either
+preventing Strife, or Ending it, the Weaker are still a Prey to the
+Stronger. _One King_ is too _Soft_, and _Easie_ for them; _Another_ too
+_Fiery_! And then a _Third_ Change would do better they think. Now ’tis
+Impossible to satisfie people that would have they know not what. They
+Beg and Wrangle, and Appeal, and their Answer is at last, that if they
+shift again, they shall be still Worse; By which, the Frogs are given
+to Understand the very truth of the Matter, as we find it in the World,
+both in the Nature, and Reason of the Thing, and in Policy and Religion;
+which is, That _Kings are from God_, and that it is a Sin, a Folly, and a
+Madness, to struggle with his Appointments.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XX.
+
+The _Kite_, _Hawk_, and _Pigeons_.
+
+
+The _Pigeons_ finding themselves Persecuted by the _Kite_, made Choice of
+the _Hawk_ for their Guardian. The _Hawk_ sets up for their Protector;
+but under Countenance of That Authority, makes more Havock in the
+_Dove-House_ in Two Days, then the _Kite_ could have done in Twice as
+many Months.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a Dangerous Thing for People to call in a powerful and Ambitious
+man for their Protector; and upon the Clamour of here and there a Private
+person, to hazard the Whole Community._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It is Highly Dangerous, and Imprudent, for a People in War to call in an
+Enemy-Prince to their Defence. There’s no Trusting a Perfidious Man, nor
+any Enmity like the Pretended Protection of a Treacherous Friend.
+
+There is no Living in this World without Inconveniences, and therefore
+People should have the Wit, or the Honesty, to take up with the Least,
+and to bear the Lot, which is not to be Avoided, with Honour, and
+Patience. How many Experiments have been made in the Memory of Man, both
+in Religion, and in State, to mend Matters, upon pretence that they were
+_Uneasie_, by making them _Intolerable_. And whence is This, but from a
+Mistaken Opinion of the Present, and as False a Judgment of the Future!
+And all for want of Rightly Understanding the Nature and the Condition
+of Things, and for want of Foresight into Events. But we are Mad upon
+Variety, and so Sick of the Present, (how much soever Without, or Against
+Reason) that we Abandon the Wisdom, and the Providence of Heaven, and Fly
+from the Grievances of God’s Appointment, to Blind Chance for a Remedy.
+This Fable in One Word was never more Exactly Moralized then in our
+Broils of Famous Memory.
+
+The _Kite_ was the _Evil Councellor_; The _Free-Born People_ that
+Complain’d of them were _Pigeons_; The _Hawk_ was the Power or Authority
+that they Appeal’d to for Protection. And what did all this come to at
+Last? The very _Guardians_ that took upon them to Rescue the _Pigeons_
+from the _Kite_, destroy’d the Whole _Dove-House_, devour’d the Birds,
+and shar’d the Spoil amongst Themselves.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXI.
+
+A _Dog_ and a _Thief_.
+
+
+As a Gang of _Thieves_ were at work to Rob a House, a _Mastiff_ took the
+Alarum, and fell a Baying: One of the Company spoke him fair, and would
+have Stopt his Mouth with a Crust: No, says the _Dog_, This will not do,
+for Several Reasons. First, I’ll take no Bribes to betray my master.
+Secondly, I am not such a fool neither, as to sell the Ease and Liberty
+of my Whole Life to come, for a piece of Bread in Hand: For when you have
+Rifled my Master; pray who shall Maintain Me?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Fair Words, Presents, and Flatteries, are the Methods of Treachery in
+Courts, as well as in Cottages, only the Dogs are Truer to their Masters
+then the Men._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+When Ill Men take up a Fit of Kindness all on a sudden, and appear to be
+Better Natur’d then Usual, ’tis Good Discretion to suspect Fraud, and to
+lay their Words, and their Practices together: The Greater the Trust, the
+Greater is the Treachery, and the Baser is the Villany too. This Moral
+reaches to All sorts of Trustees whatsoever.
+
+It were well if All _Two-Footed Servants_ were but as Faithful to their
+Masters as This _Four-Legg’d Animal_. A Loaf of Bread was as much to Him
+as a Bag of _Guineas_ to a Great-Officer; And why should not the One make
+as much Conscience of Betraying his Patron for Gold, as the Other of
+doing it for a Crust? Beside the Right Reasoning of the _Dog_ upon the
+Consequence of Things. _If I take Your Bread_, (says he) _You’ll Rob my
+Master_. But in the Other case it is not so much a Deliberation of what
+will follow upon’t, as a kind of Tacit Composition, that does as good as
+say [_For so much Mony I’ll shut my Eyes, and let You Rob my Master._]
+Here’s an _Emblem_ now, of the Foresight, Fidelity, and Duty of a Trusty
+Servant, on the One hand, and of the Flattery, Arts and Practices that
+are Employ’d by Evil Men to Corrupt him, on the Other.
+
+Under the figure of This Faithful Trusty Servant, is Couch’d a Lecture
+to All men of Business; let them be Councellors, Confidents, Favourites,
+Officers, Soldiers, Traders, or what you will. For there are Good and
+Bad of All Kinds and Professions. So that _Æsop’s Dog_ is a Reproche to
+_False Men_. Publick Persons have their ways of Temptation, and Address,
+as well as Private; And He that Suffers a Government to be Abus’d by
+Carlesness, or Neglect, does the Same thing, with Him that Maliciously
+and Corruptly sets himself to Couzen it. This holds as well too in the
+Private Case, of being either Principal or Accessary to the Robbing of
+a House; Only the Former, is a Treachery of a Deeper Dye. There are
+Loaves at the Gates of Courts and Palaces, as well as at the Door of
+a Cottage; and to Encourage the Abuse, there are a Thousand Quirks to
+avoid the Stroke of the Law, though None to Avoid the Guilt of the
+Sin. There needs no Contract Express; No Explicit Confederacy; for the
+Consent, and the Assistance is Imply’d in receiving the Present; Or
+according to the Word in Fashion, the [_Acknowledgment_:] which is only
+a softer Name for a _Bribe_. Now this _Acknowledgment_ is of the Nature
+of a Direct Bargain, where the Sum, or the Reward is agreed upon before
+the Thing be done; though there’s room yet for a Distinction, even in
+These Cases, betwixt what’s done Openly and Barefac’d, and a Thing that’s
+done in _Hugger mugger_, under a Seal of Secrecy and Concealment. But
+the Conscience at last is the Best Judg of the Fraud. And without any
+more Words, the _Dog_ in the Fable perform’d All the Parts of a _Trusty
+Servant_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXII.
+
+A _Wolf_ and a _Sow_.
+
+
+A Wolf came to a Sow that was just lying down, and very kindly offer’d to
+take care of her Litter. The Sow as Civilly thank’d her for her Love, and
+desir’d she would be pleas’d to stand off a little, and do her the Good
+Office at a Distance.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There are no Snares so Dangerous as those that are laid for us under the
+Name of Good Offices._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+All Men are to be Believ’d, or Trusted in All Cases; for People,
+Generally Speaking, are kind to their Neighbours for their Own Sakes.
+[_Timeo Danaos, & Dona Ferentes_] A Wise Man will keep himself upon his
+Guard against the whole World, and more Especially, against a Known
+Enemy; but most of All, against that Enemy in the Shape of a Friend. As
+the _Sow_ had more Wit then to Entertain a _Wolf_ for her _Nurse_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXIII.
+
+A _Mountain_ in _Labour_.
+
+
+When _Mountains_ cry out, people may well be Excus’d the Apprehension
+of some Prodigious Birth. This was the Case here in the Fable. The
+Neighbourhood were All at their Wits end, to consider what would be the
+Issue of That Labour, and instead of the Dreadful Monster that they
+Expected, Out comes at last a Ridiculous _Mouse_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Much ado about Nothing._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+What are All the Extravagant Attempts and Enterprizes of Vain Men in the
+World, but Morals, more or less of this Fable? What are Mighty Pretences
+without Consideration, or Effect; but the Vapours of a Distemper,
+that like Sickly Dreams, have neither Issue nor Connexion; And the
+Disappointment is not all neither; for Men make themselves Ridiculous,
+instead of Terrible, when this _Tympany_ shall come to End in a _Blast_:
+and a _Mountain_ to bring forth a _Mouse_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXIV.
+
+An _Asse_ and an _Ungrateful Master_.
+
+
+A Poor _Asse_, that what with Age, Labour, and Hard Burdens, was now worn
+out to the Stumps in the Service of an _Unmerciful Master_, had the Ill
+Hap one day to make a False Step, and to fall down under his Load. His
+Driver runs up to him Immediately, and Beats him almost to Death for’t.
+This (says the _Asse_ to himself) is according to the Course of the
+Ungrateful World. One Casual Slip is enough to Weigh down the Faithful
+and Affectionate Service of a Long Life.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXV.
+
+An _Old Dog_ and his _Master_.
+
+
+An _Old Dog_, that in his Youth had led his _Master_ many a Merry Chase,
+and done him all the Offices of a Trusty Servant, came at last, upon
+falling from his Speed and Vigor, to be Loaden at every turn with Blows
+and Reproches for’t. Why Sir, (says the _Dog_) My Will is as Good as ever
+it was; but my Strength and my Teeth are gone; and you might with as good
+a Grace, and Every jot as much Justice, Hang me up because I’m _Old_, as
+Beat me because I’m _Impotent_.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_The Reward of Affection and Fidelity must be the Work of another World:
+Not but that the Conscience of Well Doing is a Comfort that may pass for
+a Recompence even in This; in Despite of Ingratitude and Injustice._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+These Fables are a Reproof to the Ungrateful Cruelty of those, that
+will neither forgive One Slip, nor Reward a Thousand Services, but
+take more Notice of a Particular Unlucky Accident, then of a General
+Laudable Practice. But One Stumble is enough to Deface the Character of
+an Honourable Life. It is a Barbarous Inhumanity in Great Men to Old
+Servants, to make the Failings of Age to be a Crime, without allowing the
+Past Services of Their Strength and Youth, to have been a Virtue. And
+this is found in Governments, as well as in Courts, and Private Families;
+with Masters and Mistresses, as well as in States.
+
+’Tis a miserable Thing, when Faithful Servants fall into the hands of
+Insensible, and Unthankful Masters; Such as Value Services only by the
+Profit they bring them, without any regard to the Zeal, Faith, and
+Affections, of the Heart, and pay them with Blows, and Reproches in
+their Age, for the Use, Strength and Industry of their Youth. Nay Humane
+Frailty it self is Imputed to them for a Crime, and they are Treated
+Worse then Beasts, for not being More then Men. Here’s an _Old Drudging
+Curr_ turn’d off to Shift for Himself, for want of the very Teeth and
+Heels that he had lost in his _Masters_ Service. Nay, if he can but
+come off for Starving too, it passes for an Act of Mercy. Under These
+Circumstances, the Bare Sense of a Calamity is call’d Grumbling, and if a
+man does but make a Face upon the Boot, he’s presently a Male-Content. It
+may be a Question now whether the Wickedness, or the Imprudence of this
+Iniquity be the more Pernicious; for over and above the Inhumanity, ’tis
+a Doctrine of Ill Consequence to the _Master_ Himself, to shew the World
+how Impossible a Thing it is for a Servant to Oblige and Please him: Nay,
+it is some sort of Temptation also to Impiety and Injustice, when Virtue
+and Duty came to be made Dangerous.
+
+And yet it is not One _Master_ perhaps of Twenty, all this while, that
+either directs, or takes notice of These Indignities. It goes a Great
+Way, ’tis true, Barely to Permit them. One while perchance the Master
+is not Aware of what is done, and then in Other Cases, it may fall out
+Effectually to be his Own Act, even against his Own Will: That is to say,
+when the Passions of Imperious, and Ill-Natur’d Servants are Cover’d with
+the Name and Authority of their Patrons, in the Abuse of a trust that was
+Plac’d in ’em for Honester, and for Nobler Ends. It is Congruous enough
+yet to Apply the Moral of This Fiction, rather to the Driver of the
+_Asse_, and to the Huntsman that Manag’d the Chase, then to the _Master_
+Himself: But the _Asse_ and the _Dog_ were beaten however, for being
+_Old_, and spent in Despite of All the Bonds and Instincts of Honour,
+Piety, and Good Nature.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXVI.
+
+An _Asse_, an _Ape_, and a _Mole_.
+
+
+An _Asse_ and an _Ape_ were Conferring Grievances. The _Asse_ complain’d
+mightily for want of _Horns_, and the _Ape_ was as much troubled for
+want of a _Tail_. Hold your Tongues Both of ye, says the _Mole_, and be
+Thankful for what you have, for the Poor _Moles_ are Stark Blind, and in
+a Worse Condition then either of ye.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXVII.
+
+The _Hares_ and the _Frogs_.
+
+
+Once upon a time the _Hares_ found themselves mightily Unsatisfy’d with
+a Miserable Condition they Liv’d in, and call’d a Council to Advise
+upon’t. Here we live, says one of ’em at the Mercy of Men, Dogs, Eagles,
+and I know not how many Other Creatures and Vermin, that Prey upon us at
+Pleasure; Perpetually in Frights, Perpetually in Danger; And therefore I
+am absolutely of Opinion that we had better Die once for All, then live
+at This rate in a Continual Dread that’s Worse then Death it self. The
+Motion was Seconded and Debated, and a Resolution Immediately taken, _One
+and All_, to Drown Themselves. The Vote was no sooner pass’d, but away
+they Scudded with That Determination to the Next Lake. Upon this Hurry,
+there leapt a Whole Shoal of _Frogs_ from the Bank into the Water, for
+fear of the _Hares_. Nay, then my Masters, says one of the Gravest of the
+Company, pray let’s have a little Patience. Our Condition I find is not
+altogether so bad as we fancy’d it; for there are those you see that are
+as much afraid of Us, as we are of Others.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_There’s No Contending with the Orders and Decrees of Providence. He
+that Made us knows what’s Fittest for us; and Every man’s Own Lot (well
+understood and Manag’d) is Undoubtedly the Best._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis the Intent of These Two Fables, to shew, that no People are so
+Miserable but that at some Time or Other, in some Things or Other they
+have Reason to Account themselves Happy. And if they would but duly
+consider, how it is with many of their Neighbours, they would find it
+their Duty to be Thankful, that it is no Worse with Themselves. It is
+some Relief to the Miserable to shew them that there are Others yet
+more Miserable, and there is not any thing so Timerous, but something
+else is afraid of It. There are Those, ’tis True, that Die for the very
+Fear of Death, and Plunge themselves into Certain Misery, upon the Bare
+Apprehension of it: But this comes rather from the Spleen, then their
+Misfortune.
+
+Since so it is, that Nature Provides for the Necessities of All
+Creatures, and for the Well Being of Every One in it’s kind: And since
+it is not in the Power of any Creature to make it self Other then what
+by Providence it was Design’d to be; what a Madness is it to Wish our
+selves Other then what we Are, and what we Must continue to Be: Since
+the Thing is Bounded, and the whole Matter Pre-determin’d! Every _Atome_
+of the Creation has its Place Assign’d: Every Creature has its proper
+Figure, and there is no Disputing with him that made it so. _Why have not
+I This?_ and _why have not I that?_ are Questions for a Philosopher of
+_Bedlam_ to ask; and we may as well Cavil at the Motions of the Heavens,
+the Vicissitude of Day and Night, and the Succession of the Seasons,
+as Expostulate with Providence upon any of the rest of Gods Works. The
+_Asse_ would have _Horns_, and the _Tinker_ would fain be in Bed with my
+_Lady_. The _Ape_ would have a _Tail_; and why should not a _Mountebank_
+Complain that he is not a _Minister of State or Justice_? But in short,
+the Poor, Wretched, Blind _Mole_ puts in with her Doctrine to take up the
+Quarrel.
+
+And what’s the Case of the _Hares_ now, but an Instance to Fortifie us
+against _Panick_ Frights and Terrors, for Trivial Causes; where the Fears
+are a great deal more Terrible then the Dangers? In All these Cases, we
+fancy our selves much more Miserable then we Are, for want of taking a
+True Estimate of Things. We fly into Transports without Reason, and Judge
+of the Happiness, or Calamity, of Humane Life, by False Lights. A Strict
+Enquiry into the Truth of Matters will Help us in the One, and Comparison
+will set us Right in the Other. The _Dogs_ and the _Eagles_ Frighted
+the _Hares_; The _Hares_ Frighted the _Frogs_, and the _Frogs_, Twenty
+to One, Frighted something else. This is according to the Course of the
+World, One Fears Another, and some body else is afraid of Him.
+
+It may seem to be a kind of a Malicious Satisfaction, that One Man
+derives from the Misfortunes of Another. But the Philosophy of This
+Reflexion stands upon Another Ground; for our Comfort does not Arise from
+Other Peoples being Miserable, but from this Inference upon the Ballance,
+That we suffer only the Lot of Humane Nature: And as we are Happy or
+Miserable, compar’d with others, So Other People are Miserable or Happy
+Compar’d with Us: By which Justice of Providence, we come to be Convinc’d
+of the Sin, and the Mistake of our Ingratitude. What would not a man give
+to be Eas’d of the Gout or the Stone? Or supposing an Incurable Poverty
+on the One Hand, and an Incurable Malady on the Other, Why should not the
+Poor Man think himself Happier in his Rags, then the Other in his Purple?
+But the Rich Man Envies the Poor Mans Health, without considering his
+Want; and the Poor Man Envies the Others Treasure without considering his
+Diseases. What’s an Ill Name in the World to a Good Conscience within
+Ones self? And how much less Miserable upon the Wheel, is One man that is
+Innocent, then Another under the Same Torture that’s Guilty? The Only Way
+for _Hares_ and _Asses_, is to be Thankful for what they Are, and what
+they Have, and not to Grumble at the Lot that they must bear in spite of
+their Teeth.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXVIII.
+
+A _Wolf_, _Kid_, and _Goat_.
+
+
+A _Goat_ that was going out one Morning for a Mouthful of Fresh Grass,
+Charg’d her _Kid_ upon her Blessing, not to Open the Door till she came
+back, to any Creature that had not a Beard. The _Goat_ was no sooner out
+of sight, but up comes a _Wolf_ to the Door, that had Over-hear’d the
+Charge; and in a Small Pipe calls to the _Kid_ to let her _Mother_ come
+in. The _Kid_ smelt out the Roguery, and bad the _Wolf_ shew his _Beard_,
+and the Door should be open to him.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There never was any Hypocrite so Disguis’d but he had some Mark or Other
+yet to be known by._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Here is Prudence, Caution, and Obedience, recommended to us in the _Kids_
+refusal to Open the Door; and here is likewise set forth in the _Wolf_,
+the Practice of a Fraudulent, and a Bloody Impostor. This Moral runs
+through the Whole Business of Humane Life, for so much as the Plot is
+carry’d on against the Simple and the Innocent, under False Colours,
+and Feigned Pretences. There are _Wolves_, in _Policy_, as well as in
+_Mythology_; and if the _Kids Obedience_ had not been more then her
+_Sagacity_, she would have found, to her Cost, the Teeth of a _Wolf_, in
+the mouth of a _Goat_; and the malice of an Enemy cover’d under the Voice
+and Pretence of a Parent.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXIX.
+
+A _Dog_, a _Sheep_, and a _Wolf_.
+
+
+A _Dog_ brought an Action of the Case against a _Sheep_, for some
+Certain Measures of Wheat, that he had lent him. The Plaintiff prov’d
+the Debt by Three Positive Witnesses, The _Wolf_, the _Kite_, and the
+_Vultur_. (_Testes Probi & Legales._) The _Defendant_ was cast in _Costs
+and Damages_, and forc’d to sell the Wool off his Back to Satisfie the
+Creditor.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis not a Straw matter whether the Main Cause be Right or Wrong, or
+the Charge True or False; Where the Bench, Jury and Witnesses are in a
+Conspiracy against the Pris’ner._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+No Innocence can be Safe, where Power and Malice are in Confederacy
+against it. There’s No Fence against Subornation, and False Evidence.
+What Greater Judgment can befall a Nation then for _Sheep_ to be made
+_Trespassers_, and _Wolves_ _Kites_, and _Vultures_ to set up for
+_Witnesses_! This is a large Field, if a body would Amplifie upon it: But
+the History of the Age in Memory will be the Best Moral of This Fable.
+There’s No Living however without Law: and there’s no Help for’t in many
+Cases, if the Saving Equity be Over-rul’d by the Killing Letter of it.
+’Tis the _Verdict_ that does the Business; but ’tis the _Evidence_, True
+or False that Governs the _Verdict_. So that, (as it sometimes falls
+out) the Honour of the Publick may come to be Concern’d in the Defence
+and Support of an Undetected Perjury. The only Danger is the giving too
+much Credit to the Oaths of _Kites_ and _Vultures_. That is to say, of
+Witnesses so Profligate as to bring a Scandal even upon Truth it self,
+where it is so Asserted.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXX.
+
+A _Countryman_ and a _Snake_.
+
+
+There was a _Snake_ that Bedded himself under the Threshold of a
+Country-House: A _Child_ of the Family happen’d to set his Foot upon’t;
+The _Snake_ bit him, and he Dy’d on’t. The _Father_ of the _Child_ made
+a Blow at the _Snake_, but Miss’d his Aim, and only left a Mark behind
+him upon the Stone where he Struck. The _Countryman_ Offer’d the _Snake_,
+some time after This, to be Friends again. No, says the _Snake_, so long
+as you have This Flaw upon the Stone in Your Eye, and the Death of the
+_Child_ in your Thought, there’s No Trusting of ye.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_In Matters of Friendship and Trust, we can never be too Tender; but yet
+there’s a Great Difference betwixt Charity and Facility. We may Hope Well
+in many Cases, but let it be without Venturing Neck, and All upon’t, for_
+New-Converts _are Slippery_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Ill Trusting a Reconcil’d Enemy; but ’tis Worse yet, to Proceed
+at One Step, from Clemency and Tenderness, to Confidence and Trust:
+Especially where there are so many Memorials in Sight, for Hatred and
+Revenge to work upon. ’Tis Generous however to Forgive an Enemy; though
+Extremely Hazardous to Grace him in the doing of an Ill Thing, with
+the Countenance of a Deference to his Merit. Nay, a Bare Easiness of
+Pardoning has but too often the Force of a Temptation to Offend again.
+’Tis a Nice Business to Indulge on the Left hand, without Punishing on
+the Right, for there must be No Sacrificing of a Faithful Friend to
+the Generosity of Obliging a Mortal Enemy. But the Case is then most
+Deplorate when Reward goes over to the Wrong side, and when Interest
+shall be made the Test and the Measure of Virtue. Upon the whole Matter,
+the _Countryman_ was too Easie, in Proposing a Reconciliation; (the
+Circumstances duly Consider’d) and the _Snake_ was much in the Right
+on the Other hand, in not entertaining it from a man that had so many
+Remembrances at Hand still, to Provoke him to a Revenge. Wherefore it is
+highly Necessary, for the one to know how far, and to Whom to Trust, and
+for the other to Understand what he is to Trust to. ’Tis a great Error
+to take Facility, for Good Nature: Tenderness, without Discretion is no
+better then a more Pardonable Folly.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXXI.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Stork_.
+
+
+There was a Great Friendship once betwixt a _Fox_ and a _Stork_, and the
+Former would needs Invite the Other to a Treat. They had Several Soups
+serv’d up in Broad Dishes and Plates, and so the _Fox_ fell to Lapping
+himself, and bad his Guest Heartily Welcom to what was before him. The
+_Stork_ found he was Put upon, but set so good a Face however upon his
+Entertainment; that his Friend by All means must take a Supper with Him
+That night in Revenge. The _Fox_ made Several Excuses upon the Matter
+of Trouble and Expence, but the _Stork_ in fine, would not be said Nay;
+So that at last, he promis’d him to come. The Collation was serv’d up
+in Glasses, with Long Narrow Necks, and the Best of Every thing that
+was to be had. Come (says the _Stork_ to his Friend) Pray be as Free as
+if you were at home, and so fell to’t very Savourly Himself. The _Fox_
+quickly found This to be a Trick, though he could not but Allow of the
+Contrivance as well as the Justice of the Revenge. For such a Glass of
+Sweet-Meats to the One, was just as much to the Purpose, as a Plate of
+Porridge to the Other.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis allowable in all the Liberties of Conversation to give a Man a_
+Rowland for his Oliver, _and to_ pay him in his Own Coin, _as we say;
+provided always that we keep within the Compass of Honour, and Good
+Manners_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Æsop has here given us the Fiction of a Case, wherein it may not be
+Amiss to repay an Abuse in its own Kind. The Mockery of the _Fox_ was
+a Reproche, as it Hit the _Stork_ on the Weak side; but That which was
+Rudeness, and Ill Nature in the Aggressor, was only a Monitory Justice,
+and a Discreet Sharpness in the Other. But This is the Fate Commonly of
+Drolls and Buffons, that while they think to make Sport with Others, they
+serve only in the conclusion for a Laughing-Stock themselves.
+
+There’s nothing looks Sillier then a Crafty Knave Out-witted, and
+Beaten at his Own Play. The _Foxes_ Frolick went too far, in regard it
+was both upon an Invitation, and under his Own Roof. Now the Return
+of the _Stork_ was only a _Quid pro Quo_, and a Warrantable Revenge,
+even according to the Rules of Civility, and Good Fellowship; for the
+_Fox’s_ leading the Humour gave the Other not only a Provocation, but a
+kind of a Right to Requite him in his Own Way: Beside that it was the
+Cleverer Mockery of the Two. This may serve to Reprove Those Liberties in
+Conversation that pass the Bounds of Good Nature, Honour, Honesty, and
+Respect. When they Exceed These Limits, they Degenerate into Scurrility,
+Scandal and Ill-Manners. For in All Cases, an Eye must be had to the Due
+Circumstances of Measure, Time, Place, Occasion, and Person. The Laws of
+Humanity, and Hospitality must be kept Sacred upon any Terms: for the
+Wounding of a Friend for the sake of a Jest, is an Intemperance, and an
+Immorality, not to be Endur’d. There was somewhat of This in the _Foxes_
+beginning the Frolick.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXXII.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Carv’d Head_.
+
+
+As a _Fox_ was rumidging among a Great many _Carv’d Figures_, there was
+One very Extraordinary Piece among the Rest. He took it up, and when
+he had Consider’d it a while, Well, (says he) What Pity ’tis, that so
+Exquisite an Outside of a Head should not have one Grain of Sense in’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis not the Barber or the Taylor that makes the Man; and ’tis No New
+Thing to see a Fine Wrought Head without so much as One Grain of Salt
+in’t._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Many a Fool has a Fair Out side, and Many a Man of Fortune, and Title has
+not so much as a Common Sense. We have a Whole World of _Heads_ to Answer
+the Drift of This Emblem: But there is No Judging however by the Senses,
+of Matters that the Senses can take no Cognizance of; as Virtue, Wisdom,
+and the Like. The Excellency, in fine, of the Soul is above the Beauty of
+the Body: Not but that the Graces of the One, and the Endowments of the
+Other, may Encounter sometimes, (how rarely soever) in One and the same
+Person. But Beauty and Judgment are so far yet from being Inseperable,
+that they seem effectually to Require, More or Less, a Diversity of
+Temperament: Beside that More Care is taken to Cultivate the Advantages
+of the Body then those of the Mind. To Wrap up all in a Word, the World
+it self is but a Great Shop of _Carv’d Heads_; and the _Foxes_ Conceit
+will hold as well in the Life, as in the Fiction.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXXIII.
+
+A _Daw_ and _Borrow’d Feathers_.
+
+
+A _Daw_ that had a mind to be Sparkish, Trick’d himself up With all the
+_Gay Feathers_ he could Muster together: And upon the Credit of these
+Stoll’n, or Borrow’d Ornaments, he Valu’d himself above All the Birds
+in the Air Beside. The Pride of this Vanity got him the Envy of all
+his Companions, who, upon a Discovery of the Truth of the Case, fell
+to Pluming of him by Consent; and when Every Bird had taken his Own
+_Feather_; the Silly _Daw_ had nothing left him to Cover his Nakedness.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We steal from one Another all manner of Ways, and to all manner of
+Purposes; Wit, as well as Feathers; but where Pride and Beggery Meet,
+People are sure to be made ridiculous in the Conclusion._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Every thing is Best, and Every Man Happiest, in the State and Condition
+wherein Nature has Plac’d them; But if _Daws_ will be setting up for
+_Peacocks_, or _Asses_ for _Lions_, they must Expect, and Content
+themselves to be Laugh’d at for their Pains. The Allusion of the _Daw_
+here, and his _Borrow’d Feathers_, Extends to All sorts of Impostors,
+Vain Pretenders, and Romancers, in Feats of Arms, State, Love, or the
+Like. It Points also at the Empty Affectation of Wit and Understanding;
+in which case, it fares as it does with men that set up for Quality,
+Birth, and Bravery, upon the Credit of a Gay Out-side; for Authors may
+be Cozen’d upon the Tick, as well as Taylors: Nay we have seen some,
+even of our _First-Rate-Writers_, that have been Better at Disguising
+other Peoples Works, then Furnishing any thing of their Own; That is to
+say; upon the taking of them to pieces, the Stuff and Trimming is found
+to be Wholly Stol’n, and new-Fourbish’d; and nothing, in short that
+they can Assume to Themselves but the Needle and Thred that Tackt the
+Composition together. Now when these _Plagiaries_ come to be Stript of
+their Borrow’d, or Pilfer’d Ornaments, there’s the _Daw_ in the Fable
+truly Moraliz’d.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXXIV.
+
+An _Ant_ and a _Fly_.
+
+
+There happen’d a Warm Dispute betwixt an _Ant_ and a _Fly_. Why, Where’s
+the Honour, or the Pleasure in the World, says the _Fly_, that I have
+not My Part in? Are not All Temples and Palaces open to me? Am not I the
+Taster to Gods and Princes, in All their Sacrifices and Entertainments?
+Am I not serv’d in Gold and Silver? And is not my Meat and Drink still
+of the Best? And all This, without either Mony or Pains? I trample upon
+Crowns, and Kiss what Ladies Lips I please. And what have you now to
+pretend to all this While? Why, says the _Ant_, You Value Your self upon
+the Access you have to the Altars of the Gods, the Cabinets of Princes,
+and to All Publick Feasts and Collations: And what’s all This but the
+Access of an Intruder, not of a Guest? For People are so far from Liking
+Your Company, that they Kill ye as fast as they can Catch ye. You are a
+Plague to ’em Wherever You come. Your very Breath has Maggots in’t, and
+for the Kiss you Brag of, what is it but the Perfume of the last Dunghil
+you Touch’d upon, once Remov’d; For My Part, I live upon what’s my Own,
+and Work Honestly in the Summer to Maintain my self in the Winter;
+Whereas the whole Course of Your Scandalous Life is only Cheating or
+Sharping, one Half of the Year, and Starving the Other.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Here’s An Emblem of Industry, and Luxury, set forth at large; with the
+Sober Advantages, and the Scandalous Excesses of the One and of the
+Other._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable Marks out to us the Difference betwixt the Empty Vanity of
+Ostentation, and the Substantial Ornaments of Virtue. It shews that
+the Happiness of Life does not lie so much in the Enjoying of small
+Advantages, as in living free from Great Inconveniences, and that an
+Honest Mediocrity is Best. The _Fly_ stands up for the Pride, the Luxury,
+and the Ambition of Courts, in the preference of Palaces, to Caves
+and Private Retreats. The _Ant_ contents her self with the Virtue of
+Sobriety, Retirement, and Moderation: She lives upon her Own, Honestly
+Gotten and Possess’d without either Envy or Violence; Whereas the _Fly_
+is an Intruder, and a Common _Smell-Feast_, that Spunges upon Other
+Peoples Trenchers.
+
+A Man can hardly fancy to himself a Truer Image of a Plain, Honest,
+Country Simplicity, then the _Ant’s_ part of the Dialogue in this Fable.
+She takes pains for What she Eats; Wrongs No body; and so Creates no
+Enemies; She wants Nothing, and she Boasts of Nothing; Lives Contented
+with her Own, and Enjoyes all with a Good Conscience. This Emblem
+recommends to us the Blessings of a Virtuous Privacy, according to the
+just Measures of Right Nature, and in Few Words, comprizes the Sum of a
+Happy State.
+
+The _Fly_, on the Contrary, leads a Lazy, Voluptuous, Scandalous,
+Sharking Life; Hateful wherever she comes, and in Perpetual Fears and
+Dangers. She Flutters, ’tis true, from place to place, from Feast to
+Feast, Brags of her Interest at Court, and of Ladies Favours: And what’s
+This Miserable Insect at last, but the very Picture of one of our
+Ordinary Trencher-Squires, that spend their time in Hopping from One
+Great man’s Table to Anothers, only to Pick up Scraps, and Intelligence,
+and to Spoil Good Company! I cannot see one of These Officious, Humble
+Companions, Skipping up and down from _Levee_ to _Levee_, and making
+himself Necessary, wherever he thinks fit to be Troublesome: I cannot
+hear a Finical Fop Romancing, how the King took him aside at such a
+time; What the Queen said to him at Another; How many Ladies fell out
+who should have him to her self; What Discourse pass’d; Where he is to
+Eat to morrow; What Company; What Dishes; What Wine; Who Loves Who; and
+what _Intrigues_ are afoot in Church and State, _&c._ Without more Words
+I cannot Hear the Chat, or see the Vanity of these Pragmatical Empty
+_Busie-Bodies_ without thinking of the _Fly_ in the Fable. And This
+Application was the True End of Writing it.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXXV.
+
+A _Frog_ and an _Oxe_.
+
+
+As a Huge Over-grown _Oxe_ was Grazing in a Meadow, an Old Envious _Frog_
+that stood Gaping at him hard by, call’d out to her Little Ones, to take
+Notice of the Bulk of That Monstrous Beast; and see, says she, if I don’t
+make my self now the Bigger of the Two. So she Strain’d Once, and Twice,
+and went still swelling on and on, till in the Conclusion she Forc’d her
+self, and Burst.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Betwixt Pride, Envy, and Ambition, men fancy Themselves to be Bigger
+then they are, and Other People to be Less: And This Tumour Swells it
+self at last ’till it makes All Fly_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fancy is a Lash upon Those that set up to Live above their Quality
+and Fortune, and pretend to spend Penny for Penny with men of Twenty
+times their Estate, and therefore must needs Burst in the Conclusion!
+But Pride and Ambition Pushes men forward, not only to Extravagances,
+but Impossibilities, though to the Certain Undoing of the Weaker and the
+Meaner: When they come to Vie Power and Expence with Those that are too
+High and too many for them.
+
+Men that would be Bigger then God has made them, must e’en Expect to fall
+to Nothing. This Affectation strikes upon All the Weaknesses that Pride,
+Envy, or Ambition can fancy to it self, provided always that we do not
+take Emulation for Envy. In One Word, when men’s Hearts and Thoughts are
+puff’d up into a Desire of Things Unnatural, the Tumour is Incurable. But
+they are Weak Minds commonly that are Tainted with This Evil. They take
+False Measures, both of themselves, and of Others, without considering
+the Limits, Bulk, Fortune, Ability, Strength, _&c._ or in truth, the
+very Nature of the Things, Matters, or Person in Question. They set up
+Competitors for Learning, Power, Estate, Policy; They Censure their
+Betters, Despise their Equals, and Admire Themselves: But their Greatness
+all this while, is only in Imagination, and they make All fly with the
+_Frog_ at last, by Straining to be Bigger then they Are, and Bigger then
+’tis possible for them to Be.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXXVI.
+
+An _Asse_ and a _Wolph_.
+
+
+An _Asse_ had got a Thorn in’s Foot, and for want of a Better Surgeon,
+who but a _Wolf_ at last, to draw it out with his Teeth! The _Asse_ was
+no sooner Eas’d, but he gave his Operator such a Kick under the Ear with
+his Sound Foot for his Pains, that he Stunn’d him, and so went his way.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXXVII.
+
+A _Horse_ and a _Lyon_.
+
+
+There was an Old Hungry _Lion_ would fain have been Dealing with a piece
+of Good _Horse-Flesh_ that he had in his Eye; but the _Nag_ he thought
+would be too Fleet for him, unless he could supply the want of Heels,
+by Artifice, and Address. He puts himself into the Garb, and Habit of
+a Professor of Physick, and according to the Humor of the World, sets
+up for a Doctor of the College. Under this Pretext, he lets fall a Word
+or two by way of Discourse, upon the Subject of his Trade; but the
+_Horse_ Smelt him out, and presently a Crotchet came in his Head how he
+might Countermine him. I got a Thorn in my Foot T’other day, says the
+_Horse_, as I was Crossing a Thicket, and I am e’en quite Lame on’t. Oh,
+says the New Physician, Do but hold up your Leg a little, and I’ll Cure
+ye immediately. The _Lion_ presently puts himself in posture for the
+Office; but the Patient was too Nimble for his Doctor, and so soon as
+ever he had him Fair for his Purpose, gave him so Terrible a Rebuke upon
+the Forehead with his Heel, that he laid him at his Length, and so got
+off with a whole Skin, before the Other could Execute his Design.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+Harm Watch, Harm Catch, _is but according to the Common Rule of Equity
+and Retaliation, and a very Warrantable Way of Deceiving the Deceiver_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No trusting to the Fair Words of Those that have both an
+Interest, and an Inclination to Destroy us; Especially when the Design is
+carry’d on under the Masque of a Friendly Office. It is but reasonable
+to Oppose Art to Art, and where we suspect False Play, to Encounter One
+Trick with another: Provided always that it be Manag’d without breach of
+Faith, and within the Compass of Honour, Honesty, and Good Manners. The
+_Wolf_ had the same Design upon the _Asse_, that the _Lion_ had upon the
+_Horse_; and the matter being brought to a Trial of Skill between them,
+the Countermine was only an Act of Self-Preservation.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXXVIII.
+
+A _Horse_ and an _Asse_.
+
+
+In the Days of Old, when _Horses_ spoke _Greek_ and _Latin_, and _Asses_
+made _Syllogisms_, there happen’d an Encounter upon the Road, betwixt
+a Proud Pamper’d _Jade_ in the Full Course of his Carriere, and a Poor
+Creeping _Asse_, under a Heavy Burden, that had Chopt into the same Track
+with him. Why, how now Sirrah, says he, D’ye not see by these Arms, and
+Trappings, to what Master I belong? And D’ye not Understand that when
+I have That Master of mine upon my Back, the Whole Weight of the State
+rests upon My Shoulders? Out of the way thou slavish Insolent Animal, or
+I’ll Tread thee to Dirt. The Wretched _Asse_ immediately Slunk aside,
+with this Envious Reflexion betwixt his Teeth. [_What would I give to
+Change Conditions with That Happy Creature there._] This Fancy would
+not out of the Head of Him, ’till it was his Hap some Few Days after to
+see This very _Horse_ doing Drudgery in a Common Dung-Cart. Why how now
+Friend (says the _Asse_) How comes This about? Only the Chance of the
+War, says the Other: I was a _Soldiers Horse_, you must know; and my
+Master carry’d me into a Battel, where I was Shot, Hack’d, and Maim’d;
+and you have here before Your Eyes the Catastrophe of My Fortune.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Folly, and the Fate, of Pride and Arrogance. The Mistake of Placing
+Happiness in any thing that may be taken away, and the Blessing of
+Freedom in a Mean Estate._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We are to Gather from hence, that people would never Envy the Pomp and
+Splendour of Greatness, if they did but consider, either the Cares and
+Dangers that go along with it, or the Blessings of Peace, and Security in
+a Middle Condition. No Man can be truly Happy, who is not every Hour of
+his Life prepared for the worst that can befall him. Now this is a State
+of Tranquility never to be attain’d, but by keeping perpetually in our
+Thoughts the Certainty of Death, and the Lubricity of Fortune; and by
+Delivering our selves from the Anxiety of Hopes and Fears.
+
+It falls Naturally within the Prospect of this Fiction to Treat of the
+Wickedness of a Presumptuous Arrogance, the Fate that Attends it; The
+Rise of it; and the Means of either Preventing or Suppressing it; The
+Folly of it; The Wretched and Ridiculous Estate of a Proud Man, and the
+Weakness of That Envy that is Grounded upon the mistaken Happiness of
+Human Life.
+
+If a body may be Allow’d to Graft a _Christian Moral_ upon a _Pagan
+Fable_, what was it but Pride and Arrogance that first threw _Lucifer_
+out of Heaven, and afterwards, _Adam_ out of Paradise? [_Ye shall be as
+Gods_] was the Temptation; an Impotent and a Presumptuous Affectation of
+Vain Glory was the Sin; and a Malediction Temporal and Eternal was the
+Punishment. Now if the Charms of an Unruly Ambition could so far prevail
+upon the _Angels_ Themselves in their Purity; and upon Mankind in a State
+of Innocence, how Strict a Guard ought _we_ then to keep upon our selves,
+that are the Children of disobedience, and bring the seeds of This Deadly
+Vanity into the World with us in our very Veins?
+
+It is highly Remarkable, that as Pride, and Envy are the Two Passions
+that above All Others give the Greatest Trouble to the Sons of Men, so
+are they likewise the First Emotions of the Mind that we take Notice
+of in our Approaches to the Exercise of our Reason. They begin with
+us in the Arms of our Nurses, and at the very Breasts of our Mothers;
+for what’s the meaning of all the Little Wrangles and Contentions
+else, _Which Child shall be made most of; or which Baby shall have the
+Gayer Coat?_ So that These Affections are in truth Connatural to us,
+and as We our selves grow up and Gather Strength, so do They; and pass
+Insensibly from our Inclinations into our Manners. Now the Corruption
+must needs be Strong, where Humane Frailty strikes in so Early with it,
+and the Progress no less Mortal, where it is suffer’d to go on without
+Control: For what are the Extravagances of the Lewdest Life, but the more
+Consummated Follies and Disorders, of either a Mis-taught or a Neglected
+Youth? Nay, what are All the Publick Outrages of a Destroying Tyranny,
+and Oppression, but Childish Appetites let alone till they are grown
+Ungovernable? Beside that it is Infinitely Easier to prevent Ill Habits
+then to Master them; As the Choaking of the Fountain is the surest Way
+to Cut off the Course of the River. It should be Consider’d too that we
+have the Seeds of Virtue in us, as well as of Vice; and when ever we take
+a Wrong Biass, ’tis not out of a Moral Incapacity to do Better, but for
+want of a Careful Manage and Discipline, to let us Right at First.
+
+Wherefore Children should be moulded while their Tempers are yet Pliant
+and Ductile. As _Pride_, for the Purpose, that arises from a False
+Opinion of Things, should be Obviated by Informing their Understandings.
+And so for _Envy_; the very Disposition to it is to be Sweeten’d, as
+Flowing from a Certain Froward Tincture of Ill Nature. (I speak This of
+the Malevolent, Canker’d Passion of Envy, which in Effect, is Little
+or Nothing akin to the Silly Envy of the _Asse_ here in the Fable.)
+In One word, Children should be season’d betimes, and Lessen’d into
+such a Contempt, and Detestation of This Vice, as neither to practice
+it Themselves, nor to Approve it in Others. This is, in Little, the
+Foundation of a Virtuous Life, and there goes no more then Judging, and
+Acting Aright, to the Character of a Good Philosopher, a Good Christian,
+and a Good Man: For to Know, and to Do, is the _Compendium_ of our Duty.
+
+It is not for Every Twatling Gossip yet, or some Empty Pedant, presently
+to Undertake This Province; for it requires a Critical Nicety both of
+Wit, and of Judgment, to find out the _Genius_, or the Propensions of
+a Child, and to Distinguish betwixt the Impulses of Envy, and those
+of Emulation: Betwixt the First Motions of a Churlish and Impetuous
+Insolence, and those of a Serene Greatness, and Dignity of Mind. It is
+not, I say, for Every Common Eye, or Hand to divide so Accurately betwixt
+the Good, and the Evil, the Gracious and Perverse, as to hit the precise
+_Medium_ of Encouraging the One, without Discouraging the Other. And This
+Faculty of Discerning is not enough neither, without a Watchful Assiduity
+of Application. The Just Season of Doing Things must be Nick’d, and All
+Accidents Observ’d and Improv’d; for Weak Minds are to be as Narrowly
+Attended, as Sickly Bodies: To say nothing of the Infinite Curiosity of
+the Operation, in the Forming of our Lives and Manners: And that not One
+man of Ten Thousand is Competently Qualify’d for the Office. Upon the
+Whole Matter there must be an Awe maintain’d on the One Hand, and at the
+same time, a Love and Reverence Preserv’d on the Other. And all this must
+be Order’d too with so Gentle a Softness of Address, that we may not
+Hazzard, either the Stifling, or the Quenching of Generous Inclinations,
+by bearing too Hard upon them, or the Licentiating of any thing that
+is Course and Vulgar, out of a foolish Facility or a Mistaken Pity.
+It is with our Passions, as it is with Fire and Water, they are _Good
+Servants_, but _Bad Masters_, and Subminister to the Best, and Worst of
+Purposes, at once, This is enough said, as to the Wickedness, and the
+Fate of Pride; The Source and Danger of it, together with the only sure
+and Effectual Means of Remedy.
+
+The Moral leads me in the Next place, to Consider the Folly of both
+the _Horse_ and the _Asse_; The One, in Placing his Happiness upon any
+thing that could be taken away; and the Other, in Envying that Mistaken
+Happiness, under the Abuse of the same Splendid Illusion and Imposture.
+What Signifies a Gay Furniture, and a Pamper’d Carcass; or any other
+Outward Appearance, without an Intrinsick Value of Worth and Virtue? What
+signifies Beauty, Strength, Youth, Fortune, Embroider’d Furniture, Gawdy
+Bosses, or any of Those Temporary, and Uncertain Satisfactions, that
+may be taken from us with the very next Breath we draw? What Assurance
+can any Man have of a Possession that Every Turn of State, Every Puff of
+Air, Change of Humour, and the least of a Million of Common Casualties
+may Deprive him of? How many Huffing Sparks have we seen in the World,
+that in the same day have been both the Idols, and the Sport and Scorn
+of the same Slaves and Fools? Nay, how many Emperours and Princes, that
+in the Ruff of all their Glory have been taken down from the Head of
+a Conquering Army, to the Wheel of the Victor’s Chariot? Where’s that
+Advantage under the Sun that any but a Mad man would be Proud of? Or
+where’s That Pride it self that any Mortal in his Right Wits, would not
+find Reason to be Asham’d of? Take it singly, and what is there more
+in’t, then an Unnatural and Unmanly _Tympany_, that Rises in a Bubble,
+and spends it self in a Blast? Take it in Complication, and we find a
+Thousand Weaknesses, Iniquities, and Vexatious Cutting Miseries wrapt up
+in’t. What can be more Imprudent then to Affect Reputation by the Methods
+of Infamy? To Aspire to Greatness by the ways of becoming Odious and
+Contemptible? And to Propose the Erecting of a Mighty Fabrick, upon a
+Bottom that will Certainly sink under the Weight?
+
+The Disappointments of Those that Build their Hopes in this World upon a
+False _Basis_, fall under These Three General Heads. The Advantages we
+Value our selves upon, may either be taken from us; or We from Them: Or,
+which is much at One, we may be brought by a Thousand Accidents to lose
+the Use and Relish of them. As first for the Purpose; they may be taken
+from Us, by Cheats, Robberies, Subornations, False Oaths, Forgeries,
+Corrupt Judges; To say nothing of Fires, Earthquakes, Tempests,
+Inundations, Insurrections, and Other Violences without Number. Secondly,
+We may be taken from Them, by as many Ways as there are out of This
+World. A Fly or a Hair shall do the Office of a Rope. And then for the
+Third Branch, an Indisposition, a Feaver, an Acute Pain, an Impetuous
+Passion, an Anxious Thought, Impotency, and Old Age, shall do the Work
+of Taking away both the Guest, and the Comfort of them. Nay, the very
+Loss of one Pleasure is enough to Damp, if not to Destroy the Relish of
+Another.
+
+But now to carry the Allusion One Step further yet; It may be literally
+Asserted, that All Proud Men, over and above the Stroke of a Divine
+Judgment, are Miserable, even in themselves, and that no Circumstances
+in this World can ever make them Other. Their Appetites are Insatiable,
+and their Hearts consequently never at Rest; Whether it be Wealth, Power,
+Honour, Popular Esteem, or whatever else they pretend to. They Envy, and
+they are Envy’d. ’Tis Impossible for them to be at rest, without enjoying
+what it is Impossible for them to Attain. They live Gaping after More,
+and in a perpetual Fear of Losing what they have already. The Higher they
+are Rais’d, the Giddier they are; the more Slippery is their Standing,
+and the Deeper the Fall. They are never Well, so long as Any thing
+is above them: And their Ambition carries them on to the Supplanting
+of their very Masters and Makers: When yet by a most Ridiculous
+Contradiction, they lie Effectually, (in the very same Instant) at the
+mercy of the men they most Despise. [_The Silver, being Ten Thousand
+Talents, is given to Thee_, (says _Ahasuerus_ to _Haman_) _The People
+also, to do with them, as it seemeth good unto Thee_, Esther, Cap. 3.
+V. 11.] Who would have Imagin’d now, that the Stiff Crossness of a Poor
+Captive, should ever have had the Power to make _Haman_’s Seat so Uneasie
+to him? Or that the want of a Cap, or a Cringe, should so Mortally
+Discompose him, as we find afterwards it did! If Large Possessions,
+Pompous Titles, Honourable Charges, and Profitable Commissions; If a
+Plentiful Issue, Court Favours, or the Flowing Bounty of a Gracious
+Prince, could have made This Proud Man Happy, there would have been
+Nothing wanting to his Establishment. But All This did not do his Work,
+it seems; neither, as big as he was, did there in Truth need any Great
+matter to Unsettle him. But he was as sure to sink under the Infirmity of
+his Own Mind, as if he had been Doom’d to Sink in the Fate of a Common
+Ruine.
+
+_When_ Haman _saw_ Mordecai _in the King’s Gate_, (says the Text) _that
+he stood not up, nor Moved for him, he was full of Indignation against_
+Mordecai. _Nevertheless_, Haman _Refrained himself and when he came Home,
+he sent and call’d for his Friends, and_ Teresh, _his Wife; and told them
+of the Glory of his Riches, and the Multitude of his Children, And All
+the Things wherein the King had Promoted him, and how he had Advanced
+him above the Princes and Servants of the King. Yea_, Esther _the Queen_
+(says he) _did let no man come with the King unto the Banquet that she
+had prepar’d, but my self; and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with
+the King_. [Yet All This Availeth Me Nothing, so long as I see _Mordecai_
+the _Jew_ sitting at the King’s Gate, _Esther_, Cap. 5. V. 9, 10, 11, 12,
+13.]
+
+This Instance of _Haman_’s Case may serve, in a Good Measure, for a Moral
+to the Arrogance of the _Horse_ here in the Fable; only _Haman’s_ Pride
+was the more Invidious and Malicious of the Two. To wind up the Story;
+_Mordecai_ was an Eye-sore to _Haman_, and _a Gallows of Fifty Cubits
+High was prepared for him by the Order of_ Haman, _Cap._ 5. _V._ 14. But
+the King, upon Examination of the Matter, Order’d _Haman_ himself to be
+Hanged. [_So they Hanged_ Haman _upon the Gallows he had prepared for_
+Mordecai, _Cap._ 7. _V._ 10.] _Haman_’s Pride, in fine, was a Torment to
+him, and he was not only Punish’d By it, and For it, but by a Righteous
+Judgment of Retaliation, he suffer’d Death Himself upon the very Gibbet
+that he had provided for Another.
+
+How wretched a Creature was _Haman_ now, even in the Caresses of his
+Royal Master, and in the very Rapture of all his Glories! And how Vain
+again were all the Marks and Ensigns of his Character and Power; that
+were not able to Support him against one Slighting Look of a Sorry Slave!
+He had the World at Will, we see; but All was as good as Nothing to him,
+_so long as he saw_ Mordecai _the_ Jew _sitting in the King’s Gate_.
+Where’s the Sober Man now, that would not rather chuse to be _Mordecai_
+in the _Gate_, upon These Terms, then to be _Haman_ in the _Palace_? The
+One had the Blessing of a Conscience that Fears Nothing but God; the
+Other was Haunted with a Fantastical Weakness of Mind, that makes a man
+Dread Every thing, and stand in awe of his Own Shadow! A Word, a Thought,
+an Imagination, a Countenance is enough to Break his Sleep, and to Shake
+the very Foundations of the _Babel_ that he has Built. He fancies every
+Bolt that’s Levell’d at his Vices, to be Pointed at his Person, and finds
+himself Wounded in the Morality of the most Innocent Reproofs. He’s a
+Slave to All Passions, All Accidents, and All sorts of Men. A Jest, a
+Banter, a Lampoon; Nay a Glance, an Insinuation, or a Bare Casualty, with
+the Help of a Guilty Conscience, and a Suspicious Gloss of Application,
+is enough to Murder him; for he Conceits himself to be Struck at, when
+he is not so much as Thought of: as I dare appeal to the Consciences
+of a Thousand Top Gallant Sparks, that will fancy their Own Case to
+be the Key to This Moral. He makes himself Odious to his Superiours,
+by his Haughtiness; to his Equals, by a Restless Course of Factious
+Competitions; and then he never fails of a Virulent Hatred and Envy, from
+those that are below him; so that he’s beset with Enemies on All hands,
+the Meanest of which is not without Many and Many a Way to the Wreaking
+of a Malice, and to the Gratifying of a Revenge. As to the Wretchedness
+of his Condition, ’tis all a Case to Him, whether he be Teiz’d out of
+his Life by a Judgment of Flies and Lice, or Stung to Death by Fiery
+Serpents. And he is not only Tormented by Others, but the very Tormenter
+of Himself too. Nay, rather then want a Colourable Ground of Trouble,
+he Creates it. His pride is a Continual Drought upon him, and a Thirst
+never to be Quench’d. His Conscience, his Fancy, his Fears, Jealousies,
+and Mistakes; Every thing helps on towards his Undoing. And now to the
+Infinite Variety of Plagues that Wait upon Pride, there is likewise as
+Great a Diversity of Imperious Humours, for This Misery to Work upon. As
+for Example, There is a Pride of Stomach, a Pride of Popularity, a Pride
+of Brow, Equipage, and Parade. There’s a Pride of Tongue without either
+Brains, or Heart to Support it. There’s an Abject, (in fine) and there’s
+a Surly Pride: But to Conclude, there is All This, and a Thousand times
+more of the same Kind and Colour, that lies Naturally Couch’d under This
+Allegory. And not One Instance at last, that is not verify’d by Many and
+Many an Example.
+
+Now as to the Envy of the _Asse_ it was a Double Folly; for he Mistakes
+both the Horses Condition, and his Own. ’Tis Madness to Envy any Creature
+that may in a Moment become Miserable; Or for any Advantage that may in
+a Moment be taken from him. The _Asse_ Envies the _Horse_ to day; and in
+some Few Days more, the _Horse_ comes to Envy Him: Wherefore let no man
+Despair, so long as it is in the Power, either of Death, or of Chance, to
+Remove the Burden. Nothing but Moderation and Greatness of Mind can make,
+either a Prosperous, or an Adverse Fortune Easie to us. The Only Way to
+be Happy is to submit to our Lot; for No man can be properly said to be
+Miserable that is not wanting to Himself. It is Certainly True, that many
+a Jolly Cobler has a Merrier Heart in his Stall, than a Prince in his
+Palace.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XXXIX.
+
+A _Bat_ and a _Weazle_.
+
+
+A _Weazle_ had seiz’d upon a _Bat_, and the _Bat_ begg’d for Life. No,
+No, says the _Weazle_, I give No Quarter to Birds. Ay (says the _Bat_)
+but I’m a Mouse you see; look on my Body else: and so she got off for
+That Bout. The _same Bat_ had the Fortune to be Taken a While after by
+_Another Weazle_; and there the Poor _Bat_ was forc’d to beg for Mercy
+once again. No, says the _Weazle_, No Mercy to a Mouse. Well (says
+T’other,) but you may see by my Wings that I’m a Bird; and so the _Bat_
+scap’d in Both Capacities, by Playing the _Trimmer_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XL.
+
+A _Bat_, _Birds_, and _Beasts_.
+
+
+Upon a Desperate and a Double Battel betwixt the _Birds_ and the
+_Beasts_, the _Bat_ stood _Neuter_, till she found that the _Beasts_ had
+the Better on’t, and then went over to the stronger Side. But it came
+to pass afterward (as the Chance of War is Various) that the _Birds_
+Rally’d their Broken Troops, and carry’d the Day; and away she went then
+to T’other Party, where she was Try’d by a Council of War as a Deserter;
+Stript, Banish’d, and finally Condemn’d never to see Day-light again.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XLI.
+
+An _Estriche_, _Birds_, and _Beasts_.
+
+
+The _Estrich_ is a Creature that passes in Common Reputation, for
+_Half-Bird, Half-Beast_. This _Amphibious_ Wretch happen’d to be Taken
+Twice the same Day, in a Battel betwixt the _Birds_ and the _Beasts_, and
+as an Enemy to Both Parties. The _Birds_ would have him to be a _Beast_,
+and the _Beasts_ Concluded him to be a _Bird_; but upon shewing his
+_Feet_ to prove that he was No _Bird_, and upon shewing his _Wings_, and
+his _Beak_, to prove that he was No _Beast_, they were Satisfy’d upon
+the Whole Matter, that though he seem’d to be Both, he was yet in Truth
+neither the One, nor the Other.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Three FABLES above.
+
+Trimming _in some Cases, is Foul, and Dishonest; in others Laudable, and
+in some again, not only Honest, but Necessary. The Nicety lies in the
+skill of Distinguishing upon Cases, Times, and Degrees._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We are here taught in some Cases to Yield to Times and Occasions; but
+with a Saving still, to Honour, and to Conscience. A Wise and an Honest
+Man will always mean the same Thing; but he’s a Fool that always says the
+same thing. _Æsop_ however Condemns the Double Practices of _Trimmers_,
+and All False, Shuffling, and Ambidextrous Dealings. He gives also
+to understand, that Those that pretend at the same time to serve Two
+Masters, are True to Neither.
+
+The Three Fables next above have a Great Affinity One with Another, and
+yet not without some Remarkable Diversities neither. From the Emblem of
+the _Bat_ and _Weazle_, we are to Gather, that there are Certain Ways,
+Cases, and Occasions, wherein, Disguises, and Artificial Evasions are
+in some Measure Allowable, provided only that there be No Scandalous,
+or Malicious Departure from the Truth. This Shifting of the _Bat_ in
+the Paw of the _Weazle_, was but making the Best of what he had to say,
+and to shew for Himself, toward the saving of his Life. There was No
+Breach of Faith, or of Trust in’t; No Abandoning of a Duty, No Thought of
+Treachery; Nor in Effect, any thing more in’t, then a Fair Christian Way
+of putting out False Colours.
+
+The _Bat_ that stood _Neuter_, may serve for the Character of a
+_Time-serving Trimmer_: He Betrays his Party, first in withdrawing his
+Assistance. Secondly, In going over to the Stronger Side, and Declaring
+Himself an Open Enemy when his Fellows had the Worst on’t. His Judgment,
+in fine, was Just, and if All Double Dealers and Deserters were serv’d as
+This _Bat_ was, it would be an Example of Terrour to Renegades, and of
+Encouragement to Honest men.
+
+The _Estriches_ Case seems to be Different from the Other Two. He Fought,
+(though ’tis not said on which side) and he was Taken in the Battel. He
+had the Shape, but not the Heart of a _Trimmer_, and it was rather Nature
+then Fraud, that brought him off. Now there are Many things in an Affair
+of This Quality that may be Warrantable, even upon the Nicest Scruples of
+Honour, in him that suffers the Violence, which perchance would not be so
+in the Aggressor.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XLII.
+
+A _Wolfe_ and a _Fox_.
+
+
+A _Wolfe_ that had a mind to take his Ease, Stor’d himself Privately with
+Provisions, and so kept Close awhile. Why, how now Friend says a _Fox_
+to him, we han’t seen You abroad at the Chase this many a day! Why truly
+says the _Wolfe_, I have gotten an Indisposition that keeps me much at
+Home, and I hope I shall have Your Prayers for my Recovery. The _Fox_ had
+a Fetch in’t, and when he saw it would not Fadge; Away goes he presently
+to a Shepherd, and tells him where he might surprise a _Wolfe_ if he had
+a mind to’t. The Shepherd follow’d his Directions, and Destroy’d him.
+The _Fox_ immediately, as his Next Heir, repairs to his Cell, and takes
+possession of his Stores; but he had Little Joy of the Purchase, for in a
+very short time, the same Shepherd did as much for the _Fox_, as he had
+done before for the _Wolfe_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis with_ Sharpers _as ’tis with_ Pikes, _they Prey upon their own
+kind; And ’tis a Pleasant Scene enough, when Thieves fall out among
+themselves, to see the Cutting of One Diamond with Another_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Impossible for an Envious Man to be Happy. He makes the World his
+Enemies, and the Mischief that he does to Others, returns in a Judgment
+upon his Own Head. There’s No Trusting of a Crafty Designing Knave. I do
+not speak of the Trust of Privacy and Confidence only; but a Wise Man
+would not so much as Venture himself in such Company, nor let him come
+within distance of so much as knowing how to put a Trick upon him. This
+Fable shews us the Danger of such Conversation. And it shews us likewise
+the Just Fate that Attends the Treachery, even of One Traitor to Another:
+The _Wolfe_ had a Design upon the _Fox_: The _Fox_ had a Counter-Design
+upon the _Wolfe_: (which was no more then a Couple of Crafty Knaves well
+Match’d) And the Shepherd did Justice upon them both.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XLIII.
+
+A _Stag_ Drinking.
+
+
+As a _Stag_ was Drinking upon the Bank of a Clear Stream, he saw his
+Image in the Water, and Enter’d upon This Contemplation upon’t. Well!
+says he, if These Pityful Shanks of mine were but Answerable to this
+Branching Head, I can but think how I should Defy all my Enemies. The
+Words were hardly out of his Mouth, but he Discover’d a Pack of Dogs
+coming full Cry towards him. Away he Scours cross the Fields, Casts off
+the Dogs, and Gains a Wood; but Pressing through a Thicket, the Bushes
+held him by the Horns, till the Hounds came in, and Pluck’d him Down.
+The Last Thing he said was This. What an Unhappy Fool was I, to Take my
+Friends for my Enemies, and my Enemies for my Friends! I Trusted to my
+_Head_, that has Betray’d me, and I found fault with my Legs, that would
+otherwise have brought me off.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that does not throughly know himself, may be well allowed to make a
+False Judgment upon other Matters that most Nearly concern him._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to shew us how perversly we Judge of Many Things, and take the
+Worse for the Better; and the Better for the Worse; upon a very great
+Mistake, both in what we Despise, and in what we Admire. But we are
+rather for that which is Fair, and Plausible in Appearance, then for That
+which is Plain and Profitable in Effect; Even to the Degree of Preferring
+Things Temporal to Eternal.
+
+He that would Know Himself, must look into Himself. ’Tis only the
+Resemblance, or the Shadow that he sees in the Glass, Not the Man. ’Tis
+One Thing to Fancy Greatness of Mind; Another Thing to Practice it; for a
+Body may Promise, nay and resolve upon many Things in Contemplation, that
+he can never make good upon Tryal. How did the _Stag_ despise the _Dogs_
+here, at the sight of his Armed Head in the Fountain; but his Heart went
+quite to another Tune, when the Hounds were at the Heels of him. We are
+likewise taught here, how subject Vain Men are to Glory in that which
+commonly Tends to their Loss, their Misfortune, their Shame, and their
+very Destruction; and yet at the same time to take their Best Friends for
+their Enemies. But there’s a Huge Difference betwixt a False Conception
+of Things, and the True Nature and Reason of them. The _Stag_ Prided
+himself in his Horns, that afterwards Shackled, and were the Ruin of him;
+but made slight of his Pityful _Shanks_, that, if it had not been for his
+Branching Head, would have brought him off.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XLIV.
+
+A _Snake_ and a _File_.
+
+
+There was a _Snake_ got into a Smith’s Shop, and fell to Licking of a
+_File_. She Saw the _File_ Bloody, and still the Bloodier it was, the
+more Eagerly she Lick’d it; upon a Foolish Fancy, that it was the _File_
+that Bled, and that She her self had the Better on’t. In the Conclusion,
+when she could Lick no Longer, she fell to Biting; but finding at last
+she could do no more Good upon’t with her Teeth then with her Tongue, she
+Fairly left it.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a Madness to stand Biting and Snapping at any thing to no manner of
+purpose, more then the Gratifying of an Impotent Rage, in the fancy of
+Hurting Another, when in truth, we only Wound our selves._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable sets out the Malignity of some Spiteful People, that take
+so much Pleasure in the Design of Hurting others, as not to Feel, and
+Understand that they only Hurt themselves. This is the Case of those that
+will be Trying Masteries with their Superiors, and Biting of that which
+is too Hard for their Teeth. There’s no Contending with an Adversary
+that’s either Insensible or Invincible: And the Rule holds, in Matters,
+not only of Actual Force and Violence, but of Fortune and Good Name; for
+’tis no better then Downright Madness, to strike where we have No Power
+to Hurt, and to Contend where we are sure to be Worsted. The Doctrine is
+this, That Every Man should Consider his Own Strength and Act accordingly.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XLV.
+
+A League betwixt the _Wolves_ and the _Sheep_.
+
+
+There was a time when the _Sheep_ were so Hardy as to Wage War with the
+_Wolves_; and so long as they had the _Dogs_ for their Allies, they
+were upon all Encounters, at least a Match for their Enemies. Upon This
+Consideration, the _Wolves_ sent their Embassadors to the _Sheep_, to
+Treat about a Peace, and in the mean Time there were Hostages given
+on Both Sides; the _Dogs_ on the part of the _Sheep_, and the _Wolves
+Whelps_ on the Other Part, ’till Matters might be brought to an Issue.
+While they were upon Treaty, the _Whelps_ fell a Howling; The _Wolves_
+cryed out Treason; and pretending an Infraction in the Abuse of their
+Hostages, fell upon the _Sheep_ immediately without their _Dogs_, and
+made them pay for the Improvidence of leaving themselves without a Guard.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis senseless in the Highest Degree to think of Establishing
+an Alliance among those that Nature her self has Divided, by an
+Inconciliable Disagreement. Beside, that a Foolish Peace is much more
+Destructive then a Bloody War._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+To take This Fable in a Political Sense; a Peace that puts People out of
+Condition of Defence, in Case of a War, must expect a War; and such a
+State as leaves them at the Mercy of an Enemy, is Worse then War it self.
+There’s no Trusting to the Articles and Formalities of an Out-side Peace,
+upon the pretended Reconciliation of an Implacable Enemy. Christian
+Religion bids us Forgive: But Christian Prudence bids us have a Care too,
+whom we Trust. ’Tis just in the World as it is in the _Apologue_. Truces,
+and Cessations, are both Made, and Broken, for Present Convenience; and
+where the Allies find they may be the Better for’t, we may lay down
+this for an undoubted Truth, that there can never want a Colour for a
+Rupture, where there’s a Good Will to’t. ’Tis No New Thing in the World
+for the _Dogs_ that are to keep the _Wolves_ from Worrying the _Sheep_,
+to be deliver’d up to the Enemy for Hostages, for fear the _Sheep_ should
+Worry the _Wolves_. This was our very Case within the Memory of Man,
+when Matters were brought to the same Issue in the Kingdom by’t, that
+they are here in the Fable: Witness the several and several Treaties and
+Proposals that were set on foot under the Countenance of a Good Will to
+Peace: Where only such Conditions were insisted upon by the Designing
+Party, as would be almost Equally Destructive to all Honest Men, whether
+they were Granted or Refused. The One Way the _Wolves_ were to have the
+_Sheep_ left at Mercy; and the Other Way, the Scandal was turn’d upon the
+Refusers, as the Enemies of an Accommodation; Nay and the very _Dogs_
+were turn’d into _Wolves_ too; while Lawyers, and Divines, made the
+Law and the Gospel _Felons of themselves_, and suborn’d the Scriptures
+against the very Christ and his Apostles.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XLVI.
+
+An _Axe_ and a _Forrest_.
+
+
+A Carpenter that had got the Iron-Work of an _Axe_ already, went to the
+Next _Forrest_ to beg only so much Wood as would make a Handle to’t. The
+Matter seem’d so small, that the Request was Easily Granted; but when
+the Timber-Trees came to find that the Whole Wood was to be Cut down by
+the Help of this Handle; _There’s No Remedy_, they cry’d, _but Patience,
+when People are undone by their own Folly_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XLVII.
+
+A _Tree_ and a _Wedge_.
+
+
+A Workman was Cutting down a _Tree_ to make _Wedges_ of it. Well! says
+the _Tree_, I cannot but be extremely Troubled at the Thought of what I
+am now a doing; And I do not so much Complain neither, of the _Axe_ that
+does the Execution, as of the Man that Guides it; but it is My Misery
+that I am to be Destroy’d by the Fruit of my own Body.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XLVIII.
+
+The _Eagle_ and _Arrow_.
+
+
+An _Eagle_ that was Watching upon a Rock once for a _Hare_, had the Ill
+Hap to be struck with an _Arrow_. This _Arrow_, it seems was Feather’d
+from her own Wing, Which very Consideration went nearer her Heart, she
+said, then Death it self.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XLIX.
+
+A _Thrush_ taken with _Birdlime_.
+
+
+It was the Fortune of a Poor _Thrush_, among other Birds, to be taken
+with a Bush of _Lime-Twigs_, and the Miserable Creature Reflecting upon
+it, that the Chief Ingredient in the _Birdlime_ came out of her own Guts:
+I am not half so much Troubled, says the _Thrush_, at the Thought of
+Dying, as at the Fatality of Contributing to my Own Ruine.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Four FABLES above.
+
+_Nothing goes nearer a Man in his Misfortunes, then to find himself
+Undone by his Own Folly, or but any way Accessary to his own Ruine._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Fables of the _Ax-Handle_, and the _Wedge_, serve to precaution us
+not to put our selves Needlessly upon an After Game, but to Weigh before
+hand what we Say, and Do. We should have a Care how we Arm our Enemies
+against our Selves; for there’s Nothing goes Nearer a Man then to be
+Undone by his Own Improvidence; and Nothing afterward more Ridiculous,
+then to Blame Fortune for our own Faults: Though we are so Fram’d by
+Nature, in respect of our Souls and Bodies, that One Part of a Man is
+still Wounded by the Other. Nothing so much Troubled the _Eagle_ and the
+_Thrush_, as the Thought of assisting to their own Destruction.
+
+There’s No living in This World without an Exchange of Civil Offices,
+and the Need we have One of Another, goes a Great Way towards the Making
+of us Love One Another. How is this Amity, and Communication to be
+entertain’d now, but by the Commerce of Giving and Receiving? Reason,
+and Experience, are Sufficient to convince us of the Necessity of such
+a Correspondence; And this Fiction of the _Axe_ and the _Forrest_,
+and so of the _Tree_ and the _Wedge_, shews us the Danger of it too,
+if it be not Manag’d with a Provident Respect to All the Niceties of
+Circumstance, and Contingency in the Case. People have got a Custom,
+’tis true, of Computing upon the Present Need, and Value of things,
+without ever heeding the Consequences of them: As if all our Askings, and
+our Grantings were to be Governed by the Standard of the Market. _’Tis
+so pityful a Bus’ness_, says One, and _it was so small a Thing_, says
+Another; And yet this _Pityful Bus’ness_, and this _Small Thing_, proves
+at last to be as much as a Man’s Life, Honour, and Estate is Worth. Alas!
+What’s a _Handle_ for an _Axe_, out of a whole _Forrest_! What’s the
+Writing of a Man’s Name, or the saying Ay, or No to a Question? And yet
+the very Safety and Honour of our Prince and Country, and the Summ of
+our Well-being lies many a time at Stake upon the Issue of doing either
+the One or the Other. Nay and let the People we have to do withal be
+never so Just and Honest, it is yet a Temerity, and a Folly Inexcusable,
+to deliver up our selves Needlesly into Anothers Power: For He that
+does anything Rashly, must be taken in Equity of Construction to do it
+willingly: for he was free to Deliberate or not: ’Tis Good Advice to
+Consider, First, what the Thing is that is Desired. 2. The Character of
+the Person that Asks. 3. What use may be made on’t to the Detriment of
+him that Grants the Request, and so to Resolve how far in Duty, Humanity,
+Prudence, Justice, and Respect, we are to Comply with it. Wheresoever
+there is Moral Right on the One Hand, No Secondary Interest can Discharge
+it on the Other. A Pris’ner upon Parole must surrender himself upon
+Demand, though he Die for’t. A Man may Contribute to his own Ruin Several
+Ways; but in Cases not to be Foreseen, and so not to be Prevented, it
+may be his Misfortune, and the Man not to blame. We are not to omit
+Precaution however, for fear an Ill Use should be made of those Things
+that we do, even with a Good Intention; but we are still to Distinguish
+betwixt what may Possibly, and what will Probably be done, according to
+the Best Measures we can take of the End of Asking; for there would be
+No Place left for the Functions of Humane Society, if the Possibility of
+Abusing a Kindness, should wholly Divert us from the Exercise of Charity
+and Good Nature. There may be Great Mischief Wrought yet, without any
+thing of a Previous Malice, and it may be Hazardous to Yield, even
+where the Proposal is wholly Innocent. There may be other Propositions
+again, that were Originally Design’d for Snares, to the Short-sighted and
+Credulous. Now ’tis the Art of Life, Critically to Discern the One Case
+from the Other.
+
+There needs Little more to be said to the Emblems of the _Eagle_ and the
+_Thrush_, then to observe, that both by Chance, and by Nature, we are
+made Accessary to our Own Ruins: and That’s enough to Trouble a Body,
+though not to Condemn him.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. L.
+
+The _Belly_ and _Members_.
+
+
+The _Commoners of Rome_ were gone off once into a Direct Faction against
+the _Senate_. They’d pay no _Taxes_, nor be forc’d to bear _Arms_, they
+said, and ’twas against the _Liberty of the Subject_ to pretend to Compel
+them to’t. The Sedition, in short, ran so High, that there was no Hope of
+Reclaiming them, till _Menenius Agrippa_ brought them to their Wits again
+by This _Apologue_:
+
+The _Hands_ and the _Feet_ were in a Desperate Mutiny once against the
+_Belly_. They knew No Reason, they said, why the One should be Lazing,
+and Pampering it self with the Fruit of the Others Labour; and if the
+_Body_ would not Work for Company, they’d be no longer at the Charge of
+Maintaining it. Upon This Mutiny, they kept the _Body_ so long without
+Nourishment, that All the Parts Suffer’d for’t: Insomuch that the _Hands_
+and _Feet_ came in the Conclusion to find their Mistake, and would have
+been willing Then to have Done their Office; but it was now too Late,
+for the _Body_ was so Pin’d with Over-Fasting, that it was wholly out
+of Condition to receive the Benefit of a Relief: which gave them to
+understand, that _Body and Members are to Live and Die together_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Publick is but One Body, and the Prince the Head on’t; so that what
+Member soever withdraws his Service from the Head, is no Better then a
+Negative Traitor to his Country._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Allegory is a Political Reading upon the State and Condition of
+Civil Communities, where the Members have their Several Offices, and
+Every Part Contributes respectively to the Preservation and Service of
+the Whole. ’Tis true, their Operations are More or Less Noble, but the
+Mechanical Faculties can no more be Spar’d then the Intellectual, and
+those that Serve in Council under an Appearance of Rest, are yet as
+Busie, and as Necessary, in their Functions, as those that are Actually
+and Visibly in Motion. Here’s a Caution in fine, to the _Members_, to
+have a care how they withdraw themselves from their Duties, till it shall
+be too late for their Superiours to make use of them.
+
+There is so Near an _Analogy_ betwixt the State of a Body Natural, and
+Politique, that the Necessity of Government and Obedience, cannot be
+better Represented. The Motions of a Popular Faction are so Violent, and
+Unreasonable, that neither Philosophy, Prudence, Experience, nay, nor the
+Holy Writ it self, has the Power (ordinarily speaking) to Work upon them.
+If People would allow themselves Time for Thought and Consideration, they
+would find that the Conservation of the _Body_ depends upon the Proper
+Use and Service of the Several _Parts_; and that the Interest of Every
+Distinct _Member_ of it, is wrapt up in the Support, and Maintenance of
+the _whole_, which obliges them all to Labour in their Respective Offices
+and Functions for the Common Good. There are Degrees of Dignity (no doubt
+on’t) in Both Cases, and One Part is to be Subservient to Another, in
+the Order of Civil Policy, as well as in the Frame of a Man’s Body: so
+that they are mightily out of the way, that take Eating and Drinking,
+and Un-Eating, and Un-Drinking, in a course of Vicissitude, with other
+Offices of Nature that are common to Beasts with Men, to be the Great
+Bus’ness of Mankind, without any further Regard to the Faculties, and
+Duties of our Reasonable Being: For Every _Member_ has its Proper, and
+Respective Function Assign’d it, and not a Finger suffers but the _Whole_
+Feels on’t.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LI.
+
+An _Ape_ and a _Fox_.
+
+
+An _Ape_ that found Many Inconveniences by going _Bare-Arse_, went to a
+_Fox_ that had a Well-spread, Bushy _Tayle_, and begg’d of him only a
+little piece on’t to Cover his Nakedness: For (says he) you have enough
+for Both, and what needs more then you have Occasion for? Well, _John_
+(says the _Fox_) be it More, or be it Less, you get not one Single Hair
+on’t; for I would have ye know, Sirrah, that the _Tayle_ of a _Fox_ was
+never made for the Buttocks of an _Ape_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Providence has Assign’d Every Creature its Station, Lot, Make and
+Figure; and ’tis not for Us to stand Correcting the Works of an
+Incomprehensible Wisdom, and an Almighty Power._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to Reprove the Impertinent, Useless, and Unreasonable Demands of
+Those that first Ask what Another cannot Part with, unless he be a Stark
+Fool, or a Mad-Man. And, 2. That which if they could obtain would be of
+No Use, or Benefit to them at all. The Old Moral carries it to Those also
+that will Part with Nothing to the Poor, even out of their Superfluities:
+But it seems to be Abominably Wrested, for neither did the One want, nor
+had the other Any Thing to spare.
+
+There are Certain Rules to be observed, as well in Asking, as Denying.
+Things against Nature are unreasonable on Both Sides. Things Impossible
+are Ridiculous in the very Proposal; and Things which the One cannot
+Spare, and the Other will be never the Better for, fall naturally within
+the Compass of Exceptions. That is to say, Those Things that we know not
+what to do withal if we Had them; and Those Things again, which Another
+Cannot Part with but to his own Loss and Shame. These Points are the very
+Conditions of This Fable. Here’s a General Caution against Extravagant
+Desires, and yet let the Refusal be never so Just, it is Possible
+however, that a Man may Oppose a most Unconscionable Request for an
+Unjustifiable Reason; As in the Case for the Purpose, of an Ill Natur’d
+Denyal, out of a Dislike of the Man, rather then of the Thing it self.
+
+The Application of This Fable to Avarice, that will part with Nothing,
+seems to be Wrested; for it strikes more properly upon the Folly of
+Peoples not being satisfied with the Appointments of Nature. An _Ape with
+a Tayl_, would be as scandalous, as a _Fox without_ One. Why should not
+Any One Creature Envy the Whole, as well as any One Part of Another: And
+why should not an _Ape_ be as much Troubled that he has no _Wings_, as
+that he has no _Tayl_? This Grumbling Humour has Envy in it, Avarice and
+Ingratitude, and sets up it self in fine against all the Works of the
+Creation.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LII.
+
+A _Lark_ and her _Young Ones_.
+
+
+There was a Brood of Young _Larks_ in the Corn, and the _Dam_, when she
+went abroad to Forrage for them, laid a Strict Charge upon her _Little
+Ones_, to pick up what News they could get against she came back again.
+They told her at her Return, that the Owner of the Field had been there,
+and Order’d his Neighbours to come and Reap the Corn. Well, says the _Old
+One_, there’s no Danger yet then. They told her the next Day that he
+had been there again, and Desir’d his Friends to Do’t. Well, well, says
+she, there’s no Hurt in That neither, and so she went out Progging for
+Provisions again as before. But upon the Third Day, when they told their
+Mother, that the Master and his Son appointed to come Next Morning and
+do’t Themselves: Nay then, says she, ’tis time to look about us: As for
+the Neighbours and the Friends, I fear ’em not; but the Master I’m sure
+will be as good as his word; for ’tis his own business.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LIII.
+
+The _Stag_ and the _Oxen_.
+
+
+A _Stag_ that was hard set by the Huntsmen, betook himself to a Stall for
+Sanctuary, and prevailed with the _Oxen_ to Conceal him the Best they
+could, so they cover’d him with Straw, and by and by in comes the Keeper
+to Dress the Cattel, and to Feed them; and when he had done his Work he
+went his Way without any Discovery. The _Stag_ reckon’d himself by This
+Time to be out of all Danger; but one of the _Oxen_ that had more Brains
+then his Fellows, advis’d him not to be too Confident neither; for the
+Servant, says he, is a Puzzling Fool, that heeds Nothing; but when my
+Master comes, he’ll have an Eye _Here and There and Everywhere_, and will
+most certainly find ye out. Upon the very Speaking of the Word, in comes
+the Master, and He spies out Twenty Faults, I warrant ye; This was not
+Well, and That was not Well; till at last, as he was Prying and Groping
+up and down, he felt the Horns of the _Stag_ under the Straw, and so made
+Prize of Him.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_He that would be sure to have his Bus’ness Well Done, must either Do
+it Himself, or see the Doing of it; Beside that many a Good Servant is
+Spoil’d by a Careless Master._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Interest Does more in the World then Faith and Honesty; for Men are more
+sensible in their own Case then in Anothers; which is all but according
+to the Old Saying, _Command your Man, and Do’t Your Self_. Neither, in
+Truth, is it Reasonable, that Another should be more Careful of Me, then
+I am of myself. Every Man’s Bus’ness is Best Done when he looks after it
+with his Own Eyes: And in short, _when Every Man looks to One, the Care
+is taken for All_.
+
+We are likewise given to understand, in the Misfortune, and Mistake of
+the _Stag_, how Rare a Felicity it is for a Man in Distress, to find out
+such a Patron as has the Will and the Resolution, the Skill, and the
+Power, to Relieve him; and that it is not Every Man’s Talent neither
+to make _the Best of a Bad Game_. The Morality of this Caution is as
+good a Lesson to Governments, as to Private Families. For a Prince’s
+Leaving his Bus’ness Wholly to his Ministers without a Strict Eye over
+them in their respective Offices and Functions, is as Dangerous an
+Errour in _Politiques_, as a Master’s Committing All to his Servants
+is in _Oeconomicks_. It is Effectually a Translation of the Authority,
+when a Superiour trusts himself Implicitly to the Faith, Care, Honesty
+and Discretion of an Inferiour. To say nothing of the Temptation to
+Bribery and False Dealing, when so much may be Gotten by’t with so
+Little Hazzard, either of Discovery, or Punishment. Beside the Desperate
+Inconvenience of setting up a Wrong Interest, by drawing Applications
+out of the Proper Channel; and Committing the Authority and Duty of the
+Master to the Honesty and Discretion of the Servant. Men will be True to
+themselves how Faithless soever to One Another.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LIV.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Sick Lion_.
+
+
+A Certain _Lion_ that had got a Politique Fit of Sickness, made it his
+Observation, that of All the Beasts in the Forest, the _Fox_ never came
+at him: And so he wrote him Word how Ill he was, and how Mighty Glad
+he should be of his Company, upon the Score of Ancient Friendship and
+Acquaintance. The _Fox_ return’d the Complement with a Thousand Prayers
+for his Recovery; but as for Waiting upon him, he desir’d to be Excus’d;
+For (says he) I find the Traces of abundance of Feet Going In to Your
+Majesty’s Palace, and not One that comes Back again.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Kindnesses of Ill Natur’d and Designing People, should be throughly
+Consider’d, and Examin’d, before we give Credit to them._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s but a Hair’s Breadth here, betwixt an Office of Great Piety,
+Humanity and Virtue, and an Action of Extreme Folly, Improvidence, and
+Hazzard. But the _Fox_ saw through the Complement, and that it was, in
+Truth, but an Invitation of him to his own Funeral. We meet with many of
+These Dangerous Civilities in the World, wherein ’tis a Hard Matter for a
+Man to Save, both his Skin and his Credit.
+
+’Tis a Difficult Point to Hit the True _Medium_, betwixt Trusting too
+Much, and too Little, for fear of Incurring a Danger on the One Hand, or
+giving a Scandal on the Other. Complements are only Words of Course, and
+though One External Civility may be Current Payment for Another, yet a
+Man would be loth to Venture his All upon a Figure of Speech, where the
+Meaning is so Nicely Divided betwixt Jest and Earnest. ’Tis a Base Thing
+to suspect a Friend, or an Honest Man, Nay ’tis a Base Thing to suspect
+any Man, that but Looks like One; so as to Wound him; That is, either in
+a Word, or in a Thought. But then ’tis Death perhaps to be Impos’d upon
+by an Hypocrite under that Masque. So that the Character of a Wise Man,
+lyes at Stake upon Matter of Judgment, One Way, and of a Good Natur’d
+Man, the Other Way. The Middle Course is to Hide our Distrust where we
+are doubtful, and to be Free, and Open, where we may be Secure. There’s
+No Living without Trusting some body or Other, in some Cases, or at
+some Time or Other: But then if People be not Cautious, Whom, When, and
+Wherein, the Mistake may be Mortal; for there must be somewhat of a Trust
+to make way for a Treachery; since No Man can be Betray’d that does not
+either Believe, or seem to Believe: So that the _Fox_ did well to Weigh
+All Circumstances before he came to a Resolution. The _Lion_’s Design was
+well enough Cover’d under the Disguise of a Counterfeit Sickness, and
+a Dissembled Tenderness and Respect, for the Drawing of the _Fox_ into
+the Toyle. For there was the Civility of an Invitation, on the One Hand,
+and some Colour of a Right to a Visit, though but out of Compassion and
+Good Manners, on the Other: But the _Foxes_ Sagacity, and the Prints of
+the Feet Spoil’d All. This Fable in One Word more, bids us be Careful
+how we Trust in Any Case without looking Well about us: for ’tis Half
+the Bus’ness of One part of the World to put Tricks upon T’other. The
+Heart of Man is like a Bog, it looks Fair to the Eye; but when we come
+to lay any Weight upon’t, the Ground is False under us. Nothing could be
+more Obliging and Respectful then the _Lyon_’s Letter was, in Terms and
+Appearance; but there was _Death_ yet in the True Intent and Meaning on’t.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LV.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Weazle_.
+
+
+A Slam, Thin-Gutted _Fox_ made a Hard Shift to Wriggle his Body into a
+Hen-Roost, and when he had stuff’d his Guts well, he squeez’d hard to
+get out again; but the Hole was too Little for him. There was a _Weazle_
+a pretty way off, that stood Learing at him all This While. Brother
+_Reynard_; (says he) Your Belly was Empty when you went In, and you must
+e’en stay till Your Belly be Empty again, before you come Out.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Temperance keeps the Whole Man in Order, and in a Good Disposition,
+either for Thought or Action, but the Indulging of the Appetite brings a
+Clog, both upon the Body and Mind._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+In a Middle State, both of Body, and of Fortune, a Man is better Dispos’d
+for the Offices of Humane Society, and the Functions of Reasonable
+Nature; and the Heart is also freer from Cares and Troubles. There are
+Unwieldy Minds as well as Unwieldy Bodies, and the Fumes of the One
+Obstruct the Operations of the Other. The Head of a Philosopher will
+never do well upon the Shoulders of an Epicure. The Body and the Soul are
+Inseparable Companions, and it is against the Nature of This Reasonable
+Union, for the One to be a Clog to the other. The _Foxes_ here, is the
+Case of many a _Publick Minister_, that comes Empty In, but when he has
+Cram’d his Gutts well, he’s fain to squeeze hard before he can get off
+again; and glad to Compound with his very Skin for his Carcase.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LVI.
+
+A _Boar_ and a _Horse_.
+
+
+A _Boar_ happen’d to be Wallowing in the Water where a _Horse_ was going
+to Drink, and there grew a Quarrel upon’t. The _Horse_ went presently to
+a _Man_, to Assist him in his Revenge. They agreed upon the Conditions,
+and the _Man_ immediately Arm’d himself, and mounted the _Horse_, who
+carry’d him to the _Boar_, and had the satisfaction of seeing his
+Enemy Kill’d before his Face. The _Horse_ Thank’d the Cavalier for his
+Kindness, but as he was just about to take leave, the _Man_ say’d he
+should have further Occasion for him, and so Order’d him to be Ty’d up in
+the Stable. The Horse came by This Time, to Understand, that his Liberty
+was gone, and No Help for’t, and that he had paid Dear for his Revenge.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LVII.
+
+A _Stag_ and a _Horse_.
+
+
+Upon a Dispute betwixt a _Stag_ and a _Horse_ about a piece of Pasture,
+the _Stag_ got the Better on’t, and beat the Other out of the Field. The
+_Horse_, upon This Affront, Advis’d with a _Man_ what Course to Take; who
+told him, that if he would Submit to be Bridled, and Sadled, and take a
+_Man_ upon his Back with a Lance in his Hand, he would undertake to give
+him the Satisfaction of a Revenge. The _Horse_ came to his Terms, and for
+the Gratifying of a Present Passion, made himself a Slave all the days of
+his Life. _Stesichorus_ made use of This Fable to Divert the _Himerenses_
+from Chusing _Phalaris_ the Tyrant for their General. This _Horses_ Case,
+says he, will be Yours, if you go on with your Proposals. ’Tis true,
+You’l have your _Revenge_, but you’l lose your _Liberties_; Upon which
+Words the Motion fell.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_Let every Man take a True Measure of Himself, what he is Able to do, and
+what Not; before he comes to any Peremptory Resolution how to Proceed.
+He is a Madman, that to Avoid a Present, and a Less Evil, runs Blindfold
+into a Greater; and for the Gratifying of a Froward Humour, makes himself
+a Slave All the Days of his Life._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+These Fables lay Open to us the Folly of Those People that make
+themselves Slaves to their Revenge; for no Man should be so Angry with
+Another, as to Hurt Himself for’t. We should likewise Consider, that
+there’s More Hazard in the succour of a New Powerful Friend, then in the
+Hostility of an Old Dangerous Enemy; and that the Greatest Empires upon
+the Face of the Earth, have had their Rise from the Pretence of Taking up
+Quarrels, or Keeping the Peace.
+
+These Fables tell us, that it is a Rule of Good Discretion in all Matters
+of Quarrel, and Controversie, for Him that is Worsted to have a Great
+Care Whom he calls to his Aid: Especially when there’s more of Passion
+then Necessity in the Case. The _Horse_ might have Quench’d his Thirst
+with Troubled Water; or he might have stay’d the Clearing of it; Or
+Chang’d his Wat’ring Place; Or when he was forc’d out of One Pasture he
+might have taken up in Another, which would have Preserv’d his Liberty
+upon the Main, though not as to this Particular: But his Stomach was too
+Great, it seems, to Digest the Affront, without having his Enemy at his
+Feet: so that he gives up his Freedom to Gain his Revenge. He has Fair
+Words however, Rich Trappings, and Large Promises; but Works only for
+his Master; and if at any time he does but Slacken his Pace, or abate,
+either in his Zeal, or in his Mettle, the Spur is immediately in the
+Flank of him: Or if he be Unruly, the Bit’s upon the Check to keep him
+to his Duty. The _Stag_ was too hard for the _Horse_; and the _Horse_
+flyes for Succour to One that’s too Hard for _Him_, and Rides the One to
+Death, and Outright Kills the Other. It were Well, if Possible, to keep
+All Potent Enemies to the Behaviour in such a Case as This, Especially if
+they Appear under the Shape of Friends: But if People will Venture Life,
+Liberty and All, for the Clawing of an Itch, and lay Violent Hands upon
+Themselves, there’s no Fence for’t.
+
+That which _Men_ are to _Horses_, in the Scale of Creatures, Men in Power
+and Authority, are in some Proportion to the Poor and Weak: That is to
+say in the _Analogy_ of Servitude, and Drudgery; and in the carrying
+of some sort of Burdens that are a Shame to the Bearer. They Toyl and
+Moyl for the Interest of their Masters, that in requital, break the very
+Hearts of them for their Pleasure; and the Freer they are of their Flesh,
+the more Scandalous is the Bondage. When they have done All that _Horses_
+can do, they are Lash’d, Spurr’d, Revil’d, and Ill Treated, for not being
+able to do More: They are Hurry’d on without either Respite or Reason;
+And after they have carry’d their Riders safe over All Leaps, and through
+All Dangers, and by All Ways and Means Contributed to the Ease, Credit,
+and Security of their Masters, what comes of them in the End, but to be
+Strain’d, Founder’d, or Broken Winded; Old Age Overtakes them, and they
+are e’en Glad to take up in a Mill at last with Grains and Thistles, and
+there spend the Remainder of a Wretched Life in a Circulation of Misery
+and Labour. If any Man of War, or State, shall find this Case to be his
+Own, and Himself Touch’d in the Moral of This Fable, let him keep his Own
+Councel, and learn to be Wiser hereafter. And we may learn This Lesson of
+the _Horse_ too, not to Sacrifice our Honour, Liberty, and Conscience, to
+a Freak.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LVIII.
+
+Two _Young Men_ and a _Cook_.
+
+
+_Two Young Fellows_ Slipt into a _Cook’s_ Shop, and while the Master was
+Busie at his Work, One of them Stole a piece of Flesh, and Convey’d it to
+the Other. The Master Miss’d it immediately, and Challeng’d them with the
+Theft. He that Took it, Swore He had None on’t. And He that Had it, Swore
+as Desperately that He did not Take it. The _Cook_ Reflecting upon the
+Conceit: Well, My Masters, (says he) These Frauds and Fallacies may pass
+upon Men; but there’s an Eye Above that sees through them.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s No Putting of Tricks upon an All-Seeing Power; as if He that
+Made our Hearts, and knows Every Nook and Corner of them, could not see
+thorough the Childish Fallacy of a Double-Meaning._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable concerns those that think to Deceive God with Fallacies of
+Words, Equivocations, Mental Reservations, and Double Meanings; but
+though Frauds and Perjuries may pass upon Men for a Season, they are as
+Open as the Light yet to Him that Searches the Heart. A Man had better
+be a Downright _Atheist_, then in such a Case as This, an Equivocating
+_Hypocrite_: For He that Denies a Providence, or Doubts whether there be
+any God at all, is much more Pardonable, then Another that Acknowledges,
+and Confesses an All-Seeing and an Almighty Power; and yet at the Same
+Time, most Blasphemously Affronts it. ’Tis a Great Unhappiness that
+Children should be so much Addicted (as we see they are) to This Way and
+Humour of Shuffling: But it is a Greater Shame and Mischief, for Parents,
+Governours, and Tutors, to Encourage, and Allow them in’t, and so
+(Effectually) to Train them up to One of the most Dangerous Corruptions
+they are Capable of, in Countenancing the very Ground Work of a False
+and Treacherous Life. There must be no Paradoxing or Playing Tricks with
+Things Sacred. Truth is the Great Lesson of Reasonable Nature, both in
+Philosophy, and in Religion. Now there is a Truth of Opinion; a Truth of
+Fact, and a Truth in Simplicity and Sincerity of Thought, Word, and Deed.
+The Last of the Three is the Truth that is here in question. The Knack of
+_Fast and Loose_ passes with a world of Foolish People for a Turn of Wit;
+but they are not aware all this while, of the Desperate Consequences of
+an Ill Habit, and that the Practice of Falsifying with Men, will lead us
+on Insensibly to a Double Dealing even with God Himself.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LIX.
+
+A _Dog_ and a _Butcher_.
+
+
+As a _Butcher_ was Busy about his Meat, a _Dog_ runs away with a Sheeps
+Heart. The _Butcher_ saw him upon the Gallop with a piece of flesh in’s
+Mouth, and call’d out after him, Heark ye Friend (says he) you may e’en
+make the Best of your Purchase, so long as Y’ave made me the Wiser for’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_It may serve as a Comfort to us in All Our Calamities and Afflictions,
+that He that Loses any thing and gets Wisdom by’t, is a Gainer by the
+Loss._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+No Man is to Account any thing a Loss, if he gets Wisdom by the bargain:
+Beside, that _Bought Wit is Best_. It is in some Proportion, in the
+Business of this World, as it is in that of the Next: In the Cases,
+(I mean, of Losses, Miscarriages and Disappointments): We are in Both
+Respects the Better for them (Provided they be not Mortal, that is) for
+they are Monitory and Instructive. Affliction makes a Man Both Honest
+and Wise; for the smart brings him to a sense of his Errour, and the
+Experiment to the Knowledge of it. We have I know not how many _Adages_
+to back the Reason of This Moral, _Hang a Dog upon a Crab-Tree_ (we say)
+_and He’ll never love Verjuyce_. And then we have it again in That Common
+saying, _The Burnt Child Dreads the Fire_. ’Tis Wandring Many times,
+whether it be in Opinion, or in Travelling, that sets a Man Right in his
+Judgment, and brings him into the way. The _Dogs_ running away with the
+Flesh, Does as good as bid the _Cook_ look Better to’t Another time.
+
+A _Dog_ and a _Sheep_. See Fable and Moral 29.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LX.
+
+A _Wolfe_, a _Lamb_, and a _Goat_.
+
+
+As a _Lamb_ was following a Goat, Up comes a _Wolfe_, wheedling, to get
+him aside, and make a Breakfast of him: Why what a Fool art thou, says
+the _Wolfe_; that may’st have thy Belly full of Sweet Milk at Home, to
+leave thy _Mother_ for a Nasty Stinking _Goat_! Well, says the _Lamb_,
+but my Mother has Plac’d me here for my Security; and you’d fain get me
+into a Corner to Worry me. Pray’e, which of the Two am I to Trust to Now?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Where there’s the Order of a Parent on the One side, and the Advice of
+an Ill Man, and a Profess’d Enemy, on the Other, in Opposition to That
+Command; Disobedience would be Undoubtedly the Ready Way to Destruction._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable Preaches both Obedience and Caution; the One as a Matter of
+Duty, the Other as a Point of Prudence. The _Wolfe_ sings directly the
+same Note here with the Common Seducers and Incendiaries, that we Meet
+with in the world. And to the same End too; for they are both Agreed
+upon’t, that so soon as ever they shall have withdrawn the _Lambs_, or
+the _People_, from their _Religion_ and _Allegiance_, and gotten them out
+of the Pale, and Protection of their Parents and Governours, they’l make
+a Prey of ’em Themselves. What’s the Wheedling of the _Lamb_ out of the
+Station where Authority had Plac’d him, to go home again for a Belly-full
+of Sweet Milk; but a State-Trick of Inveigling the Multitude into a
+Fools-Paradise, without Understanding One Word of the Matter in Question!
+But some _Lambs_ are Wiser and Honester then some _Men_: And this very
+_Lamb’s_ Answer might have become the Mouth of a Good Christian and a
+Good Subject. For a Conclusion; The _Wolves_ Preaching to the _Sheep_,
+and the _Foxes_ Preaching to the _Geese_, hold forth the same Moral.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXI.
+
+A _Cat_ and _Venus_.
+
+
+A _Young Fellow_ that was Passionately in Love with a _Cat_, made it his
+Humble Suit to _Venus_ to turn _Puss_ into a _Woman_. The Transformation
+was wrought in the Twinkling of an Eye, and Out she comes, a very
+Bucksome Lass. The Doting Sot took her home to his Bed; and bad Fair
+for a Litter of Kittens by her That Night: But as the Loving Couple lay
+Snugging together, a Toy took _Venus_ in the Head, to try if the _Cat_
+had chang’d her Manners with her Shape; and so for Experiment, turn’d a
+_Mouse_ loose into the Chamber. The _Cat_, upon This Temptation, Started
+out of the Bed, and without any regard to the Marriage-Joys, made a Leap
+at the Mouse, which _Venus_ took for so High an Affront, that she turn’d
+the Madam into a _Puss_ again.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Extravagant Transports of Love, and the Wonderful Force of Nature,
+are unaccountable; The One carries us Out of our Selves, and the Other
+brings us Back again._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to lay before us the Charms and Extravagances of a Blind Love.
+It Covers all Imperfections, and Considers neither Quality, nor Merit.
+How many Noble Whores has it made, and how many Imperial Slaves! And let
+the Defects be never so Gross, it either Palliates, or Excuses them. The
+_Womans_ Leaping at the _Mouse_, tells us also how Impossible it is to
+make Nature Change her Biass, and that _if we shut her out at the Door,
+she’ll come in at the Window_.
+
+Here’s the Image of a Wild and Fantastical Love, under the Cover of
+as Extravagant a Fable, and it is all but Fancy at last too; for Men
+do not See, or Tast, or Find the Thing they Love, but they Create it.
+They Fashion an Idol, in what Figure or Shape they please; Set it up,
+Worship it, Dote upon it; Pursue it; and in fine, run Mad for’t. How many
+Passions have we seen in the World, Ridiculous enough to Answer All the
+Follies of this Imagination! It was much for _Venus_ to turn a Cat into
+a Woman, and for that Cully again to take That _Cat_ for a _Woman_: What
+is it Less now, for a Fop to Form an _Idea_ of the _Woman_ he Dyes for,
+Every jot as Unlike That _Woman_, as the _Cat_ is to the _Mistress_? Let
+This Suffice for the Impostures, and Illusions of That Passion.
+
+We are further given to Understand that No Counterfeit is so Steady, and
+so Equally Drawn, but Nature by Starts will shew her self thorough it;
+for _Puss_, even when she’s a _Madam_, will be a _Mouser_ still. ’Tis the
+Same Thing with a Hypocrite, which is only a Devil dress’d up with a Ray
+about him, and Transform’d into an Angel of Light. Take him in the very
+Raptures of his Devotion, and do but throw a parcel of _Church-Lands_
+in his way, he shall Leap at the Sacrilege from the very Throne of his
+Glory, as _Puss_ did at the _Mouse_; and Pick your Pocket, as a _French
+Poet_ says of a _Jesuit_, in the Middle of his _Paternoster_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXII.
+
+A _Father_ and his _Sons_.
+
+
+It was the Hap of a very Honest Man to be the _Father_ of a Contentious
+Brood of _Children_. He call’d for a Rod, and bad ’em Take it, and Try
+One after Another with All their Force, if they could Break it. They
+Try’d, and could not. Well (says he) Unbind it now, and take Every Twig
+of it apart, and see what you can do That Way. They Did so, and with
+Great Ease, by One and One, they snapt it all to pieces. This (says he)
+is the True Emblem of Your Condition. Keep Together and Y’are Safe,
+Divide, and Y’are Undone.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Breach of Unity puts the World, and All that’s in’t, into a state
+of War, and turns Every Man’s Hand against his Brother; but so long as
+the Band holds, ’tis the Strength of All the Several Parts of it Gather’d
+into One._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to Intimate the Force of Union, and the Danger of Division. What
+has it been but Division that has Expos’d Christendom to the Enemies of
+the Christian Faith? And it is as Ruinous in Private as ’tis in Publique.
+A Divided Family can no more Stand, then a Divided Common-Wealth; for
+every Individual Suffers in the Neglect of a Common Safety. ’Tis a
+Strange Thing that Men should not do That under the Government of a
+Rational Spirit and a Natural Prudence, which Wolves and Boares do by the
+Impulse of an Animal Instinct. For they, we see, will make Head, _One
+and All_ against a Common Enemy; whereas the Generality of Mankind lye
+Pecking at One Another, till One by One, they are all Torn to Pieces,
+Never considering (with the _Father_ here) the Necessity and Strength of
+Union.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXIII.
+
+A _Laden Asse_ and a _Horse_.
+
+
+As a _Horse_ and an _Asse_ were upon the way together, the _Asse_ cryed
+out to his Companion, to Ease him, of his Burden, though never so
+little, he should fall down dead else. The _Horse_ would not; and so his
+Fellow-Servant sunk under his Load. The Master, upon This, had the _Asse_
+Flay’d, and laid his Whole Pack, Skin and All, upon the _Horse_. Well
+(says he) This Judgment is befall’n me for my Ill Nature, in refusing to
+help my Brother in the Depth of his Distress.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_It is a Christian, a Natural, a Reasonable, and a Political Duty, for
+All Members of the same Body to Assist One Another._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Bus’ness of the World, is more or less, the Bus’ness of Every Man
+that lives in’t; And if the Great and the Small do not Joyn in One Common
+Assistance, where the Matter requires it, they are in Danger to be Both
+Undone; So that it is for the Good of the Whole, that the Several Parts
+take care One of Another.
+
+We have here set before us the Mischiefs of Ill Nature, and Imprudence,
+both in One; and the Folly of not Heeding the Duty, as well as the Common
+Necessity of Helping One Another. [_This is None of My Bus’ness_] we
+Cry: never considering, that in Things Requisite to be done, what One
+Cannot, Another Must: Beside, that in the Case of a Fellow-Servant, or
+an Honest Neighbour, I am as much bound to save him from Sinking under
+a Heavy Burthen, as I am to give him a Cup of Drink, or a Morsel of
+Bread, to keep him from Choaking or Starving: It makes a Breach in a
+Community, when Particular Men shall take upon them to Divide from the
+Common Service of the Body: And He that sets up a Private Interest,
+Separate from the Publique, Discontinues the Connexion of the Government,
+by Cutting off That Link of the Chain. But the Miseries and Calamities
+that follow upon departing from the Known Rules and Measures of Political
+Order, are sufficient to Enlighten us in the Reason of Political Methods,
+and to Excite us to an Agreement in all Reciprocal Services, One with
+Another. There’s the Duty of Charity in’t, and the Foundations of
+Governing Prudence; Beside, that we are likewise Mov’d to’t, by a Sense
+of Tenderness, Honour and Justice.
+
+The Churlish Humour of this _Horse_, is too much the Humour of Mankind,
+even in the Case of Subjects to the same Master; but such is the Vanity
+that many People draw from their Titles, and their Trappings, that they
+look down upon their Fellows, as if they were not All made of the same
+Clay. To speak the Plain Truth of the Matter, ’Tis the Little People that
+support the Great; and when the Foundation fails, the whole Fabrick must
+either drop into Rubbish, or otherwise Rest upon the Shoulders of their
+Superiours.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXIV.
+
+A _Collier_ and a _Fuller_.
+
+
+A _Fuller_ had a very kind Invitation from a _Collier_ to come and Live
+in the House with him. He gave him a Thousand Thanks for his Civility;
+but told him that it would not Stand with his Convenience; for (says he)
+as fast as I make any thing Clean, You’ll be Smutting it again.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXV.
+
+A _Thrush_ and a _Swallow_.
+
+
+Ah my Dear Mother! says the _Thrush_, Never had any Creature such a
+Friend as I have, of this same _Swallow_. No, says she, nor ever any
+Mother such a Fool to her Son as I have, of this same _Thrush_: To talk
+of a Friendship betwixt People that cannot so much as live together in
+the same Climate and Season. One is for the Summer, T’other for the
+Winter; And that which keeps You Alive, kills your Companion.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_’Tis a Necessary Rule in Alliances, Matches, Societies, Fraternities,
+Friendships, Partnerships, Commerce, and All Manner of Civil Dealings and
+Contracts, to have a Strict Regard to the Humour, the Nature, and the
+Disposition of those we have to do withall._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to bid us have a Care what Friendships we Contract, and what
+Company we keep; for Contrary Humours and Manners will never agree
+together. There can be no Thought of Uniting Those that Nature it self
+has Divided. And this Caution holds good in all the Bus’ness of a Sober
+Man’s Life; as Marriage, Studies, Pleasures, Society, Commerce, and the
+like: ’Tis in some sort, with _Friends_ (Pardon the Coursness of the
+Illustration) as it is with _Dogs in Couples_. They should be of the
+Same Size, and Humour; and That which pleases the One should Please
+the Other; But if they Draw Several Ways, and if One be too Strong for
+T’other, they’ll be ready to Hang themselves upon Every Gate, or Style
+they come at. This is the Moral of the Friendship betwixt a _Thrush_ and
+a _Swallow_, that can never Live together.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXVI.
+
+A _Fowler_ and a _Pigeon_.
+
+
+As a _Country Fellow_ was making a Shoot at a _Pigeon_, he trod upon a
+_Snake_ that bit him by the Leg. The Surprize Startled him, and away flew
+the Bird.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We are to Distinguish betwixt the Benefits of Good Will, and those of
+Providence: For the Latter are immediately from Heaven, where no Humane
+Intention Intervenes._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Mischief that we Meditate to Others, falls commonly upon our Own
+Heads, and Ends in a Judgment, as well as a Disappointment. Take it
+Another Way, and it may serve to Mind us how Happily People are Diverted
+Many Times from the Execution of a Malicious Design, by the Grace and
+Goodness of a Preventing Providence. A Pistol’s not taking Fire may
+save the Life of a Good Man; and the Innocent _Pigeon_ had Dy’d, if the
+Spiteful _Snake_ had not Broken the _Fowler’s_ Aim: That is to say; Good
+may be drawn out of Evil, and a Body’s Life may be Sav’d without having
+any Obligation to his Preserver.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXVII.
+
+A _Trumpeter_ taken Prisoner.
+
+
+Upon the Rout of an Army there was a _Trumpeter_ made a Pris’ner, and as
+the Soldiers were about to Cut his Throat; _Gentlemen_, (says he) _Why
+should you Kill a Man that Kills No Body?_ You shall Die the rather for
+That, cry’s one of the Company, for being so mean a Rascal, as to set
+other People together by the Ears without fighting your self.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that Provokes and Incites Mischief is the Doer of it. ’Tis the Man
+that Kills Me, the Bullet is only a Passive Instrument to serve his End
+that directs it._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to Reprove Those (according to the old Moral) that Stir up Men in
+Power to do Public Mischief; which is much Worse then any Man’s Doing a
+Private One Himself: And only a Safer Way of Committing greater Outrages.
+
+The _Trumpeter’s_ Plea is so Arrant a Shuffle here, that an _Incendiary_
+at the _Bar_, or in the _Pulpit_, has as much to say for Himself. He that
+Countenances, Encourages, or Abettes a Mischief, Does it. The Seditious
+Lawyer, or Divine, Kills No Body with his own Hand, but by a False Gloss
+perhaps, upon a Law, or a Text, he may Cause Ten Thousand Swords to be
+Drawn, without Spilling One Drop of Blood immediately Himself. Shall any
+Man now, that Wilfully, and Maliciously, procures the Cutting of whole
+Armies to Pieces, set up for an Innocent? As if the lives that were taken
+away by his Instigation, were not to be Charged upon his Account. He that
+Covers Murder, Oppression, Sacrilege, Rebellion, with a Cloak of Statute
+and Scripture, makes God and Government, Effectually the Authors of the
+Wickedness: And those are the Basest, and Worst of _Bravo’s_, that Employ
+_Journeymen Mercenaries_ under them to do the Work. What is This, but to
+Engage our Bibles, and our Law Books in a Conspiracy against Themselves?
+Shall He that gives Fire to the Train, pretend to Wash his Hands of the
+Hurt that’s done by the Playing of the Mine? Humane Corruptions are as
+Catching as Powder; as Easily Enflam’d, and the Fire afterwards as Hard
+to be Quench’d. That which a Man Causes to be Done, he Does Himself, and
+’tis all a case whether he does it by Practice, Precept, or Example. In
+One Word, He that Kindles the Passions of the _Mobile_, is Answerable
+for the Following Conflagration. When the Men of the Long Robe have once
+Preach’d the People to Tinder, the Least Spark sets them a Fire: so that
+they have no more to do then to Inculcate the Doctrine of Disobedience,
+and then leave the Multitude to chew upon’t. A _Trumpeter_ in the
+_Pulpit_ is the very Emblem of a _Trumpeter_ in the _Field_; and the
+same Charge holds Good against Both. Only the _Spiritual Trumpeter_ is
+the more Pernicious Instrument of the Two; for the Latter serves only to
+Rouze the Courage of the Soldiers without any Doctrine of Application
+upon the Text, whereas the other infuses Malice over and above, and
+Preaches Death and Damnation, Both in One, and gives ye the very Chapter
+and Verse for’t.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXVIII.
+
+A _Dog_ and a _Wolfe_.
+
+
+There was a Hagged Carrion of a _Wolfe_, and a Jolly Sort of a Gentile
+_Dog_, with Good Flesh upon’s Back, that fell into Company together
+upon the King’s High-Way. The _Wolfe_ was wonderfully pleas’d with his
+Companion, and as Inquisitive to Learn how he brought himself to That
+Blessed State of Body. Why, says the _Dog_, I keep my Master’s House from
+Thieves, and I have very Good Meat, Drink, and Lodging for my pains. Now
+if you’ll go along with Me, and do as I do, you may fare as I fare. The
+_Wolfe_ Struck up the Bargain, and so away they Trotted together: But as
+they were Jogging on, the _Wolfe_ spy’d a Bare Place about the _Dog’s_
+Neck, where the Hair was worn off. Brother (says he) how comes this I
+prethee? Oh, That’s Nothing, says the _Dog_, but the Fretting of my
+_Collar_ a little. Nay, says T’other, if there be a _Collar_ in the Case,
+I know Better Things then to sell my Liberty for a Crust.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We are so Dazzel’d with the Glare of a Splendid Appearance, that we can
+hardly Discern the Inconveniences that Attend it. ’Tis a Comfort to have
+Good Meat and Drink at Command, and Warm Lodging: But He that sells his
+Freedom, for the Cramming of his Gutt, has but a hard Bargain of it._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+In This Emblem is set forth the Blessing of Liberty, and the Sordid
+Meanness of those Wretches that sacrifice their Freedom to their Lusts,
+and their Palates. What Man in his Right Senses, that has wherewithal
+to Live Free, would make himself a Slave for Superfluities! The _Wolfe_
+would have been well enough Content to have Barter’d away a Ragged Coat,
+and a Raw-Bon’d Carcass, for a Smooth and a Fat One; but when they came
+to talk of a _Collar_ once, away Marches He to his Old Trade in the Woods
+again, and makes the Better Choice of the Two.
+
+To speak to the First Point, we are lyable to be Impos’d upon by
+Outsides and Appearances, for want of Searching things to the Bottom,
+and Examining what Really they are, and what they Only seem to be. This
+Fiction of the _Wolfe_, is a Reproof to Eager Appetites, and Over-Hasty
+Judgments, that will not give themselves time to Ballance Accounts, and
+Compute Beforehand, whether they are to get or Lose by the Bargain. It
+holds as well against Intemperate Curiosities, and Rash Wishes, That is
+to say, against the Folly of the One, and the Wickedness of the Other;
+for if we come once to take Evil for Good, _our very Prayers are turn’d
+into Sin_: But what with a Certain Itch of Prying into, and Meddling with
+Other Peoples Matters, and a Natural Levity that puts us upon Shifting
+and Changing, we fall Insensibly into a Thousand Inconveniences: and
+when it comes to That once, that we find our selves Uneasie at Home, and
+no Resting-Place in our Own Thoughts, (where Rest is Only to be had) we
+are e’en glad to run away from our Selves, and Hunt abroad for’t where
+’tis never to be found. This is the Common Root of all our Wandrings and
+Errors. We Spend our Time, and our Peace, in Pursuit of Things wholly
+Forreign to our Business, and which will Certainly Deceive us at last.
+
+Thus it Is, and Thus it must be, so long as we take Every thing by a
+Wrong Handle, and only Calculate upon our Own Misfortunes, without any
+Allowance for the Comforts that we Enjoy. And so we reckon upon our
+Neighbours Enjoyments, on the Other hand, without any Consideration
+for the Hardships that They Endure. Oh that I had but such a Palace!
+Says One; Such an Estate; Such a Retinue; This Glorious Train; That
+Lovely Woman, _&c._ Nay the Envious Freak Descends to the very Point,
+and Petticoat. Now these Idle Curiosities may be Specious Enough in
+the Contemplation; but what if This House, at the Foot of the Account,
+should Prove to be Haunted, That Gay Furniture Borrow’d; T’other fine
+Woman Clapt; The Curse of Sacrilege cleaving to such an Inheritance,
+and all the rest of the Gawdy Fooleries perhaps unpay’d for? (as these
+Incumbrances are no New Things in Nature) Who would not rather take up
+with the _Wolfe_ in the Woods again, then make such a Clutter in the
+World upon These Scandalous Conditions.
+
+For the Obviating of All Cases of this Quality, Children should be Early
+Instructed, according to their Age and Capacity, in the True Estimate of
+Things, by Opposing the Good to the Evil, and the Evil to the Good; and
+Compensating, or Qualifying One Thing with Another. What’s Plenty without
+Health? What’s Ease without Plenty? And what’s Title and Greatness, with
+Carking Thoughts, and a Troubled Mind to Attend it? What does That Man
+Want that has Enough? Or What’s He the better for a Great deal, that can
+never be Satisfy’d? By This Method of Setting what we Have against What
+we have Not, the Equity of Providence will be made Manifest, and to All
+manner of purposes Justify’d; When it shall appear upon the Ballance,
+that Every man has his Share in the Bounties of Heaven to Mankind.
+
+As to the Freedom here that _Æsop_ is so Tender of, it is to be
+Understood of the Freedom of the Mind: A Freedom to Attend the Motions of
+Right Reason; and a Freedom, in fine, not to be parted with for All the
+Sensual Satisfactions under the Sun. It is, I say, a Freedom under These
+Limits; for there’s No such Thing as Absolute Liberty: Neither is it
+possible that there should be any, without a Violence to the Order of the
+Universe, and to the Dictates of Reasonable Nature: For All Men Living
+are in Some sort or Other, and upon some Penalty or Other, Subjected to a
+Superior Power; That is to say, the Laws of Morality are Above them: But
+the Case wherein All Men are upon the Behaviour is not here the Question.
+To Wind up the Moral, in short; Liberty is a Jewel, and a Blessing. The
+_Wolfe_ was well enough pleas’d here with the State of the _Dog’s_ Body,
+but he had no fancy to his Collar.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXIX.
+
+A _Farmer_ and his _Dogs_.
+
+
+A Certain _Farmer_ was put to such a Pinch in a Hard Winter for
+Provisions, that he was forc’d to Feed Himself and his Family upon the
+Main Stock. The Sheep went First to Pot; the Goats Next; and after
+Them, the Oxen; and All Little enough to keep Life and Soul together.
+The _Dogs_ call’d a Councel upon’t, and Resolv’d to shew their Master a
+Fair pair of Heels for’t, before it came to be Their Turn; for, (said
+they) after he has Cut the Throats of our Fellow Servants, that are so
+Necessary for his Bus’ness, it cannot be Expected that he will ever Spare
+us.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s No Contending with Necessity, and we should be very Tender how
+we Censure Those that Submit to’t. ’Tis One thing to be at Liberty to do
+what we Would do, and Another Thing to be Ty’d up to do what we Must._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Common Thing for a Master to Sacrifice a Servant to his Own Ease
+and Interest; but there’s No Meddling with Men of that Inhospitable
+Humour, where the Domestiques, how Faithful soever, can never be Secure.
+
+This is according to the Old Moral; but not without some Force (in My
+Opinion at least) to the Natural Biass of the Fable. The _Farmer_ has
+no Liberty of Choice before him, but either to do what he does, or to
+Perish: And in so Doing, (with all respect to the Rules of Honesty) he
+does but his Duty; without any way Incurring the Character of an ill
+Natur’d Man, or a Cruel Master. But there may be also Another Doctrine
+Rais’d from it; which is, That in Cases of Extreme Difficulty, the Laws
+of Conveniency, and Ordinary Practice must give place to the Laws of
+Necessity. This was the Naked Truth of the _Farmer’s_ Case.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXX.
+
+A _Camel_ at First Sight.
+
+
+Upon the First Sight of a _Camel_, All people ran away from’t, in
+Amazement at so Monstrous a Bulk. Upon the Second Sight, finding that it
+did them No Hurt, they took Heart upon’t, went up to’t, and View’d it.
+But when they came, upon Further Experience, to take notice, how Stupid
+a Beast it was, they Ty’d it up, Bridled it, Loaded it with Packs and
+Burdens; Set Boys upon the Back on’t, and Treated it with the Last Degree
+of Contempt.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXI.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Lyon_.
+
+
+A _Fox_ had the hap to fall into the Walk of a _Lyon_; (the First of the
+Kind that ever he saw) and he was ready to Drop down at the very sight of
+him. He came a While after, to see Another, and was Frighted still; but
+Nothing to What he was Before. It was his Chance, after This, to Meet a
+Third _Lyon_; and he had the Courage, Then, to Accost him, and to make a
+kind of an Acquaintance with him.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_Novelty Surprizes us, and we have Naturally a Horror for Uncouth
+Mis-shapen Monsters; but ’tis Our Ignorance that Staggers us, for upon
+Custom and Experience, All These Buggs grow Familiar, and Easy to us._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Things that at first seem Terrible, become Easy to us when we are Wonted
+to them; says the Old Moral; which holds, I confess, in the Case of the
+_Camel_, but not in That of the _Lyon_.
+
+With leave of the Moralist, the Illustration does not come up to the
+Force and Intent of the Two Last Fables: Neither, in truth, is the very
+Design of them according to the True Reason of the Matter in Question.
+Things that seem Terrible, and are Not so, become not only Familiar, but
+Ridiculous to us, when we find that our Fears were Vain and Idle; as
+in the case of the _Camel_: But things on the contrary, that only Seem
+Terrible, but are found upon Experience to be more Dangerous then we
+took them for: (as in the Strength, the Nimbleness, the Fierceness, and
+the Appetite of a _Lyon_.) These are Things, I say, that the Better we
+Know them, the More we Dread them: So that though we have Apprehensions,
+as well where there is No Peril, as where there Is: Yet Time teaches us
+to Distinguish the One from the Other. The Allusion would much better
+have held in the case of a Battle, where the Soldier grows Every day
+less apprehensive of the Hazzard, by seeing so many People Scape; and by
+Computing upon the Disproportion of Those that Outlive it, to Those that
+Fall in’t. We may however Learn from hence, that people may be Frighted
+as well Without Reason as With it. Now, in Propriety of Speaking, and
+in a Right Understanding of the Thing too, People were not so much
+Frighted, as they were Surpriz’d at the Bigness, and Uncouth Deformity
+of the _Camel_: But I could Wish, the Fox had been More and More affraid
+of the _Lyon_, the Oftner he Saw him; and the Doctrine would then have
+been to Govern our Passions by the Truth and Reason of Things, not by
+Appearances; but it holds however, that Custom goes a Great Way in
+making Matters Indifferent to us. ’Tis much the same Case too, betwixt
+the _People_, and _Bugg-Laws_, and _Acts of State_, that it is here
+betwixt the _Fox_ and the _Lyon_. Men look, upon the _First_ Opening of a
+_Publique Fast_, as if Heaven and Earth were going together; Not a _Shop
+Open_; The _Streets_ Quiet, and so Dismal a Countenance Every where, as
+if it were to Rain _Fire_ and _Brimstone_ the Next Moment. The _Second_
+Day is a Little Uneasy too, but not half so Frightful as the _Former_:
+and so in _Two or Three days more_, the Awe goes quite off, and the
+People come to their Wits, and fall to their Trade again, without any
+further Heed to the Matter.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXII.
+
+An _Eagle_ and a _Fox_.
+
+
+There was a Bargain struck up betwixt an _Eagle_ and a _Fox_, to be
+Wonderful Good Neighbours and Friends. The One Took Up in a Thicket of
+Brushwood, and the Other Timber’d upon a Tree hard by. The _Eagle_, One
+Day when the _Fox_ was abroad a Forraging, fell into his Quarters and
+Carry’d away a Whole Litter of Cubs at a Swoop. The _Fox_ came time
+enough back to see the _Eagle_ upon Wing, with her Prey in the Foot, and
+to send many a Heavy Curse after her; but there was No overtaking her.
+It happen’d in a very Short time after This, upon the Sacrificing of a
+_Goat_, that the same _Eagle_ made a Stoop at a piece of Flesh upon the
+Altar, and she took it away to her Young: But some Live-Coales it seems,
+that Stuck to’t, set the Nest a Fire. The Birds were not as yet Fledge
+enough to Shift for Themselves, but upon Sprawling and Struggling to get
+Clear of the Flame, down they Tumbled, half Roasted, into the very Mouth
+of the _Fox_ that stood Gaping under the Tree to see the End on’t: So
+that the _Fox_ had the Satisfaction at last, of Devouring the Children of
+her Enemy in the very Sight of the Dam.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_God Referees to Himself the Punishment of Faithless, and Oppressing
+Governours, and the Vindication of his Own Worship and Altars._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to give Great Men to Understand, that no Power upon Earth can
+Protect them in the Exercise of Tyranny and Injustice; but that Sooner,
+or Later, Vengeance will Overtake Oppressors. It does likewise Condemn
+Treachery, and Breach of Faith, even toward the most Perfidious.
+
+The Morality of This Fiction looks several Ways. Here’s first a League
+betwixt an _Eagle_ and a _Fox_; which would be a most Incongruous
+Advance, if it were not in the case of That Princely Birds Departure from
+the Dignity of her Character, and from the Obligation of Royal Justice:
+so that _Æsop_ has aptly enough Match’d a _Faith-Breaking Prince_; with
+a Perfidious Subject, and Fancy’d a Knavish Favourite, as the _Fittest
+Minister_ for such a _Governour_. In the _Eagles_ Destroying the _Foxes
+Cubs_, there’s Power Exercis’d with Oppression, and the Curses of the
+_Fox_ that Pursu’d the Oppressor, were not sent in Vain neither, as
+appears by the Sequel. We are likewise to take Notice that Justice
+is Sacred, and that No Provocation, either of Insolent Language, or
+Behaviour, can Warrant the Violation of it.
+
+And it is further Suggested to us, that when People are in a Train of
+Wickedness, One Sin Treads upon the Heel of Another. The _Eagle_ begins
+with an Invasion upon the Rights of _Hospitality_, and _Common Faith_;
+and at the Next Step Advances to _Sacrilege_, in Robbing the Altar. And
+what follows upon it now, but a Divine Judgment, that sets Fire to her
+Nest, and Avenges the Cause of the very _Fox_, though One of the Falsest
+of Creatures! From hence we are to Gather These Two Doctrines for our
+Instruction. First, That the Misdemeanours of Temporal Sovereign Powers
+are subjected only to the Animadversion of the supreme Lord of the
+Universe. And secondly, That in the Case of Tyranny it self, it is not
+for Private Men to pretend to any Other Appeal.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXIII.
+
+A _Husbandman_ and a _Stork_.
+
+
+A Poor Innocent _Stork_ had the Ill Hap to be taken in a Net that was
+layd for _Geese_ and _Cranes_. The _Storks_ Plea for her self was
+Simplicity, and Piety: The Love she bare to Mankind, and the Service
+she did in Picking up Venemous Creatures. This is all True, says the
+_Husbandman_; But They that Keep Ill Company, if they be Catch’d with Ill
+Company, must Expect to suffer with Ill Company.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis as much as a Man’s Life, Fortune, and Reputation, are Worth, to
+keep Good Company (over and above the Contagion of Lewd Examples) for as_
+Birds of a Feather will Flock together, _so if the Good and the Bad be
+taken together, they must Expect to go the Way of All Flesh together_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to bid Men have a care What Company they keep; for when the Good
+and the Bad are taken together, they must Go together. Not but that a
+Man may lie under some Obligation of Duty and Respect, to Visit, Eat
+and Correspond with Many People that he does not Like. And This may be
+well enough Done too; provided it be out of Decency, Discretion, or Good
+Manners, rather then upon Choice and Inclination. We cannot Honestly
+let a Civil Enemy into a Town that’s Besieg’d, or hold any sort of
+Intelligence with him (though but in a Bare Curiosity) about the Affairs
+of the Garrison. Let a Man Consider now, how much more Dangerous, and
+Unwarrantable it is to take an Enemy into our Souls, then into our Forts.
+With all Honour yet to a Brave Adversary, apart from his Cause.
+
+’Tis the Fortune of many a Good Man to fall into Bad Company, and to
+be Undone by’t, and yet no way Guilty all this while, of the Iniquity
+of his Companions. The Letter of the Law Sweeps All in such a Case,
+without Distinction of Persons: To say Nothing of the Shame and Dishonour
+of being taken up with Rogues and Felons; over and above the Lash of
+Publique Justice, and the Contagion of a Lewd Conversation. _Shew me the
+Company_ (says the _Adage_) _and I’ll tell you the Man_. What would a
+body think now of a Prime _Minister_ that should Conjobble Matters of
+State with _Tumblers_ and _Buffoons_; Confer Politiques with Tinkers and
+Carr-men? would not any man Judge their Souls to be of the same Standard
+and Allay? and that there were no more betwixt them then Cross or Pile,
+which should be the Lord, and which the Scoundrel? Or, according to the
+Fable, which the _Stork_, and which the _Goose_? For ’tis not the Purple,
+but the Virtue, that makes a _Man of Honour_; truly so call’d.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXIV.
+
+A _Boy_ and _False Alarms_.
+
+
+A _Shepherd’s Boy_ had gotten a Roguy Trick of crying [a _Wolfe_, a
+_Wolfe_] when there was no such Matter, and Fooling the Country People
+with _False Alarms_. He had been at This Sport so many times in Jest,
+that they would not Believe him at last when he was in Earnest: And so
+the _Wolves_ Brake in upon the Flock, and Worry’d the _Sheep_ at Pleasure.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He must be a very Wise Man that knows the True Bounds, and Measures
+of Fooling, with a respect to Time, Place, Matters, Persons, &c. But
+Religion, Business and Cases of Consequence must be Excepted out of that
+sort of Liberty._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Common Lyar (says the Old Moral) shall not be Believ’d, even when he
+speaks True: But there’s a Great deal more in’t, of which hereafter.
+
+There’s not One Man of a Thousand that Understands the Just, the Safe,
+Warrantable, Decent, and Precise Limits, of that which we call Bantering,
+or Fooling: But it is either too Course, too Rude, too Churlish, too
+Bitter, too Much on’t, too Pedantique, too fine, out of Measure, or out
+of Season. Now the Least Errour or Mistake in the Manage of This Humour,
+lays People Open to Great Censure and Reproche. It is not Every Man’s
+Talent to know When and How to Cast out a Pleasant Word, with such a
+Regard to Modesty and Respect, as not to Transgress the True, and Fair
+Allowances of Wit, Good Nature, and Good Breeding. The Skill and Faculty
+of Governing This Freedom within the Terms of Sobriety and Discretion,
+Goes a Great Way in the Character of an Agreeable Conversation; for
+That which we call Raillery, in This Sense, is the very Sawce of
+Civil Entertainment: And without some such Tincture of Urbanity, even
+in Matters the most Serious, the Good Humour Flattens, for want of
+Refreshment and Relief: But there’s a _Medium_ yet betwixt _All-Fool_,
+and _All-Philosopher_. I mean, a Proper and a Discreet Mixture, that in
+some sort Partakes of Both, and renders Wisdom it self so much the more
+Grateful, and Effectual. The Gravity, in short, of the One, is Enliven’d
+with the Spirit and Quickness of the Other; and the Gayety of a Diverting
+Word serves as a Vehicle to Convey the Force of the Intent, and Meaning
+of it. But the Main Drift at last of this Fable, is to shew us the
+Dangerous Consequences of an Improper and an Unseasonable Fooling: With
+All Respect however to the Ornament and Advantage of a Facetious Freedom
+of Discourse, within the Compass of Sobriety and Honour. To Conclude; The
+_Shepherd’s Boy_ went too far upon the Topique that he did not Understand.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXV.
+
+An _Eagle_ and a _Daw_.
+
+
+An _Eagle_ made a Stoop at a _Lamb_; Truss’d it, and took it Cleverly
+away with her. A Mimical _Daw_, that saw This Exploit, would needs try
+the same Experiment upon a Ram: But his Claws were so Shackled in the
+Fleece with Lugging to get him up, that the Shepherd came in, and Caught
+him, before he could Clear Himself; He Clipt his Wings, and carried him
+Home to his Children to Play withal. They came Gaping about him, and
+asked their Father what Strange Bird that was? Why, says he, He’ll tell
+you Himself that he’s an _Eagle_; but if you’ll take my Word for’t, I
+know him to be a _Daw_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a High Degree of Vanity and Folly, for Men to take More upon
+them then they are able to go through withall; And the End of Those
+Undertakings is only Mockery and Disappointment in the Conclusion._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Vain and Dangerous to Enter into Competitions with our Superiours,
+in what Kind soever, whether it be in Arms, Letters, Expence, Strength
+of Body, Arts and Sciences, or the like. ’Tis Impossible for any Man,
+in fine, to take a True Measure of Another, without an Exact Knowledge
+and a True Judgment of Himself. Nay the Attempt of any thing above our
+force, with Vanity, and Presumption, most certainly ends in a Miscarriage
+that makes the Pretender Ridiculous. The Out-doing of a Great Man in
+his Own Way, Savours in some degree of Ill Manners, as it is upon the
+Main, a High Point of Indiscretion. One Man takes it for an Affront to
+be Out-witted; Another to be Out-Fool’d, as _Nero_ could not Endure to
+be Out-Fiddled; But in short, be the Matter never so Great, or never so
+Trivial, ’tis the same Case as to the Envy of the Competition.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXVI.
+
+A _Dog_ in a _Manger_.
+
+
+A Churlish Envious _Cur_ was gotten into a _Manger_, and there lay
+Growling and Snarling to keep the Horses from their Provender. The _Dog_
+Eat None himself, and yet rather Ventur’d the Starving his Own Carcase
+then he would suffer any thing else to be the Better for’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Envy pretends to No Other Happiness then what it derives from the Misery
+of Other People, and will rather Eat Nothing it self then not Starve
+Those that Would._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We have but too many Men in the World of This _Dog’s_ Humour; that will
+rather Punish Themselves, then not be Troublesome and Vexatious to
+Others. There’s an Envy of Good Things too, as well as of Good Men; but
+this Fable is so well known that it is Moraliz’d in a Common Proverb.
+
+If some Men might have their Wills, the very Sun in the Firmament should
+withdraw his Light, and they would submit to Live in Perpetual Darkness
+Themselves, upon Condition that the rest of the World might do so for
+Company. Whatsoever their Neighbour Gets, They Lose, and the very Bread
+that One Eats, makes T’other Meager: which is the Genuine Moral of the
+Fable. There is in this Malevolence, somewhat of the Punishment, as
+well as of the Spite of the Damn’d: They take Delight in Other Peoples
+Miseries, and at the same Time are their Own Tormentors. This Diabolical
+Envy is Detestable even in Private Persons; but whenever the Governing
+Part of a Nation comes to be Tainted with it, there’s nothing so Sacred
+that a Corrupt, Supercilious, Ill Natur’d Minister will not sacrifice to
+This Execrable Passion. No Man should Eat, Live, or Breathe Common Air,
+if He could hinder it. ’Tis the Bus’ness of his Life, and the Delight
+of his Soul, to Blast all Sorts of Honest Men, and not only to Lessen
+their Characters, and their Services, but to Range them in the Number
+of Publique Enemies: And he had Twenty times rather see the Government
+Sink, then have it thought that any hand but his Own should have a Part
+in the Honour of Saving it. Now He that betrays his Master for _Envy_,
+will never fail of doing it for _Money_: For the Gratifying of This
+Canker’d Malignity is but Another way of selling him; Only the Spite is
+Antecedent and Subservient to the Corruption: But this _Court-Envy_ is
+not Altogether the Envy of the Dog in the Fable. For there’s a Mixture
+of Avarice and Interest in the Former, whereas the Other is a Spiteful
+Malignity purely for Mischief-sake. The _Dog_ will rather Starve himself
+then the _Oxe_ shall Eat; but the _Courtier_ will be sure to Look to One
+whoever else goes to the Devil.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXVII.
+
+A _Sheep_ and a _Crow_.
+
+
+There was a _Crow_ sat Chattering upon the Back of a _Sheep_; Well!
+Sirrah says the _Sheep_, You durst not ha’ done This to a _Dog_. Why I
+know that, says the _Crow_, as well as You can tell me, for I have the
+Wit to Consider Whom I have to do withall. I can be as Quiet as any body
+with Those that are Quarrelsome, and I can be as Troublesome as Another
+too, when I Meet with Those that will Take it.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis the Nature and Practice of Drolls and Buffons, to be Insolent
+toward Those that will bear it, and as Slavish to Others that are more
+then their Match._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis No New Thing for an Innocent Simplicity to be made the Sport of
+Bantering Drolls, and Buffons. This is to tell Modest and Well-Meaning
+Men what they are to Expect in this World, and what they are to Trust
+to where there is not a Power sufficient to Repel Force by Force: And
+it serves further to keep This Check upon the Insolent, that there
+are Others as much too Hard for Them, as They are for Those that they
+Oppress. This _Crow_ is much of the Humour of the _Mobile_. They are
+Tongue-Valiant, ’tis True, and as Bold as _Hercules_ where they know
+there’s No Danger, but throw a Volly of Shot among them, and they have
+not the Courage of so many Hares. And what is All This now, but according
+to the Guise of the World, _God Threatens Kings_, (as Dr. _Donne_ has it)
+_Kings Lords, as Lords do Us_. He that’s a Tyrant over One Man is a Slave
+to Another.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXVIII.
+
+A _Camel_ Praying for _Horns_.
+
+
+It stuck filthily in the _Camel’s_ Stomach, that _Bulls_, _Stags_,
+_Lions_, _Bears_, and the like, should be Armed with _Horns_, _Teeth_,
+and _Claws_, and that a Creature of his Size should be left Naked and
+Defenceless. Upon This Thought he fell down upon his Marrow-bones, and
+begg’d of _Jupiter_ to give him a Pair of Horns, but the Request was
+so Ridiculous, that _Jupiter_, instead of _Horning_ him, Order’d him
+to be Cropt, and so Punish him with the loss of his Ears which Nature
+had Allow’d him, for being so Unreasonable as to Ask for _Horns_, that
+Providence never intended him.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXIX.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Hare_ to _Jupiter_.
+
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Hare_ Presented a Petition to _Jupiter_. The _Fox_ pray’d
+for the _Hare’s_ Swiftness of Foot, and the _Hare_ for the _Fox’s_ Craft,
+and Wyliness of Address. _Jupiter_ told them, that since every Creature
+had some Advantage or Other Peculiar to it self, it would not stand with
+Divine Justice, that had provided so well for Every One in Particular, to
+Confer All upon any One.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXX.
+
+A _Peacock_ to _Juno_.
+
+
+The _Peacock_, they say, laid it Extremely to Heart, that being _Juno’s
+Darling-Bird_, he had not the _Nightingale’s_ Voice super-added to the
+Beauty of his own Plumes. Upon This Subject he Petition’d his Patroness,
+who gave him for Answer, that Providence had Assign’d Every Bird its
+Proportion, and so bad him Content himself with his Lot.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Three FABLES above.
+
+_The Bounties of Heaven are in such manner Distributed, that Every Living
+Creature has its Share; beside, that to Desire Things against Nature, is
+Effectually to Blame the very Author of Nature it self._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+In These Three Fables is set forth the Vanity of Unnatural Wishes, and
+Foolish Prayers; which are not only to be Rejected, but they deserve also
+to be Punish’d. Providence has made an Equal Distribution of Natural
+Gifts, whereof each Creature severally has a share; and it is not for
+This or That Particular to pretend to All: So that Considering the
+Equality of the Division, No Creature has Cause, either to Boast, or to
+Complain. We are never Content with the Bountyes of Providence. One would
+have a Voice; T’other Gay Cloaths; and while Every Man would have All,
+we Charge Providence with Injustice for not giving to Every Man Alike.
+_Socrates_ was in the Right in Saying, That in Case a Man were to go
+where he should have the Choice before him, of All the ill Things and All
+the Good Things in Nature, he would come home again the same Man that he
+went out.
+
+It is to be Noted, upon the Distribution of the Matter of These Three
+Fables, that the _Camel_ prays for Weapons Offensive, and Defensive,
+either for the Encount’ring of Dangers, or the Repelling of them. The
+_Fox_ and the _Hare_, for the Means of Avoiding them. And the _Peacock_
+for a Voice, answerable to his Beauty. And All their Prayers are to No
+Purpose, but to the Reproche of the Petitioners, and to the Confusion
+of Vain Desires. What is All This but an Appeal from Heaven to Heaven
+itself; and Petitioning Providence against Providence, in a Recourse from
+One Providence to Another? The Determinations and Appointments of Heaven
+are no more to be Disputed and Controll’d, then they are to be made
+Better, and Improv’d; And we must not Presume to Judge of the Goodness
+and Justice of Heaven, by the Frailties and Corruptions of Flesh and
+Blood. We were not of Councel with the Almighty, either in the Making, or
+in the Regulating of the World, and we have no more Right to Advise him
+in the Governing of it. The Power, in fine, that Rules in the Nature of
+Things, is no other then a Divine Influence.
+
+Why should not the _Nightingale_ Envy the _Peacock’s Train_ as well as
+the _Peacock_ Envy the _Nightingale’s Note_? And why should not All the
+Work of the Creation Expostulate at the same Rate, and upon the same
+Grounds? Why has not _Man_ the Wings of an _Eagle_ to carry him from
+Danger, or to satisfie his Curiosity what the World’s a doing? Why has
+he not the Sagacity of a _Dog_, the _Paw_ of a _Lyon_; The Teeth of a
+_Leopard_; The Heels of a _Courser_, and the like? And have not Brute
+Animals the same Equity of Complaint on the Other Hand, for want of the
+Faculties and Advantages, Intellectual, and Moral of Mankind? So that
+here’s a Civil War that runs through all the Parts of the Universe, where
+Nothing is pleased with it’s Own Lot; and no Remedy at last; but by New
+Moulding the World over again. This Inordinate Appetite has been the
+Overthrow of many a Kingdom, Family and Commonwealth.
+
+To Ask Impossibilities, in fine, is Ridiculous, and to Ask Things
+Unnatural is Impious; for to take upon us to Blame, or Mend the Works
+of Providence, is to suppose the Divine Wisdom lyable to Miscarriages
+and Mistakes. These Mutterings are Foolish also, even to the Degree of
+Madness it self; for there’s no Thought or Possibility of Relief in
+the Case. Such as we are God has made Us: our Post and our Station is
+appointed us, and the Decree is not to be Revers’d.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXXI.
+
+An _Old Weazle_ and _Mice_.
+
+
+An _Old Weazle_ that was now almost past Mousing, try’d what she could do
+by her Wits, when she found she could live no longer upon the Square, and
+so Conveys her self into a _Meal-Tub_ for the _Mice_ to come to _Her_,
+since she could not go to _Them_. They came thick and threefold for a
+time, as she expected they should, till at last, One Experienc’d Stager
+that had Baffled Twenty Traps and Tricks Before, Discover’d the Plot, and
+quite Spoyl’d the Jest.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Want of Force, Strength, and other Abilities to Compass our Ends,
+must be Supply’d by Industry and Invention._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Knaves live as Naturally upon Fools, as Spiders do upon Flyes, and the
+Want of Downright Force must be Supply’d by Art. But Time that Discovers
+the Truth of Things, lays open Frauds too and Double Dealings; and after
+that Discovery, there’s No Passing the same Trick upon the _Mice_ and
+_Rats_ here over again. A Body would think now that Reasonable Creatures
+should at least have the Wit of Vermine, and not run their Necks over and
+over into the same Noose; But in Despite of Claps and Surfeits, Men we
+see will be Whoring and Fuddling on still. And the same Bait of Liberty
+and Property will serve for the Common People _in sæcula sæculorum_, Even
+after they have been Choak’d, Begger’d, and Poyson’d with it five Hundred
+times before.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXXII.
+
+An _Old Tree_ Transplanted.
+
+
+A Certain _Farmer_ had One Choice _Apple-Tree_ in his Orchard, that he
+Valu’d above all the rest, and made his _Landlord_ Every Year a Present
+of the Fruit on’t. He lik’d the Apples so very well, that Nothing would
+serve Him but _Transplanting_ the _Tree_ into his Own Grounds. It
+Wither’d presently upon the Removal, and so there was an End of both
+Fruit and Tree together. The News was no sooner brought to the Landlord,
+but he brake out into This Reflexion upon it: This comes, says he, of
+_Transplanting_ an _Old Tree_, to Gratifie an Extravagant Appetite:
+Whereas if I could have Contented myself with the fruit, and left my
+Tenant the Tree still, All had been Well.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Nature has her Certain Methods and Seasons for the Doing of Every Thing,
+and there must be no Trying of Experiments to put her out of her Course._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No _forcing_ Nature against her Biass, or Inverting the Methods
+of Providence. Irregular Desires and Unreasonable Undertakings must
+expect to meet with Disappointments. There’s a Proper Time for All
+Things, and Nothing succeeds well, but what’s done in Season. And This
+is not the Only Case, neither, where an Extravagant Appetite, or Humour,
+makes People forget the Methods of Decency and Reason. As in _Unequal
+Matches_ for the Purpose: For Marrying is but a kind of _Transplanting_,
+and an _Old Fellow_ with a _Young Wench_, may very well pass for a
+_Counterpart_ of This Fable.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXXIII.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Goat_.
+
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Goat_ went down by Consent into a Well to Drink, and when
+they had Quench’d their Thirst, the _Goat_ fell to Hunting up and down
+which way to get back again. Oh! says _Reynard_, Never Trouble your
+Head how to get back, but leave That to Me. Do but You Raise your self
+upon your Hinder Legs with your Fore-Feet Close to the Wall, and then
+stretch out your Head: I can Easily Whip up to your Horns, and so out of
+the Well, and Draw you after me. The _Goat_ puts himself in a Posture
+immediately as he was directed, gives the _Fox_ a Lift, and so Out he
+Springs; but _Reynard’s_ Bus’ness was now only to make Sport with his
+Companion, instead of Helping Him. Some Hard Words the _Goat_ gave him,
+but the _Fox_ puts off all with a Jest. If you had but half so much Brain
+as Beard, says he, you would have bethought your self how to get up again
+before you went down.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Wise Man will Debate Every Thing_ Pro _and_ Con _before he comes to
+Fix upon any Resolution. He leaves Nothing to Chance more then Needs
+must. There must be No Bantering out of Season_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It is Wisdom to Consider the End of Things before we Embarque, and to
+Forecast Consequences. It is also to be Expected that Men in Distress
+will look to themselves in the First Place, and leave their Companions
+to Shift as well as they can. When a Knave, and an Honest Man happen
+to be Embarqu’d together in the same Common Interest, the Sharper will
+be sure, if ever it comes to a Pinch, to shift for Himself; and leave
+T’other in the Lurch. It is the way of the World for Men to Abandon their
+Benefactors, and to make sport with Those that Rais’d them. This was the
+Trick, that the _Fox_ serv’d the _Goat_ here in the _Well_; to shew us
+that He that Helps Another out at a Plunge, runs the Risque of being left
+in the Mire himself. No Matter for the Morality of the Thing, so long as
+it is the Fashion; And that He that Advances himself upon the Ruine of
+Another gets the Reputation of a Man of Art, and Address. The Facility,
+in fine, and the Simplicity of the _Goat_, shews us what an Honest Man is
+to Trust to that keeps a Knave company.
+
+We find in This _Fox_, the Roguery, the Invention, and the Wilyness of
+the Crafty People we meet with Abroad, and a Lively Image of the Faith,
+Friendship, Good Nature, and Justice that we are to Expect from them. We
+cannot therefore keep too strict an Eye upon the Life and Conversation
+of Those we have to do withall. If they be Men of Fraud, they’ll never
+stick at bringing their Friends and Companions into Dangers, Losses, and
+Inconveniences; Scoure off themselves, and leave Those that Trust them
+to pay the Reck’ning. But, in a Word, This Application extends to Men of
+Trick and Design of All Sorts; let it be in Pleasure, Fortune, Pride,
+Envy, Vain-Glory, Trade, Law, Marriages, Quarrels, Travels, Ambition,
+_&c._ Wherefore it Behoves us to _Look before we Leap_, and in Case of
+the Worst that can befall us, to secure an After-Game. The Want of this
+Foresight was the _Goats_ Ruine.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXXIV.
+
+_Cocks_ and a _Partridge_.
+
+
+A _Cock-Master_ bought a _Partridge_, and turn’d it among his _Fighting
+Cocks_, for them to Feed together. The _Cocks_ beat the _Partridge_
+away from their Meat, which she lay’d the more to Heart, because it
+look’d like an Aversion to her purely as a Stranger. But the _Partridge_
+finding These very _Cocks_ afterwards, Cutting one Another to pieces, she
+comforted her self with This Thought, that she had no Reason to expect
+they should be Kinder to Her, then they were to One Another.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis No Wonder to find Those People Troublesome to Strangers, that
+Cannot Agree among Themselves. They Quarrel for the Love of Quarrelling;
+and provided the Peace be broken, No matter upon What Ground, or with
+Whom._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s no Peace to be Expected among those that are Naturally Fierce
+and Quarrelsome. But we are to Distinguish however, betwixt Injuries of
+Malice, and of Evil Nature, as we do betwixt Violences in Hot Bloud, and
+Those of Deliberate Spite and Intention; which we find in the Common
+Cases of _Manslaughter_, and _Murder_. The Doctrine may be briefly This,
+that so far as Possible, we are to Avoid Ill Company: but where we are
+forc’d upon’t, there’s No Remedy but Patience. The _Cocks_ here Did but
+according to their Kind; And it is the Same Thing with Wicked Men too,
+(as Birds of the same Feather) to be Troublesome to Other People as well
+as to One Another.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXXV.
+
+A _Bragging Traveller_.
+
+
+A _Vain Fellow_ that had been abroad in the World, would still be Tiring
+All Peoples Ears at his Return, with Stories of his Wonderful Actions and
+Adventures in his Travels; and particularly, he told of a Leap he took at
+_Rhodes_, that No Body there could come within Six Foot on’t. Now This
+(says he) I am able to Prove by several Witnesses upon the Place. If This
+be True (says one of the Company) there’s No Need of going to _Rhodes_
+for Witnesses: Do but You fancy this to be _Rhodes_, and then shew us the
+Leap.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Travellers have a kind of Privilege to Romance it; and to Tell Stories
+at large. And for Those that Doubt the Truth of the Matter, they had e’en
+better pass it over then go to Disprove it._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Foolish to Appeal to Witnesses for the Proof of any thing, when ’tis
+not a Pin Matter, whether the Fact in Question be True or False; and so
+it is also to talk of Proofs that are not within Call: But Vain Boasters
+are Naturally Impertinent; for they Talk at Random, without any Regard to
+Truth and Judgment. There may be a Double Use made of this Fable: First,
+as a Dissuasive to Those that spend their Time in Idle Insipid Company.
+Secondly, As a Caution to Those that are Tainted with this Levity, not
+to make Themselves Ridiculous any longer. Nature has Written Fool upon
+the Tip of That Man’s Tongue that will be always telling Stories with
+an [_I did This_,] and [_I did That_.] Travellers, they say, may lie by
+Authority; and yet our Traveller’s Privilege here was not sufficient to
+Protect him in his Vanity from making Sport to the Company.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXXVI.
+
+An _Impostor_ to the _Oracle_.
+
+
+There was a certain _Bantering Droll_ that took a Journey to _Delphos_,
+a purpose to try if he could put a Trick upon _Apollo_. He carry’d a
+Sparrow in his Hand under his Coat, and told the God, _I have somewhat
+in my Hand_, says he, _Is it dead or Living?_ If the _Oracle_ should say
+’twas Dead, he could shew it Alive; If Living, ’twas but squeezing it,
+and then ’twas Dead. Now He that saw the Malice of his Heart gave him
+this Answer: It shall e’en be which of the Two you please; for ’tis in
+Your Choice to have it either the One or the Other.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Presumption leads People to Infidelity in a Trice, and so by Insensible
+Degrees to Atheism: for when Men have once cast off a Reverence for
+Religion, they are come within One Step of Laughing at it._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Points at the Folly and Wickedness of Those Men that think to play
+Fast and Loose with God Almighty, who sees the very Thoughts of our
+Hearts. This way of Fooling in Holy Things is much a Bolder sort of
+Impiety, then it is commonly Taken for. He that pretends to Doubt of an
+_All-knowing_ Power, has as much Right to Doubt of an _Almighty_ Power
+too, and the bringing of One Attribute in Question, Opens the Way to a
+Dissidence of all the Rest. It would prevent a great Deal of Wickedness
+in the World, if Men would but Live and Act in Religious Matters, so
+as to Own, and to Recognize the Force, and Awe of a Deity in their
+Practices, as well as in their Words: But when they come to _Querying_
+and _Riddling_ upon’t, with an [_If_ it be so and _so_;] The Scandal
+of the Supposition is not to be Born; for such a way of Seeming to
+Affirm a Thing, is but one Remove from a Flat Denyal of it. Such was the
+_Impostors_ Question here to the _Oracle_: which Implyes both the Doubt
+of a _Divine Omniscience_, and a _Curiosity_ to Discover the _Truth_ of
+the Matter, with a Banter at the End on’t; and so makes a Consummated
+Wickedness.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXXVII.
+
+A _Woman_ and a _Fat Hen_.
+
+
+A _Good Woman_ had a _Hen_ that laid her Every Day an Egg. Now she
+fancy’d to her self, that upon a Larger Allowance of Corn, This _Hen_
+might be brought in time to lay twice a day. She Try’d the Experiment;
+but the _Hen_ grew fat upon’t, and gave quite over Laying.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that has a Great Deal already, and would have More, will never think
+he has enough till he has All; and That’s Impossible: wherefore we should
+set Bounds to our Desires, and Content our Selves when we are Well, for
+fear of Losing what we had._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Here’s a Figure of the Folly, and the Mischief of Vain Desires, and an
+Immoderate Love of Riches. Covetousness is enough to make the Master of
+the World as Poor as He that has just Nothing; for a Man may be brought
+to a Morsel of Bread, by Griping, as well as by Profusion. ’Tis a Madness
+for a Body that has enough already, to Hazzard All for the Getting of
+More, and then upon the Miscarriage to leave himself Nothing. This was
+the Woman’s Case and Fault here. In Few Words, there’s a Just _Medium_
+betwixt Eating too much, and too Little; and this Dame had Undoubtedly
+Hit upon’t, when the Matter was so Order’d, that the Hen brought her
+Every Day an Egg. But when she came to Enlarge the Hens Allowance for
+her own Profit, Upon an Opinion that more Corn would Produce more Eggs,
+her Avarice Misled her into a Disappointment, which was both a Judgment
+upon the Sin in the Loss of what she had before, and an Error in the very
+Point of Manage, and Good Huswiv’ry; for Repletion Obstructs the most
+Necessary Offices of Nature.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXXVIII.
+
+A _Man_ Bit by a _Dog_.
+
+
+One that was Bitten by a Dog, was Advis’d, as the Best Remedy in the
+World, to Dip a Piece of Bread in the Bloud of the Wound, and give it the
+Dog to Eat. Pray hold Your Hand a little (says the Man) unless y’ave a
+mind to Draw All the Dogs in the Town upon me; For that will Certainly
+be the End on’t, when they shall find themselves Rewarded instead of
+Punish’d.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Good Nature is a Great Misfortune, where it is not Manag’d with
+Prudence. Christian Charity, ’tis true, bids us return Good for Evil; but
+it does not Oblige us yet to Reward where we should Punish._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to Inform us, that Wicked and Ill Natur’d Men are not to be
+Oblig’d by Kindnesses, Especially when they find they may be the better
+for Insolence; for at that Rate, he that Rewards Past Affronts, Draws on
+and Encourages New Ones. There are Churlish Curs in the Moral as well
+as in the Fable, and we are here taught how to Behave our selves upon
+the Biting of All Manner of Dogs. Under the Rule and Correction of This
+Allegory, we may reckon Calumny, Slander, and Detraction in any Form or
+Figure whatsoever, and all Manner of Affronts and Indignities upon our
+Good Names, or our Persons. There may be Place in All These Cases for a
+Generous Charity to Forgive Offences, even of the Highest Ingratitude and
+Malice; But it is not Advisable to Reward where Men have the Tenderness
+not to Punish. This way of Proceeding is Dangerous in All the Affairs
+Publique, as well as Private, of Humane Life; for ’tis a Temptation to
+Villany, when a Man fares the Better for Evil Doing. Ill Nature, in fine,
+is not to be Cur’d with a Sop; but on the contrary, Quarrelsome _Men_ as
+well as Quarrelsome _Curs_ are worse for fair Usage.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. LXXXIX.
+
+A _Hunted Bever_.
+
+
+The _Bever_ is a kind of an _Amphibious_ Creature, but he lives Mostly in
+the _Water_. His Stones, they say, are Medicinal; and it is principally
+for Their Sake, he knows that People seek his Life; and therefore when he
+finds himself Hard Pinch’d, he Bites ’em off, and by leaving Them to his
+Pursuers, he Saves Himself.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_When a greater Interest is at Stake, ’tis a Warrantable Point of Honour
+and Discretion, to compound the Hazzard, by parting with the Less;
+provided, that while we Quit the One, we may Save the Other._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We find this Doctrine and Practice to be Verify’d in _State_-Chaces, as
+well as in those of the _Woods_; That is to say, where it is made a Crime
+to be Rich, and where Men are forc’d to lay Violent Hands on Themselves,
+to be Safe and Quiet; and with the _Bever_ here to compound with their
+_Nutmegs_ to save their Lives.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XC.
+
+A _Thunny_ and a _Dolphin_.
+
+
+A _Thunny_ gave Chace to a _Dolphin_; and when he was just ready to seize
+him, the _Thunny_ struck before he was aware, and the _Dolphin_, in
+the Eagerness of his Pursuit, ran himself a ground with him. They were
+both Lost; but the _Thunny_ kept his Eye still upon the _Dolphin_, and
+Observing him when he was Just at Last Gasp: Well, says he, the Thought
+of Death is now Easy to me, so long as I see my Enemy go for Company.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XCI.
+
+_Two Enemies_ at _Sea_.
+
+
+There were _Two Enemies at Sea_ in the same Vessel, the One at the Ships
+Head, the Other at the Stern. It Blew a Dreadful Storm, and when the
+Vessel was just ready to be swallow’d up, One of ’em Ask’d the Master,
+which part of the Ship would be First under Water; so he told him the
+T’other End would Sink first. Why then, says he, I shall have the Comfort
+of seeing my Enemy go before me.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_’Tis a Wretched Satisfaction, that a Revengeful Man takes, even in the
+Losing of his own Life, provided that his Enemy may go for Company._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There is some Comfort in Company, even in a State of Adversity. Society
+is so Necessary and Agreeable to Mankind in All Cases, that Death is
+Certainly the More Uneasy for a Man’s going alone into Another World:
+But the Consolation Pointed at in This Fable, is That which an Envious
+Man takes in the Ruine of his Enemy. There is a Memorable Instance to
+This Purpose, of a Gentleman that had an Estate for Lives, and Two of
+his Tenants in the Lease: One of them Dyes, and the Other desires his
+Landlord to lay Both Farms into One, and Accept of him for His Tenant.
+The Gentleman fairly Excus’d Himself, and away goes the Man in a Rage
+to his Wife; Told her how it was, and Swore a Great Oath, that he would
+be Reveng’d of his Landlord. This was in Harvest Time, and he went out
+next day to his Reapers, but stay’d so long, that his Wife sent up and
+down to look after him. To shorten the Story, they found him at last in a
+Ditch, Vomiting his Heart out. The Man, it seems, had Poyson’d himself,
+and the Revenge upon his Landlord was the Defeating him of his Estate
+by Destroying the Last Life in his Lease. In One Word, Revenge stops
+at Nothing that’s Violent and Wicked. It Divides the Dearest Friends;
+Embroils Governments, and Tears Families to pieces. But to say no more
+on’t, The Histories of All Ages are full of the Tragical Outrages that
+have been Executed by this Diabolical Passion: beside, that it hardens
+People into a Brutal Contempt of Death, (as in the Fables above) where
+they may but see their Enemies fall for Company.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XCII.
+
+A _Fortune-Teller_.
+
+
+There was a kind of _Petty Conjurer_, that made it his Profession
+to Resolve Questions, and tell _Fortunes_, and he held forth in the
+Market-Place. Word was brought him, in the very Middle of his Schemes
+and Calculations, that his House was Robb’d; and so away he scours
+immediately to learn the Truth on’t. As he was running home in All Haste,
+a Droll takes him up by the Way, with this short Question. Friend (says
+he) How come You to be so Good at telling Other Peoples Fortunes, and
+know so little of your Own?
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XCIII.
+
+A _Cunning Woman_.
+
+
+A Certain Dame that pass’d in the World under the Name of a _Cunning
+Woman_, took upon her to Avert Divine Judgments, and to Foretell Strange
+Things to come. She play’d the Counterfeit Witch so long, till in the
+Conclusion, she was Taken up, Arraign’d, Try’d, Convicted, Condemned to
+Dye, and at last Executed for a Witch indeed. D’ye hear, Good Woman (says
+one to her, as she was upon the Way to her Execution) Are the Gods so
+much Easyer then the Judges, that you should be Able to make Them do any
+Thing for ye, and yet could not Prevail with the Bench for the Saving of
+your Own Life?
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XCIV.
+
+An _Astrologer_ and a _Traveller_.
+
+
+A Certain _Starr-Gazer_ had the Fortune, in the very Height of his
+Celestial Observations, to stumble into a Ditch: A sober Fellow passing
+by gave him a piece of Wholesome Counsel. Friend, says he, Make a Right
+Use of Your Present Misfortune; and pray, for the Future, let the Starrs
+go on quietly in their Courses, and do you look Better to the Ditches.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Three FABLES above.
+
+_There needs no more then Impudence and Ignorance, on the One Side,
+and a Superstitious Credulity on the Other, to the Setting up of a
+Fortune-Teller._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This serves for a Reproof to the Ignorance and Confidence of
+_Figure-Flingers_, _Starr-Gazers_, that pretend to foretell the Fortunes
+of Kingdoms and States, and yet have no Foresight at all in what concerns
+Themselves.
+
+The Moral of these Fables strikes upon the Vanity and Arrogance of
+_Empyricks_ and _Impostors Themselves_, and upon the Folly of the Fond
+_Believers_ of them. The Caution holds also against Unlawful Curiosities;
+Sickly, and Superstitious Fancyes and Dreams; Fore-bodings of Ill Luck;
+as the Crossing of a Hare, the Spilling of Salt, _&c._ This Humour,
+let it look never so Little, and Silly, (as it passes many times only
+for Frolique and Banter) is One yet of the most Pernicious Snares in
+Humane Life; when it comes once to get Possession, and to Gain Credit,
+Especially among Women and Children, where the Imagination is strong in
+the One, and the Disposition as Plyant as Wax for an Impression, in the
+Other. Wherefore, of All Things in This World, Care is to be Taken, that
+they get not a Hankering after These _Juggling Astrologers_, _Gypsies_,
+_Wizzards_, _Fortune-Tellers_, _Conjurers_, _Quacks_, _Cunning Women_,
+&c. To say Nothing of the Fooleries of _Fortune-Books_, and a Hundred
+other Vulgar Wayes of Enquiry into the Event of _Amours_, _Marriages_,
+_Life and Death_, _Travel_, _Play_, or the like; which is all but a
+Tincture of the same Capital Infirmity. If these Pretenders were not
+better Supported by the Simplicity, and Devotion of the Inquisitive Fools
+that Consult Those Oracles, then they are by any Congruity of Premisses
+and Conclusion; or by the Ordinary Way of Tracing Causes into their
+Effects, the Trade would not find ’em Bread; for there’s No Proportion at
+all betwixt the Means, and the End. Not but that the Things they seem to
+Predict, come many times to pass; Yet still the nearer the Mark in their
+Conjectures, the more suspicious is the Profession on the One Hand, and
+the more Dangerous is the Credulity on the Other: For Those People that
+take upon them to Resolve such Doubts, Scruples, and Difficulties, as are
+not to be known by any Natural Process of Reasoning; and those Men that
+will be Prying Forbidden Ways, into the Secret Councels of Almighty God,
+are Both Justly Punish’d: The One in Telling the Truth, and the Other in
+Hearing it: for it Hardens the One in his Confidence, and Presumption,
+and the Other in his Curiosity, and Superstition: Over and above the
+Feats that are done by Confederacy and Intelligence; for how shall any
+man pretend to tell Me my Fortune that knows nothing of his Own?
+
+There are _Mountebanks_, and _Smatterers_ also in _State_ as well as in
+_Science_; Nay and Perchance, the Vainer, the more Ignorant, and the more
+Mischievous of the Two; for All These Fables are Moraliz’d in History,
+Practice, and Conversation; and the Fiction, Match’d, at least, if not
+Outdone, in matter of Fact. And These Ordinary _Hocusses_ have been made
+use of in All Ages too, as Tools of State; sometimes For the Government,
+Other-while Against it, as the Occasion lay Fairest for the Game that
+was then a Playing. It goes a great Way, when Natural Curiosity, Vulgar
+Prejudice, and an Artificial Application of Actives to Passives, shall be
+Assisted with the _Shams_ of _Astrological Judgments_ and _Calculations_
+over and above: though with our _Conjurers_ here, their Ignorance and
+Presumption lay them Open in the Conclusion, to the Scorns and Contempt
+of the Common People.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XCV.
+
+A _Doctor_ and his _Patient_.
+
+
+_Pray Sir How d’ye Find your self?_ says the _Dr._ to his _Patient_. Why
+truly, says the _Patient_; I have had a Violent Sweat. _Oh the best Sign
+in the World_ quoth the _Dr._ And then a little while after he is at it
+again, with a _Pray How d’ye find your Body?_ Alas, says the T’other, I
+have just now such a Terrible Fit of Horror and Shaking upon me! _Why
+this is all as it should be_, says the _Physician_, It shews a Mighty
+Strength of Nature. And then he comes over him a Third time with the same
+Question again; Why I am all swell’d, says T’other, as if I had a Dropsy;
+_Best of all_ quoth the _Doctor_, and goes his Way. Soon after This,
+comes one of the Sick Man’s Friends to him with the same Question, how he
+felt himself; why truly so Well, says he, that I am e’en ready to Dye, of
+I know not how many Good Signs and Tokens.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Death-bed Flattery is the worst of Treacheries._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This gives us to Understand the Practice of the World, and that Flattery
+and Time-serving Enters into the most Solemn Offices of Mankind. To
+Flatter Foolish Men into a Hope of Life where there is None at all, is
+much the same Thing with Betraying People into an Opinion, that they are
+in a Virtuous, and Happy State, when they are Over-run with Passion,
+and Drown’d in their Lusts. The One has the same Pernicious Effect upon
+our Minds, that the Other has upon our Bodies; for it makes us Careless
+of Both. There are Certain Decencies of Form, and Civility, ’tis true,
+that purely regard Matters of Conversation, and Good Manners; And These
+Respects ought to be Preserv’d; But Ceremonies of Mode and Complement,
+are mightily out of Season, when Life and Salvation come to be at Stake.
+
+It falls under the Prospect of the same Topique, to Consider, that
+Kingdoms and Common-Wealths have their Distempers, Intermissions, and
+Paroxisms, as well as Natural Bodies. And that a Glavering Council is
+as Dangerous on the One hand, as a Wheedling Priest, or a Flattering
+Physician is on the Other. There is hardly such Another Pest in a
+Community, as a Consort of Parasites, that feed Governours with False
+Representations and Reports of Men and of Things. They First Betray
+their Masters to Dishonour and Ruine; and then when they find the Vessel
+Sinking, save themselves in the Long Boat. _So much the Better_, quoth
+the _Doctor_: _Ay, Ay_, (says the _Emperical Statesman_) _That’s as
+we’d have it_. When at the same time the Distemper is as Mortal to the
+_Government_, on the One hand, as to the _Patient_ on the Other.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XCVI.
+
+A _Fowler_ and a _Black-Bird_.
+
+
+As a _Fowler_ was Bending his Net, a _Black-Bird_ call’d to him at a
+distance, and Ask’d him what he was doing. Why says he, I am laying the
+Foundations of a City; and so the _Bird-man_ drew out of Sight. The
+_Black-Bird_ Mistrusting Nothing, flew presently to the Bait in the Net,
+and was taken; and as the Man came running to lay hold of her; Friend,
+says the Poor _Black-Bird_, If this be Your Way of Building, You’ll have
+but Few Inhabitants.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There is no Sham so Gross, but it will pass upon a Weak Man that is
+Pragmatical, and Inquisitive._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to Intimate, that where Rulers lay Snares, deal Falsly, and
+Exercise Cruelty, All goes to Wrack both Publique and Private. All
+Frauds are Cover’d and Gilded over with Specious Pretences, and Men are
+Every jot as Easily Impos’d upon, as Birds, Beasts or Fishes; while the
+Eagerness of our Appetites Suspends the Exercise of our Reason. A Treat,
+a Woman, or a Bottle, is the same Thing to Us, that a Worm, a Gudgeon, a
+Grain of Corn, or a piece of Flesh is to Those Animals. We Snap at the
+Bait without ever Dreaming of the Hook, the Trap, or the Snare that goes
+Along with it. Now what’s the Difference betwixt _Æsop’s_ Pretext here
+for the _Building_ of a City, and the Cheats that we have heard of, for
+the _Saving_ of a City. The Design was Destruction in Both, and that was
+the Event on’t too. Religion, Liberty and Property were the Bait: Nay the
+very Sound of the Words did the Bus’ness. The Common People will Chop
+like Trouts at an Artificial Fly, and Dare like Larks under the Awe of a
+Painted Hobby. ’Tis with Men just as it is with Birds and Fishes, There’s
+not a Mortal of us, that will not Bite at some Bait or other, and we are
+caught as Sillily too, as the _Bird_ was here in the _Net_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XCVII.
+
+_Mercury_ and a _Traveller_.
+
+
+One that was just Entring upon a Long Journey, took up a Fancy of putting
+a Trick upon _Mercury_. He say’d him a short Prayer for the _Bon-Voyage_,
+with a Promise, that the God should go Half with him in whatever he
+found. Some body had lost a Bag of Dates and Almonds, it seems, and it
+was His Fortune to Find it. He fell to Work upon ’em Immediately, and
+when he had Eaten up the Kernels, and all that was Good of them, Himself,
+he lay’d the Stones, and the Shells, upon an Altar; and desir’d _Mercury_
+to take Notice that he had Perform’d his Vow. For, says he, Here are the
+Outsides of the One, and the Insides of the Other, and there’s the Moiety
+I Promis’d ye.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Men Talk as if they Believ’d in God, but they Live as if they thought
+there were None; for their very Prayers are Mockeries, and their Vows and
+Promises are no more then_ Words of Course, _which they never Intended to
+make Good_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to Reprehend the False and Covetous Humour of Those that for
+Mony and Profit, will not Stick at putting Shams even upon God Himself;
+Prophaning his Altars, and Ridiculing his very Omniscience and Power.
+Here’s the Wickedness of a Libertine Naturally enough set forth, only the
+Punishment is Wanting that should have Compleated the Moral. What Opinion
+have These Religious Banterers, of the Divine Power, and Justice? Or what
+have they to say for themselves in this Audacious Habit of Mockery and
+Contempt; but that _they Believe in their Hearts that there is No God_?
+Not but that more or less, we are all Jugglers in Secret betwixt Heaven,
+and our Own Souls; Only to Cover and Meditate Abuses under the Masque and
+Pretence of Conscience, and Religion; and make God Almighty Privy to a
+Thousand False and Cozening Contrivances, that we keep as the Greatest
+Privacies in the World, from the Knowledge of our Neighbours. Nay,
+when we are Most in Earnest, our Vows and Promises are more then Half
+Broken in the very making of them; and if we can but secure our Selves a
+Retreat, by some Cleanly Evasion, Distinction or Mental Reservation, it
+serves our Purpose e’en as Well as if it were a Casuistical Resolution.
+In One Word we find the Moral of _Mercury_ and the _Traveller_ in the
+very Secrets of our Hearts, betwixt Heaven, and our own Souls.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XCVIII.
+
+A _Boy_ and his _Mother_.
+
+
+A _School-Boy_ brought his _Mother_ a Book that he had Stoll’n from One
+of his Fellows. She was so far from Correcting him for’t, that she rather
+Encourag’d him. As he grew Bigger, he would be still keeping his hand
+in Use with somewhat of Greater Value, till he came at last to be Taken
+in the Manner, and brought to Justice for’t. His _Mother_ went along
+with him to the Place of Execution, Where he got leave of the Officers,
+to have a Word or Two in Private with her. He put his Mouth to her Ear,
+and under Pretext of a Whisper, Bit it Clear off. This Impious Unnatural
+Villany turn’d Every Body’s Heart against him More and More. [Well Good
+People (says the _Boy_) Here You see Me an Example, both upon the Matter
+of Shame and of Punishment; And it is This _Mother_ of mine that has
+brought me to’t; for if she had but Whipt me soundly for the Book I stole
+when I was a _Boy_, I should never have come to the Gallows for Pilfering
+now I’m a _Man_.]
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We are either Made or Marr’d, in our Education; and Governments, as well
+as Private Families, are Concern’d in the Consequences of it._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Wicked Dispositions should be Check’d betimes; for when they come once
+to Habits, they grow Incurable. More People go to the Gibbet for want of
+Timely Instruction, Discipline, and Correction, then upon any Incurable
+Pravity of Nature; And it is mightily the Fault of Parents, Guardians,
+Tutors and Governours, that so many men Miscarry. They suffer ’em at
+first to _Run-a-head_, and when Perverse Inclinations are Advanc’d once
+into Habits, there’s No Dealing with ’em. It may seem somewhat a Hard
+Case for the Greater Thieves to Punish the Less, and to see Publique
+Purloyners and Oppressors sit in Triumph upon the Lives of the Little
+Ones that go to the Gallows: For the Tye of Morality is the same upon
+Both; and they Stand Both Accountable to the Same Master. But Time,
+Power, and Corruption, give a Reputation to the Worst of Practices,
+and it is no longer Oppression when it comes Gilded with the Name of
+Authority. This Unequal and Unreasonable Judgment of Things, brings many
+a Great Man to the Stool of Repentance; for when he has Swallow’d more
+then he can Digest, it sticks upon his Conscience, and will neither Up,
+nor Down. Now in the Sight of Heaven, the Greater the Temptation, the
+Less is the Sin; and yet in the Vogue of the World, it passes for an
+Exploit of Honour, for Kings and States to run away with Whole Countries
+that they have no Colour, or Pretence to; when many a poor Devil stands
+Condemn’d to a Halter, or a Whipping-Post, for the Pilfering of a
+Silver-Spoon perhaps, or the Robbing of a Hen-Roost: Though the Former,
+all this While, has No Better Title to what he takes then the Latter; and
+yet to see what a deal of Fulsome Flattery, and Panegyrick we have upon
+the Glorious Atchievements of the One; and only some _Smithfield Ballad_
+perchance, or a _Sabbath-Breaking Speech_, or _Confession_, to Embalm the
+Memory of the Other. To be Short and Plain; the Offence before God, is at
+least as Great in a Prince, as in a Begger, and the Morality of a Careful
+Education holds alike in both. ’Twas the _Mother’s_ sparing the Rod at
+first, that brought the _Child_ at the Long Run to the Halter.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. XCIX.
+
+A _Shepherd_ turn’d _Merchant._
+
+
+A _Countryman_ was Feeding his _Flock_ by the Sea-side, and it was so
+Delicate a Fine Day, that the Smoothness of the Water Tempted him to
+leave his _Shepherd’s_ Business, and set up for a _Merchant_. So that
+in All Hast, he puts off his Stock; Buys a Bargain of Figs; gets his
+Freight abord, and away presently to Sea. It happened to be very Foul
+Weather: so that the Mariners were fain to Cast their Whole Lading
+Over-board, to save Themselves and the Vessel. Upon this Miscarriage, our
+New _Merchant-Adventurer_ betook himself to his Old Trade again; and it
+happen’d One Day, as he was Tending his _Sheep_ upon the very same Coast,
+to be Just such a Flattering Tempting Sea again, as That which Betray’d
+him Before. _Yes, yes_, says he, _When the Devil’s Blind! You’d ha’ some
+more Figs with a Vengeance, Would ye?_
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Men may be happy in all Estates if they will but suit their Minds to
+their Condition. A Shepherd may be as Easy in a Cottage, as a Prince in a
+Palace, with a Mind Suited to his Station; but if they will be Launching
+out into Trade, or Bus’ness that they do not understand, they have
+nothing left them to trust to when they are once Bewilder’d, but the Hope
+of some Kind Providence to put them in the Right Way Home again._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Affliction makes People Honest and Wise. Every Man Living has his Weak
+Side, and no Mortal was ever yet so much at Ease, but his Shoe Wrung him
+some where or Other, or he Fancy’d so at least, and Then it did so. The
+_Shepherd_ would needs be a _Merchant_; and the _Merchant_, if he had
+succeeded, would still have been Hankering after something else. His
+Levity was a Fault, and his Miscarriage was a Judgment upon him for’t.
+The saving of his Person after the Loss of his Goods was a Providential
+Mercy to him; and the bringing of Him home to Himself again, was to
+Convince him of His Error, and to shew him, that he was well at First,
+if he would have kept so. He was in a State of Ease, Peace, Innocence,
+and Safety: And he that will Sacrifice all Those Blessings to a Restless
+Appetite, deserves to be Miserable. Our _Shepherd’s_ Case, in short here,
+is every Man’s Case that Quits a Moral Certainty for an Uncertainty, and
+Leaps from the Honest Bus’ness he was brought up to, into a Trade he has
+no Skill in.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. C.
+
+An _Old Man_ and a _Lion._
+
+
+A Person of Quality dream’d one Night that he saw a _Lion_ Kill his only
+Son: Who was, it seems, a Generous Cavalier, and a Great Lover of the
+Chace. This Fancy ran in the Father’s Head, to that Degree, that he Built
+his Son a House of Pleasure, on purpose to keep him out of Harms Way; and
+spar’d neither Art nor Cost to make it a Delicious Retreat. This House,
+in short, was to be the Young Man’s Prison, and the Father made himself
+his Keeper. There were a World of Paintings Every where up and down, and
+among the Rest, there was the Picture of a _Lion_; which stirred the
+Blood of the Young Man for the Dream sake, and to think that he should
+now be a Slave for the Fancy of such a Beast. In this Indignation he made
+a Blow at the Picture; but Striking his Fist upon the Point of a Nail in
+the Wall, His Hand Cancerated; he fell into a Fever, and soon after Dy’d
+on’t: So that all the Father’s Precaution could not Secure the Son from
+the Fatality of Dying by a _Lion_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Body may as well lay too Little as too Much Stress upon a Dream; for
+some Dreams are Monitory, as Others are only Complexional; but upon the
+Main, the Less we Heed them the Better; for when that Freak has once
+taken Possession of a Fantastical Head, the Distemper is Incurable._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis to no Purpose to think of Preventing, or Diverting Fatalities:
+Especially where the Event looks like the Punishment of a Superstition:
+as it fares with Those that Govern their Lives by Forebodings and Dreams:
+or the Signs of Ill Luck, as we use to say: They are still Anxious and
+Uneasie: History is full of Examples to Illustrate the Doctrine of
+This Fable. The _Father_ was to blame for laying so much Stress upon a
+Foolish _Dream_, and the Son was Little less to Blame, for being so much
+Transported at the Impression of that Fancy upon the _Father_: But they
+were Both Justly Punished however, The One for his Passion, and the Other
+for his Superstition.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CI.
+
+A _Fox_ that lost his _Tail._
+
+
+There was a _Fox_ taken in a Trap, that was glad to Compound for his Neck
+by leaving his _Tail_ behind him. It was so Uncouth a Sight, for a _Fox_
+to appear without a _Tail_, that the very Thought on’t made him e’en
+Weary of his Life; for ’twas a Loss never to be Repair’d: But however for
+the Better Countenance of the Scandal, he got _the Master and Wardens
+of the Foxes Company_ to call a _Court of Assistants_, where he himself
+appear’d and made a Learned Discourse upon the Trouble, the Uselessness,
+and the Indecency of _Foxes_ Wearing _Tails_. He had no sooner say’d out
+his Say, but up rises a Cunning Snap, then at the Board, who desir’d to
+be Inform’d whether the Worthy Member that Mov’d against the Wearing of
+_Tails_, gave his Advice for the Advantage of those that Had _Tails_, or
+to Palliate the Deformity and Disgrace of Those that had _None_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_When a Man has any Notable Defect, or Infirmity, about him, whether by
+Nature, or by Chance, ’tis the Best of his Play, to try the Humour, if he
+can turn it into a Fashion._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis the way of the World to give Other People Councel for their Own
+Ends. Paradoxing is of Great Use and Service in many Encounters and
+Accidents that we meet withal in the World; but the Faculty must be so
+Tenderly Manag’d, as not to Grate upon the Truth, and Reason of Things:
+And it is of Great Effect, if it can but give some Colour of Probability
+to the Matter in Question. Nay there’s a Pleasure in the very Tryal of
+Wits; but when This Talent is Employ’d upon the Topique of Convenience,
+and Profit; It is a wonderful Force that it has upon the Affections of
+the Common People. The _Fox_ carry’d it as far as ’twould go; but he had
+too Hard a Task on’t, to Over-rule a Multitude to their Own Pain and Loss.
+
+We may Improve a Doctrine from This, that Every Man has his Weak Side,
+either by Mischance, or by Nature; and that he makes it his Bus’ness
+to Cover it too, the Best he can. In case of the Worst, it is some
+sort of Ease to have Company in our Misfortunes. It puts a Body out of
+Countenance to be in a Fashion by Himself, and therefore the _Fox_ did
+well to Try if he could bring his Fellow Foxes to put themselves into His
+Mode. When we have Carry’d a Point as far as it will go, and can make no
+more on’t, ’tis a Stroke of Art and Philosophy, to look as if we did not
+so much as Wish for a Thing that is not to be Had. Every Man’s Present
+Condition has somewhat to be Said for’t: If it be Uneasy, the Skill will
+be, either how to Mend it, or how to Bear it; But then there must be no
+Clashing with the Methods, the Decrees, and the Laws of Nature. A Man
+that has Forfeited his Honour and his Conscience, seems to be much in the
+Condition of the _Fox_ here that had lost his _Tail_, and takes as much
+pains too, to persuade All his Companions to follow his Fashion. He lays
+down his Arguments, and gives his _REASONS_, Nay, and he endeavours to
+Prove it by _Scripture_ too, that _Men_, in such a Case, ought to go to
+_Old Nick_ for _Company_. We are to Consider here, that the _Devils_ have
+their _Traps_ as well as the _Woodmen_, and that it is the Case of many
+a _Lawyer_ and _Divine_, when they come once to be Hamper’d, to rub off
+as well as they can, though they Leave their _Consciences behind_ them,
+as the _Fox_ did his _Tail_, and then _Preach up the Blessed Doctrine and
+Convenience of_ No Consciences, _as well as_ No Tails.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CII.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Bramble_.
+
+
+A _Fox_ that was close Pursu’d, took a Hedge. The Bushes gave way, and in
+Catching hold of a _Bramble_ to break his Fall, the Prickles ran into his
+Feet. Upon This, He laid himself down, and fell to Licking his Paws, with
+Bitter Exclamations against the _Bramble_. Good Words, _Reynard_, says
+the _Bramble_, One would have thought you had known Better Things, than
+to Expect a Kindness from a Common Enemy, and to lay hold on That for
+Relief, that Catches at Every Thing else for Mischief.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There are some Malicious Natures that Place all their Delight in doing
+Ill Turns, and That Man is hard put to’t, that is first brought into a
+Distress, and then forc’d to Fly to such People for Relief._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Great Folly to Fly for Protection to People that Naturally Delight
+in Mischief. The _Fox_ blames the _Bramble_ here, but he may Thank
+Himself. They that make themselves the Common Enemies of Mankind, by
+Breaking All the Measures of Good Faith, Truth, and Peace, and by lying
+in Wait for Innocent Blood, let them Turn their Heads which way they
+will, they shall be sure of an Enemy in the Face of them: Nay they meet
+with their Punishment, where they look for Safety, and which way soever
+they go, Divine Justice either Meets them, or Pursues them. The _Foxes_
+Charging his Misfortune here upon the _Bramble_, is the very Case and
+Practice of Wicked Men, that Snarl at the Instrument, without so much as
+Thinking of the Providence. But the _Bramble_ did only according to its
+Nature, and Consequently was not to Blame.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CIII.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Crocodile._
+
+
+There happen’d a Contest betwixt a _Fox_ and a _Crocodile_, upon the
+Point of Bloud and Extraction. The _Crocodile_ Amplify’d Wonderfully upon
+his Family, for the Credit of his Ancestors. Friend (says the _Fox_,
+smiling upon’t) there will need no Herald to Prove your Gentility; for
+you carry the Marks of Your Original in Your very Skin.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Great Boasters and Lyars have the Fortune still some way or other to
+Disprove themselves._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are some Falsities so Bold and Notorious, that they carry their
+Contradictions in the very Reason and Presumption of the Matter, without
+any other Evidence.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CIV.
+
+A _Fox_ and _Huntsmen._
+
+
+A _Fox_ that had been Hard-run, begg’d of a Countryman that he saw at
+Work in a Wood, to help him to some Hiding-Place. The Man Directed him
+to his Cottage, and thither he went. He was no sooner got in, but the
+_Huntsmen_ were presently at the Heels of him, and asked the Cottager
+if he did not see a _Fox_ That Way? No truly, says he, I saw None; but
+Pointed at the same time with his Finger to the Place where he lay. The
+_Huntsmen_ did not take the Hint, it seems; but the _Fox_ spy’d him,
+however, through a Peeping-Hole he had found out to see what News: so the
+_Fox-Hunters_ went their Way, and then Out steals the _Fox_, without One
+Word speaking. Why how now, says the Man, Han’t ye the Manners to take
+leave of your Host before you go? Yes, yes, says the _Fox_; if you had
+been as Honest of your Fingers, as you were of your Tongue, I should not
+have gone without bidding ye Farewell.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Man may tell a Lye by Signs, as well as in Words at length, and his
+Conscience is as Answerable for his Fingers, as for his Tongue._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No Trusting of Those that Say One Thing, and Do Another,
+Especially if they follow Fair Words with Foul Deeds. Here’s a Case of
+Honour, and of Conscience, Both in One, upon the Matter of Hospitality,
+and of Trust. The Laws of Hospitality are Sacred on the One Side, and so
+are the Duties we Owe to our Country on the Other. If we Consider the
+Trust, Faith must not be Broken; If the Common Enemy, his Councel is
+not to be kept. The _Woodman_ did as good as Tacitely promise the _Fox_
+a Sanctuary; but not being _Sui Juris_, he promis’d more than he could
+Warrantably Perform; for a _Subsequent Promise_ to _Conceal_ the _Fox_,
+could not Discharge him of a _Prior Obligation_ to _Destroy_ him. ’Tis
+true, it would have been more Generous to have don’t at first, and while
+he had as yet No Colour of any Tye of Honour upon him to Preserve him.
+The _Fox_ begg’d for Protection, which he had No Reason to Expect. First
+it was upon Force, and Necessity, not Choice. Secondly, It was at his own
+Peril, without any Conditions for his own Security. Thirdly, He Committed
+himself to the Mercy of a Man that was bound to Kill him. Fourthly, The
+very Address was scandalous; for he must needs have an Ill Opinion of the
+Countryman, so much as to Imagine that he could be Wrought upon to Betray
+his Country for the Sake of a Beast. But let the Rest be as it will,
+there’s no Excuse for the _Woodman’s Double Dealing_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CV.
+
+A _Man_ and a _Wooden God_.
+
+
+A _Man_ that had a Great Veneration for an _Image_ he had in his House,
+found that the More he Pray’d to’t to Prosper him in the World, the
+More he went down the Wind still. This put him into such a Rage, to
+lie Dogging at his Prayers so Much, and so Long, to so Little Purpose,
+that at last he Dasht the Head on’t to pieces against the Wall; and Out
+comes a Considerable Quantity of Gold. Why This ’tis, says he, to Adore
+a Perverse and Insensible Deity, that will do More for Blows then for
+Worship.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Most People, Clergy as well as Laity, Accommodate their Religion to
+their Profit, and reckon that to be the best Church that there’s most to
+be got by._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable runs better in the Humour, then it does in the Moral. It
+lays before us the Unprofitable Vanity of False Worship, and gives us
+to Understand, that the more zealous we are in a Wrong Way, the Worse.
+An Idol is an Abomination in the sight both of God, and of Good Men;
+and yet we are so to Govern our Selves, even in the Transports of That
+Abhorrence, as still to preserve a Reverence for Religion it self, in
+the very Indignation we Express for the Corruption of it. So that the
+License of this Buffoon went a little too far perhaps, for there must be
+No Playing with Things Sacred, nor Jesting, as we say with Edge Tools.
+We have the Moral of this Abandon’d Libertine up and down in the _World_
+in a Thousand several Shapes. All People that Worship for Fear, Profit,
+or some other By-End, Fall More or Less within the Intendment of this
+Emblem. It is a kind of a Conditional Devotion for Men to be Religious no
+longer then they can Save, or Get by’t. _Put forth thy Hand now_ (says
+the Devil to the Almighty in the Case of _Job_) _and Touch All that he
+hath, and he will Curse thee to thy Face_. This Good Man Lost All, and
+for an Example of Patience and indignation to Future Ages. _The Lord
+gave_ (says he) _and the Lord hath Taken away, Blessed be the Name of the
+Lord_. Here was No Dashing of the _Two Tables_ one against the Other, for
+an _Office_, or _an Egg at Easter_, as the Fellow serv’d his _Idol_ here.
+The Whole Sum of the Moral is in short, Comprized in the Old Saying: _He
+that serves God for Mony, will serve the Devil for Better Wages_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CVI.
+
+A _Dog_ Invited to Supper.
+
+
+A Gentleman Invited a Friend to Supper with him, and the _Gentleman’s
+Dog_ was so well Bred as to Invite the _Friend’s Dog_ to come for
+Company. The _Dog_ came at his Hour, and into the Kitchin he went, to
+see what Good Cheer was toward: But as he was there, Wagging his Tayl,
+and Licking his Lips, at the thought of what a Meal he was like to make
+on’t, the Roguy Cook got Slyly behind him, and Spoil’d the Jest. He took
+him up by the Tayl at Unawares, and after a Turn or Two in the Air, flung
+him out of the Window. So soon as ever the Poor Devil had Recover’d the
+Squelch, away he Scampers, Bawling like Mad, with I know not how many
+Prick-Ear’d Curs at the Heels of him, to know how he lik’d his Welcome.
+Why truly, says he, they have given me as much Drink as my Skin will
+hold; and it has made me so Light-Headed, I could not find the Right Way
+out of the House again.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+Love Me, Love my Dog, _says the old Proverb, and there’s somewhat of Good
+Manners, as well as of Good Nature in’t; for there are certain Decencies
+of Respect due to the Servant for the Master’s sake_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It looks well among Friends, when Masters and Servants are all of a
+piece. The _Dog_ invites his Guest, and the Cook throws him out of the
+Window, and in so doing, the Man shew’d himself the Arranter Cur of the
+Two; for it was against Hospitality and Good Manners so to do. There is
+a Duty of Tenderness and Good Nature, even towards Those Animals: But
+when it came to the Worst at last, the _Dog_ had the Wit, we see, to make
+the Best of a Bad Game. Though ’twas an unmannerly, and an Ill-Natur’d
+Frolick of the Cook all this while; for the Ill Usage of a Servant is
+some sort of Affront to his Master.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CVII.
+
+An _Eagle_ and a _Man_.
+
+
+A _Man_ took an _Eagle_, Pelted her Wings, and put her among his _Hens_.
+Somebody came and bought This and presently New Feather’d her. She made a
+Flight at a _Hare_, Truss’d it, and brought it to her Benefactor. A _Fox_
+perceiving this, came and gave the Man a piece of Good Counsel. Have a
+care, says _Reynard_, of putting too much Confidence in This _Eagle_; for
+she’ll go near, one time or other else, to take You for a _Hare_. Upon
+this Advice, the Man Plum’d the _Eagle_ once again.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Persons and Humours may be Jumbled and Disguis’d, but Nature is like
+Quicksilver, that will never be Kill’d._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Birds of Prey will be Birds of Prey still, at what Rate soever you Treat
+’em. So that there’s no Trusting of them: For when they have no longer
+a Power to do Mischief, the Will yet Remains. Here’s a Forc’d Moral for
+a Forc’d Fable: For the Fancy of it is against Nature, and the Fiction
+does not consist with it self. Now to My Thinking This Application of it
+lies the Fairer of the Two, _i.e._ That the Gratitude of the _Eagle_, in
+bringing the _Hare_ to her Master, may serve to shew us, that the Wildest
+and Fiercest of Creatures may be Sweetn’d, and Reclaim’d by Benefits.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CVIII.
+
+A _Father_ and his _Sons_.
+
+
+A Countryman that liv’d Handsomly in the World Himself upon his Honest
+Labour and Industry, was desirous his Sons should do so After Him; and
+being now upon his Death-Bed: [My Dear Children (says he) I reckon my
+self Bound to tell you before I depart, that there is a Considerable
+Treasure Hid in my _Vineyard_. Wherefore pray be sure to Dig, and search
+Narrowly for’t when I am gone.] The _Father_ Dyes, and the _Sons_ fall
+immediately to Work upon the _Vineyard_. They turn’d it up over and over,
+and not one Penny of Mony to be found there; but the Profit of the Next
+Vintage Expounded the Riddle.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Good Councel is the Best Legacy a Father can leave to a Child, and it is
+still the Better, when it is so wrapt up, as to beget a Curiosity as well
+as an Inclination to follow it._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No Wealth like That which comes by the Blessing of God upon
+Honest Labour and Warrantable Industry. Here’s an Incitement to an
+Industrious Course of Life, by a Consideration of the Profit, the
+Innocence and the Virtue of such an Application. There is one Great
+Comfort in Hand, beside the Hope and Assurance of more to come. The very
+Exercise procures us Health, and Consequently All the Pleasures and
+Satisfactions that Attend it. We have the Delight of Seeing and Reaping
+the Fruit of our own Labour, and the Inward Joy of Contemplating the
+Benedictions of Another World, that shall be superadded to the Advantages
+of This. _Æsop_ very well understood, that Naked Lessons and Precepts,
+have Nothing the Force that Images and Parables have, upon our Minds and
+Affections: Beside, that the very Study to Unriddled a Mystery, furnishes
+the Memory with more Tokens to Remember it by. A Tale in Emblem sinks
+Deeper, where the Life and Spirit of it is Insinuated by a kind of Biass
+and Surprize. It was a Touch of Art in the _Father_ to Cover his Meaning
+in such a manner, as to Create a Curiosity, and an Earnest Desire in
+his _Sons_ to find it out. And it was also a Treble Advantage to them
+besides; for there was, I say, _Health_ in the _Exercise_, _Profit_ in
+the _Discovery_, and the Comfort of a _Good Conscience_ in Discharging
+the Duty of a _Filial Obedience_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CIX.
+
+A _Fisherman_ and his _Pipe_.
+
+
+A _Fisherman_ that understood _Piping_ better then _Netting_, set himself
+down upon the Side of a River, and Touch’d his _Flute_, but not a Fish
+came near him. Upon This, he laid down his _Pipe_ and Cast his _Net_,
+which brought him up a very Great Draught. The _Fish_ fell a Frisking in
+the Net, and the _Fisherman_ observing it, What Sotts are These (says
+he) that would not Dance when I play’d to ’em, and will be Dancing now
+without Musick!
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There are Certain Rules and Methods for the Doing of All Things in This
+World; and therefore let Every Man stick to the Business he understands,
+and was brought up to, without making One Profession Interfere with
+Another._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There is a Proper Time and Season for Every Thing; and Nothing can be
+more Ridiculous than the Doing of Things without a Due Regard to the
+Circumstances of Persons, Proportion, Time and Place.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CX.
+
+A _Fisherman_’s _Good Luck_.
+
+
+A _Fisherman_ had been a Long while at work without Catching any thing,
+and so in Great Trouble and Despair, he resolv’d to take up his Tackle
+and be gone: But in That very Instant a Great Fish Leapt into the Boat,
+and by Providence made a Tolerable Day on’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Patience, Constancy, and Perseverance, in an Honest Cause and Duty, can
+never fail of a Happy End, One way or Other._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+That which we commonly call _Good Fortune_, is properly, _Providence_,
+and when Matters succeed Better with us by Accident, then we could
+pretend to, by Skill; We ought to Ascribe it to the Divine Goodness, as a
+Blessing upon Industry. It is Every man’s Duty to Labour in his Calling,
+and not to Despond, for any Miscarriages or Disappointments, that were
+not in his own power to Prevent. Faith, Hope, and Patience, Overcome
+All things, and Virtue can never fail of a Reward in the Conclusion.
+What was it but This Constancy and Resignation, that kept the Hearts
+of the Poor Cavaliers from Breaking, in the Tedious Interval of that
+Bloudy Revolution from Forty to Sixty; ’till at last, the Banish’d, and
+Persecuted Son of a Royal Martyr, was in God’s Good time brought back
+again and Plac’d upon the Throne of his Ancestors, which Crown’d the
+Sufferings of All his Loyal Subjects. The Fisherman’s waiting in his
+Calling, bids us Persevere in our Duties, and the Lucky Hit he had in the
+Conclusion, tells us that Honest Endeavours will not fail of a Reward.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXI.
+
+_Large Promises._
+
+
+There was a Poor Sick Man, that according to the Course of the World,
+when Physicians had given him over, betook himself to his Prayers, and
+Vow’d a Sacrifice of a Thousand Oxen ready down upon the Nail, to either
+_Apollo_, or _Æsculapius_, which of the Two would deliver him from This
+Disease. Ah my Dear (says his Wife) Have a care what You Promise; for
+where would you have These Oxen if you should Recover? Sweet Heart (says
+he) thou talk’st like a Fool. Have the Gods Nothing else to do, dost
+think, than to leave their Bus’ness, and come down to Sue me in an Action
+of Debt? They Restor’d him however for that Bout, to make Tryal of his
+Honesty and Good Faith. He was no sooner up, but for want of Living Oxen,
+he made out his Number upon Paste, and Offer’d them up in Form upon an
+Altar. For this Mockery, Divine Vengeance pursu’d him, and he had an
+Apparition come to him in a Dream, that bad him go and Search in such a
+Place near the Coast, and he should find a Considerable Treasure; Away he
+went, and as he was looking for the Mony fell into the Hands of Pyrates.
+He begg’d hard for his Liberty, and Offer’d a Thousand Talents of Gold
+for his Ransome; but they would not Trust him, and so he was carried
+away, and sold afterwards as a Slave for as many Groats.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+    The Dev’ll was Sick, the Dev’ll a Monk would be;
+    The Dev’ll was Well, the Dev’ll a Monk was He.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable applies it self to Those that Promise more in their Adversity
+than they either Intend, or are able to make good in their Prosperity;
+but they must not think to bring themselves off at last with a Conceit;
+for in the Sight of God, an Equivocating Juggling Sham, is as much as a
+Gross, Downright Lye.
+
+’Tis the Practice of the World for People in Distress to serve God and
+Man in Several Respects, both Alike: That is to say, when they lie
+under any Heavy Affliction, or Propose to themselves any Considerable
+Advantage, and find they have Need of Anothers Help; how do they Beg,
+Vow, Promise, Sollicite, Swear, Sign and Seal, and yet Conscious to
+Themselves all this while, that they neither Intend, nor are able to make
+One Article Good? Wickedness comes on by Degrees, as well as Virtue;
+and Sudden Leaps from one Extream to Another, are Unnatural Motions in
+the Course of our Lives and Humours. Here’s first a Rash and a Knavish
+Promise; for the Promiser knew he was not able to make it Good. When he
+has broken the Ice, he Advances, from Cozening of God, to make Sport with
+him, and pays him with Paste for Flesh: But Vengeance Overtook him in the
+Conclusion, and gave him to Understand, that _God will not be Mocked_.
+The Moral of This Sick Man, is the Case of Every Soul of us in the Making
+and the Breaking of our Vows.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXII.
+
+_Fishermen Disappointed._
+
+
+Some _Fishermen_ that had been out a whole Day with a Drag-Net, and
+Caught Nothing, had a Draught toward the Evening, that came home very
+heavy, which put ’em in hope of a Sturgeon at least, but upon bringing
+the Net ashore, it prov’d to be Only One Great Stone, and a few Little
+Fishes. Upon this Disappointment they were Down in the Mouth again; but
+says One of the Company that was a Little Graver then the Rest, You are
+to Consider, my Masters, that Joy and Sorrow are Two Sisters that follow
+One Another by Turns.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_All Our Purchases in This World are but the_ Catching of a Tartar, _as
+we say, but it is some Comfort yet to Consider, that when Things are at
+the Worst they’ll Mend_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Hopes and Disappointments are the Lot and Entertainment of Humane Life;
+The One serves to keep us from Presumption, the other from Despair.
+This Fable bids us wait the Seasons of Divine Providence, with Patience
+and Perseverance, in the Duties of our Calling: What Difficulties, and
+Temporary Discouragements soever we may Encounter in the Way; but as we
+are not to Despond on the One hand, of reaping in God’s good time, the
+Fruit of our Honest Endeavours: So neither are we, on the Other hand,
+to lay more Stress upon the Event of Things, at Best, then the Matter
+will bear: That is to say, we are to Compute, that upon Ballancing the
+Account, the Profit at last, will hardly Countervail the Inconveniences
+that go along with it.
+
+The _Fisherman’s_ Case in the Fable is many a man’s Case in the World;
+as with a Wife for the Purpose, with an Office, with an Estate, with a
+Court-Commission: He’s fain to Tug Hard for’t before he can Catch it, and
+Measures the Blessing all the while by the Difficulty of Obtaining it.
+And what’s the Purchase at last when he comes to Cast up his Account, but
+_Great Stones_ and _Little Fishes_? His only Comfort is, _That this World
+will not Last always_; and that Good Luck, and Bad Luck take their Turns.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXIII.
+
+_Death_ and an _Old Man_.
+
+
+An _Old Man_ that had Travell’d a Great Way under a Huge Burden of Sticks
+found himself so Weary, that he cast it Down, and call’d upon _Death_
+to Deliver him from a more Miserable Life. _Death_ came presently at his
+Call, and Ask’d him his Bus’ness. Pray Good Sir, says he, Do me but the
+favour to Help me up with my Burden again.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Men call upon Death, as they do upon the Devil: When he comes they’re
+afraid of him._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Matter of Custom, and in Passion, rather then in Earnest, that Men
+in Pain and Misery are so ready to call for _Death_: For when he comes,
+they wish him away again. It may be said to be the _Motto_ of Humane
+Nature, rather to Suffer then to Die, though ’tis Good however to be
+always ready for That which Must come at Last. The Doctrine is This, That
+_Skin, and All that a man has, will he give for his Life_. We are apt
+to Pick Quarrels with the World for Every Little Foolery. Every Trivial
+Cross makes us think we are Weary of the World; but our Tongues run quite
+to Another Tune when we come once to parting with it in Earnest. Then,
+’tis _Call the Doctor, Pothecary, Surgeon_; _Purge_, _Flux_, _Launce_,
+_Burn_, _Saw_: I’ll Endure Any Thing in This World, if you can but keep
+Life and Soul together. When it comes to That once, ’tis not Help me
+_Off_ with my Burthen, but Help me _Up_ with it.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXIV.
+
+A _Doctor_ and _Patient_ with _Sore Eyes_.
+
+
+A _Physician_ Undertakes a Woman with Sore Eyes, upon the Terms of _No
+Cure No Mony_. His Way was to Dawb ’em quite up with Oyntments, and
+while she was in that Pickle, to carry off a Spoon or a Porringer, or
+Somewhat or Other, at the End of his Visit. The Woman’s Eyes Mended, and
+still as she came More and More to her self again, there was Every Day
+less and less left in the House to be seen. The _Doctor_ came to her at
+last, and told her; Mistress, says he, I have Discharg’d my Part, Your
+Eyes are perfectly Well again, and pray let me be Paid now according
+to Our Agreement. Alas, Sir, says she, I’m a Great deal Worse then I
+was the First Minute you Undertook me; for I could see Plate, Hangings,
+Paintings, and Other Goods of Value about my House, ’till You had the
+Ordering of me; but I am now brought to such a Pass, that I can see
+nothing at all.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There are Few Good Offices done for Other People, which the Benefactor
+does not hope to be the Better for Himself._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fancy is Half Knavery, Half Humour, and the Doctor’s Part in’t is
+no more then according to the Common Practice of the World, in Law, as
+well as in Physick, when People make the Remedy Worse then the Disease;
+as when a Man spends the Fee Simple of an Estate in a Contest for the
+Title. The Barber that Pick’d the Gentleman’s Pocket while he was Washing
+of his Face, Wrote after this Copy. The Moral holds forth This Matter of
+Advice to us, not to Contract any Obligations Rashly; for Good Offices in
+course are rather Baits, and Snares, then Benefits; and there are some
+Certain People, that a Sober Man would not Venture the being Beholden
+to. The Poor Woman here, had her Jest for her Houshold-Stuff; and the
+Vain Satisfaction of paying her Physician with a Conceit for his Money.
+It Minds me of the Orator that was to Teach a Young Man Rhetorick, on
+Condition of Double Pay upon the Perfecting of him in his Profession,
+and not a Penny before; The Master follow’d his Scholar Close, and came
+to him at last for his Money, according to the Bargain; The Young Fellow
+begg’d him over and over to Forbear it a while, but could not Prevail.
+He told him Then, that there was nothing Due to him; for if Rhetorick be
+(as you say) the Art or Power of Persuasion; and if I cannot prevail with
+you to forbear your Money, I am not Master of my Trade yet. This was the
+Woman’s Way of Reasoning with the Physician. The Doctor would have his
+Money for the Curing of her Eyes, and the Woman shuffl’d it off that she
+was not Cur’d, for she could see nothing at all, which was One Fallacy
+upon Another.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXV.
+
+A _Cat_ and _Mice_.
+
+
+There was a House mightily troubl’d with _Mice_, and a Notable _Cat_
+there was, that Time after Time had Pick’d up so Many of ’em, that they
+agreed among themselves to keep above in the Cieling; for they found that
+upon the Plain Floor there was No Living for ’em. This spoil’d _Puss’s_
+Sport, unless she could find a way to Trepan them Down again. So she
+Leapt up to a Pin that was driven into the Wall, and there hung like a
+Pole-Cat in a Warren, to Amuse them. The _Mice_ took Notice of it, and
+One Wiser then the rest Stretch’d out his Neck to learn the Truth of the
+Matter, and so soon as ever he found how ’twas. Ah, says he, You may
+Hang there till Your Heart Akes; for if you were but a Dish-Clout, as you
+are a Counterfeiting-Devil of a _Cat_, here’s not a Creature will come
+Near ye.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Let no Man lay himself at the Mercy of a known Enemy under any Shew,
+or Pretence Whatsoever; for he forfeits his Discretion, even though he
+should happen to Save his Carcass, and his Fortune._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+What we cannot Compass by Force, must be brought about by Invention, and
+Address, but then on the Other hand, in All Cases of Hazzard, Things
+would be well Weigh’d and Examin’d before we Trust. This Fable is the
+Fiction of a Case not Altogether Incredible. ’Tis a Common Thing for an
+Old Jade to Counterfeit Lame, for fear of Hard Riding: For a Duck to run
+Flapping and Fluttering away, as if she were Maim’d, to carry People from
+her Young: as there’s a Story of a _Fox_ that was Hard Hunted, and Hung
+himself up by the Teeth in a Warren among the Vermin to put the Dogs to
+a Loss. Without any more Words, Twenty Instances might be given to shew
+how near That which we call Impulse, or Instinct, comes to Reason: For
+the _Cats Policy_ was no Other in truth, then That we call _Sleeping
+Dog-Sleep_: And there was the very same Fore-thought, and Design in’t
+too, which in a Construction of Law and Equity passes for _Malice
+Prepense_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXVI.
+
+An _Ape_ and a _Fox_.
+
+
+Upon the Decease of a _Lyon_ of Late Famous Memory, the Beasts Met in
+Council to Chuse a King. There were Several Put up; but One was not
+of a Make for a _King_, Another Wanted either Brains, or Strength, or
+Stature, or Humour, or something else; but in fine, the _Buffoon-Ape_
+with his Grimaces and Gamboles, carry’d it from the Whole Field by I know
+not how many Voices. The _Fox_ (being one of the Pretenders) Stomach’d
+it Extreamly to see the Choice go against him, and presently Rounds the
+_New-Elect_ in the Ear, with a piece of Secret Service that he could do
+him. Sir, says he, I have Discover’d some Hidden Treasure Yonder: But
+’tis a Royalty that belongs to Your Majesty, and I have nothing to do
+with it. So he Carry’d the _Ape_ to take Possession: And what should This
+Treasure be, but a Bait in a Ditch. The _Ape_ layes his Hand upon’t,
+and the Trap springs and Catches him by the Fingers. _Ah Thou Perfidious
+Wretch_, cries the _Ape_! Or thou simple Prince, rather, replies the
+_Fox_. You a Governour of Others, with a Vengeance, that han’t Wit enough
+to look to your own Fingers.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Governours should be Men of Business rather then Pleasure. There’s
+One Great Folly in Making an Ill Choice of a Ruler, and Another in the
+Acceptance of it; for it Exposes Authority to Scorn._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Rashness, and Want of Consideration, is ever Unfortunate. Men should
+not take a Charge upon them that they are not Fit for; as if Singing,
+Dancing, and Shewing of Tricks, were Qualifications for a Governor.
+_Baudoin_ says, that this Fable, shews not only the Envy and Malignity of
+the _Fox_; but the Imprudence of the Electors in the Choice of Ministers
+and Officers, that are not made for Bus’ness. Here’s first an _Ape_ made
+a King, for shewing Tricks, and making Fools Faces: And the _Fox_ is then
+to put a Slur upon him, in Exposing him for Sport, to the Scorn of the
+People.
+
+Here’s an _Ape_ chosen _King_, in Succession to a _Lyon_; which stands
+for a Short, and a Plain Representation of the Best and the Worst of
+Governments under the Dignity of the One, and the Indignity of the Other.
+It sets forth the Case and Unhappiness of _Elective Kingdoms_, where
+Canvassing and Faction has commonly too great a hand in the Election. Nor
+is there any Wonder, to see Drolls and Tumblers Advanc’d to Charges of
+Honor and Profit, where Ignorance and Popularity sways the Choice: And
+nothing so fit as an _Ape_, for a Commission of State, where a Gambole,
+or a Grimace, passes for a Qualifying Title to the Exercise of Power.
+
+It is no Wonder again, where People are so Mistaken in the Faculties
+and Capacities of Government, that they depart also from the Veneration
+that’s due to’t; and when the Main Ends of it shall come to be
+Disappointed. For every _Jack-Pudding_ with _Æsop’s Fox_ here, will
+be Ridiculing Palpable Weaknesses, and Exposing those (almost Sacred)
+Imperfections, and Defects which they ought to Cover. What’s a Character
+of Honor upon the Shoulders of a Man that has neither a Soul Answerable
+to’t, nor a True Sense of the Dignity, but a Mark set up for every Common
+Fool to shoot his Bolt at! When _Apes_ are in _Power_, there will never
+want _Foxes_ to _Play_ upon them.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXVII.
+
+A _Smith_ and his _Dog_.
+
+
+A _Blacksmith_ took Notice of a _Cur_ he had, that would be perpetually
+Sleeping, so long as his Master was at his Hammer; but whenever he went
+to Dinner, the _Dog_ would be sure to make One. So he Ask’d the _Dog_ the
+Reason on’t. What’s the Meaning of it, says he, that so long as I’m at
+the Forge, you are still taking your Nap; but so soon as my Chops begin
+to Walk, yours must be Walking too for Company? There’s a Time to Sleep
+(says the _Dog_) and a Time to Wake; and Every thing is Well done that is
+done in Due Season.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_All Creatures do Naturally look to the Main Chance; that is to say, the
+Bus’ness of Food and Propagation._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+That which Men do by Reason, Beasts do by Instinct. There’s No Living
+without Food and Rest; and Nature appoints the Season, both for the One,
+and for the Other. A _Dog_ Wakes to his Dinner, as a Man that’s to Travel
+next day, does for his Journey, and his Bus’ness. He lies down to Sleep
+with the Hour in’s Head, and when the Time comes, he needs neither Clock
+nor Cock to call him. Custom puts Nature into a Method of Expecting, and
+Attending all the Offices of Life at such and such Certain Hours and
+Seasons, as we are us’d to: And there needed no more then This, to make
+the _Master’s Dining Time_, the _Dog’s Waking Time_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXVIII.
+
+A _Boasting Mule_.
+
+
+There was a _Favourite Mule_, that was High Fed, and in the Pride
+of Flesh and Mettle, would still be Bragging of his Family, and his
+Ancestors. My Father (says he) was a Courser, and though I say it that
+should not say’t, I my self take after him. He had no sooner spoke the
+Words, but he was put to the Tryal of his Heels, and did not only shew
+himself a Jade; but in the very Heat of his Ostentation, his Father fell
+a Braying, which Minded him of his Original, and the Whole Field made
+Sport on’t, when they found him to be the Son of an _Ass_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Bragging Fool that’s Rais’d out of a Dunghill, and sets up for a Man
+of Quality, is Ashamed of Nothing in This World but of his Own Father._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This touches the Case of Those Mean Upstarts, that when they come once
+to be preferr’d, forget their Fathers, and have not the Wit to Consider,
+how soon Fortune may set them Down again where she took ’em up; but yet
+at last, when they come to be minded of their Original, it makes many a
+Proud Fool sensible of a Scandalous Extraction, that has no Shame at all
+for a Scandalous Life.
+
+’Tis hardly safe to Descant upon a _Boasting Mule_, in a _Fable_, when
+there are so many of his Brethren in the World, that will Take it to
+Themselves. Nay, and Over and Above the Self-conceited Vanity of These
+Brutes, there are none so forward neither, to Bespatter Men of Bloud and
+Quality, as those that have most Reason to be Asham’d of their Descent.
+This Pride of Pedigree is Easily run down, if there be not Power Joyn’d
+to the Ostentation: But where there is Authority given to the Folly, as
+well as to the Fool, the Indignation that it raises makes the Insolence
+Insupportable. Nothing Dash’d the Confidence of the Mule like the Braying
+of the Ass in the very Interim, while he was Dilating upon his Genealogy.
+As who should say, _Remember your Father, Sirrah_. This comes to the Case
+of a _Spaniard_, that was Wonderfully upon the Huff about his Extraction,
+and would needs Prove himself of such a Family by the Spelling of his
+Name; a Cavalier in the Company, with whom he had the Controversy, very
+Civilly yielded him the Point; for (says he) I have Examin’d the Records
+of a certain House of Correction, and I find your Grandfather was Whipt
+there by That Name. We have in fine a World of _Boasting Mules_ among us,
+that don’t care for being Minded of their _Braying Fathers_: But ’tis
+the Fate of These Vain-Glorious Fops to be Thus Met withal, and your
+Counterfeit Men of Honor seldom Come off better; Wherefore let every Man
+look well about him before he boasts of his Pedigree, to make sure that
+there be not an _Asse_ in the Family.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXIX.
+
+A _Dog_ and a _Wolf_.
+
+
+A _Wolf_ took a _Dog_ napping at his Master’s Door, and when he was Just
+about to Worry him, the Poor Creature beg’d hard only for a Reprieve.
+Alas (says he) I’m as Lean at present as Carrion; but we have a Wedding
+at our House within these Two or Three Days, that will Plump me up you
+shall see with Good Chear. Pray have but Patience till Then, and when I’m
+in a Little Better Case, I’ll throw my self in the very Mouth of ye. The
+_Wolf_ took his Word, and so let him go; but passing some Few Days after
+by the same House again, he spy’d the _Dog_ in the _Hall_, and bad him
+Remember his Promise. Heark ye, my Friend, says the _Dog_; Whenever you
+Catch me Asleep again, on the Wrong side of the Door, never Trouble your
+Head to Wait for a Wedding.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Experience Works upon many Brutes more than upon Some Men. They are not
+to be Gull’d twice with the same Trick; And at the Worst, a Bad Shift is
+Better than None._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis good to Provide against All Chances both Sleeping and Waking; for
+a Man cannot be too Circumspect, upon Condition on the other hand, that
+his Caution do not make him Over-sollicitous. Past Dangers make us Wiser
+for the Future; As the _Dog_, after he had been snapt at the Door, had
+the Wit to lie in the Hall; which tells us that a Wise Body is not to be
+Caught Twice by the same Snare and Trick. His Promise to the _Wolf_ was
+a kind of a _Dog-Case of Conscience_, and the _Wolf_ play’d the Fool in
+Taking his Word, for That which he was not obliged to Perform.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXX.
+
+A _Lyon_ and a _Bull_.
+
+
+In the Days of Yore, when _Bulls_ liv’d upon _Mutton_, there was a _Lyon_
+had a Design upon a Mighty _Bull_, and gave him a very Civil Invitation
+to come and Sup with him; for, says he, I have gotten a _Sheep_, and you
+must needs take Part on’t. The _Bull_ Promis’d, and Went; but so soon as
+ever he saw what a Clutter there was with Huge, Over-grown Pots, Pans,
+and Spits, away he scowr’d Immediately. The _Lyon_ presently call’d after
+him, and Ask’d him, _Whither in such Haste?_ Oh, says the _Bull_, ’tis
+High Time for me to be Jogging, when I see such Preparation: for this
+Provision looks as if you were to have a _Bull_ for your Supper, rather
+then a _Mutton_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_When a Man has both an Interest and an Inclination to Betray us, there’s
+No Trusting him._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No Trusting to the Fair Words and Countenances of Bloudy Men:
+He’s sure to be Ruin’d that lays himself at the Mercy of those that
+Live upon the Spoil. Their very Complements are Snares; as the _Lyon’s_
+Invitation of the _Bull_ to Sup with him, was but the Cover of a Design
+he had to Sup upon the _Bull_ himself.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXI.
+
+A _Lyon_ in _Love_.
+
+
+A _Lyon_ in Love with a Country Lass, and desir’d her Father’s Consent to
+have her in Marriage. The Answer he gave was Churlish enough. He’d never
+Agree to’t he said, upon any Terms, to marry his Daughter to a Beast. The
+_Lyon_ gave him a Sour Look upon’t, which brought the Bumkin, upon Second
+Thoughts, to strike up a Bargain with him, upon these Conditions: that
+his Teeth should be Drawn, and his Nails Par’d; for Those were Things, he
+said, that the Foolish Girl was Terribly afraid of. The _Lyon_ sends for
+a Surgeon immediately to do the Work; (as what will not Love make a Body
+do?) And so soon as ever the Operation was Over, he goes and Challenges
+the Father upon his Promise. The Countryman seeing the _Lyon_ Disarm’d,
+Pluck’d up a Good Heart, and with a Swinging Cudgel so order’d the
+Matter, that he brake off the Match.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_An Extravagant Love, consults neither Life, Fortune, nor Reputation,
+but Sacrifices All that can be Dear to a Man of Sense and Honour, to the
+Transports of an Inconsiderate Passion._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable will look well enough in the Moral, how Fantastical soever
+it may appear at first Blush, in the Lines and Traces of it. Here’s
+a _Beast_ in Love with a _Virgin_; which is but a Reverse of the
+Preposterous Passions we meet with Frequently in the World, when
+Reasonable Creatures of Both Sexes fall in love with Those, that in the
+Allusion may (almost without a Figure) pass for Beasts. There’s Nothing
+so Fierce, or so Savage, but Love will Soften it; Nothing so Generous,
+but it will Debauch it; Nothing so sharp-sighted in Other Matters, but it
+throws a Mist before the Eyes on’t. It puts the Philosopher beside his
+_Latin_; and to sum up All in a Little, where This Passion Domineers,
+neither Honour, nor Virtue, is able to stand before it. The _Lyons_
+parting with his _Teeth_, and his _Clawes_, in a Complement to his New
+Mistress, is no more then what we see Every Day Exemplify’d in the Case
+of making over Estates and Joyntures, with the Malice Prepense all this
+While of holding their Noses to the Grindstone, and with the Girls Father
+here, of Jilting them at last.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXII.
+
+A _Lyoness_ and a _Fox_.
+
+
+A Numerous Issue passes in the World for a Blessing; and This
+Consideration made a _Fox_ cast it in the Teeth of a _Lyoness_, that she
+brought forth but One Whelp at a time. Very Right, says the Other, but
+then That _One_ is a _Lyon_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a Common Thing to value things more by the Number, then by the
+Excellency of them._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are more Fools in the World then Wise Men, and more Knaves then
+Honest Men; so that it is not Number, but Excellency, that Inhances the
+Value of Any thing. The most copious Writers are commonly the Arrantest
+Scriblers; and in so much Talking, the Tongue is apt to run before the
+Wit: _In Many Words there is Folly, but a Word in Season is like Apples
+of Gold in Pictures of Silver_: Says the Oracle of Truth it self. And
+we have it from the same Authority, that our very _Prayers_, when they
+are Loud and Long, are in the Sight of Heaven no better then so much
+_Babbling_; and that they have more in them of Hypocrisy and Ostentation,
+then of Affection and Judgment. The Great Creator of the Universe, whose
+single _FIAT_ was sufficient to have made Ten Thousand Worlds in the
+Twinkling of an Eye, Allowed himself Six Days yet for the Finishing of
+his Purpose: Paus’d upon Every Days Work, Consider’d of it, Review’d it,
+and Pronounc’d it _Good_, and so Proceeded. Right Reason Moves, in some
+Proportion, by the same Steps and Degrees with This Inimitable Example:
+It Deliberates, Projects, Executes, Weighs, and Approves. Nature does
+Nothing in a Huddle, and Human Prudence should Govern it self by the same
+Measures. A Plurality of Voices, ’tis true, carries the Question in all
+our Debates, but rather as an Expedient for Peace, then an Eviction of
+the Right; for there are Millions of Errors to one Reason, and Truth;
+And a _Point_ is not so Easy to be Hit: In a Word, the Old Saying is a
+shrewd One; that _Wise Men Propose, and Fools Determine_. Take the World
+to pieces, and there are a thousand Sots to one Philosopher: and as many
+Swarms of Flyes to One Eagle. _Lyons_ do not come into the World in
+_Litters_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXIII.
+
+Two _Cocks_ Fighting.
+
+
+Two _Cocks_ fought a Duel for the Mastery of a Dunghil. He that was
+Worsted, slunk away into a Corner, and Hid himself; T’other takes his
+Flight up to the Top of the House, and there with Crowing and Clapping
+of his Wings makes Proclamation of his Victory. An _Eagle_ made a
+Stoop at him in the Middle of his Exultation, and carry’d him away. By
+This Accident, the Other _Cock_ had a Good Riddance of his Rival; took
+Possession of the Province they Contended for, and had all his Mistresses
+to Himself again.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Wise, and a Generous Enemy will make a Modest Use of a Victory; for
+Fortune is Variable._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Combat of _Two Cocks_ for a _Dunghil_, may be Moraliz’d by an
+Application of it to the Competition of the Greatest Princes, for Empire
+and Dominion. For what’s the World more than a Mass of Dirt on the One
+hand, as to the Subject of the Quarrel; and there’s the same Thirst of
+Blood too, betwixt the Combatants, on the other. We have again, the
+Various Chance of War Exhibited on Both Sides; For ’tis with _Kings_, as
+with These _Cocks_. He that’s a Victor This Moment, may be a Slave the
+Next: And this Volubility of Human Affairs, what is it but either the
+Sport, or the Judgment of Providence, in the Punishment of Arrogance and
+Oppression! We are given finally to Understand, that as the Levity of
+Fortune leaves us Nothing to Trust to, or to Presume upon, so at the same
+Time there’s Nothing to Despair of. The _Conquering Cock_ was _Cut_ off
+in the very _Song_ of his _Triumph_: and the _Conquer’d_ re-instated in
+the Possession of his former Pretences.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXIV.
+
+A _Fawn_ and a _Stag_.
+
+
+A _Fawn_ was Reasoning the Matter with a _Stag_, why he should run away
+from the _Dogs_ still; for, says he, you are Bigger and Stronger then
+they. If you have a Mind to stand, y’are better Arm’d; and then y’are
+Fleeter if you’ll Run for’t. I can’t Imagine what should make you so
+Fearful of a Company of Pityful Curs. Nay, says the _Stag_, ’tis All True
+that you say, and ’tis no more then I say to my self Many _Times_, and
+yet whatever the Matter is, let me take up what Resolutions I please,
+when I hear the _Hounds_ once, I cannot but betake my self to my Heels.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis One thing to know what we ought to do, and Another thing to Execute
+it; and to bring up our Practice to our Philosophy: He that is naturally
+a Coward is not to be made Valiant by Councel._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Natural Infirmities are well nigh Insuperable; and Men that are Cowards
+by Complexion, are hardly ever to be made Valiant by Discourse. But
+They are Conscious yet of the Scandal of that Weakness, and may make a
+shift perhaps to Reason themselves now and then into a kind of Temporary
+Resolution, which they have not the Power afterwards to go Thorough with.
+We find it to be much the same Case in the Government of our Affections
+and Appetites, that it is in These Bodily Frailties of Temperament and
+Complexion. Providence has Arm’d us with Powers and Faculties, sufficient
+for the Confounding all the Enemies we have to Encounter. We have Life
+and Death before us: That is to say, Good and Evil; And we know which
+is which too: Beside that it is at our Choice to Take or to Refuse. So
+that we understand what we ought to do; but when we come to Deliberate,
+we play Booty against our selves: And while our Judgments and our
+Consciences direct us One Way, our Corruptions Hurry us Another. This
+_Stag_, in fine, is a Thorough Emblem of the State and Infirmity of
+Mankind. We are Both of us Arm’d and Provided, either for the Combat, or
+for Flight. We see the Danger; we Ponder upon it; and now and then by
+Fits, take up some Faint Resolutions to Outbrave and break through it:
+But in the Conclusion, we shrink upon the Trial; We betake our selves
+from our Heads to our Heels; from Reason to Flesh and Blood; from our
+Strength to our Weaknesses, and suffer under One Common Fate.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXV.
+
+_Jupiter_ and a _Bee_.
+
+
+A _Bee_ made _Jupiter_ a Present of a Pot of Honey, which was so kindly
+Taken, that he bad her Ask what she would, and it should be Granted her.
+The _Bee_ desir’d, that wherever she should set her Sting, it might be
+Mortal. _Jupiter_ was loth to leave Mankind at the Mercy of a Little
+Spiteful Insect, and so bad her have a care how she Kill’d any Body; for
+what Person soever she Attacqu’d, if she left her Sting behind her, it
+should cost her Her Life.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Spiteful Prayers are no better then Curses in a Disguise, and the
+Granting of them turns commonly to the Mischief of the Petitioner._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Cruelty and Revenge are directly contrary to the very Nature of the
+Divine Goodness, and the Mischief that is Design’d for Other People
+returns commonly upon the Head of the Author.
+
+How many Men are there in the World, that put up as Malicious Prayers in
+Christian Assemblies to the True God, as the _Bee_ does to _Jupiter_ here
+in the Fable! And Prayers too against their very Patrons and Masters;
+their Benefactors, that Entertain, Feed, and Protect them. Will Heaven
+Hear These Prayers, shall we think, (or Curses rather) and not Punish
+them? This _Bee_ did not Pray for a Power to Kill, without a Previous
+Disposition and Design to put that Venemous Power in Execution. She had
+Mischief in her Heart already, and only Wanted some Destructive Faculty,
+answerable to her Will: And so pray’d to _Jupiter_, as Men do in many
+Cases to the _Jehovah_, for the Blessing of an Ability to Commit Murder.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXVI.
+
+_Wasps_ in a _Honey-Pot_.
+
+
+There was a Whole Swarm of _Wasps_ got into a _Honey-Pot_, and there they
+Cloy’d and Clamm’d themselves, till there was no getting Out again; which
+brought them to Understand in the Conclusion, that they had paid Dear for
+their Sweet-Meats.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Loose Pleasures become Necessary to Us by the frequent Use of them, and
+when they come once to be Habitual, there’s no getting Clear again._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+These _Wasps_ in a _Honey-Pot_, are so many Sensual Men that are Plung’d
+in their Lusts and Pleasures; and when they are once Glu’d to them,
+’tis a very Hard Matter to Work themselves Out. We have an Emblem here
+of those Foolish Voluptuous Men, that Sacrifice the Peace, the Honour,
+the Comfort, and all other Substantial Satisfactions of Life, to the
+Temptation of a Liquorish Palate. And so for the Liberties of Wine,
+Women, Feasting, and Jolly Company; The Pomp and Splendor of Courts and
+Parades, _&c._ It comes All to the same Point; for when Men are once
+Dipt; what with the Engagements of Sense, Custom, Facility; Nay and I
+might have said, with the very Shame of Departing from what they have
+given themselves up to, they go on with _Æsop’s_ Flyes, till they are
+Stifled in their very Pleasures.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXVII.
+
+A _Young Man_ and a _Swallow_.
+
+
+A _Prodigal Young Fellow_ that had sold his Cloths to his very Shirt,
+upon the Sight of a Swallow that came before her Time, made Account that
+Summer was now at Hand, and away went That too. There happen’d after
+This, a Fit of Bitter Cold Weather, that almost starv’d both the _Bird_,
+and the _Spendthrift_. Well (says the Fellow to Himself) This Sot of a
+_Swallow_ has been the Ruin of us Both.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Extraordinary Cases are Excepted out of the General Rules of Life:
+So that Irregular Accidents and Instances are not to be drawn into
+President._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Every Man Stands or Falls to his Own Reason; and it is No Excuse to say
+that I was Misled by Example, or Conjecture, when I had the Means before
+me of Informing my self Better. If This Prodigal had but Consulted the
+Almanack, or his own Experience, it would have set him Right in the
+Course of the Seasons, or the Old Proverb Methinks might have satisfy’d
+him, that _One Swallow makes no Summer_, Unless the Fable perchance
+should fall out to be the Ancienter of the Two, and the Occasion of that
+Proverb: But there are Certain Extravagants among People of all Sizes
+and Professions, and there must be no Drawing of General Rules from
+Particular Exceptions.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXVIII.
+
+_Mercury_ and a _Carpenter_.
+
+
+A _Carpenter_ dropt his Ax into a River, and put up a Prayer to _Mercury_
+to help him to’t again. _Mercury_ Div’d for’t, and brought him up a
+Golden One: but That was not it, the Fellow said: And so he Plung’d a
+Second Time, and Fetch’d up Another, of Silver. He said That was not
+it neither. He try’d once again, and then Up comes an Ax with a Wooden
+Handle, which the _Carpenter_ said, was the very Tool that he had Lost.
+Well! (says _Mercury_) thou art so Just a Poor Wretch, that I’ll give
+thee All three now for thy Honesty. This Story was got into Every body’s
+Mouth, and the Rumour being Spread, it came into a Knave’s Head to Try
+the Same Experiment over again. And so away goes, He, and Down he Sits,
+Sniv’ling and Yelping upon the Bank of a River, that he had Dropt his
+Ax into the Water there. _Mercury_ that was at hand it seems, heard his
+Lamentation, and Dipping once again for his Ax, as he had done for the
+Other; up he brings him a Golden Ax, and Asks the Fellow if That were it.
+Yes, Yes, says he, This is it. Oh thou Impudent Sot, cries _Mercury_; to
+think of putting Tricks upon Him that sees through the very Heart of thee.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Great Searcher of our Hearts is not to be Impos’d upon, but he will
+take his Own Time either to Reward or Punish._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Heaven Hates Dissemblers, and Hypocrites, as it Loves Men of Truth and
+Integrity. He that fancies he can Impose upon _Jupiter_ takes him for a
+_Cully_.
+
+_Baudoin_ Moralizes the Matter thus; that _Mercury’s_ called upon, and
+Sent as the Patron of Artizans. The Practice of Truth and Justice can
+never fail of a Reward in the Conclusion, and the bringing in of a God to
+the Relief of a Poor Man, shews that it is from Heaven that the Needy are
+to Expect Redress.
+
+Here are Two Men at their Prayers; The One a Downright _Plain Dealer_;
+and the Other a Trimming, Designing _Hypocrite_. The Former has a
+Reverence in his Heart for the Power that he Invokes; He is not to be
+Corrupted with Gold, or Silver. He stands in Awe of his Conscience, and
+makes good his Profession, with his Practice; Receiving in the End, the
+Blessing of a Reward for his Integrity. The Other Worships with his Eyes,
+his Hands, and his Voice; but All This is only to Cover the Cheat of a
+Rotten Heart. He acknowledges a Divine Power, but at the Same Time he
+makes a Mock on’t, and Provokes it. He stands Convinc’d that God knows
+All the Secrets of his Heart, and yet tells him a Lye to his Face. There
+is No such Masque, in fine, for the Greatest of Impieties, as a Veil of
+Religion. _This Praying Carpenter here would have made_ Mercury _a Broker
+to his Knavery_: and we have a world of Praying Christians too, that
+write after his Copy.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXIX.
+
+A _Fox_ and _Grapes_.
+
+
+There was a Time, when a _Fox_ would have Ventur’d as far for a Bunch
+of _Grapes_, as for a Shoulder of _Mutton_, and it was a _Fox_ of Those
+days, and That Palate, that stood Gaping under a Vine, and licking his
+Lips at a most Delicious Cluster of Grapes that he had Spy’d out there;
+He fetch’d a Hundred and a Hundred Leaps at it, till at last, when he was
+as Weary as a Dog, and found that there was No Good to be done; _Hang
+’em_ (says He) _they are as Sour as Crabs_; and so away he went, turning
+off the Disappointment with a Jest.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXX.
+
+A _Wolf_ and a _Lyon_.
+
+
+As a _Wolf_ and a _Lyon_ were abroad upon Adventure together, Heark,
+(says the _Wolf_) Don’t you hear the Bleating of _Sheep_? My Life for
+Yours Sir, I’ll go fetch ye a Purchase. Away he goes, and follows his
+Ear, till he came just under the Sheepfold: But it was so well fortify’d,
+and the Dogs asleep so Near it, that back he comes Sneaking to the _Lyon_
+again, and tells him, There are _Sheep_ Yonder (says he) ’tis true, but
+they are as Lean as Carrion, and we had e’en as good let ’em alone till
+they have more Flesh on their Backs.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_’Tis Matter of Skill and Address, when a man cannot Honestly Compass
+what he would be at, to Appear Easy and Indifferent upon All Repulses and
+Disappointments._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Point of Good Discretion to make a Virtue of Necessity, and to
+Content our selves without what we cannot get, though we have never so
+much a Mind to’t; for ’tis a Turn of Art to seem to Despise what we
+cannot Compass, and to put off a Miscarriage with a Jest; Beside, that it
+is Better to have People think a man could Gain Such or such a Point if
+he Would, then that he Would, but cannot.
+
+The _Foxes_ Put-off in This Fable, is a most Instructive Point of
+Philosophy towards the Government of our Lives; Provided that His
+Fooling may be made Our Earnest; as it would be much for our Honour
+and Quiet so to be. No man shall ever be Miserable, if he can but keep
+Clear of the Snare of Hopes and Fears; and _Antidote_ himself against
+the Flatteries of the One, and the Alarms of the Other: It is a High
+Point of Christian, as well as of Civil Prudence; for a Man to say Thus
+to Himself before-hand, of a Thing that he has a Mind to [_If I cannot
+get it, I shall be Better without it._] Or if he can but say after the
+Missing of it, [_It was better Lost then found._] Now if we cannot Arrive
+at the Pitch of making This Indifference a Virtue indeed, we may however
+so Disguise it yet, (though in a case of Necessity) as to make it Look
+like one: Not but that it would be much better if we could Attain to the
+Perfection it self, as well as we may in Appearance Cover the Disgrace.
+
+I knew a Fine Lady once, and she was a Woman of Sense, Quality, and
+a very Generous Mind. She lay under Mortifications in abundance, and
+yet was never Observ’d to be Peevish or Angry upon any Provocation
+Whatsoever; and the Reason she gave for’t was This: [_It Will make Me
+Look Old_,] So that it is not so much the want of Ability to master our
+Affections, as the want of Resolution to go thorough with the Experiment.
+This is a way to keep us Firm in All Tryals: or if He, that upon a True
+Principle, lives without any Disquiet of Thought, may be said to be
+Happy: It Emproves all our Disappointments into Providences, when he can
+let fall the Vain Desire of any thing without feeling the Loss of it. It
+comes All to a Case now, upon the force of the Moral, whether we Quit,
+as the _Fox_ did the _Grapes_, because he could not come at them, or as
+the _Wolf_ did the _Sheep_, because he durst not Venture upon ’em. But be
+it either the One or the Other, there’s a Virtue, and a Blessing in’t,
+Both ways, in getting the Better of our Passions: which might certainly
+be done, if we had but half the Tenderness for our Minds and Consciences,
+that we have for our Carcasses, and our Fortunes.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXXI.
+
+A _Boy_ and a _Snake_.
+
+
+A _Boy_ was Groping for Eeles, and laid his hand upon a _Snake_, but the
+_Snake_, finding it was Pure Simplicity, and not Malice, Admonish’d him
+of his Mistake; Keep yourself Well while you are Well, says the _Snake_;
+for if you Meddle with Me, You’ll Repent your Bargain.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis the Intention, Morally Speaking, that makes the Action Good or Bad;
+and even Brutes themselves will put a Difference betwixt Harms of Ill
+Will and Mischance._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Wisdom as well as Justice, to Distinguish betwixt Actions of
+Misadventure, and of Design. Every Thing has at least Two Handles to’t,
+and Both Parts should be well Examin’d, before a Man can make either a
+Warrantable Judgment, or a Prudent Choice. The _Boy’s_ Mistake here is
+no more than what we have Every day before our Eyes in common Practice:
+And That which the _Snake_ says to the _Boy_, Every Man’s Reason says to
+Himself. What is his taking a _Snake_ for an _Eele_, but our taking Vice
+for Virtue? He did it Unwarily: And so do We Many times too. He took the
+One for the Other, because they were so much Alike, that at first View
+he could not Distinguish them. And are not Virtue and Vice as Like, in
+several Instances, as One Egg is to Another? How shall a Man know, at
+first Blush, Hypocrisie from Piety; True Charity from Ostentation? or
+the Devil Himself with a Glory about him, from an Angel of Light? Time
+and Examination may do much, but the _Boy_ was Groping, and in the Dark,
+and so might Well be Mistaken. The _Snake_ Told him of his Error, and
+the Danger of it, but Pass’d it over, because there was no _Ill Will_
+in’t. This is the very Case of Our Reason to us, in all our Misdoings: It
+Checks us for what’s Past, and Advises us for the Future, to have a care
+of False Appearances: Just as the _Snake_ did to the _Child_ here.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXXII.
+
+A _Fowler_ and a _Partridge_.
+
+
+A _Fowler_ had taken a _Partridge_, and the Bird offer’d her self to
+Decoy as many of her Companions into the Snare as she could, upon
+Condition that he would give her Quarter. No, says he, You shall Dye the
+rather for that very Reason, because you would be so Base as to Betray
+your Friends to save your self.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Of all Scandalous and Lewd Offices, That of a Traytor is Certainly the
+Basest; for it Undermines the very Foundations of Society._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Treachery is a Sin against Common Faith, Honour, and Human Society, A
+Villany, in short, that’s never to be Approv’d, how Convenient soever
+in some Cases to be made use of. The _Fowler’s_ here, was a Wise and a
+Generous Resolution, upon the _Partridges_ Proposal; for all Traytors are
+Mercenaries; and Whoever Betrays One Master for Advantage, will Betray
+Another for a Better Price. But as all manner of Treachery is Abominable
+in the Sight both of God and Man, and stands Reprehended in this Fable:
+So there are Certain Kinds and Degrees of it, that are yet more Execrable
+and Odious, One than Another. There is first a Treachery by Complexion,
+which was the _Partridges_ Case. Her Heart Fail’d her, and she would
+fain have Compounded for her Own Life, by the Betraying of her Fellows.
+This was an Unhappy Infirmity, but the Weakness all this while, does not
+Excuse the Perfidy, though it may seem in some Measure to Extenuate the
+Crime, by the Poor Creatures lying under almost an Insuperable Frailty.
+The _Fowler_ however made an Example of her for a Terror to Others. Now
+if a Treachery of this Quality be so Unpardonable, what shall we say to
+Those _Judases_ that Dip in the Dish with their Masters, and then for so
+many Pieces of Silver, deliver them up to be Crucify’d? What shall we say
+to Those that Sell their Country, their Souls and their Religion, for
+Mony, and Rate Divinity at so much a Pound? And then to Consummate the
+Wickedness, Finish the Work with Malice, that they began with Avarice.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXXIII.
+
+A _Hare_ and a _Tortoise_.
+
+
+What a Dull Heavy Creature (says a _Hare_) is This same _Tortoise_! And
+yet (says the _Tortoise_) I’ll run with you for a Wager. ’Twas _Done_
+and _Done_, and the _Fox_, by Consent, was to be the Judg. They started
+together, and the _Tortoise_ kept Jogging on still, ’till he came to the
+End of the Course. The _Hare_ lay’d himself down about Midway, and took
+a Nap; for, says he, I can fetch up the _Tortoise_ when I please: But he
+Over-slept himself it seems, for when he came to wake, though he scudded
+away as fast as ’twas possible, the _Tortoise_ got to the Post before
+him, and Won the Wager.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+Up and be Doing, _is an Edifying Text; for Action is the Bus’ness of
+Life, and there’s no Thought of ever coming to the End of our Journey in
+time, if we Sleep by the Way_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Unnecessary Delays in all Pressing Affairs are but just so much time
+Lost, beside the Hazard of Intervening Contingencies that may Endanger
+a Total Disappointment. Let not the Work of _to day_ be put off ’till
+_to morrow_; for the Future is Uncertain; and he that lyes down to Sleep
+in the Middle of Bus’ness that requires Action, does not know whether
+he shall live to ’wake again: Or with the _Hare_ in the Fable here,
+Out-sleep his Opportunity. A Plodding Diligence brings us sooner to our
+Journey’s End, then a Fluttering Way of Advancing by Starts and by Stops;
+for ’tis Perseverance Alone that can carry us Thorough-Stitch.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXXIV.
+
+_Apples_ and _Horse-Turds_.
+
+
+Upon a very great Fall of Rain, the Current carried Away a Huge Heap of
+_Apples_, together with a Dunghill that lay in the Water-Course. They
+Floated a good while together like Brethren and Companions; and as they
+went thus Dancing down in the Stream, the _Horse-Turds_ would be every
+foot crying out still, Alack a day! _How We Apples Swim!_
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXXV.
+
+A _Peach_, an _Apple_, and a _Blackberry_.
+
+
+There happen’d a Controversy once betwixt a _Peach_ and an _Apple_, which
+was the Fairer Fruit of the Two. They were so Loud in their Discourse,
+that a _Blackberry_ from the next Hedg, Over-heard them. Come (says the
+_Blackberry_) We are _All Friends_, and pray let’s have No Jangling among
+our selves.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_Every Thing would be Thought Greater in the World then it is, and the
+Root of it is This, that it first thinks it self so._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Vanity Common in the World, for Every Pretending Coxcomb to make
+himself One of the Party still with his Betters. They cry [_We_] to Every
+thing, and make themselves Necessary upon all Occasions, and to All
+Purposes and People, when upon the Truth of the Matter, they are found to
+be good for Just Nothing at all.
+
+[_We_] _Apples_ cry the _Horse-Turds_. [We] the King’s Officers, crys the
+Fellow that carrys Guts to the Bears. [We] crys the Scum of the Nation
+to the Bench, to the Court, to the City, to the Church, to Parliaments,
+and Councils. There’s Nothing so Great, but the Little People cry [We]
+to’t still. [We’ll] do This, and [We’ll] do That, and [We’ll] Undertake
+for This and T’other. This is in a Familiar Way, the Common Style of the
+Licentious Multitude, to the Scandal of all Honorable Commissions, and
+of Those that Manage them. And This Humour of [_Weing_] holds as well in
+Matters of State, and of Understanding, as in the Point of Honour and
+Quality. ’Twas [We] in the Persons of the Fish-Wives and the Broom-Men.
+[We] again in the Resolutions of _Billingsgate_, and _Grub-street_,
+that took upon them to Prescribe in Matters of Religion and Government.
+[We] won’t lose our Religion, was the Cry of Every Ignorant Atheist.
+[We’ll] stand up for our Properties was the Beggers Song that liv’d
+upon the Alms Basket. And [We] for our Liberties, cry the Slaves of All
+Times and Interests; Nay and None so streight Lac’d as Common Cheats
+upon the Topique of Conscience. And so it was [We] again in the name of
+the Multitude, that did Every thing that was thought worth the Doing.
+Now if the Dregs of the People will be Opening, and Crying [We] to
+Every thing; the _Mobile_ has a Wide Mouth, and there’s No Stopping it.
+But the Arrogance of the Rabbles Assuming at This Rate, is Nothing to
+the Meanness of their Superiors, when they shall descend to keep such
+Company; or to make use of such Tools or Engines. ’Tis not half so bad
+for the _Apples_ to cry [We] _Horse-Turds_, as it would be for Men of
+State, and Caball, to cry [We] _Tinkers_ and _Carr-Men_. But this is a
+Supposition, not to enter so much as into the Thought of any Man of Sense
+or Honour. This Fable will also bear as Edifying, and as Pertinent a
+Moral, in the Inversion, as it does the Other Way. _We Rogues_, on the
+_One_ Hand, is Every jot as _Emphatical_, as _We Princes_ on the _Other_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXXVI.
+
+A _Mole_ and _her Dam_.
+
+
+Mother (says a _Mole_ to her _Dam_) _Here’s a Strange Smell Methinks_.
+And then she was at it again, _There’s a Mulberry-Tree I perceive_. And
+so a Third Time, _What a Clattering of Hammers do I hear_. Daughter says
+the Old One, You have now quite Betray’d your self; for I thought You had
+Wanted only One Sense, and now I find you want Three; for you can neither
+Hear, nor Smell, any more then you can See.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Men Labour under Many Imperfections that No Body would take Notice of,
+if themselves were not Over sollicitous to Conceal them._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Boasters are Naturally Falsifyers, and the People of All Others that put
+their Shams the Worst together. Their Imperfections would not be Half
+so much taken Notice of, if their Own Vanity did not make Proclamation
+of them; As a Blind Lady that I knew, was never Well, but when she was
+Discoursing of Colours. _’Tis a Strange Thing, the Impudence of some
+Women!_ Was a Word often in the Mouth of a Precise Dame, who her self was
+as Common as the King’s High-Way. I knew Another that was never without
+_Limon-Pill_ in her Mouth, to Correct an Unsavoury Vapour of her Own,
+and yet would be Perpetually Inveighing against Foul Breaths. Now This
+way of Covering Defects, Scandals or Inconveniences, is the Only Way of
+Exposing them.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXXVII.
+
+_Wasps_, _Partridges_, and a _Husbandman_.
+
+
+A Flight of _Wasps_, and a Covy of _Partridges_ that were hard put to’t
+for Water, went to a _Farmer_, and begg’d a Soup of him to Quench their
+Thirst. The _Partridges_ offer’d to Dig his Vineyard for’t, and the
+_Wasps_ to secure him from Thieves. Pray hold your Hand, says the Good
+Man; I have Oxen and Dogs that do me These Offices already, without
+standing upon Terms. And therefore it will become me to Provide for them
+in the First Place.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+Charity begins at Home, _but the Necessary Duty of it in One Place, does
+not Discharge the Christian Exercise of it in another_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Charity is a Humane, as well as a Christian Virtue, and there is a place
+for it, even upon Brutes, under the Duty of Tenderness and Good Nature,
+as well as upon Men; but still with a Distinction by way of Preference,
+that it is to be Employ’d in the First Place upon those that have the
+Fairest Right to’t: ’Tis One thing I must Confess, to Condition for a
+Good Office, and Another thing to do it _Gratis_; so that the Husbandman
+took the Proposal by the Right Handle in that Respect: But his being
+provided of Servants already, to do his Work was no Excuse for his Want
+of Charity to Relieve his Distressed Neighbor.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXXVIII.
+
+_Jupiter_ and a _Serpent_.
+
+
+_Jupiter_ had Presents made him upon his _Wedding-Day_, Greater, or
+Less, from All Living Creatures. A _Serpent_ brought him a _Rose_ in his
+Mouth for an Offering. The _Thing_ was Acceptable enough, but not the
+_Presenter_; for (says _Jupiter_) though Gifts are Welcome to me, of
+Themselves, I must not yet receive any from a _Serpent_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that receives a Present, Contracts an Obligation; which a Body would
+be Asham’d of in the Case of an Ill Man; for it looks toward making a
+Friendship with him._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Good Man would not Willingly lye under any Obligation to a Person of
+a Lewd Character and Conversation; for beside the Danger he Incurs, it
+would not be for his Credit neither, where Presents are Scandals, and
+rather Snares than Benefits. ’Tis a kind of Incumbrance upon the freedom
+of a Generous Mind, to be in debt to an Ill Man, even upon any Score
+whatsoever, that does but carry the face of Good Will, or Respect; for
+’tis a Debt that a Man’s both Asham’d and Weary of, ’till ’tis paid
+off. He lives uneasily under the Burden of it, and Consequently, it is
+the Debt of All Others that ought first to be Answer’d. And there’s no
+Cancelling the Bonds of Honor and Justice. Kindnesses are to be paid _in
+specie_, as well as Money. That is to say, there must be Affection in
+the Return, as well as Justice. Now as there can be No True Friendship
+betwixt a Good Man and a Wicked Man, there should be no Intercourse
+betwixt them that looks like Friendship, and therefore the Less Commerce
+the Better. As _Jupiter_, we see, would have Nothing to do with the
+_Serpent_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXXXIX.
+
+A _Flea_ and a _Man_.
+
+
+A Fellow finding somewhat Prick him, Popt his finger upon the Place,
+and it prov’d to be a _Flea_. What art thou, says he, for an Animal, to
+Suck thy Livelyhood out of my Carcass? Why ’tis the Livelyhood, (says
+the _Flea_) that Nature has Allotted me, and My Stinging is not Mortal
+neither. Well, says the Man, but ’tis Troublesome however; and now I Have
+ye, I’ll secure ye for ever Hurting me again, either Little or Much.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+Live and Let Live, _is the Rule of Common Justice, but if People will be
+Troublesome on the One hand, the Obligation is Discharg’d on the Other_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It is as Natural for a _Man_ to Kill a _Flea_, as it is for a _Flea_
+to Bite a _Man_. There’s a kind of self-Preservation on Both sides,
+and without Any Malice on Either Hand. The _Flea_ cannot Live without
+_Nourishment_, nor the _Man_ without _Rest_. So that here’s only a
+Present Dispatch on the One Hand, to prevent a Lingring Death on the
+Other, (as a Restless Life is in Truth no Better). There are in the World
+as many Illustrations of This Fable, as there are Instances of Petulant,
+Pragmatical, and Impertinent People that Break in upon Men of Government
+and Business. _Distractions_ have much in them of _Flea-bitings_; That is
+to say, they keep us Waking, and Hinder our Repose. The _Flea_ thought
+it hard to suffer Death for an Importunity: But to a Man that knows
+how to Value his Time and his Quiet, One Importunity upon the Neck of
+Another, is the Killing of a Man Alive, and the very Worst of Deaths.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXL.
+
+A _Flea_ and _Hercules_.
+
+
+There was a Fellow, that upon a _Flea-Biting_ call’d out to _Hercules_
+for Help. The _Flea_ gets away, and the Man Expostulates upon the Matter.
+Well! _Hercules_; (says he) You that would not take My Part against a
+Sorry _Flea_, will never stand by me in a Time of Need, against a more
+Powerful Enemy.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We Neglect God in Greater Matters, and Petition him for Trifles, nay and
+Take Pet at last if we cannot have our Askings._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis an Ill Habit to turn Offices and Duties of Piety into Matters and
+Words only of Course; and to Squander away our Wishes and our Prayers
+upon Paltry Fooleries, when the Great Concerns of Life and Death,
+Heaven and Hell, lye all at stake. Who but a Mad man, that has so many
+Necessary and Capital Duties of Christianity to think of, would ever
+have made a Deliverance from a _Flea-biting_ a part of his _Litany_?
+It makes our Devotions Ridiculous, to be so Unfeeling on the One side,
+and so Oversensible, and Sollicitous on the Other. By this Foolish and
+Impertinent Way of our Proceeding toward the Almighty, Men Slide by
+little and little into some sort of Doubt, if not a Direct Disbelief
+and Contempt of his Power. And then with the Country Fellow here, if we
+cannot Obtain Every Vain Thing we ask, our next Bus’ness is to take Pet
+at the Refusal, nay and in Revenge to give over Praying for Good and All;
+and so to Renounce Heaven for a _Flea-biting_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXLI.
+
+A _Man_ and _Two Wives_.
+
+
+It was now _Cuckow-Time_, and a Certain _Middle-Ag’d Man_, that was
+Half-Gray, Half-Brown, took a Fancy to Marry Two Wives, of an Age One
+under Another, and Happy was the Woman that could please him Best. They
+took Mighty Care of him to All manner of Purposes, and still as they were
+Combing the Good Man’s Head, they’d be Picking out here and there a Hair
+to make it all of a Colour. The Matronly Wife, she Pluck’d out All the
+_Brown_ Hairs, and the Younger the _White_: So that they left the Man in
+the Conclusion no better than a _Bald Buzzard_ betwixt them.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a much Harder Thing to Please Two Wives then Two Masters; and He’s
+a Bold Man that offers at it._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Marriages are Govern’d, rather by an Over-ruling Fatality, then by any
+Solemnity of Choice and Judgment; though ’tis a Hard Matter to find
+out a Woman, even at the Best, that’s of a Just Scantling for her Age,
+Person, Humour, and Fortune to make a Wife of. This Fable presents us
+with One single Disparity that is of it self Sufficient, without a more
+then Ordinary Measure of Virtue and Prudence, to make a Man Miserable and
+Ridiculous. I speak of a Disparity of Years, which, in the Moral, takes
+in all Other Disproportions. The One’s too _Young_, T’other too _Old_;
+to shew us that Marriage is out of Season if it does not Hit the very
+Critical Point betwixt them. ’Tis much with Wedlock, as it is with our
+Sovereign Cordials and Antidotes. There go a Thousand Ingredients to the
+making of the Composition: But then it they be not Tim’d, Proportion’d,
+and Prepar’d according to Art, ’tis a Clog to us rather then a Relief.
+So that it would have been Well, if Nature had Prescrib’d the _Dos_ of
+Woman’s Flesh, as she has Determin’d the _Necessity_ of it.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXLII.
+
+Two _Frogs_ that wanted Water.
+
+
+Upon the Drying up of a _Lake_, _Two Frogs_ were forc’d to Quit, and to
+seek for Water elsewhere. As they were upon the Search, they Discover’d
+a very deep Well. Come (says One to T’other) Let us e’en go down here,
+without Looking any further. You say well, says her Companion; but what
+if the Water should fail us Here too? How shall we get Out again?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis Good Advice to Look before we Leap._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Hasty Resolutions are seldom fortunate, and it is a piece of Necessary
+Prudence, for a Man, before he resolves any thing, to Consider what may
+be the Consequences of it.
+
+We are taught by the Providence of These _Frogs_, to Consider the End
+of Things before we Resolve upon the Means; for when the Die is Cast,
+’tis too late to Wish for Another Chance. In our Deliberations what to
+do, we should Distinguish betwixt Lawful and Unlawful, Prudential and
+Foolish, a Less Present Good, and a Consequence of greater Evils, that we
+be not Betray’d by the Fair Appearances of Things Specious; Frauds and
+Fallacies, Glittering Outsides, _&c._ into Inconveniencies and Mistakes.
+
+When a Man wants any thing, let him look for’t in Time, and Consider Well
+before-hand what Occasion he has for’t, and upon What Terms it is to be
+Had; for there may be such Conditions that a Man would not Comply with,
+even for the Saving, or Redeeming of his Life. There are Other Cases
+where a Man must Part with More for the Getting of a Thing, then that
+Thing is Worth. Some again, where a Body runs the Risque of an Absolute
+Ruin, for the Gaining of a Present Supply: Wherefore there’s No Remedy
+either Way, without a Strict Calculation of the Profit or Loss on Both
+Sides. I want Money, but I will not make myself a Slave for’t. I want a
+Friend at Court, but I will not Forfeit the Character of a Man of Honour,
+or the Conscience of a Christian, and an Honest Man, to Purchase such
+a Friend: I am in Prison; but I will not play the Knave to set my self
+at Liberty. These are All Necessary Deliberations upon the Matter here
+in Question. Let us see how we shall get _Out_ again, says the _Frog_,
+before we go _In_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXLIII.
+
+A _Dog_ and a _Cock_ upon a Journey.
+
+
+A _Dog_ and a _Cock_ took a Journey together. The _Dog_ Kennell’d in the
+Body of a Hollow Tree, and the _Cock_ Roosted at night upon the Boughs.
+The _Cock_ crow’d about Midnight; (at his Usual Hour) which brought a
+_Fox_ that was abroad upon the Hunt, immediately to the Tree; and there
+he stood Licking of his Lips, at the _Cock_, and Wheedling him to get
+him Down. He Protested he never heard so Angelical a Voice since he was
+Born, and what would not He do now, to Hug the Creature that had given
+him To Admirable a Serenade! Pray, says the _Cock_, speak to the Porter
+below to open the Door, and I’ll come Down to ye: The _Fox_ did as he was
+directed, and the _Dog_ presently Seiz’d and Worry’d him.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Main Bus’ness of the World is Nothing but Sharping, and putting
+Tricks upon One Another by Turns._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Good Discretion, when a Body has to do with an Adversary, that is
+either too Crafty, or too Strong for him, to turn him off to his Match;
+but it would be a Cleverer Way yet, to Encounter the Stratagem, and to
+Defeat One Sham with Another, as the Simplicity of the _Cock_ here was
+too hard for the Wiliness of the _Fox_. Experience makes many a Wise Man
+of a Fool, and Security makes many a Fool of a Wise Man. We have an
+Instance of the Former in the _Cocks_ Over-reaching the _Fox_, and of the
+Other, in the _Foxes_ Supine Confidence, that made him so Intent upon
+his Prey, as to neglect his Safety. Now the _Cock_, that upon Long Tryal
+and Observation, knew the _Fox_ to be the Common Enemy of all Poultrey;
+had likewise a Dread and Suspicion of him by Instinct, which made him
+Naturally Cautious upon the very Principle of Self-Preservation. Whereas
+the _Fox_, that Trusted to his Address and Manage, without so much as
+Dreaming of a Cross Bite from so silly an Animal, fell Himself into the
+Pit that he had Digg’d for Another. It is much the same Case in the World
+when Providence is pleas’d to Confound the False, the Mighty, and the
+Blood-Thirsty, by Judgments of Lice and Frogs: That is to say, by the
+most Despicable of Instruments. To put an End to This Moral, It is a
+wonderful Thing how the very Force of Nature will Exert it self, in the
+Meanest and the Weakest of Creatures, in Cases of Extream Necessity and
+Danger: As it made the _Cock_ here too hard for the _Fox_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXLIV.
+
+A _Bat_, _Bramble_, and _Cormorant_.
+
+
+A _Bat_, a _Bramble_, and a _Cormorant_, Enter’d into Covenants with
+Articles, to joyn Stocks, and Trade in Partnership together. The _Bat’s_
+Adventure was Ready Money that he took up at Interest; The _Brambles_,
+was in Cloaths; and the _Cormorants_, in Brass. They Put to Sea, and so
+it fell out, that Ship and Goods were Both Lost by Stress of Weather:
+But the Three Merchants by Providence got safe to Land. Since the Time
+of this Miscarriage, the _Bat_ never Stirs abroad till _Night_ for fear
+of his Creditors. The _Bramble_ lays hold of All the Cloaths he can come
+at in hope to Light upon his Own again: And the _Cormorant_ is still
+Sauntering by the Sea side, to see if he can find any of his Brass cast
+up.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Impression of any Notable Misfortune will commonly stick by a Man as
+long as he Lives._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Things that a Man has once set his Heart upon, will hardly be ever got
+out of his Head, but Every Hint and Occasion will be putting him in mind
+of ’em again. Ill Habits are not Easily Cur’d. ’Tis with almost All
+People in cases of Fright or Distraction of Mind, as it was with our
+Merchant Adventurers here. The Last Impression sticks Closest to us.
+There was a Miserable Wretch in _Bedlam_ that had lost his Wits upon the
+Firing of a Ship at Sea, and His Head was still running upon Fire and
+Water; insomuch that the very Sight of either of them would put him into
+an Outrageous Fury. Another that was Mad for Love, would be Beating his
+Brains perpetually upon Anagrams and Sonnets. _Oliver’s Enthusiastick
+Porter_, was directly _Bible-Mad_, and up to the Ears still in the _Dark
+Prophets_, and the _Revelation_. In the Year 1658, When the _Original
+Contracters_ were met in Council about Settling the Government, a very
+good Poor Woman carried her Little Trunks and Boxes to _Weld-House_ for
+Protection, for fear of the _Mobile_. The House was Rifled, and her
+Trinkets went away with the Rest. Upon this Loss she fell _Idle-Headed_;
+and to This very Day she stands like the _Bramble_ in the _Fable_, near
+the place still, (where the Innocent Creature Lives) Catching of People
+by the Coats, and Asking them about her Trunks and Boxes: _Pray_, says
+she, _When shall I have my Things again? My Trunks are not come home
+yet_, &c. The Doctrine upon the Whole is no more then This, That we are
+not to set our Hearts upon the Things of This World; for All Emotions
+of the Mind have somewhat in them of This Freak; and the only Way to be
+Happy and Quiet, is to make all Contingencies Indifferent to us.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXLV.
+
+A _Lark_ in a Net.
+
+
+A Poor _Lark_ Enter’d into a Miserable Expostulation with a
+_Bird-Catcher_, that had Taken her in his Net, and was just about to put
+her to Death. Alas (says she) What am I to Dye for now? I am no Thief; I
+have Stoln neither Gold, nor Silver; but for Making Bold with One Pitiful
+Grain of Corn am I now to Suffer.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis to no Purpose to stand Reasoning, where the Adversary is both Party
+and Judge._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Folly, says the Old Moral, for People to run Great Hazards for
+small Advantage. And why may it not as well Reflect upon the Cruelty of
+taking away the Life of a Poor Innocent Creature for making bold with One
+Miserable Grain of Corn, when she was Hungry. But This is All Forc’d, and
+in Truth, it is a Dry Fable with Little or Nothing in’t.
+
+Or to Turn it Another Way yet, Here’s the Life of a Poor Creature in
+Question, and the _Lark_ Expostulates, and Pleads _Not Guilty_, but the
+Belly has No Ears, and the _Bird-Catcher_ is so Intent upon his Interest,
+and Appetite, that he gives no Heed at all to the Equity of the Plea,
+which is but according to the Course of the World, when people Measure
+Right or Wrong by the Rule of their Own Profit or Loss. ’Tis Passion and
+Partiality that Govern in All These Cases.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXLVI.
+
+A _Miser_ Burying his Gold.
+
+
+A _Certain Covetous, Rich Churl_ Sold his Whole Estate, and put it into
+Mony, and then Melted down That Mony again into One Mass, which he Bury’d
+in the ground, with his very Heart and Soul in the Pot for Company. He
+gave it a Visit Every Morning, which it seems was taken Notice of, and
+Somebody that Observ’d him, found out his Hoard one Night, and Carry’d
+it away. The Next day he missed it, and ran almost out of his Wits for
+the Loss of his Gold. Well, (says a Neighbour to him) And what’s All
+This Rage for? Why you had no Gold at all, and so you Lost None. You did
+but Fancy all this while that you Had it, and you may e’en as well Fancy
+again that you have it still. ’Tis but laying a Stone where you laid your
+Mony, and Fancying That Stone to be your Treasure, and there’s your Gold
+again. You did not Use it when you Had it; and you do not Want it so long
+as you Resolve not to Use it.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Better no Estate at all, then the Cares and Vexations that attend the
+Possession of it, without the Use on’t._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We are never the better for the Possession of any thing, Barely for
+the Propriety sake, but ’tis the Use and Application of it towards the
+Conveniences of Life, and the Comforts of Humane Society, that gives
+Every thing its Value. The Divine Goodness we see is perpetually at Work;
+Nature keeps on in her Course, and the Heavens shed their Influences
+without Intermission; and what’s the Doctrine now of This Great Example,
+but that the Blessings of Providence, which are Common and Diffusive,
+ought not to lie Idle; and that Whoever Buries his Talent, either of
+Understanding, or of Fortune, breaks a Sacred Trust, and Couzens Those
+that stand in Need on’t. But we have a sort of Sordid Wretches among
+us, that had rather Cast their Silver and Gold into the very Mine again
+from whence it was Taken, or leave it at the Mercy of Thieves and Common
+Hazards, then that any Man Living should be the Better for’t.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXLVII.
+
+A _Stag_ with One Eye.
+
+
+A _One-Eyed-Stag_ that was afraid of the Huntsmen at Land, kept a Watch
+That Way with T’other Eye, and fed with his Blind Side still toward an
+Arm of the Sea, where he thought there was no Danger. In this Prospect of
+Security, he was Struck with an Arrow from a Boat, and so Ended his Days
+with This Lamentation: Here am I destroy’d, says he, where I reckon’d my
+Self to be Safe on the One Hand; and No Evil has befall’n me, where I
+most Dreaded it, on the Other.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We are lyable to Many Unlucky Accidents that no Care or Foresight can
+Prevent: But we are to provide however the Best we can against them, and
+leave the Rest to Providence._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We are many times Preserv’d or Destroy’d, by Those Accidents or Counsels,
+that in All Probability should have had quite Contrary Effects. But it is
+Our Part yet to Act according to Reason, and commit our selves to Heaven
+for the rest. We have our Blind Sides in the World, as well as the _Stag_
+had his by the Sea-side, and we have our Enemies too, that are still
+Watching to make Advantage of that Weakness. One Man is Transported out
+of his Reason, and his Honesty, by Sensual Pleasures: Another by Money,
+perhaps, or by Ambition. Every Man, in short, by Somewhat or other: And
+it is but striking him in the Right Vein, to do his Bus’ness. The Wisest
+of Men have their Follies; The Justest, their Iniquities, and the most
+Temperate of Men have now and then by Fits, their Excesses. _Achilles_
+himself (after all that his Mother could do for him) was left Vulnerable
+yet in the Heel, and _Paris_’s Arrow found him Out there. We are taught
+further also to look to our selves on the _Blind Side_, as the Part that
+lyes most Expos’d to an Attacque. And finally; That it is not in the
+Power of Humane Wisdom to secure us against Plots and Practices upon
+Humane Frailty: Nay, and when we have done our Best to Prevent Mischief,
+the very Precaution it self serves many times to Contribute to our Ruin.
+The _Stag_ did All that was to be done here; but the Ways and Workings
+of Providence are unsearchable; and it is not in the Power of Humane
+Prudence to Obviate all the Accidents of Humane Life.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXLVIII.
+
+A _Stag_ and a _Lyon_.
+
+
+A _Stag_ that was close Pursu’d by Huntsmen, fled for Safety into a
+_Lyon’s Den_; and as he was just Expiring under the Paw of the _Lyon_:
+Miserable Creature that I am, says he, to fly for Protection from Men, to
+the most Unmerciful of Beasts!
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There are Harder and Gentler Ways, even of Ruin it self; as ’tis Common
+we see for Men under a Capital Sentence to Petition even for the Change
+of the Death._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Common Case for People to be Reduc’d to This Miserable Choice;
+That is to say, by what Hand or Means they’ll rather Perish; under the
+Certainty of an Inevitable Destruction One Way or other. The Ancients
+have Moraliz’d it This Way. But it seems to Me (under favour) that the
+_Stag_’s was a Forc’d Put; and a Chance rather then a Choice, he did
+not fly from the Huntsmen to the _Lyon_ for Protection; but it so fell
+out, that while he fled to Avoid a Less Danger, he ran into a Greater; We
+find This to be the Case of many Men, as well as Beasts, that are Forc’d
+to fly for Refuge, to Murderers and Oppressors, instead of Patrons and
+Protectors.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXLIX.
+
+A _Goat_ and a _Vine_.
+
+
+A _Goat_ that was hard Press’d by the Huntsmen, took Sanctuary in a
+_Vineyard_, and there he lay Close, under the Covert of a _Vine_. So soon
+as he thought the Danger was Over, he fell presently to Browzing upon the
+Leaves; and whether it was the Rusling, or the Motion of the Boughs, that
+gave the Huntsmen an Occasion for a Stricter Search, is Uncertain: but a
+Search there was, and in the End he was Discover’d, and shot. He dy’d in
+fine, with this Conviction upon him, that his Punishment was Just, for
+Offering Violence to his Protector.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Ingratitude Perverts all the Measures of Religion and Society, by making
+it Dangerous to be Charitable and Good Natur’d._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Ingratitude is Abhorr’d both by God and Man, and there is a Certain
+Vengeance Attends those that Repay Evil for Good, and seek the Ruin of
+their Protectors. This Fable Exposes the Baseness of That Horrid Vice,
+and it Preaches Thankfulness and Justice. The Obligations of Hospitality
+and Protection are so Sacred, that Nothing can Absolve us from the
+Discharge of Those Duties. ’Tis True, that This particular Instance holds
+better in the Morality of the Application, then it does in the Reason
+of the Thing: for the Question is not what the Beast does in his Kind;
+but what Ought to be done, with a respect to such a Benefit receiv’d.
+If a Man should Launch into the History and Practice of Humane Nature,
+we should find Nothing more Common there, then one Rebellion Started
+upon the Pardoning of Another; and the very Minions of Princes Link’d in
+Conspiracies against their Master. But Those Things ever were, and ever
+will be, so long as Men are Men, and carry their Corruptions about them.
+There will be _Goats_, in fine, and there will be _Vines_, to answer This
+Moral, _in Sæcula Sæculorum_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CL.
+
+An _Ass_, a _Lyon_, and a _Cock_.
+
+
+As a _Cock_ and an _Ass_ were Feeding together, up comes a _Lyon_
+Open-mouth toward the _Ass_: The _Cock_ presently cries out; Away
+Scoures the _Lyon_, and the _Ass_ after him: Now ’twas the Crowing of the
+_Cock_ that Frighted the _Lyon_, not the Braying of the _Ass_, as That
+Stupid Animal Vainly Fancy’d to Himself, for so soon as ever they were
+gotten out of the Hearing of the _Cock_, the _Lyon_ turn’d short upon
+him, and tore him to pieces, with These Words in his Mouth: Let never any
+Creature hereafter that has not the Courage of a Hare, Provoke a _Lyon_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Force of Unaccountable Aversions, is Insuperable. The Fool that is
+Wise and Brave Only in his Own Conceit, runs on without Fear or Wit, but
+Noise does no Bus’ness._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Many a Bragging Coxcomb is Ruin’d by a Mistake of Fear in an Enemy, and a
+Fancy of Courage in Himself. _Baudoin_ Remarks upon the _Lyon’s_ Aversion
+to the _Cock_, that there’s Nothing so Great but it has its Failings,
+and so he makes the Pursuit of the _Lyon_ to be a Particular Mark of the
+_Ass’s_ Weakness. _Meslier_ will have the Fear to be Counterfeited, with
+a Design to Surprize the Pursuer; but This Fable seems still to look
+Another way.
+
+It may appear a very Extravagant, Surprizing Encounter, that _Æsop_
+has Exhibited to us in This Fable. Here’s a _Lyon_ running away from a
+_Cock_, and an _Ass_ Pursuing a _Lyon_: That is to say, here are Two of
+the most Unlikely Things in Nature brought together, in the Semblance of
+Fear in the One, and of Resolution in the Other: But the Moral is never
+the Worse yet for the Seeming Disproportions of the Figure; and the
+Characters in the Fiction, are well enough Suited to the Truth, and Life
+of the Case. The Flight of the _Lyon_ must be Imputed here to the Natural
+Aversion that he has to the Crowing of a _Cock_. This is the Tradition;
+but it shall break No Squares whether it be so or not: For the Philosophy
+holds good in Other Instances No less Wonderful, whether it be True or
+False in This. How many Insuperable Disagreements do we Meet with, in
+the Bus’ness of Meats, Drinks, and Medicines; in Plants, Minerals, and
+Living Creatures! Now These Impulses are no more to be Controll’d, then
+the Primary, and the Unchangeable Powers and Laws of Nature: And These
+Instincts, after All, are no more to be Reason’d upon, then they are to
+be Resisted; and therefore it is, that we call them _Occult Qualities_;
+which is All One with Saying that we do not Understand How they Work,
+or What they Are. Now ’tis One Thing to Submit to an _Absolute Force_,
+Another Thing to Fly, and Yield to a _Natural Infirmity_: So that ’tis No
+Departure from the Dignity of a _Lyon_ to Fly, when Nature Drives him:
+Neither is it at all to the _Ass_’s Reputation, to Pursue, when Vanity,
+Folly and Rashness Transport him.
+
+The _Ass_, we see, lies under Many Mistakes here, and the More, and the
+Grosser they are, the more Suitable still to his Character. How many such
+_Asses_ are there in the World, that Huff, Look Big, Stare, Dress, Cock,
+Swagger, at the same Noisy, Blustring Rate; and Nothing more Familiar
+then for a Whiffling Fop, that has not so much as One Grain of the Sense,
+or Soul of a Man of Honour in him, to play the part of a _Hero_. Nay,
+there are _Fanfarons_ in the Tryals of Wit too, as well as in Feats of
+Arms, and none so forward to engage in Argument, or Discourse, as Those
+that are least able to go through with it. In One Word for All, the
+whole Race of Bawling, Fluttering Noddyes, by what Name or Title soever
+Dignify’d or Distinguish’d, are a Kin to the _Ass_ in This Fable.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLI.
+
+A _Gardiner_ and his _Dog_.
+
+
+A _Gardiner’s Dog_ dropt into a Well, and his Master let himself down to
+Help him Out again. He reach’d forth his Hand to take hold of the _Dog_,
+and the _Cur_ Snapt him by the Fingers: For he thought ’twas only to Duck
+him deeper. The _Master_ went his Way upon’t, and e’en Left him as he
+Found him. Nay (says he) I’m well enough Served, to take so much Pains
+for the Saving of One that is Resolv’d to make away Himself.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Obligations and Benefits are Cast away upon Two sorts of People; Those
+that do not Understand them, and those that are not sensible of them._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No Fastening an Obligation upon Those that have neither Justice,
+Gratitude, nor Good Faith; and it is the same Case in Effect, with Those
+that do not Understand when they are Well-us’d: From whence we may infer
+this Doctrine, that Fools and Knaves are not Company for Honest Men. The
+Course and Violent Part of the Common People have much in them of this
+Currs Humour. They Plunge themselves into Difficulties by Mistaking their
+Way, and then fly in the Face of Those that would Set them Right again.
+In This Opposition to Duty and Discretion, they Pursue their Errors,
+’till in the End, they are left to the Fate of their Own Madness and
+Folly; and Consequently Perish without Any Hope, or Means of Pity or
+Redress. The _Gard’ner_ would have sav’d his _Dog_ from _Drowning_, and
+the _Curr_ bit his _Master_ by the _Fingers_ for his Pains.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLII.
+
+A _Sow_ and a _Dog_.
+
+
+There pass’d some Hard Words betwixt a _Sow_ and a _Dog_, and the _Sow_
+swore by _Venus_, that she’d tear his Guts out, if he did not mend
+his Manners. Ay, says the Dog, You do well to call upon her for your
+Patroness, that will not so much as Endure any Creature about her that
+Eats _Swines Flesh_. Well (says the _Sow_) and That’s a Token of her
+Love, to Hate Any thing that hurts me; but for _Dogs Flesh_, ’tis good
+neither Dead, nor Living.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Where the Matter in Controversie will not bear an Argument, ’tis a Turn
+of Art to bring it off with a Paradox._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis an Ordinary Thing for People to Boast of an Interest where they
+have None, and then when they are Detected, ’tis a Stroak of Art to
+Divert the Reproach, by Emproving a Spiteful Word, or Thing, to a Bodies
+Own Advantage. This way of Dialogue, is a kind of _Tick-Tack_; Where
+the One’s Bus’ness is to keep from making a Blot, and the Other’s is to
+Hit it when ’tis made. It is a Happy Presence of Mind, to Anticipate
+Another Man’s Thought, by Considering well beforehand what Construction,
+or Allusion his own Words will bear; for Otherwise, the Casting out an
+Inconsiderate Hint, is but the setting of a Trap to Catch Himself. As the
+_Sow_’s Appealing to _Venus_ here, was as good as an Answer thrown into
+the very Mouth of the _Dog_, which she might Easily have foreseen would
+be turn’d back upon her in the Bitterness of a Reproche: For the Reply
+lay so Open, the Other could not Well Miss it: But when all is done, Both
+Parts are to keep themselves upon their Guard; Or if either of ’em has
+Overshot himself, it is some sort of Reputation still, to make the Best
+of a Bad Game: As the _Sow_ turn’d off the Scandal here with a jest.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLIII.
+
+A _Sow_ and a _Bitch_.
+
+
+A _Sow_ and a _Bitch_ had a Dispute once, which was the Fruitfuller of
+the Two. The _Sow_ Yielded it at last to the _Bitch_; but you are to take
+Notice at the Same time, says she, that your Puppies are All Blind.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Question among all sorts of Competitors is not Who does Most, but
+who does Best._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We are not to put an Estimate upon Things by the Quantity, or the Number
+of them, but by their Quality and Virtue: Taking for Granted, that
+_Æsop_’s Bitch was Fruitfuller then our Sows. See the Moral of _A Lyoness
+and a Fox_. Fab. 122.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLIV.
+
+A _Snake_ and a _Crab_.
+
+
+There was a Familiarity Contracted betwixt a _Snake_ and a _Crab_. The
+_Crab_ was a plain dealing Creature, that advis’d his Companion to give
+over Shuffling and Doubling, and to Practice Good Faith. The _Snake_ went
+on in his Old Way: So that the _Crab_ finding that he would not mend his
+Manners, set upon him in his Sleep, and Strangled him; and then looking
+upon him as he lay Dead at his Length: This had never befall’n ye, says
+he, if You had but Liv’d as Straight as You Dy’d.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s Nothing more Agreeable in Conversation, then a Franke Open way
+of Dealing, and a Simplicity of Manners._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Good Councel is lost upon an Habitual Hardness of Ill Nature: And in That
+Case it must be a Diamond that Cuts a Diamond: for One Fraud is best
+Undermin’d and Disappointed by Another. This Fable is a Figure upon a
+Figure, in Opposing the Straitness of the Body of the _Snake_ after he
+was Dead, to the Crookedness of his Manners when he was Living. But the
+License of _Mythology_ will bear out the Hardness of the Allusion.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLV.
+
+A _Shepherd_ and a _Wolves Whelp_.
+
+
+A _Shepherd_ took a Sucking Whelp of a _Wolfe_, and Train’d it up with
+his Dogs. This _Whelp_ fed with ’em; Grew up with ’em, and whensoever
+they went out upon the Chace of a _Wolfe_, the _Whelp_ would be sure to
+make one. It fell out sometimes that the _Wolfe_ scap’d, and the Dogs
+were forc’d to go Home again: But this _Domestique Wolfe_ would be still
+Hunting on, ’till he came up to his _Brethren_, where he took part of
+the Prey with them; and so back again to his Master. It happen’d now and
+then, that the _Wolves abroad_ were pretty Quiet for a Fit: So that this
+_Whelp_ of a _Wolfe_ was fain to make Bold ever and anon with a Sheep in
+Private by the By; but in the Conclusion, the _Shepherd_ came to find out
+the Roguery, and Hang’d him up for his Pains.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_False Men are no more to be Reclaim’d then Wolves, and the Leven of the
+Predecessors Sowers the Bloud, in the very Veins of the Whole Family._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Ill Dispositions may be Suppress’d, or Dissembled for a while, but Nature
+is very hardly to be Alter’d, either by Councell, or by Education. It
+may do well enough, for Curiosity, and Experiment, to try how far Ill
+Natur’d Men and Other Creatures may be Wrought upon by Fair Usage, and
+Good Breeding; But the Inclination and Cruelty of the _Damm_ will never
+out of the _Whelp_. It may Suspend peradventure, or intermit, for want
+of Occasion to shew it self: but Nature is like _Mercury_, there’s No
+Killing it Quite. The _Wolfe_ in the _House_ has a Kindness still for the
+_Wolves_ in the _Woods_, and continues in the Interest of the same Common
+Enemy. _Cat will to Kind_, as they say, and Wicked Men will be True to
+their Principles, how False soever to their Masters.
+
+We may read in the Moral of This Fable, the common Practice of the World,
+and a Doctrine that we find Every day Verify’d, as well in Men, as in
+Beasts; for there are _Wolfe-Whelps_ in _Palaces_, and _Governments_,
+as well as in _Cotages_, and _Forrests_. Do we not find in History, and
+Experience, Instances in abundance, even of Publick Ministers Themselves,
+that though taken up out of the very Herds of the Common Enemy; Admitted
+into Special Trusts; Fed by the Hand, and Treated with the Grace and
+Character of Particular Favourites, have their Hearts in the _Woods_,
+yet all this while among their Fellows. So that there’s No Reclaiming of
+them. They go out however, as there is Occasion, and Hunt and Growle for
+Company; but at the same time, they give the Sign out of their Master’s
+Hand, hold Intelligence with the Enemy; and make use of their Power and
+Credit to Worry Honester Men then Themselves. It wants Nothing after
+This, but that they may live to have their Due; and with the _Dog_ here
+in the Fable, go to Heaven in a String, according to the True Intent of
+the Allegory.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLVI.
+
+A _Lyon_, _Fox_, and a _Wolfe_.
+
+
+The King of Beasts was now grown Old, and Sickly, and All the Subjects of
+the Forrest, (saving only the _Fox_) were to pay their Duties to him. The
+_Wolfe_, and the _Fox_ like a Couple of Sly Knaves, were still putting
+Tricks One upon Another, and the _Wolfe_ took this Occasion to do the
+_Fox_ a Good Office. I can Assure your Majesty, says the _Wolfe_, that
+’tis Nothing but Pride and Insolence that keeps the _Fox_ from shewing
+himself at Court as well as his Companions. Now the _Fox_ had the Good
+Luck to be within Hearing, and so Presented himself before the _Lyon_,
+and finding him Extreamly Enrag’d, begs his Majesties Patience, and a
+Little Time only for his Defence. Sir (says he) I must presume to Value
+my self upon my Respect and Loyalty to your Majesty, Equal at least to
+any of your other Subjects; and I will be bold to say, that put them all
+together, they have not taken Half the pains for your Majesties Service
+now upon This very Occasion, that I have done. I have been Hunting up
+and down far and near, since your Unhappy Indisposition, to find out a
+Remedy for ye, which with much ado I have now Compass’d at last, and it
+is that which I Promised my self will prove an Infallible Cure. Tell me
+immediately (says the _Lyon_) what it is then: Nothing in the World, says
+the _Fox_, but to Flay a _Wolfe_ Alive, and Wrap your Body up in the
+Warm Skin. The _Wolfe_ was by all This while; and the _Fox_ in a Snearing
+way advised him for the Future, not to irritate a Prince against his
+Subjects, but rather to Sweeten him with Peaceable and Healing Councells.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Bus’ness of a Pickthank is the Basest of Offices, but yet Diverting
+enough sometimes, when One Rascal happens to be Encounter’d with another._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s Nothing more Common in the World than these _Wolvish
+Back-Friends_, in all our Pretensions; whether it be in Law, in
+Government, or in a Hundred other sorts of Clayme and Competition;
+Especially for the running down of a Man that’s Declining in his Credit
+already. Calumny is Base at best; though Pleasant enough sometimes,
+where it falls out, that One Rascal is Countermining Another. But let
+the Reproche be never so True, it can hardly be Honest, Where the Office
+is done in Hugger-Mugger; and where the Intention is not Guided by a
+Conscience of the Duty. It is a way to Confound the Good and the Bad,
+where Knaves have Credit enough to be Believ’d, to the Wrong of Honest
+Men, and the Innocent left without Means of Defence.
+
+He that would live Clear of the Envy and Hatred of Potent Calumniators,
+must lay his Finger upon his Mouth, and Keep his Hand out of the Ink-Pot;
+for to do a Good Office upon the Point of Opinion, Intelligence, Brains,
+or Conscience, where this _Wolvish_ Humour prevails, is little better
+then a _Scandalum Magnatum_, or a Libel upon his Superiors: But where it
+happens that there’s a _Fox_ and a _Wolfe_ in the Case; and One Sharper
+to Encounter Another, the Scene is Diverting enough.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLVII.
+
+A _Wife_ and a _Drunken Husband_.
+
+
+A Woman that lay under the Mortification of a _Fudling Husband_, took him
+once when he was Dead Drunk; and had his Body lay’d in a Charnel-House.
+By the time that she thought he might be come to Himself again, away goes
+she, and Knocks at the Door. Who’s There? (says the _Toper_) One, says
+the Woman, that brings Meat for the Dead. Friend, says he, Bring me Drink
+rather. I wonder any Body that Knows me, should bring me One without
+T’other. Nay then, says she, the Humour I perceive has taken Possession
+of him; He has gotten a Habit, and his Case is Desperate.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Inveterate Ill Habits become Another Nature to us, and we may almost as
+well be Taken to Pieces, and New put together again, as Mended._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Intent of This Fable is to Work a Reformation of Manners, by
+shewing that Evil Habits are very hard to be Cur’d; for they take Root
+by Degrees, ’till they come in the End to be past both Remedy and
+Shame. Habitual Debauches make Excess of Drink as Necessary to a Man as
+Common Air, Especially when his Mind comes to be Wholly taken up with
+the Contemplation of his Vice. There are Those that can never Sleep
+without their Load, nor Enjoy One Easie Thought, till they have laid
+All their Cares to Rest with a Bottle. ’Tis much the same Thing with
+Other Sensual Pleasures, where Mens Bodies and Minds are given up to
+the Entertainment of them. But the Extravagance is never so Desperate,
+as when the Understanding is Taken up with the Study and Meditation of
+Those Pleasures, which the Body is no longer in Condition to Practice,
+and that’s the most Deplorate, Hopeless, and Incurable State of an Evil
+Disposition; when Drink upon Drink is made Use of for a Remedy.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLVIII.
+
+A _Swan_ and a _Goose_.
+
+
+The Master of a House brought up a _Swan_ and a _Goose_ both together;
+The One for his Ear, the Other for his Belly. He gave Orders for the
+Goose to be Taken up, and Dress’d for Dinner. But the Place was so Dark,
+that the Cook took One for T’other. This Mistake had Cost the _Swan_ her
+Life, if she had not Sung in That very Instant, and discover’d her self;
+by which Means she both sav’d her Life, and Express’d her Nature.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Man cannot be too Careful of what he does, where the Life of any
+Creature is in Question._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s a Providence attends Innocency and Virtue, the Power of Musique
+apart. ’Tis a Rule that goes a Great way in the Government of a Sober
+Man’s Life, not to put any thing to Hazard that may be Secur’d by
+Industry, Consideration, or Circumspection. And this Caution reaches
+to a Thousand Cases in the Ordinary Course of Life. Men should _Look
+before they Leap_; Deliberate before they Resolve; Try, Weigh, Examine,
+and Bethink themselves well of the Matter before they Execute. We fall
+into some Inconveniencies out of Pure Lazyness, and for want of taking
+Pains to Enform our selves Better: Into Others, out of Rashness; by doing
+Things in a Hurry, and _Hand over Head_ at a Venture. Now there’s no
+Excuse for a Blunder upon any of these Topiques, where there was both
+Time and Means to prevent it. What are we the better for the Faculty
+of Reason, without the Exercise of it? If the Cook would but have been
+at the Trouble of Carrying a Candle with him, he would have been in no
+Danger of taking a _Swan_ for a _Goose_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLIX.
+
+The _Washing_ of a _Blackmore_.
+
+
+A Man gave Money for a _Black_, upon an Opinion that his Swarthy Colour
+was rather Sluttery then Nature, and the Fault of his last Master, in a
+Great Measure, that he kept him no Cleaner: He took him Home with him,
+and try’d All manner of Washes to bring him to a Better Complexion: But
+there was no Good to be Done upon him; besides, that the very tampering
+Cast him into a Disease.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLX.
+
+A _Raven_ and a _Swan_.
+
+
+A _Raven_ had a Great Mind to be as _White_ as a _Swan_, and fancy’d to
+Himself that the _Swan_’s Beauty proceeded in a High Degree, from his
+often _Washing_ and _Dyet_. The _Raven_, upon this, Quitted his Former
+Course of Life and Food, and betook himself to the _Lakes_ and _Rivers_:
+But as the Water did him no Good at all for his Complexion, so the
+Experiment Cost him his Life too for want of Sustenance.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_Natural Inclinations may be Moulded and Wrought upon by Good Councel and
+Discipline; but there are Certain specifick Properties and Impressions,
+that are never to be Alter’d or Defac’d._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Vain Thing to Attempt the Forcing of Nature; for _What’s Bred
+in the Bone will never out of the Flesh_: And there can be no Thought
+of Altering the Qualities, the Colour, or the Condition of Life, that
+Providence has Allotted us.
+
+’Tis _Labour in Vain_, to all manner of Purposes, to Endeavour the
+Mending of any of the Works of Nature; for she never did Any thing Amiss.
+And then ’tis as Great a Madness to Attempt any Alteration upon them,
+because _What Nature does, God does_; whose Decrees are Unchangeable,
+and All his Works are Perfection in the Kind; but next to the Force of
+Natural Impressions, we may reckon That of Customs and Habits.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXI.
+
+A _Swallow_ and a _Crow_.
+
+
+Upon a Dispute betwixt a _Swallow_ and a _Crow_, which was the Greater
+Beauty of the Two: Yours, says the _Crow_, is only a Spring-Beauty, but
+mine lasts all the Year round.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Of Two Things Equally Good, that’s the Best that lasts longest._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Greatest of Temporal Blessings, are Health, and Long Life; and the
+most Durable of Good Things must Consequently be the Best. The Question
+here betwixt the _Crow_ and the _Swallow_, has somewhat in it of the Case
+betwixt Virtue and Sensual Pleasures, as (for the purpose) of Youth,
+Wine, Women, and All other Entertainments whatsoever, that may serve to
+Gratify a Carnal Appetite. Here’s Temporary Oppos’d to Eternal; Joys that
+shall Endure for Ever, Fresh, and in Vigor; to Satisfactions that are
+attended with Satiety and Surfeits, and Flatten in the very Tasting.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXII.
+
+A _Nightingale_ and a _Bat_.
+
+
+As a _Nightingale_ was Singing in a Cage at a Window, up comes a _Bat_
+to her, and Asks her why she did not Sing in the Day, as well as in the
+Night. Why (says the _Nightingale_) I was Catch’d Singing in the Day, and
+so I took it for a Warning: You should have thought of This then, says
+T’other, before you were Taken; for as the Case stands now, Y’are in no
+Danger to be Snapt Singing again.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Wrong Reason for the Doing of a Thing is worse then no Reason at all._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No Recalling of what’s Gone and Past; so that After-Wit comes too
+Late when the Mischief is Done. That is to say, it comes too late for
+That Bout. But it is not Amiss, however, for a Man that has gone astray,
+to call to Mind where he went out of his Way, and to look back Step by
+Step into all his Miscarriages and Mistakes. The Glass of Life is Behind
+us, and we must look into what’s Past, if we would take a View of what’s
+to Come. A Fault Committed, or a Misfortune Incurr’d, cannot be Recall’d
+’tis True; but yet the Meditating upon One False Step may help to Prevent
+Another. Wherefore ’tis Good, upon the Point of Common Prudence, to be
+Thoughtful, provided we be not more Sollicitous then the Thing is worth,
+and that we make a Right Use of Those Reflexions; that is to say, an
+Use of Repentance, where we did Morally Amiss; an Use of Rectifying
+our Judgments, where we did Foolishly; and an Use of Caution in both
+Cases, never to do the same Thing over again. This is no more then what
+in Conscience, Equity, and Reason we are Bound to do. But we must have
+a care all this while, not to run into False Consequences for want of
+laying Things and Things together, and to Sham Fallacies upon the World
+for Current Reason, as the _Nightingale_ was taken Singing in the _Day_
+when she was at _Liberty_. And what’s This to her Resolution of Singing
+only in the _Night_, now she’s in the _Cage_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXIII.
+
+A _Boy_ and _Cockles_.
+
+
+Some People were Roasting of _Cockles_, and they Hiss’d in the Fire. Well
+(says a Blockheaded Boy) These are Villanous Creatures sure, to Sing when
+their Houses are a-fire over their Heads.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Nothing can be Well that’s out of Season._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s a Time for Jest, and a Time for Earnest, and it is a Dangerous
+Mistake, not to Distinguish the One from the Other. The Fool’s Conceit
+here, had both Clownery, and Ill Nature in’t, for there’s Nothing more
+Brutal, or Barbarous, then the Humor of Insulting over the Miserable;
+Nothing more Contrary to Humanity, and Common Sense, then this Scandalous
+Way of Grinning and Jeering out of Season. But a Childish Conceit does
+well enough out of the Mouth of a Foolish Boy; for it is but Congruous,
+that Silly People should be pleas’d with Silly Words and Things.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXIV.
+
+Two _Travellers_ and a _Bag_ of _Money_.
+
+
+As Two Travellers were upon the Way together, One of ’em Stoops, and
+Takes up Something. Look ye here (says he) I have found _a Bag of Money_:
+No, says T’other, When Two Friends are together, You must not say _[I]
+have found it_, but _[WE] have found it_. The Word was no sooner Out,
+but immediately comes a _Hue and Cry_ after a Gang of Thieves that had
+taken a Purse upon the Road. Lord! Brother (says He that had the _Bag_)
+We shall be Utterly Undone. Oh Phy, says T’other, You must not say _[WE]
+shall be undone_, but _[I] shall be undone_; for if I’m to have no Part
+in the Finding, sure I’ll never go Halves in the Hanging.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_They that will Enter into Leagues and Partnerships must take the Good
+and the Bad One with Another._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Doctrine of This Fable is according to Reason and Nature. People that
+are not Allow’d to be Sharers with their Companions in Good Fortune, will
+hardly ever agree to be Sharers in Bad. An Open, and an Honest Candor of
+Mind carries a Body Safe and Dry through all Ways and Weathers: Whereas
+in shifting and Shuffling, a Man puts himself off his Guard; and the same
+Rule that serves him at One time, will not serve him at Another; Men are
+willing enough to have Partners in Loss, but not in Profit; and ’tis not
+the Traveller alone that cries _[I] have found a Purse of Gold_, and
+then Changes his Note upon _Hue and Cry_, and says _[WE] shall be hang’d
+for’t_; but ’tis the Course of All People of _Intrigue_, to give Every
+thing two Faces, and to Deal with the World, as the Spark did with the
+Oracle. The Bird shall be Dead or Living, which himself Pleases.
+
+To Emprove the Moral yet a little farther, we have a Thousand
+Disappointments in the Ordinary Course of Life, to Answer This in the
+Fable. Many a Man finds this Purse of Gold in a Mistress, in a Bottle,
+in an Office, and in All other the vain Satisfactions of this World:
+And what’s the End on’t at last, but when he has Compass’d his Longing,
+Gratify’d his Appetite, or, as he fancies, made his Fortune perhaps: He
+grows presently Sick of his Purchase; His _Conscience_ is the _Hue_ and
+_Cry_ That pursues him, and when he reckons upon it that he has gotten a
+_Booty_, he has only caught a _Tartar_. The _Bag of Money_ burnt the Poor
+Fellow’s Fingers in the very Taking of it up.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXV.
+
+Two Neighbour-_Frogs_.
+
+
+There were _Two Neighbour-Frogs_; One of them Liv’d in a Pond, and the
+Other in the High-way hard-by. The _Pond Frog_ finding the Water begin
+to fail upon the Road, would fain have gotten _T’other Frog_ over to her
+in the Pool; where she might have been Safe; but she was wonted to the
+Place, she said, and would not Remove. And what was the End on’t now,
+but the Wheel of a Cart drove over her a while after, and Crush’d her to
+pieces?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Some People are so Listless and Slothful, that they’ll rather lie still
+and Die in a Ditch, then Stir one Finger to Help themselves out on’t._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Custom is Another Nature; and what betwixt Obstinacy, and Sloth, let it
+be never so ill, and inconvenient, People are very Hard yet to Quit it.
+He that does Nothing at all, does Worse then He, that upon the Account
+of Humane Frailty, does Amiss; for nothing can be more contrary to God
+Himself, who is a Pure Act, then the Sleeping and Drowsing away of our
+Life and Reason, that was given us for so many Better Purposes. The
+_Frog_ in the High-way here, is the Lively Figure of such a Man; for a
+Life of Sloth is the Life of a Log, rather then the Life of a Reasonable
+Creature. ’Tis as much as a Body can well do, even with the Uttermost of
+his Prudence and Industry, to Rub through the Difficulties of the World,
+though he should keep himself perpetually a Doing. There is not perchance
+a more Insupportable Misery in Nature, then it would be, to put the Body
+into a Frame, that should keep it always in the same Posture. What can be
+said worse of Slothfulness now, when the very Vice is Equal to the most
+Exquisite of Torments? It is Odious to God and Man, Useless to the World,
+Irksom to it Self, Miserable in All Estates, and utterly Incapable either
+of Tasting, or Enjoying any thing of Comfort. The _Frog_ was used to the
+Place, she said, and rather then Stir to help her Self, there she lay
+till her Guts were Pash’d out.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXVI.
+
+A _Bee-Master_.
+
+
+There came a Thief into a _Bee-Garden_ in the Absence of the Master, and
+Robb’d the Hives. The _Owner_ discover’d it upon his Return, and stood
+Pausing a while to Bethink himself how This should come to pass. The
+_Bees_ in this _Interim_, came Laden home out of the Fields from Feeding,
+and Missing their Combs, they fell Powdering down in Swarms upon their
+_Master_. Well (says he) you are a Company of Senseless and Ungrateful
+Wretches, to let a Stranger go away Quietly that has Rifled ye, and to
+bend All your Spite against your Master, that is at this Instant Beating
+his Brains how he may Repair and Preserve ye.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis the Course of the World for People to take their Friends for their
+Foes, and to Use them accordingly._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Mistake of a Friend for an Enemy, or of an Enemy for a Friend, is
+one of the most Pernicious Errors of a Rash Man’s Life; for there’s
+Judgment, good Nature, Generosity, Justice, common Prudence, and All
+at Stake. Nothing can be more Disobliging to a Friend on the One hand,
+or more Ruinous to my self on the Other. Charity however bids me Hope
+and Think the Best, provided at the Same Time, that I Secure the main
+Chance. Now this Caution holds as well in _Politiques_, as in _Morals_;
+and in Publick Cases as well as in Private; for there is Nothing more
+Frequent, then for People to take their Oppressors for their Protectors,
+and their Protectors for their Oppressors: As the _Bees_ here Spar’d the
+_Thief_, and fell foul upon their _Keeper_. This is the very Humour of
+the _Mobile_, when they mistake the Man.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXVII.
+
+A _Kingfisher_.
+
+
+The _Kingfisher_ is a Solitary Bird, that Wonts commonly by the
+Water-side, and Nestles in Hollow Banks, to be out of reach of the
+Fowlers. One of These Birds happen’d to be forraging abroad for her Young
+Ones, and in This _Interim_, comes a Raging Torrent, that washes away
+Nest, Birds and all. Upon her Return, finding how ’twas with her, she
+brake out into This Exclamation: Unhappy Creature that I am! to fly from
+the bare Apprehension of One Enemy, into the Mouth of Another.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis many a wise Man’s hap, while he is Providing against One Danger,
+to fall into Another: And for his very Providence to turn to his
+Destruction._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Many People apprehend Danger Where there’s None, and fancy themselves
+to be Out of Danger where there’s most of All. As the Fellow gave God
+Thanks at Sea when the Ship struck upon a Sand, for bringing him into
+Shallow Water again, where he could feel the Bottom. This is to mind
+us, That there is No State of Life so Secure, as not to lie Open to a
+Thousand Difficulties and Dangers; and that it is not possible for the
+Wit of Man to Provide against All Contingencies. There’s No Fence against
+Inundations, Earth-quakes, Hurricans, Pestilential Vapours and the like;
+and therefore it is Our Part, and Duty, to Hope, and Endeavour the Best,
+and at the Same Time to provide for the Worst that can Befal Us. That
+which cannot be Helpt, must be Born.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXVIII.
+
+_Fishing_ in Troubled _Waters_.
+
+
+A _Fisher Man_ had Order’d his Net, for a Draught, and still as he was
+gathering it up, he Dash’d the Water, to Fright the Fish into the Bag.
+Some of the Neighbourhood that look’d on, told him he did ill to muddle
+the Water so, and Spoil their Drink. Well (says he) But I must either
+Spoil your Drink, or have Nothing to Eat my self.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s no Engaging the Mobile in a Sedition, till their Heads are so
+muddled first with Frights and Visions, That they can neither See, Hear,
+nor Understand._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Allegory is frequently Applied to those that make Advantage to
+Themselves by Embroyling the Publique; and _set their Country A-fire for
+the Roasting of their Own Eggs_. ’Tis the Only Trade that many People
+have to Live by, and the most Profitable Trade too, when the Occasion
+lies Fair for their Purpose. ’Tis with the Common People in this Case,
+just as ’tis with Fishes: Trouble the Waters, so that they cannot see
+their Way before them, and you Have ’em Sure in the Bag before they know
+where they are.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXIX.
+
+An _Ape_ and a _Dolphin_.
+
+
+People were us’d in the Days of Old, to carry Gamesome _Puppies_ and
+_Apes_ with ’em to Sea, to pass away the Time withal. Now there was One
+of these _Apes_, it seems, abord a Vessel that was cast away in a very
+great Storm. As the Men were Paddling for their Lives, and the _Ape_
+for Company, a Certain _Dolphin_ that took him for a Man, got him upon
+his Back, and was making towards Land with him. He had him into a Safe
+Road call’d the _Pyræus_, and took occasion to ask the _Ape_, whether he
+was an _Athenian_ or not? He told him Yes, and of a very Ancient Family
+there. Why then (says the _Dolphin_) You know _Pyræus_: Oh! exceedingly
+well says T’other, (taking it for the Name of a Man) Why _Pyræus_ is
+my very Particular Good Friend. The _Dolphin_, upon This, had such an
+Indignation for the Impudence of the _Buffon-Ape_, that he gave him the
+Slip from between his Legs, and there was an End of my very Good Friend,
+the _Athenian_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Bragging, Lying, and Pretending, has Cost many a Man his Life and
+Estate._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is the Humour of a great many _Travelling Men_, as well as
+_Travelling Apes_: Men that will be Talking of Places that they never
+Saw, and of Persons that they never Heard of. Their Whole Conversation
+is made up of Councels and Intrigues, Reasons of State, Embassies, and
+Negotiations, that they never were skill’d in at all. Neither Men, Books
+nor Sciences come Amiss to ’em: And after All This Extravagant Bustle,
+a Gay Coat and a Grimace is the Upshot of what they can Pretend to.
+These _Phantomes_ however are Sometimes taken for Men, and born up by
+the Wellmeaning Ignorant Common People, as the _Ape_ was here by the
+_Dolphin_; till in the Conclusion, their Sillyness lays them Open, Their
+Supporters give them the Slip, and down they Drop and Vanish. How many of
+these Empty Chattering Fops have we daily put upon us, for Men of Sense
+and Bus’ness; that with _Balzack’s Prime Minister_, shall spend ye Eight
+and Forty Hours together Poring over a Map, to look for _Aristocracy_ and
+_Democracy_, instead of _Croatia_ and _Dalmatia_, and take the Name of a
+Country for a Form of Government; Without any more ado, we have _Apes_ in
+History as well as in Fiction, and not a Rush matter whether they go on
+Four Legs, or on Two.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXX.
+
+_Mercury_ and a _Statuary_.
+
+
+Mercury had a Great Mind once to Learn what Credit he had in the World,
+and he knew no Better Way, then to Put on the Shape of a Man, and take
+Occasion to Discourse the Matter as by the By, with a _Statuary_: So
+away he went to the House of a Great Master, where, among Other Curious
+Figures, he saw several Excellent Pieces of the Gods. The first he
+Cheapen’d was a _Jupiter_, which would have come at a very Easie Rate.
+Well (says _Mercury_) and what’s the Price of that _Juno_ there? The
+_Carver_ set That a little Higher. The next Figure was a _Mercury_, with
+his Rod and his Wings, and all the Ensigns of his Commission. Why, This
+is as it should be, says he, to Himself: For here am I in the Quality
+of _Jupiter_’s Messenger, and the Patron of Artizans, with all my Trade
+about me: And now will this Fellow ask me Fifteen Times as much for This
+as he did for T’other: And so he put it to him, what he Valu’d that Piece
+at: Why truly, says the _Statuary_, you seem to be a Civil Gentleman,
+give me but my Price for the Other Two, and you shall e’en have That into
+the Bargain.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This is to put the Vanity of Those Men out of Countenance, that by
+Setting too High a Value upon Themselves, appear by so much the more
+Despicable to Others._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis an Old Saying, That _Listners never hear Well of Themselves_; and
+_Mercury_’s Curiosity Sped accordingly in this Fable. All Vain Men that
+Affect Popularity, are apt to Fancy, that Other People have the same
+Opinion of Them, that they have of themselves; but nothing goes Nearer
+the Heart of ’em then to meet with Contempt, instead of Applause, Esteem,
+and Reputation. They Muster up All their Commissions and Charters; as
+_Mercury_ Values himself here, upon the Relation he had to _Jupiter_;
+whose _Pimp_ he is, and That’s his Bus’ness. He gives to Understand also
+what a Friend the _Artizans_ had at Court, and All too Little, to gain
+him the Respect, but so much as of a Common Messenger.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXI.
+
+_Mercury_ and _Tiresias_.
+
+
+_Mercury_ had a Great Mind to try if _Tiresias_ was so Famous a _Diviner_
+as the World took him for, or not. So he went and Stole _Tiresias_’s
+Oxen; and Order’d the Matter, to be in the Company with _Tiresias_, as
+upon Bus’ness by the By, when the News should be brought him of the
+Loss of his Oxen. _Mercury_ went to _Tiresias_ in the Shape of a Man,
+and the Tidings came as _Mercury_ had Contriv’d it: Upon this, he took
+_Mercury_ up to a High Tower, Hard by, and bad him look Well about him,
+and tell him what Birds he saw. Why, says _Mercury_, I see an Eagle upon
+Wing there, that takes her Course from the Right-hand to the Left. That
+_Eagle_ (says _Tiresias_) is nothing to Our Purpose; wherefore Pray look
+again once. _Mercury_ stood Gazing a while, and then told _Tiresias_
+of a Crow he had discover’d upon a Tree, that was One while looking up
+into the Air, and Another while down towards the Ground: That’s enough;
+(says _Tiresias_) for this Motion of the Crow, is as much as to say, I do
+Appeal to Heaven, and to Earth, that the Man that is now with _Tiresias_,
+can help him to his Oxen again, if he pleases.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This Fable is of a General Application to All Bold and Crafty Thieves
+and Impostors. It serves also to set forth the Vanity of Wizzards,
+Fortune-Tellers, and the like._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Knaves Set up these Jugglers, and Fools Maintain them. There must be
+Forms however, Characters, and Hard Words, Crabbed Looks, and Canting
+Calculations, for the Colour of the Pretence; but People should have a
+Care yet, not to take a Confederacy for a Science.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXII.
+
+A _Hound_ and a _Mastiff_.
+
+
+There was a Man had _Two Dogs_; One for the _Chase_, T’other to look to
+the _House_; and whatever the _Hound_ took Abroad, the _House-Dog_ had
+his Part on’t at Home. T’other Grumbled at it, that when he took all the
+Pains, the _Mastiff_ should Reap the Fruit of his Labours. Well, says
+the _House-Dog_, That’s None of my Fault, but my Master’s, that has not
+Train’d me up to Work for my self, but to Eat what others have Provided
+for me.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Fathers and Masters have a Great deal to answer for, if their Children
+and Servants do not Do as they should do._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+More People are lost for want of good Education and Institution, then for
+want of Honest and Honourable Inclinations; and these are Miscarriages
+that Parents and Tutors are in a Great Measure to Answer for. We are
+here given to Understand, that there are Offices of Trust also, as well
+as Offices of Labour, and the one as Necessary to the Common Good as the
+Other. The Mastiff Maintains the Hound, as well as the Hound the Mastiff;
+and if the one did not keep the House from being Robb’d, the Other would
+have nothing to eat in’t at all. So that This Fable, upon the Whole
+Matter, will serve for a Political Reading to Princes and Governors, as
+well as to Masters of Private Families, upon the Reciprocal Use, Benefit,
+and Necessity of Industry and Protection betwixt Rulers and Subjects,
+for the Preservation of a _Common-wealth_: The One Supplies us with what
+we Want, and the Other Supports us in the Defence of what we Get, and
+neither would Signifie any thing to us without the Other.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXIII.
+
+An Unhappy _Match_.
+
+
+There was a Man, a Long time ago, that had got a _Shrew_ to his _Wife_,
+and there could be No Quiet in the House for her. The _Husband_ was
+Willing however to make the Best of a Bad Game, and so for Experiment
+Sake, he sent her away for a While to her Father’s. When he came a little
+after to take her Home again, Prithee Sweet-heart (says he) How go
+Matters in the House where thou hast been? Introth, says she, they go I
+know not How: But there’s None of the Family, you must know, can Endure
+Me: No, not so much as the very Hinds and Plough-men; I could Read it in
+the Faces of them. Ah Wife! says the Husband, If People that Rise Early
+and come Home Late, and are all Day out of your Sight, cannot be Quiet
+for ye, what a Case is your Poor Husband in, that must Spend his Whole
+Life in your Company.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_When Man and Wife cannot Agree, Prudence will Oblige the One, and
+Modesty the Other, to put all their Little Controversies into their
+Pockets, and make the Best of a Bad Game._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are more Ways to come to a Right Understanding of Things, then by
+Question and Answer. There are Certain Contentious Humors that are never
+to be Pleas’d, and he that Troubles his Head because he cannot Please
+them, is worse then a Mad-man. Nay, it falls out many times, that the
+very Desire and Endeavor to do it, makes it more Impossible, Especially
+where People are Imperious and Insulting, as well as Peevish. Now in
+the Case of this Fable, it may be a Question whether the _Wife_ or the
+_Woman_ was the more Freakish of the Two: For she was still the same
+Uneasie Fop where-ever she was; but the Poor Man however had enough on’t,
+in Both Capacities; That is to say, as a Common Incumbrance, and as a
+Particular Clog.
+
+The Moral is a Piece of Good Councel to All Men that Labour under that
+Unhappy Circumstance. First, in Prudence, to Try what Help for’t; and
+then in Case of the Last Necessity, to come to some Peremptory Resolution
+to Deliver Themselves.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXIV.
+
+A _Wolfe_ and a _Kid_.
+
+
+A _Wolfe_ spy’d out a Straggling _Kid_, and pursu’d him. The _Kid_ found
+that the _Wolfe_ was too Nimble for him, and so turn’d and told him: I
+perceive I am to be Eaten, and I would gladly Die as Pleasantly as I
+could: Wherefore, Pray give me but One Touch of your Pipe before I go to
+Pot. The _Wolfe_ Play’d and the _Kid_ Danc’d, and the Noise of the _Pipe_
+brought the _Dogs_ in upon him. Well (says the _Wolfe_) This ’tis when
+People will be Meddling out of their Profession. My Bus’ness was the Play
+the _Butcher_, not the _Piper_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_When a Crafty Knave is Infatuated, any Silly Wretch may put Tricks upon
+him._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Let Every Man stick to his Own Part, without Taking Another Man’s Trade
+out of his Hand. This is the Old Moral, but we may Read upon’t Another
+way too. ’Tis a very Unequal Encounter, when Malice, Craft, and Power
+are United against the Weak, and the Innocent: Saving where Providence
+Interposes to the Relief of the One, and to the Infatuation of the
+Other: As the _Wolfe_ here, that had a _Plot_ upon the _Kid_, was
+Confounded by a _Counter-Plot_ of the _Kid_’s upon the _Wolfe_: And such
+a _Counter-Plot_ it was too, as the _Wolfe_ with All his Sagacity, was
+not able to Smell out. Wherefore let no Man Presume too much upon his Own
+Strength, either of Body or of Mind; but Consider within himself, that
+Heaven takes Part with the Oppressed; and that Tyrants Themselves are
+upon their Behavior to a Superior Power.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXV.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Crab_.
+
+
+A Fox that was sharp-set, Surpriz’d a _Crab_, as he lay out of the Sea
+upon the Sands, and Carry’d him away. The _Crab_, when he found that he
+was to be Eaten, Well (says he) This comes of Meddling where we have
+Nothing to do; for My Bus’ness lay at Sea, not upon the Land.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_No Body Pities a Man for any Misfortune that Befals him, in Matters out
+of his Way, Bus’ness, or Calling._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Every Man has his Post Assign’d him, and in That Station he is Well, if
+he can but Think himself so; and He that cannot keep himself Well, when
+he is Well, may Thank Himself: But Men of Curiosity and Levity can never
+be at Rest; for let their Present State be what it will, it never Pleases
+them. They have a Sickly Uneasiness upon them, which Way soever they lye,
+or in what Condition soever they are; no Place, no Posture, no State,
+either of Life or of Fortune agrees with ’em, but they run on, Shifting,
+and Changing, from One Error, and from One Qualm, to Another; Hankering
+after Novelties, and Trying New Experiments. We are Naturally given to be
+Peeping into Forbidden Secrets, and Groping in the Dark after we know not
+what. We never think of the Main Bus’ness of Life, till a Vain Repentance
+minds us of it at the Wrong End on’t, and then, with the _Crab_ in the
+Fable, we find that we have been Doing of One thing All this while, when
+we should have been Doing Another; and Abandoned the Station that God and
+Nature Allotted us, to our Irreparable Ruine.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXVI.
+
+A _Musician_.
+
+
+A Man that had a very Course Voice, but an Excellent _Musique-Room_,
+would be still Practising in that Chamber, for the Advantage of the
+_Eccho_. He took such a Conceit upon’t, that he must needs be shewing his
+Parts upon a Publick Theatre, where he Perform’d so very Ill, that the
+Auditory Hiss’d him off the Stage, and threw Stones at him.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Man may Like himself very Well in his Own Glass, and yet the World not
+Fall in Love with him in Publick. But the Truth on’t is, We are Partial
+in our own Case, and there’s no Reading of Our Selves but with Other Mens
+Eyes._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s a Great Difference betwixt an Orator in the Schools, and a Man of
+Bus’ness upon a Stage of Action. Many a Man that Passes for a Philosopher
+in Private, behaves himself most Ridiculously in Publick; as what’s more
+Uncouth (with Respect be it spoken) then a Pedant out of his Element?
+There are Flattering Chambers, as well as Flattering Glasses, and the One
+Helps out a Bad Voice, as the Other Countenances an ill-Favour’d Face;
+That is to say, the One Drowns the Harshness of the Pipe, as the Other
+Covers, or Disguises the Coursness of the Complexion. But Men must not
+think to Walk upon These Stilts, if they come to set up in Publick once;
+The One, for an _Italian Capon_, the Other, for an _English Beauty_:
+Wherefore it will become All People to Weigh and Measure Themselves,
+before they Venture upon any Undertaking that may bring their Lives,
+Honour, or Fortune in Question. Some _Songsters_ can no more Sing in any
+Chamber but their Own; then some _Clarks_ can Read in any Book but their
+Own; Put them out of their Road once, and they are Meer _Cat-Pipes_ and
+_Dunces_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXVII.
+
+_Thieves_ that Stole a _Cock_.
+
+
+A Band of _Thieves_ Brake into a House once, and found Nothing in’t to
+Carry away, but One Poor _Cock_. The _Cock_ said as much for Himself as a
+_Cock_ could say; but Insisted Chiefly upon the Services of his Calling
+People up to their Work, when ’twas time to Rise. Sirrah (says one of the
+_Thieves_) You had better have let That Argument Alone; for Your Waking
+the Family Spoils our Trade, and We are to be Hang’d forsooth for your
+Bawling.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_That which is One Body’s Meat, is Another Body’s Poyson; as the Trussing
+up of Thieves is the Security of Honest Men. One Foolish Word is enough
+to Spoil a Good Cause, and ’tis many a Man’s Fortune to Cut his Own
+Throat with his Own Argument._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Hard Matter for a Man that Argues against the Truth, and the
+Reason of a Thing, to Consist with Himself, for having no Rule to
+Walk by, ’tis Forty to One but Some time or Other he will lose his
+Way: Especially when he is to Accommodate his Story to the Various
+Circumstances of Times, Persons, and Occasions. But it is One Thing to
+forget Matter of Fact, and Another Thing to blunder upon the Reason of
+it. It is however, well Worthy of a Sober Man’s Care, not to let anything
+fall that may be turn’d upon him out of his Own Mouth. This Presence
+of Mind, ’tis true, is not Every Bodies Talent; neither does this
+Consideration Enter into Every Bodies Thought; but it were better if it
+Were so, and so it Ought to be.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXVIII.
+
+A _Crow_ and a _Raven_.
+
+
+Your _Raven_ has a Reputation in the World for a Bird of _Omen_, and a
+kind of small _Prophet_. A _Crow_ that had Observ’d the _Raven_’s Manner
+and Way of Delivering his Predictions, sets up for a _Foreboder_ too;
+and so gets upon a Tree, and there stands Nodding and Croaking, just
+over the Head of some People that were Passing by. They were a little
+Surpriz’d at first; but so soon as they saw how ’twas, Come, my Masters
+(says One of the Company) let’s e’en go forward, for this is but the
+Chattering of a Foolish _Crow_, and it signifies Nothing.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_How are Superstitious Men Hagg’d out of their Wits and Senses, with the
+Fancy of Omens, Forebodings, Old Wives Tales and Visions; and upon a
+Final Examination of the Matter, Nothing at all in the Bottom on’t!_
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Affectation of Powers and Faculties, that are Above us, is not only
+Vain and Unprofitable, but Ridiculous; for the Matter, upon Examination,
+will not abide the Test. _Your Empyricks_, _Piss-Pot Prophets_,
+_Fortune-Tellers_, and _Buffon-Pretenders_ to _State_ and _Government_,
+Fall under the Lash of this Moral. And so do All your little Smatterers
+in Arts and Sciences of what Kind, or Quality soever: But there goes
+more to the Making of a Prophet, then _Nodding_ or _Croaking_. ’Tis not
+the _Gown_ and the _Cap_ that makes the _Doctor_; Neither is it the
+Supercilious Gravity of Countenances and Forms that presently Dubbs any
+Man a Philosopher. Not but that a Fool may Put himself in the Garb,
+and so far imitate the Meen, and Motions of a Wise Man, as at first
+Blush to Put a Body to a Stand what to Make of him: But upon further
+Consideration, the Original is as Easily known from the Copy, as the Ass
+in his _borrow’d Skin_ was from the _Lyon_: Or I might have said, as the
+_Crow_ here from the _Raven_: Their Ears and their Tongues Betray them.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXIX.
+
+A _Crow_ and a _Dog_.
+
+
+A _Crow_ Invited a _Dog_ to Joyn in a Sacrifice to _Minerva_. That will
+be to no Purpose (says the _Dog_) for the Goddess has such an Aversion to
+ye, that you are Particularly Excluded out of all Auguries. Ay, says the
+_Crow_, but I’ll Sacrifice the rather to her for That, to try if I can
+make her my Friend.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We find it in the Practice of the World, that Men take up Religion more
+for Fear, Reputation, and Interest, then for True Affection._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Pagan Fable will bear a Christian Moral, for more People Worship
+for Fear, and for Interest, then for Love and Devotion. As the _Indians_
+do the _Devils_, That they may not Hurt ’em. It teaches us farther, that
+we are not to take Pet, or Despond, under any Cross or Calamity that the
+Almighty is pleas’d to lay upon us. The Judgments of Heaven are Just,
+let them fall never so Heavy, they are yet less then we deserve. The
+Devil Himself, when he was let loose upon _Job_, could not Transport
+That Patient, Good Man beyond his Temper, or make him Quit his Hold.
+Resignation and Perseverance are All that a Man has to Trust to in This
+Extremity. There’s no Good to be done by Struggling, nor any way left
+us to make our Peace with, but to try by Faith, Prayer, and a New Life,
+if we can make our Offended Master Once again our Friend. So that upon
+the Upshot, Afflictions are but the Methods of a Merciful Providence, to
+Force us upon the only Means of setting Matters Right, betwixt Divine
+Justice and Humane Frailty.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXX.
+
+A _Raven_ and a _Snake_.
+
+
+As a _Snake_ lay Lazing at his Length, in the Gleam of the Sun, a _Raven_
+Took him up, and Flew away with him. The _Snake_ kept a Twisting and a
+Turning, till he Bit the _Raven_, and made him Curse himself for being
+such a Fool, as to Meddle with a Purchase that cost him his Life.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Nature has made All the Necessaries of Life, Safe and Easie to us, but
+if we will be Hankering after Things that we neither Want nor Understand,
+we must take our Fortune, even if Death it Self should happen to be in
+the Case._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+If Men would but Ballance the Good and the Evil of Things, the Profit and
+the Loss, they would not Venture Soul, Body, and Reputation, for a Little
+Dirty Interest. ’Tis much the same Thing betwixt Us, and our Sensual
+Acquisitions, that it is betwixt the _Raven_ and the _Snake_ here. Men of
+Eager Appetites Chop at what comes next, and the Purchase seldom fails of
+a Sting in the Tayl on’t. Nor is it to be Expected, that Passion without
+Reason should Succeed better. Our Senses are Sharp-set upon All Fleshly
+Pleasures, and if they be but fair to the Eye, Relishing to the Palate,
+Harmonious to the Ear, Gentle to the Touch, and Fragrant to the Smell,
+’tis all we Look for, and all we Care for. ’Tis true, all this while,
+that our very Nature Requires a Dose of These Enjoyments; nay, and that
+Providence it self does not only Allow, but Prescribe it; for the Common
+Comfort and Benefit of Humane Society, and of Mankind; for Life would
+be no longer Life without it. But the Crime and the Danger lies in the
+Excess, and in the Immoderate Love and Use of them. Was not the Apple in
+_Paradise_ Fair to the Eye, and Grateful to the Tast, and yet there was
+Death in’t? What were the Poets _Sirens_, but Figures of our _Seducers_,
+that Charm us by the Ear, and Tempt us to _leap Over-board_? That is to
+say, by Debauching us into False Doctrines and Opinions, which do but
+Answer, on the One side, the Moral of the _Songs_ on the Other. And so
+for the Touch, and the Smell, the Former, ’tis true, has made more Havock
+in the World, but yet a Man may be Poyson’d with a Perfume, as well as
+with a Nauseous Potion. To Conclude, we have _Snakes_ in our _Beds_, in
+our _Cups_, in our _Dishes_, and whoever dips too deep, will find _Death
+in the Pot_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXXI.
+
+A _Daw_ and _Pigeons_.
+
+
+A _Daw_ took Particular Notice of the _Pigeons_ in such a Certain
+_Dove-House_, that they were very Well Fed, and Provided for: So he Went
+and Painted himself of a _Dove-Colour_, and took his Commons with the
+_Pigeons_. So long as he kept his Own Counsel, he Pass’d for a Bird of
+the Same Feather; but it was his Hap once at Unawares, to Cry [KAW,] upon
+which Discovery, they Beat him out of the House, and when he came to his
+Old Companions again, They’d have None of him neither; so that he Lost
+himself Both Ways by This Disguise.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that Trims betwixt Two Interests, loses himself with Both, when he
+comes to be Detected, for being True to Neither._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to Caution us against All Superfluous and Dangerous Desires.
+Our Own Lot is Best, and by Aiming at what we have Not, and what is
+Impossible to be had, we lose what we have already. No Man goes out of
+Himself but to his Loss. Imitation is Servile, let it be Where, How, and
+What it will. Nature Points out to us which way Every Man’s Talent, and
+Genius lies; and He that keeps to his Own Province, or Biass, speeds
+Best. The Painting of the _Daw_ like a _Pigeon_, did not make him One,
+neither can any Man do himself Right in Another Bodies Shape: Besides,
+that when he is once out, ’tis Hard to find his Way Home again. The
+Hypocrite is never so far from being a Good Christian, as when he looks
+Likest One. ’Tis much a Case with a Faction in a Government, and a _Daw_
+in a _Pigeon-House_. There’s a Fraud driven on, and they Assimilate
+themselves, as much as may be, to the Interest they Propose to be the
+Better for. They put on all Appearances in Matter of Opinion, Practice,
+and Pretence, Suitable to the Humour they are to Joyn withal: But still
+Some Unlucky Accident or Other happens to Discover them in the End; and
+then, when they would go off again, the People of their Own Plume and
+Colour Beat ’em away, and Refuse to Entertain them. This is no more then
+what we find to be True in All Turns of State. Double-Dealers may Pass
+Muster for a While, but All Parties Wash their Hands of them in the
+Conclusion.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXXII.
+
+A _Daw_ with a _String_ at’s _Foot_.
+
+
+A Country Fellow took a _Daw_, and ty’d a String to his Leg, and so gave
+him to a Little Boy to Play withal. The _Daw_ did not much like his
+Companion, and upon the First Opportunity gave him the Slip, and away
+into the Woods again where he was Shackled and Starv’d. When he came
+to Die, he Reflected upon the Folly of Exposing his Life in the Woods,
+rather then Live in an Easie Servitude among Men.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis Fancy, not the Reason of Things, that makes Life so Uneasie to us
+as we Find it. ’Tis not the Place, nor the Condition; but the Mind Alone
+that can make any Body Miserable or Happy._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Men that are Impatient under Imaginary Afflictions, change commonly
+for Worse, as the _Daw_ did here in the Fable, that Threw himself into
+a Starving Necessity, rather then he would Submit to the Tolerable
+Inconvenience of an Easie Restraint. This was a _Republican Daw_, that
+_Kaw’d_ for Liberty, not Understanding that he that Lives under the
+Bondage of Laws, is in a State of Freedom: And that Popular Liberty, when
+it passes Those Bounds, is the most Scandalous Sort of Slavery. Nothing
+would serve him, but he must be at his Own Disposal, and so away he goes,
+carries his String along with him, and Shackles Himself. This is just the
+Humour and the Fate of Froward Subjects. They Fancy themselves Uneasie
+under the Errors of a Male Administration of Government, when their
+Quarrel strikes, in truth, at the very Root and Conditions of Government
+it self. It is as Impossible for a Government to be without Faults, as
+for a Man to be so. But Faults or No Faults, it comes yet much to a Case;
+for where they cannot Find ’em, they can Create them; And there goes no
+more to’t neither, then the Calling of Necessary Justice by the Name of
+Oppression. And what’s the End on’t, more then this now? _They Run away
+from their Masters into the Woods, and there, with_ Æsop_’s Daw, they
+either Starve, or Hang Themselves_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXXIII.
+
+_Jupiter_ and _Fraud_.
+
+
+_Jupiter_ appointed _Mercury_ to make him a Composition of Fraud and
+Hypocrisie, and to give every Artificer his Dose on’t. The Medicine
+was Prepar’d according to the Bill, and the Proportions duly Observ’d,
+and Divided: Only there was a great deal too Much of it made, and the
+Overplus remain’d still in the Mortar. Upon Examining the Whole Account,
+there was a Mistake it seems, in the Reck’ning; for the _Taylors_ were
+forgott’n in the Catalogue: So that _Mercury_, for Brevity sake, gave the
+_Taylors_ the Whole Quantity that was Left; and from hence comes the Old
+Saying; _There’s Knavery in All Trades, but Most in Taylors_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_It is in some sort Natural to be a Knave. We are made so, in the very
+Composition of our Flesh and Blood; Only Fraud is call’d Wit in one Case,
+Good Husbandry in Another_, &c. _while ’tis the Whole Bus’ness of the
+World for One Man to Couzen Another_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Lying and Couzening is a General Practice in the World, tho’ it appears
+in some Men, and in some Trades, more then in other. _Æsop_ is still
+Introducing some or other of the Gods, to Countenance the Corruptions
+of Flesh and Blood: And since Custom and Interest will have it so, that
+all Tradesmen must use Fraud, more or less, even in their own Defence,
+the Practice being in some sort so Necessary, ’tis not amiss to bring
+in _Jupiter_ to justifie it. But why is this False and Double Dealing
+apply’d to Tradesmen only, when it is Common to Mankind? And why among
+them, to _Taylors_ above the Rest? when all the Bus’ness that passes in
+this World betwixt Man and Man is Manag’d by Collusion and Deceit, in as
+High a Measure: So that the Composition might have been as well Prepar’d
+for Human Nature. Are we not False, in Our Pretended Civilities, Formal
+Complements, and Respects; in our Confidences, and in our Professions?
+Are we not False, in Promising, and Breaking? Is not He that Robs me
+of my Good Name, a more Abominable Cheat, then he that Couzens me of a
+Yard of Damask? Is not He that Betrays me in his Arms, a more Detestable
+Wretch then He that Contents Himself in the Way of his Trade, to Pick my
+Pocket? Without any more Words, we are All Jugglers in some Kind, or in
+some Degree or Other. But there’s this to be said for’t yet, that we Play
+Foul by Consent. We Couzen in our Words, and in our Actions; only we are
+Agreed upon’t, that such and such Forms of Civility, like some Adulterate
+Coins, shall pass Current for so much. A Fashionable Imposture, or
+Hypocrisie, shall be call’d Good Manners, and so we make a shift in some
+sort to Legitimate the Abuse. In _Jupiter_’s appointing these Frauds, we
+read the Power of Humane Frailty that Disposes us to Entertain them: For
+we are False enough by Nature without any need of Prescription.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXXIV.
+
+_Jupiter_ and _Modesty_.
+
+
+Man was made in such a Hurry (according to the Fable) that _Jupiter_
+had forgotten to put _Modesty_ into the Composition, among his other
+Affections; and finding that there was no Way of Introducing it
+afterwards, Man by Man, he Proposed the turning of it Loose among the
+Multitude: _Modesty_ took her self at first to be a Little hardly Dealt
+withal, but in the End, came over to Agree to’t, upon Condition that
+_Carnal Love_ might not be suffer’d to come into the same Company; for
+where-ever that comes, says she, I’m Gone.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Sensual Love knows neither Bars nor Bounds. We are all Naturally
+Impudent; only by Custom, and Fig leaves, we have been taught to Disguise
+the Matter, and Look Demurely; and that’s it which we call Modesty._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Extravagant Heats and Transports of Lovers, and Voluptuaries, take
+away all Shame. This Fable Hints to us the Wild Extravagances of an
+Unbridled Appetite, and that till that Devil be laid, there can be no
+Thought of Lodging _Carnal Love_ and _Modesty_ under the same Roof.
+_Jupiter_’s forgetting _Modesty_ in the Composition of Man, Intimates the
+Difficulty of Admitting it, till Flesh and Blood has done the Friendly
+Office towards the Peopling of the World; for there’s hardly any Place
+for Councel, till these Heats are in some Measure taken off; and it is no
+Wonder, that when Love comes to be without Reason, it should be without
+_Modesty_ too; for when ’tis once past _Government_, it is consequently
+past _Shame_. When Our Corruptions, in fine, are Strong, and our
+Understandings Weak, we are apter to Hearken to the Motions of the Blood,
+and to the Vain Imaginations of a Deprav’d Affection, then to the Dry
+Doctrines and Preceps of Authority and Virtue.
+
+This Difficulty of keeping Young and Hot Blood in Order, does mightily
+Enforce the Necessity of an Early Care for the Training up of Children,
+and giving them a Tincture, before it be too Late, of those Doctrines
+and Principles, by which they are afterward to Govern the Whole Frame
+of their Lives. For in their Tender Years they are more Susceptible of
+Profitable and Vertuous Impressions, then afterward, when they come to
+be Sollicited by the Impulse of Common, and Vulgar Inclinations. They
+should in Truth, be kept out of Distance, of either Seeing or Hearing
+Ill Examples: Especially in an Age that is Govern’d more by President
+then by Reason.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXXV.
+
+_Jupiter_’s _Wedding_.
+
+
+When the Toy had once taken _Jupiter_ in the Head to Enter into a State
+of Matrimony, he Resolv’d for the Honour of his Celestial Lady, that
+the whole World should keep a _Festival_ upon the Day of his Marriage,
+and so Invited all Living Creatures, _Tag, Rag, and Bob-Tail_, to the
+Solemnity of his Wedding. They all came in very Good Time, saving only
+the _Tortoise_. _Jupiter_ told him ’twas Ill done to make the Company
+Stay, and Ask’d him, Why so Late? Why truly says the _Tortoise_, I was
+at Home, at my Own House, my Dearly Beloved House, and [_Home is Home,
+let it be never so Homely_.] _Jupiter_ took it very Ill at his Hands,
+that he should think himself Better in a Ditch, then in a Palace, and so
+he pass’d this Judgment upon him; That since he would not be perswaded
+to come out of his House upon that Occasion, he should never Stir abroad
+again from that Day forward, without his House upon his Head.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s a Retreat of Sloth and Affectation, as well as of Choice and
+Virtue; and a Beggar may be as Proud, and as Happy too in a Cottage, as a
+Prince in a Palace._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We are to Learn from hence (says the _Old Moral_) that there’s no
+Trifling, Dallying, or Delaying with Men in Power: And that Contentment
+in a Mean Condition at Home, is beyond all the Luxurious Treats in the
+World, Abroad, with Pomp, and Envy. The Danger of Trifling with Great Men
+does not come up methinks, to the Full Force, and Intent of this Fable,
+which seems rather to set forth the Mistakes of Impotent Greatness,
+in Mis-judging the Test and Standard of Humane Happiness. What’s a
+Voluptuous Dinner, and the Frothy Vanity of Discourse that commonly
+attends these Pompous Entertainments? What is it but a Mortification,
+to a Man of Sense and Virtue, to spend his time among People that take
+Good for Evil, and Punish where they should Reward, and Reward where
+they should Punish? The _Tortoise_ was Forbidden the Court; That is to
+say, he was Banished from the sight of Vain, Wicked, and Unprofitable
+Examples. _Jupiter_ gave the _Tortoise_ the Honour of an Invitation,
+but that Honour was yet to the Poor _Tortoise_’s Loss; for He that’s
+Transported out of his Nature, and out of his Element, let the Change be
+what it will, is a Loser by the Bargain. A Plain, and a Homely Home, with
+Competency and Content, is beyond all the Palaces under the Heavens;
+The Pomp, the Plenty, and the Pleasures of them over and above. To
+say nothing of the Surfeits that are gotten by Excesses of Eating and
+Drinking; The Restless Nights, Factious Emulations, Fewds, and Disgusts
+that attend them: Besides the Slavery of being Ty’d up to other Peoples
+Hours, Meals, and Fashions. He that has no Ambition, is Happy in a Cell,
+or in a Cottage; whereas the Ambitious Man is Miserable, even upon a
+Throne. He that thinks he has not Enough, Wants, and He that Wants is a
+Beggar.
+
+The _Tortoise_ came Late, for he came Unwillingly, which is the Case of
+many a Worthy Man that Sacrifices his Peace to Formalities of Complement,
+and Good Manners. _Jupiter_ took Snuff at the Contempt, and Punish’d
+him for’t. And what was the Punishment? He sent him Home again. That is
+to say, He Remanded him to his Lot, and to his Choice. Such, in Short,
+is the Felicity of a Moderate, and a Steady Mind, that all Comforts are
+Wrapt up in’t; for Providence turns the very Punishment of a Good Man,
+into an Equivalence to a Reward, by Improving that to his Advantage,
+which was intended for his Ruin; and making the _Tortoise_’s Banishment a
+Blessing to him.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXXVI.
+
+A _Wolfe_ and a _Sheep_.
+
+
+A _Wolfe_ that lay Licking of his Wounds, and Extreamly Faint and Ill,
+upon the Biting of a Dog, call’d out to a _Sheep_ that was passing
+by, Hark ye Friend (says he) if thou wouldst but Help me to a Soup of
+Water out of that same Brook there, I could make a Shift to get my self
+somewhat to Eat. Yes, says the _Sheep_, I make no Doubt on’t; but when I
+bring ye Drink, my Carcass shall serve ye for Meat to’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_It is a Charitable and a Christian Office to Relieve the Poor and the
+Distressed; but this Duty does not Extend to Sturdy Beggars, that while
+they are Receiving Alms with One Hand, are ready to Beat out a Man’s
+Brains with the Other._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+That _Sheep_ has a Blessed Time on’t that runs on a _Wolfe_’s Errand: But
+_Æsop_’s _Sheep_ have more Wit, I perceive, then many of our Domestique
+Innocence. ’Tis a Court-Master-Piece, to draw Chesnuts out of the Fire
+with other Peoples Fingers; and to Complement a Man into a Post of
+Honour, a-purpose to have him Knock’d o’th Head in’t: Now the _Sheep_’s
+Case in the Fable, is but an Every-days Case in the World; when People
+are divided betwixt Charity and Discretion, how far to go, and where to
+stop. In Offices of This Doubtful Quality, We have only This General Rule
+to Walk by, that when we have to do with Known _Wolves_, we Know likewise
+that they are not to be Confided in. But this _Wolfe_ (I must Confess)
+with a _Lambskin_ over his Shoulders, might have past Muster for _a
+Gospeller in Sheeps Cloathing_; which would have made it a more Dangerous
+Imposture. We are to Gather from hence, that there’s no Trusting to the
+Fair Words and Appearances of a False and a Malicious Enemy; for their
+very Kindnesses are no better then Snares. _Treachery_ is a kind of a
+_Lay Hypocrisie_, and they are Equally Odious both to God and Man: Over
+and above the Corrupting of our Manners, the Hardening of our Hearts; the
+Dissolving of all the Bonds of Faith, Confidence, and Society, and the
+Extinguishing of Good Nature it self; And all This in our own Defence too.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXXVII.
+
+_Hares_, _Foxes_, and _Eagles_.
+
+
+There goes an Old Story of a Bloudy War betwixt the _Hares_, and the
+_Eagles_; and the _Hares_ would fain have drawn the _Foxes_ into their
+Alliance; but very Frankly and Civilly they gave them this Answer, That
+they would serve them with all their Hearts, if they did not Perfectly
+Understand both the _Hares_ themselves, and the _Enemy_ they were to Cope
+withal.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s no Ent’ring into any League, without well Examining the Faith,
+and Strength of the Parties to’t._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Folly, to the Highest Degree, for Men to run the Risque of their
+Lives and Fortunes, by Entering into Leagues with the Weak, against an
+Adversary that is Manifestly too Strong for them Both. ’Tis Hazardous to
+Contract Unequal Friendships and Alliances, and there’s an Inequality of
+Disposition and Humour, as well as of Power. The False are as Dangerous
+as the Fearful: Only with this Difference, that the One will do a Man
+Hurt, and the Other can do him no Good. The End of Leagues is Common
+Assistance and Defence; And he that joyns Interest with those that cannot
+Help him, stands as single as he did before; which destroys the End of a
+Common Union; for where there’s no Hope of a Reciprocal Aid, there can be
+no Reason for a Mutual Obligation: And it is the same Thing in Bus’ness,
+Councel, and Commerce, that it is in Arms and Force. The Case of the
+_Hares_ and _Foxes_ in a Confederacy against the _Eagles_, is a Common
+Case betwixt Kingdoms and Common-wealths.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXXVIII.
+
+An _Ant_ formerly a _Man_.
+
+
+The _Ant_, or _Pismire_, was formerly a _Husband-man_, that secretly
+Filched away his Neighbour’s Goods and Corn, and stor’d all up in his Own
+Barn. He drew a General Curse upon his Head for’t, and _Jupiter_, as a
+Punishment, and for the Credit of Mankind, turn’d him into a _Pismire_;
+but this Change of Shape wrought no Alteration, either of Mind, or of
+Manners; for he keeps the same Humour and Nature to This very Day.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_That which Some call Good Husbandry, Industry and Providence, Others
+call Raking, Avarice, and Oppression: So that the Vertue and the Vice, in
+Many Cases, are hardly Distinguishable but by the Name._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+When Vicious Inclinations are brought once, by Custom, and Practice,
+to be Habitual, the Evil is Desperate, for Nature will be still True
+to her self, though all Forms and Disguises. And _Custom_ is a _Second
+Nature_. By the Poetical Fictions of Men turn’d into the Shape of Beasts,
+and Insects, we are given to Understand that they do effectually Make
+themselves so, when they Degenerate from the Dignity of their Kind: So
+that the _Metamorphosis_ is in their Manners, not in their Figure. When
+a Reasonable Soul descends to keep Company in the Dirt with _Ants_, and
+_Beetles_, and to Abandon the Whole Man to the Sensuality of Brutal
+Satisfactions he forfeits his Peerage, and the very Privilege of his
+Character and Creation; for he’s no longer a _Man_, that gives himself
+wholly up to the Works of a _Beast_. Only one Word more now, upon the
+Judgment that Befel the _Husband man_, which bids us have a Care of
+Avarice, Rapine and Oppression; for the Curse of Heaven Attends them.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CLXXXIX.
+
+_Travellers_ by the _Sea side_.
+
+
+A Company of People that were walking upon the Shore, saw somewhat come
+Hulling toward them a great Way off at Sea. They took it at first for a
+Ship, and as it came Nearer, for a Boat only; but it prov’d at last to
+be no more then a Float of Weeds and Rushes: Whereupon they made this
+Reflexion within Themselves, _We have been Waiting here for a Mighty
+Bus’ness, that comes at last to just Nothing_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We Fancy things to be Greater or Less at a Distance, according to Our
+Interest or Inclination to have them either the One or the Other._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Doctrine of this Fable is held forth to us in a Thousand Cases of
+Curiosity, Novelty, _&c._ We make a Wonderful Matter of Things at a
+Distance, that Signifie Little or Nothing at all, nearer hand. And we are
+as much Impos’d upon in the Prospect of our Hopes and Fears: The Dangers,
+and the Blessings that we either Dread, or Propose to our selves, look
+a great Deal Bigger a far off, then in Effect they are. And what’s the
+Mystery of All this now, but that we judge of Things by False Images and
+Appearances, without Entering into the True State and Reason of them? So
+that at this Rate, we divide our Lives, betwixt Flattering Illusions, and
+Restless Apprehensions: Never at Ease, either on the One side, or on the
+Other. The Mischief is, that we are Over-solicitous about Matters that
+are out of our Power, and Star-gazing after Futurities; when in truth,
+our Bus’ness lies just under our Noses; That is to say, in the Attending,
+and Emproving of Present Opportunities. In few Words, a Wise Man Counts
+his very Minutes: He lets no Time slip him; for Time is Life: which he
+makes Long, by the Good Husbandry of a Right Use and Application of it,
+from One Moment to Another. This is not yet to Exclude the Providence of
+Tracing Premisses into Consequences, or Causes into their Effects; but to
+Caution us not to look at the Wrong End of the Glass; and so Invert the
+Prospect. We see Things at hand, as they really are, but at a Distance,
+only as they seem to be: Patience and Consideration will set us Right in
+our Judgments and in our Measures. It is much thereabouts with the Common
+People too, in the Matter of Remote Grievances. They Represent, and Fancy
+to Themselves, Hell, Slavery and Damnation at a Distance, in many a Case,
+which at hand signifies not so much as a Flea biting.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXC.
+
+A _Wild Ass_ and a _Tame_.
+
+
+As a _Tame Ass_ was Airing himself in a Pleasant Meadow, with a Coat
+and Carcass in very Good Plight, up comes a _Wild_ one to him from the
+next Wood, with this short Greeting. _Brother_ (says he) _I Envy your
+Happiness_; and so he left him. It was his Hap some short time after this
+Encounter, to see his _Tame Brother_, Groaning under an Unmerciful Pack,
+and a Fellow at his Heels Goading him forward. He rounds him in the Ear
+upon’t, and Whispers him, _My Friend_ (says he) _your Condition is not I
+Perceive, what I took it to be, for a Body may buy Gold too Dear: And I
+am not for Purchasing Good Looks and Provender at this Rate_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Betwixt Envy and Ingratitude, we make Our Selves twice Miserable; out of
+an Opinion, First, that our Neighbour has too Much; and Secondly, that We
+our Selves have too Little._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to Caution us against running the Risque of Disappointments; that
+are greater then the Present Inconveniences; and where the Misery, and
+Hazzard, does more then Countervail the Benefit.
+
+In the Fable of _the Horse and the Ass_ (_Num. 38_,) The _Ass_ finds
+himself Mistaken in his Opinion, both of the Foundation of Happiness,
+and of the Stability of it. His Mistake in This, looks another way; for
+he took his Brother to be Happy when he was not so; Even according to
+his own Standard: But we are too apt to think other People more Happy,
+and our selves Less, then in Truth, They, or We are: Which favours of a
+Malevolence on the One hand, and an Ingratitude on the Other. Nay, it
+falls out many times, that the Envious Persons are rather to be Envy’d
+of the Two. What had the _Wild Ass_ here to Complain of, or the _Tame_
+One to be Envy’d for? The Former was but in the Plight that _Wild Asses_
+usually are; and in truth ought to be. When they are in the Woods they
+are at Home, and a Forrest Life, to them, is but according to Nature.
+As to the State and Rudeness of his Body, ’tis but Answerable to the
+Condition of his Lot. The _Tame Ass_, ’tis true, was Better Fed, but then
+he was Harder Wrought, and in the Carrying of Packs, he did but serve
+Mankind in the Trade that Providence has Assign’d him; for he was made
+for Burdens. ’Tis a Fine Thing to be Fat and Smooth; but ’tis a Finer
+Thing to Live at Liberty and Ease.
+
+To speak Properly, and to Point, there is no such Thing as Happiness or
+Misery in this World (commonly so Reputed) but by Comparison; Neither
+is there any Man so Miserable, as not to be Happy, or so Happy, as not
+to be Miserable, in some Respect or Other: Only we are apt to Envy our
+Neighbours the Possession of Those Advantages that we Want, without ever
+giving Thanks for the Blessings that They Want, and We our selves Enjoy.
+Now This Mixture in the Distributions of Providence, duly Considered,
+serves to make us Easy, as well as Necessary One to Another; and so to
+Unite us in a Consistence both of Friendship, and of Civil Convenience:
+For it is no less Requisite to maintain a Truck in the Matter of
+Moral Offices, and Natural Faculties, then in the Common Bus’ness of
+Negotiation, and Commerce; and Humane Society can no more Subsist without
+the One, then without the Other. One Man furnishes Brains, Another
+Money, a Third, Power, Credit, Mediation, Intelligence, Advice, Labour,
+Industry: (to say Nothing of a Thousand other Instances Reducible to this
+Head) so that the Rule of Communication holds as well betwixt Man and
+Man; as betwixt Country and Country; What One has Not, Another Has, and
+there is not That Man Living, but in some Case or Other, stands in Need
+of his Neighbour. Take away This Correspondence, and the very Frame of
+all Political Bodies drops, to pieces. Every thing is Best in fine, As
+God has Made it, and where God has Plac’d it. The _Tame Ass_ wrought
+hard for his _Fine Coat_, and the _Wild_ one _Far’d Hard_ to Ballance the
+Comfort of his _Freedom_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXCI.
+
+_Asses_ to _Jupiter_.
+
+
+The _Asses_ found themselves once so Intolerably Oppressed with Cruel
+Masters, and Heavy Burdens, that they sent their Ambassadors to
+_Jupiter_, with a Petition for Redress. _Jupiter_ found the Request
+Unreasonable, and so gave them This Answer, That Humane Society could
+not be preserved without Carrying Burdens some way or other: So that if
+they would but Joyn, and Piss up a River, that the Burdens which they now
+Carry’d by Land might be carried by Water, they should be Eas’d of that
+Grievance. This set them All a Pissing Immediately, and the Humour is
+kept up to This very Day, that whenever _One Ass_ Pisses, the Rest Piss
+for Company.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis the uttermost Degree of Madness and Folly, to Appeal from
+Providence and Nature._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Decrees and Appointments of Heaven are Unchangeable, and there’s no
+Contending. How many Popular Counter-parts of the _Asses Petition_ to
+_Jupiter_ for Redress of Grievances, have we liv’d to see within our
+own Memory, and all, for Things, not only Unreasonable, but utterly
+Impossible. We read however in the Answer, the Quality, and the Reproch
+of the Prayer, which is Granted upon Conditions as Impracticable as the
+Thing desir’d is Ridiculous.
+
+The _Asses_ are here Complaining (after the Way of the _Mobile_) for
+being put to the very Use and Bus’ness they were made for; as if it
+were Cruelty and Oppression to Employ the Necessary Means, which God
+and Nature has given us, for the Attaining of Necessary Ends. If we
+Confound Higher and Lower, the World is a _Chaos_ again, and a Level.
+Is not a Labourer as much a Tool of Providence as the Master Builder?
+Are not the Meanest Artisans of the same Institution with Ministers of
+Counsel and State? The Head can no more be without the Body, then the
+Body without the Head; and neither of them without Hands and Feet to
+Defend, and Provide, both for the One, and for the Other. Government can
+no more subsist without Subjection, then the Multitude can Agree without
+Government: And the Duty of Obeying, is no less of Divine Appointment,
+then the Authority of Commanding.
+
+Here’s a _Petition_ to _Jupiter_, in Truth, against Himself; and in
+the Moral, a Complaint to God against Providence; as if the Harmony of
+Nature, and of the World; The Order of Men, Things, and Bus’ness, were
+to be Embroil’d, Dissolv’d, or Alter’d, for the Sake of so many _Asses_.
+What would become of the Universe if there were not Servants as well
+as Masters? Beasts to Draw, and Carry Burdens, as well as Burdens to
+be Drawn and Carry’d? If there were not Instruments for Drudgery, as
+well as Offices of Drudgery: If there were not People to Receive and
+Execute Orders, as well as others to Give and Authorize them? The Demand,
+in fine, is Unnatural, and Consequently both Weak and Wicked; and it
+is likewise as Vain, and Unreasonable, to Ask a Thing that is wholly
+Impossible. But ’tis the _Petition_ of an _Ass_ at last which keeps up
+the Congruity of the Moral to the Fable.
+
+The Ground of the Request, is the Fiction of a Complaint, by reason of
+Intolerable Burdens. Now we have Grievances to the Life, as well as in
+Fancy; and _Asses_ in _Flesh and Blood_ too, and in _Practice_, as well
+as in _Emblem_. We have _Herds_ in _Society_, as well as in the _Fields_,
+and in the _Forests_; And we have _English_ too, as well as _Arcadian
+Grievances_. What? (Cries the Multitude) are not our Bodies of the same
+Clay, and our Souls of the same Divine Inspiration with our Masters?
+Under these Amusements, the Common People put up so many Appeals to
+Heaven, from the Powers and Commands of their Lawful Superiors, under
+the Obloquy of Oppressors; and what Better Answer can be return’d to
+All their Clamorous Importunities, then this of _Jupiter_? Which most
+Emphatically sets forth the Necessity of Discharging the _Asses_ Part;
+and the Vanity of Proposing to have it done any Other Way. As who should
+say, the Bus’ness of Humane Nature must be done. Lay your Heads together,
+and if you can find any way for the doing it, without one sort of People
+under Another, You shall have Your Asking. But for a Conclusion, He
+that’s born to Work, is out of his Place and Element when he is Idle.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXCII.
+
+An _Ass_ and the _Frogs_.
+
+
+An _Ass_ sunk down into a Bog among a Shoale of _Frogs_, with a Burden
+of Wood upon his Back, and there he lay, Sighing and Groaning, as if his
+Heart would Break: Hark ye Friend (says one of the _Frogs_ to him) if
+you make such a Bus’ness of a _Quagmire_, when you are but just fall’n
+into’t, what would you do I Wonder, if you had been here as long as we
+have been?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Custom makes things Familiar and Easy to us; but every thing is Best yet
+in its own Element._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Nature has Assign’d every Creature its Proper Place and Station: and
+an _Ass_ in a _Bog_ is out of his Element, and out of his Province.
+The Fable it self has not much in’t: but it may serve to Teach us in
+the Moral, that it is a High Point of Honour, and Christianity, to
+bear Misfortunes, with Resolution, and Constancy of Mind: And that
+Steadiness, is a Point of Prudence, as well as of Courage; for People
+are the Lighter, and the Easier for’t. But it was an _Ass_, we see, that
+_Complain’d_, and (if a Body may play the Fool with him) he was but an
+_Ass_ for _Complaining_: First, of what he could not Help; and Secondly,
+to be never the Better for’t. ’Tis with a _Man_ in a _Jayle_, much at
+the Rate as it was with this _Ass_ in the _Bog_. He’s Sullen and out of
+Humour at his first coming In; the Pris’ners Gather about him, and there
+He tells ’em his Case Over and Over I warrant ye. Some make Sport with
+him; Others Pity him, and this is the Trade they drive for the First Four
+or Five Days perhaps; but so soon as the Qualm is over, the Man comes to
+himself again; makes merry with his Companions, and since he cannot be in
+his Own House, he reckons Himself as good as at Home in the very Prison.
+’Tis the same Thing with a _Bird_ in a _Cage_; when she has Flutter’d
+her self a Weary, she sits down and Sings. This ’tis to be Wonted to a
+Thing. And were it not a Scandal now, if Philosophy should not do as much
+with us as Custom, without leaving it to Necessity to do the Office of
+Vertue. It might be added to this Moral, that what’s Natural to One may
+be Grievous to Another. The _Frogs_ would have been as much at a Loss in
+the _Stable_, as the _Ass_ was in the _Bog_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXCIII.
+
+A _Gall’d Ass_ and a _Raven_.
+
+
+As an _Ass_ with a _Gall’d Back_ was Feeding in a Meadow, a _Raven_
+Pitch’d upon him, and there Sate, Jobbing of the Sore. The _Ass_ fell
+a Frisking and Braying upon’t; which set a Groom, that saw it at a
+Distance, a Laughing at it. Well! (says a _Wolfe_ that was Passing by)
+to see the Injustice of the World now! A Poor _Wolfe_ in that _Raven’s_
+Place, would have been Persecuted, and Hunted to Death presently; and
+’tis made only a Laughing Matter, for a _Raven_ to do the Same Thing that
+would have Cost a _Wolfe_ his Life.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_One Man may better Steal a Horse, then Another Look over the Hedge._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Same Thing in One Person or Respect, is not always the Same Thing in
+Another: The Grooms Grinning at the Gambols of the _Ass_, tells us that
+there are Many Cases that make People Laugh without Pleasing them, as
+when the Surprize, or Caprice of some Fantastical Accident happens to
+strike the Fancy: Nay, a Body cannot forbear Laughing Sometimes, when he
+is yet Heartily Sorry for the Thing he Laughs at; which is, in Truth, but
+an Extravagant Motion, that never comes near the Heart: wherefore the
+_Wolfe_ was Out in his Philosophy, when he call’d it a _Laughing-Matter_;
+Besides, that he should have Distinguish’d upon the Disproportion betwixt
+the Worrying of a _Wolfe_, and the Pecking of a _Raven_; That is to say,
+betwixt a Certain Death on the One Hand, and only a Vexatious Importunity
+on the Other. The _Raven_ understood what sort of Spark he had to do
+withal, and the Silly _Ass_ stood Preaching to Himself upon the Text of
+_No Remedy but Patience_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXCIV.
+
+A _Lyon_, _Ass_, and _Fox_.
+
+
+As an _Ass_ and a _Fox_ were together upon the Ramble, a _Lyon_ Meets
+them by the Way. The _Fox_’s Heart went _Pit-a-Pat_; but however to make
+the Best of a Bad Game, he sets a Good Face on’t, and up he goes to the
+_Lyon_, Sir, says he; I am come to Offer Your Majesty a Piece of Service,
+and I’ll Cast my self upon Your Honour for my Own Security. If you have
+a Mind to my Companion, the _Ass_ here,’tis but a Word Speaking, and You
+shall have him Immediately. Let it be Done then, says the _Lyon_. So the
+_Fox_ Trepann’d the _Ass_ into the Toyl, and the _Lyon_, when he found
+he had Him sure, began with the _Fox_ Himself, and after that, for his
+Second Course, made up his Meal with the Other.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We Love the Treason, but we hate the Traytor._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable Advises Every Man in Prudence to be sure of Knowing his
+Company before he Embarque with them in any Great Matter; Though He that
+Betrays his Companion, has the Fortune commonly to be Betray’d Himself.
+
+Here’s the Folly of the _Ass_ in Trusting the _Fox_ that he knew to
+be a Treacherous Companion; and here’s the _Knavery_ of the _Fox_ in
+Betraying the _Ass_, which was but according to his Nature. Now this does
+not hinder yet, but that the _Lyon_ Forfeited a Point of Honour in the
+Worrying of him; And this Fiction throughout is but the Emblem of Things
+that are Familiar to us in the World. The _Lyon_ might have been Allow’d
+an Aversion to the _Fox_ as a Perfidious Creature, but the Devouring of
+him upon these Terms, was Another Treachery in Himself. There may be this
+said at last for the Congruity of the Fancy, that a Just and Generous
+_Lyon_, would not have Sunk so Low as to hold any Communication with
+a _Fox_, much less to Concert with him in his False Dealing. But this
+_Lyon_ was meant for the Figure of a Wicked Governour, Conferring upon
+Frauds with Wicked Ministers. Now if he had spar’d the _Ass_, for his
+Simplicity, and Pinch’d the _Fox_ for his Perfidy, the Proceding might
+have had some Semblance of a Generous Equity: But an Honourable Mind will
+scorn to make Advantage of a Treacherous Instrument. That is to say, by
+Assenting to the Treachery: So that the Moral seems to carry more Force
+with this Biass. Upon the Whole Matter, here’s the Silly _Ass_ pays
+Dear for the Credulity and Folly of Keeping Ill Company. The _Fox_ is
+Met withal in his Own Way, for Breaking the Faith of Society; but still
+there wants some Judgment Methinks, to Attend the _Lyon_; for he that
+Encourages One Treason, does not only Practice, but Promote Another; and
+lays the Foundation of a Doctrine, that will come Home to Himself in
+the Conclusion. When a _Prince_ fails in Point of _Honour_ and _Common
+Justice_, ’tis enough to Stagger his _People_ in their _Faith_ and
+_Allegiance_. But the _Lyon_ here in the _Fable_ came off better then our
+_Political Lyons_ usually do in the _World_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXCV.
+
+A _Hen_ and a _Swallow_.
+
+
+There was a Foolish _Hen_ that sat Brooding upon a Nest of _Snakes Eggs_.
+A _Swallow_, that Observ’d it, went and told her the Danger on’t. Little
+do you think, says she, what you are at this Instant a Doing, and that
+You are just now Hatching Your Own Destruction; for This Good Office will
+be your Ruine.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis the Hard Fortune of many a Good Natur’d Man to_ breed up a Bird to
+Pick out his Own Eyes, _in despite of All Cautions to the Contrary_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is the Case of Many People in the World, that spend their Time in
+Good Offices for Others, to the Utter Ruine of Themselves: And there’s No
+Better to be Expected from a Wicked Age, and an Ill Natur’d People. They
+that want Foresight, should do well to Hearken to Good Council. He that
+thinks to Oblige Hard-Hearted People by an Officious Tenderness, and to
+fare the Better Himself for putting it into Their Power to Hurt him, will
+find only so much Time, Pains, and Good-Will, utterly cast away, at the
+Foot of his Account. ’Tis Good however, to Hope, and to Presume the Best,
+provided a Man be Prepar’d for the Worst. The Mistake lies in This, that
+the Charity begins Abroad that Ought to begin at Home. They that cannot
+see into the End of Things, may well be at a Loss in the Reason of them;
+and a Well-Meaning Piety is the Destruction of many an Honest Man, that
+sits Innocently Brooding upon the Political Projects of Other People,
+though with the Heart all the While, of a Patriot, and a True Friend to
+the Publique. Tell him the Consequences of Matters, and that he is now
+Hatching of _Serpents_, not of _Chickens_: A Misguided Zeal makes him
+Deaf and Blind to the true State and Issue of Things. He sits his Time
+out, and what’s the End on’t; but the Plot Naturally Discloses it self
+in a Common Ruine? It is a Great Infelicity to make a Wrong Choice of a
+Friend: But when Men are Advertis’d of the Danger beforehand, it is as
+Great a Fault, if they will take No Warning. The _Hen_ was told on’t, but
+the _Swallow_ had the Fate, as well as the Gift of _Cassandra_; to speak
+Truth, and not to be believ’d: Which has been the Misfortune of many an
+Honest Man in All Times, and particularly in the very Age we live in.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXCVI.
+
+A _Pigeon_ and a _Picture_.
+
+
+A _Pigeon_ saw the _Picture_ of a _Glass_ with Water in’t, and taking it
+to be Water indeed, flew Rashly and Eagerly up to’t, for a Soup to Quench
+her Thirst. She broke her Feathers against the Frame of the _Picture_,
+and falling to the Ground upon’t, was taken up by the By-Standers.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Rash Men do many things in Haste that they Repent of at Leisure._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis not Good to be Over Fierce upon any Thing, for fear of Mistaking, or
+Misunderstanding the Matter in Question. Moderation is a High Point of
+Wisdom, and Temerity on the Other Hand, is ever Dangerous: For Men are
+Subject to be Couzen’d with Outward Appearances, and so take the Vain
+Images, and Shadows of Things, for the Substance. All Violent Passions
+have somewhat in them of the Rashness of This _Pigeon_; and if That
+Rashness be not as Fatal in the One Case, as This was in the Other, ’tis
+a Deliverance that we are more Indebted for, either to the Special Grace
+of an Over-ruling _Providence_, or to the Mediation of That which we call
+_Chance_, then to any thing of our own Government and Direction. One Man
+may have the Advantage of Another in the Benefit of a Presence of Mind,
+which may serve in a Great Measure, to Fortifie us against Surprizes,
+and Difficulties not to be foreseen: But a sound Judgment is the Result
+of second Thoughts, upon Due Time and Consideration, which way to bring
+Matters to a Fair Issue. This Precipitate Temper is little better then
+a Physical Madness; for there is somewhat of an Alienation in’t, when
+People proceed, not only Without, but Contrary to Reason. How many
+Instances do we see daily, of People that are Hurry’d on, without either
+Fear or Wit, by Love, Hatred, Envy, Ambition, Revenge, _&c._ to their Own
+Ruine: which comes to the very Case of the _Pigeon_’s breaking her Wing
+against the _Picture_, and the Miscarriage is Every jot as Ridiculous.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXCVII.
+
+A _Pigeon_ and a _Crow_.
+
+
+A _Pigeon_ that was brought up in a Dove-House, was Bragging to a _Crow_
+how Fruitful she was. Never Value Your self, says the _Crow_, upon That
+Vanity; for the More Children, the More Sorrow.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Many Children are a Great Blessing; but a Few Good Ones are a Greater;
+All Hazzards Consider’d._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Care, Charge, and Hazzard of a Brood of many Children, in the
+Education and Proof of them, does, in a Great Measure, Countervail the
+Blessing: Especially where they are gotten in a State of Slavery. Sorrow
+and Vexation is Entail’d upon the whole Race of Mankind. We are Begotten
+to’t; We are Born to’t; and as it has Descended to us, so it is by us to
+be Handed down to Those that come after us. The Stress of the Fable lies
+upon the Hazzard of having a Numerous Stock of Children, which must of
+Necessity, whether they Live or Dye, furnish Matter of Great Anxiety to
+the Parents. The Loss of them is Grievous to us. The Miscarriage of them,
+by falling into Lewd and Vicious Courses, is much Worse: And one such
+Disappointment is sufficient to Blast the Comfort of All the Rest. Nay,
+the very Possibility, or rather the Likelyhood and Odds, that some out
+of such a Number will Prove Ungracious and Rebellious, makes our Beds
+Uneasie to us; Fills our Heads and our Hearts with Carking Thoughts, and
+keeps us in Anxiety Night and Day for fear they should be so, and prove
+like Vipers, to eat out the Belly of their Own Mothers.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXCVIII.
+
+A _Woman_ and her Two _Daughters_.
+
+
+A _Woman_ that had _Two Daughters_, Bury’d one of them, and Mourners were
+Provided to Attend the Funeral. The _Surviving Daughter_ Wonder’d to see
+Strangers so much concern’d at the Loss of her Sister, and her Nearest
+Relations so Little. Pray Mother, says she, What’s the Reason of This?
+Oh, says the _Mother_, We that are a-Kin to her, are never the Better for
+Crying, but the Strangers have Money for’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Mourners are as Mercenery as Common Prostitutes; They are at His Service
+that bids Most for them._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Funeral Tears are only Civilities of Course, but there must be Wringing
+of Hands yet, and Ejulations, some where or Other; and where the
+Relations are not in Humor for’t, ’tis the Fashion to Provide Mercenaries
+to do the Office. The Moral of this will reach to All the Pompous
+Solemnities of our Mourning Processions, which upon the Whole, Amount
+to no more then Dress and Pageantry, to make the Show look Dismal, and
+so many Sowre Faces that are Hir’d to Adorn the _Hypocrisie_. This was
+the Widow’s Case, that Cry’d her self half Mad and Blind with a Thousand
+Passionate Interjections, for the loss of her Dear Husband. [_Never so
+Dear, so Dear a Man!_] This Woman, I say (when she had done All This, and
+Renounc’d the World, the flesh and the Devil, with as much Solemnity as
+ever she did in her Baptism) was at the Long-Last prevail’d upon to hear
+the Will read: But when she found in the Conclusion, that the _Dear Man_
+she so often call’d upon, had left her Nothing that he could keep from
+her, but her Wedding Ring and her Apron-Strings, Up she started, Wip’d
+her Eyes, Rais’d her Voice, [_And is this all with a Pox_] she cry’d;
+and with Those Words in her Mouth, she came to her self again. Now This
+Widow, in the Pure Strength of Flesh and Blood, cry’d as Arrantly for
+_Money_ as the Mercenaries in the Fable.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CXCIX.
+
+A _Shepherd_ and his _Sheep_.
+
+
+In Old time when _Sheep_ fed like _Hogs_ upon Acorns, a Shepherd drove
+his Flock into a Little Oak-Wood, spread his Coat under a Tree, and up
+he went to shake ’em down some Mast. The Sheep were so Keen upon the
+Acorns, that they Gobbled up now and then a Piece of the Coat along with
+’em. When the Shepherd took Notice of it: What a Company of Ungrateful
+Wretches are you, says he, that Cloath all Other People that have No
+Relation to you, and yet Strip your Master, that gives ye both Food and
+Protection!
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+The Belly has no Ears; _and a Ravenous Appetite Guttles up whatever is
+Before it, without any regard either to Things or Persons_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Freak mightily in Fashion among some People to Affect a
+Singularity in their Lives and Manners, and to Live in a Direct
+Opposition to the Ordinary Rules of Prudence and Good Nature, As in
+returning Evil for Good for the Purpose; Nay, and in some Cases, Good for
+Evil too; where ’tis done more to be seen of Men then for God’s sake, and
+where the Vanity of Doing it Destroys the Merit of the Virtue. The Fable
+will also bear This Moral, That Eager Appetites have not a Right Tast of
+Things; for the _Coat_ goes down as well as the _Acorns_; but the main
+Stress of it falls upon Those that _Rob Peter_, as we say to _Pay Paul_,
+and take the Bread out of their Masters Mouths to give it to Strangers.
+And the Kindness of the Master is yet a further Aggravation of the Crime.
+We have abundance of Cases in Practice, as well as in Story, that strike
+upon This Topique. Have we never read of a Sacrilegious Convocation of
+_Divines_, that at the same Time that they liv’d upon the Altar, Betray’d
+it; and while they robb’d God himself of his Due, Divided the Spoils of
+the Church among the Rabble. Have we never heard of Men that Gobbled the
+Priviledges and Revenues of the Crown, and then Squander’d them away in
+Donatives upon the Common People? Or, What shall we say of the Scoffing
+Atheist, that turns all the Powers and Faculties of his Soul, as much
+as in him lies, to the Reproche of his Maker, and yet at the same time
+too, as Pleasant Company to the World, as the Wit of a Libertine can make
+him. What is all this now but a Sheep Stripping his Master, and Cloathing
+Strangers.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CC.
+
+_Jupiter_ and a _Herds-Man_.
+
+
+A _Herds-man_ that had lost a Calf out of his Grounds, sent up and down
+after it; and when he could get No Tydings on’t, he betook himself at
+last to his Prayers, according to the Custom of the World, when People
+are brought to a Forc’d-Put. Great _Jupiter_ (says he) Do but shew me the
+_Thief_ that stole my Calf, and I’ll give thee a Kid for a Sacrifice. The
+Word was no sooner pass’d; but the _Thief_ appear’d; which was indeed
+a _Lyon_. This Discovery put him to his Prayers once again. I have not
+forgotten my Vow, says he, but now thou hast brought me to the _Thief_,
+I’ll make That _Kid_ a _Bull_, if thou’lt but set me Quit of him again.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We cannot be too Careful, and Considerate what Vows, and Promises we
+make; for the very Granting of our Prayers turns many times to our Utter
+Ruine._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable Condemns All Rash Vows and Promises, and the Unsteadiness of
+those Men that are first mad to have a Thing, and as soon Weary of it.
+Men should Consider well before hand what they Promise, what they Vow;
+nay, and what they wish for, least they should be Taken at their Words,
+and afterward Repent. We make it half our Bus’ness to Learn our Gain, and
+Compass those Things, which when we come to Understand, and to have in
+our Possession, we’d give the whole Earth to be Rid of again: Wherefore
+he that Moderates his Desires without laying any Stress upon Things
+Curious, or Uncertain; and Resigns himself in All Events to the Good
+Pleasure of Providence, succeeds Best in the Government of his Fortune,
+Life, and Manners. The Herds-man was in a State of Freedom, we see, till
+he made himself a Voluntary Slave, by Entering into a Dangerous and
+Unnecessary Vow; which he could neither Contract without Folly, nor Keep
+without Loss and Shame; For Heaven is neither to be Wheedled, nor Brib’d.
+Men should so Pray, as not to Repent of their Prayers, and turn the most
+Christian and Necessary Office of our Lives into a Sin. We must not Pray
+in One Breath to _Find_ a Thief, and in the Next, to get shut of him.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCI.
+
+A _Gnat_ Challenges a _Lyon_.
+
+
+As a _Lyon_ was Blustering in the Forrest, up comes a _Gnat_ to his very
+Beard, and Enters into an Expostulation with him upon the Points of
+Honour and Courage. What do I Value your Teeth, or your Claws, says the
+_Gnat_, that are but the Arms of Every Bedlam Slut? As to the Matter of
+Resolution; I defy ye to put That Point Immediately to an Issue. So the
+Trumpet Sounded, and the Combatants Enter’d the Lists. The _Gnat_ Charg’d
+into the Nostrils of the _Lyon_, and there Twing’d him, till he made him
+Tear himself with his Own Paws. And in the Conclusion he Master’d the
+_Lyon_. Upon This, a Retreat was Sounded, and the _Gnat_ flew his way:
+But by Ill-hap afterward, in his Flight, he Struck into a Cobweb, where
+the _Victor_ fell a Prey to a _Spider_. This Disgrace went to the Heart
+of him, after he had got the Better of a _Lyon_, to be Worsted by an
+_Insect_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis in the Power of Fortune to Humble the Pride of the Mighty, even by
+the most Despicable Means, and to make a_ Gnat _Triumph over a_ Lyon:
+_Wherefore let no Creature, how Great or how Little soever, Presume on
+the One side, or Despair on the Other_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There is Nothing either so Great, or so Little, as not to be Lyable to
+the Vicissitudes of Fortune, whether for Good or for Evil. A Miserable
+_Fly_ is sufficient, we see, to take down the Stomach of a _Lyon_; and
+then to Correct the Insulting Vanity of That _Fly_, it falls the next
+Moment into the Toyl of a _Spider_. ’Tis Highly Improvident not to
+Obviate small Things; and as Ridiculous to be Baffled by them; and it
+is not the Force neither, but the Importunity that is so Vexatious and
+Troublesome to us. The very Teizing of the _Lyon_ Gall’d him more then an
+Arrow at his Heart would have done. The Doctrine is this, That no Man is
+to Presume upon his Power and Greatness, when every Pitiful Insect may
+find out a Way to Discompose him. But That Pitiful Insect again is not
+to Value himself upon his Victory neither; for the _Gnat_ that had the
+Better of the _Lyon_, in the very next breath, was Worsted by a _Spider_.
+
+
+
+
+THE FABLES OF BARLANDUS, _&c._
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCII.
+
+A _Lyon_ and a _Frog_.
+
+
+A _Lyon_ that was Ranging about for his Prey, made a Stop all on a Sudden
+at a Hideous Yelling Noise he heard, which not a little Startled him.
+The Surprize put him at first into a Shaking Fit; but as he was looking
+about, and Preparing for the Encounter of some Terrible Monster, what
+should he see but a Pitiful _Frog_ come Crawling out from the Side of
+a Pond. And is This All? (says the _Lyon_) and so betwixt Shame and
+Indignation, he put forth his Paw, and Pash’d out the Guts on’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s no Resisting of_ First Motions; _but upon Second Thoughts we
+come immediately to our selves again_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Surprize of the _Lyon_ is to teach us, that no Man living can be so
+Present to Himself, as not to be put beside his Ordinary Temper upon
+some Accidents or Occasions; but then his Philosophy brings him to a
+Right Understanding of Things, and his Resolution carries him through
+All Difficulties. It is Another _Emphatical_ Branch of This Emblem, that
+as the _Lyon_ himself was not Thorough-Proof against This Fantastical
+_Alarum_; so it was but a Poor Wretched _Frog_ all this while, that
+Discompos’d him, to shew the Vain Opinion and False Images of Things,
+and how apt we are to be Transported with Those Fooleries, which, if
+we did but Understand, we should Despise. Wherefore ’tis the Part of a
+Brave, and a Wise Man to Weigh, and Examine Matters without Delivering
+up himself to the Illusion of Idle Fears, and Panick Terrors. It was in
+truth, below the Dignity of a _Lyon_ to Kill the Poor Creature, but
+This, however may be said in Plea for’t, that he was asham’d to leave
+behind him a Witness of his Weakness.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCIII.
+
+An _Ant_ and a _Pigeon_.
+
+
+An _Ant_ dropt, Unluckily into the Water as she was Drinking at the Side
+of a _Brook_. A _Wood-Pigeon_ took Pity of her, and threw her a little
+Bough to lay hold on. The _Ant_ sav’d her self by that Bough, and in That
+very Instant, spies a Fellow with a Birding-Piece, making a Shoot at the
+_Pigeon_. Upon This Discovery, she presently runs up to him and Stings
+him. The _Fowler_ starts, and breaks his Aim, and away flies the _Pigeon_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_All Creatures have a Sense of Good Offices, and Providence it self takes
+Care, where Other Means fail, that they may not Pass Unrewarded._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Practice of Requiting Good Offices is a Great Encouragement to the
+Doing of them; and in truth, without Gratitude there would be Little Good
+Nature; for there is not One Good Man in the World that has not need
+of Another. This Fable of the _Ant_ is not All together a Fiction, for
+we have many Instances of the Force of Kindness; even upon Animals and
+Insects: To pass over the Tradition of _Androclus_’s Lyon, the Gratitude
+of Elephants, Dogs and Horses is too Notorious to be Deny’d. Are not
+Hawks brought to the Hand, and to the Lure? And in like manner, are not
+_Lyons_, _Tygres_, _Bears_, _Wolves_, _Foxes_, and other Beasts of Prey
+Reclaim’d by Good Usage? Nay, I have seen a Tame Spider, and ’tis a
+Common Thing to have a Lizzard come to Hand. Man only is the Creature,
+that to his Shame no Benefits can Oblige, no, nor Secure, even from
+seeking the Ruine of his Benefactor: So that This _Pismire_ sets us a
+Lesson here in her Thankfulness to her Preserver.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCIV.
+
+A _Peacock_ and a _Pye_.
+
+
+In the Days of Old, the Birds liv’d at Random in a Lawless State of
+_Anarchy_; but in time they began to be Weary on’t, and Mov’d for the
+Setting up of a King. The _Peacock_ Valu’d himself upon his Gay Feathers,
+and put in for the Office: The Pretenders were heard, the Question
+Debated; and the Choice fell upon the Poll to King _Peacock_: The Vote
+was no sooner pass’d, but up stands a _Pye_ with a Speech in his Mouth to
+This Effect: _May it please your Majesty_, says he, _We should be glad to
+Know, in Case the_ Eagle _should fall upon us in your Reign; as she has
+formerly done, how will you be able to Defend us?_
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_In the Bus’ness of either Erecting, or Changing a Government, it ought
+to be very well Consider’d before-hand, what may be the Consequences, in
+case of such a_ Form, _or such a Person_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Kings are not to be Chosen for the Beauty or the Gracefulness of
+their Persons, but for the Reputation they have in the World, and the
+Endowments of their Minds. This Fable shews likewise the Necessity of
+Civil Order, and the Danger of Popular Elections, where a Factious
+Majority commonly Governs the Choice. Take the Plurality of the World,
+and they are neither Wise, nor Good; and if they be left to Themselves,
+they will Undoubtedly Chuse such as They Themselves Are. ’Tis the Misery
+of _Elective Governments_, that there will be Eternally Corruption and
+Partiality in the Choice; for there’s a Kind of a Tacit Covenant in the
+Case, that the King of their Own making shall make his Makers Princes
+too: So that they Work for Themselves all this while, not for the
+Publique: But the _Pye’s_ Question stopt all their Mouths, and it was
+wisely let fall too without a Reply, to Intimate that it was Unanswerable.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCV.
+
+An _Impertinent_ Dr. and his _Patient_.
+
+
+A _Physician_ was told One Morning that a Certain _Patient_ of his was
+Dead, why then _the Lord’s Will be Done_, says he: We are All Mortal;
+but if This Man would have Forborn Wines, and Us’d Clysters, I’d have
+Warranted his Life This Bout for God-a-Mercy. Well, says one, but why did
+you not rather give him This Advice when it might have done him Good,
+then stand Talking of it to no manner of Purpose Now the Man is Dead?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis to no Purpose to think of Recalling Yesterday; and_ when the Steed
+is Stoll’n, of Shutting the Stable Door.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable Recommends to us the Doing of Every thing in its Due Season,
+for either too Soon or too Late signifies Nothing. It is but _making
+Almanacks for the Last Year_, to stand Talking what Might have been
+done; when the Time of Doing it is past. When a Battle is Lost, This or
+That, we say, might have Prevented it. When a Tumult is Emprov’d into a
+Rebellion, and a Government Overturn’d by’t, ’tis just to as much purpose
+to say, This or That might have Sav’d All: As for our _Doctor_, here to
+say, when his _Patient_ was Dead, that it was for want of going such or
+such a way to Work. We have abundance of These Wise Men in the World that
+are still looking backward without seeing One Inch of the way before
+them. Not but that the Experience of Things Past, may be very Instructive
+to us toward the Making of a Right Judgment upon Things to come, but in
+such a Case as This, it is wholly Vain and Unprofitable, to all manner of
+Intents. ’Tis the Bus’ness of a Substantial, and a Well-Grounded Wisdom,
+to be still looking forward, from the First Indispositions, into the
+Growth, and Progress of the Disease. It Traces the Advance of Dangers
+step by step, and shews us the Rise and Gradations of the Evil; and gives
+us Light, either toward the Preventing, or the Suppressing of it. We
+have in such an Instance as This, the means before us, of a True, and
+an Useful Perception of Things, whereas Judgments that are made on the
+Wrong side of the Danger, amount to no more then an Affectation of Skill,
+without either Credit or Effect. Let Things be done when they May be
+done, and _When_, and _As_ they _Ought_ to be done: As for the Doctor’s
+_Iffing_ upon the Bus’ness, when his _Patient_ was Dead, it was just to
+as much purpose as Blowing Wind in’s Breech.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCVI.
+
+A _Lyon_, _Ass_ and _Fox_.
+
+
+There was a Hunting-Match agreed upon betwixt a _Lyon_, an _Ass_, and
+a _Fox_, and they were to go Equal Shares in the Booty. They ran down
+a Brave Stag, and the _Ass_ was to Divide the Prey; which he did very
+Honestly and Innocently in to Three Equal Parts, and left the _Lyon_ to
+take his Choice: Who never minded the _Dividend_; but in a Rage Worry’d
+the _Ass_, and then bad the _Fox_ Divide; who had the Wit to make Only
+One Share of the Whole, saving a Miserable Pittance that he Reserv’d
+for Himself. The _Lyon_ highly approv’d of his Way of Distribution; but
+Prithee _Reynard_, says he, who taught thee to Carve? Why truly says the
+_Fox_, I had an _Ass_ to my Master; and it was His Folly made me Wise.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There must be no Shares in Sovereignty. Court-Conscience is Policy. The
+Folly of One Man makes Another Man Wise; as One Man Grows Rich upon the
+Ruines of Another._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable is sufficiently Moraliz’d Elsewhere; but it gives us further
+to Understand, that Experience is the Mistress of Knaves as well as of
+Fools. Here was the Innocence of the _Ass_, and the _Craft_ of the _Fox_,
+Both in One. He sav’d his Skin by the Modesty of the Division, and left
+enough for himself too, over and above! For _Asses_ are No great _Venison
+Eaters_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCVII.
+
+A _Wolfe_ and a _Kid_.
+
+
+As a _Wolfe_ was passing by a Poor Country Cottage, a _Kid_ spy’d him
+through a Peeping-Hole in the Door; and sent a Hundred Curses along with
+him. Sirrah (says the _Wolfe_) If I had ye out of your Castle, I’d make
+ye give Better Language.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Coward in his Castle, makes a Great Deal more Bluster then a Man of
+Honour._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Advantages of Time and Place are enough to make a Poultron Valiant.
+There’s Nothing so Couragious as a Coward, if you put him out of Danger.
+This way of Brawl and Clamour, is so Arrant a Mark of a Dastardly
+Wretch, that he does as good as Call himself so that Uses it. The _Kid_
+behind the Door has the Priviledge of a Lord _Mayors Fool_. He’s under
+Protection: The One is Scurrilous, and the Other Sawcy; and yet These are
+the Two Qualities that pass but too frequently in the World for Wit and
+Valour.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCVIII.
+
+An _Ass_ to _Jupiter_.
+
+
+A Certain _Ass_ that serv’d a Gard’ner, and did a great deal of Work for
+a very little Meat, fell to his Prayers for _Another Master_. _Jupiter_
+Granted his Request, and turn’d him over to a _Potter_, where he found
+Clay and Tile so much a Heavier Burden then Roots and Cabbage, that he
+went to Prayers once again for Another Change. His next Master was a
+Tanner; and there, over and above the Encrease of his Work, the very
+Trade went against his Stomach: For (says he) I have been only Pinch’d in
+my Flesh, and Well Rib-Roasted sometimes under my Former Masters; but I’m
+In now for Skin and All.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Man that is ever Shifting and Changing, is not, in truth, so Weary of
+his Condition, as of Himself; And he that still Carries about him the
+Plague of a Restless Mind, can never be pleas’d._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a High Point of Prudence for any Man to be Content with his Lot. For
+’tis Forty to One that he that Changes his Condition, out of a Present
+Impatience and Dissatisfaction, when he has try’d a New one, Wishes for
+his Old One again: and Briefly, the more we shift, the Worse Commonly we
+are. This Arises from the Inconstancy of our Minds, and One Prayer does
+but make way for Another. Those People, in fine, that are Destin’d to
+Drudgery, may well Change their Masters, but never their Condition.
+
+He that finds himself in any Distress, either of Carcass, or of Fortune,
+should do well to Deliberate upon the Matter, before he Prayes for, or
+Resolves upon a Change. As for Example now, what is it that Troubles me?
+Is there any Help for’t or no? What do I want? Is it Matter of Necessity
+or Superfluity? Where am I to look for’t? How shall I come at it? _&c._
+
+Now All our Grievances are either of Body or of Mind, or (in
+Complication) of Both, and either the Remedy is in our Own Power, or it
+is not. There are some Things that we cannot do for our selves, without
+the Help of Others: There are some Things again, that Other People Cannot
+do for Us, nor are they any way else to be done but by Our selves. In
+the One Case we are to seek abroad for Relief, and in the Other, Whoever
+Consults his Reason, and his Duty, will find a Certain Cure at Home: So
+that it goes a Great way in the Philosophy of Humane Life, to Understand
+the Just Measures of what we are Able to do, and what we are Oblidg’d to
+do, in Distinction from the Contrary; for Otherwise we shall spend our
+Days with _Æsop_’s Ass, in Hunting after Happiness where it is not to
+be found, without ever looking for’t where it is. ’Tis allow’d us, to
+be sensible of Broken Limbs, and Diseased Bodies: And Common Prudence
+sends us to Surgeons and Physicians, to Piece, and Patch them up again.
+But in These Cases, we Examine the Why, the What, and the How of Things,
+and Propose Means Accommodate to the End. ’Tis Natural to be Mov’d with
+Pain, and as Natural to Seek Relief; And it is well done at Last, to do
+That which Nature bids us do; But for Imaginary Evils, Every Man may be
+his Own Doctor. They are Bred in our Affections, and we may Ease our
+selves. If the Question had been a Spavin, or a Gall’d Back, and the
+_Ass_ had Petition’d to _Jupiter_ for Another _Farryer_, it might have
+been a very Reasonable Request. Now if he had but Pitch’d upon such or
+such a Particular Master, it might have done well enough too: But to
+grow Weary of One Master, or of One Condition, and then to be presently
+Wishing in General Terms for Another: This is only an Inconsiderate
+Ejaculation thrown off at Random, without either Aim or Reason. Upon the
+Whole Matter, it is but laying our own Faults at the Door of Nature and
+Providence, while we Impute the Infirmities of our Minds to the Hardship
+of our Lot.
+
+To proceed according to the Distribution of my Matter; it is much with
+Us in This Case, as it was with the Man that fell from his Horse and
+could not get up again. He was sure he was Hurt, he said, but could not
+tell Where. That is to say, _first_ our Grievances are Fantastical where
+they are not Corporal. _2ly._ It is Another Error in us, that in All our
+Fantastical Disappointments, we have Recourse to Fantastical Remedies.
+_3ly._ Providence has Allotted Every Man a Competency for his State and
+Business. All beyond it is Superfluous, and there will be Grumbling
+without End, if we come to reckon upon’t, that we want This or That,
+because we Have it Not, instead of Acknowledging that we have This or
+That, and that we want Nothing. These Things duly Weigh’d, what can be
+more Providential then the Blessing of having an _Antidote_ within our
+selves against all the Strokes of Fortune! That is to say, in the Worst
+of Extremeties, we have yet the Comfort left us of Constancy, Patience,
+and Resignation.
+
+’Tis not for a Wise and an Honest Man, to stand Expostulating with the
+Nature of Things. As for Instance, Why should not I be This or That, or
+be so or so, as well as He or T’other? But I should rather say to my self
+after This manner: Am not I the Creature of an Almighty Power; and is
+it not the same Power and Wisdom that Made and Order’d the World, that
+has assign’d me this Place, Rank or Station, in’t? This Body, This Soul,
+This every Thing? What I am, I must be, and there’s no Contending with
+Invincible Necessity; No Disputing with an Incomprehensible Wisdom: To
+say Nothing of the Impiety of Appealing from an Inexplicable Goodness. If
+I can Mend my Condition by any Warrantable Industry and Virtue, the Way
+is Fair and Open; And That’s a Priviledge that Every Reasonable Creature
+has in his Commission: But without Fixing upon some Certain Scope, and
+Prescribing Just and Honourable Ways to’t, there’s Nothing to be done.
+’Tis a Wicked Thing to Repine; and ’tis as Bootless, and Uneasy too;
+for One Restless Thought, Begets, and Punishes Another. We are not so
+Miserable in our Own Wants, as in what Others Enjoy: And then our Levity
+is as Great a Plague to us as our Envy, so that we need Nothing more
+then we have, but Thankfulness, and Submission, to make us Happy. It was
+not the Ground of the _Asses_ Complaint, that it was Worse with _Him_
+then with _Other Asses_; but because he was an _Ass_: And he was not so
+Sick of his _Master_, as of his _Work_. His Fortune was well enough for
+such an _Animal_, so long as he kept himself within his Proper Sphere
+and Bus’ness: But if the Stones in the Wall will be taking upon them to
+Reproche the Builder; and if Nothing will please People unless they be
+Greater than Nature ever Intended them; What can they Expect, but the
+_Asses_ Round of Vexatious Changes, and Experiments; and at last, when
+they have made Themselves Weary and Ridiculous, e’en glad to set up their
+Rest upon the very Spot where they Started.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCIX.
+
+A _Woman_ and her _Maids_.
+
+
+It was the Way of _a Good Housewifely Old Woman_, to call up her _Maids_
+every Morning just at the _Cock-Crowing_. The _Wenches_ were loth to
+Rise so soon, and so they laid their Heads together, and Kill’d the Poor
+_Cock_: for, say they, if it were not for his Waking our _Dame_, she
+would not Wake _us_: But when the Good Woman’s Clock was gone, she’d
+Mistake the Hour many times, and call ’em up at Midnight: So that instead
+of Mending the Matter, they found themselves in a Worse Condition Now
+then Before.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_One Error makes way for another. First, we Complain of small things:
+Then we Shift, and instead of Mending the Matter, we find it Worse, till
+it comes at last to the Tinker’s Work of_ Stopping One Hole, and Making
+Ten.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Common Thing for People that are Uneasy, to fly to Remedies that
+are Worse then the Disease; wherefore Men should Deliberate before they
+Resolve; and say to Themselves, This we suffer at Present, and This or
+That we Propose to Get by such and such a Change; and so set the One
+against the Other. The _Wenches_ were call’d up too Early, they thought,
+and so for fear of having too Little Sleep, they ran the Risque of
+having no Sleep at all. And it fares much at the same Rate in Publique
+Grievances that it does in Private; When rather then bear the Importunity
+of a Flea-biting, we are apt to run our selves Hand over Head into a
+Bed of Scorpions; which is such another kind of an Expedient, as if a
+Body should Beat out his Brains to Cure the Head-Ach. Flesh and Bloud is
+Naturally impatient of Restraint; beside the Itch and Curiosity that we
+have, to be Prying and Searching into Forbidden Secrets; and to see (as
+one says) _What Good is in Evil_. ’Tis Natural to us to be Weary of what
+we have, and still to be Hankering after something or other that we have
+Not: And so our Levity Pushes us on from One Vain Desire to Another, in a
+Regular Vicissitude, and Succession of Cravings and Satiety. We want (as
+I say) what we have not, and grow Sick on’t when we have it. Now the Wise
+Man Clears the Whole Matter to us, in Pronouncing _All things under the
+Sun_ (That is to say, the Pomp, the Pleasures, and the Enjoyments of This
+World) to be _Vanity of Vanities_, and _All, Vanity_. The Truth of it is,
+we Govern our Lives by Fancy, rather then by Judgment. We Mistake the
+Reasons of Things, and Impute the Issue of them to Wrong Causes. So that
+the Lesson given us here, is Preceptive to us, not to do any thing but
+upon due Consideration. The _Wenches_ Kill’d the _Cock_ for calling them
+up so soon, whereas the Crowing of the _Cock_ was the Cause, in Truth,
+that they were call’d up no sooner.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCX.
+
+A _Lyon_ and a _Goat_.
+
+
+A _Lyon_ spy’d a _Goat_ upon the Crag of a High Rock, and so call’d out
+to him after this Manner: Hadst not thou better come Down now, says the
+_Lyon_, into This Delicate Fine Meadow? Well, says the _Goat_, and so
+perhaps I would, if it were not for the _Lyon_ that’s there Before me:
+But I’m for a Life of Safety, rather then for a Life of Pleasure. Your
+Pretence is the Filling of My Belly with Good Grass; but your Bus’ness
+is the Cramming of your Own Guts with Good _Goats-Flesh_: So that ’tis
+for your Own Sake, not Mine, that you’d have me come down.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s no Trusting to the Formal Civilities and Invitations of an
+Enemy, and his Reasonings are but Snares when he pretends to Advise us
+for our Good._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+He that Advises another to his Own Advantage, may be very Reasonably
+Suspected to give Councel for his Own Ends. It may so fall Out, ’tis
+True, as to be Profitable for Both: But all Circumstances would be Well
+Examin’d in such a Case before we Trust. This is the Song of your Men of
+Prey, as well as of your Beasts of Prey, when they Set up for the Good of
+the _Goats_ and _Common People_. How many Fine Things have we had told as
+in the Memory of Man, upon the Subject of our _Liberties_, _Properties_,
+and _Religion_, and the Delivering us from the _Fears_ and _Jealousies_
+of _Idolatry_, and _Arbitrary Power_! And what was the Fruit of All
+This in the End, but Vision and Romance on the Promising Hand, and an
+_Exchange of Imaginary Chains, for Real Locks and Bolts_, on the Other:
+But _Æsop_’s Beasts _saw further into a Mill-Stone_ then our _Mobile_:
+And that the _Lyon_’s Invitation of the _Goat_ from the Rocks into the
+_Fool’s Paradise_ of a Delicate Sweet Meadow, signify’d no more, in Plain
+_English_, then _Come down that I may Eat ye_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXI.
+
+A _Vultur_’s Invitation.
+
+
+The _Vultur_ took up a Fit of a very Good Humour once, and Invited the
+Whole Nation of Birds to make Merry with him, upon the Anniversary of his
+Birth-Day. The Company came; The _Vultur_ shuts the Doors upon them, and
+Devours his Guests instead of Treating them.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s no Meddling with any Man that has neither Faith, Honour, nor
+Good Nature in him._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Dangerous Trusting to specious Pretexts of Civility and Kindness,
+where People are not well assur’d of the Faith and Good Nature of Those
+they have to do withal; In which case, the Butchery, and the Breach of
+Hospitality Represented in This Fable, under a Masque of Friendship,
+was no more, then what might Reasonably enough be Expected under such
+Circumstances. There are Men of Prey as well as Beasts and Birds of Prey,
+and for Those that Live upon, and Delight in Bloud, there’s no Trusting
+of them: For let them pretend what they will, they Govern themselves,
+and take their Measures according to their Interests and Appetites. ’Tis
+a Hard Case yet, for Men to be forc’d upon Ill Nature, in their Own
+Defence, and to suspect the Good Faith of Those, that gives us All the
+Protestations and Assurance of Friendship, and Fair Dealing that One
+Man can give Another. Nay the very Suspicion is an Affront, and almost
+sufficient to Authorize some sort of Revenge. He that Violates the
+Necessary Trust and Confidence that One Man ought to Repose in Another,
+does what in Him lies, to Dissolve the very Bond of Humane Society; for
+there’s no Treachery so Close, so Sure, and so Pernicious, as That which
+Works under a Veil of Kindness. We set Toyls, Nets, Gins, Snares, and
+Traps for Beasts and Birds ’tis True; and we Bait Hooks for fishes; But
+All This is done in their Own Haunts, and Walks, and without any Seal of
+Faith and Confidence in the Matter: But to break the Laws of Hospitality
+and Tenderness; To betray our Guests under our Own Roofs, and to Murder
+them at our Own Tables; This is a Practice only for _Men_ and _Vulturs_
+to be guilty of.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXII.
+
+_Bustards_ and _Cranes_.
+
+
+Some Sports-men that were abroad upon Game, spy’d a Company of _Bustards_
+and _Cranes_ a Feeding together, and so made in upon ’em as fast as
+their Horses could carry them. The _Cranes_ that were Light, took Wing
+immediately, and sav’d themselves, but the _Bustards_ were Taken; for
+they were Fat, and Heavy, and could not Shift so well as the Other.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Light of Body and Light of Purse, comes much to a Case in Troublesome
+Times; Only the One saves himself by his Activity, and the Other scapes
+because he is not worth the Taking._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+_Camerarius_ makes This to be an Emblem of the Taking of a Town, where
+the Poor scape better then the Rich; for the One is let go, and the
+Other is Plunder’d and Coop’d up. But with Favour of the Moralists, it
+was not at the Fowler’s Choice, which to Take, and which to Let go; for
+the _Cranes_ were too Nimble, and got away in spite of him: So that
+This Phansie seems rather to Point at the Advantages that some have
+over Others, to make Better shift in the World then their Fellows, by a
+Felicity of Make, and Constitution, whether of Body or of Mind: Provided
+always, that they Play Fair, and Manage all Those Faculties with a Strict
+Regard to Common Honesty and Justice.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXIII.
+
+_Jupiter_ and an _Ape_.
+
+
+_Jupiter_ took a Fancy once to Summon all the Birds and Beasts under the
+Canopy of Heaven to appear before him with their Brats, and their Little
+ones, to see which of ’em had the prettiest Children: And who but the
+_Ape_ to put her self Foremost, with a Brace of her _Cubs_ in her Arms,
+for the Greatest Beauties in the Company.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXIV.
+
+An _Eagle_ and an _Owl_.
+
+
+A Certain _Eagle_ that had a mind to be well serv’d, took up a Resolution
+of Preferring Those that she found most agreeable, for Person and
+Address; and so there past an Order of Council for All Her Majesty’s
+Subjects to bring their Children to Court. They came accordingly, and
+Every One in their Turn was for Advancing their Own: Till at last the
+_Owl_ fell a Mopping, and Twinkling, and told Her Majesty, that if a
+Gracious Meen and Countenance might Entitle any of her Subjects to a
+Preference, she doubted not but her Brood would be look’d upon in the
+First Place; for they were as like the Mother, as if they had been spit
+out of their Mouth. Upon this the Board fell all into a Fit of Laughing,
+and call’d Another Cause.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_No Body ever saw an Ill-favour’d Fool in the World yet, Man, or Woman,
+that had not a Good Opinion of its Own Wit and Beauty._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Self Love is the Root of All the Vanities that are struck at in These Two
+Fables, and it is so Natural an Infirmity, that it makes us Partial even
+to Those that come of us, as well as our selves: And then it is so Nicely
+Divided, betwixt Piety, Pride, and Weakness, that in Many Cases ’tis a
+hard Matter to Distinguish the One from the Other. ’Tis a Frailty for a
+Man to Think Better of his Children then they Deserve: But then there is
+an Impulse of Tenderness, and of Duty, that goes along with it, and there
+must be some sort of an Esteem in the Case too, for the setting of That
+In-bred Affection at Work. The Difficulty lies in the Moderating of the
+Matter, and in getting the True _Medium_ betwixt being Wanting to our
+Own Flesh and Bloud, once Remov’d, and Assuming too much to our selves.
+Let the Attachment be what it will, we must not suffer our Judgments
+to be either Perverted, Blinded, or Corrupted, by any Partiality of
+Prepossessions whatsoever.
+
+The Moral here before us, Extends to the Fruits and Productions of the
+Brain, as well as of the Body; and to Deformities in the Matter, as
+well of Understanding, as of Shape. We are Taught here Principally, Two
+Things; First, how Ridiculous it is for a Man to Dote upon _Fops_ and
+_Buffons_, though never so much the Issue of his Own Head and Loins; And
+yet Secondly, How Prone we are to Indulge our Own Errors, Follies, and
+Miscarriages, in Thought, Word, and Deed. The World has Abundance of
+these _Apes_ and _Owls_ in’t: So that Whoever does but look about him,
+will find so many Living Illustrations of This Emblem, that more Words
+upon the Subject would be needless.
+
+
+
+
+THE FABLES OF ANIANUS, _&c._
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXV.
+
+An _Oak_ and a _Willow_.
+
+
+There happen’d a Controversie betwixt an _Oak_ and a _Willow_, upon the
+Subject of Strength, Constancy, and Patience, and which of the Two should
+have the Preference. The _Oak_ Upbraided the _Willow_, that it was Weak
+and Wavering, and gave way to Every Blast. The _Willow_ made no Other
+Reply, then that the next Tempest should Resolve That Question. Some very
+little while after This Dispute, it Blew a Violent Storm. The _Willow_
+Ply’d, and gave way to the Gust, and still recover’d it self again,
+without receiving any Damage: But the _Oak_ was Stubborn, and chose
+rather to _Break_ then _Bend_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Stiff and a Stubborn Obstinacy, is not so much Firmness, and
+Resolution, as Wilfulness. A Wise and a Steady Man, bends only in the
+Prospect of Rising again._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are Many Cases, and Many Seasons, wherein, Men must either Bend
+or Break: But Conscience, Honour, and Good Manners, are first to be
+Consulted. When a Tree is Press’d with a strong Wind, the Branches may
+Yield, and yet the Root remain Firm. But Discretion is to Govern us,
+where and when we may be Allow’d to Temporize, and where and when not.
+When Bending or Breaking is the Question, and Men have No Other Choice
+before them, then either of Complying, or of being Undone; ’tis No Easie
+Matter to Distinguish, Where, When, How, or to What Degree, to Yield to
+the Importunity of the Occasion, or the Difficulty of the Times. It is
+a Certain Rule, ’tis true (but a General One) That _No Ill is to be done
+that Good may come of it_: Now the Point will be at last, what’s _Simply_
+Good or Evil; What in the _Contemplation_; and how far the _Intention_,
+or the Probable _Consequences_ of such, or such an Action, may Qualifie
+the Case: Taking This Consideration along with us too, that we are under
+a Great Temptation to be Partial in favour of our selves, in the Matter
+of Ease, Profit, or Safety.
+
+The First Point to be Preserv’d Sacred, and from whence a Man is never
+to Depart, though for the Saving of his Life, Liberty, Popular Credit,
+or Estate; That First Point, I say, is _Conscience_. Now All Duties
+are Matter of _Conscience_, respectively to the Subject that they are
+Exercis’d upon; Only with this Restriction, that a Superior Obligation
+Discharges, or at least Suspends the Force of an Inferior: As to such a
+Circumstance for the Purpose, such a Degree, or such a Season. Now there
+are other Niceties also, as of Honour, Decency, and Discretion, Humanity,
+Modesty, Respect, _&c._ that border even upon the Indispensable Tyes
+of Religion it self; and though they are Not Matter of _Conscience_,
+Simply, and Apart, they are yet so Reductively, with a Regard to Other
+Considerations: That is to say, though they are Not so in the Abstract,
+they Become so by Affinity and Connexion: And such Civil Matters they
+are, as fall within the Purlews of Religion. There are Tryals of Men, as
+well as Tryals of Trees. Storms or Inundations are the same Thing to the
+One, that the Iniquity of such or such an Age, or Conjuncture, is to the
+Other. Now ’tis not Courage but Stomack, that makes many People Break,
+rather then they will Bend; even though a Yielding upon that _Puntillo_
+(and with a Good Conscience too) might perhaps have sav’d a State.
+Fractures Undoubtedly are Dangerous, where the Publick is to be Crush’d
+under the Ruine: But yet after All This Discanting, and Modifying upon
+the Matter, there’s no less Hazzard on the Yielding side too, then there
+is on the other. Men may be Stiff and Obstinate, upon a Wrong Ground, and
+Men may Ply, and Truckle too, upon as False a Foundation. Our Bodies may
+be forc’d, but our Minds Cannot: So that Humane Frailty is No Excuse for
+a Criminal Immorality. Where the Law of God and Nature Obliges me, the
+Plea of Humane Frailty can Never Discharge me. There’s as much Difference
+betwixt Bending and Sinking, as there is betwixt Breaking and Bending.
+There must be no Contending with Insuperable Powers on the One Hand, and
+no Departing from Indispensable Duties on the Other: Nor is it the Part,
+either of a Christian, or of a Man, to abandon his Post. Now the Just
+_Medium_ of This Case lies betwixt the Pride, and the Abjection of the
+Two Extreams. As the _Willow_, for the Purpose, _Bows_, and _Recovers_,
+and the Resignation is Crown’d and Rewarded in the Success. The _Oak_ is
+_Stubborn_, and _Inflexible_, and the _Punishment_ of that _Stiffness_,
+is One Branch of the _Allegory_ of This Fable.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXVI.
+
+A _Fisherman_ and a Little _Fish_.
+
+
+As an _Angler_ was at his Sport, he had the Hap to Draw up _a very little
+Fish_ from among the Fry. The Poor Wretch begg’d heartily to be thrown
+in again; for, says he, I’m not come to my Growth yet, and if you’ll let
+me alone till I am Bigger, Your Purchase will turn to a Better Account.
+Well! says the Man, but I’d rather have a Little Fish in Possession, then
+a Great One in Reversion.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis Wisdom to take what we May, while ’tis to be Had, even if it were
+but for Mortality sake._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s no Parting with a Certainty for an Uncertainty. But This Fable is
+abundantly Moraliz’d Elsewhere.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXVII.
+
+An _Ant_ and a _Grasshopper_.
+
+
+As the _Ants_ were Airing their Provisions One Winter, Up comes a Hungry
+_Grasshopper_ to ’em, and begs a Charity. They told him that he should
+have Wrought in Summer, if he would not have Wanted in Winter. Well, says
+the _Grasshopper_, but I was not Idle neither; for I Sung out the Whole
+Season. Nay then, said they, You shall e’en do Well to make a Merry Year
+on’t, and Dance in Winter to the Tune that You Sung in Summer.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Life of Sloth is the Life of a Brute; but Action and Industry is the
+Bus’ness of a Great, a Wise, and a Good Man._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Here’s a Reproof to Men of Sensuality, and Pleasure. The Moral Preaches
+Industry, and Beats down Sloth; and Shews that After-wit is Nothing
+Worth. It must be an Industrious Youth that provides against the
+Inconveniences and Necessities of Old Age; And he that Fools away the
+One, must either Beg or Starve in the Other. _Go to the Ant, thou
+Sluggard_; (says the _Wise Man_) which in a Few Words Sums up the Moral
+of This Fable. ’Tis Hard to say of Laziness, or Luxury, whether it
+be the more Scandalous, or the more Dangerous Evil. The very Soul of
+the Slothful, does Effectually but lie Drowzing in his Body, and the
+Whole Man is Totally given up to his Senses: Whereas the Profit and the
+Comfort of Industry, is Substantial, Firm, and Lasting; The Blessings
+of Security and Plenty go along with it, and it is never out of Season.
+What’s the _Grasshopper’s_ Entertainment now, but a Summers Song? A Vain,
+and an Empty Pleasure? Let it be Understood however, that we are not
+to Pass _Avarice_ upon the World under the Title of _Good Husbandry_,
+and _Thrift_: and under That Cover to Extinguish _Charity_ by not
+Distributing the Fruits of it. We are in the First Place, to Consult our
+Own Necessities, but we are Then to Consider in the Second Place, that
+the Necessities of our Neighbours have a Christian Right to a Part of
+what we have to Spare. For the Common Offices of Humanity, are as much
+Duties of _Self-Preservation_, as what Every _Individual_ Contributes to
+its Own Well-Being. It is in Short, the Great Interest and Obligation of
+_Particulars_, to advance the Good of the _Community_.
+
+The Stress of This Moral lies upon the Preference of Honest Labour to
+Idleness; and the Refusal of Relief on the One Hand, is intended only for
+a Reproof to the Inconsiderate Loss of Opportunity on the Other. This
+does not hinder yet, but that the _Ants_, out of their Abundance, ought
+to have Reliev’d the _Grasshopper_ in her Distress, though ’twas her Own
+Fault that Brought her to’t: For if One Man’s Faults could Discharge
+Another Man of his Duty, there would be no longer any Place left for
+the Common Offices of Society. To Conclude, We have our Failings, Every
+Mothers Child of us, and the Improvidence of my Neighbour must not make
+me Inhumane. The _Ant_ did well to _Reprove_ the _Grasshopper_ for her
+_Slothfulness_; but she did Ill then to refuse her a _Charity_ in her
+_Distress_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXVIII.
+
+A _Bull_ and a _Goat_.
+
+
+A _Bull_ that was Hard Press’d by a Lyon, ran directly toward a
+_Goat-Stall_, to Save Himself. The _Goat_ made Good the Door, and Head
+to Head Disputed the Passage with him. Well! says the _Bull_, with
+Indignation, If I had not a more Dangerous Enemy at my Heels, then I have
+Before me, I should soon Teach you the Difference betwixt the Force of a
+_Bull_, and of a _Goat_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis no Time to Stand Quarrelling with Every Little Fellow, when Men of
+Power are Pursuing us upon the Heel to the very Death._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It is Matter of Prudence, and Necessity; for People in many Cases to put
+up the Injuries of a Weaker Enemy, for fear of Incurring the Displeasure
+of a Stronger. _Baudoin_ fancies the _Bull_ to be the Emblem of a Man
+in Distress, and the _Goat_ Insulting over him; and _Moralizes_ upon it
+after This Manner. [_There’s Nothing that a Courtier more Dreads and
+Abhors, then a Man in Disgrace; and he is presently made All the Fools
+and Knaves in Nature upon’t: For He that’s unfortunate is Consequently
+Guilty of All manner of Crimes._] He Applies This Character to those that
+Persecute Widows and Orphans, and Trample upon the Afflicted; though not
+without some Violence Methinks, to the Genuine Intent of This Figure;
+for the _Goat_ was only _Passive_; and his Bus’ness was, without any
+Insolence, or Injustice, to Defend his Free Hold.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXIX.
+
+A _Nurse_ and a _Wolfe_.
+
+
+As a _Wolfe_ was Hunting up and down for his Supper, he pass’d by a Door
+where a Little Child was Bawling, and an Old Woman Chiding it. _Leave
+your Vixen-Tricks_, says the _Woman_, _or I’ll throw ye to the Wolfe_.
+The _Wolfe_ Over-heard her, and Waited a pretty While, in hope the
+_Woman_ would be as good as her Word; but No Child coming, away goes the
+_Wolfe_ for That Bout. He took his Walk the Same Way again toward the
+Evening, and the Nurse he found had Chang’d her Note; for she was Then
+Muzzling, and Cokesing of it. _That’s a Good Dear_, says she, _If the
+Wolfe comes for My Child, We’ll e’en Beat his Brains out._ The _Wolfe_
+went Muttering away upon’t. There’s No Meddling with People, says he,
+that Say One Thing and Mean Another.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis Fear more then Love that makes Good Men, as well as Good Children,
+and when Fair Words, and Good Councel will not Prevail upon us, we must
+be Frighted into our Duty._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Heart and Tongue of a Woman are commonly a Great way a sunder. And it
+may bear Another Moral; which is, that ’tis with Froward Men, and Froward
+Factions too; as ’tis with Froward Children, They’ll be sooner Quieted by
+Fear, and Rough Dealing, then by any Sense of Duty or Good Nature. There
+would be no Living in This World without _Penal Laws_, and _Conditions_.
+And _Do or Do not_, This or That at Your Peril, is as Reasonable, and
+Necessary in Families as it is in Governments. It is a Truth Imprinted
+in the Hearts of All Mankind, that the _Gibbets_, _Pillories_, and the
+_Whipping-Posts_ make more _Converts_ then the _Pulpits_: As the _Child_
+did more here for _fear_ of the _Wolfe_, then for the _Love_ of the
+_Nurse_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXX.
+
+An _Eagle_ and a _Tortoise_.
+
+
+A _Tortoise_ was thinking with himself, how Irksom a sort of Life it was,
+to spend All his Days in a Hole, with a House upon his Head, when so many
+Other Creatures had the Liberty to Divert Themselves in the Free, Fresh
+Air, and to Ramble about at Pleasure. So that the Humor took him One Day,
+and he must needs get an _Eagle_ to teach him to Fly. The _Eagle_ would
+fain have put him off, and told him, ’twas a Thing against Nature, and
+Common Sense; but (according to a Freak of the Wilful Part of the World)
+the More the One was Against it, the More the Other was For it: And when
+the _Eagle_ saw that the _Tortoise_ would not be said _Nay_, she took him
+up a matter of _Steeple-high_ into the Air, and there turn’d him Loose
+to shift for Himself. That is to say; she dropt him down, _Squab_ upon a
+Rock, that Dash’d him to Pieces.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Nothing can be either Safe, or Easy that’s Unnatural._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This shews us, how Unnatural a Vanity it is, for a Creature that was
+Made for One Condition, to Aspire to Another. The _Tortoises_ Place was
+upon the Sands, not among the Stars; and if he had kept to his Station,
+he would have been in No Danger of Falling. Many a Fool has Good Councel
+Offer’d him, that has not either the Wit, or the Grace to Take it; and
+his Willfulness commonly Ends in his Ruine.
+
+Every thing in Nature has it’s Appointed Place, and Condition, and
+there’s No putting a Force upon any thing, contrary to the Biass and
+Intent of it’s Institution. What Bus’ness has a _Tortoise_ among the
+Clouds? Or why may not the Earth it self as well Covet a Higher Place,
+as any Creature that’s Confin’d to’t? It is, in short, a Silly, an
+Extravagant, and in Truth, so Impious a Fancy, that there can hardly
+be a Greater Folly, then to Wish, or but so much as Suppose it: But
+there’s an Ambition in mean Creatures, as well as in Mean Souls. So many
+Ridiculous Upstarts as we find Promoted in the World, we may Imagin to
+be so many _Tortoises_ in the Air; and when they have Flutter’d there a
+While, like _Paper Kites_, for the Boys to stare at, He that took them
+up, grows either Asham’d, or Weary of them, and so lets them Drop again;
+and, with the Devil Himself, e’en leaves them where he found them. This
+may serve to put a Check to the Vanity and Folly of an Unruly Ambition;
+that’s Deaf, not only to the Advice of Friends, but to the Councels
+and Monitions of the very Spirit of Reason it self: For flying without
+Wings is All one with Working without Means. We see a Thousand Instances
+in the World, Every jot as Ridiculous as This in the Fable. That is to
+say, of Men that are Made for One Condition, and yet Affect Another.
+What signifies the Fiction of _Phaeton_ in the Chariot of the _Sun_?
+The _Frog_ vying Bulk with an _Oxe_; or the _Tortoise_ Riding upon the
+Wings of the Wind; but to Prescribe Bounds and Measures to our Exorbitant
+Passions; and at the same time, to shew us upon the Issue, that All
+Unnatural Pretensions are Attended with a Certain Ruine?
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXI.
+
+An _Old Crab_ and a _Young_.
+
+
+_Child_, (says the _Mother_) You must Use your self to Walk Streight,
+without Skewing, and Shailing so Every Step you set; Pray _Mother_ (says
+the _Young Crab_) do but set the Example your self, and I’ll follow ye.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXII.
+
+The _Goose_ and _Gosselin_.
+
+
+Why do you go Nodding and Waggling so like a Fool, as if you were
+_Hipshot_? says the _Goose_ to her _Gosselin_. The _Young One_ try’d to
+Mend it, but Could not; and so the _Mother_ ty’d Little Sticks to her
+Legs, to keep her Upright: But the _Little One_ Complain’d then, that she
+could neither Swim, nor Dabble with ’em. Well, says the _Mother_, Do but
+hold up your Head at least. The _Gosselin_ Endeavour’d to do That too;
+but upon the Stretching out of her Long Neck, she complain’d that she
+could not see the Way before her; Nay then, says the _Goose_, if it will
+be no Better, e’en carry your Head and your Feet, as your Elders have
+done before ye.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_Ill Examples Corrupt even the Best Dispositions, but we must Distinguish
+betwixt Natural and Moral Actions._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It is Time Lost to Advise Others to do what we either Do not, or Cannot
+do Our Selves. There’s no Crossing of Nature; but the Best way is to rest
+Contented with the Ordinary Condition of Things. ’Tis but so much Labour
+thrown away, to Attempt the Altering of Instincts, or the Curing of Ill
+Habits.
+
+Example Works a great Deal more then Precept; for Words without
+Practice, are but Councels without Effect. When we do as we say, ’tis a
+Confirmation of the Rule; but when our Lives and Doctrines do not Agree,
+it looks as if the Lesson were either too Hard for us, or the Advice not
+worth the While to Follow. We should see to Mend our Own Manners, before
+we Meddle to Reform our Neighbours, and not Condemn Others for what we do
+our Selves: Especially where they follow the Nature of their Kind, and
+in so doing, Do as they Ought to do. Let Every thing Move, March, and
+Govern it self, according to the Proper Disposition of the Creature; for
+it would be Every Jot as Incongruous, for a _Crab_ to Walk like a _Man_,
+as for a _Man_ to Walk like a _Crab_. This may be apply’d to the Lessons
+that are given us for the Ordering our Lives and Families. But above All
+Things, Children should not be Betray’d into the Love and Practice of
+any thing that is Amiss, by Setting Evil Examples before them; for their
+Talent is only Imitation; and ’tis Ill Trusting Methinks in such a Case,
+without a Judgment to Distinguish.
+
+This Allegory may pass for a very Good Lecture to Governors, Parents, and
+Tutors, to behave themselves Reverently both in Word and Deed, before
+their Pupils, with a kind of Awful Tenderness for the Innocency and
+Simplicity of Youth. For Examples of Vices, or Weaknesses, have the same
+Effect upon Children, with Examples of Virtue; Nay, it holds in Publique
+too as well as in Private, that the Words and Actions of our Superiors
+have the Authority and Force of a Recommendation. _Regis ad Exemplum_, is
+so True, that ’tis Morally Impossible to have a Sober People under a Mad
+Government. For where Lewdness is the Way to Preferment, Men are Wicked
+by Interest, as well as by Imitation: But to Return to the Stress of the
+Fable, Let a _Goose_ Walk like a _Goose_, and leave Nature to do her Own
+Bus’ness her Own Way.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXIII.
+
+The _Sun_ and the _Wind_.
+
+
+There happen’d a Controversie betwixt the _Sun_ and the _Wind_, which
+was the Stronger of the Two; and they put the Point upon This Issue:
+There was a Traveller upon the Way, and which of the Two could make That
+Fellow Quit his Cloak should carry the Cause. The _Wind_ fell presently
+a Storming, and threw Hail-Shot over and above in the very Teeth of him.
+The Man Wraps himself up, and keeps Advancing still in spight of the
+Weather: But this Gust in a short Time Blew over; and then the _Sun_
+Brake out, and fell to Work upon him with his Beams; but still he Pushes
+forward, Sweating, and Panting, till in the End he was forc’d to Quit
+his Cloak, and lay himself down upon the Ground in a Cool Shade for his
+Relief. So that the _Sun_, in the Conclusion, carry’d the Point.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Reason and Resolution will Support a Man against All the Violences
+of Malice and Fortune; but in a Wallowing Qualm, a Man’s Heart and
+Resolution fails him, for want of Fit Matter to Work upon._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Part of Good Discretion in All Contests, to Consider over and
+over, the Power, the Strength, and the Interest of our Adversary; and
+likewise again, that though One Man may be more Robust then Another, That
+Force may be Baffled yet by Skill and Address. It is in the Bus’ness of
+Life as it is in a Storm, or a Calm at Sea: The Blast may be Impetuous;
+but seldom lasts long; and though the Vessel be Press’d never so Hard,
+a Skilful Steers-man will yet bear up against it: But in a Dead Calm, a
+Man loses his Spirits, and lies in a Manner Expos’d, as the Scorn and
+Spectacle of Ill Fortune.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXIV.
+
+An _Ass_ and a _Lyon_’s Skin.
+
+
+There was a Freak took an _Ass_ in the Head, to Scoure abroad upon the
+Ramble; and away he goes into the Woods, Masquerading up and down in
+a _Lyon_’s _Skin_. The World was his Own for a while, and where ever
+he went, Man and Beast Fled before him: But he had the Hap in the
+Conclusion, partly by his _Voice_, and partly by his _Ears_, to be
+Discover’d, and consequently Uncas’d, well Laugh’d at, and well Cudgell’d
+for his Pains.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The World abounds in Terrible_ Fanfarons, _in the Masque of Men of
+Honour: But These_ Braggadocio_’s are Easie to be Detected; for no
+Counterfeit of any Good Quality or Virtue whatsoever, will abide the
+Test_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s Nothing more Frequent, or more Ridiculous in the World then
+for an _Ass_ to Dress himself up like a _Lyon_: A _Dunce_ sets up for
+a _Doctor_; a _Beggar_ for a Man of _Estate_; a _Scoundrel_ for a
+_Cavalier_; a _Poltron_ for a _Swordman_: But Every Fool still has some
+Mark or other to be Known by, through All Disguises; and the More he
+takes upon him, the Arranter Sot he makes Himself, when he comes to be
+Unmasqu’d.
+
+Every Fool, or Fools Fellow, carries More or Less, in his Face, the
+Signature of his Manners, though the Character may be much more Legible
+in some, then in Others; As the _Ass_ was found out by his _Voice_, and
+by his _Ears_. Let him keep his Words betwixt his Teeth, and he may pass
+Muster perhaps for a Man of some Sense; but if he comes to Open once,
+he’s Lost: For Nature never put the Tongue of a Philosopher into the
+Mouth of a Coxcomb: but however, let him be, in truth, what he Will, he
+is yet so Conscious of what he Ought to be, that he makes it his Bus’ness
+to pass for what he is Not: And in the Matter of Counterfeits, it is with
+Men, as it is with False Money: One Piece is more or less Passable then
+Another, as it happens to have more or less Sense, or Sterling in the
+Mixture. One General Mark of an Impostor, is This; That he Out-does the
+Original; As the _Ass_ here in the _Lyon Skin_, made Fifty times more
+Clutter then the _Lyon_ would have done in his _Own_; And Himself Fifty
+times the more Ridiculous for the Disguise.
+
+If a Man turn his Thoughts now from This Fancy in the _Forrest_, to the
+Sober Truth of Daily Experience in the _World_, he shall find _Asses_ in
+the Skins of _Men_, Infinitely more Contemptible then _This Ass_ in the
+Skin of a _Lyon_. How many Terrible _Asses_ have we seen in the Garb of
+Men of Honour! How many Insipid, and Illiterate Fops, that take upon them
+to Retail Politiques, and fit for the Picture of Men of State! How many
+_Judas_’s with _Hail Master_ in their Mouths! How many _Church Robbers_
+that Write themselves _Reformers_! In One Word, Men do Naturally love
+to be thought Greater, Wiser, Holier, Braver, and Juster then they Are;
+and in fine, Better Qualify’d in All Those Faculties that may give them
+Reputation among the People, then we find ’em to be.
+
+The Moral of This Fable Hits all sorts of Arrogant Pretenders, and runs
+Effectually into the Whole Bus’ness of Humane Life. We have it in the
+very Cabinets, and Councels of State, the Bar, the Bench, the Change, the
+Schools, the Pulpits, All Places, in short, are full of Quacks, Juglers,
+and Plagiaries, that set up for Men of Quality, Conscience, Philosophy,
+and Religion. So that there are _Asses_ with _Short Ears_, as well as
+with _Long_, and in Robes of Silk and Dignity, as well as in Skins of
+Hair. In Conclusion, An _Ass_ of the _Long-Robe_, when he comes once to
+be Detected, looks Infinitely Sillier, then he would have done in his own
+Shape: Neither is _Æsop_’s Ass Laugh’d at here for his _Ears_, or for
+his _Voice_, but for his _Vanity_, and _Pretence_; for T’other is but
+according to his own Kind and Nature; and Every thing is Well and Best,
+while it Continues to be as God made it.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXV.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Worm_.
+
+
+A _Worm_ put forth his Head out of a Dunghil, and made Proclamation
+of his Skill in _Physick_. Pray, says the _Fox_, Begin with your Own
+Infirmities before you Meddle with other Peoples.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Physician Cure thy Self._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Saying and Doing are Two Things. _Physician Cure thy Self_, Preaches to
+us upon This Fable. Every Man does Best in his own Trade, and _the Cobler
+is not to go beyond his Last_. We have of these _Dunghil-Pretenders_,
+in All Professions, and but too many of them that Thrive upon their
+Arrogance. If This _Worm_ had met with an _Ass_ to _Encourage_ his
+Vanity, instead of a _Fox_ to _Correct_ it, he might have been Advanc’d
+to a _Doctor of the College_ perhaps: Or to _some more Considerable Post
+of Honour, either in Church or State_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXVI.
+
+A _Curst Dog_.
+
+
+There was a very Good _House-Dog_, but so Dangerous a Cur to Strangers,
+that his Master put a _Bell_ about his Neck, to give People Notice
+before-hand when he was a Coming. The _Dog_ took this _Bell_ for a
+Particular Mark of his Master’s _Favour_, till One of his Companions
+shew’d him his Mistake. You are Mightily Out (says he) to take this for
+an Ornament, or a Token of Esteem, which is in truth, no Other then a
+Note of Infamy set upon you for your Ill Manners.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This may serve for an Admonition to Those that make a Glory of the
+Marks of their Shame, and Value themselves upon the Reputation of an Ill
+Character._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Bad World, when the Rules and Measures of Good and Evil, are
+either Inverted, or Mistaken; and when a Brand of Infamy passes for a
+Badge of Honour. But the Common People do not Judge of Vice or Virtue, by
+the Morality, or the Immorality of the Matter, so much as by the Stamp
+that is set upon’t by Men of President and Figure. What’s more Familiar
+then an Ostentation of Wickedness, where Impiety has the Reputation of
+Virtue? As in the Excesses of Wine and Women, and the Vanity of bearing
+up against all the Laws of God and Man. When Lewdness comes once to be
+a Fashion, it has the Credit in the World that other Fashions have, as
+we see many times an Affectation even of Deformity it self, where some
+Exemplary Defect has brought that Deformity to be a Mode. The Fancy of
+This _Dog_ was somewhat like the _French Woman_’s _Freak_, that stood
+up for the Honour of her Family: _Her Coat was Quarter’d_, she said,
+_with the Arms of_ France; which was so far True, that she had the
+_Flower-de-Luce_ Stamp’d, we must not say _Branded_ upon her Shoulder.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXVII.
+
+Two _Friends_ and a _Bear_.
+
+
+_Two_ Friends that were Travelling together, had the Fortune to Meet a
+_Bear_ upon the Way. They found there was no Running for’t. So the One
+Whips up a Tree, and the Other throws himself Flat with his Face upon
+the Ground. The _Bear_ comes directly up to him, Muzzles, and Smells to
+him, puts his Nose to his Mouth, and to his Ears, and at last, taking for
+Granted that ’twas only a Carcass, there he leaves him. The _Bear_ was
+no sooner gone, but Down comes his Companion, and ask’d him, what it was
+the _Bear_ Whisper’d him in the Ear. He bad me have a Care, says he, how
+I keep Company with those, that when they find themselves upon a Pinch,
+will leave their Friends in the Lurch.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Every Man for Himself, and God for us All._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable has in a Few Words a Great many Useful, and Instructive
+Morals. The Man upon the Tree Preaches to us upon the Text of [_Charity
+begins at Home_] According to the False and Perverse Practice of the
+World when their Companions are in Distress. The _Bear_ passes Judgment
+upon the Abandoning of a Friend in a Time of Need, as an Offence both to
+Honour and Virtue; And moreover, Cautions us, above All Things, to have
+a Care what Company we keep. There’s no Living in This World without
+Friendship; No Society, No Security without it; Besides that, the Only
+Tryal of it is in Adversity. And yet nothing Commoner in times of Danger,
+then for States-men, Sword-men, Church-men, Law-men, and in truth, all
+sorts of Men, more or less, to leave their Masters, Leaders, or Friends,
+to _Bears_ and _Tygers_; Shew them a Fair pair of Heels for’t, and cry,
+_The Devil take the Hindmost_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXVIII.
+
+A _Horse-Man_’s _Whig_ Blown off.
+
+
+There was a _Horse-man_ had a Cap on with _a False Head of Hair_ Tack’d
+to’t. There comes a Puff of Wind, and Blows off _Cap and Whig together_.
+The People made sport, he saw, with his Bald Crown, and so very fairly he
+put In with them to Laugh for Company. Why Gentlemen (says he) would you
+have me keep other Peoples Hair Better then I did my Own.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Many a Man would be Extremely Ridiculous, if he did not Spoil the Jest
+by Playing upon Himself first._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Turn of Art, in many Cases, either of Deformity, or Mischance,
+where a Man lies open to a Reproch to Anticipate an Abuse, and to make
+Sport with Himself first. A Man may be Shame-Fac’d, and a Woman, Modest,
+to the Degree of Scandalous. I knew a Lady had one of the most Bashful,
+Scrupulous Persons to her Daughter that ever was Born. Well, says she,
+_I am mightily afraid, This Girl will prove a Whore; for she is so
+Infinitely Modest, that in my Conscience, if any Man should ever Ask her
+the Question, she would not have the Face to Deny him_. A Frank Easy
+way of Openness and Candor agrees Best with All Humours; and He that’s
+Over-solicitous to Conceal a Thing, does as good as make Proclamation of
+it. Wherefore the _Horse-man_ here _Laugh’d first_; and so Prevented the
+_Jest_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXIX.
+
+Two _Pots_.
+
+
+There were _Two Pots_ that stood near One Another by the Side of a River,
+the One of _Brass_, and the Other of _Clay_. The Water overflow’d the
+Banks, and Carry’d them both away: The _Earthen Vessel_ kept Aloof from
+T’other, as much as Possible. Fear Nothing, says the _Brass Pot_, I’ll do
+you No Hurt: No, No, says T’other, not willingly; but if we should happen
+to Knock by Chance, ’twould be the same Thing to Me: So that You and I
+shall never do well together.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Unequal Fellowships and Alliances are Dangerous. Not but that Great and
+Small, Hard and Brittle, Rich and Poor, may sort Well enough together so
+long as the Good Humour Lasts; but wherever there are Men there will be
+Clashing some time or other, and a Knock, or a Contest spoils All._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There can be no True Friendship, properly so Call’d, but betwixt Equals.
+The Rich and the Poor, the Strong and the Weak will never agree together:
+For there’s Danger on the One side, and None on the Other, and ’tis the
+Common Interest of All Leagues and Societies, to have the Respective
+Parties Necessary to One Another. And there needs no Ill Will, or Malice
+neither, to do the Mischief, but the Disparity, or Disproportion Alone
+is enough to do the Work. The same Quantity of Wine that makes One Man
+Drunk, will not Quench Another Man’s Thirst. The same Expence that breaks
+One Man’s Back is not a Flea-biting to Another: Wherefore, Men should
+sort themselves with their Equals; for a Rich Man that Converses upon the
+Square with a Poor Man, shall as certainly Undoe him, as a _Brass-Pot_
+shall break an _Earthen_ One, if they Meet and Knock together.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXX.
+
+_Good Luck_ and _Bad Luck_.
+
+
+There was a Middling sort of a Man that was left well enough to pass
+by his Father, but could never think he had enough, so long as any Man
+had more. He took Notice what Huge Estates many Merchants got in a very
+short Time; and so Sold his Inheritance, and betook himself to a way of
+Traffique and Commerce. Matters succeeded so Wonderfully well with him,
+that Every body was in Admiration to see how Mighty Rich he was grown all
+on a Sudden. _Why Ay_, says he, _This ’tis when a Man Understands his
+Bus’ness; for I have done all This by my Industry_. It would have been
+well if he had stopt there: But Avarice is Insatiable, and so he went
+Pushing on still for More; till, what by Wrecks, Bankrupts, Pyrates, and
+I know not how many other Disappointments, One upon the Neck of Another,
+he was reduc’d in Half the Time that he was a Rising, to a Morsel of
+Bread. Upon these Miscarriages, People were at him over, and over again,
+to know how This came About. Why says he, My Damn’d _Fortune_ would have
+it so. _Fortune_ happen’d to be at That Time within Hearing, and told
+him in his Ear, that he was an Arrogant, Ungrateful Clown; to Charge Her
+with All the Evil that Befel him, and to take the Good to Himself.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXXI.
+
+A _Country-man_ and _Fortune_.
+
+
+As a _Labourer_ was at his Work a Digging, he Chops his Spade upon a Pot
+of Money; Takes it up, Blesses the _Place_ where he found it, and away he
+goes with his Treasure. It so fell out, that _Fortune_ Saw and Heard All
+that Past, and so she call’d out to him upon the Way. Heark ye Friend,
+says she; You are very Thankful, I perceive, to the _Place_ where you
+found This Money; but ’tis _the Jade Fortune_, I warrant ye, that’s to be
+Claw’d away for’t: if you should happen to Lose it again. Pray tell me
+now why should not you _Thank Fortune_ for the _One_, as well as _Curse_
+her for the _Other_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXXII.
+
+An Old _Woman_ and the _Devil_.
+
+
+’Tis a Common Practice, when People draw Mischiefs upon their Own Heads,
+to cry, _the Devil’s in’t_, and _the Devil’s in’t_. Now the _Devil_
+happen’d to spy an _Old Woman_ upon on Apple-Tree. Look ye (says he)
+You shall see that _Beldam_ Catch a Fall there by and by, and Break her
+Bones, and then say ’twas all long of me. Pray Good People will you bear
+me Witness, that I was none of her Adviser. The _Woman_ got a Tumble, as
+the _Devil_ said she would, and there was she at it. _The Devil Ought
+her a Shame, and it was the Devil that put her upon’t_: But the _Devil_
+Clear’d himself by sufficient Evidence that he had no Hand in’t at all.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXXIII.
+
+A _Boy_ and _Fortune_.
+
+
+There was a _Boy_ fast asleep upon the very Brink of a River. _Fortune_
+came to him, and wak’d him. _Child_, says she, prithee get up, and go thy
+ways, thou’t Tumble in and be Drown’d else, and then the Fault will be
+laid upon Me.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Four FABLES Above.
+
+_We are apt to Ascribe our Successes in This World, and to Impute our
+Misfortunes, to Wrong Causes. We Assume the One to our Selves, and Charge
+the Other upon Providence._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+These Four Fables run upon the same Biass; That is to say, the Moral is a
+Lash at the Vanity of Arrogating That to our selves, which succeeds Well;
+and the Ingratitude of making Providence the Author of Evil, which seldom
+scapes without a Judgment in the Tayl on’t. But our Hearts are so much
+set upon the Value of the Benefits we receive, that we never Think of the
+Bestower of them, and so our Acknowledgments are commonly paid to the
+Second Hand, without any Regard to the Principal. We run into Mistakes,
+and Misfortunes, of our Own Accord; and then when we are once Hamper’d,
+we lay the Blame of our Own Faults and Corruptions upon Others. This is
+much the Humour of the World too in Common Bus’ness. If any thing Hits,
+we take it to our Selves; if it Miscarries, we shuffle it off to our
+Neighbours. This Arises, partly from Pride, and in part from a Certain
+Canker’d Malignity of Nature. Nay rather then Impute our Miscarriages and
+Disappointments to our Own Corruptions, or Frailties, we do not Stick
+to Arraign Providence it self, though under Another Name, in all our
+Exclamations against the Rigour, and the Iniquity of _Fortune_. Now this
+_Fortune_ in the _Fable_, is Effectually, _God Himself_, in the _Moral_.
+We are apt to Value our selves upon our Own Strength and Abilities, and
+to Entitle Carnal Reason to the very Works of Grace: And where any thing
+goes Wrong with us, we lay our Faults, as we do our Bastards, at Other
+Peoples Doors. This or That was not well done, we say, but alas it was
+none of our Fault. We did it by Constraint, Advice, Importunity, or the
+Authority perhaps of Great Examples, and the Like. At This rate do we
+Palliate our Own Weaknesses and Corruptions, and at the same Rate do
+We likewise Assume to our selves Other Peoples Merits. The Thing to be
+done, in fine, is to Correct the Arrogance of Claiming to our selves the
+Good that does not belong to us, on the One Hand, and of Imputing to our
+Neighbours the Ill that they are not Guilty of, on the Other. This is the
+Sum of the Doctrine that’s Pointed at in the Case and Custom of Dividing
+our Miscarriages betwixt _Fortune_ and the _Devil_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXXIV.
+
+A _Peacock_ and a _Crane_.
+
+
+As a _Peacock_ and a _Crane_ were in Company together, the _Peacock_
+spreads his Tail, and Challenges the Other, to shew him such a Fan of
+Feathers. The _Crane_, upon This, Springs up into the Air, and calls to
+the _Peacock_ to Follow him if he could. You brag of your Plumes, says
+he, that are fair indeed to the Eye, but no way Useful or Fit for any
+manner of Service.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Heaven has provided not only for our Necessities, but for our Delights
+and Pleasures too; but still the Blessings that are most Useful to us,
+must be preferr’d before the Ornaments of Beauty._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+No Man is to be Despis’d for any Natural Infirmity, or Defect; for Every
+Man has something or other in him of Good too, and That which One Man
+Wants, Another Has. And it is all according to the Good Pleasure of
+Providence. Nature is pleas’d to Entertain her self with Variety. Some of
+her Works are for Ornament, others for the Use and Service of Mankind.
+But they have All Respectively, their Properties, and their Virtues;
+for she does nothing in Vain. The _Peacock_ Values himself upon the
+Gracefulness of his Train. The _Crane_’s Pride is in the Rankness of her
+Wing: Which are only Two Excellencies in several Kinds. Take them apart,
+and they are Both Equally Perfect: but Good Things Themselves have their
+Degrees, and That which is most Necessary and Useful, must be Allow’d a
+Preference to the Other.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXXV.
+
+A _Tyger_ and a _Fox_.
+
+
+As a Huntsman was upon the Chase, and the Beasts flying before him;
+Let Me alone, says a _Tyger_, and I’ll put an end to This War my self:
+At which Word, he Advanced towards the Enemy in his Single Person. The
+Resolution was no sooner Taken, but he found himself Struck through the
+Body with an Arrow. He fasten’d upon it presently with his Teeth, and
+while he was Trying to Draw it out, a _Fox_ Ask’d him, from what Bold
+Hand it was that he Receiv’d This Wound. I know Nothing of That, says
+the _Tyger_, but by the Circumstances, it should be a Man.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s No Opposing Brutal Force to the Stratagems of Humane Reason._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Boldness without Counsel, is no better then an _Impetus_, which is
+commonly Worsted by Conduct and Design. There’s No Man so Daring but some
+time or Other he Meets with his Match. The Moral, in short, holds forth
+This Doctrine, that Reason is too Hard for Force; and that Temerity puts
+a Man off his Guard. ’Tis a High Point of Honour, Philosophy and Virtue,
+for a Man to be so Present to Himself as to be always Provided against
+All Encounters, and Accidents whatsoever; but This will not Hinder him
+from Enquiring Diligently into the Character, the Strength, Motions,
+and Designs of an Enemy. The _Tyger_ lost his Life for want of This
+Circumspection.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXXVI.
+
+A _Lyon_ and _Bulls_.
+
+
+There was a Party of _Bulls_ that Struck up a League to Keep and Feed
+together, and to be _One and All_, in case of a Common Enemy. If the
+_Lyon_ could have Met with any of them Single, he would have done His
+Work, but so long as they Stuck to This Confederacy, there was No Dealing
+with them. They fell to Variance at last among Themselves: The _Lyon_
+made his Advantage of it, and then with Great Ease he Gain’d his End.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This is to tell us the Advantage, the Necessity, and the Force of Union;
+And that Division brings Ruine._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No Resisting of a Common Enemy; No Maintaining of a Civil
+Community, without an Union for a Mutual Defence; and there may be also,
+on the Other Hand, a Conspiracy of Common Enmity and Aggression. There
+are Cases indeed of Great Nicety that fall under the Topique of the
+Right and Lawfulness of Joyning in such Leagues. He that is not _Sui
+Juris_, must not Enter into any Covenants or Contracts to the Wrong
+of his Master: But there are Certain Rules of Honesty, and Methods of
+Government, to Direct us in all Agreements of This Quality. A Thing
+simply Good in it self, may become Unjust and Unrighteous, under such and
+such Circumstances. In a Word, the Main Bond of All Bodies and Interests
+is Union, which is No Other in Effect then a Common Stock of Strength and
+Counsel Joyn’d in One. While the _Bulls_ kept together, they were Safe;
+but as soon as ever they separated, they became a Prey to the _Lyon_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXXVII.
+
+A _Fir_ and a _Bramble_.
+
+
+There goes a Story of a _Fir-Tree_, that in a Vain Spiteful Humour, was
+mightily upon the Pin of Commending it self, and Despising the _Bramble_.
+My Head (says the _Fir_) is advanc’d among the Stars. I furnish Beams for
+Palaces, Masts for Shipping: The very Sweat of my Body is a Sovereign
+Remedy for the Sick and Wounded; Whereas the Rascally _Bramble_ runs
+creeping in the Dirt, and serves for Nothing in the World but Mischief.
+Well, says the _Bramble_, (that Over-heard all This) You might have said
+somewhat of your Own Misfortune, and to My Advantage too, if Your Pride
+and Envy would have suffer’d you to do it. But pray will you tell me
+however, when the Carpenter comes next with his Axe into the Wood to Fell
+Timber, whether you had not rather be a _Bramble_, then a _Fir-Tree_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Poverty Secures a Man from Thieves, Great and Small: Whereas the Rich,
+and the Mighty are the Mark of Malice; and Cross Fortune, and still the
+Higher they Are, the Nearer the Thunder._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There is no State of Life without a Mixture in’t of Good and Evil; and
+the Highest Pitch of Fortune is not without Dangers, Cares, and Fears.
+This Doctrine is Verify’d by Examples Innumerable, through the Whole
+History of the World, and that the Mean is Best, both for Body, Mind, and
+Estate. Pride is not only Uneasie, but Unsafe too, for it has the Power
+and Justice of Heaven, and the Malicious Envy of Men to Encounter at the
+same Time; and the _Axe_ that Cuts down the _Fir_, is Rightly Moraliz’d
+in the Stroke of _Divine Vengeance_, that brings down the _Arrogant_,
+while the _Bramble_ Contents it self in its Station: That is to say;
+Humanity is a Vertue, that never goes without a Blessing.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXXVIII.
+
+A _Covetous Man_ and an _Envious_.
+
+
+There was a _Covetous_, and an _Envious_ Man, that Joyn’d in a Petition
+to _Jupiter_; who very Graciously Order’d _Apollo_ to tell them that
+their Desire should be Granted at a Venture; provided only, that whatever
+the One Ask’d, should be Doubled to the Other. The _Covetous_ Man,
+that thought he could never have enough, was a good while at a Stand;
+Considering, that let him Ask never so much, the Other should have Twice
+as much. But he came however by Degrees, to Pitch upon One Thing after
+another, and his companion had it Double. It was now the _Envious_ Man’s
+turn to Offer up His Request, which was, that One of his Own Eyes might
+be put out, for his Companion was then to lose Both.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Avarice and Envy are Two of the most Diabolical, and Insociable Vices
+under Heaven. The One Assumes All to it self, and the Other Wishes Every
+bit it’s Neighbour Eats may Choak him._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are some Pestilent Humours and Froward Natures, that Heaven it self
+has much ado to please. _Envy_ Places it’s Happiness in the Misery and
+Misfortune of Others; and _Avarice_ is never to be Pleas’d, unless it can
+get All to it self. They may seem to be nearer a-Kin then in truth they
+Are, though the One is seldom or never to be found without the Other.
+The Best Use of This Application, is to Possess us with a True Sense of
+the Restlesness of these Two Passions; and Consequently to make Those
+Weaknesses Odious to our selves, that are so Troublesom to the World; and
+in truth, no Better then the Common Pest of Mankind.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXXXIX.
+
+A _Crow_ and a _Pitcher_.
+
+
+A _Crow_ that was Extream Thirsty, found a _Pitcher_ with a Little Water
+in’t, but it lay so Low he could not come at it. He try’d first to Break
+the Pot, and then to Over-turn it, but it was both too Strong, and too
+Heavy for him. He Bethought Himself however of a Device at last that did
+his Bus’ness; which was, by Dropping a great many Little Pebbles into the
+Water, and Raising it That Way, till he had it within Reach.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There is a Natural Logick in Animals, over and above the Instinct of
+their Kinds._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Kind of a _School Question_ that we find started in This Fable,
+upon the Subject of Reason and Instinct: And whether This Deliberative
+Proceeding of the _Crow_ was not rather a _Logical_ Agitation of the
+Matter, then the Bare _Analogy_, as we call it, of a Simple Impulse. It
+will be Objected, that we are not to Draw Conclusions from the Fictions
+of a Case, but whoever Consults his Experience, may satisfie Himself in
+many Instances that come up to This Supposition. We are also taught, that
+what we cannot Compass Directly, by the Force of Natural Faculties, may
+be brought to pass many Times by Art and Invention.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXL.
+
+A _Lyon_ and a _Man_.
+
+
+There was a Controversie Started betwixt a _Lyon_ and a _Man_, which was
+the Braver, and the Stronger Creature of the Two. Why look ye, says the
+_Man_, (after a long Dispute) we’ll Appeal to that Statue there, and so
+he shew’d him the Figure of a _Man_ Cut in Stone, with a _Lyon_ under
+his Feet. Well! says the _Lyon_, if _We_ had been brought up to Painting
+and Carving, as _You_ are, where you have _One Lyon_ under the Feet of a
+_Man_, you should have had _Twenty Men_ under the Paw of a _Lyon_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis against the Rules of Common Justice for Men to be Judges in their
+Own Case._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Fancies of Poets, Painters, and Gravers, are No Evidences of Truth;
+for People are Partial in their Own Cases, and Every Man will make the
+Best of his Own Tale. ’Tis against Common Equity for the same People to
+be both Parties and Judges, and That’s the Case here betwixt the _Man_
+and the _Lyon_. Now the _Lyon_ is much in the Right, that Characters,
+Pictures, and Images, are All as the Painter, the Carver, or the Statuary
+pleases; and that there’s a Great Difference betwixt a Flight of Fancy,
+and the History of Nature. ’Tis much Easier for a _Man_ to make an _Ass_
+of a _Lyon_ upon a _Pedestal_, then in a _Forrest_; and where it lies at
+his Choice, whether the Giant shall Kill the Squire, or the Squire the
+Giant. Argument is not the Work of the Chissel; neither does the Design
+of the Artist conclude the Truth of the Fact: but there is somewhat
+_Heroical_ yet in the Imagination, though the Piece was never Drawn from
+the Life.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXLI.
+
+A _Boy_ and a _Thief_.
+
+
+A _Thief_ came to a _Boy_, that was Blubbering by the Side of a Well, and
+Ask’d him what he cry’d for. Why, says he, the String’s Broke here, and
+I’ve dropt a Silver Cup into the Well. The Fellow presently Strips, and
+down he goes to search for’t. After a while, he comes up again, with his
+Labour for his Pains, and the Roguy Boy, in the Mean time, was run away
+with his Cloaths.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Some Thieves are Ripe for the Gallows sooner than Others._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It must be a _Diamond_ that cuts a _Diamond_, and there is No Pleasanter
+Encounter, then a Tryal of Skill betwixt a Couple of Sharpers to
+Overreach One Another. The _Boy_’s beginning so Early, tells us that
+there are Cheats by a Natural Propensity of Inclination, as well as by a
+Corruption of Manners. It was _Nature_ that taught this _Boy_ to Shark;
+not _Discipline_, or _Experience_. And so it was with Two Ladies that
+I have known (and Women of Plentiful Fortunes too) they could not for
+their Bloods keep themselves Honest of their Fingers, but would still
+be _Nimming_ something or other for the very Love of _Thieving_. ’Tis
+an Unhappy Thing, that the Temperament of the Body should have such an
+Influence upon our Minds, according to the Instance of the _Boy_ in This
+Fable: For the Morality, or Immorality of the Matter, is not the Whole of
+the Case.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXLII.
+
+A _Country-man_ and an _Oxe_.
+
+
+A _Country-man_ had got a Stubborn _Oxe_, that would still be Pushing
+and Flinging, whenever they went to Yoak, or to Tye him up. The _Man_
+Cuts off his Horns, and puts him to the Plough, and by That Means Secures
+Himself, both against his Head and his Heels; and in the Mean time,
+He Himself Guides the Plough: But though the _Oxe_, when he was thus
+Shackled and Disarmed, could not either Strike, or Gore him, he made a
+shift yet to throw Dust enough into his Eyes, and his Mouth, almost to
+Blind, and to Choak him.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Malicious Man may be Bound Hand and Foot, and put out of Condition of
+doing Mischief, but a Malicious Will is never to be Master’d._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are some Natures so Untractable, that there’s No Good to be done
+upon them by Generosity, Kindness, Artifice, or Councel, nay, the more
+pains a Man takes to Reclaim them, the Worse they are; and when they
+are put out of Condition to do Mischief by Violence, they will find
+a Way yet to Teize and Plague People with Restless, and Vexatious
+Importunities. They love to be Troublesome, and with the _Shrew_ upon
+the _Ducking-stool_, when their _Mouths_ are _Stopt_, they’ll call
+_Pricklouse_ still with their _Thumbs_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXLIII.
+
+A _Man_ and a _Satyr_.
+
+
+There was a _Man_ and a _Satyr_ that kept much together. The _Man_ Clapt
+his Fingers one day to his Mouth, and Blew upon ’em. _What’s That for?_
+(says the _Satyr_) why says he, My Hands are extream Cold, and I do’t
+to Warm ’em. The _Satyr_, at Another time, found This Man Blowing his
+Porridge: And pray, says he, _What’s the Meaning of that now?_ Oh! says
+the _Man_, My Porridge is Hot, and I do’t to Cool it. Nay, says the
+_Satyr_, if you have gotten a Trick of Blowing Hot and Cold out of the
+same Mouth, I have e’en Done with ye.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s No Conversing with any Man that Carries_ Two Faces under One
+Hood.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Moral of this Fable must be Abstracted from the Philosophy of it, and
+taken in the Sense of carrying _Two Faces under One Hood_. It sets forth,
+however, the Simplicity of the _Satyr_, in Not Understanding how Two such
+Contrary Effects should come from the same Lips: But it was Honestly
+done in him yet, to Renounce the Conversation of One that he took for a
+Double-Dealer; and that could Accommodate himself to make Fair with All
+Companies, and Occasions, without any regard to Truth, or Justice. It was
+This Fable that gave Rise to the Old _Adage_ of _Blowing Hot and Cold_;
+which is taken for the Mark and Character of a Dissembler.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXLIV.
+
+A _Country-man_ and a _Boar_.
+
+
+A _Country-man_ took a _Boar_ in his Corn once, and Cut off One of his
+Ears. He took him a Second Time, and cut off T’other. He took him a Third
+Time, and made a Present of him to his Landlord. Upon the Opening of his
+Head, they found he had no Brains, and Every Body fell a Wond’ring, and
+Discoursing upon it. Sir, says the _Clown_, If This _Boar_ had had any
+Brains, he would have taken the Loss of Both his Ears for a Warning,
+never to come into My Corn again. These Words of the Silly _Bumpkin_ set
+the whole Company a Laughing.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_An Incorrigible Fool that will take no Warning, there’s no Hope of him._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Life and Conversation of some Men is so Brutal, as if they had only
+the Shape, without the Faculties of Reasonable Creatures. What’s He
+better then the _Boar_ in This Fable now, that Abandons himself wholly
+to his Appetites, and Pleasures; and after so many Repeated _Poxes_, and
+Qualms, One upon the Neck of Another, _Drinks_ and _Whores_ on still,
+in Despite of all Punishments, and Warnings. The _Boar_’s Intemperance,
+and the Note upon him afterwards, on the Cutting of him up, that he had
+no Brains in’s Head, may be Moraliz’d into the Figure of a Sensual Man,
+that has neither Grace nor Knowledge, but runs headlong on to his Ruine,
+without either Consideration, or Conscience.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXLV.
+
+A _Bull_ and a _Mouse_.
+
+
+A _Mouse_ Pinch’d a _Bull_ by the Foot, and then slunk into her Hole.
+The _Bull_ Tears up the Ground upon’t, and Tosses his Head in the Air,
+looking about, in a Rage, for his Enemy, but sees None. As he was in the
+Height of his Fury, the _Mouse_ puts out her Head, and Laughs at him.
+Your Pride (says she) may be brought down I see, for all Your Blustering,
+and your Horns; for here’s a Poor _Mouse_ has got the Better of ye, and
+You do not know how to Help your self.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s no such way of Revenging an Affront upon a Creature that’s below
+an Honest Man’s Anger, as Neglect and Contempt._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+No Man lives without Enemies, and no Enemy is so Despicable, but some
+time or other he may do a Body a shrewd Turn. ’Tis Prudence to pass over
+Those Indignities, which are either too Little for our Consideration,
+or out of our Power to Reach, and Punish. For there’s Nothing more
+Ridiculous, then an Impotent Anger, that spends it self to no manner of
+Purpose; and there’s no Better way of Dealing with it, then to Laugh it
+Out of Countenance. All Men in the World that we see Transported into
+Outrages, for small Trivial Matters, fall under the _Innuendo_ of This
+_Bull_ in the Fable, that ran Tearing Mad for the Pinching of a _Mouse_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXLVI.
+
+A _Country-man_ and _Hercules_.
+
+
+A _Carter_ that had laid his Wagon Fast in a Slough, stood Gaping and
+Bawling to as many of the Gods and Goddesses as he could Muster up, and
+to _Hercules_ Especially, to Help him out of the Mire. Why ye Lazy Puppy
+you, says _Hercules_, lay your Shoulder to the Wheel, and Prick your Oxen
+first, and _Then_’s your Time to Pray. Are the Gods to do your Drudgery,
+d’ye think, and you lie Bellowing with Your Finger in your Mouth?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Men in Distress must Work as well as Pray, they shall be never the
+Better else._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is but after the Common Guise of the World, for the People when
+they are put to a Plunge, to cry out to Heaven for Help, without Helping
+Themselves; whereas Providence Assists No Body that does not put his Own
+Shoulders to the Work. _Prayers_ without _Works_, are Nothing Worth,
+either for Other People, or for Our selves. [_For Other People_] I say,
+because there is a Double Duty Incumbent upon us in the Exercise of Those
+Powers, and Abilities, which Providence has given us for the Common Good
+of Both. There must be the _Penny_ as well as the _Pater-noster_. ’Tis
+not a Bare _Lord have Mercy upon us_, that will help the Cart out of the
+Mire, or our Neighbour out of the Ditch, without putting our Hands to the
+Work. What signifies the Sound of Words in Prayer, without the Affection
+of the Heart, and a sedulous Application of the Proper Means that may
+Naturally lead to such an End: This is to say, Body and Soul must go
+together, in All the Offices of a Christian, as well as of a Civil Life,
+where there is place for the Exercise of the Faculties of Both.
+
+There is also a Pompous and a Noisy Devotion, that _cries aloud to be
+heard of Men_; which is by so much the more Odious in the sight of God
+then the Other, as an Hypocritical Affectation of Religion, is Worse
+then a Drowsie Heartlessness of Duty. The Moral of This Fable may be
+Understood to look Both Ways, but Care must be Taken however, not to let
+the Scandals of Theatrical Appearances, Divert, or Deter us from the
+Practice of Holy Offices, within the Bounds of Piety and Good Conscience:
+after the Example of Those, that set up for _Atheists_, for fear they
+should be taken for _Enthusiasts_. He, in fine, that _Made_ Body and
+Soul, will be _Serv’d_ and _Glorify’d_ by Both. Besides that, _Hercules_
+helps no Body that will not help _Himself_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXLVII.
+
+A _Hen_ and _Golden Eggs_.
+
+
+A Certain Good Woman had a Hen, that Laid her Golden Eggs, which could
+not be, she thought, without a Mine in the Belly of Her. Upon This
+Presumption, she Cut her up to Search for Hidden Treasure: But upon the
+Dissection found her just like _Other Hens_, and that the Hope of Getting
+more had betray’d her to the Loss of what she had in Possession.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This is the Fate, Folly and Mischief of Vain Desires, and of an
+Immoderate Love of Riches. Content wants Nothing, and Covetousness brings
+Beggery._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+They that would still have more and more, can never have Enough; No, Not
+if a Miracle should Interpose to Gratify their Avarice; for it makes Men
+Unthankful to the Highest Degree, not only in General, for the Benefits
+they Receive, but in particular also to the very Benefactors Themselves.
+If the Nearest Friend a Covetous Man has in the World, had really a Mine
+in his Guts, he’d Rip him up to Find it: For his Bus’ness is to make
+the Most of what he has, and of what he can get, without any regard to
+the Course of Providence, or of Nature: And what’s the End of All These
+Unreasonable Desires, but Loss, Sorrow, and Disappointment? The True
+Intent of This Fable is to Possess us of a Just Sense of the Vanity and
+Folly of these Craving Appetites. If the Woman could have been Contented
+with Golden Eggs, she might have kept That Revenue on still; but when
+Nothing less then the _Mine it self_ would serve her, she lost _Hen, Eggs
+and All_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXLVIII.
+
+An _Ape_ and her _Two Brats_.
+
+
+There was an _Ape_ that had Twins: She Doted upon One of them, and did
+not much Care for T’other. She took a sudden Fright once, and in a Hurry
+whips up her Darling under her Arm, and carries the Other a Pick-a-Pack
+upon her Shoulders. In This Haste and Maze, Down she comes, and beats out
+her Favourites Brains against a Stone; but That which she had at her Back
+came off Safe and Sound.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Fondlings are Commonly Unfortunate._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Partiality in a Parent is commonly Unlucky, if not a little Unnatural,
+for Fondlings are in danger to be made Fools, by the very Error of their
+Education, and we find it Experimentally that the Children that are least
+Cocker’d, make the Best, and Wisest Men. ’Tis well to be Tender, but to
+set the Heart too much upon any thing, is what we cannot Justify, either
+in Religion, or in Reason. I was Saying that Partiality was a little
+Unnatural too. I do not mean a Partiality of Inclination; for we cannot
+Command our Likings, or our Aversions; but I speak of a Partiality that
+shews it self in a Distinguishing Preference of One to the Other, and
+therefore what Hankering Dispositions soever we may have, That Fondness
+should not Transport us beyond the Bounds of a Discreet Affection; and
+Other Circumstances apart, we should no more be kinder to One Child
+then to Another, then we are Tender of One Eye more then of the Other;
+for they are Both our Own Flesh and Blood alike. Children are Naturally
+Jealous, and Envious, and the Quenching of their Spirits so Early,
+hazards the Damping of them for ever. Beside, that there is no such Fop
+in Fine, as my Young Master, that has the Honour to be a Fool of his Lady
+Mother’s making. She Blows him up into a Conceit of Himself, and there he
+Stops, without ever Advancing One Step further. In short, she makes a Man
+of him at Sixteen, and a Boy all the Days of his Life after. And what is
+All This now, but the True Moral of the _Ape_ with her _Brats_ here in
+the Fable? The _Cub_ that she carry’d at her Back had the Wit to Shift
+for it self; but the Other, that she _Hugg’d as the Devil did the Witch_,
+Perish’d in her very Arms.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXLIX.
+
+An _Oxe_ and an _Heifer_.
+
+
+A Wanton _Heifer_ that had little else to do then to Frisk up and down
+in a Meadow, at Ease and Pleasure, came up to a Working _Oxe_ with a
+Thousand Reproaches in her Mouth; Bless me, says the _Heifer_, what a
+Difference there is betwixt your Coat and Condition, and Mine! Why, What
+a Gall’d Nasty Neck have we here! Look ye, Mine’s as clean as a Penny,
+and as smooth as Silk I warrant ye. ’Tis a Slavish Life to be Yoak’d
+thus, and in Perpetual Labour. What would you give to be as Free and as
+Easy now as I am? The _Oxe_ kept These Things in his Thought, without One
+Word in Answer at present; but seeing the _Heifer_ taken up a While after
+for a _Sacrifice_: Well Sister, says he, and have not you Frisk’d fair
+now, when the Ease and Liberty you Valu’d your self upon, has brought you
+to This End?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis No New Thing for Men of Liberty and Pleasure, to make Sport with
+the Plain, Honest Servants of their Prince and Country. But Mark the End
+on’t, and while the One Labours in his Duty with a Good Conscience, the
+Other, like a Beast, is but Fatting up for the Shambles._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There was never any thing gotten By Sensuality and Sloth, either in
+Matter of Profit or of Reputation; whereas an Active, Industrious Life
+carries not only Credit and Advantage, but a Good Conscience also along
+with it. The Lazy, the Voluptuous, the Proud, and the Delicate, are
+Struck at in This Fable: Men that set their Hearts only upon the Present,
+without either Entering into the Reason, or looking forward into the End
+of Things: Little Dreaming that all this Pomp of Vanity, Plenty, and
+Pleasure, is but a Fattening of them for the Slaughter. ’Tis the Case of
+Great and Rich Men in the World; the very Advantages they Glory in, are
+the Cause of their Ruine. The Heifer that Valu’d it self upon a Smooth
+Coat, and a Plump habit of Body, was taken up for a _Sacrifice_; but the
+_Oxe_ that was Despis’d for his Drudgery, and his Raw-Bones, went on with
+his Work still in the Way of a Safe and an Honest Labour.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCL.
+
+A _Dog_ and a _Lyon_.
+
+
+What a Miserable Life dost thou lead, says a _Dog_ to a _Lyon_, to run
+Starving up and down thus in Woods and Deserts, without either Meat, or
+Ease: I am Fat and Fair you see, and it Costs me neither Labour, nor
+Pains. Nay, says the _Lyon_, you have many a Good Bit no Doubt on’t; but
+then like a Fool you subject your self to the Clogs and Chains that go
+along with it: But for my Own Part, let him serve that serve Can, and
+serve Will, I’ll Live and Die Free.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_That Man deserves to be a Slave, that Sacrifices his Liberty to his
+Appetite._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Moral of This is the Same with That of _Dog_ and _Wolfe_, _Fab. 68_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLI.
+
+A _River-Fish_ and a _Sea-Fish_.
+
+
+There was a Large Over-grown _Pike_ that had the Fortune to be Carry’d
+out to Sea by a Strong Current, and had there the Vanity to Value himself
+above All the Fish in the Ocean. We’ll refer That (says a _Sturgeon_) to
+the Judgment of the Market, and see which of the Two yields the Better
+Price.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Every Man has his Province Assign’d him, and none but a Mad-man will
+pretend to Impose; and to give Laws where he has Nothing to do._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s no Folly like That of Vain Glory, nor any thing more Ridiculous
+then for a Vain Man to be still Boasting of Himself: For ’tis against
+All Law and Equity, for a Body to be admitted a Judge in ones Own Case.
+A second Doctrine may be This (and we find it true by Experience) that
+_Mony Governs the World_; and that the _Market-Price_ is the _Measure_
+of the Worth of _Men_ as well as of _Fishes_; As the _Sturgeon_ left it
+to the _Fish-monger_ to Determine the Controversy betwixt _Him_ and the
+_Pike_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLII.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Leopard_.
+
+
+As a _Leopard_ was Valuing himself upon the Lustre of his Party-colour’d
+Skin; a _Fox_ gave him a Jog, and Whisper’d him, that the Beauty of the
+Mind was an Excellence, Infinitely above That of a Painted Out-side.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Good Understanding is a Blessing Infinitely beyond All External
+Beauties._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are Degrees in Good Things. There are Blessings of Fortune,
+and Those are of the Lowest Rate. The Next above Those Blessings are
+the Bodily Advantages of Strength, Gracefulness and Health; but the
+Superlative Blessings, in fine, are the Blessings of the Mind: Fools
+’tis true may be allow’d to Brag of Foolish Things; but the _Leopard_’s
+_Beauty_ without the _Foxes Wit_ is no better then a Fop in a _Gay Coat_.
+
+
+
+
+THE FABLES OF ABSTEMIUS, _&c._
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLIII.
+
+_Demades_ the _Orator_.
+
+
+This _Demades_ was a very Famous _Orator_, and taking Notice as he was
+in the Middle of a Discourse to the People upon a Subject of Great
+Importance, that their Thoughts were Wand’ring upon Something else, he
+slipt from his Text into This Digression. _Ceres_ (says he) a _Swallow_
+and an _Eele_, were Travelling together upon the Way: They came to a
+River, it seems, and the _Swallow_ flew over it; The _Eele_ made a shift
+to Swim through it;——And there he stopt. Well (says some of the Company)
+and what became of _Ceres_? Why (says _Demades_) The Goddess was mightily
+Offended, to find so many People in the World that are Deaf to any thing
+they may be the Better for, and yet have their Ears Open to Fooleries.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_People are sooner Reclaim’d by the Side-Wind of a Surprize, then by
+Downright Admonition and Councel; for they’ll lend an Ear to a Parable
+when Nothing else will Down with them._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Men Mind the Pleasure, and the Satisfaction of a Fancy, or a Loose
+Appetite more then they do Better Things; and they are sooner brought to
+Themselves, and set Right by the _Innuendo_ of a _Parable_, then by the
+Dint of direct Reason. There are many Men that are Infinitely Tender in
+Point of Honour, and have very little Regard yet upon the Main, to Truth
+and Equity. Now such People as These are sooner Wrought upon by Shame
+then by Conscience, when they find themselves Fool’d and Shamm’d (as we
+say) into a Conviction. This Fable tells us what we Ought to do in the
+Case of Attending to Instructive and Profitable Counsels. It tells us
+also what we are apt to do, in Heark’ning after Fooleries: and loosing
+the Opportunity of Hearing and Learning Better Things. And it shews us in
+fine, the Force of an Allegory betwixt Jest and Earnest; which in such
+a Case as This, is certainly the most Artificial, Civil, and Effectual
+Manner of Reproche. I call it a _Reproche_, for ’tis an Affront to Good
+Manners as well as to Ordinary Prudence, not to Hearken to a Man of
+Authority; That is to say, to the Voice of Wisdom, when she speaks to
+us out of the Mouth of a Philosopher. Men that have Wandring Thoughts
+at such a Lecture, deserve as well to be Whipt, as Boys for Playing at
+Push-Pin, when they should be Learning their Lesson: Beside, that it is
+only Another way of calling a Man Fool, when no Heed is given to what he
+says. Now _Demades_ that Understood both his Bus’ness, and the Weak side
+of Humane Nature perfectly Well, never troubled his Head to bring his
+Auditory to their Wits again by the Force of Dry and Sober Reason; but
+Circumvented them by a Delicate Figure, into a Curiosity that led them
+Naturally to a Better Sense of their Interest, and their Duty.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLIV.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Hedge-Hog_.
+
+
+_Æsop_ brought the _Samians_ to their Wits again out of a most Desperate
+Sedition with This Fable.
+
+A _Fox_, upon the Crossing of a River, was forc’d away by the Current
+into an Eddy, and there he lay with Whole Swarms of Flies Sucking and
+Galling of him. There was a _Water-Hedge-Hog_ (we must imagin) at hand,
+that in Pure Pity Offer’d to Beat away the _Flies_ from him. No, No, says
+the _Fox_, Pray let ’em Alone, for the Flies that are upon me now are
+e’en Bursting-full already, and can do me little more Hurt then they have
+done: But when These are gone once, there will be a Company you shall see
+of Starv’d Hungry Wretches to take their Places, that will not leave so
+much as One Drop of Bloud in the Whole Body of me.
+
+_Tiberius Cæsar_ made a very Pertinent Application of This Fancy to a
+Case of his Own. The Question was, Whether or no he should Casheir some
+of his Corrupt Governors of Provinces, for Oppressing the People? He gave
+the World to Understand his Mind by this Fable.
+
+There was a Man lay Miserably Wounded upon the High-way, and Swarms of
+_Flies_ upon him, Sucking his Sores. A Traveller that was passing by,
+Pity’d his Condition, and Offer’d him his Service, in Pure Charity to
+Drive them away. No, No, says T’other, pray let them alone; for when
+These are gone, I shall have Worse in Their Places. This will be the Case
+of My Subjects if I Change their Governors.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Force of a Fable._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+If (says _Æsop_) You shall once Destroy your Present Governor, that is
+Full and Wealthy, you must of Necessity Chuse Others when he is gone, who
+will be sure to Fill their own Coffers out of what the Other has left ye.
+This Fable upon the Whole, is very Instructive how People should Behave
+themselves in the Case of Male-Administration, or Oppression; where there
+is any Colour or Complaint of Cruelty, or Injustice, under the Cover of
+Sovereign Power. The _Fox_’s Resolution here is mightily to the Purpose:
+That is to say, where the Grievance is only the Unrighteous Exercise of
+a Lawful Authority. The Removal of _Bloud Suckers_ that are already as
+Full as their Skins will hold, serves only to make way for Others that
+are Greedy and Empty. This is no Redress of the Evil, No, nor so much as
+a Change; but in Truth, an Augmentation of it.
+
+It is again to be Consider’d, that as Government is Necessary, Sacred,
+and Unaccountable, so it is but Equal for us to bear the Infelicities
+of a Male Exercise of it, as we Enjoy the Blessings of Authority and
+Publique Order. There’s Nothing Pure that’s Sublunary, but somewhat still
+of Good Blended with the Bad, and of Bad with the Good; And This Natural
+Mixture runs through the Whole Course and Condition of Humane Affairs.
+We are not to be either our Own Carvers, or our Own Chusers, and the Man
+puts out his Own Eyes that does not see the Folly, and the Iniquity of
+Struggling with Insuperable Powers, which is Impious in the Practice,
+and Miserable in the Conclusion. Where Government is Accounted as
+Bondage, the Exercise of it shall never fail of being call’d Persecution
+and Oppression: But to put Matters at Worst, Let us for Argument sake,
+suppose Pilling and Polling Officers, as Busie upon the People as These
+Flies were upon the _Fox_: Better bear a Tolerable Present Calamity then
+Exchange it for a Worse; and the _Fox_ had the Wit rather to suffer the
+Galling of a Parcel of _Flies_ that were full already, then by Beating
+them off, to make way for a New set of Hungry Sharpers that would do him
+Fifty times the Mischief.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLV.
+
+A _Mouse_ in a _Chest_.
+
+
+A _Mouse_ that was bred in a _Chest_, and had liv’d all her days there
+upon what the Dame of the House laid up in’t, happen’d one time to drop
+out over the Side, and to Stumble upon a very Delicious Morsel, as she
+was Hunting up and down to find her way In again. She had no sooner the
+Taste of it in her Mouth, but she brake out into Exclamations, what a
+Fool she had been thus Long, to Perswade her self that there was No
+Happiness in the World but in That Box.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Contented Mind and a Good Conscience will make a Body Happy where-ever
+he is._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis well to be Content in what Place or Condition soever we are; without
+being yet so Fond of it as not to be prepar’d for any Change or Chance
+that may Befal us. A Good Patriot loves his Own Country Best, but yet in
+case of Necessity, or a Fair Convenience, the Whole Globe of the Earth
+is an Honest Man’s Country, and he reckons himself at home wherever he
+is. The _Mouse_ was _Well_ in the _Chest_; but she found her self Better
+afterwards in the World, which serves to tell us that we may be Happy in
+a Private Life, as well as in a Publique, and that by the Benefit either
+of a Christian, or a Philosophical Resignation to our Lot, whatever it
+is, we may be so wherever we are.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLVI.
+
+A _Husbandman_ and _Ceres_.
+
+
+A Certain _Farmer_ complain’d that the Beards of his Corn Cut the Reapers
+and the Thrashers Fingers sometimes, and therefore he desired _Ceres_
+that his Corn might grow hereafter without Beards. The Request was
+Granted, and the Little Birds Eat up all his Grain. Fool that I was (says
+he) rather to lose the Support of my Life, then venture the Pricking of
+my Servants Fingers.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There must be no Refining upon the Works of Providence; for He that
+thinks to Mend them, Forfeits his Right to the Blessing and Benefit of
+them._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+No Man can be perfectly Happy; but if he be either Curious, or Unsteady,
+he shall Live and Die Craving, and in a Restless Want of something or
+other that is never to be had. Wherefore we should do well to Weigh our
+Present Inconveniences against Those that may probably arise in the
+Future, and not so much as to think of Changing our Condition till we
+have Ballanc’d the Accounts. We may lay down This, in short, for a Rule
+without any Exception, that Nothing but a Fool or a Madman will Wish any
+thing to be Other then as God has Made it. Let us Reform our Lives, and
+Mend our Manners, and set Every thing Right at Home first, before we take
+upon us to Correct the Works of Providence and Nature. The Husbandman
+thought Corn would do better without Beards, till he found that according
+to the Way he went to Work, he should have neither _One_ nor _T’other_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLVII.
+
+A _Country-Man_ and a _Hawk_.
+
+
+A _Country Fellow_ had the Fortune to take a _Hawk_ in the Hot Pursuit
+of a _Pigeon_. The _Hawk_ Pleaded for her self, that she never did the
+Country-Man any Harm, and therefore I hope, says she, that You’ll do Me
+None. Well, says the _Country-Man_, and pray what Wrong did the _Pigeon_
+ever do you? Now by the Reason of your own Argument, you must e’en
+Expect to be Treated Your self, as You your self would have Treated This
+_Pigeon_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis good to Think before we speak, for fear of Condemning our selves
+out of our Own Mouths._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable holds forth to us several Morals. Rapine and Injustice,
+Meet in the End with Violence. One Murderer is Kill’d by Another.
+Adulterers are paid in kind; and One Wicked Man Punishes Another. It is
+but according to the Course of the World, for the Stronger to Oppress
+the Weaker, and for Thieves Themselves to Rob one Another: But the more
+Mighty do well however in Avenging Those that are Oppress’d by the Less
+Mighty. And the Fable has This Prospect too, that Princes are as much
+Ty’d to Vindicate their Subjects Cause as if it were their Own.
+
+’Tis no News for the Weak and the Poor to be a Prey to the Strong,
+and the Rich, and the Vindication of the Innocent is no Ill Plea, or
+Masque for the Oppressing of the Guilty. Birds of Prey are an Emblem of
+Rapacious Officers. A Superior Power takes away by Violence from Them,
+That which by Violence they took away from Others: But it falls out too
+often, that the Equity of Restitution is forgotten, after the Execution
+of the Punishment. Now what is This way of Proceeding, but Drinking the
+Blood of the Widow and the Orphan at second hand? for He that takes away
+from a Thief, That which the Thief, to his Knowledge, took from an Honest
+Man, and keeps it to Himself, is the Wickeder Thief of the Two, by how
+much the Rapine is made yet Blacker by the pretence of Piety and Justice.
+Here’s a _Country-man_ takes a _Hawk_ in the Chase of a _Pigeon_, the
+_Hawk_ reasons the Case with him; The _Country-man_ Pleads the _Pigeon_’s
+Cause, and upon a Fair Hearing; The _Hawk_ stands Condemn’d out of her
+own Mouth, and the Innocent is consequently deliver’d from her Oppressor.
+Now here’s One Violence Disappointed by Another; A Poor Harmless Wretch
+Protected against a Powerful Adversary; Justice done upon a Notorious
+Persecutor; and yet after All this Glorious semblance of a Publique
+Spirited Generosity, and Tenderness of Nature, the _Man_ only sav’d the
+_Pigeon_ from the _Hawk_, that he might Eat it _Himself_: And if we look
+Well about us we shall find This to be the Case of most Mediations, we
+meet with in the Name of Publique Justice.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLVIII.
+
+A _Swallow_ and a _Spider_.
+
+
+A _Spider_ that Observ’d a _Swallow_ Catching of _Flies_, fell
+Immediately to Work upon a Net to Catch _Swallows_, for she lookt
+upon’t as an Encroachment upon her Right: But the _Birds_, without any
+Difficulty, brake through the Work, and flew away with the very Net it
+self. Well, says the _Spider_, _Bird Catching_ is none of My Talent I
+perceive; and so she return’d to her Old Trade of Catching Flies again.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Wise Man will not Undertake any thing without Means Answerable to the
+End._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Let Every Man Examin his Own Strength, and the Force of the Enemy he
+is to Cope withal before he comes to Close, and Grapple with him: For
+he’s sure to go by the Worst that Contends with an Adversary that is
+too Mighty for him. ’Tis Good Advice not to Contend with Those that are
+too Strong for us, but still with a saving to Honesty and Justice, for
+the Integrity of the Mind must be supported against All Violence and
+Hazzards whatsoever. This of the _Spider_ is a very Foolish Undertaking,
+and as Unjust a Pretence; for the Equity of the Case is Clearly Mistaken.
+The Intent of the Fable is to set us Right in the Understanding, and
+Interpreting of Injuries. ’Tis an unhappy Error to take things for
+Injuries that are Not so: And then supposing an Injury done, ’tis a Nice
+Point to Proportion the Reparation to the Degree of the Indignity; and
+to take a True Measure of our Own Force. It was a Ridiculous Project to
+think of Catching a _Swallow_ in a _Cobweb_; and the _Spider_ was as much
+Out too in thinking to Restrain the Common Air to its own Particular Use.
+The _Swallow_ was a _Fly-Catcher_ as well as the _Spider_, and no more
+an Inter-loper upon the _Spider_’s Right, then the _Spider_ was upon
+the _Swallow_’s; for the Flies were in Common to Both. Those People, in
+short, deserve to be Doubly Laugh’d at, that are Peevish, and Angry;
+First, for Nothing, and secondly, to no manner of Purpose.
+
+This Envious Injustice is Frequent in the World, for why should People
+think to Engrosse and Appropriate the Common Benefits of Fire, Air,
+and Water to Themselves; Not but that there are Swarms of This sort of
+_State-Spiders_ in the World, that Reckon Every _Fly_ that’s taken out of
+the Common-Stock, as a _Penny_ out of their _Own Pockets_. The Bounties
+of God and of Princes ought to be Free, both alike, without making Every
+Morsel of Bread that an Honest Man puts in his Mouth to be the Robbing of
+a Minion, Wherefore let Every Man Compute, First, What he ought to do.
+Secondly, What he is Able to do. Provided Thirdly, That he Govern himself
+by the Rules of Vertue and Discretion. This Consideration beforehand,
+would have sav’d the Foolish _Spider_ the Trouble of Setting Nets for
+Swallows.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLIX.
+
+A _Country-man_ and a _River_.
+
+
+A _Country-man_ that was to Pass a River Sounded it up and down to try
+where it was most Fordable; and upon Tryal he made This Observation on’t:
+Where the Water ran Smooth, he found it Deepest; and on the contrary,
+Shallowest where it made most Noise.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s More Danger in a Reserv’d and Silent, then in a Noisie, Babbling
+Enemy._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Great Talkers are not always the Greatest Doers, and the Danger is
+Greatest, where there’s least Blustering and Clamour.
+
+Much Tongue, and much Judgment seldom go together, for Talking and
+Thinking are Two Quite Differing Faculties, and there’s commonly more
+Depth where there’s Less Noise. We find it to be Thus Betwixt your
+Superficial Men, and Men that are well Founded in Any Art, Science, or
+Profession. As in Philosophy, Divinity, Arms, History, Manners. The very
+Practice of Babbling is a Great Weakness, and not only the Humour, but
+the Matter shews it so; though upon the Main, it is not Capable either
+of Much Good, or of Much Evil; for as there’s No Trusting in the Case,
+so there’s No Great Danger from them, in the Manage of any Design; for
+Many and Rash Words Betray the Speaker of them. As to the Man of Silence
+and Reserve, that keeps himself Close, and his Thoughts Private, He
+Weighs, and Compares Things, and Proceeds upon Deliberation. It is good
+to see and sound however, before a Man Plunges; for a Body may as well be
+Over-born by the Violence of a Shallow, Rapid Stream, as Swallow’d up in
+the Gulph of a smooth Water. ’Tis in This Case with _Men_ as ’tis with
+_Rivers_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLX.
+
+A _Pigeon_ and a _Pye_.
+
+
+A _Pye_ was Wond’ring once to a _Pigeon_, why she would Breed still
+in the same Hole, when her Young Ones were constantly taken away from
+her before they were able to fly. Why That’s my Simplicity, says the
+_Pigeon_. I mean no Harm, and I suspect None.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+Do as You would be done by, _is a Better Rule in the Doctrine, then in
+the Practice: For_ Trust as you would be Trusted, _will not hold betwixt
+a Knave and an Honest Man. There’s no Dealing with a Sharper but at his
+Own Play._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Truer Hearted any Man is, the more Lyable is he to be Impos’d upon:
+And then the World calls it _Out-witting_ of a Man; when, in truth he’s
+only _Out-knav’d_: And oblig’d, even in Charity and Good Nature, to
+Believe till he be Couzen’d. And we find the Country-man’s Observation
+Confirm’d by Daily Experience. This does not yet Hinder a sincere
+Singleness of Heart from being a Vertue so necessary for the Comfort and
+Security of Mankind, that Humane Society cannot subsist without it. And
+therefore ’tis a Thousand Pities it should be so Discountenanc’d, and
+Abus’d, as in the Common Practice of the World we find it is. But it
+stands Firm however to the same Tenor of Life. As the _Pigeon_ kept still
+to the same Hole to lay her Eggs in what’ere she Lost by’t.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXI.
+
+A _Cuckow_ and a _Hawk_.
+
+
+By the Beak, and the Claws of a _Cuckow_, one would take her for a kind
+of _Hawk_; only the One Lives upon Worms, and the Other upon Flesh:
+Insomuch that a _Hawk_ Twitted a _Cuckow_ One Day with her course way
+of Feeding. If you’ll _Look_ like a _Hawk_, Why don’t you _Live_ like
+a _Hawk_? The Cuckow took This a little in Dudgeon; but passing by a
+_Pigeon-House_ some short time after, what should she see but the Skin of
+This very _Hawk_ upon a Pole, on the Top of the _Dove-House_: Well! says
+the _Cuckow_ (in Conceit) to the _Hawk_, and had not you as good have
+been Eating _Worms_ now, as _Pigeons_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Pride is an Abomination in the Sight of God, and the Judgment is Just
+upon us, when the Subject of our Vanity becomes the Occasion of our
+Ruine._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Safe Mediocrity is much better then an Envy’d, and a Dangerous
+Excellency. They that in their Prosperity Despise Others, shall be sure
+in their Adversity to be Despis’d Themselves. It is much the same Case
+with Men of Prey, that it is with Birds of Prey. They take it for a
+Disparagement to Sort themselves with any Other then the Enemies of the
+Publique Peace: But Men that Live upon Rapine, are set up for a Marque,
+as the Common Enemy; and all Heads and Hands are at Work to destroy them.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXII.
+
+A _Country-man_ and an _Ass_.
+
+
+As a _Country-man_ was Grazing his _Ass_ in a Meadow, comes a Hot Alarum
+that the Enemy was Just falling into their Quarters. The _Poor Man_ calls
+presently to his _Ass_, in a Terrible Fright, to Scoure away as fast as
+he could Scamper: for, says he, we shall be _Taken_ else. Well, quoth the
+_Ass_, and what if we should be _Taken_? I have One Pack-Saddle upon my
+Back already, will they Clap Another a Top of that d’ye Think? I can but
+be a Slave where-ever I am: So that _Taken_, or not _Taken_, ’tis all a
+Case to Me.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_It’s some Comfort for a Body to be so Low that he cannot fall: And in
+such a Condition already that he cannot well be Worse. If a Man be Born
+to be a Slave, no matter to what Master._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Here’s a Fiction of an _Alarum_, and we’ll suppose it to be a False
+One too; for the Inventor has not Determin’d the Point. Now the Fancy
+will have more Force and Quickness in’t that Way, then T’other; and
+the _Asses_ Reasoning upon the Case, will hold good both Ways alike:
+Only the _Asses_ in the _Moral_ are more Frightful then the _Asses_
+in the _Fable_. _We shall be Taken else_, is the Song of All Popular
+Male-Contents, when they design a Change of Government: And so they
+Hurry the Mobile Head-long upon the very Dread of Imaginary Chains and
+Shackles, into the Slavery they Fear’d: But _some Asses_ are Wiser then
+_Others_: for the _Multitude_ would Answer their Masters else in the
+_One Instance_, as the _Animal_ here in the Emblem Answer’d His, in the
+_Other_: Here was no Scampering away at a Venture, without Fear, or
+Wit; No Sollicitous Enquiry whether the News was True or No: But the
+_Mythologist_ has prudently, and for our Instruction, Cast those Two
+Circumstances out of the Question, and laid the Stress of it upon This
+single Issue. As who would say; In all Governments there must be Burdens
+to be Born, and People to Bear them: And who so proper to bear Those
+Burdens, as Those that Providence and Policy have Appointed and Design’d
+for that Office and Station? So that ’tis all one to the Common People
+who’s Uppermost (That is to say, upon the Matter of Ease and Liberty) for
+_Asses_ must be _Asses_ still, whoever _Rides_ them, and Providence will
+keep the World in Order still, whoever Grumbles at it.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXIII.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Knot_ of _Gossips_.
+
+
+A _Fox_ that was taking a Walk one Night Cross a Village, spy’d a Bevy
+of _Jolly, Gossiping Wenches_, making Merry over a Dish of _Pullets_.
+Why Ay, says he; Is not this a Brave World now? A Poor Innocent _Fox_
+cannot so much as Peep into a Hen Roost, though but to keep Life and Soul
+together, and what a Bawling do you make on’t presently with your Dogs,
+and your Bastards! And yet You your selves can lie Stuffing your Guts
+with your _Hens_, and your _Capons_, and not a Word of the Pudding. How
+now _Bold-Face_, crys an _Old Trot_. Sirrah, we Eat our _Own Hens_, I’d
+have you to know; and what you Eat, you Steal.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There are Men of Prey, as well as Beasts of Prey, that Account Rapine as
+good a Title as Propriety._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This gives us to Understand, first, that a Man may do what he will with
+his Own; but he has Nothing to do with the Propriety of Another Body.
+_Secondly_, That People may do any Thing with Impunity, where there’s No
+body to call ’em to Account for’t; And that which is Death for One to do
+is Lawful for Another.
+
+There are several Starts of Fancy, that Off-hand look well enough; but
+bring them to the Test, and there’s Nothing in ’em. The _Fox_’s Reproche
+here upon the _Gossips_, was a Frolique Pleasant enough; but without
+any Colour, or Congruity of Reason; and the Fallacy lies, from the same
+Thing done by several Persons, to the same Right of Doing it; though
+under Circumstances so Different, that there’s no Parity at all betwixt
+them upon the Collation. This Freak has somewhat of the Air in’t of the
+Young Fellow’s Conceit to his Father, when he took him Ruffling his
+Grand-Mother. _Why may not I lie with your Mother_, says he, _as well
+as You lie with mine_? These _Foxes_ should do well to Consider, that
+High-Way-Men, and Other Criminals have as much to say for themselves,
+where there’s a Breach of Law, and Common Justice in the Case. This
+Instance of the _Fox_ and the _Gossips_, comes to the Old Proverb; that
+_One may better Steal a Horse then Another look over the Hedge_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXIV.
+
+_Capons Fat_ and _Lean_.
+
+
+There were a Great many _Cramm’d Capons_ together in a Coop; some of ’em
+very Fair and _Fat_, and Others again that did not Thrive upon Feeding.
+The _Fat_ ones would be ever and anon making Sport with the _Lean_, and
+calling them _Starvelings_; till in the End, the Cook was Order’d to
+Dress so many _Capons_ for Supper, and to be sure to take the Best in
+the Pen: when it came to That once, they that had most Flesh upon their
+Backs, wish’d they had had Less, and ’twould have been Better for ’em.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Prosperity makes People Proud, Fat, and Wanton; but when a Day of
+Reckoning comes, They are the First still that go to Pot._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The _Fat Capons_ in This Fable, are the Rich, the Great, and the
+(Externally) Happy Men in the World. People Weigh Vertue, in Common
+Reputation, as they do Flesh in the Market, at so much a Pound. They
+Agree too in the Contempt of Men of a Less Size and Quality, and they
+Meet with the same Fate in the End too, by a Just Judgment upon them
+for their Insulting Vanity. They are made the very Mark for Envy, and
+Avarice to shoot at: and Equally in danger of being Sacrific’d, either to
+Tyranny, or to Faction. The Poor, in fine, have This Consolation, that
+their Condition is safer, and easier, then That of the Rich: And All
+People in the World will agree with Those _Capons_ in the Fable, that it
+is better to _Live Lean_ then to _Dye Fat_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXV.
+
+_Oxen_ and a Piece of _Timber_.
+
+
+The _Timber_ was Complaining of the Ingratitude of the _Oxen_. How often,
+says the _Timber_, have I fed ye with my Leaves, and reliev’d ye under my
+Shadow? and for You to Drag me now at this rate, over Dirt and Stones!
+Alas! cry’d the _Oxen_: Do not you see how we Pant and Groan, and how we
+are Goaded on, to do what we Do? The _Timber_ Consider’d how unwillingly
+they did it, and so Forgave them.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_What we are forc’d to do by an Over-Ruling Power and Necessity, is not
+properly our own Act._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis not the Thing that is Done, but the Intention in the Doing of it,
+that makes the Action Good, or Evil. There’s a Great Difference betwixt
+what we do upon Force, and what upon Inclination; and the Good Will is
+nevertheless Obliging, though by some Unlucky Accident it should be
+Diverted to my Ruine. Where there is neither Privity, nor Consent, there
+can be no Malice, and consequently no Crime, or Disobligation. For All
+other Misadventures Amount to no more in Truth, then That which we call
+Ill Luck, in the Accidents of Life, wherefore the _Timber_ was in the
+Right to Forgive the _Oxen_ here, and so shall We be too, if after the
+Doctrine, and Example of This Fable, we forgive one Another.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXVI.
+
+_Trees Streight_ and _Crooked_.
+
+
+There was a Delicate Plantation of _Trees_ that were All _Well-grown_,
+_Fair_ and _Smooth_, save only One Dwarf among them that was _Knotty_,
+and _Crooked_, and the Rest had it in Derision. The Master of the Wood,
+it seems, was to Build a House, and Appointed his Workmen to supply the
+Timber out of That Grove, and to Cut down Every Stick on’t that they
+found fit for Service. They did as they were Order’d, and This _Ill
+Favour’d Piece_ was left Alone.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Celebrated Beauties are seldom Fortunate._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Felicity to be Plain, and Inconsiderable, where ’tis Dangerous
+to be otherwise. There are a Thousand Inconveniences that Attend Great
+Beauties and Fortunes, which the Poor and Deformed are Free from; Not but
+that it is Better to fall Honourably in the Service of the Publique, then
+to Survive, in the Scandal of an Unprofitable, and an Inglorious Life.
+The Moral gives us also to Understand, that _Pride will have a Fall_, and
+that No Personal Advantages can either Justifie, or Protect Great Men in
+their Insolence over their Inferiors. The _Beautiful Trees_ go all to
+_Wrack_ here, and only the _Mis-shapen_ and _Despicable Dwarf_ is left
+_Standing_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXVII.
+
+A _Swan_ and a _Stork_.
+
+
+A _Stork_ that was Present at the Song of a Dying _Swan_, told her ’twas
+contrary to Nature to Sing so much out of Season; and Ask’d her the
+Reason of it? Why, says the _Swan_, I am now Entering into a State where
+I shall be no longer in Danger of either Snares, Guns, or Hunger: and who
+would not joy at such a Deliverance.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Death is but the Last Farewel to All the Difficulties, Pains, and
+Hazards of Life._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Great Folly to Fear that which it is Impossible to Avoid; and
+it is yet a Greater Folly to Fear the Remedy of All Evils: For Death
+Cures All Diseases, and Frees us from All Cares. It is as Great a Folly
+again, not to Prepare our selves, and Provide for the Entertainment of
+an Inevitable Fate. We are as sure to go Out of the World, as we are
+that ever we came In to’t; and Nothing but the Conscience of a Good Life
+can Support us in That Last Extremity. The Fiction of a _Swan_’s Singing
+at her Death, does, in the Moral, but Advise, and Recommend it to us,
+to make ready for the Chearful Entertainment of our last Hour, and to
+Consider with our Selves, that if Death be so Welcome a Relief even to
+_Animals_, barely as a Deliverance from the Cares, Miseries, and Dangers
+of a Troublesome Life, how much a Greater Blessing, ought All Good Men
+to Account it then, that are not only Freed by it from the Snares,
+Difficulties, and Distractions of a Wicked World, but put into Possession
+(over and above) of an Everlasting Peace, and the Fruition of Joys that
+shall never have an End!
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXVIII.
+
+The _Inconsolable Widow_.
+
+
+There was a Poor Young _Woman_ that had brought her self e’en to Death’s
+Door with Grief for her Sick Husband, but the Good Man, her Father, did
+All he could to Comfort her. Come, Child, says he, We are All Mortal:
+Pluck up a Good Heart, my Girl; for let the Worst come to the Worst,
+I have a Better Husband in store for thee, when This is Gone. Alas,
+Sir, says she, what d’ye talk of _Another Husband_ for? why you had
+as good have Struck a Dagger to my Heart. No, No; If ever I think of
+Another Husband, may——Without any more ado the Man dies, and the Woman
+immediately breaks out into such Transports of Tearing her Hair, and
+Beating her Breast, that every Body thought she’d have run Stark-Mad
+upon’t: But upon second Thoughts, she Wipes her Eyes; Lifts ’em up, and
+cries _Heaven’s Will be done_; and then turns to her Father, _Pray, Sir_,
+says she, _About T’other Husband you were speaking of, Is he here in the
+House?_
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This Fable gives us to Understand, that a Widow’s Tears are quickly
+Dry’d up, and that it is not Impossible for a Woman to Out-live the Death
+of her Husband; and after All the Outrages of her Funeral Sorrow, to
+Propose to her self many a Merry Hour in the Arms of a Second Spouse._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Here’s the Figure of a Worldly Sorrow, and of a Worldly Love, drawn to
+the Life, from the Heart and Humour of a Right, Worldly Woman. Hypocrisie
+Out-does the Truth, in Grief, as well as in Religion. ’Tis too Fierce
+and Noisie, to be Natural; but the Ostentation supplies the Place of the
+Duty. If the Wives Transports had not been Counterfeit, they would have
+been as Certain Death as the Husband’s Disease: For Flesh and Blood is
+not able to bear up under so Intolerable a Weight. It is in short, only
+the Acting a Part, not the Discharge of a Flowing Passion; she takes
+the Hint; Plays her Roll; Cries out her _Set time_, and when the Farce
+is over, betakes her self from her Infirmity to her Philosophy; not
+forgetting the Politique Part all this while, of making her Mourning for
+One Husband, a Prologue to the Drawing on of Another.
+
+And This is not the Poor Woman’s Case Alone, but many a Poor Man’s
+too; for the Extravagance holds for a Sick Wife, as well as for a Sick
+Husband. ’Tis Custom, Practice and Good Manners, in fine, that in a Great
+Measure Rules This Affair. People Proportion their Griefs to their Hopes,
+and their Tears to their Legacies. There is as much a Fashion in the
+Mourning Face, as in the Mourning Dress; and our very Looks must be in
+the Mode, as well as our Cloaths. This Hint Minds me of a Pleasant Droll
+of a Painter, to an Honourable Lady of My Acquaintance that was sitting
+for her Picture. _Madam_ (says he) _will your Ladiship be pleas’d to
+have your Lip drawn as they wear ’em now?_ It is a Notable Part of Good
+Breeding, to know When, and How, and how Much, and how Long to Cry; and
+_Every Thing must be done too as they do it now_. I speak This, as to the
+Method of a Widow’s Lamentations: But _when the Husband’s Dead, the Play
+is Done_; and then it comes to the Old Bear Garden Case, when the Bull
+had Toss’d a Poor Fellow that went to save his Dog: There was a mighty
+Bussle about him, with Brandy and Other Cordials to bring him to Himself
+again; but when the College found there was no Good to be done on’t,
+_Well, Go thy ways Jaques_, says a Jolly Member of that Society, _There’s
+the best Back-Sword Man in the Field gone. Come, Play Another Dog._ The
+Sick Husband here wanted for neither Slops nor Doctors, and Every Thing
+was in a Hurry too in Both Places Alike. The Man Dies, and the Woman
+Bethinks her self, Well, says she, _There’s the Best Husband Gone that
+ever Woman had to do withal: But, Pray Sir, is T’other Husband in the
+House that you were speaking of?_ What is all This now, but directly to
+the Tune of _The Butcher’s Back-Sword Man_, and _Playing Another Dog_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXIX.
+
+A _Wench_ Parting with her _Sweet-Heart_.
+
+
+A Common Wench was Wringing her Hands, and Crying her self to Death
+almost; and what was the Business forsooth, but she had Newly Parted
+with her Sweet-Heart. Away, ye Fool you (says one of her Neighbours) to
+Torment your self out of your Life for such a Fellow as This! Nay, says
+the Lass, I am not so much Troubled at Parting with the Man; but he has
+Carry’d away his Coat too; and truly, when he had given me All he had in
+the World beside, methinks I might e’en have had That too as well as All
+the Rest.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Here’s a Mercenary Prostitute Drawn to the very quick, that lays her
+Profit more to Heart then her Love._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It seldom falls out that a _Common Mistress_ troubles her Head much with
+Particular Inclinations, though there are some Mercenaries so Generous
+yet, in the Way of their Profession, that rather then not Trade at all,
+they’ll Trade to Loss. But This was not the Case of the Sorrowful Wight
+here in the Fable: Her Trouble was the Loss of the _Coat_, not the Loss
+of the _Man_. ’Tis the same Thing with Cheats and Sharpers, that ’tis
+with Whores; and the same Humour, in short, that we find in All Humane
+Beasts of Prey. There can be No Friendship where there’s Treachery; but
+there are Degrees in Treachery it self; As the Betraying of an Honourable
+Confidence, and of a Sacred Trust, is the Basest of All Perfidies.
+This Shuffling Inclination shews it self in us Betimes; And Children
+do Naturally Apply them selves to their Little Shifts and Frauds. Now
+’tis not much Amiss to let them Understand so much of the Roguery of
+the World, as to secure them from being Wheedled, and Impos’d upon:
+Provided that under Colour of Teaching them to Discover Abuses, they be
+not Encourag’d to Practice them: For he that perfectly Understands False
+Play, lies under a Dangerous Temptation, at some time or Other, to make
+Use on’t. And when he’s Once In, ’tis no Easie Matter to get him Out
+again. Never was any Whore yet so Impudent, as not to feel some Touch
+of Modesty and Remorse, upon the First False Step she made: But Wicked
+People Harden by Little and Little, and so go on by Degrees, till they
+are past all Sense, either of Shame, or of Conscience. _Cheating_ and
+_Bawdry_ go together in the _World_, as well as in the _Fable_, and the
+Professors of the Trade are as Insatiable in the One way, as they are in
+the Other. When they have left a Poor Devil no Flesh on’s Back, they’l
+Quarrell for his very Skin too, as the _Jilting Jade_ here did for her
+Cully’s _Coat_, when she had left him Nothing else.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXX.
+
+A _Fly_ upon a _Wheel_.
+
+
+_What a Dust do I Raise!_ says the _Fly_, upon the _Coach-Wheel_? and
+what a Rate do I Drive at, says the same _Fly_ again, upon the _Horse_’s
+_Buttock_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This Fly in the Fable, is Every Trifling Arrogant Fop in Nature, by what
+Name or Title soever Dignify’d, or Distinguished._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This may be Apply’d to well-nigh All sorts of Vain Persons and Humours:
+As Those that Assume to Themselves the Merit of Other Mens Services.
+Those that Talk, and Think, and Bussle, as if Nothing were done without
+them. All Meddlers, Boasters, and Impertinents, that Steal away the
+Reputation of Better Men for their Own Use. The World is Full, in fine,
+of these Pragmatical _Flies_, that Value themselves for being In at Every
+thing, and are found Effectually, at last to be just good for Nothing.
+
+It is the Fortune, and it is the Humour of Weak and Trifling Men to Value
+themselves upon Idle and Trivial Matters; and many times, in Truth, upon
+Just Nothing at all: That is to say, upon a False Perswasion that they
+Do Things, which they do Not do, and Govern Affairs wherein they have
+No Manner of Interest. They Place a Reputation also upon Things that a
+Sober Man would be out of Countenance to Own, and Contend for the Credit
+of being the Authors of Fooleries. _What a Dust do I Raise?_ says the
+silly _Fly_, And have we not Millions of Vain, Empty Pretenders in the
+World, that Talk at the same Rate, and with as Little Colour, either of
+Truth, or of Reason? ’Twas [I] carry’d such a Cause; such a Debate, such
+a Question. ’Twas [I] that Advis’d, Brought about, or Prevented This and
+That; when yet upon the Upshot, This same [I] was no more then the Fool,
+that fancy’d he play’d upon the _Organ_, when he only Drew the _Bellows_.
+Whence comes it now that Men Arrogate to Themselves thus, where they have
+Nothing to do, and Claim a Title, as Matter of Credit, to the Weakest
+Things in the World; but for want of Understanding the True Measures of
+Honour and Virtue: The Moral of This Vanity runs through All Degrees of
+Men, and All Functions. There’s Nothing so Great; There’s Nothing so
+Little, as not to Afford Subject for This Busie and Over-Weening Conceit
+to Work upon? No, not from the Modelling of Common-wealths; the Winning
+of Battels; the Saving, or the Recovery of Kingdoms, to the very _Flies_
+Raising the Dust here in the Fable.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXI.
+
+An _Eele_ and a _Snake_.
+
+
+You and I are so Alike, says the _Eele_ to the _Snake_, that Methinks we
+should be somewhat a-Kin; and yet They that Persecute Me are afraid of
+You. What should be the Reason of this? Oh (says the _Snake_) because no
+body does Me an Injury but I make him smart for’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_In All Controversies They come off Best that keep their Adversaries in
+fear of a Revenge._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Patience and Impunity, is an Encouragement to an Affront. The Divine
+Wisdom has appointed a Hell as well as a Heaven, to the End that Dread
+and Terror on the One Hand, may supply the want of Gratitude, Affection,
+and Good Nature on the Other: What is it but the Fear of Punishment that
+keeps the World in Order? And what but the Awe we stand in, of Majesty,
+and Power, that Supports the Dignity of Government. This Moral runs
+through the whole History of our Lives, for ’tis Every Man’s Case from
+Top to Bottom. _Princes Themselves_, without _Stings_, are no Better
+then _Drones_; and when the Sacred Character is Disarm’d, there’s no
+longer any Reverence to be Expected for the Person. When People find it
+Dangerous to Offend their Superiors, they’ll take care to Please them:
+And there’s as much Difference, upon This Point, between One Governor and
+Another (the Resemblance notwithstanding) as there is betwixt an _Eele_
+and a _Snake_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXII.
+
+_Seamen_ Praying to _Saints_.
+
+
+It Blew a Terrible Tempest at Sea once, and there was one _Seaman_ took
+Notice that the Rest of his Fellows were Praying severally to so many
+_Saints_. Have a care my Masters, says he, what you do; for what if we
+should All be Drown’d now before the Messenger can deliver his Errand:
+Would it not be Better, without going so far about, to Pray to Him that
+can Save us without Help? Upon this, they turn’d their Prayers to God
+Himself, and the Wind presently fell.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Shortest, and Surest Way of Doing Bus’ness is Best._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Good to be sure, where our Salvation is at Stake; and to run no more
+Risque of the Main Chance, then of Necessity Must. What needs any Man
+make his Court to the Servant, when his Access is Open to the Master? And
+especially when that Master is as ready to Give, as the Petitioners to
+Ask. A Wise Man will take the Nearest and the Surest Way to his Journey’s
+End; and Commit no Bus’ness of Importance to a Proxy, where he may do’t
+Himself.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXIII.
+
+The _Fishes_ and the _Frying-Pan_.
+
+
+A _Cook_ was Frying a Dish of _Live Fish_, and so soon as ever they felt
+the Heat of the Pan, There’s no Enduring of This, cry’d one, and so they
+all Leapt into the Fire; and instead of Mending the Matter, they were
+Worse now then Before.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Remedy is many times Worse than the Disease._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Let a Man’s Present State be never so Uneasie, he should do well however
+to Bethink himself before he Changes, for fear his Next Remove should be
+Worse. This is according to the Common Understanding of the Allusion,
+though not so Agreeable perhaps to the True Reason of the Case: For it
+was not either Levity, or Impatience; but intolerable Pain, and Absolute
+Necessity, that made the Fish shift their Condition: So that the Moral
+would have born This Doctrine rather: That where we have Certain Death
+before us, and only This Choice, whether it shall be a Speedy or a
+Lingring Death, That which puts us soonest out of our Pain (though never
+so Sharp) is the more Eligible of the Two. But to take it according to
+the Old Proverb now; we Understand by [_Out of the Frying-Pan into the
+Fire_] That Things go from Bad to Worse.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXIV.
+
+A _League_ of _Beasts_ and _Fishes_.
+
+
+The _Beasts_ Enter’d into a League with the _Fishes_ against the _Birds_.
+The War was Declar’d; but the _Fishes_, instead of their _Quota_, sent
+their Excuse, that they were not able to March by Land.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Vanity of a Helpless Alliance._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No Contracting of Alliances with Those that are out of Distance
+of Assisting in a Time of Need, in all Contracts, whether of Publique
+Alliance, and Commerce, or Particular Friendship, there must a Regard be
+had to Reciprocal Aid and Assistance, in case of any Distress; So that
+All the Circumstances of Ability, Disposition, Situation, Interest, &c.
+must be taken into Thought, and Rightly Understood, before the Bargain be
+Struck: for ’tis a Scandalous Oversight to Err in any of the Essentials
+to a Prudential, and a Beneficial Agreement: By which is Intended, any
+sort of Defect, or Incapacity that may Obstruct, or Frustrate the End
+of the League. Those Contracts are Ridiculous, and Void in Themselves,
+that shall pretend to Oblige us against Nature. For ’tis a _Banter_, not
+a _Confederacy_, _to talk of Fishes Marching by Land, and Living out of
+their Element_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXV.
+
+A _Covetous Ambassador_.
+
+
+A Certain _Ambassador_ that was still Pester’d with Drums and Trumpets
+every where upon the Way of his Embassy, was willing to save his Money,
+and so had them put off still with This Answer: That his Excellency
+was in Deep Mourning for his Mother, and in no Humour for Musique.
+The Drums and Trumpets were at least as much Troubled at the Tydings,
+as the _Ambassador_ Himself. This News came to the Ear of a Person of
+Honour, who presently made him a Condoling Visit. Pray, my Lord (says
+the Nobleman) how long may your Mother have been Dead? Why, says the
+_Ambassador_, ’tis now a Matter of _Forty Years_; which Expounded the
+Riddle, and put an End to That Controversy.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There is a Certain Agreeable Way of Fooling betwixt Jest and Earnest,
+that carries both Pleasure and Profit along with it; for it saves a Man’s
+Money One way, and his Credit Another._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+According to the Old Moral, Covetous Men will make any shift to save
+Money: But this Allusion is the least Part of the Bus’ness. ’Tis no Easy
+Matter for People in many Cases to save their Money, and their Credit
+Both: But the Best Thing to be done, in the Disguise of a Base, and
+Sordid Humour, is the Managing of the Imposture with a Good Grace, and in
+such a Manner, that if a Man carries it off, there’s so much Money sav’d;
+and if he be Detected, there will be something Pleasant in the Frolique
+to Atone for a Secret Narrowness of Heart.
+
+At this Rate of a Pretended Freak, or Whimsy, a Great many other
+Corruptions, and Imperfections may be so Palliated, as to take off much
+of the Scandal of them; for many a Wicked Thought is so Varnish’d over
+in the Practice, as to pass Muster among the Gay Arts of Gallantry
+and Conversation. The Thing above all Others to be Wish’d, Study’d,
+and Endeavour’d, is to have a Clear Mind, and to Lead a Life in so
+Conscientious a Probity of Manners, as in Thought, Word, and Deed, to
+make Good the Character of an Untainted Honest Man: But where This
+Discipline shall be found too Strict for Flesh and Blood, (and there’s
+no Living up to the Rigorous Exactness of Purity, and Justice) it will
+in such a Case, be the best of a Bad Game to keep Clear of Open Offence,
+and to give the Infirmity the Best Face that the Matter will bear. As the
+_Ambassador_, betwixt Jest and Earnest, Cast a Cloak of _Railery_ over
+his _Avarice_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXVI.
+
+An Old _Friend_ and a _Cardinal_.
+
+
+An Ingenious Cavalier, hearing that an Old Friend of his was advanc’d
+to a _Cardinalate_, went to Congratulate his Eminence upon his New
+Honour. Pray Sir, says the _Cardinal_, looking strangely upon him, Give
+me the Favour of your Name, and of your Bus’ness. I am come, says the
+_Cavalier_, to Condole with your Eminence, and to tell you how Heartily
+I Pity Men that are Over-charg’d with Dignity and Preferment; for it
+turns Peoples Brains to that Degree, that they can neither See, nor Hear,
+nor Understand, like Other Men; and makes them as Absolutely to Forget
+their _Old Friends_, as if they had never seen them before in their Lives.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Honours Change Manners._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is a Reproof to the Pride and Vanity of Those Men, that when
+they come to be Advanc’d Themselves, forget all their Old Friends and
+Acquaintance, even Those that Rais’d them. This Fable is Humane Nature to
+the very Quick, only it has Two Handles to’t, and it would not be Fair,
+to take it in the Worst Sense, without somewhat of an Apology, or an
+Excuse for’t, where ’twill bear a Better.
+
+It is almost as True in Philosophy as it is in Fact, and Common
+Practice, that _Honours Change Manners_. Men Assume other Thoughts;
+Other Opinions of Themselves; Nay, and almost Another Nature, when they
+Contract other Interests. The Stamp of Dignity Defaces, in some People
+the very Character of Humanity; and Transports them to such a Degree of
+Haughtiness, that they reckon it below the Quality of a Great Man, to
+Exercise either Good Nature, or Good Manners: As if Dignify’d Flesh and
+Bloud were not of the same Composition with other Men. Now what does
+all This Arrogance Amount to, more, then the Pride of an Ass in his
+Trappings; when ’tis but his Masters taking away his Top-Knot, to make an
+Ass of him again.
+
+But we are yet to Distinguish betwixt Those that take State and Distance
+upon them, purely out of Pride and Humour, and Those that seem to do the
+same Thing, though in a Compliance with the Necessity of their Affairs.
+It is Impossible for a Publique Minister to be so Open and Easy to all
+his Old Friends and Acquaintance, as he was in the State of his Private
+Condition; and at the same Time, to Attend the Necessary Functions of his
+Office: But This may be All help’d out yet, by an Affability of Address,
+without any Offence, either to his Bus’ness, or to his Duty. A Word, an
+Action, a Countenance, manag’d with Honour and Discretion, is sufficient
+to Uphold the Reputation of his Character; for there are Artificial
+Ways of telling People what a Man would do if he Could, without a Surly
+Ostentation of an Unwillingness to do the Things, that Effectually are
+not in his Power. A _Good Word_, they say, _Costs no more then a Bad_:
+Beside that in the _Cardinal_’s Forgetting his _Old Friend_ here, he did
+more Forget Himself.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXVII.
+
+A _Young Droll_ and a _Crooked Old Man_.
+
+
+A _Gibing Young Knave_ happen’d to meet an _Old Man_, whose Age and
+Infirmity had brought his Body to the Shape of a Bent Bow. Pray Father
+(says he) will you sell your Bow? Save your Money ye Fool you, says
+T’other; for when You come to my Years, you shall have such a Bow for
+Nothing.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that would not live to be Old, had best be Hang’d when he’s Young._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Irreverent, and Unnatural, to Scoff at the Infirmities of _Old Age_,
+since there’s no Avoiding them, but by Dying Betimes. We are all Born to
+Die, and Every jot as Certain that we shall go Out of This World, as that
+we are already come into’t; but whether by a Natural, or a Violent Death,
+we know not. Time and Humane Frailty will bring us to our End without the
+Help of any Contingencies, or Distempers by the By; So that our Decays
+are as much the Work of Nature as the First Principles of our Being:
+And the _Boy_’s Conceit of the _Crooked Bow_ here, is no better then a
+Blasphemous Way of making sport with the Course of Providence: Beside the
+Folly of Scoffing at That in Another, which we our selves are sure to
+come to at Last, or Worse.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXVIII.
+
+An _Old Fellow_ and a _Young Wench_.
+
+
+There was a formal Piece of Gravity that liv’d to about Threescore and
+Ten, without ever so much as knowing a _Woman_ from a _Weather-Cock_.
+The Devil Ought him a Shame, and paid him both Interest and Principal,
+in making the _Old Doting Fop_ Marry a _Young Girl_. He would be often
+Complaining afterward, how Unluckily he had Dispos’d of his Time. When I
+was a _Young Man_, says he, I wanted a _Wife_, and now I’m an _Old Man_,
+my _Wife_ wants a _Husband_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Common Fate of Unequal Matches, Especially in the Case of an Old
+Fellow, and a young Wench, where the Humour is as Contrary as_ Summer
+_and_ Winter, _Light and Darkness, or Day and Night_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s Nothing Good, or Natural, that’s out of Season. Nay the most
+Obliging Offices in Nature, and the Greatest Blessings under the Sun,
+lose much, both of their Value, and of their Relish, when they’re
+Mistim’d.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXIX.
+
+An _Eagle_ and a _Pye_.
+
+
+There was a Pert-Dapper Spark of a _Mag-Pye_, that fancy’d the Birds
+would never be well Govern’d, till he Himself should come to sit at
+the Helm. In This Freak he Petition’d the _Eagle_ to take him into the
+Cabinet; For, says he, I have no Ill Turn of a Body for’t. I have my
+Tongue, and my Heels at Command; and can make as much Noise and Bustle,
+to as little purpose, as any He perhaps that flies between a Pair of
+Wings. He was going on in the History of his Qualifications, when the
+_Eagle_ Graciously told him, how sensible he was of the Volubility both
+of his Tongue, and of his Manners, and so of his Faculties and Good
+Breeding; but, says he, you are so Confoundedly given to Squirting up and
+down, and Chattering, that the World would be apt to say, I had Chosen a
+_Jack-Pudding_ for a _Prime Minister_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Great Babblers, or Talkers, are a sort of People not fit either for
+Trust, Bus’ness, or Conversation._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The World is like to be well Govern’d, when _Pyes_ and _Daws_ shall take
+upon them to set up for Philosophers, Doctors of the Chair, and Men of
+State and Government. Things are Mightily out of Order in That Quarter,
+especially when Vain Fools come to be admitted into Business upon the
+Credit of their Own Word.
+
+The Importunity of such a Fop, is Excellently set forth in the
+Qualifications of this _Pye_; for he Enforces the Reason of his Pretence,
+by the Clearest Arguments in the World against Himself. He would be a
+_States-Man_, because he is a _Buffon_; as if there went no more to
+the Making of a _Councellor_, then the Faculties of a _Merry-Andrew_,
+or a _Tumbler_. Here’s the Confident Ambition of a Foolish Twattling
+Pretender, on the One Hand, and a Just Reproof of him, in a most
+Reasonable Refusal, on the Other; to Teach us, that the Want of Shame,
+Brains, or Good Manners, does not presently Entitle Every little
+_Skip-Jack_ to the Boards-End in the _Cabinet_. But Our _Eagle_ here
+was not a Prince to Advance the _Ministers_ of his _Pleasures_, to be
+_Ministers_ of _State_, and to make his _Sport_ his _Bus’ness_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXX.
+
+A _Country-man_ and a _Mouse_.
+
+
+There was a Pleasant sort of a Poor Fellow had his House a fire; but
+his Misfortune did not make him lose his Good Humour. As it was all in
+a Flame, out Bolts a _Mouse_ from the Ruins, to save herself: The _Man_
+Catches her, and throws her back again. Why thou Ungrateful Wretch (says
+he) to leave thy Friend now in Adversity that gave thee thy Bread in his
+Prosperity.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a Barbarous Faculty, an Ill-Natur’d Wit; that will rather Expose
+the very Life and Reputation of a Friend, then lose the Opportunity of a
+Jest._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis the Practice, but it is the Baseness of the World too, for Men to
+Govern themselves Wholly by their Interest, and to Abandon All that’s
+Sacred and Honourable, for the saving of their Own Skins. Thus, says the
+Moral; but the Conceit was not worth the Life of the Poor Creature, and
+therefore the Allegory not to be Recommended; because it sets up a False
+Principle. There was place for Honour, Dignity of Mind, and Humanity to
+shew it self, in the Case, though but to a Poor _Mouse_: And there’s
+Nothing to be said in Defence of the Wanton Cruelty of Sacrificing a Life
+to a Jest: But to come now to the Ungrateful Point, the Bare _Innuendo_
+of it would stare so many People in the Face, that it were better pass’d
+over in silence; for the Moral drawn out at length, would be a Satyr
+against Mankind. And Millions of Men that carry their Heads High in the
+World, would fall under the Lash of the _Country-man’s Exclamation_ here.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXXI.
+
+A _Sick Hermit_.
+
+
+There was a very Good Man, that in the Five and Twentieth Year of his
+Age, fell into a Desperate Fit of Sickness, the Doctors sate upon him,
+and the whole College were of Opinion, that there was no saving of his
+Life without the Use of a Woman. The _Poor Man_ lay Humming and Hawing a
+good While, betwixt the Sin and the Remedy; but in the End, he gave up
+himself wholly to the Physicians, to do with him as they thought fit.
+Upon this, the Doctors, by Consent, put a Good Armful of Warm Womans
+Flesh into the Bed to him, by way of a _Recipe_, and so laid him to Rest,
+till about some Two Hours after: At which time they came to see how the
+Prescription had Wrought; and there did they find the Poor _Religious_,
+Tearing his Hair, Beating his Breast, and Groaning as if his very Heart
+would break. So they fell presently to Reasoning, and Casing upon the
+Matter with him, and laying Comfortable Distinctions before him betwixt
+the Morality, and the Necessity of what was done. No, No, Gentlemen, says
+he, my Grief is not thereabouts; but it goes to the Heart of me to think
+how long I have liv’d in Ignorance; and that This Fit of Sickness should
+never take me sooner.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Flesh is Frail. When a Strong Appetite, and a Troublesome Virtue Meet in
+Competition, ’tis a Hard Matter for a Man to Resist the Temptation._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We may gather from hence, first, that People are Flesh and Blood in a
+Cell, as well as in a Palace. _2ly_, That it is a very great Mastery,
+for a Man to stand Firm, in a Case, where Humane Frailty, Violent
+Inclinations, and the Preservation of Life it self, are in a Conspiracy
+against his Virtue. _3ly._ That a very Pious Good Man may think himself
+Better then he Is, for want of an Occasion to try the Force of his
+Goodness and Resolution. _4ly._ That when the Flesh and the Devil have
+once got the better of a Scrupulous Conscience, it puts a Man past All
+Sense of Shame, as well as of the Sin; to the Degree of Glorying in his
+Wickedness. The _Holy Man_ was not so much Troubled, it seems, at the Use
+of the _Remedy_, as that he had not try’d the _Experiment_ sooner. You
+may Talk what you will (says _Lais_) of your Philosophers and Learned
+Men; but I have as many Visits from Those Sparks as from Other People.
+And she was much in the Right on’t.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXXII.
+
+A _Rich Man_ and a _Foolish Servant_.
+
+
+A _Rich Man_ had a Certain Block-headed Fellow to his _Servant_, and the
+Master would be saying to him at Every Turn, Well! Thou art the very
+Prince of Fools! I would I were, says the Man, in a Sawcy Huff once, for
+I should be the Greatest Emperor upon the Face of the Earth then, and You
+Your self should be One of My Subjects.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Only Universal Monarch is the King of Fools; for the Whole Race of
+Mankind are his Subjects._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Whole World is full of Fools, only He that’s the Least One is the
+Wisest Man. This would have been Well, if the Moralist had not given
+the Block-headed Servant too much Privilege: But the Ill Manners is
+suitable enough however, to the Character. It was such a kind of a
+Course Complement that _Scotus_ put upon _Charles the Bald_, as they
+were Sitting together at a Table. The Emperor ask’d him _Quid Interest_
+(says he) _inter Scotum & Sotum_? (Playing upon the Conceit of _Scot_ and
+_Sot_) [_Mensa_] says he. That is to say, the Table is between the _Scot_
+and the _Sot_: And so with the Liberty of a _Buffon_, the School-man
+turn’d the _Sot_ upon the _Emperor_, in _Law-Latin_: This Booby’s Answer
+in the Fable, as Unmannerly as it was, had yet a Great deal of Truth
+in’t; for He that can Advance himself to be _a King of Fools_, may be
+Honestly Reputed within a Hairs Breadth of an _Universal Monarch_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXXIII.
+
+A _Widow_ had a mind to _Marry_.
+
+
+Well! says a _Widow_ in Confidence to a Friend of her’s. I am Utterly
+Undone for want of a Sober, Provident _Husband_, to look after my Estate;
+and there’s No bodies Advice that I had rather have then Yours. But
+pray, will you take This Along with you too; that for the Course, Common
+Bus’ness of Matrimony, as I am an Honest Woman, the very Thought on’t
+turns my Stomach; Very well, says the Confident, and now I know Your
+Mind, it shall go Hard but I’ll Fit ye. The Good Woman went her way for
+the Present, and the Next Day came to her again, quite Overjoy’d that she
+had found out a Man so Absolutely for her Turn. I have Provided ye a Man
+(says she) of Industry and Integrity; and one that Perfectly Understands
+all sorts of Bus’ness; and then for Turning Your Stomach, My Life for
+Yours, Madam, he’s not in a Condition to give you any Qualms That way.
+_Away, Ye Fool You_, says she; _I Hate the Infirmity, though I Love the
+Virtue_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Women are All of a Make, and in some Things, most of them in a Mind.
+One Woman feels Another Womans Pulse in her Own Veins; and there’s_ no
+Halting before Cripples.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No Disputing with a Man that denies Principles, and there are
+certain _Præcognita_ in the Motions of Flesh and Bloud, as well as in
+the Philosophy of the Schools: In which Cases, we Understand our Duty
+without a Teacher, and Acquit our selves as we Ought to do, without a
+Prompter. That is to say, there are some Certain Fundamentals of _Natural
+Justice_, that we take for Granted, and Trust One Another for; as in the
+Proposition of our Widow here in the Fable, without any Need of Articles
+for the Performance of Covenants. The Widow, in short, play’d the Gipsy,
+and so did her Confident too, in pretending to Believe her: But there’s
+_No Catching Old Birds with Chaff_, for One Woman reads the Heart of
+Womankind in her Own Breast. She was a Fool to be Mealy-Mouth’d, where
+Nature speaks so Plain. There may be Exceptions ’tis True, to a General
+Rule, but none to an Universal. It was No Ill shift however, to come
+off withal, that in despite of All her Aversions, she was not yet for
+making a Virtue of Necessity. The Publisher of _Mr. Selden’s Table Talk_,
+Tells of a Girl that was worth Forty of Our Widow here, and an Honest
+Down-right, Plain Dealing Lass it was. The Wench was just newly Marry’d,
+and so soon as ever the Job was over, _Pray Mother_, says she, _Must not
+I go to Bed now?_ No, No, Child, says _Mamma_, You must take Your Dinner
+first: _Oh_, says the Girl, _and_ Then _go to Bed I warrant ye_. No, my
+Dear, not yet, says the Mother, You must Dance after Dinner. _Ay, Ay_,
+says the Girl again, _and_ Then _to Bed_. No, No, says T’other, You must
+Sup first, and Dance again. _Ay, Ay, and_ Then _to Bed_, says the Bride.
+This Girl did but speak the Widows Mind; for let Flesh and Bloud pretend
+what it will, _to Bed, to Bed_, will be the _Bob_ of the _Song_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXXIV.
+
+_Town-Dogs_ and _Country-Dogs_.
+
+
+’Tis a Common Thing upon the Passing of a _Strange Dog_ through a Town,
+to have a _Hundred Curs Bawling at his Breech_, and Every Yap gets a
+Snap at him. There was One Particular Dog, that when he saw there was No
+saving his Skin by Running away, Turn’d upon his Pursuers, and then found
+upon the Tryal, that One set of Teeth was worth Two pair of Heels; for
+upon That Resolution, they All fell off, and Sneak’d their Way. A Captain
+took Occasion to Apply This Instance to his People. Fellow-Soldiers (says
+he) take This for a Rule, Those that run away are in more Danger then the
+Others that stand the Shock.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXXV.
+
+A _Snake_ to _Jupiter_.
+
+
+A _Snake_ that found himself Persecuted by Men, appeal’d to _Jupiter_
+for Relief; who told him that it was his Own Fault; for (says he) if you
+had but Bit the First Man that Affronted ye; the Second would have taken
+Warning by’t.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_The putting up of One Affront draws on Another._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is No Ill Emblem of the Common People; that are Insolent so long
+as they are Fear’d, and Shrink, where they find Danger; for their
+Courage is Calculated to the Opinion they have of the Enemy. It is the
+Nature of All sorts of Mungril Curs, to Bawl, Snarle, and Snap, where
+the Foe flies before them; and to Clap their Tails between their Legs
+when an Adversary makes Head against them. There’s Nothing, in short,
+but Resolution, to carry a Man through All Difficulties: And since it
+is so Absolutely Necessary, the sooner it is Taken up, the Better it
+succeeds. ’Tis a Matter of very Evil Consequence, to let the Rabble offer
+Publique Affronts _Gratis_. A seditious Word leads to a Broyl, and a
+Ryot Unpunish’d, is but next door to a Tumult: So that the Bearing of
+One Indignity draws on Another. Bite the First Man that Affronts ye, and
+y’are safe for ever after.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXXVI.
+
+The _Frogs_ and _Tortoises_.
+
+
+As a Company of _Frogs_ were Trifling and Playing up and down in a
+Meadow, some _Tortoises_, that look’d on, were Mightily Troubled that
+they could not do so too, but taking Notice a while after, how These
+_Frogs_ were Pick’d up, and Destroy’d, by Birds and Fishes: Well (says
+One of ’em) ’tis better to Live Dull, and Heavy, then to Dye Light and
+Nimble.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Every Part and Creature of the Universe has its proper Place, Station,
+and Faculties Assign’d, and to Wish it Otherwise were to find Fault with
+Providence._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+That which Nature has Allotted us is best for us, and it is Great Folly
+and Wickedness for People not to be Content with it, and Thankful for’t.
+
+No Man knows Himself, or Understands his Own Condition, but by
+Comparison, and upon Experience. Our very Wishes, many times, are Mortal
+to us: and the very Granting of our Prayers, would but serve to make us
+still more and more Miserable. The _Tortoise_’s Shell was a Clog and a
+Burden, till they found it Necessary for the Defence of their Lives;
+and they Envy’d the Easyness and Lightness of the Frogs, till they saw
+them Joll’d to pieces, and Devour’d for want of a Buckler to Cover, and
+Protect them. But they came then to be of the Begger’s Mind, that stood
+Gaping at my Lady _Devonshire_’s Funeral: _Here’s a Brave Sight_, says
+she, _and yet I Gad_ Bess, _for all That, I had rather be a Live Begger
+then a Dead Countess_. The Moral Concludes in This, that there can be No
+Thought of Security, or Quiet in This World, but in a Resignation to the
+Allotments of God and Nature. If the _Tortoises_ had had their Wish, they
+had e’en been Pick’d up among the _Frogs_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXXVII.
+
+The _Mice_ and the _Oak_.
+
+
+The _Mice_ found it so Troublesome to be still Climbing the _Oak_ for
+Every Bit they put in their Bellies, that they were once about to set
+their Teeth to’t, and bring the Acorns down to them; But some Wiser then
+some; and a Grave Experienc’d _Mouse_, bad them have a care what they
+did; for if we Destroy our Nurse at present, Who shall Feed us hereafter?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Resolution without Foresight is but a Temerarious Folly: And
+the Consequences of Things are the First Point to be taken into
+Consideration._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Ill done for any Man to Consult his Present Ease and Profit, without
+Computing upon the Trouble and Loss that may Ensue. ’Tis not safe to make
+any Present Resolutions without a Considerate Prospect into the Future.
+This is abundantly Moraliz’d in several Other Places. But the _Mouse_’s
+Question of _Who shall Feed us hereafter?_ goes a great Way in the
+Resolution of All These Cases.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXXVIII.
+
+A _Run-away Dog_ and his _Master_.
+
+
+There was a _Bob-Tail’d Cur_, cry’d in a _Gazette_, and One that found
+him out by his Marks, brought him home to his _Master_; who fell
+presently to Reasoning the Matter with him, how Insensible, and Thankless
+a Wretch he was, to run away from One that was so Extream kind to him.
+Did I ever give you a Blow in my Life, says he, or so much as One Angry
+Word, in all the time that ever you serv’d me? No, says the Dog, not with
+Your Own Hands, nor with Your Own Lips; but you have given me a Thousand
+and a Thousand by your Deputy; and when I’m Beaten by my _Master_’s
+_Order_, ’tis my _Master_ Himself, I reckon, that Beats me.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_In Benefits as well as Injuries ’tis the Principal that we are to
+Consider, not the Instrument. That which a Man does by Another, is in
+Truth and Equity his own Act._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The _Master_ here deals with the _Dog_, as Great Officers deal many
+times with Honest, Well-Meaning Men at Court. They speak ’em Fair
+Themselves, and Murder ’em by their Deputies: But still That which is
+done by the Principal’s Order, or with his Privity, or Approbation, is
+the Principal’s Act. The _Servant_ is But the _Master_’s _Instrument_ in
+the Case, as the _Cudgel_ is the _Servant_’s; and they are Both under
+the same Command. When a Man happens to be Kill’d, we do not Impute the
+Murder to the Weapon that did the Execution, but to him that Manag’d it.
+This is much after the way of Treating _Elephants_. When an Elephant
+is taken in a Pit-fall, He that is design’d for the Master and Keeper
+of him, sets Other People to Prick and Teize him, and Then In comes
+He Himself, and under Pretence of taking his Part, falls foul upon his
+Enemies, and Rescues him. The _Elephant_ takes This Man now for his
+Friend; Whereas, upon the Whole Matter, it was by His Order that he was
+both Taken and Beaten.
+
+There’s Nothing more Frequent then this _Shamming_ Way of _Confederacy_,
+betwixt Two Men in Power; when an Honest Patriot, for the Purpose, or
+a Loyal Subject is to be made an Owl of; by Consent of them Both. The
+One Affronts him, while the Other Cajoles and Pities him; Takes up his
+Quarrel, shakes his Head at it; Claps his Hand upon his Breast, and then
+Protests, and Protests, _he Wonders at his Heart that my Lord should have
+so little Honour, as to Treat an Honest Gentleman at This rate_. A Friend
+of mine has been at This sport many and many a time: And now upon the
+Whole Matter, This is no more at last then a Concerted _Intrigue_ betwixt
+a Brace of Sharpers, that Laugh all the while at the whole Roguery in
+their Sleeves. The _Master’s Good Words_ are a Greater Mortification to
+the _Dog_, then the _Servants Blows_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCLXXXIX.
+
+The _Birds_ and _Beetles_.
+
+
+The _Birds_ were in a Terrible Fright once, for fear of Gunshot from the
+_Beetles_. And what was the Bus’ness, but the little Balls of Ordure that
+the _Beetles_ had Rak’d together, the _Birds_ took for _Bullets_: But a
+_Sparrow_ in the Company, that had more Wit then his Fellows, bad ’em
+have a Good Heart yet, for how shall they reach us in the Air, says he,
+with Those Pellets, that they can hardly Roll upon the Ground.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Many People apprehend Danger where there’s None, and reckon themselves
+sure where there Is, for want of taking the True Measure of Things, and
+laying Matters Rightly together._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Vain Fears and Imaginations Cast a Mist before our Eyes, and not only
+Represent Real Dangers Greater then they Are, but Create Fantastical
+Difficulties, where in Truth there are None at all. The _Birds_ were in
+a Mortal Apprehension of the _Beetles_, till the _Sparrow_ Reason’d them
+into a Better Understanding of the Matter. How should they Hurt us in the
+Air, says the _Sparrow_, with Those Pellets, that they can hardly Move
+upon the Ground, which brought the Point to an Issue upon a very Logical
+Conclusion.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXC.
+
+A _Bear_ and _Bees_.
+
+
+A _Bear_ was so Enrag’d once at the Stinging of a _Bee_, that he ran
+like Mad into the _Bee-Garden_, and Over-turn’d All the _Hives_ in
+Revenge. This Outrage brought them Out in Whole Troops upon him; and he
+came afterwards to Bethink himself, how much more Advisable it had been
+to Pass over One Injury, then by an Unprofitable Passion to Provoke a
+Thousand.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Better pass over an Affront from One Scoundrel, then draw the Whole Herd
+of the Mobile about a Man’s Ears._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We are to learn from hence, the Folly of an Impotent, and Inconsiderate
+Anger; and that there’s no Creature so Contemptible, but by the Help of
+Resolution, and of Numbers, it may Gain its Point. The Heat and Thirst
+of Revenge does but Hurry People from Less Mischiefs to Greater; As
+One Hasty Word, or Blow, brings on a Thousand. There’s no Opposing the
+Torrent of a Head-strong Multitude; for Rage and Despair give Courage to
+the most Inconsiderable, and the most Fearful of Creatures. Had it not
+been Better now to have pass’d over the Affront of one Spiteful Creature,
+then to Provoke and draw on upon Himself the Outrage of a Thousand?
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXCI.
+
+A _Fowler_ and a _Chaffinch_.
+
+
+A _Fowler_ that had Bent his Net, and laid his Bait, Planted himself in
+the _Bird-Catcher_’s Place, to Watch for a Draught. There came a Great
+Many Birds One after Another, that Lighted, and Peck’d a While, and so
+away again. At this rate they kept Coming and Going all the Day long;
+but so few at a time, that the Man did not think ’em worth a Pluck. At
+last, when he had Slipt All his Opportunities in hope of a Better Hit,
+the Evening came on, and the Birds were gone to Bed, so that he must
+either Draw then or not at all; and in the Conclusion, he was e’en fain
+to content himself with one Single _Chaffinch_, that had the Misfortune
+to be Later Abroad then her Fellows.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Men are so Greedy after what’s to Come, which is Uncertain, that they
+Slip present Opportunities, which are never to be Recover’d._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Delays are Dangerous. The very Instant is All that we can call our Own,
+the Rest, is either Chance, or Fate. The Case of the _Fowler_ and the
+_Chaffinch_, reaches to all the Pretensions of Humane Life. Every Man
+Living has a Design in his Head upon something or other, and Applies
+himself accordingly toward the Attaining of his End; whether it be
+Honour, Wealth, Power, or any other sort of Advantage, or Settlement in
+the World. Now he that would take a True Measure how to Proceed, should
+say to himself, This is the Thing I would be at. This or That in such a
+Proportion will do my Bus’ness; And This Nick of time is the Critical
+Occasion for the Gaining of such or such a Point. I’ll take it while
+’tis to be had. He that may be well, and Will not, in hope of being
+Better, runs the Risque of getting Nothing at all; and so Parts with
+a Moral Certainty in Possession, for a Wild, and a Remote Possibility
+in Reversion. Lost Opportunities are never to be Recover’d. ’Tis Good
+Discretion, when we cannot Command what we would have, to Compound for
+what we May, and not to call any thing _Ill Luck_, which is in Truth _Ill
+Manage_. ’Tis a Weakness to be Sollicitous for more then enough, and to
+Hazzard All by Grasping at too much. _All Covet, All Lose_; for Avarice,
+whether it Succeeds or not, is but a kind of Beggary; and he that Wants
+More, has as Good as Nothing at all. The _Bird-Catcher_ slipt his Time
+here, and makes Good the Old Vulgar Saying; _He that will not when he
+May, When he Would he shall ha’_ Nay.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXCII.
+
+A _Soldier_ and Two _Horses_.
+
+
+A _Soldier_ that had One Excellent Horse already, bought Another that was
+not Half so Good, and yet he took more Care of That, then of the Former.
+Every body Wonder’d at the Humour of it, considering that for Beauty, or
+Service, the Latter was not Comparable to the Other. Ay, but says One,
+’tis Natural to be Kind to the Last Comer.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Our Likings or Dislikes are Founded rather upon Humour and Fancy then
+upon Reason. Every thing pleases at First; and Nothing Pleases Long; and
+we shift only to Try if we can Mend our selves in the Next Choice._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We are apt to put a Value upon Things for their Novelty, rather then
+for their Virtue: and the fame Levity holds towards Women, Friends and
+Acquaintances: Nay, and Governments too; for People seldom Change for a
+Better. All Civil Constitutions have their Failings, and the Unhinging,
+even of the Worst of Governments, brings on an _Anarchy_, which is yet
+Worse; for it lays All in Rubbish: And we have no better Security for the
+Next State of Things, then we had for the Former, but still for Variety
+sake, we go on Chopping and Changing our _Friends_, and our _Masters_,
+as well as our _Horses_; and with the _Soldier_, out of a Sickly Levity,
+like the Last Best, whatever it be.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXCIII.
+
+A _Spaniel_ and a _Sow_.
+
+
+I wonder (says a _Sow_ to a _Spaniel_) how you can Fawn thus upon a
+Master that gives you so many Blows, and Twinges by the Ears. Well (says
+the _Dog_) but then set the Good Bits, and the Good Words he gives me,
+against Those Blows and Twinges, and I’m a Gainer by the Bargain.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that will Live Happily in This World, must Resolve to take the Good
+and the Bad Thankfully and Contentedly One with Another._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Without a Strict Hand over us, in the Institution of our Youth, we
+are in Danger to be Lost for ever. _He that Spares the Rod, Hates the
+Child_; and the Severity of an Early Discipline is One of the Greatest
+Obligations that a Son can have to a Tender Parent. This we shall find to
+be True, if we do but set the Good against the Bad, as the _Dog_ did the
+_Knocks_, and then Ballance the Account.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXCIV.
+
+_Oxen_ and _Timber_.
+
+
+Why don’t you Run and Make Hast? cry’d the _Timber_ in the Cart, to the
+_Oxen_ that Drew it: The Burthen is not so Heavy sure. Well! (said the
+_Oxen_) if You did but know Your Own Fortune, you’d never be so Merry
+at Ours. We shall be Discharg’d of our Load so soon as we come to our
+Journies End, but You that are Design’d for _Beams_ and _Supporters_,
+shall be made to bear till your Hearts break. This Hint brought the
+_Timber_ to a Better Understanding of the Case.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis Matter of Humanity, Honour, Prudence, and Piety, to be Tender One
+of Another; for no Man Living knows his End, and ’tis_ the Evening Crowns
+the Day.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It is both Base, and Foolish, to Insult over People in Distress, for
+the Wheel of Fortune is perpetually in Motion, and He that’s Uppermost
+to day, may be Under it to Morrow. No Man knows what End he is Born to;
+and it is Only Death that can Pronounce upon a Happy or a Miserable
+Life. When the _Timber_ made sport with the _Oxen_ for the Drudgery they
+Labour’d under, Little did they Dream of the Greater Oppression they were
+to Undergo Themselves.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXCV.
+
+A _Goldfinch_ and a _Boy_.
+
+
+A _Goldfinch_ gave his Master the Slip out of the Cage, and he did what
+he could to get him Back again, but he would not come. Well! says the
+_Boy_, You’ll live to Repent it; for you’ll never be so well Look’d to in
+any Other Place. That may very Well be, says the _Bird_; but however, I
+had rather be at my Own Keeping then at Yours.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Never Well; Full nor Fasting._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Meat, Drink, and Ease can never make any Man Happy that wants his
+Liberty. No, nor any Man that has it neither; for we are _never Well,
+either with Much or Little_. Whatever we Have, we Want something else,
+and so go on Wanting and Craving, till Death takes us off in the Middle
+of our Longings. He that’s a Pris’ner, is Troubled that he cannot go
+whither he Would; And He that’s at Large, is as much Troubled that he
+does not know whither to Go. The One Stands still: and the Other Loses
+his Way. Now ’tis not Necessity, but Opinion that makes People Miserable,
+and when we come once to be _Fancy-Sick_, there’s _No Cure_ for’t. A Man
+may have his Heels at Liberty, and yet be a Slave to Impotent Affections,
+and Troubled Thoughts. But This is not, upon any Terms to Undervalue
+the Blessings of a Natural Freedom; and the _Goldfinch_ was undoubtedly
+in the Right, when he was once out of the Cage, not to be Whistled back
+again, if it had not been that he carry’d his Snare along with him.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXCVI.
+
+A _Droll_ and a _Bishop_.
+
+
+There was a Roguy Wag of a _Droll_ that had a Mind once to put a
+Trick upon _a Hard, Close-fisted Bishop_: so he went to him upon the
+_First_ of _January_ to Wish him a _Merry New-Year_ on’t, and begg’d a
+_Five-Guinea-Piece_ of him for a _New-Years-Gift_. Why, the Man’s Mad
+(says the _Prelate_) and I believe he takes me to be so too. Dost think I
+have so Little Wit, as to Part with such a Gob of Money for God-a-Mercy?
+Nay, my Lord (says the Fellow) if That be too much, let it be but a
+Single _George_, and I’ll be Thankful for’t; But That would not do
+Neither. He fell next Bout to a _Copper Farthing_, and was Deny’d That
+too. When the Fellow saw that there was no _Money_ to be got, Pray (my
+Lord, says he) let me beg your _Blessing_ then. With all my Heart (says
+the Bishop) Down on your Knees, and You shall have it: No, My Lord (says
+T’other) ’tis My Turn now to Deny; for if You Your self had thought That
+_Blessing_ worth a _Copper Farthing_, you’d never have Parted with it.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+No Penny, No Pater Noster, _does not hold in All Cafes_; _for the_ Penny
+_and the_ Pater Noster _do not go always together_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No Corruption like Ecclesiastical Avarice; No Cruelty so
+Merciless as That of a Debauch’d Church-man. ’Tis the Devil’s
+Master-Piece to begin There; for he knows very Well, that the Scandalous
+Examples of a Perfidious, and an Apostate Clergy, are the Ready Way to
+bring the Holy Order of Priesthood it self into _Odium_, and _Disgrace_.
+_Here’s Your Church_, they cry presently; as if the very _Function_ were
+_Unhallow’d_ by the _Mercenary Practices_ of some _Backsliding Members_
+of that Communion. Let them Live as they Preach, and Preach as they
+Ought, and let there be No Moralizing in the Pulpit upon the Fable of the
+_Man_, and the _Satyr_, by _Blowing Hot and Cold_ out of the same Mouth.
+There are _Simoniacal_ Contracts on the Buying side, as well as on the
+Selling, when People shall Preach One Doctrine to get Into a Living, and
+the Contrary to Keep it. What is This, but the Selling of the Truth, and
+of Souls, for Money, and the Prostituting of All that’s Sacred, for the
+saving of their Skins and their Stakes?
+
+Not but that Charity is Free, and much at the Discretion of Him that
+is to Exercise it. It is Free, I say, to All Intents and Purposes, as
+to any Legal Coertion upon it, though at the same time, in Point of
+Conscience, a Man may lye under the Obligation of an Indispensable Duty.
+So that without forcing the Drift of this Fable, the Bishop is not to
+Blame here, the Matter simply Consider’d; for the First, Second, or Third
+Denyal, or for All together; for such Circumstances may be Suppos’d,
+with a Regard to the Manner, Time, and Persons, as might not only Acquit
+him for the Refusal, but have Reflected upon his Conduct, and Prudence,
+if he had Granted the Request: So that (with Veneration to the Divine
+Institution it self, and to Those that Live up to’t) we are to take This
+for the Figure of a _Loose_ and a _Covetous Prelate_, that Disgraces his
+_Character_ by his _Conversation_, and sets a Higher Rate upon a _Copper
+Farthing_, then upon an _Apostolical Benediction_. Now if This Bishop
+could have said, _Silver and Gold have I none_, the Author of This Fable
+would have Absolv’d him.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXCVII.
+
+A _Lapwing_ Preferr’d.
+
+
+Upon a General Invitation to the _Eagle_’s _Wedding_, there were several
+Birds of Quality among the Rest, that took it in Heavy Dudgeon to see a
+_Lapwing_ Plac’d at the Upper End of the Table. ’Tis true, they cry’d, he
+has a kind of a Coxcomb upon the Crown of him, and a Few Tawdry Feathers;
+but Alas, he never Eat a Good Meals Meat in his Life, till he came to
+This Preferment.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a Scandal to a Government, and there goes Envy along with it,
+where Honours are Conferr’d upon Men for Address, Beauty, and External
+Advantages, rather then for their Good Qualities and Virtues._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Necessary Caution in All Preferments that they be Plac’d upon Fit
+Men; for the Right Motives; and for the Right Ends. The Advancing of a
+Fantastical Fool, or _Lapwing_, Reflects upon the Raiser of him; for ’tis
+an Ill sign, the very Liking of an Ill Man, and Implies, at least a Tacit
+Approbation of the Officers Defects. The Preferring of People indeed
+to Honourable Charges and Commissions, without either Brains, Bloud,
+Fortune, or Merit, may be so far Reputed a Great Work, as the making of
+Something out of Nothing, seems to be next door to a Creation: But the
+Character at last will not Excuse the Person so Dignify’d, from Open
+Envy and Secret Contempt, Where it falls out that the True Reason of the
+Choice, is either Fancy without Judgment, or Credulity without Enquiry,
+Information, or Tryal; the Latter is the more Harmless Mistake of the
+Two; for there’s somewhat of Generous in the Confidence, Notwithstanding
+the Error of the Facility: And as He that Trusts, to This Degree, does
+deserve not to be Deceived; so He that Betrays such a Trust, on the Other
+Hand, is not Worthy to Live. An Ill Reason, in fine, for an Ill Choice,
+is Worse then No Reason at all; for to proceed upon a Wrong Reason, is
+to Build upon a False Foundation. _Will and Pleasure_ is the Only Plea
+This Case will bear; for the Authority of the _Eagle her self_, we see,
+was not sufficient to Vindicate a _Worthless Minion_ from _Reproche_ and
+_Scorn_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXCVIII.
+
+A _Priest_ and _Pears_.
+
+
+A _Jolly Gutling Priest_, that was Invited to a Wedding-Dinner, Stumbled
+upon a parcel of _Pears_ by the Way. The Man was sharp enough set to have
+made a Breakfast of them, but so taken up with the thought of the Wedding
+Chear, that he only Pist upon the _Pears_ in Contempt, and so went his
+Way. He was to Cross a River it seems, but finding the Waters so High,
+that there was No Passing, he was e’en glad to Trudge back again as Wise
+as he came, and to make a Meal of Those very _Pears_ that he had _Pist_
+upon and _Despis’d_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Hunger’s the Best Sauce._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable shews us, that Delicate and Squeamish Humours in the Matters
+of Meats and Drinks, are Freak, and Phansy, rather then upon any Account
+of Nature, or Reason. (Some Few Insuperable Aversions only Excepted)
+There is a Pride, and an Affectation of Singularity, that is never to
+be pleas’d with any thing that’s Cheap and Common; and there’s also a
+Sensual Intemperance for the Gratifying of the Palate; but _Necessity,
+and No Choice_ cures either of These Evils. The _Priest_ did Ill in
+Vilifying These _Pears_; for All the Fruits of the Earth are the Gifts of
+Providence, which we ought to have a Reverence for: And he did Foolishly
+too in not Considering, that he Himself might come to stand in Need of
+them. But he was forc’d, in the Conclusion, to Eat That Himself, which
+he had made Unfit for any body else, and there was his Punishment. A
+Squeamish Fastidious Niceness in Meats and Drinks, must be Cur’d as we
+Cure Agues, by Starving.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCXCIX.
+
+A _Horse_ and a _Hog_.
+
+
+A _Hog_ took Notice of a _Horse_ in the Height of his Courage, that was
+Just Advancing to Charge an Enemy, Why what a Fool art thou, says the
+_Hog_ to him, to make such Haste to be Destroy’d? That Consideration,
+says the _Horse_, may do well enough in the mouth of a wretched Creature
+that’s only Fatted up to be Kill’d by a Knife, but whenever I’m taken
+off, I’ll leave the Memory of a Good Name Behind me.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis the Cause makes the Martyr._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+He that Consults the Interest of his Carcass, before that of his
+Repution, or his Country, is Effectually but a Brute, under the Figure
+of a Man. An Honourable Death is to be Preferr’d before an Infamous
+Life. This _Hog_ in the Fable has but taken up the Words and Humour of
+a Bestial sort of People in the World: Men that lie Wallowing in their
+Lusts, their Debauches, and their Pleasures, and spending their Censures
+upon Men of Honour, and Publique Spirits, without any Regard to the
+Conscience of either Christian, Moral, or Political Duties. They are more
+Solicitous for the Pampering of their Bodies, then for the Saving of
+their Souls, or the Embalming of their Memories: and fall justly under
+the Reproof of the _Horse_ to the _Hog_ in This Emblem.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCC.
+
+A _Hunts-man_ and a _Currier_.
+
+
+A _Currier_ bought a _Bear-Skin_ of a _Hunts-Man_, and laid him down
+ready Money for’t. The _Hunts-Man_ told him that he would Kill a _Bear_
+next day, and he should have the Skin. The _Currier_, for his Curiosity,
+went out with the _Hunts-Man_ to the Chace, and Mounted a Tree, where
+he might see the Sport. The _Hunts-Man_ Advanc’d very Bravely up to the
+Den where the _Bear_ lay, and threw in his Dogs upon him. He Rustled
+out Immediately, and the Man Missing his Aim, the _Bear_ Overturn’d
+him. So the Fellow held his Breath, and lay Stone still, as if he were
+dead. The _Bear_ Snuffled, and smelt to him; took him for a Carcass, and
+so left him. When the _Bear_ was gone, and the Danger over, down comes
+the _Currier_ from the Tree, and bad the _Hunts-Man_ Rise. Heark ye, my
+Friend, says the _Currier_, the _Bear_ Whisper’d somewhat in your Ear,
+What was it, I prethee? Oh (says the _Hunts-Man_) he bad me have a Care
+for the Future, to make sure of the _Bear_, before I Sell his _Skin_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Let no Man Undertake for more then he is able to make Good._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to bid us secure our selves Before hand of what we Undertake for,
+and not depend upon Uncertainties. Though with the Moralist’s Leave, the
+Uncertainty was on the Other Hand, and he that _Bought_ the Skin, ran
+a Greater Risque then T’other that _Sold_ it; and had the Worse End of
+the Staff. ’Tis Good Councel however, not to make our selves Answerable
+for Things out of our Power: Especially where there are Dangerous
+Contingencies in the Way, as we find in This Fable: For the _Bear_
+was within a Hairs Breadth of Spoiling the Jest: It is much at this
+Rate that we make All our Bargains; We give our Time, Study, Interest,
+Liberty, and, in short, part with all that’s Precious, not only upon
+Uncertainties, but for Things we can never Obtain. There’s no depending
+upon _To-morrow_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCI.
+
+A _Hermit_ and a _Soldier_.
+
+
+There was a _Holy-Man_ that took a _Soldier_ to Task, upon the Subject
+of his Profession, and laid before him the Hazzards, the Sins, and the
+Troubles that Attend People of that Trade; Wherefore, says he, for your
+Souls sake, Sir, Pray give it over. Well! _Father_, says the _Soldier_;
+I’ll do as you bid me; for really we are so Ill paid, and there’s so
+little to be Gotten by Pillage, that I Phansy I had e’en as good Betake
+my self to a Godly Life.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_When People can Live no longer by their Sins, ’tis High Time for them to
+Mend their Manners._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Nature it self speaks in These Lively Images of Truth. Here’s a _Good
+Man_, and his _Penitent_ Preaching upon Two several Texts. The _Holy
+Father_ Enforces the Necessity of the _Soldier_’s _Repentance_, from the
+Wicked Course of Life that he Leads, and the Trade that he Drives. The
+_Soldier_, on the Other hand, is willing to be Converted, for the _Times
+are Dead_, he says, _and there’s Neither Pay, nor Plunder to be got_.
+The World has abundance of These _Proselytes_, that when they can be no
+longer Wicked to Advantage, take up an Outward Change of Profession, and
+pass presently for Babes of Grace, without the Least Symptoms, all this
+while, of any Inward Change of Mind. This was the Case of One of our
+_Modern Confessors_, and _Martyrs_, who took a Formal Leave of _Jesus
+Christ_, and told his _Ghostly Father_, that he was now fully Resolv’d
+not to Starve for his Religion. Now there are Millions and Millions
+in the World, of This Man’s Kidney, that have the Wit yet to keep
+their Tongues betwixt their Teeth, and to take up the same Resolution
+without Noise. How many Instances of the Power of Pay and Pillage,
+does Every day Produce in all manner of Dealings and Professions: For
+Religion and Property still March Hand in Hand, and Men will do Tricks
+like Dogs, for Crusts, and Change their Masters, both Heavenly, and
+Earthly, for Better Wages. Where’s That Law, or Text, that has not been
+Over-rul’d some time or other, and Distorted, by a False Gloss to make
+the Application Profitable, and Easie to the Good People? How often
+have we heard as Arrant Jangling in the Pulpits, as ever we did in the
+Steeples: And Professors Ringing as Awk as the Bells, to give notice of
+the Conflagration which They Themselves were Raising; for we have found
+it to our Cost, that the Multitude will sooner Kindle with a _Pernicious
+Doctrine_ then with a _Pudding-Lane Fire-Ball_. ’Tis not _Conscience_,
+but _Interest_ that Governs the World; and the Incomparable _Hudibras_
+has hit the Point to a Hair.
+
+    _What’s Orthodox, and True Believing_
+    _Against a Conscience?_ A Good Living.
+    _What makes All Doctrines Plain and Clear?_
+    About Two Hundred Pound a Year.
+    _And That which was Prov’d True Before,_
+    _Prove False again?_ Two Hundred More.
+    _What makes the Breaking of all Oaths,_
+    _A Holy Duty?_ Food and Cloaths.
+
+This it is, in fine, that makes the _Devil_ of a _Saint_, and a _Saint_
+of a _Devil_; for your _Holy Apostate_ is the _Blackest_ of _Hypocrites_.
+The _Soldier_ turns _Religious_, and he shall do more Mischief in That
+Shape, then ever he did in the Other. For a Corrupted Zeal draws more
+Bloud then a Mercenary Malice.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCII.
+
+A _Husband_ and _Wife_ twice _Marry’d_.
+
+
+There happened a Match betwixt a _Widower_ and a _Widow_. The _Woman_
+would be perpetually Twitting of her Second Husband, what a Man her First
+was; and her _Husband_ did not forget the Ringing of it in her Ears as
+often, what an Admirable Woman he had to his First Wife. As the _Woman_
+was One day upon the Peevish Pin, a Poor Body comes to the Door, while
+the Froward Fit was upon her, to beg a Charity. Come in Poor Man (says
+the Woman) Here’s e’en the Leg of a Capon for thee, to Pray for the Soul
+of my First Husband. Nay, Faith, says the Husband, and when thy Hand is
+In, e’en take the Body and the Rest on’t, to pray for the Soul of My
+First Wife. This was Their way of Teizing One Another, and of Starving
+the Living to the Honour of the Dead: For they had but that One Capon
+betwixt them to Supper.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+Sauce for a Goose is Sauce for a Gander. _There’s no Contending with the
+Laws of God and Man, Especially against Those that have Power and Right
+on their Sides._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We may learn from This Fable, that it is Common Duty and Discretion, for
+Men and their Wives, when they are once Hamper’d, to make the Best of
+a Doubtful Game; for they are One to All Manner of Purposes, by which
+it is Possible for Two Persons to be United. Their Interest is One and
+the same, and there’s No Touching the Peace, or the Honour of the One,
+without Wounding That of the Other; but if there happens to be Any
+Absolute Necessity of Jangling, One of the Civilest ways of Reproche
+is That here before us; and it is but according to the Ordinary Guise
+and Freak of the World, when any thing comes Cross betwixt the Second
+Husband and Wife, to be still Celebrating the Memory of the Former. _My
+First Husband_ (Heaven Rest his Soul) and _My First Wife_, they Cry,
+was So and So, and would have done This and That. The Two Main Topiques
+to Chop Logick upon in These Domestique Disagreements, are commonly the
+Upbraiding One Another with what _I Was_, and what _I Might have been_;
+and what a Match I might have had (with a Pox) never considering what
+they _Are_, and that what they _Are_ they _Must_ be, which is the Only
+Point. ’Tis Forty to One that Controversies will Arise one time or Other
+in That State of Life, when it will be the Husbands Part, upon the Matter
+of Dignity, Preference, and Commission, to Moderate Matters, both by his
+Authority, and his Prudence; Which is but Consonant to Equity and Right
+Nature. Wherefore the Woman is Worse then Frantick, that, upon These
+Disputes, will be trying Conclusions with her Husband, for a Better, or a
+Worse. If he Truckles, she makes him a Coxcomb: If he keeps his Ground,
+she shews her self to be One, so that she lays all at stake upon the
+Contest, that a Sober Woman has to Lose. It is much better to give Way
+betimes to the Stronger, even upon the Matter of Prudence, as well as
+of Respect, then it would be to Contend at first, and then, either to
+Cross the Cudgels, or to be Baffled in the Conclusion. The Man and the
+Woman here never Consider’d that they gave away their Own Meat, and both
+Robb’d, and Discredited One Another in the Contest.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCIII.
+
+A _Lyon_ and a _Mouse_.
+
+
+A _Lyon_ that found himself Hamper’d in a Net, call’d to a _Mouse_ that
+was passing by, to help him out of the Snare, and he’d never forget the
+Kindness, he said. The _Mouse_ Gnaw’d the Threads to pieces, and when he
+had set the _Lyon_ at Liberty, desir’d him in Requital to give him his
+Daughter. The _Lyon_ was too Generous to Deny him Any thing, but most
+Unluckily, as the New Bride was just about to Step into the Marriage Bed,
+she happen’d to set her Foot upon her Husband at unawares, and Crush’d
+him to Death.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Folly of an Inconsiderate Love. The Force of Gratitude, and Good
+Nature, and the Misery that Accompanies Unequal Matches._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+All Matches, Friendships, and Societies are Dangerous and Inconvenient,
+where the Contractors are Not Equals: And the _Mouse_ under the Paw of
+the _Lyon_, does well enough set forth the Danger of such a Marriage.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCIV.
+
+_Wax_ and _Brick_.
+
+
+There was a Question started once about _Wax_, and _Brick_, why the One
+should be so Brittle, and liable to be Broken with Every Knock, and the
+Other bear up against All Injuries and Weathers, so Durable and Firm. The
+_Wax_ Philosophiz’d upon the Matter, and finding Out at last, that it was
+Burning made the _Brick_ so Hard, Cast it self into the _Fire_, upon an
+Opinion that Heat would Harden the _Wax_ too; but That which Consolidated
+the One, Dissolv’d the Other.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a Folly to try Conclusions without Understanding the Nature of the
+Matter in Question._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No Trying of Experiments, without laying Things and Things
+together: For That which is agreeable to the Nature of One Thing, is
+Many times Contrary to the Nature of Another. Several Humours are to be
+Wrought upon several Ways, and the Case betwixt _Wax_ and _Brick_, is
+the very same Case too betwixt One Man and Another. Some are to be dealt
+withal by Fair Means; Others by Foul; and that which Hardens the One
+softens the Other.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCV.
+
+A _Husbandman_ turn’d _Soldier_ and _Merchant_.
+
+
+Oh the Endless Misery of the Life I lead! cries the Moiling _Husbandman_,
+to spend all my Days in Ploughing, Sowing, Digging, and Dunging, and to
+make Nothing on’t at last! Why now in a _Soldier_’s Life, there’s Honour
+to be got, and One Lucky Hit sets up a Man for Ever. Faith, I’ll e’en put
+off my Stock, Get me a Horse and Arms, and Try the Fortune of the War.
+Away he goes; Makes his Push; Stands the Shock of a Battel, and Compounds
+at last for the Leaving of a Leg or an Arm behind him, to go Home again.
+By this Time he has had his Bellyful of _Knight-Errantry_, and a New
+Freak takes him in the Crown. He might do better, he fancies, in the Way
+of a _Merchant_. This Maggot has no sooner set him agog; but he gets him
+a Ship Immediately; Freights her, and so away to Sea upon Adventure:
+Builds Castles in the Air, and Conceits Both the _Indies_ in his Coffers,
+before he gets so much as Clear of the Port. Well! and What’s the End
+of All This at last? He falls into Foul Weather, among Flats and Rocks,
+where Merchant, Vessel, Goods, and All are lost in One Common Wreck.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Rambling Levity of Mind is commonly Fatal to us._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Doctrine concerns those that Rashly Change their Condition and
+Fortune, and commonly fall into the Inconveniences that they thought
+to Avoid. He that’s Well, already, and, upon a Levity of Mind, Quits
+his Station, in hope to be Better, ’tis Forty to One he loses by the
+Change; for This Lightness is both a Vice, and a Disease, and rather the
+Wallowing of a Sickly Qualm, then any Reasonable Agitation of Councel and
+Debate. The Fault is not in the Place, or Bus’ness, but in the Stomach;
+and the Quitting of such a Course of Life, is but shifting Posture in
+a Fit of Sickness: Let a Man turn which Way he will, he is still as
+Restless and uneasie One way as Another. Not but that ’tis Reasonable
+for a Man, under any Calamity, to use the Best Means he can, Honestly,
+to get Clear on’t. Let it be Pain of Body, Distress of Mind, Loss of
+Liberty, Pinching Necessity of Fortune; Nay let it be Gout, Stone, or
+Torments, there’s Matter yet left for Industry, Councel, Generosity, or
+when All fails, for Philosophy, and Constancy of Mind to Work upon; and
+to Emprove All the Methods of Providence to our Advantage. Now All This
+is only an Honourable and Warrantable Conflict, with such Accidents and
+Circumstances as Providence is pleas’d to make use of, for the Tryal of
+our Faith and Virtue. So that These Strivings are not to be taken for a
+Contending with superior Powers; but they are Cases Excepted from the
+Uneasiness here in the Fable; which arises from a Dissatisfaction in such
+a Lot, as might make us abundantly happy if we would but keep our Desires
+within Those Bounds which God and Nature have Prescrib’d us. But Men
+under These Irregular Appetites, can never think themselves Well, so long
+as they fancy they Might be Better: And then from Better, they must Rise
+to be Best; and when That Best it self falls short of what they Expected
+from it, they are still as Poor and Miserable as if they had just Nothing
+at all. The _Husbandman_ Envies the _Soldier_; The _Soldier_ Envies the
+_Merchant_, and when he has try’d All Turns, and Projects, what with the
+Chance of War, Storms, and Pyrates, he sees his folly too late, and in
+Vain Wishes himself with his Hinds and his Flocks again. To say All in a
+Word, This Levity is both Attended, and Punish’d, with an Impossibility
+of Mending our Condition; for we Apply to our Bodies, and our Fortunes,
+when the Distemper lies in our Minds.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCVI.
+
+An _Ass_ puts in for an _Office_.
+
+
+There was a Bantering Droll got himself into a very Good Equipage and
+Employment, by an Admirable Faculty he had in Farting. The success of
+this Buffon Encourag’d an _Ass_ to put in for a place too; for, says
+he, I’ll Fart with That Puppy for his Commission, and leave it to the
+Judgment of Those that Preferr’d him, which has the Clearer, and the
+Better Scented Pipe of the Two.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Where Publique Ministers Encourage Buffonery, ’tis no wonder if Buffons
+set up for Publique Ministers._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable, according to _Abstemius_, and Others, Touches the Humour
+of Those that Squander away their Money upon Vanity and Trifles: But
+it seems to Me to look quite Another Way. With _Abstemius_’s Favour, I
+should rather take This Fable to Strike at the Natural Consequences of
+Evil Examples, when the Unreasonableness of One Act shall be made use of
+as an Argument for Another, no less Unreasonable: for ’tis President,
+Effectually that Governs the World. Why should not One Fool be Preferr’d
+for Farting as well as Another? For in Cases of Competition, he that does
+Best, e’en in an Ill, or in a Weak Thing, has a kind of Claim, and Right
+to a Preference, and the Grosser the Foppery, or the Iniquity, the Fairer
+the Pretence.
+
+This _Ass_’s putting up for an Office, Taxes the Perverting of Policy
+and Justice, in Conferring Those Honours, Charges, and Benefits, upon
+Parasites, Drolls, Buffons, and other Servile Instruments of Lust and
+Ambition, that are Due only to Men of Honour and Virtue. The Ministers
+of Government, and of Pleasure, should be carefully Distinguish’d; for
+it Corrupts both the Morals, and the Understandings of a Nation, when
+they find the Precepts of Common Honesty, and the Practices of State, to
+run so directly Counter, as to leave no Hope of Advancement, Credit, or
+Security, but by living in a Defiance to Nature and Reason: That is to
+say, by _Playing the Fool_, and _Farting_ for _Preferment_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCVII.
+
+A _River_ and a _Fountain_.
+
+
+There Happen’d a Dispute betwixt a _River_ and a _Fountain_, which of
+the two should have the Preference. The _River_ Valu’d it self upon
+the Plenty and Variety of Fish that it Produc’d; The Advantages of
+Navigation; The many Brave Towns and Palaces that were Built upon the
+Banks of it; purely for the Pleasure of the Situation. And then for
+the General Satisfaction, in fine, that it Yielded to Mankind, in the
+Matter both of Convenience and Delight: Whereas (says the _River_) the
+_Fountain_ passes Obscurely through the Caverns of the Earth; lies Bury’d
+up in Moss, and comes Creeping into the World, as if it were asham’d
+to shew the Head. The _Fountain_ took the Insolence and the Vanity of
+This Reproche so Heinously, that it presently Choak’d up the _Spring_,
+and Stopt the Course of its Waters: Insomuch that the Channel was
+immediately dry’d up, and the Fish left Dead and Stinking in the Mud; as
+a Just Judgment upon the _Stream_ for Derogating from the _Original_ and
+_Author_ of All the Blessings it Enjoy’d.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that Arrogates any Good to Himself, detracts from the Author of all
+the Good he Enjoys._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are too many People in the World of the Humour of This _River_,
+that assume to Themselves what they receive from others, without ever so
+much as Thinking of the Heavenly Goodness that is the Author of Life it
+self, and of all the Blessings that Crown the Comfort of it.
+
+This Fable is a kind of an Expostulatory Debate betwixt Bounty and
+Ingratitude; betwixt the Divine Goodness, and the Vain-Glorious Pride
+of Corrupt Nature. And the Iniquity of our Proceeding is much the Same,
+both towards God and Man. We are readier to Claim to our selves, then to
+Ascribe to Others, and most Dangerously given to Mistake the Gratuitous
+Blessings of Heaven, for the Fruits of our Own Industry and Virtue. The
+Fountain of all Goodness, and of all Good Things is God, Blessed for
+ever: But in the Dispensation of his Mercies to the World, some things he
+does by Himself, others by the Intervention of Natural Means, and by the
+Mediation of such Instruments as he has appointed for the Conveying of
+Those Benefits to us. According to this Order, Kings are, by Deputation,
+the Fountains of Honour and Preferment: And we find Men as Backward
+every Jot to Acknowledge Temporal, as they are to Acknowledge Spiritual
+Gifts and Bounties: So that we have Thankless Favourites as well as
+Graceless Christians. What a _Babel_ do they make now of the Nature of
+Things, rather then Own the Course of Providence in the Distribution of
+them! Insomuch that the Faculties that were given us for the Glory and
+Service of our Master, as well as for the Comfort of our Lives, and the
+Salvation of our Souls, are turn’d Point Blank against the very Reason
+and Intention of them. Sharpness of Wit is Emprov’d to the Dishonour of
+Him that Gave it. Atheism and Blasphemy Dress’d up like a Science, and
+the Understanding that was given us for the Finding out of the Truth, is
+Employ’d upon Paradoxing, and Ridiculing it. They Value themselves with
+the _River_, upon a Conceit, that the Fish, the Beauty, the Conveniency,
+is All their Own: And what is All This now, but either to Disclaim
+the Original, or to Defame it? That’s Obscure, they say, Neglected,
+Over-grown, and either Not taken Notice of, or not Found: And what’s the
+Issue now of This Vanity, and Distraction? A Judgment Treads upon the
+Heel on’t; for Providence stops the _Current_, lays the Channel Open, and
+Exposes it to Detestation and Scorn, in all its Filthiness.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCVIII.
+
+A _Wicked Man_ and the _Devil_.
+
+
+A Notorious _Malefactor_ that had Committed I know not how many
+Villanies, and run through the Discipline of as many Goals, made a Friend
+of the _Devil_, to help him out in all his Distresses. This Friend of
+his, brought him off many and many a time, and still as he was Taken up,
+again and again, he had his Recourse, over and over, to the same _Devil_
+for succour. But upon his Last Summons, the _Devil_ came to him with a
+Great Bag of Old Shoes at his Back, and told him Plainly. Friend (says
+he) I’m at the End of my Line, and can Help ye No longer. I have beat the
+Hoof till I have Worn out all These Shoes in Your Service, and not One
+Penny left me to Buy more: So that you must e’en Excuse Me if I drop ye
+here.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+The Devil helps his Servants, _for a Season; but when they come once to a
+Pinch, he leaves ’em in the Lurch_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Wickedness may Prosper for a while; but at the Long Run, He that sets All
+Knaves at Work, will most certainly Pay them their Wages. The Man pays
+Dear for his Protection that Pawns his Soul for’t: And it may be Another
+Observation, that _the Devil Himself will not work without Money_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCIX.
+
+A _Council_ of _Birds_ for _Chusing_ more _Kings_.
+
+
+The _Birds_ were Mightily Possess’d with an Opinion, that it was utterly
+Impossible for the _Eagle_ alone to Administer Equal Justice to All her
+Subjects; And upon This Ground, there was a Motion put up, for Changing
+the _Monarchy_ into a _Republique_: But an Old Cunning _Crow_, that saw
+further into a Millstone then his Neighbours, with One Word of his Mouth
+Dash’d the Project. _The More Kings you Have_, says he, _the more Sacks
+there are to be Fill’d_: And so the Debate fell.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Common People Hate all Government, and when they are Sick of it in
+One Form, they Fly to Another, but still they rather Incline to That
+which they Phansy Easiest to themselves._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Emblem Insinuates a Government by _One_ to be less Burdensom, then
+a Government by _Many_. And it is well enough Adapted to a Profitable
+Allegory. The _Multitude_ of _Birds_ are Impos’d upon, that _One Monarch_
+is not sufficient for the Discharging of the Office, and therefore
+there’s a Motion put up for the Erecting of More Kings: for Why, say
+they, should so many Millions of Men be Subjected to the Power and
+Will of One single Person? This Error was begotten betwixt Faction, and
+Interest. The One Manages by Design, and the Other falls in upon an
+Implicit Resignation; or else Yields, upon Facility, and Weakness. In
+the Conclusion, some Man of Observation, and Experience (as the _Crow_
+for the purpose) carries them off Clear from the Reasoning Part, and
+Applies to the _Mobile_ in their Own Way: That is to say, in a Way of
+_Pocket-Arguments_. He never Troubled Himself about the _Original_ of
+_Power_, or the _Analogy_ betwixt _Monarchy_ in _Heaven_, and upon
+_Earth_; but gives them a short Stroke upon the Subject of _Profit_ and
+_Loss_. _You will find it easier_, says he, to _Fill One Sack then Many_:
+And That Allusion carry’d the Point.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCX.
+
+A _Woman_ that would needs _Die_ for her _Husband_.
+
+
+A Poor Woman was put out of her Wits in a manner for fear of losing her
+_Husband_. The Good Man was Sick and Given Over, and Nothing would serve
+the Turn, but Death must needs take Her instead of Him. She Call’d and
+Pray’d, and Pray’d and Call’d, till at last, Death Presented himself in
+a Horrible Shape at her Elbow. She very Civilly dropt him a Cursie; And
+_Pray Sir_, says she, _Do not Mistake your self; for the Person you come
+for lies in the Bed there_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a Common Thing to Talk of Dying for a Friend; but when it comes to
+the Push once, ’tis no more then Talk at last._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Confirms the Proverb, that _Charity begins at Home_, and when all is
+done, there’s No Man loves a Friend so Well, but he loves Himself Better.
+There are No People more Startled at Death, then Those that have gotten
+a Custom of Calling for’t. _Oh that Death would Deliver Me!_ (says One)
+_Oh, that Death would take Me in the Place of my Dear Husband!_ says
+T’other. But when Death comes to Present Himself indeed, and to take them
+at their Words, the Good Wife very Civilly puts the Change upon him, and
+tells him, that _the Person he comes for lies in the Bed there_. In few
+Words, to call for _Death_ in _Jest_, is _Vain_, and _Unprofitable_. To
+call for’t in _Earnest_, is _Impious_: And to call for’t _at all_, is
+both _Foolish_ and _Needless_; for _Death_ will most certainly come at
+his appointed time, whether he be call’d for or No.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXI.
+
+A _Son Singing_ at his _Mother_’s _Funeral_.
+
+
+There was a Good Man that follow’d his Wives Body to the Grave, Weeping,
+and Wayling all the Way he went, while his Son follow’d the Corps,
+Singing. Why Sirrah, says the Father, You should Howle, and Wring your
+Hands, and do as I do, ye Rogue You; and not go _Sol-Fa-ing_ it about
+like a Mad-man. Why Father, says he, You give the Priests Money to Sing,
+and will you be Angry with Me for giving ye a Song _Gratis_? Well, says
+the Father, but that which may become the Priests will not always become
+You. ’Tis their Office to Sing; but it is Your Part to Cry.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Funeral Tears are as Arrantly Hir’d out as Mourning Cloaks: and so are
+the very Offices: And whether we go to our Graves Sniveling or Singing,
+’tis all but according to the Fashion of the Country, and meer Form._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Methods of Government, and of Humane Society, must be Preserv’d where
+Every Man has his Roll, and his Station Assign’d him; and it is not for
+One Man to break in upon the Province of Another. This Moral tells us
+also, that when One Man Condoles for the Distresses of Another, ’tis more
+for Money, or for Company, then for Kindness.
+
+’Tis a slavish sort of Ceremony and Imposition, that People must be
+Train’d up, by certain Rules of Art, and Prescription, to the very Manage
+and Government of the most Free and Natural of our Affections; for we
+are Taught and Appointed the very Methods, and Degrees of Grieving,
+and _Rejoycing_; and to do Honour to the Dead, by the Counterfeit
+Lamentations of the Living. But this way of Mourning by Rule, is rather
+an Ostentation of Sorrow, then Indication of it. Now to say the Truth of
+the Matter, Terms and Modes have Corrupted the Sincerity of our Manners,
+as well toward our Living Friends, as to the Memory of Those Departed. We
+have hardly anything left in our Conversation that is Pure and Genuine:
+But the way of Civility in Fashion, casts a Blind over the Duty, under
+some Certain Customary Presidents of Empty Words: So that at This rate,
+we Impose One upon Another, without any regard to Faith, Truth, or
+Vertue. But we must Sing in some Cases, and Cry in Others, and there’s an
+End on’t.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXII.
+
+A _Jealous Husband_.
+
+
+A _Jealous Husband_ Committed his Wife in Confidence to the Care and
+Custody of a Particular Friend; with the Promise of a Considerable Reward
+if he could but keep her Honest. After some Few Days, the Friend grew
+weary of his Charge, and Desir’d her Husband to take his Wife Home again,
+and Release him of his Bargain; for says he, I find it utterly impossible
+to Hinder a Woman from any thing she has a Mind to. If it were to turn a
+Bag of Fleas Loose into a Meadow every Morning a Grazing, and Fetch them
+Home again at Night, I durst be answerable with my Life for the Doing of
+it, to a single Flea, but T’other is a Commission I dare go no further in.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis enough to make a Woman a Whore, but so much as to Phansy her One,
+and then ’tis to no Boot to be Jealous neither; for if the Humour takes
+her to be Jadish, ’tis not All the Locks, Bolts and Spies in Nature that
+can keep her Honest._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+_Jealousy_, betwixt Man and Wife, does but provoke and Enflame the
+Appetite, as it sets the Invention at Work upon Ways and Means of giving
+One another the Slip: And when it comes to a Tryal of Skill once, ’tis a
+Carrying of the Cause to gain the Point, and there’s a kind of Perverse
+Reputation in getting the Better on’t. Briefly, ’tis Labour Lost on Both
+sides, while the One is never to be restrain’d, nor the Other to be
+satisfy’d: For Jealousy Rages as well without Reason as with it. Nay, the
+very Will to do a Thing is as Good as the Thing Done; And his Head is as
+Sick, that but fancies the Thing Done, as if he saw the very Doing of it
+with his own Eyes. The Ways of a Woman that has a mind to play _Fast_
+and _Loose_, are as Unsearchable as the very Thoughts of her Heart; and
+therefore the Friend here was in the Right to Discharge Himself of his
+Trust, and throw up his Commission.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXIII.
+
+A _Man_ that would not take a _Clyster_.
+
+
+When the Patient is Rich, there’s No Fear of Physicians about him, as
+Thick as Wasps to a Honey-Pot; and there was a Whole College of them
+call’d to a Consultation upon a _Purse-proud Dutch Man_, that was
+Troubled with a _Megrim_. The Doctors prescrib’d him a Clyster; The
+Patient fell into a Rage upon’t. Why _Certainly These People are all
+Mad_, says he, _to Talk of Curing a Man’s Head at his Tail_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that Consults his Physician, and will not follow his Advice, must be
+his Own Doctor: But let him take the Old Adage along with him._ He that
+Teaches Himself has a Fool to his Master.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Miserable Thing, when Men that Understand Nothing at all, shall
+take upon them to Censure, and to Prejudge every thing that they do not
+Understand. What’s the Use of a College, if every Particular Man shall
+set up to be his Own Doctor? And ’tis the same Case where Subjects take
+upon them to Correct _Magnificat_, and to Prescribe to their Superiors.
+Let every Man be Trusted in his Own Way, and let the Doctor Prescribe to
+the _Patient_, and not the _Patient_ to the _Doctor_. For at the Rate of
+This Thick-skull’d Blunder-head, every _Plow Jobber_ shall take upon him
+to Read upon _Divinity_, _Law_, and _Politiques_, as well as _Physick_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXIV.
+
+A _Wolfe_ and a _Sick Ass_.
+
+
+There was a certaine _Wolfe_, that in a Qualm of Wonderful Charity, made
+a Visit to an _Ass_, that lay ill of a Violent Fever. He felt his Pulse
+very Gingerly; And, pray, my Good Friend, says he, Whereabouts is your
+Greatest Pain? Oh, Gently, says the _Ass_; for it Pricks me just there
+still where you lay your Finger.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXV.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Sick Cock_.
+
+
+A _Cock_ took his Bed upon a Fit of Sickness, and a _Fox_ of his Old
+Acquaintance, gave him the Complement of a Visit, and Ask’d him how he
+felt himself. Alas! says the _Cock_, I’m e’en ready to smother for want
+of Breath; and if you’d be pleas’d but to stand off, and give me a Little
+Fresh Air, I fancy I should be somewhat more at Ease.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_The Charity of our Death-Bed Visits from One to Another, is much at a
+Rate (generally Speaking) with that of a Carrion Crow to a Sheep; we
+smell a Carcase._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are no Visits so officious, and Importune, as those that People
+think to get by; Especially when our Thoughts are taken up with Matters
+of Greater Moment. Besides, that there’s a Design upon us in the very
+Complement. These Fables may serve to Point out to us, that there are
+_Men_, as well as _Wolves_ and _Foxes_, that wait for the _Carcass_:
+That is to say, for an Office, an Estate, a Commission, Lands, Moneys,
+Jewels, or whatever else People lie Gaping for in Reversion, according
+to the Practice of the World: So that there’s Little Trust to These
+_Death Bed Ceremonies_; which, for the Greater Part, have more in them of
+Avarice, and Interest, then of Piety and Good Will: So that Effectually,
+a _Wolfe_’s Visiting a _Sick Ass_, is but _Saying Grace_ to a _Dead One_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXVI.
+
+_Three Things_ are the _Better_ for _Beating_.
+
+
+A Good Woman happen’d to pass by as a Company of Young Fellows were
+Cudgelling a Wallnut-Tree, and ask’d them what they did That for? This is
+only by the Way of Discipline, says one of the Lads; for ’tis Natural for
+_Asses_, _Women_, and _Wallnut-Trees_ to _Mend_ upon _Beating_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Spur a Jade a Question, and he’ll kick ye an Answer._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+People should not be too Inquisitive, without Considering how far They
+Themselves may be concern’d in the Answer to the Question.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXVII.
+
+The _Ass_’s _Wish_.
+
+
+An _Ass_ was wishing in a hard Winter, for a Little Warm Weather, and
+a Mouthful of Fresh Grass to Knab upon, in Exchange for a Heartless
+Truss of Straw, and a Cold Lodging. In Good Time the Warm Weather, and
+the Fresh Grass comes on; but so much Toyl and Bus’ness along with it,
+that the _Ass_ grows quickly as Sick of the _Spring_ as he was of the
+_Winter_. His next Longing is for _Summer_; but what with Harvest Work,
+and other Drudgeries of That Season, he is Worse now then he was in
+the _Spring_; and then he fancies he shall never be Well till _Autumn_
+comes; But There again, what with Carrying Apples, Grapes, Fewel,
+Winter-Provisions, _&c._ he finds himself in a Greater Hurry then ever.
+In fine, when he has trod the Circle of the Year in a Course of Restless
+Labour, his Last Prayer is for _Winter again_, and that he may but take
+up his Rest where he began his Complaint.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Life of an Unsteady Man runs away in a Course of Vain Wishes, and
+Unprofitable Repentance: An Unsettled Mind can never be at Rest. There’s
+No Season without its Bus’ness._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The _Ass_’s _Wish_ here, is the Lively Image of a Foolish, and a
+Miserable Levity of Mind; and, in Truth, there is but too much in’t of
+the Figure, and the Bus’ness of Humane Life; for we spend our Days in
+a kind of Lazy Restless Indisposition, that looks as if we would fain
+be doing something, and yet never goes further, then to a Shifting from
+One Proposition to Another. _Wishing and Woulding_, (as they say) has
+somewhat in it of an Analogy to Stretching, and Yawning; We only Drowse
+when we think we Live, and our Time runs away in Fancying _Castles in the
+Air_, and in putting of Cases. The Inference that we are to draw from
+hence is This; If an Unsettled Head and Heart be so Grievous a Calamity,
+the Squaring of a Man’s Thoughts, Wishes, and Desires, to the Lot that
+Providence has set Out for him, is both a Blessing, and a Duty.
+
+He that is still Weary of the Present, shall be most certainly
+Sollicitous for the Future. For the Present is only the Course of so many
+Moments into time to Come. He that Gapes after he knows not what, shall
+be sure to Lose his Longing. He Changes, out of Restlesness, not Choice,
+and so long as he carries the same Mind about him, the Circumstances
+of his Condition will never Alter the Case. His Present Thoughts are
+Uneasy, because his Present State does not Please him, and so he goes
+on at a Venture, Shifting and Casting about for somewhat else that may
+better Agree with him. The Batchelor wants a Wife; The Marry’d Man wants
+his Liberty; The Statesman has a Mind to be Private. The Country-man
+lives out of the World: The Man of Bus’ness is a Slave to’t; And he
+that’s out of Employment, makes it his Excuse, that he is forc’d to Drink
+or Whore for want of somewhat else to do. There’s no Measure to be taken
+of an Unsteady Mind; but still ’tis either too Much, or too Little; too
+Soon, or too Late. The Love of Novelty begets, and Encreases the Love of
+Novelty; and the oftner we Change, the more Dangerous and Troublesome do
+we find This Itch of Variety to be. The _Ass_ was Sick of the _Spring_;
+_Sicker_ yet of the _Summer_; _more Sick_ still of _Autumn_; and _Sickest
+of All_ of the _Winter_; till he’s brought, in the End, to Compound for
+his First Condition again, and so take up with That for his Satisfaction,
+which he reckon’d upon before for his Misfortune.
+
+This it is, when Fickle and Foolish People will be Prescribing To, and
+Refining upon the Wise and Gracious Appointments of the Maker of the
+World. They know not what they Are, and they know not what they Would be,
+any further, then that they would not be what they are. Let their Present
+State in the World be what it will, there’s still something or other
+in’t that makes their Life Wearysome: And they are as Peevish Company
+to Themselves too, as they are to their Neighbours; for there’s not One
+Circumstance in Nature, but they shall find Matter to Pick a Quarrel at:
+Let it be Health, Fortune, Conversation, Kindred, Friends, it will be
+all a Case, so long as Weak, and Wayward Men shall go on Grumbling, and
+Civelling at the Works and Dispensations of Heaven. Were it not better
+now for People to be Quiet at first; and to sit down contentedly in the
+Post where Providence has Plac’d them? Were it not better to do the Great
+Work of Life Betimes, by the Help of a Seasonable Prudence and Vertue,
+then to Deliver up our selves to the Torments of Hopes and Fears, and be
+forc’d to do’t at last, by the Dear-bought Experience of our Follies, and
+the Necessity of giving over what we can do no Longer?
+
+This is not yet to bar Honest Industry, or a Sober Application to those
+Ways, Studies, or Means that may probably Contribute to the Mending of
+a Man’s Fortune: Provided that he set up his Resolution before hand,
+not to let himself down below the Dignity of a Wise Man, be the Issue
+of his Endeavours what it will. He that is not Content at Present,
+carries the same Weakness along with him to his next Remove; for whoever
+either Passionately Covets any thing that he has Not, or feels himself
+Glutted with a Satiety of what he Possesses, has already lost his Hold:
+So that if we would be Happy, we must Fix upon some Foundation that can
+never Deceive us; and Govern our selves by the Measures of Sobriety and
+Justice. All the rest is but the _Ass_’s _Circulation_ of more and more
+Anxiety and Trouble.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXVIII.
+
+A _Cat_ and _Mice_.
+
+
+As a Company of _Mice_ were Peeping out of their Holes for Discovery,
+they spy’d a _Cat_ upon a Shelf; that lay and look’d so Demurely, as
+if there had been neither Life nor Soul in her. Well (says one of the
+_Mice_) That’s a Good Natur’d Creature, I’ll Warrant her; One may read
+it in her very Looks; and truly I have the Greatest Mind in the World to
+make an Acquaintance with her. So said, and so done; but so soon as ever
+_Puss_ had her within Reach, she gave her to Understand, that the Face is
+not always the _Index_ of the Mind.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a Hard Matter for a Man to be Honest and Safe; for his very Charity
+and Good Nature Exposes, if it does not Betray him._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+No Treachery so Mortal, as That which Covers it self under the Masque of
+Sanctity. A _Wolfe_ does a Great deal more Mischief in a _Sheep-Skin_,
+then in his _Own Shape_ and _Colour_. The _Mouse_ that took this _Cat_
+for a _Saint_, has very Good Company, not only in her Mistake, but in
+her Misfortune too: For we have seen a whole Assembly of These _Mousing
+Saints_, that under the Masque of Zeal, Conscience, and Good Nature, have
+made a Shift to lay, I know not how many Kingdoms in Blood and Ashes.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXIX.
+
+A _Boar_ and a _Fox_.
+
+
+As a _Boar_ was Whetting his Teeth against a Tree, up comes a _Fox_ to
+him. Pray what do you mean by That? (says he) for I see no Occasion
+for’t. Well, says the _Boar_, but I do; for when I come once to be Set
+upon, ’twill be too Late for me to be Whetting, when I should be Fighting.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXX.
+
+A _Wolfe_ and a _Porcupine_.
+
+
+Your _Porcupine_ and your _Hedg-Hog_ are somewhat Alike, only the Former
+has longer and sharper Prickles then the Other; And these Prickles he can
+shoot, and Dart at an Enemy. There was a _Wolfe_ had a Mind to be Dealing
+with him, it he could but get him Disarm’d first; and so he told the
+_Porcupine_ in a friendly Way, That it did not look so well for People in
+a Time of Peace, to go Arm’d, as if they were in a State of War; and so
+Advis’d him to lay his Bristles aside; for (says he) You may Take them up
+again at Pleasure. Do you talk of a State of War? says the _Porcupine_,
+Why That’s my Present Case, and the very Reason of my Standing to my
+Arms, so long as a _Wolfe_ is in _Company_.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_No Man, or State can be safe in Peace, that is not always in Readiness
+to Encounter an Enemy in Case of a War._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+All Bus’ness that is necessary to be done should be done Betimes: And
+there’s as little Trouble of doing it In Season too, as Out of Season:
+Neither is it Effectually done at all, but in the Proper Time of Doing
+it: So that ’tis Good Discretion, and Good Advice, to provide against
+Danger beforehand; for he that’s always Ready can never be taken with a
+_Why not_.
+
+’Tis a piece of Good Councel, in All the Affairs of Humane Life, to
+take care of Securing our Selves that we may be not either Betray’d, or
+Surpriz’d: But as it is Wisdom to keep our Selves upon a Guard; so it
+is Matter of Good Manners also, and Respect; neither to do, nor to say
+any thing, that may Import a Jealousie or a Distrust. All the Duties of
+Government and Society; Nay, all Offices, Civil and Religious, where
+Prudence, Conscience, or Common Faith are concern’d, have their Proper
+Seasons. ’Tis too late to hinder Mischief when the Opportunity is once
+past, and therefore the Timing of Things is a Main Point in the Dispatch
+of All Affairs. There can be no Safe, or Sure Peace, where People are
+not always in Readiness for War; for the Common Well-being of Mankind,
+does not so much Depend upon the Faith of Men, and of Governments, as
+upon the Temporary and Contingent Occasions of Breaking the Peace with
+Advantage. ’Tis not Publique Justice Alone, that can Uphold a Government,
+without the Aid of Policy and Councel. Men do Naturally Indulge Those
+Opinions and Practices, that favour their Pretensions: and ’tis too much
+to Superadd Powerful Temptations to do Wrong, to the Force of Vicious
+Inclinations to do it. The _Boar_’s Whetting his Teeth, was only an Act
+of Necessary _Precaution_, for fear of the Worst: And the _Porcupine_ did
+Wisely too, in keeping himself upon his Guard when the Enemy was in View.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXI.
+
+A _Mouse_ and a _Kite_.
+
+
+A Simple _Mouse_ had the Fortune to be near at hand when a _Kite_ was
+taken in a Net. The _Kite_ begg’d of her to try if she could help her
+out. The _Mouse_ Gnaw’d a Hole in’t, and set her at Liberty; and the
+_Kite_ Eat up the _Mouse_ for her Pains.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Save a Thief from the Gallows and he’ll Cut your Throat._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis No New Thing in the World to Return Evil for Good. Nay, there
+are some Natures so Soure, and so Ungrateful, that they are never to
+be Oblig’d. All _Kites_ of this Humour do not wear Feathers: Neither
+do All such _Mice_ wear Long Tails. There are Cases, wherein our Very
+Tenderness, and Charity, becomes a Snare to us; and there are People
+too, that fancy No Blood so sweet, as That of the Person to whom they
+stand Indebted for their Lives and Fortunes: But then if One Man should
+Cease to be Generous, and Charitable, because Another Man is Sordid,
+and Ungrateful; It would be much in the Power of the Basest of Vices
+to Extinguish the most Christian, and Humane of Vertues. These Lewd
+Examples May however, and Ought to Recommend Prudence and Caution to us;
+but without Killing, or Quenching Good Nature. There are, ’tis true,
+some People so Harden’d in Wickedness, as to have No Sense at all of the
+most Friendly Offices, or the Highest Benefits. Now in these Desperate
+Cases, a Man is little Better then _Felo-de-se_, that for the Helping of
+Another, Ventures the Undoing of Himself. Nay, and ’tis somewhat more
+then a Venture too, when a _Mouse_ lays it self at the Mercy of a _Kite_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXII.
+
+A _Cockle_ and _Jupiter_.
+
+
+In Old Time, when _Jupiter_ was in the Humour of Granting Petitions, a
+_Cockle_ made it his Request, that his House and his Body might be All
+of a Piece. _Jupiter_ made him Answer, that it would be a Burden to him
+instead of a Favour. Yes, says the _Cockle_, but it will be such a Burden
+as I had rather Bear, then lie Expos’d to Ill Neighbours.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Impertinent Visits are the Plague of a Sober Man’s Life, and therefore
+’tis a Happy thing when a Body may be at Home, or Not at Home, as he
+Pleases._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Good, or Bad Company, is either the Greatest Blessing, or the Greatest
+Plague of Humane Life; and therefore the _Cockle_’s was a very
+Reasonable, and a Pertinent Request. There’s no Liberty like the Freedom
+of being Publique or Private as a Body pleases; And having it at my own
+Choice, whether I will live to the World, or to myself.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXIII.
+
+A _Bitch_ ready to _Puppy_.
+
+
+A _Big-Belly’d Bitch_ borrowed _Another Bitch_’s Kennel to lay her Burden
+in. The Proprietess, after some time, Demanded Possession again, but the
+Other begg’d her Excuse and Patience, only till her Whelps might be able
+to shift for themselves. This was Agreed upon for so many Days longer:
+But the Time being Expir’d, the _Bitch_ that was _Out_, grew More and
+More Pressing for her _Own_ again. Why then, says the Other, if you can
+force me and My Puppies Out of the Kennel, You shall have Free Liberty to
+come In.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXIV.
+
+A _Hedge-Hog_ and a _Snake_.
+
+
+A _Snake_ was prevail’d upon in a Cold Winter, to take a _Hedge-Hog_ into
+his Cell; but when he was Once in, the Place was so Narrow, that the
+Prickles of the _Hedge-Hog_ were very Troublesome to his Companion: so
+that the _Snake_ told him, he must needs Provide for Himself somewhere
+else, for the Hole was not Big enough to Hold them Both. Why then, says
+the _Hedge-Hog_, He that cannot _Stay_ shall do Well to _Go_: But for my
+Own Part, I am e’en Content where I am, and if You be not so too, Y’re
+Free to Remove.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_Possession is Eleven Points of the Law._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Every Man is to provide against Fraud and Treachery, where the Person
+he deals with may be the Better for’t. _Fore-warn’d, Fore-arm’d._ ’Tis
+not Safe to Joyn Interests with Strangers, upon such Terms, as to lay
+our selves at Mercy. In All Offices of Christian Charity, and of Prudent
+Conversation, People should have a Strict Regard to the Humour and
+Character of the Persons they deal withal; to the Degrees and Measures
+of Things; and to the Consequences upon the Whole Matter, in case of
+the Worst. It is not Every Man’s Talent to distinguish aright upon All
+the Necessities of Affairs of This Nature. That is to say, how far our
+Prudence, may Warrant our Charity, and how far our Charity may Comport
+with our Prudence. ’Tis dangerous on the One hand to pass the Rules of
+Discretion; and it is Inhumane on the Other, not to Acquit our selves
+in All the Functions of Tenderness, and Good Nature; for Piety and
+Wisdom are Both Wrapt up in the Question. The very same Good Office
+may be a Vertue toward One Man, and a Folly toward Another. One may
+Justifie the running of a Risque, in Favour of a Man of Integrity and
+Good Fame: But where there is an Habitual Ingratitude on the One side,
+and a Considerable Hazzard on the Other, there’s No Trusting. I shall
+not need to Enlarge upon This Topique, in a World that makes Good the
+Allegory by so many Instances of Daily Practice and Conversation. How
+many Fresh Examples may we find in our Own Memory, of Men that after
+All the Obligations Imaginable, and in Contradiction to all the Tyes of
+Honour, Justice, and Hospitality have serv’d their Masters, Patrons, and
+Benefactors, as the _Hedge-Hog_ serv’d the _Snake_ here!
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXV.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Hare_.
+
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Hare_ were in a Warm Contest once, which of the Two could
+make the Best Shift in the World. When I am Pursu’d, says the _Hare_,
+I can shew the Dogs a Fair Pair of Heels, and run away from ’em at
+pleasure: And yet for All That, says the _Fox_, I have Baffled more of
+’em with my Wiles and Shifts, then ever You did with your Footmanship.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Wisdom is as much beyond Force, as Men are beyond Brutes._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Good Bodily Strength and Disposition is a Felicity of Nature, but
+nothing Comparable yet to the Advantages of a Large Understanding, and
+a Ready Presence of Mind. Wisdom does more than Force; but they do best
+together, for a sound Mind in a sound Body is the Perfection of Humane
+Bliss. A _Fox_, ’tis true, may be some time Out-witted, and a _Hare_
+Out-stript; but This does not hinder yet the Excellency of One Faculty
+above the Other.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXVI.
+
+An _Old Man_ resolv’d to give over _Whoring_.
+
+
+There was an _Old Tost_, that in the very State of Impotence had still
+a _Whore_ in the _Head_ of him. His Ghostly Father took Notice of it,
+and Ply’d him Hard with Wholesome Advice, upon the Subject of the Lusts
+of the Flesh. This Reverend Fornicator thank’d him most Heartily for
+his Kind and Christian Councel, and by the Grace of Heaven, says he,
+I’ll Follow it; For to tell ye the Plain Truth on’t, I am told that ’tis
+Naught for me; and really, my Body is quite out of Tune for Those Gambols.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_When Things are at the Worst they’ll Mend._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+More Men Reclaim out of Shame, Fear, and Pure Necessity, then for the
+Love of Honour, or Virtue. They that are Honest upon these Terms would be
+Arrant Knaves if the Tables were Turn’d. They go along with the Devil,
+while there’s either Pleasure, or Profit to be had on That side; but when
+they come once to lose the Tast of the One, and the Means of the Other,
+they are presently Register’d in the _Calender of New Converts_. The
+Countenance of this Fable looks a little betwixt _Jest and Earnest_; but
+This Mixture of Appearance does not hinder it from being a most Edifying
+Satyr upon the Corruptions, and False Semblances of Humane Life. Lord!
+How Sober, and Temperate do People grow, when they can Drink and Whore no
+longer!
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXVII.
+
+An _Impertinent_ and a _Philosopher_.
+
+
+A Certain _Pragmatical, Senceless Companion_ would make a Visit to a
+_Philosopher_. He found him Alone in his Study, and fell a Wond’ring
+how he could Endure to Lead so Solitary a Life. The Learned Man told
+him; Sir, says he, You are Exceedingly Mistaken; for I was in very Good
+Company till You came in.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Good Thoughts and Good Books are very Good Company._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Wise Book is much better then a Foolish Companion; and the Dead, in
+such a case, are much better then the Living. It is one of the most
+vexatious Mortifications perhaps, of a Sober, and Studious Man’s Life,
+to have his Thoughts Disorder’d, and the very Chain of his Reason
+Discompos’d, by the Importunity of a Tedious, and an Impertinent Visit;
+Especially, if it be from a Fool of Quality, where the very Figure of
+the Man Entitles him to All Returns of Good Manners and Respect. And
+the Affliction is yet more Grievous, where that Prerogative of Quality,
+is further Back’d and Corroborated, with a Real Kindness and Good Will:
+For a Man must be Inhumane and Ungrateful, as well as Rude, if he does
+but so much as Offer, at the Easing, or the Relieving of Himself. The
+Drift of This Fable at last, is to tell us, that _Good Books_ and Good
+Thoughts are the _Best Company_, and that they are Mistaken that think a
+Wise Man can ever be Alone. It prepares us also to Expect Interruptions,
+and Disappointments, and to Provide for ’em; but withal, to take the
+Best Care we can to Prevent the Plague of Ill Company, by avoiding the
+Occasions of it. The Linking of a Man of Brains and Honesty into a Lewd
+Insipid Conversation, is Effectually but the Moral of That Tyrant, that
+Bound the Living, and the Dead together, and yet This is it which the
+Impertinent takes for the Relief of Solitude, and the Blessing of That
+which he calls Company.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXVIII.
+
+A _Wolfe_ in a _Sheeps-Skin_.
+
+
+There goes a Story of a _Wolfe_, that Wrapt himself up in a
+_Sheeps-skin_, and Worry’d Lambs for a Good while under That Disguise;
+but the _Shepherd_ Met with him at last, and Truss’d him up, _Sheeps-skin
+and all_, upon an Eminent Gibbet, for a Spectacle, and an Example. The
+Neighbours made a Wonderment at it, and Ask’d him what he meant to Hang
+up his _Sheep_? Oh, says he, That’s only the _Skin_ of a Sheep, that
+was made use of to Cover the Heart, Malice, and Body of a _Wolfe_ that
+Shrouded himself under it.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Hypocrisie is only the Devil’s Stalking Horse, under an Affectation of
+Simplicity and Religion. People are not to be Judg’d by their Looks,
+Habits, and Appearances; but by the Character of their Lives and
+Conversations, and by their Works._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable is Moraliz’d in the Holy Gospel it self. ’Tis with all Men
+that are Notoriously Wicked, of what Degree or State, or in what point
+of Iniquity soever, much after the Rate of the _Wolfe_ in This Fiction.
+Tyranny Marches under the Masque of Care, Piety, and Protection.
+Injustice sets up the Rigorous Letter of the Law to Weigh against the
+Improbity of the Witness: The Pawn-Broker pretends Charity, and the
+Oppressor Flays the Widow and the Orphan: And at the same Time, Preaches
+Mercy and Compassion, with the very same Breath. Treachery Covers it self
+under a Cloak of Kindness and Friendship; and Nothing more Frequent then
+_Wolves_ in _Lambs-skins_, even in the most Solemn Offices of Church and
+State. This Fable Extends to All the Lewd Practices of _Hypocrites_ and
+_Impostors_, under the Colour of Pious, and Charitable Works and Duties.
+Now if All our _Moral Wolves_ in _Sheeps-Cloathing_, were but Serv’d as
+This _Hypocritical Wolfe_ was in the _Fiction_, and Hung-up Indeed, with
+their Crimes in Capital Letters on their Foreheads, Common Truth and
+Honesty among Men would be more Sacred.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXIX.
+
+An _Incorrigible Son_.
+
+
+It was the Hard Lot of a very Good Man to have a Vicious Young Fellow to
+his _Son_; and he did what he could to Reclaim him: But Sir (says he) for
+Brevity’s sake, ’tis only so much Time and Councel thrown away; for all
+the Parsons about the Town have been Baiting me I know not how long now,
+upon the same Subject, and I’m not One Jot the Better for’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Some Men Live as if they had made a Covenant with Hell; Let Divines,
+Fathers, Friends say what they will, they Stop their Ears against them:
+And Good Councel is wholly Cast away upon them._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable would go a Great way if it were wrought up to the Heighth. As
+for the Purpose; to all Manner of Graceless and Hopeless Characters. Some
+People are lost for want of Good Advice; Others for want of giving Good
+Heed to’t; And some again take up Resolutions beforehand never to Mend.
+Nay there are those that value themselves upon the very Contempt of All
+that is Sacred and Honest, and make it a Point of Bravery to Bid Defiance
+to the Oracles of Divine Revelation, the Motions of Reasonable Nature,
+and the Laws of Government. This Contradiction of the Duty of a Sober Man
+is yet farther Heightned, by the Disobedience of a Son to a Parent: and
+farther yet, by a Spiteful Opposition to All the Precepts of Morality and
+Religion. There’s somewhat of a _Droll-Mixture_ in This _Bantering_ way
+of _Liberty_, to make a body Laugh where he should Cry: But ’tis past a
+Sporting Matter, when the most Necessary Duties of Christianity come to
+be the Question. There’s no Room for Trifling in Those Cases.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXX.
+
+A _Sheep-Biter_ Hang’d.
+
+
+A Certain _Shepherd_ had One _Favourite-Dog_, that he had a Particular
+Confidence in above all the rest. He fed him with his Own hand, and took
+more Care of him, in short, then of any of his Fellows. This Kindness
+went on a Long Time, till in Conclusion, upon the Missing of some Sheep,
+he fancy’d This Cur to be False to him: After This Jealousy, he kept a
+Strict Eye upon him, and in fine, found it out, that This Trusty Servant
+of his was the Felon. Upon the Discovery, he had him presently taken up,
+and bad him prepare for Execution. Alas! Master, says the _Dog_, I am One
+of your Family, and ’twould be hard to put a Domestique to Extremities:
+Turn your Displeasure upon the _Wolves_ rather, that make a Daily
+Practice on’t to Worry your Sheep. No, no, says the Shepherd, I’d sooner
+Spare _Forty Wolves_ that make it their _Profession_ to Kill Sheep, then
+One _Sheep-biting Cur_ that’s _Trusted_ with the _Care_ of them. There’s
+somewhat of Frankness and Generosity in the One; but the Other is the
+Basest of Treacheries.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_No Perfidy like Breach of Faith and Trust, under the Seal of Friendship:
+For an Adversary under that Masque, is much more Unpardonable then a
+Bare-fac’d Enemy._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are _Political Sheep-biters_ as well as _Pastoral_; _Betrayers of
+Publick Trusts_, as well as of _Private_; And _Humane Curs_ that are as
+_Wolvish_ as the _Other_. This Maxim however, holds in All Cases; that
+Breach of Faith and Trust, is the most Odious, Inhospitable and Inhumane,
+of Civil, as well as of Moral Offences. A special Confidence in One more
+then in Another, though from a King to a Subject, or from a Master to a
+Servant, has some Analogy in’t of Friendship, but the Matter should be
+thoroughly Weigh’d and Examin’d, before we put it to the Utmost Tryal and
+Test. A Man may be too Hard or too Easy; too Advent’rous or too Wary, in
+passing a Judgment upon the Character of the Person: But above all things
+it will concern us perfectly to Understand the Honour, the Practice, and
+the Conversation of the Man we Propose for a Friend, before we lay any
+Stress upon his Faith; Not but that we may believe Well of a Man, and
+yet not think fit to Trust him: So that a Charity on the One hand does
+not Authorize a Confidence on the Other; It is not Amiss however, to lay
+Baits for a Man in such a Case, and to try him on the Blind-side. As
+if a Man be Covetous; Profit or Bribes may put him to the Test: and so
+Answerably in Other Cases. Powerful Temptations Artificially Dispos’d,
+are the Best Essay, and Assurance of a Man’s Faith and Honesty that the
+Matter will bear. This _Dog_ here would perhaps have _Fought_ for his
+Master in any Other Case, though he _Betray’d_ him in This: But the Love
+of Mutton was his Weak-side: Which in some sort Answers to That which we
+call _Peccatum in Deliciis_ in Mankind. This Infirmity however did not
+Excuse the Treachery, and the Kinder the Master, the more Unpardonable is
+the Traytor.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXXI.
+
+A _Bull_ and a _Ram_.
+
+
+There was One _Master-Ram_ that Beat All his Fellows out of the Field,
+and was so Puff’d up with the Glory of his Exploits, that Nothing would
+serve him but he must Challenge a _Bull_ to the Combat. They Met, and
+upon the First Encounter, there lay the _Ram_ for _Dead_; but coming to
+himself again; Well (says he) This is the Fruit of my Insolence, and
+Folly, in Provoking an Enemy, that Nature has made my Superior.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Where People will be Provoking and Challenging their Superiors, either
+in Strength, or Power, ’tis not so much a Bravery of Spirit, as a Rude
+and Brutal Rashness; and they pay Dear for’t at last._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis not Courage, but Temerity, for Men to Venture their Lives,
+Reputations, and Fortunes upon Unequal Encounters; Unless where they are
+Oblig’d by an Over-ruling Impulse of Honour, Conscience, and Duty, to
+stand All Hazards. That which the World Accounts Brave, is in Truth, no
+Better then Brutal, where there is not Reason, Justice, and Prudence to
+Direct and Govern it. ’Tis One thing for a Man to be Firm, and Fearless,
+against Honest Dangers, let them appear never so Terrible, when his
+Honour for that Purpose; his Country, or his Conscience, calls upon him
+to Encounter them: But to run his Head against Stone Walls, or to put
+his Shoulders to a Sear-Breach, to Attempt insuperable Difficulties, and
+Needlessly to Provoke Invincible Enemies, purely out of a Vain Opinion of
+his Own Strength; This would be just the Moral of the _Ram_ here in the
+Fable.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXXII.
+
+A _Widow_ and a Green _Ass_.
+
+
+There was a _Widow_ that had a Twittering toward a second Husband, and
+she took a Gossipping Companion of hers to her Assistance, how to Manage
+the Job. The Truth of it is, says she, I have a Dear Mind to Another
+Bedfellow; but the Devilish People would keep such a Snearing, and
+Pointing at me, they’d make me e’en Weary of my Life. You are a _Fine
+Widow, i’ Faith_, says T’other, to Trouble your Head for the Talk of the
+People. Pray will ye Mind what I say to ye now. You have an _Ass_ here in
+your Grounds; go your ways and get That _Ass_ Painted _Green_, and then
+let him be carry’d up and down the Country for a Show. Do this, I say,
+without any more Words, for talk does but _Burn Day-Light_. The Thing was
+done accordingly; and for the first Four or Five Days, the _Green Ass_
+had the Whole Country at his Heels; Man, Woman, and Child, Staring and
+Hooting after him. In Four or Five Days More, the Humour was quite Spent,
+and the _Ass_ might Travel from Morning to Night, and not One Creature to
+take Notice of him. Now (says the friendly Adviser) _A New-Marry’d Widow_
+is a kind of a _Green Ass_: Every bodies Mouth will be Full on’t for the
+first four or five Days, and in four or five More, the Story will e’en
+Talk it self Asleep.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Common Fame is as False and Impudent as a Common Strumpet. Let Every Man
+live to his Conscience, and never Trouble his Head with the Talk of the
+People._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There is no Mystery in telling us that a _Widow_ may be Prevail’d upon
+to Think of a _Second Husband_; but the Weight of this Emblem lies upon
+Those Cases where there Occur a Thousand Scruples, and Difficulties,
+that may startle People at first, and yet in the Conclusion, prove but
+a _Nine Days Wonder_. The Foolery of the _Widow_ and the _Green Ass_,
+shews pleasantly enough, how easy a Matter it is for a Bold Face, a Good
+Assurance, and a Reasonable Stock of Wit and Address, to put Common Fame
+it self out of Countenance; and it is a Part of Prudence beside, not to
+sink under the Impression of an Ill Report: Provided there be Integrity
+and Innocence to Support That Firmness of Mind. A Wise Man will not make
+his Happiness Precarious: He looks to his Conscience, and leaves the
+World to take its Course. ’Tis the Novelty, not the Quality of Things,
+that sets People a Gaping and a Gazing at them: But when they come once
+to be Familiar, the Wonder goes off, and Men return to their Wits again.
+The Main Consideration is This, whether the Matter in Question be Good or
+Evil; honourable or Dishonourable; Not according to a Vulgar Estimate,
+but in the Genuine Truth, and Nature of it. ’Tis Foolish either to Fear,
+or to Mind what the People say of a Man, in Cases where he stands or
+falls to his Own Conscience.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXXIII.
+
+An _Eagle_ and _Rabbets_.
+
+
+There was an _Eagle_ that drew a Nest of _Rabbets_, and carry’d them
+away to her Young. The _Mother-Cony_ follow’d her with Tears in her
+Eyes, Adjuring her in the Name of All those Powers that take care of the
+Innocent and Oppressed, to have Compassion upon her Miserable Children:
+But she, in an Outrage of Pride and Indignation, Tears them presently
+to pieces. The _Cony_, upon This, Convenes a Whole _Warren_; Tells her
+Story, and Advises upon a Revenge: For _Divine Justice_ (says she) _will
+never suffer so Barbarous a Cruelty to scape Unpunish’d_. They Debated
+the Matter, and came to an Unanimous _Resolve upon the Question_, that
+there was no Way of paying the _Eagle_ in her Kind, but by Undermining
+the Tree where she Timber’d. So they all fell to Work at the Roots of
+the Tree, and left it so little _Foot hold_, that the first Blast of
+Wind laid it Flat upon the Ground, _Nest, Eagles and all_. Some of ’em
+were Kill’d with the Fall; Others were Eaten up by Birds and Beasts of
+Prey, and the _Cony_ had the Comfort at last, of Destroying the _Eagle_’s
+Children, in Revenge for her Own.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis Highly Imprudent, even in the Greatest of Men, Unnecessarily to
+Provoke the Meanest, when the Pride of_ Pharaoh _Himself was brought down
+by Miserable Frogs and Lice_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s Nothing so Little as to be Wholly Despis’d; for the most
+Inconsiderable of Creatures may at Some time or Other, by some Means
+or Other, come to Revenge it self upon the Greatest; Not by it’s Own
+Force so much, as by the Working of Divine Justice, that will not suffer
+Oppression to pass Unpunish’d. In cases of Powerful Injustice, the
+Greatest are not to Presume, nor the Meanest to Despair.
+
+We are to Distinguish upon This Fable, what the _Eagle_ did as a
+_Tyrant_, and what she did as _a Bird of Prey_. And likewise betwixt
+a Passion which is purely Vindictive, and Those Counsels where Divine
+Justice Interposes toward the Avenging of the Innocent. Here is Power
+Triumphing over Weakness; a Criminal Cruelty over Helpless Innocence,
+and That Cruelty Inexorable too, and Deaf to the Tears, Supplications,
+and Importunities of a Tender Mother, on the Behalf of her Children. Now
+for the Humbling of This Unmerciful Pride in the _Eagle_, Providence has
+found out a Way, even by the most Despicable of Means and Creatures, to
+the Wreaking of a Revenge; which shews likewise that Heaven takes the
+Cause of the Weak and the Guiltless into a particular Care.
+
+This Counsel of the Rabbets has somewhat in it of the Debate of Popular
+Meetings, where the Number and the Agreement Supplies the Want of Other
+Means: And we are taught from hence too, that States are not so much in
+Danger of Open Force, as of Secret Mines: For when the Foundation is
+once Loosen’d; The Least Breath of a Commotion lays the Whole Building
+in Rubbish. We are taught also, that the Only, or at least the Main
+Support of Power is Justice, in the Due Distribution of Reward and
+Punishment. Where These Two Principles are Perverted, the Government is
+off the Ballance, and the Worse Part of it Out Weighs the Other. But the
+Judgments of Heaven supply the Defects of Common Justice, and Avenge the
+Cause of the Poor and Innocent upon the Heads of the Mighty. Vengeance,
+in fine, Treads upon the Heel of Oppression, according to the Doctrine of
+This Fable of the _Eagle_ and the _Rabbets_ here.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXXIV.
+
+A _Pike_ sets up for _Sovereignty_.
+
+
+There was a _Master-Pike_, that for his Bulk, Beauty and Strength, was
+look’d upon to be the Prince of the River, but the Sovereignty of the
+_Fresh Water_ would not Content him, it seems, unless he might Engross
+to himself the Empire of the _Sea_ too. Upon this Ambitious Design,
+he Launch’d out into the _Ocean_, and put up his Claim to’t; But a
+Prodigious _Dolphin_ took This Encroachment upon his Right in such
+Dudgeon, that he set upon the _Pike_; Gave him Chace, and Pursu’d him to
+the Borders of his own Stream, Insomuch that the _Pike_ had enough to
+do to Save Himself; and from that Time forward, he had the Wit to keep
+within the Compass of his Own Dominions.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Ambition has no other Bounds then what Providence has Prescrib’d to it,
+for the Good of Mankind._ Here shall thy Proud Waves Stay: _And there
+must be No Passing Those Limits_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Providence has Assign’d Every Man his Post and Station, and He that
+either Relinquishes his Own Natural Right, or Invades Anothers, seldom
+fails of a Disappointment in the Conclusion. Or however, in case of the
+most Successful Injustice, Oppression, and Usurpation, there follows
+a Restless Anxiety in the keeping of what is Injuriously Gotten; an
+Insatiable Thirst after More and More still, and Nothing but Shame and
+Confusion in the End, when he comes to Cast up Profit and Loss at the
+Foot of the Reck’ning. This Ambitious _Pike_ is but the Figure of some
+Petty Prince, that sets himself up to be Troublesome, and to give Laws
+to a more Powerful Neighbour. The _Dolphin_ Represents such a _Power_
+that’s more then’s _Match_, and Beats him _Home again_. The Case of
+the _Fishes_ in the _Fable_, is much the same with that of _Kings_ and
+_States_ in _Common Practice_. And to carry the _Allegory_ yet further;
+As the _Ocean_, on the One hand, so the Whole _World_, on the Other, is
+made the Field of Battel. Now All This in the Moral, serves only to bid
+us Moderate our Desires; Keep our Affections within Bounds, and Live
+contented with our Lot.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXXV.
+
+A _Sheep_ picks a _Quarrel_ with a _Shepherd_.
+
+
+A _Sheep_ that was to be shorn, took it very Ill of the _Shepherd_ that
+he should not satisfie himself with the Milk she gave him, without
+stripping her of her Wool too. The _Shepherd_, upon This, without any
+more Words, took one of her _Lambs_ in a Rage, and put it to _Death_.
+Well, says the _Sheep_, and now y’ave done your Worst I hope: No, says
+the _Shepherd_, when That’s done, I can Cut your _Throat_ too, if I have
+a Mind to’t, and throw ye to the _Dogs_, or to the Wolves at pleasure.
+The _Sheep_ said not One Word more, for fear of a Worse Mischief to come.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_When People will not Submit to Reason by Fair Means, they must be
+brought to’t by Foul._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+He that is not Master of Himself, or in his Own Power, has no Other
+Game to play then to submit himself Contentedly to the Will of Another.
+Struggling is so far from setting him at Liberty, that it only ties the
+Knot the Harder. There must be no Muttering at Heaven for the Loss of
+Fortune, Children, or whatever else can be Dear to us; for there are
+Greater Afflictions in store for those that shall dare to Prescribe Rules
+and Measures to the Divine Providence. Wherefore we should All set our
+Hearts at rest, upon these Two Considerations: _First_, That whatsoever
+comes from above, is for the Best: And _Secondly_, That there’s No
+Contending with it. The _Pot_ must not chop Logick, and Expostulate with
+the _Potter_: And so for a _Sheep_ to tell the _Shepherd_ when he has
+Kill’d her Lamb, that _now he has done his Worst_; ’tis such Another
+kind of Defiance, as that of _Jobe’s Wife_ was, when she bad her Husband
+_Curse God and Die_. We are not the Carvers of our Own Fortunes, and This
+way of Proceeding is an Affront to all the Dictates, Lights, and Duties
+of Religion, Nature and Reason.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXXVI.
+
+A _Creaking Wheel_.
+
+
+A Waggoner took Notice upon the _Creaking_ of a _Wheel_, that it was the
+_Worst Wheel_ of the Four, that made the most Noise, and was wond’ring at
+the Reason of it. Oh, says the _Waggon_, They that are Sickly are ever
+the most Piping and Troublesome.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis with Creaking Wheels as ’tis with Courtiers, Physicians, Lawyers
+(and with whom not?) They want Greazing._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+When People are Crazy, and in Disorder, ’tis but Natural for them to
+Groan, and to Complain. This is a Far-Fetched Allusion, but it must serve
+for want of a Better. The Uneasiness of a sickly Habit of Body, is some
+sort of Excuse for being Troublesome and Importune.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXXVII.
+
+A _Man_ had a Mind to try his _Friends_.
+
+
+There was a Generous Rich Man that kept a Splendid and an Open Table, and
+Consequently never Wanted Guests. This Person found All People came to
+him Promiscuously, and a Curiosity took him in the Head to try, which of
+’em were _Friends_, and which only _Trencher-Flies_ and _Spungers_. So he
+took an Occasion One Day at a Full Table, to tell them of a Quarrel he
+had, and that he was just then a going to Demand Satisfaction. There must
+be so many to so many, and he made no doubt, but they’d stand by him with
+their Swords in their Hands. They All Excus’d themselves save only Two;
+which Two he reckon’d upon as his _Friends_, and All the Rest no better
+then _Hangers-on_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We may Talk of Many Friends; but not One Man of a Thousand will Stand
+the Test._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s No Tryal of a True Friend but in Cases of Difficulty; as Loss,
+Trouble, or Danger; for that’s the Time of Distinguishing what a Man does
+for My sake, and what for his Own.
+
+It is an Unhappy Thing that Princes and Great Men, who seem to have
+the least need of Friends, should in truth have the Greatest, and yet
+at the same time the Greatest Difficulty of Knowing them too, for want
+of Occasions to put them to the Tryal. There is no Proof of Friendship
+like Frequent Experiment. Now Princes are above the want of Those Common
+Offices that pass for Friendship betwixt Man and Man, as in Matter of
+Money, Liberty, Protection, and the like. People do not Flock to Court
+so much for their Masters Service, as for the making of their Own
+Fortunes. How shall any Man distinguish now betwixt a Parasite, and
+a Man of Honour; where they are All on the Receiving Hand, and where
+Hypocrisie, and Interest looks so like Duty and Affection? He that well
+Considers the Practise of the World will find the Fiction of the Rich
+Man in This Fable to be in some Proportion the Common case of Mankind.
+An Undistinguishable Facility shall never fail of Meeting with an
+Undistinguishable Infidelity; which is no Other then a Just Judgment upon
+an Inconsiderate Bounty. ’Tis the Benefactors Fate in fine, to be either
+Deserted or Betray’d by those that he has fed, and with _Acteon_, to be
+Worry’d by _his Own Curs_. He that keeps an Open House for All Comers,
+should do well to Consider, that there are _Oglios_ of _Guests_ as well
+as of _Dishes_, and that the Liberty of a Common Table is as Good as
+a Tacit Invitation to All sorts of Intruders; as _Buffons_, _Spies_,
+_Tale-Bearers_, _Flatterers_, _Epicures_, _Indigents_, &c. Now These are
+All but so many Flies that Come and Go with the Meat. And whereas the
+_Mythologist_ lays the Stress upon This Point, That the Master of the
+House could find but _Two Friends_ in such a Crowd of People; ’tis my
+Admiration on the Other hand rather, that he should find so _Many_, in
+the Licence of a Conversation that was made so Scandalous by the Company.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXXVIII.
+
+A _Fox_ Praising _Hares Flesh_.
+
+
+As a _Dog_ was Pressing hard upon the very Breech of a _Fox_, Up starts
+a _Hare_. Pray hold a Little, says the _Fox_, and take That _Hare_ there
+while she is to be had: You never Tasted such a Morsel since you were
+Born; But I am all over Tainted and Rotten, and a Mouthful of My Flesh
+would be enough to Poyson ye. The _Dog_ immediately left the _Fox_; and
+took a Course at the _Hare_; but she was too Nimble for him, it seems,
+and when he saw he could not Catch her, he very Discreetly let her go.
+The _Hare_ had heard what pass’d; and Meeting the _Fox_ Two or Three
+Days after, she told him how Basely he had serv’d her. Nay, says the
+_Fox_, if you take it so Heavily that I spoke so well of ye, what would
+you have done if I had spoken Ill?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Designing Back-Friend is the Worst of Enemies._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are some sorts of Commendation; and some Cases and Seasons of
+Applying it, that are more Malicious, and Mischievous, then the Worst
+of Calamities. Here’s a _Fox_ at a Pinch; and what’s his Bus’ness now,
+but to Stop the Dog’s Mouth with a Piece of _Hare_’s _Flesh_, for the
+Saving of his Own Skin! A _Puss_, says he, is much Better Meat then a
+_Fox_, and This Good Office over the Left Shoulder, is the Civility that
+he Values himself upon. He gives her his Good Word, (as we call it) to
+the very End, that she may be Eaten. How many Thousands of These _Foxes
+Complements_ do we meet with in Our Dayly Practice and Conversation. But
+a Crafty Knave is never without somewhat or Other to say for Himself,
+and a Bad Excuse is Better then None. The _Fox_’s Civility, in fine, was
+_Roguery_ all over; and his Praising the _Hares-Flesh_ to the _Dog_,
+was Effectually no more then _a Letter of Recommendation to the Common
+Hang-man_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXXXIX.
+
+A Plain _Horse_ Wins the _Prize_.
+
+
+There were a Great many Brave, Sightly _Horses_ with Rich Trappings that
+were brought out One Day to the Course, and Only _One Plain Nag_ in the
+Company that made sport for All the rest. But when they came at last to
+Tryal, _This_ was the _Horse_ that ran the Whole Field out of Distance,
+and Won the Race.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Our Senses are No Competent Judges of the Excellencies of the Mind._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+He that Judges by the Outside, and Pronounces upon the Bare Appearance of
+Things, runs a great many Mistakes in One; for there’s Temerity, Folly,
+Pride, and Ill Nature in’t; Especially where the Censure is accompany’d
+with Mockery and Scorn. ’Tis Inhumane, at the Best, to make Sport with
+one Another’s Infirmities; which in Honour, and Christianity, we are
+bound to Cover. But it is Pleasant enough then, if People will be
+putting themselves upon a Trial of Skill, to see a Bantering Pretender
+made an Ass by the very Man that He Himself has mark’d out for a Coxcomb:
+Which is no other, in Plain _English_, then a Fair Appeal to the Company,
+which is the Arranter Fool of the Two. In One Word, there’s Nothing lays
+a Man more Open, then Laughing, out of Measure, and out of Season. To
+Instance in a Cavalier of my Acquaintance that was up to the Ears in Love
+with a very Fine Lady, that wanted neither Air, Shape, Dress, Quality,
+nor any Other of Those Charming Circumstances to Recommend her to any
+Honest Man to Play the Fool withal. He had his Mistress to a Comedy once,
+where she was wonderfully pleas’d, but had the Ill Hap to _Laugh_ still
+in the _Wrong Place_: The Poor Man Observ’d it, and his Fancy fell so
+Sick upon’t, that the Fit went off immediately, and he was his own Man
+for ever after. This comes of Judging by the Eye, without Consulting
+the Reason of the Matter; and of setting our Hearts upon the Shape,
+Colour, and External Beauty of Things, without any Regard to the Internal
+Excellence and Virtue of them. The _Plain Nag_ here was like to have been
+Laugh’d out of the Field, as well as out of Countenance, till he came
+upon the Tryal to Prove Those to be _Jades Themselves_ that made _Sport_
+with him.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXL.
+
+A _Countryman_ and a _Kid_.
+
+
+A _Country-man_ that was Hamper’d in a _Law-Suit_, had a near Friend and
+Kinsman, it seems, that was a _Lawyer_, and to Him he went again and
+again, for Advice upon the Point; but he was still so Busie, and Busie,
+that he must come Another Time. The Poor Fellow took a Delicate Fat _Kid_
+with him, Next Bout, and the Lawyers Clark, upon hearing the Voice of it
+at the Door; let the Man in, and carry’d him to his Master, where he laid
+Open his Case, Took his Opinion; made Two Legs, One to the _Counsel_ for
+_Receiving_ of him; T’other to the _Kid_ for _Introducing_ him, and so
+went his Way.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Money is a_ Passe-par-Tout.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis with _Money_ as ’tis with _Majesty_; All Other Powers and
+Authorities Cease while That’s in Place. _’Tis That which makes the Pot
+Boyl_ (as the Proverb says) _though the Devil Piss in the Fire_. Fathers,
+Mothers, Brothers, Sisters, Relations, Friendships, are but Empty Names
+of Things, and _Words Butter No Parsnips_. ’Tis Interest that Governs
+the World; and the Rulers of it; Ecclesiastical, as well as Civil; for
+it Works in All Decrees and Qualities of Men; and we have learnt by
+Experience, that the _Pulpit_ may be made to have a Feeling in the Case
+as well as the Bar. _Money_, in fine, is an Universal _Pasport_, and All
+Doors Fly Open to’t. It Answers All Objections, Resolves All Scruples,
+and turns up what Religion _Trump_ it pleases. In One Word, _Quid Dabitis
+& Tradam?_ may be the Motto of Corrupt Nature. This Fable was Excellently
+well Moraliz’d by a Famous Councel of our Times. One gave him a Fee of
+Forty Broad Pieces: He took ’em, and Counted ’em (as _a Man may Count
+Money after his Father_ they say) Well, says he, Here are _Forty Pieces_,
+_Pugnabo_ FORTITER. Make them _Ten more_, and _Pugnabo_ FIFTITER. _In
+forma Pauperis_ is no good Lawyers Latin. Kindred are no Wellcome
+Clients, where the Nearness of the Relation gives them a kind of Title to
+have Advice _Gratis_, but where the _Cousin_ cannot Prevail, the _Kid_
+must.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXLI.
+
+A _Weak Young Man_ and a _Wolfe_.
+
+
+A _Creeping Young Fellow_ that had Committed Matrimony with a Brisk
+Gamesome Lass, was so Alter’d upon’t in a few Days, that he was liker a
+_Sceleton_ then a _Living Man_. He was Basking himself One time in the
+Gleam of the Sun, and some Huntsmen pass’d by him upon the Chase of a
+_Wolfe_ that led ’em That Way. Why how comes it (says he) that you don’t
+Catch That _Wolfe_? They told him that he was too Nimble for ’em. Well
+(says he) If My Wife had the Ordering of him, she’d Spoil his Footmanship.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Marriage they say breeds Cares and Cuckolds._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Flesh and Bloud is but Flesh and Bloud; and the Indulging of Inordinate
+Appetites is the Ruine of Body, Soul, and Estate. This Fellow should have
+Consulted the Circumstances of his Constitution, before he made that
+Desperate Leap; for when a Man is Plung’d into an Irrevocable State of
+Misery, he has but a Cold bus’ness on’t to Comfort himself with a Jest.
+And ’twas but a Measuring Cast at Last neither, whether he meant his Wife
+should have to do with the _Wolfe_, in _One_ Sense, or the _Wolfe_ with
+his _Wife_ in _Another_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXLII.
+
+A _Lad Robbing_ an _Orchard_.
+
+
+An Old Fellow took a _Boy_ Robbing his _Orchard_. Sirrah, (says he) come
+down the Tree, and don’t Steal my Apples. The _Lad_ never Minded him,
+but went on with his Work. Well (says the Master of the Ground) they say
+there are Charms in Herbs, as well as in Words, and so he threw a Handful
+of Grass at him, which was so Ridiculous, that the Young Thief took the
+Old Man to be Mop’d. But in Conclusion, if Neither Words, nor Herbs will
+do, says he, I’ll try what may be done with Stones; for they say there’s
+Vertue in Them too; And that Way he did his Work.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Those that will not be Reclaim’d by Instruction, must be brought to a
+Sense of their Duty by Feeling._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Wise Man, in all Controversies, will try what may be done by Fair
+Means, before he comes to Foul: and where the One fails, the Other will
+Certainly do the Work. The Fear of Hell does a great deal towards the
+Keeping of us in our Way to Heaven; and if it were not for the Penalty,
+the Laws neither of God, nor of Man, would be obey’d, there would have
+been a Charm in Wood as well as in Stones, if the Little Thief had but
+been soundly Drubb’d with a Good Honest Cudgel: for where Conscience and
+Argument will do no Good, Punishment must: But as it is the Surest, so
+the Good Man here made it the Last Remedy.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXLIII.
+
+A _Nightingale_ and a _Hawk_.
+
+
+As a _Nightingale_ was Singing in a Bush, down comes a Rascally Kite of a
+_Sparrow-Hawk_, and Whips her off the Bough: The Poor Wretch Pleaded for
+her self, that alas! her Little Carcass was not worth the While, and that
+there were Bigger Birds enough to be found. Well, says the _Hawk_, but
+am I so Mad d’ye think, as to Part with a Little Bird that I have, for
+a Great One that I have Not? Why then, says she, I’ll give ye a Delicate
+Song for my Life: No, no, says the _Hawk_, I want for my Belly, nor for
+my Ears.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fables carries Three Morals. _1st._ That we are not to Part with a
+Certainty for an Uncertainty. _2dly._ That Men of Appetite are not Mov’d
+by any Consideration of Virtue. _3dly._ That Things of Use and Necessity,
+are to be preferr’d before Matters meerly of Delight and Pleasure.
+
+The _Nightingale_ in the Foot of the _Hawk_, is the Case of many an
+Innocent Creature in the Hands of Justice, when the very Equity of the
+Law Bends under the Weight of an Over-ruling Rigour. The Belly has no
+Ears, and so there’s no Charming of it. Arguments against Power, are
+but Wind, when Reason draws One way, and Appetite, Another. There’s no
+Moving of any Creature contrary to the Nature of it. _Hang ’em All up_
+(says a Pleasant Droll, upon _Venner_’s Rising) _they are not Worth the
+Begging_. ’Tis a piece of State-Policy sometimes, to let the Poor and the
+Friendless go to Pot; Nay, and to reckon the Execution of them among the
+Triumphs of Justice too. There is This further in’t besides; that the
+Uttermost Severity upon Those that have not where withal to Bid for their
+Lives, raises the Price of the Market upon Those that Have; and Enhances
+the Value of the Deliverance, or, in Plain _English_, of the Pardon. The
+Poor _Nightingale_ had Nothing to give that the _Hawk_ car’d for, and so
+she Dy’d, in truth, because _she was not Worth the Begging_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXLIV.
+
+A _Lyon_ and a _Hog_.
+
+
+A _Lyon_ that found it Extreme Irksome to Live Alone, gave the Beasts of
+the Forest to Understand, that he was Resolv’d to make Choice of Some or
+Other of his Subjects for a _Friend_ and _Companion_. There was a Mighty
+Busle, who should be the Favourite, and to the Wonder of All the rest,
+the _Lyon_ Pitch’d upon a _Hog_; for, says the _Lyon_, he is True and
+Faithful to his Friend, and will stand by him in All Times, and Hazards.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A True Friend can ne’er fail of being a Loyal Subject: And That’s the
+Man that a Brave Prince will make Choice of for a Particular Favourite._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Solitude is against Nature, but Ill Company is worse then None. So that
+Life is not Life without the Blessing of a Friendly and an Edifying
+Conversation. The Difficulty only rests in the Choice; wherein the _Lyon_
+here has taken his Right Measures: That is to say, he has made a True
+Judgment of the Matter: For he only Deserves the Character of a _Friend_,
+that’s Proof against all _Tryals_ and _Temptations_, either of _Profit_,
+or of _Loss_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXLV.
+
+A _Gnat_ and a _Bee_.
+
+
+A _Gnat_ that was Half Starv’d with Cold and Hunger, went out one
+_Frosty_ Morning to a _Bee-Hive_, to beg a Charity, and offer’d to Teach
+Musick in the _Bees Family_, for her Dyet and Lodging. The _Bee_ very
+Civilly desir’d to be Excus’d; for, says she, I bring up all my Children
+to my Own Trade, that they may be able to get their Living Another Day by
+their Industry.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Lazy Beggars that Can Work, and Will not, have scarce a Right to
+Common Charity: And This Misery befalls them for want of an Industrious
+Education._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Necessary piece of Providence, in the Institution of our Children,
+to Train them up to somewhat in their Youth, that may Honestly Maintain
+them in their Age. If the _Bee_ had taken the Necessities of the _Gnat_
+into her Consideration, as she did the Profession, she would have thought
+her self bound in Tenderness and Good Nature, according to the Moral of
+the Fable, to have Contributed to her Relief: But the Stress is rather
+to be laid upon a Preference of an Education of Industry, to That of
+Pleasure, and to shew, that we are in the First Place to Consult the
+Necessities of Life, rather then Matters of Ornament and Delight.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXLVI.
+
+A _Lyon_, _Ass_, and _Hare_.
+
+
+Upon the Breaking out of a War betwixt the Birds and the Beasts, the
+_Lyon_ Summon’d All his Subjects from Sixteen to Sixty, to appear
+in Arms, at such a Certain Time, and Place, upon pain of his High
+Displeasure; and there were a World of _Asses_ and _Hares_ at the
+_Rendezvouz_ among the rest. Several of the Commanders were for turning
+’em off, and Discharging ’em, as Creatures utterly Unfit for Service. Do
+not Mistake your self (says the _Lyon_,) The _Asses_ will do very well
+for _Trumpeters_, and the _Hares_ will make Excellent _Letter-Carriers_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_God and Nature, made Nothing in Vain. There is No Member of a Political
+Body so Mean, and Inconsiderable, but it may be useful to the Publique in
+some Station or Other._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s Nothing so Great as not to stand in Need of many things, in
+Common Appearance, the most Contemptible: And there is Nothing again so
+Despicable; but that at some Time, or in some Case or other, it may be
+of Use and Service to us. ’Tis True, That one Thing is Preferible to
+another, in some Sort, or in some Respect; but it is True withal, that
+every Distinct Being has somewhat Peculiar to it self, to make Good in
+one Circumstance what it Wants in Another. It is the Ignorance of the
+Nature of things, that makes us Despise, even the Meanest of Creatures.
+All Things are Created Good in their several Kinds, as All things
+severally are Subservient, in some Degree or other, to the Beauty, the
+Order, and the Well-being of the Whole. That which we find in the Course
+of Nature, holds likewise in Government, where the Lowest has its Post
+Allotted it as well as the Highest. All Created Beings, in fine, are the
+Works of Providence and Nature, that never did any thing in Vain. And
+the Moral of this Parable of the _Lyon_, the _Ass_, and the _Hare_, runs
+through the Universe; for there are _Hares_, _Lyons_, and _Asses_, in
+Kingdoms and Commonwealths, as well as in Fields and in Forests: And the
+Drift of This Figure holds good in All the Parts of the Creation.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXLVII.
+
+_Pigeons_ Reconcile the _Hawks_.
+
+
+There Happen’d a Bloudy Civil War once among the _Hawks_, and what did
+the Poor, Peaceable, Innocent _Pigeons_, but in Pure Pity, and Good
+Nature, send their Deputies and Mediators to do the Best they could to
+make ’em Friends again, so long as This Feud Lasted; they were so Intent
+upon Killing one another, that they Minded nothing else; but no sooner
+was the Quarrel taken up among Themselves, then they fell to their Old
+sport again of Destroying the _Pigeons_. This brought them to a Sight of
+their Error, and to Understand the Danger of Uniting a Common Enemy to
+their Own Ruine.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Good Men are never safe but when Wicked Men are at Odds. So that the
+Divisions of the One are the Security of the Other._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Hard Matter in This Case to Reconcile Policy, and Good Nature;
+or to bring a Plain-dealing Innocence into a Consistency with Necessary
+Prudence; For Singleness of Mind passes in the World for want of Brains,
+and where Knavery is in Credit, Honesty is sure to be a Drug; But Every
+Man must stand or fall to his own Conscience, and so Divide the Matter,
+as neither to Offend Christian Charity, nor Civil Discretion. The
+Blessing that is pronounc’d upon the _Peace-Makers_, does not Extend
+to Those Cases, where the Effect of the Peace shall be the Ruine of
+the Reconcilers. ’Tis Dangerous Parting a Fray, whether it be Jest or
+Earnest; for there are Sham-Quarrels as well as Bloudy Ones: In the One,
+a Man runs the risque of his Hat, or his Cloak; In the Other, of his
+Life. We have liv’d to see This Fable remarkably Moraliz’d among our
+selves upon the like Occasion; for still as the Common Enemy were at
+Variance, we had a sort of _Peace-making Pigeons_ that would needs be
+Reconciling them, though the Only Security they had under the Sun was
+their Divisions.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXLVIII.
+
+A _Woman_ that brought _Fire_ into the _House_.
+
+
+The Question was put to an Honest Man Newly Marry’d, What might be the
+Meaning of his New Brides bringing a _Torch_ out of her _Father_’s House
+into her _Husbands_. Why This says he; I have Eas’d my Father-in-Law of a
+Fire-brand, to set my Own House in a Flame.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Contentious Woman puts all into a Flame where-ever she comes._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This _Torch_ may be an Allusion either to _Strife_, and _Contention_, or
+to the _Profusion_ and _Consumption_ of the _Husband’s Estate_. ’Tis to
+be hop’d that there are Shrews, and Wasteful Women enow in the World, to
+Answer This Moral Both Ways.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXLIX.
+
+A _Corrupt Officer_.
+
+
+A Certain Governor of a Province that had a long time Pill’d, and
+Oppressed the People under his Charge, was call’d to Account in the
+Conclusion for the Receiving of Bribes; and sentenc’d to Refund what he
+had Wrongfully Taken. He came as Unwillingly to the Point, as a Bear to
+the Stake, which gave Occasion to somebodies saying, that it was with
+this Man and his Mony, as it is with Women and their Children. He was
+well enough pleas’d in the Getting of it; but it went to the very Heart
+of him when he Parted with it.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Great Officers are but like Sponges; they Suck till they are Full, and
+when they come once to be Squeez’d, the very Hearts Blood of them comes
+away with their Mony._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+If Men could but Separate the Profit, and the Pleasure of their Sins,
+from the Sin it self, and keep the Former, when they Renounce the Other,
+what a Number of Penitents should we have in This Wicked World! But the
+Doctrine of Satisfaction and Restitution lies so Cursedly hard upon the
+Gizzards of our Publicans, that the Bloud in their Veins is not Half so
+Dear to ’em as the Treasure they have in their Coffers. The Man and the
+Money are in This Case as good as Incorporated, and Fining is little
+less then Flaying him: But Justice however finds him Out; And This, in
+Few Words, is the Sum of the Moral. Avarice is as hard to Part with any
+thing, as it was Eager to Get it. When a Man is once in Possession of an
+Ill Gotten Estate _De Facto_, he never Troubles his Head with the _De
+Jure_ of the Question; but looks upon the Propriety of what he has Gotten
+by Rapine, to be Transferr’d to him by Providence: The money in short had
+Chang’d the Master, and he’d rather part with an Eye out of his Head,
+then with a Penny out of his Coffers.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCL.
+
+An _Old Man_ that was willing to put off _Death_.
+
+
+There goes a Story that _Death_ call’d upon an _Old Man_, and bad him
+come along with him. The Man Excus’d himself, that T’other World was
+a Great Journy to take upon so short a Warning, and begg’d a Little
+time only to make his Will before he Dy’d. Why (says Death) You have
+had Warning enough One would think, to have made Ready before This. In
+Truth, says the _Old Man_, This is the First Time that ever I saw ye
+in my whole Life. That’s False, says _Death_; for you have had Daily
+Examples of Mortality before Your Eyes, in People of All Sorts, Ages, and
+Degrees; and is not the Frequent Spectacle of Other Peoples Deaths, a
+_Memento_ sufficient to make You think of Your Own? Your Dim and Hollow
+Eyes methinks, the Loss of your Hearing, and the Faltering of the rest of
+your Senses, should Mind ye, without more ado, that Death has laid hold
+of ye already: And is this a time of day d’ye think to stand shuffling it
+off still? Your Peremptory Hour, I tell ye, is now come, and there’s No
+Thought of a Reprieve in the Case of Fate.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Want of Warning is No Excuse in the Case of Death: For Every Moment of
+our Lives, either Is, or Ought to be a Time of Preparation for’t._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis the Great Bus’ness of Life to fit our selves for our End; and no Man
+can Live Well that has not Death in his Eye.
+
+’Tis a strange Mixture of Madness and Folly in One Solecism, for People
+to Say or Imagin that ever any Man was Taken out of This World without
+time to Prepare himself for Death: But the Delay of Fitting our selves
+is our Own Fault, and we turn the very Sin into an Excuse: Every Breath
+we draw is not only a Step towards Death, but a Part of it. It was Born
+with us, It goes along with us: It is the Only Constant Companion that we
+have in This World, and yet we never think of it any more then if we knew
+Nothing on’t. The Text is True to the very Letter, that _we Die Dayly_,
+and yet we Feel it not. Every thing under the Sun reads a Lecture of
+Mortality to us. Our Neighbours, our Friends, our Relations, that fall
+Every where round about us, Admonish us of our Last Hour; and yet here’s
+an Old Man on the Wrong-side of Fourscore perhaps, Complaining that he is
+surpriz’d.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLI.
+
+A _Miser_ and his _Bags_.
+
+
+A _Covetous Rich Churl_, finding himself at the Point of Death, caus’d
+his Coffers to be brought up, and his _Bags_ laid before him. You and
+I, says he, must Part, and I would willingly Bequeath ye to those that
+will take most Delight in ye. Why then say the _Bags_, you must divide us
+betwixt your Heirs, and the Devils. Your Heirs will have Drink and Whores
+for your Money, and the Devils will be as well pleas’d on the Other hand,
+that they are to have your Soul for’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Money of a Miser is the Last Friend he takes his Leave of in This
+World._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Great deal of Pains that some People take to give Others
+Satisfaction, and to Torment themselves. But This Verifies the Old
+Proverb, _Happy is the Son, whose Father goes to the Devil_; for Ill
+Gotten Goods and Estates are commonly Squander’d away with as Little
+Conscience as they were Rak’d together. There goes a Canker along with
+them, when over and above the Iniquity of the Extortion and Oppression,
+the Bloud of so many Widows and Orphans cries to Heaven for Vengeance.
+Now a Less Generous Chuff then This in the Fable, would have Hugg’d his
+Bags to the Last, and have Envy’d That Satisfaction to his Heirs, which
+he Himself could Enjoy no longer. But it was his Care to Transmit to his
+Posterity a Curse with his Money, and to Bequeath them the Sin in the
+Inordinate Love of Riches, together with his Treasure.
+
+
+
+
+THE FABLES OF POGGIUS.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLII.
+
+_Industry_ and _Sloth_.
+
+
+One was asking a Lazy Young Fellow what made him lye in Bed so long?
+Why (says he,) I am hearing of Causes every Morning; that is to say, I
+have two Lasses at my Bed-side so soon as ever I wake. Their Names are
+_Industry_ and _Sloth_; One bids me get up; t’other bids me lye still;
+and so they give me Twenty Reasons why I should Rise, and why I should
+not. ’Tis the part in the mean time of a Just Judge to hear what can be
+said on Both sides; and before the Cause is over, ’tis time to go to
+dinner.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We spend our Days in Deliberating what to do, and we end them without
+coming to any Resolution._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable does naturally enough set forth an Expostulation betwixt
+Reason and Appetite, and the Danger of Running out our Lives in Dilatory
+Deliberations, when we should be rather Up and Doing. In all these Cases,
+’tis odds that the Paradox carries it against the true Reason of the
+Thing; for we are as Partial to our Corruptions, as if our Understanding
+were of Counsel for our Frailties, and manage Disputes of this kind, as
+if we had a Mind to be overcome. The _Sluggard_’s Case in this Fable is
+the Case of Mankind in all the Duties of a Virtuous and a Well-Govern’d
+Life, where Judgment and Conscience call us one Way, and our Lusts hurry
+us another. We spend all our Days upon Frivolous _Preliminaries_, without
+ever coming to a Resolution upon the Main Points of our Business. We
+_will_, and we will _not_, and then we will _not again_, and we _will_.
+At this rate we run our Lives out in Adjournments from Time to Time,
+out of a Fantastical Levity that holds us _off and on, betwixt Hawk and
+Buzzard_, as we say, to keep us from bringing the Matter in question
+to a Final Issue. And yet we know well enough what we ought to do, and
+what not, if we would but take the Light of Reasonable Nature for our
+Guide, and hearken to the Councellor that every Man carries in his own
+Breast. But Men in the General are either too Lazy to Search out the
+Truth, or too Partial, in Favour of a Sensual Appetite, to take Notice
+of it when they have found it. They had rather be Tasting the Ease and
+the Pleasures of Life, then Reforming the Errors and the Vices of it.
+Does not the Voluptuary underhand in all the Liberties of a Loose and a
+Lewd Conversation, that he runs the risque both of Body and Soul on the
+one Hand, and Opposes all the Blessings that Attend the Duties of Virtue
+and Sobriety on the other? Does not the Ambitious, the Envious, and the
+Revengeful Man know very well, that the Thirst of Blood, and Affectation
+of Dominion by Violence and Oppression, is a most Diabolical Outrage upon
+the Laws of God and Nature, and upon the common Well-being of Mankind?
+But these People are _Hearing Causes_ too, with our _Slug-a-bed_ in the
+_Apologue_; that is to say, Deliberating betwixt Passion and Conscience,
+till in the End, they are called away, whether to _Dinner_ or to _Death_,
+it makes no Matter, for the Moral is still the same.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLIII.
+
+A _Cock_ and a _Fox_.
+
+
+A _Fox_ spyd a _Cock_ at Roost with his _Hens_ about him. Why how now
+my Friend, says _Reynard_, What makes you upon a Tree there? Your
+Business lyes upon the _Terra Firma_, and a _Cock_ in the _Air_ is out
+of his _Element_, Methinks. But you don’t hear the News perhaps, and it
+is certainly true: there’s a general Peace concluded among all Living
+Creatures, and not one of them to presume upon pain of Life and Limb,
+Directly or Indirectly, to Hurt another. The Blessedest Tidings in
+the World, says the _Cock_; and at the same time he stretches out his
+Neck, as if he were a looking at somewhat a Great way off. What are you
+Peering at? says the _Fox_. Nothing says t’other, but a Couple of Great
+Dogs yonder that are coming this Way, Open-Mouth, as hard as they can
+drive. Why then says _Reynard_, I fancy I’d e’en best be Jogging. No,
+No, says the _Cock_, the General Peace will Secure you: Ay, quoth the
+_Fox_, so it will; but if these Roguy Currs should not have heard of the
+_Proclamation_, my Coat may come to be Pink’d yet for all that. And so
+away he Scamper’d.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_In all the Liberties of Sharping and Tricking One upon Another, there
+must still a Regard be had to the Punctilios of Honour and Justice._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to tell us, that in some Cases one Nail must be driven out with
+another; and the Deceiving of the Deceiver doubles the Pleasure. ’Tis a
+Hard Matter to make a False Man and a False Tale consist with themselves;
+and when they come to Interfere, the Reason and the Argument of the Case
+returns upon the Head of the Impostor: So that it requires Great Care and
+Skill for a Man that has a Dark and a Double Design upon Another, to keep
+Clear of Clashing with his own Reasonings. Wherefore Parasites and Lyars
+had need of Good Memories. A _General Peace_ would have Secured the _Fox_
+as well as the _Cock_: But if the _Fox_, would not stand the _Dogs_,
+the _Cock_ had no Reason to Venture himself with the _Fox_. All People
+that are Perfidious, either in their Conversation, or in their Kind, are
+Naturally to be Suspected in Reports that favour their Own Interest; and
+when they can make nothing else on’t, they find it the Best of their Play
+to put it off with a Jest.
+
+’Tis a common thing for Captious People, and Double-Dealers, to be taken
+in their own Snares; as for the Purpose in the Matter of Power, Policy,
+the Fundamentals, and the Maxims of Government, _&c_. How many are there
+that Limit Sovereignty in One Case to strain it in Another, and so Handle
+the same Question _Pro_ and _Con_, at the same Time? Government is to
+be Bounded when it may serve one Turn, and Absolute when it may serve
+Another. Insomuch that for want of Presence of Thought, Men affirm what
+they Deny, and Deny what they Affirm, and run Counter to Themselves. If
+Sovereign Power cannot Dispense, ’tis Ty’d up they cry; and if it may
+be Ty’d up, ’tis no longer Sovereign Power; for that which Tyes it up,
+is Above it. At this Rate, One Doctrin Interferes with Another, and the
+very Foundations of Reason and Government sink at last into a Paradox.
+When the _Fox_ brings Tydings of a Peace, and Preaches upon the Subject
+to the _Poultry_, Beware the _Geese_. Your _Foxes_ Acts of _Amnesty_ are
+no Other then the Old Stale Politicks I know not how many Years ago. They
+Pardon all in General, in the Beginnings; those that ought to be Hanged,
+in the Middle; and not one Honest Man in the Conclusion. So that ’tis Ten
+to One the _Cock_ was Excepted in the Proclamation; and that though the
+_Dogs_ were not allowed so much as to lick their Lips at a _Fox_ upon
+their Uttermost Peril, _Reynard_ had gotten a Proviso for Himself, yet
+to carry on his Old Trade among the Lambs and the Poultry still. This is
+the Method of all Popular Shams, when the Multitude are to be led by the
+Noses into a Fool’s Paradise. The _State-Foxes_ tell ’em what Golden-Days
+are now a coming, When _Every Man shall sit under his own Vine, and Eat
+the Fruit of his own Fig-Tree_: How Trade and Religion shall Flourish,
+and the People in short keep Holy-Day all the Year long. These are Fine
+Words, but the _Fox_’s Business upon the Upshot, is only the Cramming his
+own Gut, without any respect to the Publick.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLIV.
+
+A _Taylor_ and his _Wife_.
+
+
+There happen’d a Grievous Quarrel once betwixt a _Taylor_ and his _Wife_.
+The Woman in Contempt of his Trade called her Husband _Pricklouse_;
+he gave her a Box o’the Ear for’t, which served only to make her more
+Outragious. When this would do no good, he set her up to the Chin in a
+_Horse-Pond_; but so long as her Tongue was at Liberty, there was not a
+Word to be got from her but the same Nick-Name in Derision over and over
+again. Well (says he to himself,) there’s no way I perceive to Quiet
+this Woman but by stopping of her Mouth, and so he had her Duck’d next
+bout over Head and Ears. When she was under Water, and could call him
+_Pricklouse_ no longer with her Lips, she held up her Hands over her
+Head, and did it with her Thumbs by the Knicking of her Nails; and when
+he saw that once, he was e’en glad to give her over.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The last Two Things that die in an Impetuous Woman, are her Tongue and
+her Stomach, when she cannot have her Will._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis the Fortune of many an Honest Harmless Man, to have this Fable
+Moraliz’d to him under his own Roof; but the Better any thing is in it’s
+Perfection, the Worse is the Corruption of it; as there is nothing more
+_Fœtid_ then a _Rotten Egg_. ’Tis the same thing betwixt a Temperate
+and an Impetuous Woman. Tempests and Sea-Breaches are nothing to her.
+There’s no Place for Reasoning with her, neither is there any thought of
+Curing her Will, by Applying to her Body. But now for the Honour, and
+(in some sort) the Comfort of that Fair Sex, they do not suffer alone
+under the Scandal of this Figure; for Men have their Violent Passions and
+Transports as well as Women, and Passions much more Dangerous too then
+the other. The _Taylor_’s _Wife_ was only a _Good Hearty Shrew_, under
+the Impotency of an Unruly Waspish Humour; _She would have her Will, ay
+marry would she_, and that was all the Harm in’t. But ’tis another manner
+of Business when Men come once to be Transported out of the Government
+of Themselves, and beyond the Use of their Reason. Their Violences are
+Mortal and Outrageous, even to the Ruin of Kingdoms, Common-Wealths,
+Families, Persons, _&c._, and like a Torrent, they bear down all before
+them, Friends, Relations, the common Principles of Religion and Nature,
+or whatever else stands in their Way. Nay, they make it a point of Honour
+to be Firm to their Wickedness, and with the _Old Covenant_ in their
+Mouths to Live and Dye _Impenitent_. They’ll do all the Mischief in fine
+that they can, and when they can do no more, they’ll be Troubled at it
+and call _Pricklouse_ with her _Thumbs_ still, when they can do’t no
+longer with their Tongues.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLV.
+
+A _Woman_ Drown’d.
+
+
+An Unfortunate Woman happen’d to be Drown’d, and her Poor Husband was
+mightily in Pain to find out the Body; so away he goes along the Bank up
+the Course of the River, asking all he met still, if they could tell him
+any Tydings of the Body of his Dear Wife, that was overturn’d in a Boat
+at such a Place Below. Why, if you’d find your Wife, they cry’d, You must
+look for her down the Stream. No, No, says the Man, my Wives Will carried
+her against Wind and Tide all the Days of her Life; and now she’s Dead,
+which way soever the Current runs she’ll be sure to be against it.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Spirit of Contradiction in a Cross Grain’d Woman is Incurable._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This falls hard upon the desperate Obstinacy of some Women; and the Freak
+of the Conceit does no yet derogate from the Usefulness of the Fable. The
+Analogy is Pleasant and Pertinent enough, betwixt a Living Crossness of
+Humour, and Opposition to the ordinary Course and Reason of Things, and
+the Fancy of a Dead Body swimming against the Stream. And the License
+of Couching the Matter under this Figure, and of Wording it after that
+Manner, carries no Offence with it, either to Congruity, or Good Manners.
+Beside, that the very Turn and Point of the Illustration sets a Mark
+upon’t to be Remember’d by: So that the Moral sticks by us, and takes a
+Deeper Root, when we can call it to Mind afterwards by such or such a
+Token.
+
+There are some People that Value themselves upon being a kind of
+_Antipodes_ to all Mankind, and in making other Mens Rules their
+Exceptions: Opposition and Contradiction is their Study and Delight. Now
+there’s as much Pride and Vanity in setting up for the Ring-leader of a
+Perverse Practice, as in the Affectation of being the First Broacher of
+an Heretical Opinion. Hence it comes that Half the Wit of the World is
+Exercised upon _Paradox_; and that which we call _Good Humour_, is in
+Truth but a sort of _Slight of Hand_ in Discourse, or a Faculty of making
+Truths look like Appearances, or Appearances like Truths. Now this Gift
+of _Hocus-Pocussing_, and of Disguising Matters, is so Surprising and
+Agreeable on the one hand, that it must of Necessity be a very strong
+Temptation to the Quitting of the Beaten Road on the other. Mankind
+was all cast in the same Mould, made liable to the same Affections,
+Enlightened with the same Principles, and we have all of us the same Rule
+to Walk by; the same Duties incumbent upon us in this World, and the same
+Pretensions to our Part in the next; insomuch that whoever affects a
+Fantastical Singularity of Crossness to all his Fellows, he puts himself
+in some degree out of the Pale of a common Providence and Protection:
+Beside, that the Evil is as incurable in the Man to whom it is become
+Habitual, as it was with the _Woman_ here in the Fable.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLVI.
+
+A _Bishop_ and a _Curate_.
+
+
+A Certain _Country Curate_ had a Dog that he had a Mighty Kindness for;
+the Poor Cur Sickens and Dyes, and his Master in Honour of his Memory
+gave him Christian Burial. This came to the _Bishop_’s Ear, who presently
+sent for the _Curate_, Rattled him to some Tune, with Menaces to the
+Highest Degree for bringing such a Scandal upon the Function. My Lord,
+(says the _Curate_,) if your Lordship had but known the understanding of
+this Dog, both Living and Dying, and especially how Charitable an End he
+made, You would not have Grudged him a Place in the Church-Yard among
+the rest of his _Fellow-Parishioners_. How so, says the _Bishop_? Why,
+my Lord, says the _Curate_, when he found he was Drawing home, he sent
+for a _Notarius_, and made his Testament. _There’s my Poor Lord Bishop in
+Want_, says he, _and it is my Will to leave him a Hundred Crowns for a
+Legacy_. He charg’d me to see it perform’d, and I have it here in a Purse
+for your Lordship ready Counted. The Bishop upon the Receipt of the Mony,
+gave the Priest Absolution, and found it a very good Will, and a very
+Canonical Burial.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Mony Corrupts both Church and State._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There may be Ill Men in Holy Orders, and the Lewdness of the Person does
+not at all derogate from the Sacredness of the Function. Avarice on the
+one hand, is an Encouragement as well as a Protection to Licentiousness
+on the other, when People know before-hand, that _Mony_ will Compound all
+Differences. Nay, and _Mony_ is a _Protestant_ Reconciler too as well as
+a _Popish_, when Passion and Corruption come once to be Authoriz’d under
+the Venerable Cover of a Sacred Character; only the _Bishop_ Absolves
+Himself in the one Case, as he does the _Curate_ in the other. So that
+_Mony_ upon the Main, serves for the Touchstone of Common Honesty, Faith,
+Law, and Religion: The Devil holds the Scale, and Profit or Loss is made
+the Standard of Gospel or Heresy. It Pleads all Causes, Defends all
+Titles, and turns Christianity it self into a Moot Point. It sets Texts
+together by the Ears; as well as Divines, and makes the Voice of God to
+be of more Authority in the Mouths of the Multitude, then the Oracles
+of Holy Writ. ’Tis the Idol that Men of all Ranks and Professions Bow
+to; States-men, Sword-men, Lawyers, Ecclesiasticks, _&c._ there’s hardly
+anything in Nature that has the Heart to withstand it; Bating here and
+there some singular Exception perhaps, from a General Rule. What are
+Courts more then Common Markets, where Men are Bought and Sold in the
+one, as Beasts are in the other? The Captain Fights for his Pay; the
+Lawyer Pleads for his Fee, no Matter for the Conscience of the Cause;
+the one’s a Soldier of Fortune he tells ye, the other is a Lawyer of
+Fortune; and for the Business of Right or Wrong, ’tis not one Scruple of
+the Question. ’Tis _Mony_ in fine, that like the Devil, makes Men Sail
+with all Wind, and sets all Wheels agoing. Nay the very Altar it self
+scapes not the Almighty Power of so Irresistible a Temptation; for we are
+taught in this Fable, that an Episcopal Habit is not one jot better Proof
+against Corruption, then a Colonels Buff-Coat. ’Tis not a Sanctimonious
+Pretence, under a Pomp of Form and Title, without the Grace of an Inward
+Affection and Integrity that will serve the Turn: The Articles of the
+Christian Faith, and the Doctrin of our Blessed Lord and his Apostles,
+are to Day, and to Morrow and the same for ever; not to be Moulded and
+Accommodated to every turn of State, but to be held and kept Inviolate as
+a standing Rule of all Ages. There are no such Worshippers of the Devil,
+as the Buyers and Sellers of Souls; there’s nothing they’ll stick at,
+but Shuffle, Cant, Juggle, Swear back and forward like so many Spiritual
+Knights of the Post; serve all Times, and all Gods, even though Paganism
+it self should turn up Trump; for this sort of Prostitutes steer all
+their Actions by the Compass of _Viderit Utilitas_, and for the _Dogs
+Legacy_ Absolve the Devil himself, and with this Beastly Avaricious
+Bishop, Pronounce the Blackest Soul in Hell to be as White as Snow.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLVII.
+
+A _Husband_, _Wife_, and _Ghostly Father_.
+
+
+A Man of Quality had gotten a Peevish Contentious Woman to his _Wife_,
+that was observed to go every Day to _Confession_, and her Bus’ness was
+not so much to Discharge her Conscience of her own Sins, as to tell
+Tales of her _Husband_. The _Holy Father_ would be ever and anon Chiding
+and Admonishing the Cavalier, telling him, that if he would but come to
+_Confession_, he doubted not but to make him and his Wife Friends again.
+The Gentleman said _Yes, he would_, and he went accordingly. The Good
+Man then bad the Penitent be sure to Examine himself thoroughly, and
+leave nothing out: Alas, Father, says he, for that Matter, there will be
+no need on’t; for you have had all my Sins in Confession from my Wife
+already, and a Thousand times more perhaps then ever I Committed.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Calumny is half the Business of a Bigot: Bitterness passes for Zeal, and
+our very Devotions are in Effect but Libels against our Superiours._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s no such Cloak as Religion for all manner of Wickedness, and the
+Man is a stark Fool that cannot Impose upon his Neighbour, when he has
+once got the Mastery of his own Conscience: There’s no Evidence of our
+Thoughts, but our Works; and if any Hypocrite can but Conceal himself
+from the Eyes of his Companions, he never troubles his Head to Consider
+how Open he lyes to the Searcher of his Heart. What was the Penitent’s
+Confession here, but a Cover for his Calumny? And her Husband’s way after
+that of giving the Holy Father to Understand the Truth of the Matter, was
+a Turn Pleasant enough.
+
+’Tis a Field of a Huge Latitude that the Devil has to Dance and to
+Play his Gambols in, when he sets himself to Preach upon the Text of
+Religion and Conscience. In the Troubles of King _Charles the First_,
+what with Humiliations and Thanksgivings, Seditious Lectures, and
+Pulpit-Invectives, the People had hardly any other Business at Church
+then to tell God Almighty Tales of their Sovereign: So that this Unhappy
+Prince might have Answerd his _Confessarius_ upon the shrift of an
+Auricular _Confession_, as our Husband Answerd his here in the Fable,
+That _Others had done it for him, and told more then All beforehand_.
+This was the Method of their Proceedings toward him through the whole
+Course of his Distresses, from the First Odious Remonstrance, to the
+Last Execrable Stroke upon the Scaffold. They began with Blasting him in
+his Reputation; they took up Arms against him, Hunted and Pursued him;
+Seized his Revenues and his Person, Depos’d him from his Royal Dignity,
+Usurp’d the Government to Themselves, and under the Colour of a Formality
+of Law, put him upon a Judicial Tryal, and took away his Life. And not
+One Step did they set all this while in the whole Tract of this Iniquity,
+without _Seeking the Lord_ first, and _going up to enquire of the Lord_,
+according to the Cant of those Days. Which was no other then to Make God
+the Author of Sin, and to Impute the Blackest Practices of Hell to the
+Inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLVIII.
+
+An _Old Man_ and an _Ass_.
+
+
+An _Old Man_ and a _Little Boy_ were driving an _Ass_ before them to the
+next Market to Sell. Why have you no more Wit, (says One to the Man upon
+the Way,) then you and your Son to Trudge it a Foot, and let the _Ass_ go
+Light? So the Man set the _Boy_ upon the _Ass_, and Footed it Himself.
+Why Sirrah, says another after this, to the _Boy_, Ye Lazy Rogue you,
+must you Ride, and let your Ancient _Father_ go A-Foot? The Man upon this
+took down his _Boy_, and got up _Himself_. D’ye see (says a Third) How
+the Lazy Old Knave Rides _Himself_, and the Poor Little _Child_ has much
+ado to Creep after him! The _Father_, upon this, took up his _Son_ behind
+him. The next they met, ask’d the _Old Man_ whether his _Ass_ were his
+Own or no? He said Yes. Troth, there’s little sign on’t says t’other, by
+your Loading him thus. Well, says the Fellow to Himself, and what am I to
+do now? For I am Laugh’d at, if either the _Ass_ be empty, or if _One_ of
+us Rides, or _Both_; and so in the Conclusion he Bound the _Asses_ Legs
+together with a Cord, and they try’d to Carry him to Market with a Pole
+upon their Shoulders betwixt them. This was Sport to every Body that saw
+it, insomuch that the _Old Fellow_ in great Wrath threw down the _Ass_
+into a River, and so went his way Home again. The _Good Man_, in Fine,
+was willing to please Every Body, but had the Ill Fortune to Please No
+Body, and lost his _Ass_ into the Bargain.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that Resolves not to go to Bed till all the World is pleas’d, shall
+be troubled with the Head-Ach._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+_So many Men, so many Minds_; and this Diversity of Thought must
+necessarily be attended with Folly, Vanity, and Error: For Truth is one
+and the same for Ever, and the Sentence of Reason stands as Firm as the
+Foundation of the Earth. So that no Man can be either Happy or Secure
+that Governs himself by the Humour and Opinion of the Common People. ’Tis
+a Thing utterly impossible to Please All, And none but a Mad Man will
+endeavour to Please those that are Divided among themselves, and can
+never Please one another. A Wise, and an Honest Man lives by Rule, and
+Consults the Conscience of his Actions, without any Regard to Popular
+Applause. Did ever any Mortal yet in his Right Wits, Advise with the
+_Mobile_ about the Government of his Life and Manners? (Or which is all
+one, with the Common and Professed Enemies of Reason and Virtue,) Did
+ever any Creature make a Friend or Confident of them? Why should we be
+sollicitious then to be thought well of by those that no Prudent Good
+Man ever thought well of? They are all Passion and Fancy, without either
+Judgment or Moderation: They neither understand what they do, nor why;
+but act with a kind of _Impetus_, that knows neither Consideration nor
+Conduct. So that it is in truth a Scandal, and an Ill Sign to Please
+them; but a worse yet, for a Man to value himself upon the Reputation of
+a Popular Favour. What are their Affections but violent Transports that
+are carried on by Ignorance and Rage? What are their Thoughts of Things,
+but variety of Incorrigible Error? And what are they themselves in their
+own Nature, but a _Herd_ rather then a _Society_? Their Humour is very
+Happily set forth in this Fable; and so is the Vanity of the Old Man’s
+endeavouring to keep Fair with them; for they are still unsatisfied with
+the Present State of Things, and consequently never to be pleased. Now
+if a Man had nothing else to do but to Fool away his Days in the pursuit
+of Phantomes and Shaddows, and then at last lie down in the Dust like a
+Brute, without any Fear or Danger of an after-Reckoning, the Care were
+taken; but for a Reasonable Soul to Post-pone the most Necessary Offices
+and Duties of Life, and to Hazard the very loss even of Heaven it self,
+in favour of a depraved Appetite? What has he to Answer for, that shall
+be found Guilty of so Impious a Madness? The very Dog’s not worth the
+Hanging that runs out at Check, and lets every Cackling Crow or Daw
+divert him from his Game and Business. To Conclude; A due Consideration
+of the Vanities of the World will Naturally bring us to the Contempt of
+it; and that Contempt of the World will as certainly bring us Home to
+our Selves. This was the Case of the Poor Man here, when he had Try’d
+this, and that, and t’other Experiment, he threw all his Care and Follies
+together with his Ass into the River: And then he was at Rest.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLIX.
+
+A _Man_ Dreamt he found _Gold_.
+
+
+A Man fancied in his _Sleep_ once, that he was carried by the Devil into
+a Field to Dig for _Gold_, where he found a Great Treasure; so the Devil
+advised him not to take it away with him at present, but rather to leave
+some particular Mark upon the Place, that he might find it another time.
+What Mark? says the _Dreamer_. E’en down with your Breeches, quoth the
+Devil, and lay your Tail there; my Life for yours, do but keep your own
+Councel, and no Body will look for Gold in that Place. The Fellow did as
+he was bid, and when he Wak’d, he found that his Dream was out.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that Consents to deal with the Devil for Money in his Sleep, ’tis to
+be fear’d he would do it Waking too, if it lay fair for his Hand._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It is a _School-Question_ how far a Man is answerable in many Cases for
+his Dreams: Now here was Deliberation, Discourse, and Consent; So that
+both the Understanding and the Will had their Parts in the Story: Where
+Avarice was at One End on’t, ’twas no wonder that the Devil should be at
+the Other. But Men go to the Devil for Money Waking as well as Sleeping:
+Nay, and Men of all Sorts and Qualities too, from the Prince to the
+Beggar. Churchmen, Statesmen, Tradesmen, Lawyers, and who not? And if all
+that go to Hell upon that Errand, should Beshit the Sheets, there would
+be a World of Work for the Wash-Women.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLX.
+
+A _Country-Fellow_ and a _Hog_.
+
+
+In a Certain Countrey where it was the Custom for any Man that
+Kill’d a _Hog_, to invite the Neighborhood to Supper with him; a
+_Curmudgeonly-Fellow_ that had a _Hog_ to Kill, advised with One of his
+Companions how he might save the Charge of that Supper. Why (says he) do
+but give it out to Morrow Morning, that the _Hog_ was Stollen the Night
+before; set a good Face on’t, and your Work is done. Away goes this Man
+Open-Mouth, next Morning, Bawling it about, that his _Hog_ was Stollen.
+_Right, Right_, says his Camarade, _Roar it out as I bad you_. Ay, but
+says the _Hog-Merchant_, with Damned Oaths and Imprecations, My _Hog_
+is Stoll’n in Good Earnest. _Upon my Life_, says t’other, _thou dost it
+Rarely_. So the one _Swore on_, and the other _Fool’d on_, till in the
+Conclusion the Churle found he was Banter’d out of his _Hog_; for the
+_Hog_ was Stollen indeed.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Penny Wise, and Pound Foolish._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Point of Decency and Discretion for a Man to Comply with the
+Common Customs of the Place, where he Lives, over and above the Rules
+of Good Neighborhood and Society. So that the Old Hunks here was well
+enough serv’d to be trick’d out of a whole Hog for the Saving of his
+Puddings: And it was so much the better too, that he was of the Plot to
+the Fooling of Himself, and had his own Jest turned upon him in Earnest:
+For he was caught in his own Snare, and met withal, as we say, in his
+own Kind. And we may make this further Use on’t, That an Ill-Natur’d
+Thrift is next Door to Squandring: He was Cheated, and he was Laugh’d at,
+and he Deserv’d both; for he made himself a Party to the Picking of his
+own Pocket, and the very Sham that he designed upon his Neighbours was
+turn’d upon Himself. The Frolick was Pleasant and Pertinent enough, but
+the Conscience of the Case is another Question; though there’s this to
+be said for’t, that it was but one Fraud paid with another, and that he
+Himself went half way in’t by his own Consent. ’Twas with the _Man_ and
+the _Hog_, as with the _Boy_ and the _Wolf_; he would be Crying _a Wolf,
+a Wolf_, when there was none, and then could not be Believed when there
+was.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXI.
+
+A _Florentine_ and a _Horse-Courser_.
+
+
+A _Florentine_ bought a _Horse_ for so many Crowns, upon Condition to
+Pay one Half down upon the Nail, and be a Debtor for the rest. The
+_Horse-Courser_ comes to the _Florentine_ next Morning for the remainder
+of the Money. Soft, says the _Florentine_, _A Bargain’s a Bargain_: My
+Contract was to be your Debtor for the Rest, and if I Pay it, I’m no
+longer your Debtor.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Conceits and Witticisms pay no Scores._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable is only a silly Tale told for the Tale’s sake, without any
+further Mystery or Meaning that I can perceive in’t. If the _Florentine_
+had been Drubb’d, or laid by the Heels for the Fallacy, or but Laugh’d
+at for the Conceit, it would have serv’d for a Caution to People how
+they Trifle and play the _Tonies_ betwixt Jest and Earnest, in Matters
+of Common Honesty, Good Faith and Business. Or it would have born a
+Moral, to Discountenance the Levity of _Punning_ and _Jingling_; and the
+Childish Humour of Fooling with Mental Reservations and Double Meanings.
+But as it is, I can find nothing more in’t then a Frothy, Empty Story.
+It may serve however as a _Buoy_ to keep People at a Distance, and give
+Notice of a Shelf or a Flat. For the Silliness of taking Delight in this
+Vulgar way of Sophism, is to me as arrant an Indication of an Innocent,
+as a Bib and a Bauble. So that the Doctrine of a Thing done here, teaches
+us what we are not to do; that is to say, we are neither to Meditate
+Fraudulent Contracts, nor to take Childish Collusions in Conversation for
+Current Payment.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXII.
+
+A _Christian_ and a _Pagan_.
+
+
+A _Christian_ and a _Pagan_, that had been Old Acquaintances and
+Fellow-Travellers, had several Discourses upon the way together about
+Religion; and coming into _Italy_, the _Christian_ advised the _Infidel_,
+for his better Satisfaction, only to go to Mass once, and then tell him
+what he thought on’t. The _Pagan_ accordingly went to Church, and being
+afterwards ask’d his Opinion of the Ceremonies and Solemnity of the
+Office, his Answer was, That he saw but one Thing there that he Dislik’d;
+which was, that it look’d a little Uncharitable for one Man to Eat and
+Drink by Himself, and all the rest to look on.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis much with Opinions as it is with Tasts, we can no more Command our
+Judgments than our Palates._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Poison of this Fable in the Liberty of Jesting with Holy Matters,
+would need an Antidote to go along with it, if it were not that it is a
+Pagan’s Conceit, and consequently suitable enough to the Character and
+Humour of an Infidel, to have the Offices of Christianity in Derision. If
+we take it by that Handle, it may serve for a Reproof to those among our
+selves, (as we have but too many of them,) that take the same Freedom of
+Scoffing at Religion, and Religious Rites and Ceremonies. These People
+pass in the World under the Name of Christians, but in their Hearts and
+Manners they are little better than Pagans: The Frolick of a Merry Word
+goes further with them, then the Conscience of their Profession, and if
+they can but elude the Dint of a Pinching Conviction by some Trivial
+Jest, the Conceit they think Attones for the Wickedness.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXIII.
+
+An _Ass_ Taught _Grammar_.
+
+
+There was a Bold Undertaking Pedant, Wager’d his Neck against a certain
+Sum of Money that in Ten Years time he would Teach an _Ass_ to _Write_,
+_Read_, and _Chop Logick_. His Friends called him a Thousand Mad-men for
+Casting away his Life upon so absolute an Impossibility. Pray Gentlemen
+(says the Undertaker,) have but a little Patience; for ’tis odds, that
+before the Term’s out, either the _Prince_ Dies, (that’s a Party to the
+Contract,) or the _Ass_ Dies, or the _Adventurer_ Dies, and then the
+Danger’s over.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Collusion without Malice is, in many Cases, not only Laudable but
+Necessary._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are some Cases wherein a Man may Justifie some sort of Shufling and
+Evading, without any Offence to Honour or Good Faith; as in a Case for
+the Purpose, where the gaining of Time may be as much as a Man’s Life or
+Estate is worth. _Some Men_ are but one Remove from _Some Asses_, and
+the Difficulty of Teaching the one, is next Door to the impossibility of
+Teaching the other. The very Proportion is a _Whimsie_ pleasant enough,
+to shew the Vanity of attempting to make a Philosopher of a Blockhead:
+Neither is it of a Quality to be understood according to the Letter.
+So that in such a Case, if a Man can but Save himself by a Shift, or
+a Figure, ’tis all that can be desired; and the Conditions naturally
+implied, fall within the Fair Equity of the Question. There are certain
+Bounds and Terms of Raillery that may very well stand with the Rules
+of Honesty and Good Manners; that is to say, Where the Liberty carries
+neither Malice, Sauciness, nor Ill Nature along with it: And the discreet
+Manage of such a sort of Freedom, betwixt Jest and Earnest, Seasons the
+Entertainment of an Agreeable Conversation. We should say to our Selves
+in all our Distresses upon the Apprehension of Temporal Difficulties to
+come, as this _Pedant_ in the Fable did to his Relations and Companions;
+Let it be Bondage, Loss of Friends, Beggery, Banishment, nay Death it
+self, [_This or that may Intervene_.] It is an Unaccountable Weakness
+for a Man to put himself upon the Torture at present, for fear some body
+else should Torment him Seven Years hence. Is it not enough for us to be
+Miserable when the time comes, unless we make our selves so beforehand,
+and by Anticipation? When we have gone as far as Conscience, Honour,
+Industry, and Human Prudence can carry us, toward the preventing, or the
+averting of the Danger that threatens us, we are to remit the rest to
+Providence, and wait the good Pleasure of Heaven with Patience, Humility
+and Resignation. This Man was to Die at Seven Years end, unless he could
+bring to pass a thing impossible. Now sooner or later, (and which of the
+Two is uncertain,) we are all of us to Die. Why are we not as Sollicitous
+now for the Certainty of the Thing, as for the Appointment of the Time,
+when a Thousand Accidents may interpose to divert the one, and the other
+is wholly inevitable?
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXIV.
+
+A _Priest_ and _Epiphany_.
+
+
+To Morrow (says the _Curate_) is to be Celebrated the Feast of
+_Epiphany_; I do not know whether the Saint be a Man or a Woman; but the
+Day however is to be observ’d with Great Solemnity.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Sillyness of the Person does not at all Derogate from the Dignity of
+his Character and Commission._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is a Dry Fable, and there’s nothing to be gotten out of it but by
+Squeezing. It may pass however with a little Force, for a Reproach upon
+the Ignorance of many People in their own Trade, provided always that
+there be no Reflexion upon the Profession it self, which is but too much
+the Practice of Loose Men, and of Troublesome Times; as if the Commission
+were to Blame for the Person’s sake that abuses it. There are Men of all
+sorts, Good and Bad, in all Functions and Societies: and the Order, or
+the Office, is never the worse for the Failings of an Ill, or a Weak Man
+that has the Execution of it. It was well turn’d by Mr. _Selden_ upon
+an Alderman in the Long-Long Parliament on the Subject of Episcopacy.
+Mr. Speaker, says the Alderman, _There are some Clamours against such
+and such of the Prelates, that we shall never be Quiet till we have no
+more Bishops_. Mr. _Selden_ upon this, Informs the House, what Grievous
+Complaints there were for High Misdemeanors against such and such
+Aldermen, and therefore, says he, by a Parity of Reason, it is my Humble
+Motion that we may have no more Aldermen. Here was the Fault transferr’d
+to the Office, which is a Dangerous Error; for not only Government, but
+Human Society it self may be Dissolved by the same Argument, if the
+Frailties or Corruptions of particular Men shall be Reveng’d upon the
+whole.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXV.
+
+A _Tavern Reckoning_ paid with a _Song_.
+
+
+A Hungry Traveller stept into an Eating-House for his Dinner, and when
+he had filled his Belly, mine Host brought him his Reckoning. Well, says
+the Traveller, I must e’en Pay you with a Song now; for I have not one
+Penny of Money. T’other told him in short, that his Business was Money,
+not Musick. But what if I should give you a _Song_ yet that shall Content
+you? (says the Man again,) Will you not take that for Satisfaction? Yes,
+says the Victualler, if I like it. So he fell to Singing I know not how
+many Songs, one after another; But the Master told him in one Word, that
+Songs would pay no Scores where he had to do. Well (says the Songster,)
+Let me try but once more now, and I shall go near to fit ye. So he took
+out his Purse as if he would open it, and at the same time Sung him a
+Song with this _Bob_ to’t, _Out with your Purse, and Pay your Host_. How
+d’ye like this now? (says the Traveller!) Oh very well, says mine Host.
+Why I thought I should fit you at last with a Song that would Please you,
+quoth the other, and so he went away.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There are some ways of Fooling that do the Business of Skill and
+Address._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Conceited Sharper here in the Fable, sets forth the Humour and
+Character of the Spunging Buffons that a Man meets every Day in his
+Porridge Dish: that is to say, in Courts, and at Great Mens Tables, as
+well as elsewhere. These same Jack-Pudding Smell-Feasts are certainly the
+most Despicable Creatures under the Sun, unless perhaps their Patrons
+that Protect and Encourage them may be the more Contemptible Wretches
+of the Two. They make Fooling their Business and their Livelihood, and
+live like _Izeland Shocks_, by shewing Tricks for Bread. They turn
+Conversation into a direct Farce: Their Wit is either Scurrilous or
+Frothy, which they manage at such a Rate, as if Human Reason were a
+Faculty only to make Sport withal.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXVI.
+
+A _Fryar_, a _Laique_ and a _Wolf_.
+
+
+A Certain _Mendicant_ (one of those that beg in the Name of St.
+_Anthony_,) contracted with a Country Fellow for such a quantity of Corn
+to Ensure his Sheep, and his Husbandry for that Year. The Man depended
+so absolutely upon this Security, that he e’en left his Sheep to look to
+themselves; and the Wolf picked up I know not how many of them. This past
+on, ’till the Holy Brother came for his next Years Provision. Yes, says
+the Clown, You’re a Trusty Spark indeed, to take Charge of my Sheep, and
+then let the _Wolf_ Eat them all; your Promises are not worth a Fart,
+and I’ll have no more to do with you. Ah! that same Villanous _Wolf_,
+says the Religious! Indeed you must have a care of him, for he’s e’en so
+wicked a Beast, that he shall not only Deceive St. _Anthony_, but St.
+_Anthony_’s _Master_ himself too, if he had it in his Power.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_All Promises are either broken or kept._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Here’s a Reproof to all Religious Cheats and Impostors that Promise
+more then they are able to Perform, and Preach those Doctrines to their
+Disciples, which they do not Believe themselves. When Churchmen come
+once to be Mercenary, and to Prostitute the Truth for Mony, no wonder,
+after their Example, if the Laity Govern their Consciences too by the
+same Measure. It makes Religion look liker a Trade, or a Contrivance of
+State, then a Divine Inspiration: Nay, it staggers People in the very
+Foundations of their Faith, to see Ministers at Variance with themselves,
+and the Pulpits changing with the Times, and Paradoxing upon the Gospel.
+Holy Men Teach in their Lives as well as with their Lips, and it draws
+an Irreverence upon the Function, where the one bears a Contradiction to
+the other. There must be no Preaching of Salvation one Day, and Damnation
+another, upon one and the same Text. There are Quacks in Divinity, as
+well as in Physick, and Pretenders to the Absolving of all Sins, as well
+as to Remedies for all Diseases. But the Curate went beyond his Province,
+when he stretch’d his Patent for the Cure of Souls, to a kind of Tutelary
+Guardianship over Goods and Chattels. When such an Impostor has once
+forfeited the Credit of his Doctrin, ’tis a shrew’d Temptation to his
+Disciples to question the very Authority of his Commission, and to take
+the Stories he tells ’em of the next World, to be no better then a Trick
+of Spiriting Men away into a Fool’s Paradise: But when he comes once to
+be Detected, he has either the _Wolf_ or the _Devil_ to bring him off
+again.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXVII.
+
+A _Priest_ and a _Sick Man_.
+
+
+A _Priest_ that was willing to give a _Sick Man_ a Word of Comfort in his
+Extreme Misery, told him, _That whom the Lord loves he Chastens_. ’Tis no
+wonder he has so few Faithful Servants then, says the Poor Man; and I’m
+afraid he’ll e’en have Fewer if he goes this way to work.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Ignorance is some sort of Excuse, for a Man that Speaks or does an Ill
+thing, with a good Intention, or without Understanding that he does or
+says Amiss._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Man should no more commit such a Freak as this is, to the Publick,
+without somewhat of a Caution or Controul upon’t, then he would throw
+Rats-bane up and down a House where Children and Fools might come at it:
+For there are Liquorish and Inconsiderate Readers, as well as Children,
+and the one is in as much danger of Mistaking Evil for Good, as the other
+is of taking a Dose of _Mercury_, for a Sweetmeat. As for Example, here’s
+a Lewd, Atheistical Fancy expos’d at Random, which some People will be
+forward enough to take, as it stands Uncorrected, for a very fine thing
+said, and by that means give some sort of Reputation to a Liberty that
+is not upon any terms to be endured. Now we are in Charity to presume,
+that the Author never intended this Extravagant Instance for a President,
+and therefore the Imperfection of the Fable, must be help’d out by some
+Pertinent Application of it in an Instructive Moral.
+
+The Doctrin that arises from this Text, will fall under the Topick of
+_the Government of the Tongue_, and reach, in the Latitude, to all the
+Transports and Excesses of that Unruly Member: as Blasphemy, Calumny,
+Scurrility, Prophaneness, False, Vain, and Evil-Speaking, and the like;
+which are all naturally enough reducible to the same Head, as they do
+effectually proceed from the same Root. He that has gotten a Habit of
+letting his Tongue run before his Wit, will rather lose his Honour or
+his Friend, then his Jest; nay, and venture his Salvation over and above
+too, into the Bargain. As in the Case here before us, where we have a
+Libertine Fooling even in his Last Agonies, with a Witticism betwixt
+his Teeth, without any regard to the Circumstances of Sobriety and
+Conscience. But this is a Wickedness only for Profligates and Madmen,
+to make Sport with, and Men of better Sense to Tremble at; for there
+must be no Quibling and Trifling with the Majesty and Judgments of the
+Almighty.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXVIII.
+
+A _Physician_ that Cur’d _Mad-Men_.
+
+
+There was a Physician in _Milan_ that took upon him to Cure Madmen; and
+his way was this: They were Ty’d Naked to a Stake, and then set up-right
+in a Nasty Puddle, Deeper or Shallower, according to the degree of the
+Distemper; and there to continue, till betwixt Cold and Hunger they might
+be brought to their Wits again. There was one among the rest, that after
+Fifteen Days Soking, began to shew some Signs of Amendment; and so got
+leave of the Keeper for the Liberty of the Court, and the House, upon
+condition not to set Foot over the Threshold of the Street-Doors. He past
+his Promise, and was as good as his Word.
+
+As he was standing one Day at the Outer-Gate, there came a _Falkner_
+Riding by, with his Kites and his Curs, and all his _Hawking Trade_
+about him. Heark ye Sir, says the Mad-Man, a word with you: And so he
+fell to asking him Twenty Idle Questions, What was _this_, and what was
+_that_, and t’other? And what was all this _good_ for? and the like. The
+Gentleman gave him an Answer to every thing in Form. As for Example,
+_This that I Ride upon_, (says he) _is a_ Horse _that I keep for my
+Sport; and this Bird upon my Fist is a_ Hawk _that Catches me Quails and
+Partridges; and those Dogs are_ Spaniels _to spring my Game_. That’s
+well, says the Fool, and what may all the Birds be worth now, that you
+catch in a Twelve Month? Why it may be some _Ten or Fifteen Pound_
+perhaps, says t’other. Ay but (says the Mad Fellow again,) what may all
+your _Hawks_, _Dogs_, and _Horses_ cost you in a Year? _Some Fifteen
+times as much perchance_, says the _Falkner_. Get you out of the way then
+immediately (cries the Fool,) before our Doctor gets sight of you; for if
+he sowc’d me up to the Middle in the Pond, you’ll be in as sure as a Gun
+up to the Ears if he can but set Eye on ye.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Every Man living is Mad in some respect or other, and the Doctors
+themselves as Mad as the Patients._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Story gives us to understand in the Application of it, that there
+are more Mad-men out of _Bedlam_ than in’t; and that according to
+_Horace_, We are all Mad, every Mother’s Child of us, more or less; and
+therefore ’tis but Neighbourly Justice for One Mad-man to bear with
+another. ’Twas well enough said of a Fellow in a Mad-House that was ask’d
+in the Interval of his Distemper how he came to be there? Why, says he,
+_The Mad Folks abroad are too many for us, and so they have Master’d all
+the Sober People, and Coop’d ’em up here_. There’s an Alienation of Mind
+in the Moral, as well as in the Physical Acceptation of the Expression:
+and he’s as Mad a Man that abuses his Reason, as he that has lost the
+Exercise of it: Beside, that there’s as great a Diversity of Freak and
+Extravagancy in the one Sense as in the other; and they have their
+_Paroxisms_ and their Intermissions both alike. Every Man Living in fine,
+has his weak side, and ’tis but striking the right Vein to set the Humour
+a Working.
+
+The General Doctrin of this Parable, we find summ’d up in a very few
+Words here: that is to say, he that eagerly pursues any thing, and gives
+more for’t then it is worth, is no better then a Mad-man. Now the way to
+make a true Estimate both of the Price and of the Purchase, is only to
+set the one against the other, and so to Ballance the Account. One Mans
+Head runs Riot upon Hawks, Hounds, Dice, Drabs, Drinking, Revelling, and
+for Brevity sake, we may e’en take in the whole Roll of Good Natur’d
+Sins and Pleasures, (if I may call them so,) that may serve to Gratifie
+a Sensual Appetite. Let but a Man consider now the Time, Mony, Care,
+Labour, and Vexation that this Wild-Goose-Chase has cost him, and then
+say to himself on the other hand, what have I gotten to answer all this
+Expense, but the Loose, Giddy Frolick of a few Mad Hours, attended with
+Claps, Gouts, Palsies, Infamy, Beggary, Nauseous Qualms, Surfeiting
+Satieties, Anxiety of Thought and Conscience, and all attended with the
+Anguish of a Late and Unprofitable Repentance in the Conclusion? And
+it is the same thing too with the Diabolical Transports of Ambition,
+Pride, Envy, Revenge, and the like; over and above the Irreparable Loss
+of a Thousand Blessed Opportunities, to the extreme Hazard of Eternity
+it self. When ’tis come to this once, there’s no way but the Doctor’s
+Discipline; that is to say, Mortification and Affliction to bring us to
+our selves again.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXIX.
+
+A _Country Fellow_ Climbing a _Tree_.
+
+
+A Country Fellow got an Unlucky Tumble from a _Tree_: Why this ’tis,
+(says a Passenger,) when People will be doing things Hand over Head,
+without either Fear or Wit: Now could I have taught you a way to climb a
+Thousand Trees, and never hurt your self with a Fall. Alas, says t’other,
+the Advice comes too late for this Bout, but let’s have it however; for a
+body may be the better for’t another time. Why then (says the Traveller,)
+_You must take care for the future, whenever you Climb another Tree; that
+you come no faster down than you went up_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Do nothing Rashly._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Good Counsel rather to take Time and Leisure in matters that will
+bear it, then to venture Neck and All with overmuch Hast.
+
+All Rash and Aspiring Humours, fall under the Reproof of this Moral;
+for there are Climbers in State, as well as in Woods and Orchards; and
+Favourites run as great a Risque in Mounting to Honours, Charges and
+Preferments, as the Fellow did here in Climbing an _Apple-Tree_. Their
+Rise is commonly Gentle and Step by Step; but when they are once up,
+they are in danger of falling down again by their own Weight: Wherefore
+_Slow_ and _Sure_ in these Cases, is good Counsel. ’Tis a Roguy kind of
+a Saying, that _He that will be Rich before Night, may be Hang’d before
+Noon_. High Places are Slippery, and it turns the very Brain of a Man
+to look down from ’em. He that first call’d _Experience the Mistress of
+Fools_, might at the same time have told us upon the Opposition, that
+_Nature is the Mistress of Wise Men_: Only the one looks forward from the
+Causes into the Effects, and the other traces the Truth, and the Reason
+of Things backward, from the Effects up to their Causes. That is to say,
+the one Teaches us Wit, by shewing us where we play’d the Fool, and the
+other Teaches us Wit, by keeping us before-hand from Playing the Fool at
+all. To apply this Moral to the Fable now, the stress of it rests upon
+the matter of Foresight, and After-Wit, and the Doctrin tells us, that
+he that wants the one, must make his Best of the other: This was the
+very Case of the Man in the Orchard here, before and after his Fall. Now
+Nature does nothing by _Starts_ and _Leaps_, or in a _Hurry_, as we say;
+but all her Motions are Gradual, Regular, and without Noise, which may
+serve us for a Lesson, and a President, not to do any thing Rashly.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXX.
+
+One that had Lost his _Mony_ and _Cloaths_ at _Play_.
+
+
+A Fellow that had lost his _Mony_ and _Cloaths_ at _Play_, stood
+sniv’ling at a Tavern Door, to think what would become of him. One of his
+Acquaintance came to him, and asked him what he Cry’d for? For _Nothing_
+says he. How come you to Cry then, says t’other, if you have nothing to
+Trouble you? Why for that very Reason, says he, because I have _Nothing_.
+Now the one took it that he had no Reason to Cry, and the other meant
+that he Cry’d because he had nothing left him.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Cautions are as Instructive as Precepts; the one shews us what we are
+not to do, and the other what we are._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Quirk is little better then the Childrens Play of _Riddle me, Riddle
+me_; though the Conceit I know is Celebrated among the _Apothegms_ of the
+Ancients. The Mony and the Cloaths were Lost on purpose to make way for
+the Jest; as the Gentleman dropt his Book into the River, off of _Maudlin
+Bridge_ in _Cambridge_: What’s that, says one of his Acquaintance that
+was passing by? Alas, says t’other, ’tis _Just In_; now the Book was
+_Justin_. We may observe from hence, what Pains some Men take to make
+themselves Ridiculous, and that Study may Emprove a Coxcomb as well as a
+Philosopher. We may learn further, that _Men do not know when they are
+well_, or when they have enough; but shift and squander till they would
+half Hang themselves at last, to be where they were again. It may be
+another Note too, the Unreasonableness of Jesting in Cases of Distress:
+So that the Figure at last is Fool all over. Upon the whole, the Fellow
+Plays, and loses his very Back-side, and then Cries: And what is all this
+more now, then the laying of a Train for the bringing in by Head and
+Shoulders the miserable Conceit of _Nothing_ upon _Nothing_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXI.
+
+A _Blinkard_ Buying of _Wheat_.
+
+
+Upon a time when there was an Extreme Scarcity of Corn in _Florence_, a
+Poor Wretch with _One Eye_, was sent to the Market with a great Sack, to
+Buy such a Provision of Wheat: He goes to his Corn-Merchant, and asks
+him the Price of so many Measures. Why, says he, one of these Measures
+is as much as one of your Eyes is worth; (meaning, that Wheat was very
+Dear.) Why then cries an Unlucky Wag, that stood by there, A less Bag
+methinks might have serv’d your Turn, for One of those Measures is as
+much as you are able to pay for.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Jeering Buffon is the common Enemy of Mankind._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It is a high Point of Ill Nature and Ill Manners, to make Sport with any
+Man’s Imperfections, that he cannot help; and it holds as well too in the
+case of our Misfortunes, if we have not brought them upon our selves by
+our own Fault. ’Tis enough, where anything of this falls out one way or
+t’other, that Providence and Nature will have it so: But Intemperate Wits
+will spare neither Friend nor Foe; and make themselves the common Enemies
+of Mankind. Men that are given to this Licentious Humour of Scoffing at
+Personal Blemishes and Defects, should do well methinks to look into
+themselves a little, and begin their Animadversions at Home; for which is
+the Greater Scandal, the want of Charity, Modesty, Humanity; or the want
+of an Eye? ’Tis the Reasonable Soul that makes the Man, not the Body;
+and a Deformity in the Nobler Part is Ten Thousand Times more liable to
+Reproche, then an Imperfection in the other. We are not answerable for
+our Persons, but for our Manners we are. The Scorner should do well also
+to consider upon the Sight of a Cripple, or a Monster, that it was only
+the Distinguishing Mercy of Heaven that kept him from being one too; and
+not render himself by his Ingratitude the more Abominable Monster of the
+Two. The Boy in fine, did very Ill, and if he had but been soundly Whipt
+for’t, it would have Perfected the Morality of the Fable.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXII.
+
+A _Country-man_ with his _Asses_.
+
+
+A _Country-man_ that had been at Market with his Corn, and was Driving
+his _Asses_ Home again, Mounted one of the Best of them to Ease himself:
+When he was up, he fell to Counting, and so kept Telling them over and
+over, all the way he went, but still wanted one of his Number. Upon this,
+away he goes to the Market Town, whence he came (a matter of Seven
+Miles off, back again,) Enquiring of all he met, if any Body had seen
+his _Ass_. He could learn no Tydings of him, and so Home he went, Late
+at Night, as arrant a Fool, as he set out. The Loss went to the Heart of
+him, but upon Alighting, and his Wives giving him the Hint, he found his
+Beast again, and that the _Ass_ he rode upon was forgot in the Reckoning.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Butcher look’d for his Knife when he had it in his Mouth._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis many a man’s Case, to fancy that he wants what in Truth he has; and
+then to Tire himself out with Hunting after it Abroad, when he carries it
+about him all this while, and may have it better Cheap at Home. The bare
+Supposal of one Petty Loss, makes us unthankful for all that’s left. We
+are naturally apt to think our Selves Miserable, and the very thinking
+so, makes us so. This Conceit puts us upon the Ramble up and down for
+Relief, (and all in vain too,) ’till very Weariness brings us at last to
+our selves again, where we find the _Ass_ we sought for, and the Cure of
+all our Misfortunes in our own Breasts. A Man may be so intent upon one
+thing, as to heed nothing else, as he that spent half a day to look for
+his Odd Stocking, when he had them both upon a Leg.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXIII.
+
+A _Man_ that Carried his _Plough_ to Ease his _Oxen_.
+
+
+A _Peasant_ that had Plow’d himself and his Oxen quite a Weary, Mounted
+an _Ass_, with the _Plough_ before him, and sent the _Oxen_ to _Dinner_:
+The Poor _Ass_, he found was ready to Sink under the Load, and so he took
+up the _Plough_ and laid it upon his own Shoulders. Now, says he to the
+_Ass_, Thou mayst carry _Me_ well enough, when I carry the _Plough_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Some Brute Animals, have more understanding then some Men._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Man and Wife are in many Cases the _Ploughman_ here, and his _Ass_; they
+think to Ease one another, not considering that what either of them
+bears, is a common Burden to both. There was a Fudling Couple that sold
+Ale, and their Humour was to Drink Drunk _Hand to Fist_, upon their own
+Liquor: They laid down their Club still for what they had, and this they
+called _Forcing a Trade_. Now so long as the Tipple was paid for, all
+went merrily on they thought, without ever so much as Dreaming that ’twas
+at their own Cost. ’Tis much thereabouts betwixt Rulers and Subjects: The
+_Prince_ may carry the _Plough_ perhaps, but the weight of both Plough
+and Prince lies upon the Peoples Shoulders.
+
+
+
+
+Miscellany Fables.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXIV.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Cat_.
+
+
+There was a Question started betwixt a _Fox_ and a _Cat_; which of
+the Two could make the best Shift in the World, if they were put to a
+Pinch. For my own part, (says _Reynard_,) when the worst comes to the
+worst, I have a whole Budget of Tricks to come off with at last. At that
+very Instant, up comes a Pack of Dogs full-Cry toward them. The _Cat_
+presently takes a Tree, and sees the Poor Fox torn to Pieces upon the
+very Spot. Well (says _Puss_ to her self,) One Sure Trick I find is
+better than a Hundred Slippery ones.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Nature has provided better for us, then we could have done for our
+selves._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+One Double Practice may be disappointed by another; but the Gifts of
+Nature are beyond all the Shams and Shuffles in the World. There’s as
+much difference betwixt Craft and Wisdom, as there is betwixt Philosophy
+and Slight of Hand. Shifting and Shuffling may serve for a Time, but
+Truth and Simplicity will most certainly carry it at the long run. When
+a Man of Trick comes once to be Detected, he’s Lost, even to all Intents
+and Purposes: Not but that one Invention may in some Cases be Honestly
+Countermin’d with another. But this is to be said upon the whole Matter,
+That Nature provides better for us, then we can do for our selves; and
+instructs every Creature more or less, how to shift for it self in Cases
+of Ordinary Danger. Some bring themselves off by their Wings, others by
+their Heels, Craft, or Strength. Some have their Cells or Hiding Places;
+and upon the Upshot, they do more by Virtue of a Common Instinct toward
+their own Preservation, then if they had the whole Colledge of the
+_Virtuosi_ for their Advisers. It was _Nature_ in fine, that brought off
+the _Cat_, when the _Foxes_ whole Budget of _Inventions_ fail’d him.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXV.
+
+The _Dancing Apes_.
+
+
+A Certain _Ægyptian King_ Endow’d a _Dancing-School_ for the Institution
+of _Apes of Quality_; and when they came to be Perfect in their Lessons,
+they were Dress’d up after the best manner, and so brought forth for a
+Spectacle upon the Stage. As they were in the Middle of their Gamboles,
+some body threw a Handful of Apples among them, that set them presently
+together by the Ears upon the Scramble, without any regard in the World
+to the Business in Hand, or to the Dignity of their Education.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Force of Nature is infinitely beyond that of Discipline and
+Imitation._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Men have their weak Sides as well as _Apes_, and it is not in the Power
+of Study and Discipline to extinguish Natural Inclinations; no not so
+much as to Conceal them for any long time, but they’l be breaking out now
+and then by Starts and Surprizes, and discover themselves. The _Apes_
+were Taught their _Apes_ Tricks by a Dancing-Master; but it was _Nature_
+that Taught them to Eat Apples, and the Natural Institution was much the
+stronger of the Two.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXVI.
+
+An _Ass_ and _Two Travellers_.
+
+
+A Couple of _Travellers_ that took up an _Ass_ in a Forrest, fell
+downright to Loggerheads, which of the Two should be his Master: So the
+_Ass_ was to stand by, to see those Two Boobies try their Title to him by
+a Rubber at Cuffs. The _Ass_ very fairly look’d on, till they had Box’d
+themselves aweary, and then left them both in the Lurch.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a common thing, both in Love, Law and Arms, for Plaintiff and
+Defendant to lye Battering one another for a Prize that gives them both
+the slip._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Many People have fair Opportunities put into their Hands, and want Wit
+to make Use of them. Here was a silly Controversie, as sillily Manag’d,
+and Two Quarrelsom Fools out-witted by an _Ass_. Why did they not keep
+him when they had him sure? Or why did they not Compound the matter,
+and Divide, when the one had no more right to him than the other? But
+this of the _Travellers_ and the _Ass_ is a common Case, and a Frivolous
+Contentious Law-Suit is the Moral of it; when Plaintiff and Defendant are
+Worrying one another about the Title, till they have spent the Estate. So
+the _Travellers_ fought here for an _Ass_, and the _Ass_ ran away with
+the _Stakes_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXVII.
+
+_Mercury_ and _Fishermen_.
+
+
+Some _Fishermen_ that had caught more Fish then they knew what to do
+withal, Invited _Mercury_ to part with them; but finding that the
+Invitation was not so much matter of Respect, as to get rid of the Glut
+they had taken, he very fairly left them to Eat by themselves.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_In all the Good Offices of Human Society, ’tis the Will and the
+Affection that Creates the Obligation._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis the ordinary Practice of the World, for Men to be kind to other
+People for their own sakes; or at least to be frank of Civilities that
+cost them nothing: Wherefore we are to Distinguish betwixt Kindnesses
+that are only matter of Course, and Friendly Offices that are done out
+of Choice and Good Will. Where’s the Obligation, the Friendship, or the
+Respect of any Man’s making me a Present of what he neither cares for
+himself, nor knows what to do withal? And of that which I am to be never
+the better for neither? The Fellow here had taken more Fish than he could
+spend while they were Sweet, and so rather than they should lie by to
+stink him out of the House, he invited _Mercury_ to the Eating of them;
+that is to say, to the Helping him off with them.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXVIII.
+
+An _Eagle_ and a _Beetle_.
+
+
+A _Hare_ that was hard put to’t by an _Eagle_, took Sanctuary in a Ditch
+with a _Beetle_. The _Beetle_ Interceded for the _Hare_: The _Eagle_
+Flapt off the former, and Devoured the other. The _Beetle_ took this
+for an Affront to Hospitality, as well as to her Self, and so Meditated
+a Revenge, watch’d the _Eagle_ up to her Nest, follow’d her, and took
+her Time when the _Eagle_ was Abroad, and so made a shift to Roll out
+the Eggs, and Destroy the Brood. The _Eagle_ upon this Disappointment,
+Timber’d a great deal higher next Bout; The _Beetle_ watch’d her still,
+and shew’d her the same Trick once again. Whereupon the _Eagle_ made her
+Appeal to _Jupiter_, who gave her leave to lay her next Course of Eggs
+in his own Lap. But the _Beetle_ found out a way to make _Jupiter_ rise
+from his Throne; so that upon the Loosning of his Mantle, the Eggs fell
+from him at unwares, and the _Eagle_ was a Third time Defeated. _Jupiter_
+stomach’d the Indignity, but upon Hearing the Cause, he found the _Eagle_
+to be the Aggressor, and so Acquitted the _Beetle_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis not for a Generous Prince to Countenance Oppression and Injustice,
+even in his most Darling Favourites._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Rights and Privileges of Hospitality are so Sacred, that _Jupiter_
+himself would not Countenance the Violation of them, even in his own
+Minion, the _Eagle_. Nor is there any thing so despicable, (as we see in
+the Case of the _Beetle_,) but Access is open for the Cries of Distressed
+Innocence, to Divine Justice. Let no Man presume because he is Great
+and Powerful, nor Despair because he is Low and Poor; for the one may
+Rise and the other may Fall, and the meanest Enemy may find a way to
+a Revenge. Tyranny may prosper for a while, ’tis true, and under the
+Countenance of a Divine Permission too, as the _Eagle_ got leave here to
+Deposite her Eggs (or her Cause) in Heaven: But _Jupiter_’s Lap it self,
+we see, is no Final Sanctuary for an Oppressor. Though nothing is more
+common in the World then to mistake Providences and Judgments, and to
+call the Wickedest and the worst of Men and of Things by Good Names.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXIX.
+
+An _Owl_ and _Little Birds_.
+
+
+There goes a Story of an _Owl_ that was advised by the _Little Birds_
+to Build rather among the Boughs and Leaves, as They did, then in Walls
+and Hollow Trees; and so they shew’d her a young Tender Plant for her
+Purpose. No No, says the _Owl_, those Twigs in time will come to be
+Lim’d, and then you’re all Lost if you do but touch ’em. The _Birds_ gave
+little Heed to’t, and so went on Playing and Chirping among the Leaves
+still, and passing their Time there in Flocks as formerly; till in the
+conclusion the Sprigs were all daub’d with Lime, and the poor Wretches
+clamm’d and taken. Their Repentance came now too late; but in Memory of
+this Notable Instance of the _Owl_’s Foresight, the _Birds_ never see an
+_Owl_ to this very Day, but they Flock about her and Follow her, as if it
+were for a New Lesson. But our _Modern Owls_ have only the _Eyes_, the
+_Beak_, and the _Plume_ of the _Owls_ of _Athens_, without the Wisdom.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Good Counsel is lost upon those that have not the Grace to Hearken to’t;
+or do not Understand it, or will not Embrace and Follow it in the Proper
+Season._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Wholesome Advice is worth nothing, unless it be (in Truth,) Given as
+well as taken in Season. This Fable shews the Danger and the Mischief of
+either Rejecting, not Heeding, or not Entertaining it; and likewise at
+the same time, sets forth how hard a thing it is to fasten Profitable
+Advice upon Men that Indulge themselves in Ease and Pleasure. They look
+upon it as so much time lost to employ the Present upon the Thought of
+the Future; and so by one Delay after another, they Spin out their whole
+lives, till there’s no more Future left before ’em. This Dilatory Humour
+proceeds partly from a Slothful Laziness of Temper; as I knew a Man that
+would not be got out of his Bed when the House was a-Fire over his Head.
+Action is Death to some sort of People, and they’d as live Hang as Work.
+It arises in a great measure too from an Habitual Heedless Inadvertency,
+when Men are so Intent upon the Present, that they mind nothing else;
+and Councel is but cast away upon them. _Birds of Pleasure_, and _Men of
+Pleasure_ are too Merry to be Wise; and the Case of this _Fable_ is but
+the Common Case of the _World_. Wholesome Advice comes in at one Ear, and
+goes out at t’other. Men, in short, of _Blood_ and Appetite, have no
+Foresight; and oft _Postpone_ Prudence as a Virtue of another Season.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXX.
+
+A _Gourd_ and a _Pine_.
+
+
+There was a _Gourd_ Planted close by a Large Well-spread _Pine_: The
+Season was Kindly, and the _Gourd_ shot it self up in a short time,
+climbing by the Boughs, and twining about ’em, till it topp’d and cover’d
+the Tree it self. The Leaves were Large, and the Flowers and the Fruit
+Fair; insomuch that the _Gourd_ had the confidence to value it self
+above the _Pine_, upon the comparison. Why, says the _Gourd_, you have
+been more Years a growing to this Statue, then I have been Days. Well,
+says the _Pine_ again, but after so many Winters and Summers as I have
+endured, after so many Blasting Colds, and Parching Heats, you see me the
+very same thing still that I was so long ago. But when you come to the
+Proof once, the First Blight or Frost shall most infallibly bring down
+that Stomach of yours, and strip ye of all your Glory.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Nothing so Insolent and Intolerable as a Proud Upstart that’s rais’d
+from a Dunghil; he forgets both his Master and his Maker._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The _Gourd_ here is an Emblem of vain Pride and Ingratitude; and the
+_Pine_ bids Princes and Great Men have a care what Favourites they
+prefer, and what Friendships they Entertain; and this for their own
+sakes, as well as for the sake of the Publick. He’s a Fool that takes
+himself to be Greater, Richer, Fairer or Better then he is; or that
+reckons any thing his own, which is either but borrow’d, or may be taken
+away next Moment. He that lives barely upon Borrowing, is effectually
+but a Beggar when his Debts are paid. This _Gourd_ in short, is a Proud
+Upstart; his Growth is quick, but his Continuance short: He values
+himself upon his Feather in his Cap; and in a word, upon those Fooleries
+that a Man of Honour and Substance would blush at. And nothing else will
+serve him neither, but to vye Excellencies with those that took him
+out of the Dirt; nay, and to elevate himself (when all’s done) to the
+Dishonour of the Supporters. And what’s the Issue at last of encouraging
+these Minions, but his bringing of a Scandal upon Common Justice, by a
+most pernicious Example, that ends in the very Starving, as well as the
+Defaming of their Benefactors; for ’tis impossible but they must Pine
+and Wither, that entertain such Hangers-on. This _Gourd_ in fine is the
+true Emblem of a _Court-Leech_; he Fastens and Sucks, without either
+Mercy or Measure, and when he has drawn his Master Dry, he very fairly
+drops off, changes his Party, and so leaves him.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXXI.
+
+A _Raven_ and _Wolves_.
+
+
+A _Raven_ that had waited upon a Herd of _Wolves_ a whole Days Ramble,
+came to ’em at Night for a share of the Prey they had got. The _Wolves_
+answer’d him, that if he had gone along with ’em for Pure Love, and not
+for his Gut, he should have had his Part: But (said they) a _Dead Wolf_
+if it had so fall’n out, would have serv’d a _Raven_’s turn as well as a
+_Dead Sheep_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Most People Worship for the Loaves, from the very Plough-Tail to the
+Crosier and Scepter; and the World bows to that that’s uppermost._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis the Intention that qualifies the Action; neither is it for any
+Man to pretend Merit, or to challenge a Reward for attending his own
+Business. The _Raven_ Dogg’d the _Wolves_ for his Supper: Now if these
+_Wolves_ themselves had been Hounded by a Herd of _Tygers_, that should
+have Worried _Them_, one sort of Carrion would have been as good to the
+_Raven_, as another. This is the Case, as well betwixt Man and Man, as
+of _Wolves_ and _Ravens_, that suck the Blood of those they Follow and
+Depend upon, under a Pretext of Service and Kindness. How many Examples
+have we seen of this, among those that follow Courts, and the Leaders of
+those Followers? If the Master gets the better on’t, they come in for
+their Snack; and if he happens to fall in the Chace, his Temporising
+Friends are the Foremost to break in upon the Quarry. Whether the _Wolves
+Took_ or were _Taken_, was all a Case to the _Raven_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXXII.
+
+_Arion_ and a _Dolphin_.
+
+
+This Famous _Arion_ was a Great Favourite of _Periander_ the King of
+_Corinth_; he Travelled from thence into _Sicily_ and _Italy_, where
+he gathered a great Mass of Treasure, and gain’d over and above, the
+Good-Will and Esteem of all People wherever he came. From thence he
+put himself Abord a _Corinthian_ Vessel, to go back again, where he
+got an inkling among the Ships Crew of a Conspiracy to take away his
+Life. He Discours’d the Mariners about it, and came in the end to this
+Composition; that if he would cast himself presently into the Sea, and
+let the Conspirators have his Mony, there should be no further Violence
+offer’d to his Person. Upon this Agreement he obtain’d Liberty to give
+them only one Song before he Leap’d Overbord; which he did, and then
+Plung’d into the Sea. The Seamen had no thought of his ever coming up
+again; but by a wonderful Providence, a _Dolphin_ took him upon his Back,
+and carried him off safe to an Island, from whence he went immediately
+to _Corinth_, and presented himself before _Periander_, just in the
+condition the _Dolphin_ left him, and so told the Story. The King ordered
+him to be taken into Custody as an _Impostor_; but at the same time
+caused Enquiry to be made after the Ship, and the Seamen that he spake
+of, and to know if they had heard any thing of one _Arion_ where they
+had been? They said Yes, and that he was a Man of Great Reputation in
+_Italy_, and of a Vast Estate. Upon these Words, _Arion_ was Produced
+before them, with the very Harp and Cloaths he had when he Leapt into the
+Sea. The Men were so confounded at the Spectacle, that they had not the
+Face to deny the Truth of the Story.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Mony is the Universal Idol. Profit Governs the World, and_ Quid Dabitis
+& Tradam _may be the Motto: But Providence yet in the Conclusion makes
+all things work for the Best_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Some Men are Worse then some Brutes, and little less then Beasts in
+the shape of Reasonable Creatures. This Fable shews us, that Men of
+Bloud will stick at no Profitable Villany, but they are Blind, Deaf,
+and Inexorable where Mony’s in the case. The Charms of Reason, Art, and
+Innocence, are Lost upon ’em, and the Sea it self we see, had more Pity
+for _Arion_ then the Men. The _Dolphin_ represents the Instrument of an
+Over-ruling Providence that interposes Miraculously to our Deliverance,
+when ordinary Means fail us. The Wonderful Discovery in the Conclusion,
+serves to shew us that _Murder will out_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXXIII.
+
+A _Spider_ and the _Gout_.
+
+
+A _Spider_ that had been at Work a Spinning, went Abroad once for a
+little Country Air to Refresh her self, and fell into Company with the
+_Gout_, that (by the way) had much ado to keep Pace with her. When they
+came at Night to take up their Lodging, very inquisitive they were into
+the Character and Condition of their Host: But the _Spider_ without any
+more Ceremony, went into the House of a Rich Burgher, and fell presently
+to her Net-work of Drawing Cobwebs up and down from one side of the Room
+to the other; but there were so many Brooms, and Devillish House-wenches
+still at hand, that whatever she set up this Moment, was swept away the
+next: So that this miserable _Insect_ was the only Creature within those
+Walls that felt either Want or Trouble. But the _Gout_ all this while,
+was fain to Kennel in the very _Rendezvous_ of common Beggars, where she
+was as uneasie, as Hard Lodging, Course Bread, and Puddle-Water could
+make her. After a tedious and a restless Night on’t, they met again next
+Morning by Sun Rise, and gave one another the History of their Adventure.
+The _Spider_ tells first how Barbarously she had been us’d; how cursedly
+Nice and Cleanly the Master of the House was; how impertinently Diligent
+his Servants were, _&c._ And then the _Gout_ Requited the _Spider_ with
+the Story of her Mortifications too. They were in short so unsatisfied
+with their Treatment, that they resolved to take quite contrary Measures
+the next Night; The _Spider_ to get into a Cottage, and the _Gout_ to
+look out for a Palace. They did what they Propos’d, and never were
+Creatures better pleas’d with their Entertainment. The _Gout_ had her
+Rich Furniture, Down-Beds, _Beccasica_’s, Pheasants, Partridges, Generous
+Wines; the best in fine, of every thing that was to be had for Mony, and
+all with _Pure Heart and Good will_ as we say. The _Spider_ was as much
+at Ease on the other hand; for she was got into a House where she might
+draw her Lines, Work, Spin, Mend what was Amiss, Perfect what she had
+Begun, and no Brooms, Snares or Plots to Interrupt or disturb her. The
+Two Travellers after this met once again, and upon conferring Notes, they
+were both so well satisfied, that the _Gout_ took up a Resolution for
+ever after to keep Company with the Rich, the Noble, and the Voluptuous;
+and the _Spider_ with the Poor and Needy. What Wise Man I say, upon these
+Terms; would not rather take up his Lodging with the _Spider_ in the
+Fable here, then with the _Gout_?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_An Industrious Poverty in a Cell, with Quiet Thoughts, and Sound Sleeps,
+is infinitely to be Prefer’d before a Lazy Life of Pomp and Pleasure: For
+Courts are but Nurseries of Diseases and Cares._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+One may be very Uneasie with a Plentiful Fortune, and as Happy in a Mean
+Condition; for ’tis the Mind that makes us either the one or the other. A
+Luxurious Court is the Nursery of Diseases; it Breeds ’em, it Encourages,
+Nourishes and Entertains them. A Plain, an Honest, and a Temperate
+Industry, contents it self with a little; and who would not rather Sleep
+Quietly upon a _Hammock_, without either Cares in his Head, or Crudities
+in his Stomach, then lye Carking upon a Bed of State, with the Qualms and
+Twinges that accompany Surfeits and Excess?
+
+
+
+
+A SUPPLEMENT OF FABLES, OUT OF
+
+_Phædrus_, _Avienus_, _Camerarius_, _Neveletus_, _Apththonius_,
+_Gabrias_, _Babrias_, _Abstemius_, _Alciatus_, _Boccalini_, _Baudoin_,
+_De la Fontaine_, _Æsope en Belle Humeur_, _Meslier_, &c.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXXIV.
+
+A _Lamb_, a _Wolf_ and a _Goat_.
+
+
+A _Wolf_ overheard a _Lamb_ Bleating among the _Goats_. D’ye hear Little
+One, (says the _Wolf_,) if it be your Dam you want, she’s yonder in the
+Field. Ay (says the _Lamb_,) but I am not looking for her that was my
+Mother for her _Own_ sake, but for her that Nurses me up, and Suckles
+me out of _Pure Charity_, and _Good Nature_. Can any thing be Dearer to
+you, says the _Wolf_, then she that brought you forth? Very Right, says
+the _Lamb_; and without knowing or caring what she did: And pray what
+did she bring me forth _for_ too, but to Ease her self of a _Burden_,
+and to deliver me out of her own Belly, into the Hands of the _Butcher_?
+I am more Beholden to her that took Pity of me when I was in the World
+already, then to her that brought me into’t, I know not how. ’Tis
+_Charity_, not _Nature_, or _Necessity_ that does the Office of a _Tender
+Mother_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s a difference betwixt Reverence and Affection; the one goes to
+the Character, and the other to the Person, and so distinguishes Duty
+from Inclination. Our Mothers brought us into the World; a Stranger takes
+us up, and Preserves us in’t. So that here’s both a Friend and a Parent
+in the case, and the Obligation of the one, must not destroy the Respect
+I owe to the other; nor the Respect the Obligation: And none but an Enemy
+will advise us to quit either._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Men are not so sensible of Laws and Duty, as they are of Kindness and
+Good Nature; beside, that the _Wolf_s Pretence or Care for the Poor
+_Lamb_, was a Charity that began at Home.
+
+There is an _Affection_ of _Nature_, and that which we call a _Filial
+Duty_; and there is an _Affection_ that is grounded upon the Moral
+Considerations of _Benevolence_ and _Friendship_. In the one, we lye
+under an Obligation of Reverence and Respect to a Parent, be the Father
+or Mother what they will; in the other, we pay a Regard to _Civil
+Acknowledgements_ and _Virtue_. Nature, and the Principles of Nature
+must be kept Sacred; but Men cannot Love to what degree, or whom, or
+what they please: So that in many Cases, we pay a _Veneration_ upon
+_One_ Score, and an _Affection_ upon _Another_; and this Fable does
+very well distinguish the _Gratitude_ from the _Respect_. The _Wolf_’s
+Preaching to the _Lamb_, is no Ill Emblem of a _Scandalous Minister_,
+that _Discredits_ a very _Good Sermon_ with an _Ill Life_, and gives the
+Lie to his _Doctrin_, in his _Practice_. The _Wolf_ took the same Care of
+the _Lamb_, that the _Keepers of our Liberties_ in former days did of the
+Innocent People of _England_. They pretended to put us out of Harms way
+from others, that they might Devour us themselves.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXXV.
+
+_Jupiter’s Altar_ Robb’d.
+
+
+A _Thief_ Kindled his Torch at _Jupiter_’s Altar, and then Robb’d the
+Temple by the Light on’t. As he was Packing away with his Sacrilegious
+Burden, a Voice, either of Heaven, or of Conscience, Pursu’d him. The
+Time will come (says that Voice) when this Impious Villany of Yours shall
+cost ye Dear; not for the Value of what you have Stoll’n, but for the
+Contempt of Heaven and Religion, that you ought to have a Veneration for.
+_Jupiter_ has taken care however to prevent these Insolent Affronts for
+the Time to come, by an Express Prohibition of any Communication for the
+future, betwixt the Fire upon _his Altars_, and that of _Common Use_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Nothing more Familiar then to cover Sacrilege, Murder, Treason_, &c.
+_with a Text. And we are also to learn from hence, that we have no
+greater Enemies many times, then those we have Nurs’d and Bred up; and
+that Divine Vengeance comes sure at Last, though it may be long first._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Kindling of a Torch at the Altar, and then Robbing the Church by the
+Light on’t, is an Old Invention contriv’d betwixt the World, the Flesh
+and the Devil; and will never be out of Date, so long as we hold any
+Intelligence with the Common Enemies of Mankind. There’s nothing cuts
+Religion, like Religion it self: Texts are put up against Texts, and
+one Scripture made to fight against another; insomuch, that the Rule of
+Faith is Perverted into a Doctrin of Heresie and Schism; and the Gospel
+of Peace is made a Voucher for Sedition and Rebellion. There’s nothing
+commoner then to cite Holy Writ for the Overturning of Religion, and
+to Over-rule one Divine Authority with another; nay, and when all is
+done, to Justifie the Sacrilege of Seizing and Employing the Revenues
+of the Church to Prophane Uses. And whence comes this Confusion and
+Self-Contradiction all this while? but that the Manage of Holy Matters
+falls many times into the Hands of Men of more Polite Curiosity and
+Skill, then Evangelical Zeal and Affection. The School-men have spun
+the Thread too fine, and made _Christianity_ look liker a Course of
+_Philosophy_, then a _System_ of _Faith_ and _Supernatural Revelation_:
+So that the Spirit of it Evaporates into Niceties and Exercises of the
+Brain; and the Contention is not for Truth, but Victory. The whole
+Business in fine, is sour’d into Altercation and Cavil; but all must be
+Remitted to the Judgment of the Great Day, when every Man shall receive
+according to his Works: And Wo be then to the _Church Robbers_ that shall
+be found among them that serve at the _Altar_. But ’tis no New Thing for
+Men that call themselves _Professors_ and _Disciples_, to _Sell_ and to
+_Betray_ their _Lord and Master_; For Men that wear the Livery of the
+Church, and Eat the Bread on’t, to offer Sacrilegious Violence to their
+Holy Mother. And this is the case of _Jupiter’s Altar Robb’d_ by the
+Light of his own Torch: When the House of God is Rifl’d and Dishonour’d
+by his own Domesticks; that is to say, when the Sacrilege is Countenanc’d
+by the Authority of a Holy Character, and the Violence supported by a
+Text.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXXVI.
+
+The _Crows_ and the _Pigeons_.
+
+
+There happen’d a Suit in Law betwixt the Two Families of the _Crows_
+and the _Pigeons_; but for Quietness sake, they agreed upon an Order of
+Reference, and the _Kite_ was to be _Arbitrator_. The Cause was Heard,
+and Judgment given for the _Crows_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+Ask my Brother if I’m a Thief. _One Criminal upon the Bench, will be sure
+to bring off another at the Barr._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Innocency is almost sure to be worsted, wherever it may be Abus’d with
+Security and Advantage. _Guilty or not Guilty_, is not so much the
+Point in the Case here of the _Crows_ and the _Pigeons_; for the matter
+in question, is the _Person_ or _Party_, not the _Fact_. The One’s in
+the Plot, let him be never so Innocent; and the other is as white as
+the Driven Snow, let him be never so Criminal. There are _Cabals_,
+_Ignoramus_’s, _False Witnesses_, among _Men_, as well as among _Birds_,
+with all the Pompous Formalities of Countenancing Fraud and Corruption,
+with the Sacred Name of _Justice_. Set a _Kite_ upon the _Bench_, and
+’tis Forty to one he’ll bring off a _Crow_ at the _Barr_. Briefly, there
+is nothing more in the Iniquity of this Fiction, then what we see every
+day made good in common Business and Practice. ’Tis but dressing up a
+_Bird of Prey_ in his _Cap and Furs_, to make a Judge of him; and so for
+a _Knight of the Post_, ’tis but dubbing him with the Title of a _King’s
+Evidence_, and the Work is done: For in these Cases, _Judge_, _Jury_, and
+_Witnesses_ are all of a Piece.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXXVII.
+
+A _Gard’ner_ and his _Landlord_.
+
+
+A Man that had made himself a very Fine Garden, was so Pester’d with
+a _Hare_ among his Roots, his Plants, and his Flowers, that away goes
+he immediately to his Landlord, (a great Huntsman it seems,) and tells
+him a Lamentable Story of the Havock that this poor _Hare_ had made in
+his Grounds. The Gentleman takes Pity of his Tenant, and early the next
+Morning goes over to him with all his People and his Dogs about him:
+They call in the First Place for Breakfast, Eat up his Victuals, Drink
+him Dry, and Kiss his Pretty Daughter into the Bargain. So soon as they
+have done all the Mischief they can within Doors, out they march into
+the Gardens to Beat for the _Hare_: And there down with the Hedges; the
+Garden-Stuff goes all to Wreck, and not so much as a Leaf scapes ’em
+toward the Picking of a Sallad. Well, (says the _Gard’ner_) this is the
+way of the World, when the Poor sue for Relief to the Great. My Noble
+Friend here has done me more Damage in the Civility and Respect of these
+Two Hours, then the uttermost Spite of the _Hare_ could have done me in
+twice as many Ages.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Appeals are Dangerous from the Weaker to the Stronger, where the Remedy
+proves many times worse then the Disease._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+He that finds himself Uneasie, and proposes to mend his Condition in what
+case or in what manner soever, should do well to sit down and Compute
+within himself; _What do I suffer by this Grievance? Can I Remove it or
+no? What will it Cost me? Shall I get or Lose by the Change? Will it be
+worth my while, or not?_ Now this is all matter of Course in our ordinary
+Dealings upon the Truck, and in common Bargains; and yet where the Peace
+and Liberty of the Mind, or the Character of a Wise or a Good Man lyes at
+Stake, we take up Resolutions Hand over Head, without Calculating upon
+the Profit or Loss of the Thing in Question; as in the Instance of the
+Poor _Gard’ner_ here. He might have Treated a Brace of _Hares_ sure, much
+Cheaper that a _Troup_ of _Horsemen_, with so many Packs of _Dogs_, and
+such a Gang of _Ruffians_ at the Heels of ’em. Had not he better have
+born _Wat_’s Nibling of his Plants and Roots now, then the Huntsman’s
+Fooling with his Daughter, and the Eating him out of House and Home? The
+Breaking down of his Fences; the Laying of his Garden Wast, and taking
+his Childrens Meat out of their Mouths, over and above? But all this
+Befel him for want of Deliberating beforehand, and setting one thing
+against another. Now if the Allusion of this Fable be so Instructive to
+us, and so necessary to be well attended and apply’d, even in the common
+Affairs and Dealings of this World, what shall that Man say for himself,
+that’s Guilty of the same Temerity and Imprudence over and over, in
+the case of _Temporal_ and _Eternal_! Is it that we do not Believe the
+Doctrin of a Future State, or that we do not think on’t; or (which is
+worst of all,) that we do not Mind it? For we Live as if we were more
+sensible of the Hares, then of the Devils.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXXVIII.
+
+_Jupiter_’s Two _Wallets_.
+
+
+When _Jupiter_ made Man, he gave him _Two Satchels_; one for his
+_Neighbours Faults_, t’other for his _Own_. These Bags he threw over
+his Shoulders, and the Former he carried Before him, the Other Behind.
+So that this Fashion came up a great while ago it seems, and it has
+continu’d in the World ever since.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Every Man living is partial in his own Case; but it is the Humour of
+Mankind to have our Neighbours Faults always in our Eye, and to cast our
+own over our Shoulders, out of sight._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+That which _Jupiter_ does in the _Fable_, _Nature_ does in the _Life_. We
+are here admonish’d of a Double Fault; want of Charity and Justice toward
+others, and want of a Christian Scrutiny and Examination into our Selves:
+So that here’s the Sin of Detraction in making other People worse then
+they are, and the Sin of Pride and Hypocrisie, in Boasting our Selves to
+be better. It were well if we could Place our _Transgressions_ out of the
+Ken, as well of our _Consciences_ as of our _Eyes_: But these are only
+Amusements to put off the Evil Day a little longer, that will certainly
+overtake us at last. The _Mythologist_ does well enough however; in
+Assigning that to _Jupiter_, which we our selves are but too prone to
+do, upon a Propension of _Nature_; that is to say, of Nature corrupted;
+for there is both a Sin and a Frailty in’t, to be over Censorious of our
+Neighbours, and as Partial to our selves.
+
+_Out of Sight, Out of Mind_, they say; and at this rate one Fault is made
+use of to excuse another. We do not _Repent_, because we do not _Think_
+on’t; and so the Neglect is made an Excuse for the Impenitence. We live
+like Spendthrifts, that know themselves to be desperately in Debt, and
+dare not look into their Accounts to see how the Reckoning stands. Nay
+’tis the Case of too many of us, that we keep no Books neither; or at the
+Best, do not know where to find them. Self-Love is still attended with
+a Contempt of others, and a Common Mistake of Matters at Home as well
+as Abroad; For we keep Registers of our Neighbours Faults, and none of
+their Good Deeds; and no Memorials all this while, of what we do amiss
+our Selves. But [_I am not as this Publican_] is the very Top of our
+Righteousness.
+
+Thus goes the World, and a lewd Practice it is, for one Man to value
+himself upon the Wickedness of another: But the Worst of all is yet
+behind; that is to say, to think our selves safe, so long as we keep our
+Iniquities from the Knowledge of Men, and out of our own View and Memory,
+without any Awe of that Justice that never Sleeps, and of that All-seeing
+Eye and Wisdom that Observes all our Mis-doings, and has them perpetually
+in his Sight.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCLXXXIX.
+
+A _King_ and a _Rich Subject_.
+
+
+A Certain Prince that had a very wealthy overgrown Subject, found it
+convenient to make a Traitor of him, provided it could but handsomly
+be brought about: So the Man was taken into Custody, and the _King_’s
+_Evidence_ produced against him for _Consults_ at this Place, and at
+that, against the Life of the King, and the Peace of the Government; and
+for Receiving, Comforting, and Abetting the Enemies of the Crown. The
+Man had the Character of a very Loyal Person, and People were almost
+at their Wits end, to hear of so horrid an Accusation against him. But
+the Witnesses Swore Home, and one of them Extremely Positive, that if
+his House at that very Instant were but narrowly Search’d for Men and
+Arms, they would find such a Provision, that the Modern Discoveries at
+_Tichbourn_ and _Flixham_, were Nothing to’t. The pretended Criminal
+began now to Moralize upon the Story, and so away goes he to His Majesty;
+casts himself at his Feet, and promises that if he might but have as
+Ample a Pardon as other Witnesses to _Consults_ have had before him, he
+would shew him the very Bottom of the Plot. I cannot deny, says he, but
+I have a great many of the Enemies of your Royal Crown and Dignity at
+this time Conceal’d in my House; and if your Majesty shall be pleased to
+appoint any Person to make Seizure of them, they shall be immediately
+Delivered up. So the Prince Order’d a Squadron of his Guards, and a
+Trusty Officer in the Head of ’em, to go along with him. The Gentleman
+led them very Frankly to his Coffers, and shew’d them his Treasure. These
+are the Traytors, says he, that you are to take care of, and pray be
+pleas’d to _see that they may be kept in safe Custody till they shall be
+Deliver’d by Due Course of Law_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We may gather from hence, that Riches are many times but a Snare to us;
+and that Money makes many a Man a Traitor: But if a Body will Compound at
+last with his Estate to save his Life, when he has nothing left him, he
+may be at Rest. For a Certificate of Poverty is as good as a Protection._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Story of _Ahab_ and _Naboth_ comes directly to the Point of this
+Fable; that is to say, as the King and Subject, with the Iniquity of the
+Subornation and Practice: Only the one was a Poor Subject, and the other
+a Rich, which does not one jot alter the Morality of the Case. The Old
+Saying, that [_Money does all things_] is not much wide of the Truth;
+for it gives, and it takes away, it makes Honest Men and Knaves, Fools
+and Philosophers; and so forward _Mutatis Mutandis_, to the End of the
+Chapter. There’s not any Corruption in Nature, but Money is at one end
+on’t; The whole World is under the Dominion of it; for all things under
+the Sun are Bought and Sold. But as it gives Men Reputation, so it brings
+People into Snares and Dangers too; It exposes them to Factions, Robbers,
+Cheats, Knights of the Post, and the like: It fills their Heads and their
+Hearts with Cares and Disquiets. And what at last are all the Baggs and
+Possessions that Rich Men take so much Pride and Pleasure in, but Spunges
+Deposited in their own Hands, till there shall be occasion to squeeze
+them for the Publick Use!
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXC.
+
+A _Merchant_ and a _Seaman_.
+
+
+A _Merchant_ at Sea was asking the _Ships-Master_, What Death his Father
+Dy’d? He told him that his Father, his Grandfather, and his Great
+Grandfather were all Drown’d. Well, says the _Merchant_, and are not you
+your self afraid of being Drown’d too? No, not I, says the _Skipper_.
+But Pray, says t’other again, What Death did _Your_ Father, Grandfather,
+and Great Grandfather Dye? Why they Dy’d all in their Beds, says the
+_Merchant_. Very good, says the _Skipper_, and why should I be any more
+afraid of going to _Sea_, then you are of going to _Bed_?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that troubles his Head with drawing Consequences from meer
+Contingencies, shall never be at Rest: And this is further to mind us,
+that in an Honest Course of Life, we are not to fear Death._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis much in our own Power how to Live, but not at all, when, or how to
+Dye: So that our part is only to submit to Fate, and to bid Death Welcome
+at what Time, and in what Place or Manner soever it shall please God to
+send it. The Reason and the Doctrine of this Fable is Clear, Strong and
+Edifying: We are either not to Fear Death at all, or to Fear it every
+moment of our Lives; nay, and in all the Forms that ever it appear’d
+in, which will put us to such a stand, that we shall not dare even to
+Live for fear of Dying. We must neither Eat, nor Drink, nor Breathe,
+nor Sleep, if we come once to boggle at Presidents, and at the doing of
+those things over again, that ever any Man dy’d of before. There is not
+one instant of Life in fine, but may be our Last. Beside, that we Live,
+not only in the daily Danger of Death, but in a continual Certainty of
+it: So that the Question is not how, or of what this or that Man Dy’d,
+but the inevitable Fate and Mortality of Mankind. One Man Dies in his
+Bed, another at Sea, a Third in the Field; this Man of one Accident or
+Distemper, that of another: And what is there more in all this now,
+then so many several ways to the same Journey’s End? There is no such
+Preservative against the Fear of Death, as the Conscience of a Good Life;
+and if we would have it Easie, we must make the Thought of it Familiar to
+us.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXCI.
+
+_Mice_, _Cat_ and a _Bell_.
+
+
+There was a Devilish Sly _Cat_ it seems, in a certain House, and the
+_Mice_ were so Plagu’d with her at every turn, that they call’d a Court
+to advise upon some way to prevent being surpriz’d. If you’ll be Rul’d by
+me, (says a Member of the Board,) there’s nothing like Hanging a _Bell_
+about the _Cat’s Neck_, to give Warning before-hand, when _Puss_ is a
+coming. They all look’d upon’t as the best Contrivance that the Case
+would bear. Well (says another) and now we are agreed upon the _Bell_,
+say who shall put it about the _Cat’s Neck_. There was no body in fine
+that would undertake it, and so the Expedient fell to the Ground.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Boldest Talkers are not always the Greatest Doers._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is the course of the World, to the very Life, we can never want
+Advisers and Councellors in Matters of the Greatest Hazzard: But let the
+Reason be ever so clear, we are still at a Loss for an Instrument to put
+Dangerous Projects in Execution.
+
+Desperate Cases require Desperate Remedies; but let the Hazzard of this
+or that part of a Body be what it will, it is a matter of Duty, Justice
+and Policy to consult the Good of the whole. It was the Interest of the
+_Mice_ to have a _Bell_ put about the _Cats Neck_, and they all agreed
+upon’t to be a very good Expedient: But when it came to the Issue, the
+Counsel fell to the Ground for want of one to put it in execution. This
+is no more then what we see frequently in difficulties of State; but the
+true Reason of failing in that Case, proceeds rather from some Failings
+in the Administration, then from any want of necessary Instruments. As
+for the Purpose, where Reward and Punishment are inverted, and where Men
+of Faith and Zeal for the Honour and Service of the Common-wealth are
+only made Sacrifices to the Passions and Interests of the Corrupt and
+Fearful. Where Matters are thus Manag’d, I say, every Man is not of a
+Constitution to Leap a Gulf for the Saving of his Country: Especially,
+when over and above the certainty of Ruin, Men are no less sure of having
+their very Names and Memories abandon’d to Infamy and Contempt for their
+Pains; But on the other hand, where Christian as well as Political
+Justice has its Course, every part of the Community suffers by Consent
+with the whole: and such a Government in the uttermost of Extremities,
+shall never fail of _Devotes_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXCII.
+
+_Usurers_ and _Curriers_.
+
+
+A Parcel of _Curriers_ fell into Company with a Gang of _Usurers_, and
+past this Complement upon ’em; What a Blessing they accounted it to meet
+with so many worthy Men of their own Trade. One of the _Usurers_ was a
+Head Man of the City, it seems, and took it a little in Dudgeon to be
+Rank’d Cheek by Joul with a Scab of a _Currier_; and so ask’d one of ’em
+what he meant, by saying they were all of a Trade? Nay, I must confess,
+says the _Fell-monger_, there is some difference yet betwixt your Trade
+and ours; for we deal but in Flaying of _Dead Horses_, and _Asses_, and
+the People of your Trade Flay _Living Men_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Reproof has more Effect when it comes by a Side Wind, then if it were
+Levell’d directly at the very Vice or Person._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a very great Mistake in the World, to give Reputation to many
+Unconscionable and notorious Practices, that ought rather to be Punished.
+One would try all ways of setting People Right in their Wits and Manners:
+Authority and Friendship works upon some; Dry and Sober Reason works
+upon others: but these Means are only effectual, where there’s Place
+for Modesty and Conscience. Some are reclaim’d by Punishment; some by
+Example, and some again are set Right by good Nature or upon Second
+Thoughts: But there are a sort of Men that will not be _Reason’d_ into
+their Senses, and may yet be _Laugh’d_ or _Droll’d_ into them. A _Jest_
+works more many times then a _Text_. Every Man, in fine, has a weak Side,
+if a body could but hit upon’t: The Figure of a _Currier_ applied to an
+_Usurer_, sinks deeper with him, then all the _Woes_ in Holy Scripture,
+upon the Topick of _Grinding the Faces of the Poor_. Men must Angle for
+_Converts_ as they do for _Fishes_. There’s no good to be done, without
+fitting the Bait to the liking of the Fish, and to the Course of the
+Season: As the _Currier_ here struck the _Usurer_ upon the Right Vein.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXCIII.
+
+_Two Travellers_ of _Differing Humours_.
+
+
+There were Two Men together upon a Journey, of very differing Humours;
+one of them went Slugging on, with a Thousand Cares and Troubles in his
+Head, exclaiming over and over, _Lord, What shall I do to Live!_ T’other
+Jogg’d Merrily away, and left his Matters to Providence and Good Fortune.
+Well Brother (says the Sorrowful Wight,) _How can you be so Frolick now?
+As I am a Sinner, my Heart’s e’en ready to break for fear I should want
+Bread._ Come, come says t’other, _Fall Back, Fall Edge_, the Resolution’s
+taken, and my Mind’s at Rest. What Resolution says his Companion? Why, a
+Resolution, says he, to make the best Shift I can, and commit my self to
+Heaven for the Rest. Ay, but for all that, says t’other, again, I have
+known as Resolute People as your self, that their Confidence has Deceiv’d
+them in the Conclusion; and so the Poor man fell into another Fit of
+Doubting and Musing, till he started out of it all on a sudden: _Good
+Lord_, says he, _What if I should fall Blind_! And so he walk’d a good
+way before his Companion with his Eyes shut, to try how ’twould be, if
+that Misfortune should befall him. In this _Interim_ his Fellow-Traveller
+that follow’d him, found a Purse of Money upon the way, which made good
+his Doctrine of leaving things to Providence; whereas the other miss’d
+that Encounter, as a punishment of his Distrust; for the _Purse_ had been
+_His_, if he had not put himself out of condition of _Seeing_ it.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that Commits himself to Providence, is sure of a Friend in time of
+need; While an Anxious Distrust of the Divine Goodness, makes a Man more
+and more unworthy of it; and miserable before-hand, for fear of being so
+afterward._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Two opposite Humours of a Chearful Trust in Providence, and a
+Suspicious Diffidence of it, with the ordinary Effects and Consequences
+of the one and the other, are very well set forth here for our
+Instruction and Comfort. The Divine Goodness never fails those that
+Depend upon it, provided, that according to the Advice of _Hercules_ to
+the _Carter_, they put their own Shoulders to the Work.
+
+The most wretched sort of People under the Sun, are your _Dreamers_ upon
+Events; your _Foreboders_, _Supposers_, and _Putters of Cases_: They are
+still Calculating within themselves, What if this, or that Calamity,
+Judgment or Disaster should befall them; and so they form it in their own
+Imagination, for fear it should come another way. It is most certain,
+that what we _Fear_, we _Feel_; beside that, Fancy breeds Misery as
+Naturally as it does the Small Pox. Set a Whimsical Head agog once upon
+Sprights and Goblins, and he’ll be ready to Squirt his Wits at his own
+Shadow. I’ll suppose my self _Blind_, (says one of the Travellers,) and
+try what will come on’t: And what is this more then the Experiment many
+and many a Man makes in the World? Well, I shut my Eyes, I Stumble, I
+Lose my Way, Break a Leg or an Arm perhaps; step over a Bag of Money, for
+him to find that comes after me with his Eyes open: In one Word, I flip
+my Fortune in a Fantastical Freak, to no manner of Purpose but for my
+own Ruin. There is no surer Remedy for this Superstitious and Desponding
+Weakness, then first to Govern our Selves by the best Improvement of that
+Reason which Providence has given us for a Guide; and then when we have
+done our own parts, to commit all chearfully for the rest, to the good
+Pleasure of Heaven, with _Trust_ and _Resignation_. Why should not I as
+well Comfort my self with the Hope of what may be, as Torment my self
+with the fear on’t? He that distrusts God’s Providence, does effectually
+put himself out of his Protection.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXCIV.
+
+An Agreement between the _Wolves_ and the _Dogs_.
+
+
+The _Wolves_ found themselves in a great Streight once how to deal with
+the _Dogs_; they could do well enough with ’em one by one they saw, but
+were still worsted and over-born by Numbers. They took the Matter into
+Debate, and came at last to this conclusion, That unless they could make
+a Party among them, and by a parcel of Fair Words and Pretences, engage
+them into a Confederacy against their Masters and Themselves, there was
+no good to be done in the Matter. Upon this, they sent out their Spies
+among the _Dogs_, with Instructions to go to those among them that were
+nearest their own Make, Size and Colour, and to reason the matter with
+them, after this or the like manner. [_Why should not we that are all of
+a Colour, and in a manner all of a Kind, be all of a Party too, and all
+of an Interest? You’ll say perhaps, that your Masters, and your Fellows
+may take it Ill, and pick a Quarrel with ye._ Well, and what will they
+be able to _make on’t_ then, _against You and us together? If it comes
+to that once, ’twill be but one Push for all, and the Work is done._]
+This Discourse wrought as well as Heart could wish; for a great many of
+the _Wolfe-Colour Dogs_ cry’d out _Well mov’d_ upon’t, and so went over
+to the other side. And what came on’t at last, but that after the _Dogs_
+had Deserted, the _Wolves_ Worry’d one Part of their Enemies by the help
+of the _Currs_ that went over to them; and they were strong enough to
+destroy the Revolters themselves.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A House divided against it self cannot stand._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fiction may be matched with a Thousand common Cases, where Parties
+are divided with Factions from abroad, into Feuds and Animosities among
+themselves. ’Tis an easie matter to form and to invent Specious Colours
+and Arguments to all manner of Purposes, and to Paradox the Multitude
+into what Opinion any Man pleases, that is but a Master of Art, and
+Address, and in any sort of Credit with the _Mobile_; for ’tis not the
+Reason of the thing in Question, but Passion and Prejudice that Governs
+in the Case. What will not Ignorance and Credulity swallow, if they can
+be but once prevail’d upon to believe, that it is the common Interest of
+all the _Dogs_, for one part of them to enter into an Alliance with the
+_Wolves_ against the other; and to draw Inferences from the Complexion of
+the Ministers, to the Reason of the Government; as the _Wolfe-Colour_ of
+the _Dog_ is made an Argument for a Resemblance in the _Nature_ of them:
+But the very Proposition points out the ready way to Destruction: And the
+dividing of the Guards, leads manifestly, First to the Worrying of one
+another; and Secondly, to the utter Ruin of the whole; Only the _Dogs_
+of the _Conspiracy_ are to be _Last Eaten_. The _Wolves_ Proposal was
+Practicable and Natural enough, and a perfect Emblem of the Confusions
+and Politicks abroad in the World. The _Wolves_ sit in Council, and
+so does the _Cabal_; and the Subject Matter of Both their Debates is
+_Division_. The one sends out their Spies and their Agents, to Tamper
+and Seduce the _Dogs_ from their Faith and Duty: The other have _their
+Instruments_ at work too, in their Clubs and Pulpits, and to stagger the
+People in their Allegiance. The _Dogs_ are to be _Debauch’d_; that is to
+say, the _Guards_ are to be _corrupted_: The _Wolfe Colour’d Currs_ to be
+dealt with in the First Place; that is to say, those Courtiers, Officers,
+Soldiers, and others that have somewhat of Agreement in Principle and
+Persuasion with the Common Enemy. Nay, and the very same Argument is put
+in their Mouths too, _We are all of a Colour_: And what’s the Issue of
+all this at last, but the same Fate to the People where these Liberties
+are taken, that attended the Dogs and the Sheep here in the Fable?
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXCV.
+
+A _Wolf_ turn’d _Shepherd_.
+
+
+There was a Crafty _Wolf_ that Dress’d himself up like a _Shepherd_, with
+his Crook, and all his Trade about him, to the very Pipe and Posture.
+This _Masquerade_ succeeded so well with him, that in the Dead of the
+Night once, when the Men and their Dogs were all fast asleep, he would be
+offering at the _Shepherd’s Voice_ and _Call_ too: But there was somewhat
+of a _Howle_ in the _Tone_, that the Country presently took an _Alarm_
+at, and so they fell in upon him in his Disguise; when he was so Shackled
+and Hamper’d, that he could neither Fight nor Fly.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis the highest Pitch of a Publick Calamity, when the People are
+Worry’d and Seduc’d by those that should Protect and Instruct them. No
+Impostor is so Exquisite, as not to lye open some way or other to a
+Discovery._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is in some sort the Reverse of _Boccalini_’s Advice from the
+_West-Indies_; that the _Spaniards Dogs_ there, that were sent to
+preserve their Flocks from _Wolves_, were grown _Wolves_ themselves. Now
+here’s a _Wolf_ turn’d _Shepherd_, with the same Design, only better
+Dress’d up: For there is no Treachery so plausible, as that which is
+cover’d with the Robe of a Guide or Governor. Nothing like a Mercenary
+_Bar-Gown_ to make a Sedition Warrantable; nothing like an _Assembly_ of
+_Pye-Ball’d_ Divines, to make it a Point of Conscience; and nothing again
+like a Popular _Ordinance_, to make it both Law and Gospel. There are
+hardly any more Dangerous Instruments of Mischief, then Corrupt Officers
+and Ministers, that Abuse their Authority, commit Publick Violence in
+their Masters Name, and do Wrong under a Colour of Right and Justice.
+But this does not come up yet to the Force and Point of the Fiction; for
+’tis one thing to abuse a Lawful Authority, to the Degree of Tyranny
+and Oppression; and it is another thing to exercise a worse Tyranny and
+Oppression, without any Authority at all. The _Wolf_ turn’d _Shepherd_,
+is only an _Usurper_ in the Shape of a _Protector_; a _Persecutor_
+under the Cloak of a _Governor_; a Creature that’s Cruel and False by
+Nature, in Opposition to all the Methods of Piety and good Manners: So
+that here’s all summ’d up in a few words, to make the Case Miserable
+and Shameful. The Morality in fine, of this Fable, may be fairly enough
+apply’d to the Errors on Both Hands: That is to say, of those that put a
+_Lawful Authority_ upon the Stretch, to the Abuse of that Power, under
+the Colour of _Prerogative_; and of those that take upon them to Exercise
+the Offices of Power, without any Right to’t at all. But the Sheep
+however are well Guarded in the mean time, that have a Wolf for their
+Keeper.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXCVI.
+
+An _Ass_ and a _Lyon_.
+
+
+In Old Time when a Generous Beast made more Conscience of his Word, then
+many a Modern Christian has done of an Oath; a _Lion_ shook hands with
+an _Ass_, and so they agreed upon’t to Jog on up and down in the Woods,
+Lovingly and Peaceably together. As they were upon this Adventure, they
+discover’d a Herd of _Wolves_; the _Ass_ immediately sets up a Hideous
+Bray, and fetches a Run at them Open Mouth, as if he would have Eaten
+’em. The _Wolves_ only Snear’d at him for his Pains, but Scamper’d
+away however as hard as they could drive. By and by comes the _Ass_
+back again, Puffing and Blowing from the Chase. Well, says the _Lion_,
+and what was that Horrid Scream for, I Prithee? Why, (says t’other,) I
+frighten’d ’em all away, you see. And did they run away from you, says
+the _Lion_, or from me, d’ye think?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Noise and Bluster is so far from doing Business, that instead of Awing
+and Frighting People, it serves only to make them Sport, when the Vanity
+of it comes to be Discover’d._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are _Braying Men_ in the World, as well as _Braying Asses_; for,
+what’s Loud and Senseless Talking, Huffing, Damming and Blaspheming, any
+other then a more fashionable way of _Braying_? Only the one is that to
+the Ear, which the other is to the Mind; and a Man may better endure the
+Shocking of his Sense, then the Affronting of his Reason. The _Lion_,
+’tis True, might have kept better Company; but so long as it was only
+for his Diversion, it gives us to Understand how far Great Men may be
+allow’d to make themselves Merry with _Buffons_. The _Wolves_ running
+away from the _Ass_, while the _Lion_ was looking on, tells us in the
+Allegory, That _Favourite Asses_ have the Privilege of _Favourite Dogs_;
+they may Snap and Snarl where they please _Gratis_: But ’tis for their
+Master’s sake at last, that they come off with a whole Skin. And what’s
+the Issue now of all this Noise in the Conclusion, but the making of the
+Noise-Makers still the more Ridiculous?
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXCVII.
+
+An _Ape_ and a _Mountebank_.
+
+
+There was a _Mountebank_ Tric’d up as Fine as a Lord; a certain _Ape_,
+that had a Mind to set up for a _Beau_, spies him out, and nothing would
+serve him, but he must have a Suit and Dress after the same Pattern; he
+press’d the Quack so hard for’t, that at last he told him plainly, Upon
+condition, says he, that you shall wear a Silver Chain about your Neck,
+I’ll give ye the very Fellow on’t; for you’ll be running away with your
+Livery else. _Jack_ agrees to’t, and is presently rigg’d out in his Gold
+and Silver Lace, with a Feather in’s Cap, and as Figures go now a-days,
+a very pretty Figure he made in the World, I can assure ye; though upon
+Second Thoughts, when the heat of the Vanity was over, he grew Sick of
+his Bargain; for he found that he had sold his _Liberty_ for a _Fool_’s
+_Coat_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis with us in our Lives, as with the Indians in their Trade, that
+truck Gold and Pearl, for Beads and Glasses. We part with the Blessings
+of Both Worlds for Pleasures, Court-Favours, and Commissions; and at
+last, when we have sold our selves to our Lusts, we grow Sick of our
+Bargain._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Vain Fool can hardly be more Miserable then the Granting of his own
+Prayers and Wishes would make him. How many Spectacles does every Day
+afford us, of _Apes_ and _Mountebanks_ in Gay-Coats, that pass in the
+World for _Philosophers_, and _Men of Honour_; and it is no wonder for
+one Fool to value himself upon the same Vanity, for which he esteems
+another. He that Judges of Men and of Things by Sense, Governs himself
+by Sense too: and he that well considers the Practices and Opinions
+of the Age he lives in, will find, that Folly and Passion have more
+Disciples then Wisdom and Virtue. The Feather in a Fool’s Cap, is a
+Fool’s Inclination; nay, it is his Ambition too; for he that measures the
+Character of another Man by his Outside, seldom looks further then the
+Business of Dress and Appearance in himself. Beside, that Ill Examples
+work more upon us then Good; and that we are Forwarder to imitate
+the one, then to Emulate the other. This now is the Highest Pitch of
+Infelicity, when we do not only square our Lives in General, according
+to Vicious Presidents, but set out Hearts in particular (with the
+Fantastical _Ape_ here,) upon this or that Extravagance. No other Sort of
+Fool would please him, then the very _Counter-part_ of this Quack. His
+Mistake was double; First, he plac’d an Opinion of Happiness where there
+was no Ground at all to expect it. Secondly, he parted with his _Liberty_
+in Exchange for’t; which is the same thing with Trucking the Greatest
+Blessing of Human Nature for the Handy-Work of a Taylor.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXCVIII.
+
+_Boys_ and _Frogs_.
+
+
+A Company of Waggish _Boys_ were watching of _Frogs_ at the side of a
+Pond, and still as any of ’em put up their Heads, they’d be Pelting them
+down again with Stones. Children, (says one of the _Frogs_,) you never
+Consider, that _though this may be Play to you, ’tis Death to us_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Hard-heartedness and Cruelty is not only an Inhuman Vice, but worse then
+Brutal: For such Men take Delight in Blood, which Beasts spill only in
+Self-Defence, or in case of Necessity to satisfie Hunger._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Dangerous and an Ill Natur’d Liberty, the Wonting or the
+Suffering of Children to play with Birds and Flies. The Cudgelling of
+_Shroving-Cocks_ is a Barbarous Custom; and so is the common License that
+Roguy Boys take in the Streets, of Tearing and Tormenting of Puppies
+and Kitlings. The very Sport is Cruelty; for ’tis no longer a Laughing
+Matter, when the Life of a Creature comes to be concern’d. This is a
+Freedom not to be endur’d, so much as in the Spectacle, but much less to
+be Approv’d or Practis’d especially by those that are Born and Train’d
+up to any considerable Figure in a Government: For, Hard-heartedness
+in Boys, will be Brutality and Tyranny in Men. Softness and Tenderness
+of Nature, are the Seeds of a Generous Humanity: Provided always that
+Children be taught to distinguish betwixt a Benignity and a Facility of
+Disposition, and that they may not confound Gracious with Effeminate. By
+this means there may be a Foundation laid of worthy Thoughts, which will
+ripen in due time into Glorious Actions and Habits, to qualifie Men for
+the Honour and Service of their Country. This Foundation, I say, of a
+Pious and a Virtuous Compassion, will Dispose Men afterward, instead of
+adding Affliction to Affliction, and of Grinding the Faces of the Weak
+and Innocent, to Minister Protection to those that are Oppressed.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCXCIX.
+
+A _Council_ of _Beasts_.
+
+
+The _Beasts_ (a great while ago) were so harass’d out with Perpetual
+Feuds and Factions, that they call’d a _General Council_, in the nature
+of a _Committee of Grievances_, to Advise upon some way for the Adjusting
+of Differences, in order to a Publick Peace. After a great many Notable
+Things said upon the Debate, _Pro_ and _Con_, the _Hares_ at last,
+(according to the _Printed Votes_ of those Days,) deliver’d their Sense
+to this Effect: There can never be any Quiet in this World, so long as
+one Beast shall be allow’d Nails, Teeth, or Horns, more then Another;
+but the Weaker will still be a Prey to the Stronger: Wherefore we humbly
+propose an _Universal Parity_, and that we may be all upon the same
+_Level_, both for Dignity and Power; for we may then, and not till then,
+promise our selves a Blessed State of Agreement, when no one Creature
+shall be able to Hurt another.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The_ Mobile _are still for Levelling; that is to say, for Advancing
+themselves: For ’tis as Broad as ’tis Long, whether they Rise to others,
+or bring others down to them. Beside, that the Doctrin of Levelling
+strikes at the very Order of Providence._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Foolish Thing for People to talk Boldly, without a Power to
+Execute; for upon the Upshot, they serve only for Sport to their
+Superiors. The World is like to be well Govern’d, where those that have
+neither Resolution not Courage, shall take upon them to give Laws to’t:
+When Fools shall correct the Works of the Heavenly Wisdom, and pass
+reviews upon the Order of the Universe. It might be every jot as Cheap,
+New-made as Mended; and the whole Creation taken to Pieces and Rebuilt,
+as any part of the Work of Providence Improv’d. If God Pronounc’d upon
+every thing that he made, that it was _Good_, who shall presume to think
+he can make it Better?
+
+The Question is the Procuring of an _Universal Peace_; and the _Hares_
+are of Opinion, that the Disarming of _Lions_, _Tygers_, &c. and the
+bringing of Matters to a Level, would do the Work. Let it now be
+consider’d, that there is an Ambition in the very Affectation of that
+Equality; for ’tis as Broad as ’tis long, whether the other shall be
+brought down, or they themselves Advanc’d. ’Tis Sottish, I say, to offer
+at things that cannot be brought about; it is Wicked to meddle towards
+the Altering or Unsetling of Things Sacred; and it is a Madness for
+the Weaker to talk of Binding the Hands of the Stronger. The Simple are
+not to direct the Wise nor the Inferiors to Impose upon those that are
+Above them. ’Tis Nonsense to suppose a Level in the several Parts of the
+Universe, when the very Frame of it is only an Orderly Pile, or Scale of
+one thing above another.
+
+Now there are _Hares_ in Councils and in Commissions of _State_, as well
+as in _Fields_, and in _Fables_, where the Multitude are for Levelling
+too, and for Paring the Claws, and Drawing the Teeth of _Governors_, as
+well as of _Beasts_. The True _English_ of leaving no Power to do Hurt,
+is the leaving no Power to do Good neither; and to make short Work on’t,
+the leaving _no Power at all. ’Tis a Juggle of the Levellers_, (says Mr.
+_Selden_,) _They would have no body Above them, they say, but they do not
+tell ye they’d have no Body Under them_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCC.
+
+A _Cock_ and a _Fox-Case_.
+
+
+There was a _Fox-Case_ set up near a _Hen-Roost_, to hold forth the
+Doctrin of Terror and Example. A _Cock_ spy’d it, and scour’d away
+from’t, as fast as his Legs and his Wings could carry him, and the
+Birds hooted at him for’t. Hark ye my Masters, (says he,) there are
+_Live-Foxes_ as well as _Dead_ Ones, by the Token one of ’em had me by
+the Back but t’other day, and a Thousand Pound to a Nut-shell I had
+never got off again. And pray tell me now, if any of you had but been in
+my condition, whether the very Print of a _Foxes Foot_ would not have
+started ye; and much more the Image of him in his _Skin_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Burnt Child Dreads the Fire._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+We find this to be true upon daily Experience, that narrow Escapes out
+of great Dangers, make People take _Alarums_ at less; especially of the
+same Kind. One had better be Laugh’d at for taking a _Fox-Case_ for a
+_Fox_ then be Destroy’d by taking a _Live-Fox_ only for a _Case_. The
+very Fancy has somewhat of Reason in’t, for ’tis but a Measuring Cast,
+upon such a Supposition as this, whether it proves the one or the other.
+A _Lark_ we see will _Dare_ at a _Painted Hobby_. I sing’d the Toes of an
+_Ape_ through a Burning-Glass my self once, and he would never be brought
+to endure the sight of a Burning-Glass after. I knew another _Ape_ that
+was Shot behind his Master in the Long Rebellion here, and would never
+after that Endure the sight of a Pistol. Now there’s no more in all
+this, then what’s Natural, Reasonable and Familiar.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCI.
+
+A _Cobler_ turn’d _Doctor_.
+
+
+A Bungling _Cobler_ that was ready to Starve at his own Trade, changes
+his Quarter, and sets up for a _Doctor_; and by the force of Sour Looks,
+and Hard Words, Conjures himself into some sort of Reputation with the
+Common People. His Master-piece was a Composition that he _Bill’d_ about,
+under the Name of a _Sovereign Antidote_. This Physician came in time
+to fall Sick himself, and the Governor of the Place gave him a Visit.
+He calls for a Cup and a Dose of his _Antidote_, put’s a little Fair
+Water in’t, under a Pretence of so much Poison; stirs it together, and
+gives it his Patient. This (says he) is only to try the Force of your
+Medicine; and if you out-live it, I’ll give ye a considerable Sum of
+Money for your Receit. The poor _Quack_ had more Care of his Life then
+of his Credit, and so for fear of being Poison’d, told the whole Truth
+of the Matter, and how he came to be a Physician. The Governor upon this
+Discovery, call’d the People together, and bad them consider the Folly
+and Madness of their Confidence, that would venture the Patching up of
+their Carcases, upon the Skill of an Ignorant Fellow, that no body that
+knew him would trust so much as with the Mending of a pair of Old Shooes.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s Quacking in all Trades: Bold Ignorance passes upon the Multitude
+for Science; and it is with Men as ’tis with Brutes, some are to Eat, and
+others to be Eaten. Confident Knaves, live upon Credulous Fools._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+No Fable can be Pleasant, Profitable or Instructive in Emblem, that
+is not drawn to the very Life of Nature; and we have a Horror for the
+Monstrous Productions of the Brain, as well as for those of the Body.
+Wherefore the Test of an Edifying Parable, is a Congruity of the Moral to
+the Lines of Practice, and to the Image of Truth. The Resemblance must be
+Touching, and a Man must have a Feeling of it to be Mov’d with it. ’Tis
+never Right, till I can say to my self, How many Instances have I seen
+in the World of this _Cobler_ turn’d _Doctor_? How many _Underlayers_,
+that when they could not live upon their Trade, have rais’d themselves
+from _Cobling_ to _Fluxing_, and taken upon them to cast the Water of a
+Body Politick, as well as of a Body Natural? This minds me of a _Cobling
+Colonel_ of Famous Memory, (and he was a Statesman too of the _Long
+Parliament Edition_,) to a Lady of Quality in _Ireland_. She had been so
+terribly Plunder’d, that the Poor Woman went almost Bare-foot: And as she
+was warming her Feet once in the Chimney Corner, the Colonel took notice
+that her Shooes wanted Capping; _Lord, Madam_ (says he) _Why d’ye wear
+no better Shooes?_ Why truly Sir, says she, all the _Coblers_ are turn’d
+_Colonels_, and I can get no body to Mend ’em. Now to do Right to the
+_Apologue_; there are several Remarkable _Innuendo_’s in’t: Here’s First
+a _Coxcomb_ that Commences _Doctor_. Secondly, A kind of an _Individuum
+Vagum_, dress’d up in the Character of a Man of Quality. Thirdly, From
+being ready to Starve Himself, he makes a very good Living out of the
+Priviledge of Poisoning and Destroying other People. Fourthly, It gives
+us to Understand the Force of Impudence on the one hand, and of Ignorance
+on the other; for what was it but the brazen-Face of the Quack, assisted
+by the Silliness of the _Mobile_, that advanc’d this Upstart from the
+Stall to the Stage? It is not to be imagin’d the Power of Tumour and
+Pretence, Bold Looks, Hard Words, and a Supercilious Brow, upon the
+Passions of the Multitude. To say the Truth on’t, we are impos’d upon by
+_Botchers_, and Men of Forehead, without Common Sense, in all Trades and
+Professions, even to the venturing of Soul, Body, Life and Estate upon
+their Skill, Honesty and Credit. Can any Man look about him in the World
+now, and cast his Eye and Thought upon every Days Instances of some of
+these wonderful Improvements and Conversions, without saying to Himself,
+The _Mythologist_ Pointed at all these Men in this Fable? For it holds as
+well from _Foppery_ to _Policy_; from _Baseness_ to _Honour_, and from
+_Beggery_ to _Superfluity_, as from _Patching_ to _Purging_, and from
+the _Stall_ to the _Urinal_. But a Tryal of Skill at last puts him past
+his _Latin_; and when it comes to that once, he’ll have more Wit than to
+venture his Life upon his _Antidote_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCII.
+
+A _Cobler_ and a _Financier_.
+
+
+There was a Droll of a _Cobler_ that led a Life as Merry as the Day was
+Long, and Singing and Joking was his Delight. But it was not altogether
+so well with a Neighbour of his, though a Great Officer in the Treasury;
+for there was no Singing, nor hardly any Sleeping under his Roof: Or if
+he happen’d to Doze a little now and then in a Morning, twas Forty to One
+the Jolly _Cobler_ Wak’d him. How often would he be Wishing to Himself
+that Sleep were to be bought in the Market as well as Meat and Drink!
+While his Head was working upon this Thought, the Toy took him in the
+Crown to send for the Songster. Come Neighbour, says he, thou liv’st
+like a Prince here, How much a Year canst thou get by thy Trade? Nay,
+Faith Master, says the _Cobler_, I keep no ’Count Books; but if I can get
+Bread from Hand to Mouth, and make Even at the Years End, I never trouble
+my self for to Morrow. Well, says the Officer, but if you know what you
+can Earn by the Day, you may easily cast up what that comes to a Year:
+Ay, says he, but that’s more or less as it falls out; for we have such a
+World of _Holy-Days_, _Festivals_, and _New Saints_, that ’tis a Woundy
+Hindrance to a Poor Man that Lives by his Labour. This Dry, Blunt Way,
+took with the Officer, and so he went on with him: Come my Friend, says
+he, you came into my House a _Cobler_, what will you say now if I send
+you out on’t an _Emperor_? And so he put a Purse of an Hundred Crowns
+into his Hand. Go your ways, says he; there’s an Estate for ye, and be a
+good Husband of it. Away goes the _Cobler_ with his Gold, and in Conceit
+as Rich as if the Mines of _Peru_ had been emptied into his Lap. Up he
+Locks it immediately, and all the Comforts of his Life together with
+his Crowns in the same Chest. From the time that he was Master of this
+Treasure, there was no more Singing or Sleeping at our House: not a Cat
+stirr’d in the Garret, but an Out-cry of Thieves; and his Cottage was so
+haunted with Cares, Jealousies, and Wild Alarms, that his very Life was
+become a Burden to him. So that after a short time away trudges he to the
+Officer again; Ah Sir, says he, if you have any Charity for a Miserable
+Creature, do but let me have my Songs and my Sleep again, and do you
+take back your Hundred Crowns, with an Hundred Thousand Thanks into the
+Bargain.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Poor Man that has but from Hand to Mouth, passes his Time Merrily
+and without any Fear or Danger of Thieves, Public or Private; but the
+House that has Money in’t, is as good as haunted._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable makes Riches to be a great Enemy to our Repose, and tells
+us that the Cares of Money lye heavier upon a Good Man, then the
+Inconveniences of an Honest Poverty. He that sets the Anxiety, Fears
+and Dangers that accompany Riches, against the Chearful and the Easie
+Security of a Private Fortune and Condition, may very well be Thankful
+for the One, without Repining at the other. He that sets his Heart upon
+any thing in this World, makes himself a Slave to his Hopes and Fears,
+and is as sure of being Disappointed, as he is of the Uncertainty of
+Human Affairs. Let it be Love, Preferment, Court-Favours, Popularity, or
+what else it will, some Rival or other he must expect to meet with in
+all his Pretensions. The Proud Man’s Inclination is Glory, High Place
+in the World, and the Applause of People. The Envious Man’s Heart is
+set upon doing shrew’d Turns, Defamatory Calumnies and Revenge. In few
+Words, Violent Affections never fail of being Uneasie and Importune: but
+of all Extravagant Passions, the Love of _Mony_ is the most Dangerous,
+in regard of the greatest Variety of Difficulties that attend it. There
+may be some few Pretenders to a Beautiful Lady; some few Candidates for
+the favour of a Popular Choice; But these are Competitions that Intermit,
+and go off and on as it happens, upon this or that Occasion. But _Mony is
+an Universal Mistriss_; Men are always Watching, Spying, and Designing
+upon’t; and all the Engines of Worldly Wisdom are perpetually at Work
+about it: So that whosoever is Possess’d of, and Sollicitous for that
+Interest, shall never Close his Eyes, so long as Craft, Violence, or
+Conspiracy, shall be able to keep them Waking.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCIII.
+
+The _Eagle_, _Cat_ and _Sow_.
+
+
+There was an _Eagle_, a _Cat_ and a _Sow_, that bred in a Wood together.
+The _Eagle_ Timber’d upon the top of a High _Oak_; the _Cat_ Kitten’d in
+the hollow _Trunk_ of it, and the _Sow_ lay Pigging at the _Bottom_. The
+_Cat_’s Heart was set upon Mischief, and so she went with her Tale to
+the _Eagle_. Your Majesty had best look to your self, says _Puss_; for
+there is most certainly a Plot upon ye, and perchance upon poor me too;
+for yonder’s a _Sow_ lies Grubbing every Day at the Root of this Tree;
+She’ll bring it down at last, and then your Little Ones and Mine are all
+at Mercy. So soon as ever she had Hammer’d a Jealousie into the Head
+of the _Eagle_, away to the _Sow_ she goes, and Figs her in the Crown
+with another Story; Little do you think what a Danger your Litter is in;
+there’s an _Eagle_ watching constantly upon this Tree to make a Prey of
+your _Pigs_, and so soon as ever you are but out of the way, she will
+certainly Execute her Design. The _Cat_ upon this, goes presently to her
+_Kittens_ again, keeping her Self upon her Guard all Day, as if she were
+afraid; and steals out still at Night to provide for her Family. In one
+Word, the _Eagle_ durst not stir for fear of the _Sow_; and the _Sow_
+durst not budge for fear of the _Eagle_: So that they kept themselves
+upon their Guard till they were both Starv’d, and left the Care of their
+Children to _Puss_ and her _Kittens_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There can be no Peace in any State or Family, where Whisperers and
+Tale-bearers are Encouraged._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Busie-bodies and Intermedlers, are a Dangerous sort of People to have to
+do withal; for there’s no Mischief that may not be wrought by the Craft
+and Manage of a Double Tongue, with a Foolish Credulity to work upon.
+There’s hardly a greater Pest to Government, Conversation, the Peace
+of Societies, Relations and Families, then Officious Tale-bearers, and
+Busie Intermedlers. These Pick-thanks are enough to set Mankind together
+by the Ears; they live upon Calumny and Slander, and cover themselves
+too under the Seal of Secresie and Friendship: These are the People that
+_set their Neighbours Houses on Fire to Roast their own Eggs_. The Sin of
+Traducing is Diabolical, according to the very Letter; and if the Office
+be Artificially Manag’d, ’tis enough to put the whole World into a Flame,
+and no body the Wiser which way it came. The Mischief may be promoted, by
+Mis-representing, Mis-understanding, or Mis-interpreting our Neighbours
+Thoughts, Words and Deeds; and no Wound so Mortal as that where the
+Poison works under a Pretence of Kindness. Nay, there are ways of
+Commendation and Insinuations, of Affection and Esteem, that Kill a Man
+as sure as a Gun. This Practice is the Bane of all Trust and Confidence;
+and it is as frequent in the Intrigues of Courts and States, as in the
+most Ordinary Accidents of Life. ’Tis enough to break the Neck of all
+Honest Purposes, to Kill all Generous and Publick-Spirited Motions, and
+to stifle all Honourable Inclinations in the very Conception. But next to
+the Practice of these Lewd Offices, Deliver all Honest Men from lying at
+the Mercy of those that Encourage and Entertain them.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCIV.
+
+The _Frogs_ and the _Bulls_.
+
+
+There happen’d a desperate Duel betwixt a couple of _Bulls_ upon a Point
+of Honour; for the Quarrel was about a Mistriss. There was a _Frog_ at
+the same time upon the Bank of a Lake, looking on to see the Combat. Ah,
+says the _Frog_, What will become of Us now? Why prithee, says one of
+his Companions, What are the _Bulls_ to the _Frogs_, or the Lakes to the
+Meadows? Very much I can assure ye, says the _Frog_ again, for he that’s
+worsted will be sure to take Sanctuary in the Fens, and then are we to be
+trode to Pieces.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+Delirant Reges, Plectuntur Achivi. _When Princes fall out, the Commonalty
+Suffers, and the Little go to Wreck for the Quarrels of the Great._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Let Ill Consequences be never so Remote, ’tis good however, with the
+_Frogs_ here in the Fable, to have the Reason of Things at Hand. The
+Design of many Actions looks one way, and the Event works another; as a
+Young Gamester’s Couzen’d with a _Bricole_ at _Tennis_. But Mischiefs,
+whether meant or not, are to be Provided against and Prevented, with as
+much Care and Industry as if they had been designed from the Beginning;
+and the Application of Foresight in the one Case, must supply the want
+of Foresight in the other. ’Tis the Fool that lives _ex Tempore_, and
+_from Hand to Mouth_, as we say, without carrying his Thoughts into the
+Future. But a Wise Man looks forward, thorough the proper and natural
+Course and Connexion of Causes and Effects; and in so doing, he fortifies
+Himself against the worst that can Befall him. The _Frogs_ Case, in some
+Respect, is that of a Civil War; where People must expect to be crush’d
+and squeez’d in the Consequence, toward the Charge and Burden on’t. _The
+Lords make Merry, but ’tis the Commons must pay the Piper._
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCV.
+
+The _Frogs_ and the _Sun_.
+
+
+In the Innocent Age of the World, when there were no Children in Nature,
+but those that were begot in Lawful Wedlock, it was in every Bodies
+Mouth, that the Sun was about to Marry. The _Frogs_ in General were ready
+to Leap out of their Skins for Joy at it; till one Crafty Old Slut in
+the Company, advis’d ’em to Consider a little Better on’t, before they
+appointed a Day of Thanksgiving for the Blessing. Nor (says she) if we
+are almost scorch’d to Death already with _One Sun_, What will become of
+us when that _Sun_ shall have _Children_, and the _Heat_ increase upon us
+with the _Family_?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We take many things at First Blush, for Blessings, that upon Second
+Thoughts we find would be most pernicious to us._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It requires great Care and Circumspection, that we Weigh and Ballance
+things before we pronounce them to be either Good or Evil: For Men are
+Thankful many times for Direct Maledictions, and Mortifie themselves upon
+the Mistake of Imaginary Blessings. ’Twas a Wise _Frog_ that Advis’d her
+Fellows to think well on’t, before they rung the Bells for the _Sun’s
+Wedding_. This Fancy looks toward the Case of a _Republican Humour_ that
+has got a Head in a _Monarchical State_. Now _Empire_ is not to be shar’d
+in _Consort_; and when _Sovereignty Marries_, ’tis no longer _Single_ but
+_Popular_; and still the Greater the Number of Governors, the Heavier is
+the Weight of the Government. Now though the Order of Superiority and
+Subjection be of Absolute Necessity for the good of Mankind, this does
+not yet hinder it in many Respects, from being Grievous to those that
+live under it; every common Man would be Free, and thinks himself wrong’d
+if he be not so. Now this is for want of Understanding the True and
+Natural Reason of the Matter; which is, that when One Government comes to
+be Dissolv’d, the First thing to be done is to fall to Cutting of Throats
+toward the setting up of Another.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCVI.
+
+The _Fox_ Condemn’d.
+
+
+There was a _Fox_ (as the Story has it) of a Lewd Life and Conversation,
+that happen’d at last to be catch’d in his Roguery, and call’d to an
+Account for the Innocent Blood he had spilt of Lambs, Pullets, and Geese
+without Number, and without any Sense either of Shame or of Conscience.
+While he was in the hands of Justice, and on his way to the Gibbet,
+a Freak took him in the Head to go off with a Conceit. You Gentlemen
+the King’s Officers, says he, I have no Mind in the World to go to the
+Gallows by the Common Road; but if you’ll carry me through the little
+Wood there on the Right Hand, I should take it very kindly. The People
+fancy’d a Trick in’t at first, and that there might be some Thought of a
+Rescue, or an Escape in the Case; till _Reynard_ assur’d them upon his
+Honour, that he had no such Design: Only he was a great Lover of Musick,
+and he had rather have one Chirping Madrigal in the Woods, then Forty
+_from Turks and Popes_ upon the Ladder.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Many People are harden’d in an Habitual Defiance of Heaven and Hell,
+that they’ll sport with them at the very Gallows; and value themselves
+upon Living and Dying all of a piece._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable hits the Humour of a great many loose People in the World,
+that are so Wicked as to value themselves upon their Ill Manners, and
+the contempt of all Goodness; Nay, to the Degree even of taking a Pride
+in their Iniquity, and affecting a Reputation by it, in proportion to
+the Measure of the Extravagance. Some Men are so Harden’d in Lewdness,
+that they make it a Point of Honour to be True to’t, and to go to the
+Devil with a Frolick betwixt their Teeth. They have gotten a Habit of
+Laughing Honesty and Good Manners out of Countenance, and a Reprobated
+Hardness of Heart, does them the Office of Philosophy towards a Contempt
+of Death. Our common Executions yield but too many Instances of this
+kind; and it helps mightily to keep up the Humour, that instead of Owning
+and Professing an Abhorrence for these Affronts upon God and Nature,
+the Impiety is celebrated for a Jest. And whence comes it now, that Men
+should be so Insensible, either of a Present Calamity, or of a Future
+Judgment; but from the Custom of a Scoffing Atheistical Life; where
+Licentiousness has so long pass’d for Sharpness of Wit, and Greatness
+of Mind, that the Conscience is grown Callous; and after this, it is by
+a Natural Congruity for Men to Dye as they have Liv’d. Now a Liberty in
+this Latitude is not more Execrable, then the Example is Pernicious;
+especially where it is attended with the Pleasure of a Frothy and a
+Surprizing Wit to Recommend the Wickedness.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCVII.
+
+A _Man_ at a _Fish Dinner_.
+
+
+A Certain Prince took a Learned Man to Dinner with him: It was a _Fasting
+Day_ it seems, and a great deal of Large Grown _Fish_ there was at the
+Table; only at the Lower End, where the Philosopher sate, there were
+none but Little Ones. He took out several of them One by One, and first
+put his Mouth to the Fishes Ear, and then the Fishes Mouth to his own
+Ear, and so laid ’em in whole again, without so much as Tasting one Bit
+of ’em. Come Sir, says the Master of the Feast, You have some pleasant
+Thought or other in your Head now, Pray let the Company take part with
+ye. Why Sir, says he, My Father had the Ill Fortune about Two Years ago
+to be Cast away upon this Coast; and I was asking these Little Fishes
+if they could tell me what became of his Body: They said No, they could
+not, for ’twas before their Time: But if I Examin’d the Great Ones, ’tis
+possible they might be able to say somewhat to’t. The Prince was so well
+pleas’d with the Fancy, that he Order’d his Mess to be Chang’d, and from
+that time forward, no body welcomer to the Table then this Man.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_It is a Master-piece in Conversation, to intermix Wit and Liberty so
+Discreetly, that there may be nothing in’t that’s Bitter, Course, or out
+of Season._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to tell us, that Good Humour goes further many times in the
+Reputation of the World, then Profound Learning; though Undoubtedly both
+together are Best. There is a certain Knack in the Art of Conversation,
+that gives a good Grace to many things, by the Manner and Address of
+Handling ’em, which in the ordinary way of bringing Matters about, would
+give great Offence to the Common Rules, even of Civility and Discretion.
+The Skill on’t lies in the Nicety of Distinguishing, First, what Liberty
+is necessary in such and such a Case. And Secondly, How to Temper and
+Accommodate that Freedom to a Consistence with Good Manners: And this
+must be done too without Formality and Affectation; for a Studied and
+a Labour’d Forecast toward the Setting of such a Humour Abroach, is
+Putrid and Nauseous to the Highest Degree; and better Fifty such Conceits
+were lost, then that any thing of Contrivance or Premeditation should
+appear in’t. There are a sort of People, that when they have once hit
+upon a Thought that Tickles them, will be still bringing it in by Head
+and Shoulders, over and over in several Companies, and upon several
+Occasions; but ’tis below the Dignity of a Man of Weight, to Value
+himself upon such a Levity; for it makes him look as if Trifling were his
+Master-piece. Now these Turns of Fancy and Entertainment, should pass off
+as they came on, Carelesly and Easily, without laying any stress upon
+them; for they are then only Happy and Agreeable, when they are Play’d
+off at Volly, and _pro Re Nata_, and only made use of, in fine, as a
+Sauce to the Conversation. The Philosopher in this Instance, was not
+without some Difficulty how to gain his Point: There were better Fish at
+the Table, and the Question was how to come at them, without being either
+Rude or Importune; and yet if he were not clear enough to be Understood,
+he was in danger still to lose his Longing. So that he found out such a
+way of Asking, as to Provoke a Question without speaking a Word to’t; and
+he did it in such a Fashion of Respect too, that it might not look like
+Begging on the one Hand, or Reproaching on the other. And he was much in
+the Right once again too, when the Riddle was already set a Foot, rather
+to wait till the Explanation should be Desir’d, then to prompt the Master
+of the Feast to call for’t.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCVIII.
+
+Two _Laden Asses_.
+
+
+As Two _Asses_ were Fording a River, the one Laden with _Salt_, the other
+with _Sponge_: The _Salt-Ass_ fell down under his Burden, but quickly
+got up again, and went on the Merrier for’t. The _Sponge-Ass_ found it
+agreed so well with his Companion, that down lies he too, upon the same
+Experiment; but the Water that Dissolv’d the _Salt_, made the _Sponge_
+Forty times Heavier then it was before; and that which Eas’d the One
+Drown’d the Other.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Deceiver may be Deceived: Many People take false Measures for their
+own Relief, without Considering that what’s Good in one Case, may be Bad
+in another._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Wise Man lives by Reason, not by Example; or if he does, ’tis odds, he
+goes out of his Way. We have a common Saying that holds in a Thousand
+ordinary Cases, where the same thing Ruins one, that Saves another. It is
+the part also of an Honest Man to deal Above-board, and without Tricks.
+The _Ass_ with the _Sponge_, fail’d in both; For First, he would be
+trying Conclusion, without Examining either the Nature of the thing in
+Question, or what the Matter would bear. Secondly, He was False to his
+Master too, in Abusing a Trust for the Easing of his own Carkass; and
+then it cost him his Life Over and Above, which was both his Mishap and
+Punishment.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCIX.
+
+A _Black Bird_ afraid of a _Kite_.
+
+
+A Poor Simple _Black Bird_ was frighted almost to Death with a Huge
+Flopping _Kite_ that she saw over her Head, Screaming and Scouring about
+for her Prey. Come Sister, says a _Thrush_ to her, Pluck up a good Heart;
+for all this Fluttering and Shrieking is but Fooling; and you shall
+see this Lazy Buzzard at last, e’en take up with some Pittiful Frog or
+Mouse to her Supper, and be Glad on’t too. No, no, the _Hawks_ are the
+Dangerous Birds, Child, that Bite, as they say, without Barking, and do
+Execution in Silence.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The more Noise and Flutter, the less Danger._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s no great Danger in Men of Huff and Bluster: Noise and Pretence
+without Execution, is only _much ado about Nothing_; and yet this way
+of Trifling, is the very Bus’ness and Practice of many that pass in the
+World for Great Men, though they are much Mistaken that think them so.
+But there are Reverend Appearers in all manner of Glorious Professions
+and Adventures, as in Arms, Letters, Religion, Law, Policy, _&c._ There
+are Quacks, in short, of all sorts, as Bullies, Pedants, Hypocrites,
+Empyricks, Law-Jobbers, Politicasters, and the like; and there are _Men_
+as well as _Black-Birds_ that are Silly enough not to Distinguish betwixt
+a _Hawk_ and a _Buzzard_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCX.
+
+A _Fox_ and _Wolf_.
+
+
+An Unlucky _Fox_ dropt into a Well, and cry’d out for Help: A _Wolf_
+overheard him, and looks down to see what the Matter was. Ah, (says
+_Reynard_,) Pray lend me your Hand Friend, or I’m lost else. _Poor
+Creature!_ says the Wolf, _Why how comes this about? Prithee how long
+hast thou been here? Thou canst not but be mighty Cold sure._ Come, come,
+this is no Time for Fooling, says the Fox; set me upon _Terra Firma_
+first, and then I’ll tell ye the History.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_When a Man is in Misery, there must be no Trifling in the Case. ’Tis a
+Barbarous Humour to stand Bantering out of Season. ’Tis no Time or Place
+for Raillery, when a Life’s at Stake._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Here are Three Calamities in One: First, The _Foxes_ falling into a Pit,
+and not being able to get out again. Secondly, The Misery of being put
+to beg Relief of an Enemy, for want of a Friend. Thirdly, The Affront
+of the Refusal, as it was accompanied with Raillery and Scorn. ’Twere
+well if we had not too many of these Brutal Mockeries in our Daily
+Conversations; for we have Banterers in Religion, in Point of Honour, and
+upon all the Distresses of Human Life. He that has no Pity or Compassion
+for the Miserable, is not in Truth of a Reasonable Make; for Tenderness
+of Nature is but a kind of Lay-Charity; and a Body can be no more a Good
+Man without the One, then a Good Christian without the other. Let a Man
+be never so Wicked, ’tis a Base and an Unmanly thing to Insult upon him
+in his Calamity. His Punishment may be Just; and when he suffers Justice,
+’tis all that a Good and a Generous Man can wish for in the Case.
+
+The Scomms of Great Men, or Buffons of Quality, are every jot as Wolvish
+in Conversation, as they are here in the Fable; tho’ ’tis looked upon, I
+know, as a Mark of Breeding, and the Indication of a Man that has Notable
+Skill in the World, to turn the Earnest of all Things and Duties, Sacred
+and Civil, into a Jest, and to put the Common Principles of Faith, Truth,
+Justice and Respect, out of Countenance. Now in all these Cases, the
+Precedent is as Dangerous, as the Practice is Odious, where the Quality
+of the Droll serves to Authorise the Indignity: But from a _Fox_, that’s
+made up of Trick and Treachery, there’s no better to be Expected.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXI.
+
+Two _Travellers_ find an _Oyster_.
+
+
+As Two Men were Walking by the Sea-side, at a Low-water, they saw an
+_Oyster_, and they both Pointed at it together: The One Stoops to take
+it up; the Other gives him a Push, and tells him, ’Tis not yet Decided
+whether it shall be Yours or Mine. In the _Interim_, while they were
+Disputing their Title to’t, comes a Passenger that way, and to him they
+referr’d the Matter by Consent, which of the Two had the Better Right
+to the _Oyster_. The Arbitrator very Gravely takes out his Knife, and
+opens it; the Plaintiff and Defendant at the same time Gaping at the
+Man, to see what would come on’t. He Loosens the Fish, Gulps it down,
+and so soon as ever the Morsel was gone the way of all Flesh, wipes his
+Mouth, and pronounces Judgment. _My Masters_, (says he, with the Voice of
+Authority,) _The Court has Order’d each of ye a Shell, without Costs; and
+so pray go Home again, and live Peaceably among your Neighbours_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Referrees and Arbitrators seldom forget Themselves._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Scope of this Fable, is to divert People from Contentious, Expensive
+and Vain Law-Suits. _Agree, Agree_, (says the Old Saw,) _the Law is
+Costly_. The whole Bus’ness of the World is about _Meum & Tuum_; either
+by Right, in Good Earnest, or by Wrong, under the colour of Right: And
+while the Clients are Contending about the Title, the Council runs away
+with the Estate. This Litigious Humour, where Men are as well Stubborn
+and Wilful, as Captious and Quarrelsome, burns like the Fire of Hell; for
+’tis never to be Quench’d: Beside, that whoever is given to Wrangling,
+can never want Matter or Occasion for’t. And this is not only the Case in
+Matters of Propriety, and in Legal Claims before a Bench of Justice, but
+it works in a Thousand Instances of Vain Disputations, Competitions, and
+other Tryals of Mastery and Skill, where there’s little more then Pride,
+Stomach, Will and Vanity, to uphold the Contest. Nay, and he that has the
+better on’t at last, is only the more Fortunate Fool of the Two. Let but
+any Man set before him the Vexatious Delays, Quirks and Expences of most
+of our _Barretry Suits at Law_, and ’tis odds he finds at the Foot of the
+Account, the _Play not worth the Candle_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXII.
+
+A _Raging Lion_.
+
+
+There was a _Lion_ ran Stark Mad, and the very Fright on’t put all the
+Beasts of the Forrest out of their Wits for Company. Why what a Condition
+are we in, they cry’d, to fall under the Power of a _Mad Lion_; when a
+_Lion_ at the very Soberest, is little better then _Frantick_?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Rage upon Rage is a Double Madness._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Governors had need be very well Principled, and good Natur’d, to keep
+their Passions in Order and Obedience: But when an Absolute Power shall
+come to be put upon the Stretch by an Outragious Humour, there’s no
+Living under it. By a _Raging Lion_, is meant an Unruly and a Cruel
+Governor, which is a sad Calamity, but not without somewhat of Dignity
+yet in the Misfortune; for ’tis a _Lion_ still, how Mad soever. Now if it
+had been a Raging _Ape_, the Fancy had been Ridiculous and Scandalous to
+the Last Degree; and therefore the Moral is Restrain’d to the True and
+Genuine Character of Sovereignty, without Descending to the Counterfeit.
+
+The Moralists that make this Raging of a _Lion_ to be a Surcharge of
+One Madness upon another, must not be Understood Simply, as if they
+took Government for a Burden and an Oppression; but it refers to the
+Infelicity of that State where an Impotent Will puts an Unbounded Power
+upon the Tenter. But let the Oppression be never so Sanguinary, there’s
+no Appeal left from the Tyranny; for if a General Insurrection had been
+thought Lawful, the Fable would not have made the Case so Desperate:
+So that this is only to Insinuate the Sacredness of Power, let the
+Administration of it be what it will: And the Reason of it is so plain,
+that it is impossible for Human Frailty to be better Secur’d then it is
+by the Determinations of Providence in this Particular. An Unlimited
+Power ’tis true is a strong Temptation, and where ’tis Screw’d up to the
+Highest Pitch, ’tis a great Unhappiness; but it is not for Men that have
+their Fortunes and their Stations in this World Assign’d them, to take
+upon themselves to be their own Carvers, and to Grumble at the Orders and
+Resolutions of their Masters and Rulers. ’Tis a Great Unhappiness to lye
+at the Mercy of a _Raging Lyon_; but it is a Christian Duty nevertheless
+to suffer Patiently under the Justice of such a Judgment.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXIII.
+
+The _Kingdom_ of _Apes_.
+
+
+Two Men took a Voyage together into the Kingdom of _Apes_; the one a
+_Trimmer_, the other a _Plain Dealer_. They were taken into Custody,
+and carried to the Prince of the Country, as he sat in State, and a
+mighty Court about him. Well, says the King to the _Trimmer_, Look me
+in the Face now, and say, What do you take me to be? A Great Emperor,
+Undoubtedly, says the _Trimmer_. Well, says his Majesty once again,
+and what d’ye take all these People about me for? Why Sir, says he, I
+take them for your Majesties Nobility and Great Officers. The Prince
+was wonderfully pleas’d with the Civility and Respect of the Man, and
+Order’d him a Bushel of Pippins, as a singular Mark of his Royal Favour.
+His Majesty after this, put the same Questions to the _Plain Dealer_,
+who fell to computing with Himself, that if his Companion had gotten a
+Reward for a damn’d Lye, certainly he should have twice as much for a
+Plain Honest Truth; and so he told the King Bluntly, that he took him
+for a very Extraordinary _Ape_, and all those People about him for his
+_Trusty and Well-beloved Counsellors and Cozens_: But the Poor Man Paid
+dearly for his Simplicity; for upon a Signal from the Emperor, the whole
+Band of _Apes_ fell Tooth and Nail upon him, and tore him one Limb from
+another.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Where the Rules and Measures of Policy are Perverted, there must needs
+Ensue a Failure of Justice, and a Corruption of Manners: And in a Kingdom
+of Apes, Buffons may well put in for Commission-Officers._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This (says _Camerarius_) is to reprove the Practices of perverse Courts,
+and Extravagant Princes.
+
+It is proper Bus’ness of _Mythology_ to Point out, and Represent the
+Images of Good and Evil, and under those Shadows to Teach us what we
+ought to do, and what not, either Severally and Apart, or as Members of a
+Society; that is to say, Simply, as Men in a State of Right Nature, or as
+Parents, or Children, Masters or Servants, Husbands or Wives, Rulers or
+Subjects, Friends, Countrymen, Relations, and the like. Now as there are
+Good and Bad of all sorts; so their Virtues and their Vices, their good
+Behaviour and their Misdemeanors are to be set forth, Circumstanc’d and
+Distinguish’d in such sort, as by Rewards or Punishments, to Encourage
+the One, and to Discountenance the Other, in proportion to the Dignity
+of the Action, or the Degree of the Offence; by conferring Marks and
+Characters of Honour, Offices of Trust, or Beneficial Commissions on the
+one hand, and by inflicting Sentences of Shame, Infamy, Pains Corporal,
+or Pecuniary on the other. Without this Distribution, one main end of
+Emblem is lost; neither is it the true Figure of Life. For, Wicked Men,
+False Brethren, Unnatural Parents, Disobedient Children, Barbarous
+Husbands, Undutiful Wives, Tyrannical, Weak or Fantastical Governors;
+Rebellious Subjects, Cruel Masters, Faithless Servants, Perfidious
+Kindred and Acquaintance: All these Lewd Characters are as Absolutely
+necessary to the Perfecting of the Design, as the most Laudable
+Excellencies in Nature.
+
+In this Fable of the Kingdom of _Apes_, the Author according to
+_Camerarius_, intended the Picture of an Extravagant Government, where he
+gives Flattery and Corruption the advantages that in Policy and Justice
+belong to Services of Honour and of Truth: And at the same time Delivers
+up a Man of Honesty, Justice and plain Dealing to be torn to Pieces. This
+Kingdom of _Apes_ has been Moralliz’d a Thousand and a Thousand times
+over in the Practice of the World, and such as the Fountain is, such will
+be the Stream. Let Government it self be never so Sacred, Governors are
+still but Men; and how Necessary and Beneficial soever the Order is at
+all Hands Confess’d to be, the Officers yet, and the Administrators are
+but Flesh and Blood, and liable to the Passions and Frailties of other
+Mortals.
+
+There are in fine, many Distempers, Errors, and Extravagances, that shew
+themselves in the Exercise of Political Powers; as an inexorable Rigour
+for the Purpose, or as a _Lasche_ Demission of Sovereign Authority. There
+are Cases of Sensuality, Pleasure, and Appetite, where Governours have
+only the Name of Rulers, while some over-grown Subject perhaps Usurps
+upon the Prerogative in Effect, and does the worst things imaginable in
+the Name of the Publick. But this rarely happens, save where the Master
+wants Resolution to check the License and Presumption of a Daring Servant.
+
+There is also a certain Manage that leaves all at Six and Seven, and
+thinks to support Greatness without either Rule, Weight or Measure; and
+that’s a dangerous Point, when Prudence and Fidelity shall turn to Loss,
+and wickedness be supported by the Reputation of Favour and Applause.
+The Misery of these false Measures is excellently well Pointed out to us
+in this Fable; and consequently the Blessings of a steady Admiration,
+where the Ends of Government are Conscientiously observ’d, and the
+Divine Priviledges of Power maintain’d; and where Truth and Justice are
+impartially Asserted and Administer’d, and as resolutely Defended.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXIV.
+
+An _Ass_ made a _Judge_ of _Musick_.
+
+
+There was a Question started betwixt a _Cuckow_ and a _Nightingale_,
+which of the Two had the Better Voice, and the better way of Singing. It
+came at last to a Tryal of Skill, and an _Ass_ was to be the Judge; who
+upon Hearing both Sides, gave it clearly for the _Cuckow_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a Hard Case for Philosophers to be Try’d by Fools, and the
+Multitude to sit Judges upon the Niceties of Honour and Government._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Old _Adage_ of _Asinus ad Lyram_, answers this Figure to the
+very Letter. The Fable extends to all Incompetent Judges, Umpires
+or Arbitrators, in what Case or Matter, or under what Incapacity or
+Disability soever. It Points at the Folly and Scandal of the Choice too,
+as well as the Iniquity of the Sentence; for the Honour of the Governor,
+and the Well-being of the Government, depend in a great Measure upon the
+Fitness of the Officer, let his Commission be Ecclesiastical, Civil,
+Military, or what else it will. Here’s an _Ass_ made a Judge of _Musick_;
+a Faculty that he neither Loves nor Understands; for there’s _no Song to
+One Ass, like the Braying off Another_. Let any Man fancy to Himself,
+how it would look to put a _Law-Case_ to a _Jack-Pudding_; a Question of
+_State_ to a _Corn Cutter_; a Point of _Conscience_ to a _Knight of the
+Post_. In short, let every Man be Consulted and Credited in his own Way
+and Trade. Neither can it be Expected that a Fool should judge according
+to Wisdom, Truth, Reason and Justice. There may be very proper Exceptions
+too upon the Matter, as well of Morals, as of Abilities. One would not
+trust a Covetous Man in Mony Matters, where there’s anything to be
+Gotten, either by Fraud or Corruption; nor a Vain Man, where there’s a
+Temptation to Popularity. False men are not to be taken into Confidence;
+nor Fearful Men into a Post that requires Resolution; nor Cruel, Insolent
+Men, into a Station where Power may be Abus’d to Oppression. All these
+Absurdities fall within the Dint of this Fable; for want of Honesty makes
+a Judge as Incompetent, as want of Understanding.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXV.
+
+An _Ape Judge_ betwixt a _Fox_ and a _Wolf_.
+
+
+A _Wolf_ charges a _Fox_ with a Piece of Pilfery. The _Fox_ Denies it.
+The _Ape_ tries the Cause, and upon a fair Hearing, Pronounces them
+both to be Guilty. You (says the Judge to the _Wolf_) have the Face to
+Challenge that which you never Lost; and you (says he to the _Fox_) have
+the Confidence to deny that which you have certainly Stoll’n.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_When both Plaintiff and Defendant happen to be a Couple of Crafty
+Knaves, there’s Equity against them Both._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable tells us what Credit is to be given to Witnesses of a False
+and Lewd Conversation, and that a known Liar is of no Authority in a
+Judgment of Law, even when he speaks Truth. Where a Brace of Sharpers
+will be going to Law, none so fit as an _Ape_ to try the Cause; and it
+was a Sentence worthy of such a Judge, to pronounce them both Guilty;
+which in Equity they were, with a respect to their Character and
+Reputation; tho’ in Law they could not be so, upon the Fact in Question.
+If the _Ape_ in this Fable had too little regard to the Letter of the
+Law, we have seen some Cases where more stress has been laid upon the
+rigour and strictness of it, then Conscientiously did belong to’t: For
+when one Man of an Exemplary Improbity, Charges another of the same
+Stamp, in a Court of Justice, he lies under the Disadvantage of a strong
+Suspicion, even before he is Heard; and People are Prepar’d to believe
+the Worst of him by Anticipation, and before his Case is known. So
+that the Bare Prejudice is sufficient to turn the Scale, where it was
+Gold-weight before; unless we Ballance the Improbity of the one, with the
+Improbity of the other, as the _Ape_ did here in the Fable.
+
+We are to understand upon the whole Matter, that it is more Advisable
+to give too little Credit in a Court of Judicature to Men of Profligate
+Lives, then too Much: For ’tis a Scandal to Publick Justice, to make use
+of such Instruments for the Supporters of a State.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXVI.
+
+An _Ape_ and a _Lion_ in his Kingdom.
+
+
+We are told of a _Lion_, that (after the Laudable Example of other
+Princes) pass’d an Act of Grace upon his Accession to the Crown, wherein
+he was pleas’d to Declare himself wonderfully in favour of _the Liberties
+and Properties of his Subjects_. He did not hold in this Mind long; and
+yet he could not think it convenient neither, to make any Attempts upon
+the Beasts by open Force; so that he chose rather to take them One by One
+in Private to him, and sift them all upon this General Question; _Put
+your Nose just to my Mouth, says he, when I Gape, and then tell me truly,
+is my Breath Sweet or no_? Some told him that it was not Sweet, others
+that it was; and so he pick’d a Quarrel with them Both: The one Sort
+went to Pot for their Hypocrisie; and the other for their Insolence. It
+came to the _Ape_ at last, to deliver his Opinion upon the Matter; the
+_Ape_ Smelt and Snuffled, and consider’d on’t: Why certainly Sir, says
+he, You have some Rich Perfume in your Mouth, for I never smelt any thing
+so fragrant since I was Born. The Roguy _Ape_ in fine, Wheedled him so
+Artificially, that the _Lion_ had not the face to Chop him up immediately
+upon the Spot, and yet he was Resolv’d he should not Scape neither: So
+the _Lion_ counterfeited Sick, and there was notable Puzzling among the
+Doctors I warrant ye, about his Pulse and his Water: But they told him
+however upon due consideration, that they found no Mortal Symptoms about
+him, only a kind of Heavy Indisposition, that might be easily Rectified
+by a Careful Diet; and so they Desir’d him by all means to bethink
+himself what Flesh he lov’d best, and e’en make a Hearty Meal on’t. Why
+then (says the _Lion_) I have a strange Fancy for a Mouthful of Good
+Sound _Apes-Flesh_, if you find it proper for me: Nothing like it, they
+cry’d; and so the Poor Flattering _Ape_ was presently Taken up, Dress’d
+and Eaten by way of Prescription.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s no Hope for an Honest Man, where Flattery is Encourag’d and
+Rewarded, and Plain-Dealing Punish’d._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable gives to Understand, that where Men of Power happen to be
+Unjust and Cruel, all the Prudence and Innocency in the World will not
+save a Man: He that would Thrive in such a Court, must Govern himself
+betwixt Sincerity and Adulation. The Art of Pleasing is not every Man’s
+Talent, neither will the same way of Manage work upon all Humours alike.
+The Art of Pleasing, is in Truth but the Art of Living; and the Skill
+of Cutting to a Third, betwixt Flattery and Ill Manners; but so as to
+Accomodate the Method and the Application, to the _Genius_ of the Man,
+or of the People, and to the Quality of the Bus’ness in hand: Not but
+that there are some Cases and Natures that a Man cannot so much as Touch,
+without Burning his Fingers, and where Truth, Flattery, and Trimming are
+all Mortal.
+
+We may learn from hence also, that Justice is so Awfully Sacred, that
+the most Faithless of Men have a secret Veneration for it; for their
+Uttermost Cruelties are cover’d with the semblance of it; and in the
+very Exercise of the Vice, they Affect the Reputation of the Virtue.
+’Tis neither Prudent nor Safe, in fine, to Provoke great Men, or indeed
+to have any thing to do with them, if they be not Men of Honour, as well
+as of Power; for though their Hands seem to be Bound, they can yet Untye
+themselves, by Virtue of a certain Prerogative they have to Play _Fast or
+Loose at Pleasure_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXVII.
+
+Two _Laden Asses_.
+
+
+There’s an Old Story of _Two Asses_ Traveling upon the Road, the One
+Laden with _Oats_, the other with _Mony_: The _Mony-Merchant_, I Warrant
+ye, was so Proud of his _Trust_ and of his _Bell_, that he went Jurking
+and Tossing of his Head, and Tabring with his Feet all the way, as if no
+Ground would hold him. The other Plodding on with his Nose in the Breech
+of his Leader, as Gravely as one Foot could follow another. While they
+were Jogging on thus upon the way, out comes a Band of _Highway-Men_ from
+the next Wood, and falls upon the _Ass_ that carried the _Treasure_. They
+Beat, Wound and Rifle him, and so leave him, without so much as taking
+the least Notice of his Fellow. Well, (says the _King’s Ass_,) and for
+all this Mischief I may e’en thank my _Mony_. Right, says the other; and
+it has been my Happiness that I was not thought worth the Robbing.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Poverty is both Safe and Easie; and Riches a Great Snare to People in
+many Cases: As it far’d worse here with the_ State-Ass _then with the_
+Muletiers.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The poor Peaceable Man has nothing to Fear, but does his Bus’ness, and
+takes his Rest, without the Trouble either of Thieves or of Alarums. ’Tis
+the Booty, not the Man, (save only for the Booty’s Sake,) that is in
+Danger. There’s either _Mony_ or _Mony’s-worth_, in all the Controversies
+of Life; for we live in a Mercenary World, and ’tis the Price, in some
+sort or other, of all things that are in it; but as it certainly draws
+Envy and Hazzard after it, so there are great Advantages go along with
+it, and great Blessings that attend the right use of it. And so for
+Poverty too; a narrow Fortune is undoubtedly a Cramp to a great Mind, and
+lays a Man under a Thousand Incapacities of serving either his Countrey
+or his Friend; but it has the Comforts yet of being free from the Cares
+and Perils that accompany great Masses of Treasure and Plentiful Estates.
+Beside, that the Virtue of a Generous and a Charitable Tenderness of
+Nature, is never the less Acceptable to him that takes the Will for the
+Deed, for want of Ability to put those good Inclinations in Execution.
+This Fable in short, makes good the Old Saying,
+
+    _No Man Sings a Merrier Note_
+    _Then he that cannot change a Groat._
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXVIII.
+
+A _Boar_ Challenges an _Ass_.
+
+
+There pass’d some Hard Words betwixt a _Boar_ and an _Ass_, and a
+Challenge follow’d upon’t. The _Boar_ depended upon his Tusks, and
+computed within himself, that Head to Head the t’other could never be
+able to Encounter him. So he Advanc’d upon his Adversary: And the _Ass_,
+so soon as ever he had him within Distance, turn’d Tayl upon him, and
+gave him such a Lash over the Chops with his Iron Hoof, that he made him
+stagger again. The _Boar_, after a little Pause, Recover’d himself. Well,
+(says he,) I was not aware of such an Attack from that End.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_No great Enterprize should be Undertaken without considering beforehand
+the Good or the Ill that may come of it._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable shews the great Oversight of Engaging in Quarrels, without
+considering from what Quarter the Danger may come. Where Adversaries are
+unequally Match’d, it will behove the Weaker to supply the want of Force
+and Courage, by Invention and Address. Presumption can never Justifie
+either Temerity or Carelessness; for every Creature has its Weak Side,
+and lies open to be Impos’d upon by Craft or Surprize. There’s an Infamy
+in the very Challenge of so Base and Timorous a Creature; but then to be
+Worsted by an _Animal_ that’s the Scorn of all the Rest, is Shameful and
+Ridiculous to the Highest Degree.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXIX.
+
+A _Cuckow_ and _Little Birds_.
+
+
+A _Cuckow_ was asking several Little Birds, what made them so shy of
+coming into her Company. They told her, that she was so like a _Hawk_,
+they did not care to have any thing to do with her.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Wise Man Searches into the Nature of Things, and does not Govern
+himself by outward Semblances and Appearances._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There should a Regard be had in all our Actions and Councels, to the
+Nicety of the matter in Question. This is to tell us, that the very
+Appearances of Evil are to be Avoided, and all the Semblances of Danger
+to be well Examin’d and Consider’d. Why should not a Bird as well trust a
+_Hawk_ that’s like a _Cuckow_, as trust a _Cuckow_ that’s like a _Hawk_?
+Two Likes may be Mistaken, and a Man cannot be too wary where the Error
+is Mortal. There may be a Disguise ’tis true, in the one case, and a
+misapprehension in the other; but it is safer yet to stand upon our Guard
+against an Enemy in the Likeness of a Friend, then to Embrace any Man for
+a Friend in the Likeness of an Enemy. There’s no Snare like Credulity,
+when the Bait that’s laid for us is cover’d with the pretence of a Good
+Office. Neither are there any Impostures so Pernicious, as those that
+are put upon us by fair Resemblances. He that is not certain, (in such
+an Instance as this,) is in danger; and ’tis ill Venturing (Neck and all
+especially,) where a Body is not very sure, whether it be a _Hawk_ or a
+_Cuckow_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXX.
+
+_Hungry Dogs_ and a _Raw Hyde_.
+
+
+A Company of _Hungry Curs_ Discover’d a _Raw-Hide_ in the Bottom of a
+River, and laid their Heads together how to come at it: They Canvass’d
+the matter one way and t’other, and brought it to this Issue in the
+Conclusion, that the only way to get it, was to Drink their way to’t.
+So they fell to Lapping and Guzzling, ’till in one Word, they Burst
+themselves, and never the nearer.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_He that sets his Heart upon Things Impossible, shall be sure to Lose his
+Longing._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Foolish Counsel is not only Vain and Unprofitable in General, but in
+many particular Cases most Destructive and Deadly. This Fable lays open
+the Folly, the Vanity, and the Danger of Pressing too eagerly for any
+thing that’s out of our Reach. We spend our Strength, and our Credit in
+clearing the way to’t, and it flies before us like a Shadow, which we may
+well Pursue, but can never Overtake. It is much the Humour of Chymists,
+and a Thousand other sorts of Projectors, that propose to themselves
+things utterly Impracticable, and consume their Lives in Hopeless and
+Fruitless Undertakings. This falls out for want of Computing upon the
+Proportion betwixt the Means, and the End; and for want of Examining
+and Considering what’s Practicable, and what not; and for want again of
+Measuring our Force and Capacity with our Designs.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXI.
+
+An _Ass_ and a _Shadow_.
+
+
+One Hir’d an _Ass_ in the _Dog-Days_ to carry certain Bails of Goods
+to such a Town: ’Twas Extreme Hot, so that he lay down upon the way to
+Refresh himself under the Shade of the _Ass_. The _Muletier_ Bad him
+Rise, and go on According to his Bargain. T’other said, that the _Ass_
+was His for the time he had Hir’d him. Right, says the other, You have
+Hir’d the _Ass_, but not the _Shadow_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Work for the Lawyers._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable Plays upon the Contentious Humour of People that go to Law for
+Trifles. _De Asini Umbra_, is effectually but this Fancy in an _Adage_.
+There needs no more to the setting of the whole World in a Flame, then
+a Ouarrelsom Plaintiff and Defendant, and a Brace of _Chicaneurs_ to
+Blow the Coals. Wrangling is Instructed as an Art or a Science on the
+one side, and made use of as an Exercise on the other. Some People can
+no more Live without Law, then without Air, and they reckon it better
+Husbandry to spend a Thousand Pounds upon Counsel, to Defend a Trivial
+or an Unwarrantable Cause, then to part with one single Six Pence for
+the Payment of an Honest Debt. This Fable in short, is Moralliz’d in
+_Westminster-Hall_, Forty times over every Term.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXII.
+
+A _Country-Fellow_ and a _River_.
+
+
+A _Blockheaded Boy_ that was sent to Market with Butter and Cheese by the
+Good Old Woman his Mother, made a stop at a Quick _River_ in the way,
+and laid himself down upon the Bank there, till it should run out. About
+Midnight, Home he goes to his Mother, with all his Market-Trade back
+again. Why how now Son, says She, what have we here to do! Why Mother,
+says this Booby, yonder’s a Scurvy _River_ that has been running all this
+Day, and I staid till Just now for the Running of it out, and there ’tis
+Running still. The Lord help thee Son, says the Good Woman, for thy Head
+and mine will be laid many a Fair Day before this _River_ runs Dry.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We are not to Expect that Nature will Change her Course, to Gratifie the
+Sickly Freak of every Fantastical Humour._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is to shew us the Mischief and the Danger of Procrastination. The
+Sloathful and Irresolute slip their Opportunities in the very Expectation
+of them. Some People are so unreasonably Lazy, as to expect that Nature
+should rather go out of her Course and Way for their Sakes, then they put
+themselves to the trouble of Moving One Step out of their own way for the
+sake of Bus’ness and Nature. They’ll rather wait the Running of a River
+Dry, then take the Pains to look about for a Bridge or a Ford. They never
+consider that Nature is a Perpetual Motion, and that the Work of the
+Universe Circulates, without any Interval or Repose. Why should not the
+Sun sleep in the Firmament, or stand still to Attend our Affairs, as well
+as the Rivers stop their Courses to give us Passage?
+
+Nay, the Madness of this Folly is yet more Impious then any thing else
+in’t; for what Man in his Right Wits can pretend to Wish, to Hope, or to
+wait for such Events, for the Gratifying of a Sickly Fancy, as would be
+enough to put People quite beside their Senses, if they should come to
+pass? So Ridiculous are Intemperate Curiosities, and Impotent Affections,
+that nothing less then Portents, and the Confounding of Nature in her
+Course and Causes, can Content us. How can any thing succeed well to
+People that are to be pleased with Nothing, unless the very Ball of the
+Universe may be Unravel’d, and the Laws of Providence Revers’d?
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXIII.
+
+A _Bladder_ with _Beans_ in’t.
+
+
+In the Days of _Adam_, when (as the Story says,) the World had here
+and there a Shrew in’t, it fell to the Lot of a certain Philosopher to
+have one of those Smart Lasses to his Wife: The Evil Spirit was often
+up with her; and never had any Quack or Operator so many Receipts for
+the Tooth-Ach, or a Quartan Ague as he had Spells offer’d him for the
+Laying of it again: But when he found that neither Saying Much, Little,
+or Nothing: neither Choler nor Patience; neither Going nor Staying, would
+do any Good upon her, he Betook himself to _a Bladder of Beans_, and the
+shaking of that Bladder when the Fit was upon her, without One Syllable
+speaking, was at any time a Present Cure.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s no way like Raising one Devil to Cast out another; For there
+Must be no Answering of Noise, Folly and Reviling, in the Same Kind._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Husband here in the Fable found no Charm to lay the Devil in a
+Petticoat, but the Ratling of a Bladder with _Beans_ in’t; and I my self
+have known a _Cat-Pipe_ us’d in the like Case with very good Success.
+There’s no Contending with an Impetuous Woman, by Authority or Reason.
+The Banging of it out in a Dispute at length, would be a loss both of
+Time and of Honour, and to no manner of purpose neither; for what should
+a Man do, Reasoning upon a Point where Reason does not so much as enter
+into the Question? So that it is the Best of a Brave Man’s Game to make
+a Drawn Battel on’t, where there’s no Possibility of a Victory. He in
+fine, that contemns a Shrew to the Degree of not Descending to Word it
+with her, does worse then Beat her. But we live in an Age, when Women,
+we hope, are better Instructed, then to fly in the Face of Religion it
+self, Law, and Nature: And these Desperate Encounters can never fall out
+betwixt a Man and his Wife, but where the Woman is lost to all sence of
+Shame, Prudence, Modesty, and Common Respect.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXIV.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Divining Cock_.
+
+
+A _Fox_ that had spy’d out a _Cock_ at Roost upon a Tree, and out of
+his Reach, fell all of a sudden into an Extravagant Fit of Kindness for
+him; and to Enlarge upon the Wonderful Esteem he had for the Faculties
+and good Graces of the Bird, but more particularly for his Skill in
+_Divination_, and the Foreknowledge of Things to come. Oh (says he) that
+I were but Worthy the Friendship of so great a Prophet! This Flattery
+brought the _Cock_ down from the Tree into the very Mouth of the _Fox_,
+and so away he Trudges with him into the Woods; reflecting still as he
+went, upon the strange Force that Fair Words have upon vain Fools: For
+this Sot of a _Cock_ (says he) to take himself for a _Diviner_, and yet
+not foresee at the same time, that if he fell into my Clutches, I should
+certainly make a Supper of him.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A fool that will Swallow Flattery, shal never want a Knave to give it
+him._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Power of Flattery, where it is once Entertain’d, is well nigh
+Irresistible; for it carries the Countenance of Friendship and Respect;
+and Foolish Natures are easily wrought upon, and Perverted, under that
+Semblance. When Pride, Vanity, and Weakness of Judgment meet in the
+same Person, there’s no Resisting the Temptations of a fair Tongue, and
+consequently no avoiding the Secret and Malicious Designs of a False
+Heart. Here’s a Credulous _Cock_ already prepar’d for the Entertainment
+of the Grossest of Flatteries: Nothing so Ridiculous, nothing so
+Impossible, but it goes down whole with him, for truth and Earnest: Nay,
+and the Folly is so Unacountable, and the Madness so Notorious, that in
+this Humour the most Spiteful Enemies we have in the World, pass upon
+us for Friends. The _Cock_ takes the Councel of a _Fox_, and, like the
+_Squirrel_ to the _Rattle-Snake_, puts himself into the Mouth of his
+Mortal Adversary, How many such Diviners do we meet with in our Daily
+Conversation, that lay their Lives, Fortunes, and Reputation at the Mercy
+of Parasites? How many Sots that Commence Philosophers upon the Credit of
+these Fawning Slaves! There’s no Fool to the great Fool that’s Fool’d by
+a little Fool; nor any thing so Scandalous as to be the Fool Of a Fool.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXV.
+
+The _Moon_ Begs a _New Gown_.
+
+
+The _Moon_ was in a heavy Twitter once, that her _Cloaths_ never Fitted
+her: Wherefore, Pray Mother, says She, let the Taylor take Measure of me
+for a _New-Gown_. Alas Child, says the Mother, how is it possible to make
+any one Garment to Fit a Body that appears every Day in a several Shape?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis the Humour of many People, to be perpetually Longing for something
+or other that’s not to be had._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This shews us the Vanity of Impracticable Propositions, and that there
+is no Measure to be taken of an Unsteddy Mind. There’s no Quieting of
+Unsettled Affections; no satisfying of Unbounded Desires; no possibility
+in Short, of either Fixing or Pleasing them. Let a Man but say what he
+would have, When, and how Much, or how Little and the Moon’s Taylor may
+take Measure of him; but to be Longing, for this thing to Day, and for
+that thing to Morrow; to Change Likings for Loathings, and to stand
+Wishing and Hankering at a venture, how is it possible for any Man to be
+at Rest in this Fluctuant Wandring Humor and Opinion? There’s no fitting
+of a Gown to a Body that’s of one Size when you take Measure of it, and
+of another when you come to put it on. ’Tis the very same Case with a
+Heart that is not True to it self. And upon the whole Matter, Men of this
+Levity are Condemn’d to the Misery of Living and Dying Uneasie.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXVI.
+
+A _Young Fellow_ about to _Marry_.
+
+
+_Marrying and Hanging_, they say, _go by Destiny_, and the Blade had
+this Thought in his Head perhaps, that Desir’d the Pray’rs of the
+Congregation, when he was upon the very Point of Matrimony. His Friends
+gave him no Answer it seems, which put him upon Reasoning the Matter with
+them. Why, Gentlemen (says he) if there had been but a _Snick-up_ in the
+Case, you’d have cry’d _the Lord Bless ye Sir_; and there is more Danger
+in _Marrying_ I hope, then there is in _Sneezing_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Parson was much in the Right sure, that like the Hangman, ask’d all
+People Forgiveness that he was to Marry, before he did Execution upon
+them._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Many a Man runs a greater Risque in a Wife, then the World is aware of.
+The Whimsical Freak of this young Bantering Spark, would have made no
+Ill Ingredient into a Wise and Sober Man’s _Litany_, and though it looks
+like a Jest, there is somewhat in’t yet that may be worth a Thinking
+Man’s Earnest. But there will need no more then the Experience of those
+that have Try’d the Circumstances of this Blessed State, to Recommend
+the Morality of the Allusion, to the Thought of others, that are not yet
+Enter’d into the Matrimonial Noose.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXVII.
+
+A _Woman_ Trusted with a _Secret_.
+
+
+There was a Good Woman (in the Days when Good Women were in Fashion) that
+valu’d her self wonderfully upon the Faculty of Retention, or (for the
+sake of Good Manners) upon the admirable Gift she had in the keeping of
+a Secret. The Toy took her Husband in the Head once, to make a Trial of
+her Virtue that way; and so he told her one Morning upon Waking, in the
+greatest Confidence imaginable, one of the strangest Things perhaps that
+ever was heard of, which had that Night befall’n him: But my Dear, says
+he, if you should Speak on’t again, I’m utterly Ruin’d; and Women are
+generally so Leaky, that in the whole Course of my Life, I have hardly
+met with any one of the Sex that could not hold her Breath longer then
+she could keep a Secret. Ah, my Life (says she) but your Woman I assure
+ye, is none of that Number? What? betray my Husband’s Secrets, I’d Die a
+Thousand Deaths first. No my Heart, if ever I do, may—— Her Husband at
+that word stopp’d her Mouth, for fear of some Bloody Imprecation, and
+so told her. Come Wife, says he, _They that will Swear, will Lye_, and
+so I’ll rather tell you upon Honour, Look ye here what has befall’n me:
+I have laid an Egg to Night; and so he took the Egg from his Back-side,
+and bad her feel on’t; but if this should ever come to Light now, People
+would say that I was Hen-Trod, and the Disgrace of it would make me a
+Scandal to Mankind. This Secret lay Burning in the Breast of the Poor
+Woman, and kept her _Waking_, till she had Day-light enough to Rise
+by; and then softly out of the Bed she steals, for fear of _Waking_
+her Husband, and so away Post-hast to a Gossipping Neighbour of her
+Acquaintance; Hurries her out of her Bed; Charms and Swears her to
+Privacy; and then out comes the Secret, That her Husband had laid Two
+Eggs that very Night. This Confident had another Confident; and there
+’twas Three Eggs. The next made it Four; and so it went on (increasing
+still,) from one Gossip to another, till by Six a Clock in the Afternoon
+they had made it Forty Eggs.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Three may Keep Counsel when Two are away._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s no such way of Publishing or Proclaiming any thing, as by
+Enjoining a Woman under the Seal of Confession to keep it Secret. They
+that are Curious to _know_ forbidden Secrets, are as Frank of Telling
+them again, and of Enlarging them: So that whoever shews me a very
+Inquisitive Body, I’ll shew him a Blab, and one that shall make a Privacy
+as Publick as a Proclamation. But if your Wife will have it so, and calls
+for a Categorical Answer, [_Will ye tell me, or will ye not?_] If you
+tell the Secret, ’tis odds but in Twelve Hours it shall be Town-Talk,
+and be made Thirteen times more then ’tis. If you refuse to tell it,
+there’s no enduring the Exclamations, for want of Trust and Confidence,
+and the Unaccountable Jealousies that Follow upon’t. For there are a
+sort of People that never consider the many separate Privacies of Trust
+and Honour, that a Husband cannot Honestly Communicate to a Wife, nor a
+Wife to a Husband: That is to say, where there’s a Third Party or Matter
+concern’d, apart from any thing in the Question that is Conjugal betwixt
+them.
+
+He that can doubt of the Reason and the Necessity of this Guard and
+Caution, must be much a Stranger to the History of the Great Rebellion
+under _Charles the First of Blessed Memory_: when so many State-Intrigues
+pass’d through the Hands of Women, who are without Dispute the best of
+Spies, and the most proper Instruments for Discovery and Intelligence:
+Especially if they be Women of Address, Wit and Beauty; for the very Sex
+has certain Priviledges upon the point of a Cavalier Gallantry and Good
+Breeding, to cover them from the Strictnesses of Search and Examination,
+that other Agents are commonly Subjected to.
+
+Now to Reconcile a seeming Contradiction here, in making Women at the
+same time to be both Fit and Unfit to be Trusted; this Fable does not
+strike so much at the Futility of Women in General, as at the Incontinent
+Levity of a Prying Inquisitive Humour; and it falls in over and above, by
+way of a Short and Pertinent Digression, to shew that State-Matters are
+Morally Excepted out of the Articles of Marriage.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXVIII.
+
+A _Woman_ and _Thrushes_.
+
+
+In the Days of Yore, when Men and their Wives agreed like Dog and Cat in
+a House together, the Good Man had been a Shooting it seems, and brought
+his Dame Home a Dozen of _Black-Birds_ with him. _Come, Sweet Heart_,
+says he, _Prithee let’s have these Black-Birds to Supper. Black-Birds?_
+says she, the Lord Bless us, why certainly the Man’s a Changeling. Come,
+come, you shall have your Thrushes for Supper then. _Well_, says he,
+_but I tell you again, I’ll have these_ Black-Birds _to Supper_. That’s
+well, quoth the Woman, and I tell you Again and Again, that you shall
+have these _Thrushes_ for Supper. _Prithee my Dear_, says the Man, _If I
+say they are_ Black-Birds, _let ’em be_ Black-Birds: _I’ll allow you to
+think they may be_ Thrushes, _but don’t contradict me_. Prithee my Dear,
+says she, If I have a Fool to my Husband, is my Husband’s Wife bound to
+be a Fool for Company? _Hussy, don’t Provoke me_, says the Man, _but let
+the_ Black-Birds _be Dress’d, and do as I bid ye; Obey your Husband,
+ye’ad best._ Lifelikins, says she, I know no more Reason I have to Obey
+my Husband, then my Husband has to Obey me; and Sirrah in the Teeth of
+ye, since ye are Hussying of me, no other Woman would have the Patience
+to be Abus’d thus. From these _Family-Words_ they fell to _Blows_, and
+there was the _Wig_ in one Corner, and the _Head-Gear_ in another: upon
+the Question whether they were _Black-Birds_ or _Thrushes_. When the
+Bickering was over, they went very comfortably to Bed together, and so
+rubb’d on in a kind of a _Catterwalling Life_, till just _that day Twelve
+Month_: And then came the History of the _Black-Birds_ and the _Thrushes_
+upon the Carpet again. Ah ye Beast you, says the Woman, How did you
+beat your poor Wife Sirrah, _this Day Twelve Month_ about those Damn’d
+_Thrushes! Black-Birds ye Jade_, says the _One_; _Thrushes ye Rogue_,
+says _t’other_: And so in one word, they play’d the same _Farce_ over
+again; insomuch, that for the time they Liv’d together, the Woman had an
+_Anniversary Beating_, as duly as the day of the Month came about every
+Year after.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+    ——Cœlum licet & Mare Terris
+    Confundas, Homo sum.——_What must be, must be._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Folly next to Madness for Women to be trying Masteries with their
+Husbands; to say nothing of the Scandal they bring upon themselves and
+their Families, by such a forfeiture of Honour, Discretion, Modesty,
+and Good Manners. Nay, and ’tis well too, if from some Men, and upon
+some Provocations, they scape the Discipline of a good Drubbing into the
+Bargain.
+
+There are divers Important Doctrines couch’d under this Fable; First,
+the insuperable Obstinacy of a violent Woman. Secondly, the Scandal
+of the Example, as well as the Folly of the Competition. Thirdly, The
+Natural Issue of the Controversie, where the weakest must expect to goe
+to the Wall. The World, Heaven be thanked, does not want Instances to
+illustrate this Figure. So that there will be less need of amplifying
+upon it. We are not here upon the Philosophy of the Freak, but upon the
+Shameful Lewdness of the Practice. _Sirrah_, (says a Woman to a Friend of
+mine, that took her off from beating her Husband,) _I’m a Wor’stershire
+Woman, and I wont be Abus’d_. _Juvenal_’s _Homo sum_, says all in Two
+Words. When the Devil of this Passion is rais’d, there’s no Abiding the
+Storm, and there’s no Laying on’t. _One such Womans Tongue_ (says the
+Poet) _is beyond all the Pans and Kettles in the Country, to bring the
+Moon out of an Ecclipse_. Keep up the Dialogue and she Kills _you_; let
+it fall, and you Kill _her_. This was the very Case of a Certain Divine
+that Chid a Woman for Striking and Reviling her Husband. She left her
+Husband immediately, and fell upon the Jacket of the Parson, who stood
+Gaping at her a full Hour and a Half together, without one word of Reply.
+The Passion put her at last into Fits, and the first word she said upon
+coming to her self again, was no more then this, _Ah Sir_, says she,
+_Ever while you live, Answer a Woman_.
+
+To come now to the Doctrine that’s wrapt up in the Example. ’Tis
+Scandalous with a Respect to the Ordinances both of God and Man; ’tis a
+high Offence to common Decency in regard of the Sex, the Duty, and the
+Relation: And then ’tis most abominably Indiscreet, because if the Man be
+not a Coxcomb, the Woman is sure to be worsted; and if he be one, ’tis
+as good as a _Noverint Universi_, that there’s _a Fool and a Shrew well
+met_. The word _Yoak-Fellow_ goes a great way with a _Thrush-Woman_.
+And so does the _Text_, that says, _They shall be both One Flesh_. From
+whence she infers an Equality at least, if not a Right of Dominion; for
+the Rib ought to have some Preference above the Clay.
+
+This is not to be taken for a General Character of Women, but for a
+Reproof only of some Eager-Spirited _Gypsies_ of the Sex; and for the
+Honour also of those Angelical Perfections, which render them both the
+Joy and the Blessing of Mankind, when they live Suitably in all Points to
+the Intent of their Creation.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXIX.
+
+Two _Soldiers_ go Halves.
+
+
+The Humour took Two Country Fellows in the Head once to turn Soldiers,
+and so away they went to try the Chance of War, upon an Agreement to go
+Halves in the Adventure. The One fell Sick upon the way; t’other went
+forward to the Army, where he got himself both Money and Credit. At his
+Return a while after, he found his Friend upon the Mending Hand, and told
+him how and how, which he was Extremely Glad to hear, because of the
+Snip that he himself Expected upon the _Dividend_. As they were Talking
+of this and that by the By; he took his time to put in a hint about
+Sharing the Booty according to their Agreement. That’s all the Reason in
+the World, says t’other; but then there are other things to be divided
+too, which I han’t told you of, and when we come to reckon, we had e’en
+as good make one work on’t, and count all together. This, says t’other
+to himself, must be something of Plate, Jewels or Precious Plunder; and
+so he came bluntly to the Question, what it was that his _Camrade_ had
+gotten besides? Why look ye, says the Soldier, (shewing him his Naked
+Body,) Here are Bruises, Wounds, Maims and Scars, that are to be divided
+as well as the Money. Nay, says the other, you may e’en keep all y’ve got
+to your own use then; for I’ll have no dividing upon those Terms.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Part’ners must go Half-Profit, Half-Loss, ’tis no Bargain else._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Wisdom not to give more for a Thing then ’tis worth; and in Common
+Equity, Part’ners should take the Good and the Bad, one with another,
+or let both alone. People should not enter _Hand over Head_ into
+Part’nerships or Adventures, either in War or in Business; they should
+consider that the Blows and the Scars are to be divided, as well as the
+Pistols and the Ducats, and the Loss as well as the Profit. The Two
+Parties are as good as Man and Wife, where the Bargain is _for Better for
+Worse_. Nay, there’s Brawling as well as Kissing in the very State of
+Matrimony it self; and when People come to be Us’d to both at Once, let
+them set one against the other, and then put the Gain in their Eyes. If
+Life be a Journey, Men must expect Foul Way as well as Fair, and content
+themselves to Travel in all Weathers, and through all Difficulties;
+which is no more then the same Mixture that we meet with in all our
+Undertakings: Wherefore let no Man Brag of his Bargain, till he has cast
+up his Account, and set the Scars against the Booty.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXX.
+
+A _Lion_ and a _Man_.
+
+
+Among other good Counsels that an Old Experienc’d Lion gave to his Whelp,
+this was One; That he should never Contend with a Man; for says he, _if
+ever you do, you’ll be worsted_. The Little Lion gave his Father the
+Hearing, and kept the Advice in his Thought, but it never went near his
+Heart. When he came to be grown up afterward, and in the Flower of his
+Strength and Vigour, About and About he Ranges to look for a Man to
+Grapple with: In his Ramble he chances to spy _a Yoak of Oxen_; so up to
+’em he goes presently; _Hark ye Friends_, says he, _are you MEN?_ They
+told him No; but their _Master_ was a Man. Upon leaving the Oxen, he went
+to a Horse that he saw _Bridled_, and Ty’d to a Tree, and ask’d him the
+same Question; _No_, says the Horse, _I am no Man my Self, but he that
+Bridled and Sadled me, and ty’d me up here, He’s a Man_. He goes after
+this to one that was cleaving of Blocks. D’ye hear, says the Lion, You
+seem to be a _Man_. _And a Man I am_, says the Fellow. That’s well, quoth
+the Lion, and dare you Fight with Me? Yes, says the Man, I dare Fight
+with ye: Why I can Tear all these Blocks to pieces ye see. Put your Feet
+now into this Gap, where you see an Iron Thing there, and try what you
+can do. The Lion presently put his Claws into the Gaping of the Wood, and
+with one Lusty Pluck, made it give way, and out drops the Wedge, the Wood
+immediately closing upon’t; and there was the Lion caught by the Toes.
+The Woodman presently upon this, Raises the Country; and the Lion finding
+what a Streight he was in, gave one Hearty Twitch, and got his Feet out
+of the Trap, but left his Claws behind him. So away he goes back to his
+Father, all Lame and Bloody, with this Confession in his Mouth; _Alas,
+my Dear Father_, says he, _This had never been, if I had follow’d your
+Advice_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Disobedience to Parents is against the Laws of Nature and of Nations,
+Common Justice, Prudence and Good Manners; and the Vengeance of Heaven,
+Sooner or Later, Treads upon the Heels on’t._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+People are not to Reason upon Obedience to Parents, and Submission to
+Governors, provided there be nothing in the Command, or in the Imposition
+that is simply Evil. Reason in Man, does abundantly supply the Defect of
+other Faculties wherein we are inferior to Beasts; and what we cannot
+compass by Force, we bring about by Stratagem. The Intent of this Fable
+is to set forth the Excellency of Man above all Creatures upon the
+Earth; and to shew, that he is _Lord and Ruler over all the rest_; their
+_Teeth_, _Claws_, _Stings_, and other means of Offence, notwithstanding.
+The young Lion himself is Charg’d by his Sire not to Contend with
+him; so that consequently no Creature of less Force is upon any Terms
+to Encounter him. Not but that there are some special Instances to
+the contrary, in Exception to the General Rule. The _Moralist_ makes
+the Event to confirm the Reason, and to support the Authority of the
+Lions Counsel. It may pass likewise in some sort, for a _Punishment_ of
+Disobedience to a Parent; but there’s the Voice of Providence and Wisdom
+in’t as well as the Voice of a Father; which is intimated in shewing us,
+that the Yoak of Oxen, and the Horse that stood Bridled and Sadled, had a
+_Man_ still to their _Master_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXXI.
+
+A _Hare_ and a _Sparrow_.
+
+
+A Sparrow happen’d to take a Bush just as an Eagle made a Stoop at a
+_Hare_; and when she had got her in the Foot, Poor _Wat_ cry’d out
+for Help. Well, (says the Sparrow) and why don’t ye Run for’t now?
+I thought your Footmanship would have Sav’d ye. In this very Moment
+comes a Hawk and whips away the _Sparrow_; which gave the Dying _Hare_
+this Consolation in her last Distress, that she saw her Insolent Enemy
+overtaken with a just Vengeance, and that the _Hard-Hearted Creature_
+that had no _Pity_ for _another_, could obtain none for her self neither,
+when she stood most in _need_ on’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis with Men and Governments, as it is with Birds and Beasts. The
+Weaker are a Prey to the stronger, and so one under another, through the
+whole Scale of the Creation. We ought therefore to have a Fellow-Feeling
+of one anothers Afflictions; for no Body knows whose turn may be next._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Here’s a Just Judgment upon Ill Nature; wherefore let no Man make Sport
+with the Miserable, that is in danger to be Miserable himself, as
+Every Man may be; and in Truth every Man deserves so to be, that has
+no Tenderness for his Neighbour. It is a high Degree of Inhumanity not
+to have a Fellow feeling of the Misfortune of my Brother; but to take
+Pleasure in my Neighbour’s Misery, and to make Merry with it, is not only
+a Brutal, but a Diabolical Barbarity and Folly.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXXII.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Cock_.
+
+
+A Hungry _Fox_ that had got a _Cock_ in his Eye, and could not tell how
+to come at him; cast himself at his Length upon the Ground, and there
+he lay winking and pinking as if he had Sore Eyes. Ah, (says he to the
+_Cock_) I have gotten a Thorn here, with Creeping through a Hedge t’other
+Day; ’twould be the greatest Charity in the World, if you would but
+help me out with it. Why truly, says the _Cock_, I am no Oculist, and
+if I should go to _Help one Eye_, and _put out T’other_ with my _Spur_,
+we should have but an Untoward Business on’t; but if you are not in
+very great Hast, I can fly Home in a Trice, and bring ye One that shall
+certainly Cure ye. The _Fox_ finding ’twas all but _Banter_: _Well_,
+(says he,) _’tis no Great Matter then; for the more Physicians, the more
+Danger, they say_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Shuffling and Fencing, is in many Cases both Allowable and Necessary:
+Especially where Craft is to be Encounter’d with Craft._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s no Trusting to a _Known Hypocrite_ and an _Enemy Both_ in _One_,
+and therefore the _Cock_ was too Crafty for the _Fox_ here, and kept
+himself upon his Guard. There is this Mischief in _False Dealing_, that
+it forces People to be _Hard Natur’d_ and _Suspicious_ in their own
+Defence; for Credulity is Mortal. Not but that many Men are Impos’d upon
+to their Ruin by a Mistaken _Charity_ and _Compassion_. It is a Nice
+Point however, for a Man to take upon him to Assign the many and Various
+Cases that occur upon this Topick, and so as to allot them their Just
+and Proper Limits, with such a Regard to _Good Nature_ and _Discretion_,
+as neither to be wanting to _Our Selves_, nor to _Others_: But yet
+the _Possible Danger_ of Relieving a _Miserable Person_, for fear he
+should be a _Counterfeit_, will not _Excuse_ a Man from doing Acts of
+_Humanity_, notwithstanding that Pretence. But there is a Double Hazzard
+in’t, for we may Miscarry either by _too Little Caution One_ way, or by
+_too much Presumption_ the _other_. Now the Smelling out of a Trick, and
+the _Defeating_ of it, does not come so Home, as _Repaying_ of it in
+_kind_; for the _Contempt_ in the manner of doing it, gives a kind of
+_Sting_ to the _Disappointment_. But the _Fox_ however has the Grace of
+other _Bantering Buffons_: That is to say, he is never to be put out of
+_Countenance_; and when he finds himself _Pinch’d_, he shifts it off with
+a _Droll_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXXIII.
+
+_Joy_ and _Sorrow_ are near A-kin.
+
+
+There pass’d a great many Bitter Words once upon a time betwixt _Joy_
+and _Sorrow_; insomuch that they Mov’d the Court upon it by Consent,
+and made a Chancery Cause on’t. Upon a _Fair_ and a _Full Hearing_, the
+Judge found some colour of Equity on _Both sides_, and would fain have
+made ’em _Friends_ again. You should consider, says he, how near y’are
+_a-kin_, and what a Scandal ’tis, to have these Heats and Squabbles among
+_Relations_: But all this went in at One Ear, and out at _T’other_: So
+that when he saw there was no Good to be done, he pass’d this Sentence
+upon them, That since they would not go Hand in Hand Amicably of
+_Themselves_, they should be _Link’d_ together in a _Chain_; and Each of
+them in his Turn should be perpetually Treading upon the _Heel_ of the
+_Other_; and not a Pin Matter then which went _Foremost_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_No Man is to Presume in Prosperity, or to Despair in Adversity; for Good
+and Ill Fortune do as naturally succeed one another, as Day and Night._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It is the lot of Mankind to be happy and Miserable by turns. The Wisdom
+of _Nature_ will have it so; and it is exceedingly for our Advantage that
+so it should be. There’s nothing Pure under the Heavens, and the Rule
+holds in the Chances of _Life_, as well as in the _Elements_: Beside
+that, such an Abstracted Simplicity, (if any such thing there were,)
+would be neither Nourishing to us, nor Profitable. By the Meditation
+of this Mixture, we have the Comfort of _Hope_ to _support_ us in our
+Distresses, and the Apprehensions of a _Change_, to keep a _Check_
+upon us in the very Huff of our _Greatness and Glory_: So that by this
+Vicissitude of _Good_ and _Evil_, we are kept steady in our _Philosophy_,
+and in our Religion. The one Minds us of _God’s Omnipotence_ and
+_Justice_; the _Other_ of his _Goodness_ and _Mercy_: The _One_ tells
+us, that there’s _No Trusting to our own Strength_; the _Other_ Preaches
+_Faith_ and _Resignation_ in the prospect of an _Over-ruling Providence_
+that takes Care of us. What is it but _Sickness_ that gives us a Taste of
+_Health_? _Bondage_ the Relish of _Liberty_? And what but the Experience
+of _Want_ that Enhances the Value of _Plenty_? That which we call _Ease_
+is only an _Indolency_ or a Freedom from _Pain_; and there’s no such
+thing as _Felicity_ or _Misery_, but by the _Comparison_. ’Tis very true
+that _Hopes_ and _Fears_ are the _Snares_ of Life in some Respects; but
+they are the Relief of it in others. Now for fear of the worst however on
+either hand, every Man has it in his own Power by the Force of Natural
+Reason, to Master the Temptation of falling either into Presumption or
+Despair.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXXIV.
+
+The _Owl_ and the _Sun_.
+
+
+There was a Pinking Owl once upon a very Bright and a Glorious Morning,
+that sate Sputtering at the _Sun_, and ask’d him what he meant to stand
+Staring her in the _Eyes_ at that _Rate_. Well, says the _Sun_, but if
+_your Eyes_ will not bear the _Light_, what’s your Quarrel to _my Beams_
+that _Shed_ it? Do you think it a Reasonable Thing that the whole World
+should be Depriv’d of the Greatest Blessing in Nature, to Gratifie the
+Folly, the Arrogance and the Infirmity of One Sot?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There is nothing so Excellent, or so Faultless, but Envy and Detraction
+will find somewhat to say against it._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It is no more in the Power of Calumny and Envy to Blast the Dignity of a
+Wise and of an Honest Man, then it was in the Power of the _Blear-Ey’d
+Owl_ here, to cast a Scandal upon the Glory and Greatness of the
+_Sun_. The Principles of Good and Evil are as Firm, as the Foundations
+of the Earth, and never had any Man Living the Face yet to make an
+Open Profession of Wickedness in its own Name. Not but that Men of
+Vicious Lives and Conversations, have found out ways of Imposing their
+Corruptions and Infirmities upon the World for Virtues, under false
+Semblances and Colours. But there’s no Man all this while, that sets up
+for a Knave or a Coxcomb in Direct Terms. Now the Mystery of the Cheat
+lies in the Artificial Disguising of One thing for Another, and in making
+Evil pass for Good, and Good for Evil: As every Virtue has its Bordering
+Vice, and every Vice its Bordering Virtue. So that the Pretence is fair
+still, let the Practice be never so Foul, and Men will be trying to bring
+down the Rule to the Error, where they cannot Reconcile the Error to the
+Rule. When People have once Inverted the Measures of Moral Equity, and
+Natural Reason, and brought the Question of Right or Wrong, so far as
+in them lies, to a False Standard, there follows in course, an Envious
+Malevolence upon the Opposition. As for Example; A Fool Naturally Hates a
+Philosopher: A Debauchee does as Naturally Hate a Man of good Government
+and Moderation. A Man of Conscience and Religion is as much an Eye-Sore
+to a Profligate Atheist: And a Mercenary _Knight of the Post_ has just
+as much Kindness for a Man of Probity and Virtue. To Conclude the Moral,
+There are of these _Owls_ in Palaces and Assemblies, as well as in Barns
+and Groves; but a Man of Honour and Integrity Shines on, like the Sun in
+the Firmament, Unconcern’d, and continues his Course.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXXV.
+
+_Jupiter_ and a _Farmer_.
+
+
+_Jupiter_ had a Farm a long time upon his hand, for want of a Tenant to
+come up to his Price, ’till a Bold Fellow at last was content to Take
+it, upon Condition that he himself might have the Ordering of the Air
+and the Seasons, as he thought fit. So _Jupiter_ Covenanted with him,
+that it should be Hot or Cold, Wet or Dry, Calm or Windy, as the Tenant
+should Direct. In Conclusion, this Man had effectually a Climate of his
+own, that his very next Neighbours felt nothing of: And it was well they
+did not; for when they had a Plentiful Harvest and Vintage, the Farmer
+himself had hardly any Corn or Grass upon his Ground. He took other
+Measures the Year following, which (as it fell out) prov’d the more
+Unkindly of the Two. He held on however, till he was upon the very Point
+of Breaking; and when it came to that once, he was e’en glad to Petition
+_Jupiter_ to Release him of his Bargain; for he was now Convinc’d that
+Providence knows Better what is good for us, then we know what is good
+for our Selves.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We should do well to make it One Petition in our_ Litany, _that in many
+Cases Heaven would be so Gracious to us, as not to hear our Prayers; for
+we are otherwise in Danger to be undone by our own wish_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+What work would Malevolents and Malecontents make in the World, if
+they might but have the Governing of it; and if Heaven were not more
+Mercifull to us, then to grant us our Wishes? Wherefore there must be
+no Prescribing of Rules to the Divine Wisdom. What a Confusion would it
+bring upon Mankind, if all those People that are Unsatisfied with the
+Motions, Revolutions and Influences of the Celestial Orbs; the Course of
+the Seasons, and the Providential Distribution of Heats and Colds, Rain,
+Frosts and Sun shine, might be Allow’d to take the Government into their
+own Hands? There needs nothing more to Convince us of the Vanity, the
+Malice and the Folly of these Intermedlers with the Works and Orders of
+an Over-ruling Power; and yet we must be making Articles and Conditions
+forsooth, in Matters where we have neither Authority nor Skill: And
+where, in spite of our Hearts, we must Submit, as in Duty and Reverence
+we are obliged to Resign, and to Obey.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXXVI.
+
+A _Wolf_ turns Religious.
+
+
+A Wolf that was past Labour, had the Wit in his Old Age, yet to make the
+best of a bad Game: He borrows a Habit, and so about he goes Begging a
+Charity from Door to Door under the Disguise of a Pilgrim: And for ought
+we know, this may be one of the Pilgrims that were to have Landed at
+_Milford Haven_, in the Year 1677/8. One of his Relations that had the
+Fortune to Meet him in this Holy Garb and Pretence, took him up Roundly,
+for stooping so much below the Dignity of his Family and Profession. _Why
+what would you have me do?_ says the _Pilgrim Wolf_; _My Teeth and my
+Heels are gone, so that I can neither Run, nor Worry, and I must either
+Cant, and turn Religious, or Starve_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_When People can live no longer by downright Rapine and Villany, for
+want of Strength, Means, or Ability to go on at the Old Rate, ’tis a
+common thing for ’em to Drive on the Old Trade still, under a Semblance
+of Religion and Virtue. So that Impotency goes a great way toward the
+Conversion of an Old Sinner._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A _Proselyte-Wolf_ is a very Saint yet to a _Proselyte-Christian_,
+that makes his Belly his God, and Renounces his Faith for Bread. Now
+over and above the Lively Image of the Practice of the World in this
+Wonderfull Conversion, ’tis Pleasant enough to consider how Gravely the
+_New-Convert_ is taken up by one of his _Fellow Wolves_, for bringing
+such a Disgrace upon his Character and Function, as to Submit to the
+Picking up of a Livelyhood in that _Strolling_ way of Canting and
+Begging; which in the Moral, gives us to Understand, that the Hypocrite
+is the Fouler and the Baser Beast of the Two. The Doctrin of this Fable,
+if the Matter were well Examin’d, would more or less run through the
+whole Race of Mankind; for Repentance and a New Life, is naturally the
+Discourse and Retreat of Old Sinners, when they find they can live by
+Barefac’d Wickedness no longer: What a Hideous Roll would it make, if the
+Names of all the People that are Pointed at under this Emblem of the
+_Pilgrim-Wolf_ were written in their Foreheads!
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXXVII.
+
+The _Asses Skin_.
+
+
+A Miserable _Ass_ that was ready to sink under Blows and Burdens, call’d
+upon Death to Deliver him from that Intolerable Oppression. Death was
+within Hearing it seems, and took him at his Word; but told him withal
+for his Comfort, that whereas other Creatures end their Misfortunes and
+their Lives together, You must not expect that it will be so with you;
+for (says Death,) they’l make Drums of your Skin, when your Carcass shall
+be Carrion, and never leave Drubbing of ye so long as one Piece will hold
+to another.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Some People are Miserable beyond the Relief even of Death it self: That
+is to say, there are Men that lead Restless Lives in this World, under
+a Dreadful Apprehension at the same time, of being more Wretched in the
+next._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Moral does not lye so square, as to bear any great Weight upon’t.
+’Tis true, that our Fame and Memory shall out-live our Bodies; and that
+in that sense a Man may be said to be Miserable after his Death; even
+in a Pagan way of Understanding it, as well as with a Regard to the
+Immortality of the Soul in a Christian Application. It holds forth to us
+the Pertinacy of Ill Fortune, in Pursuing some People into their very
+Graves: But they that are born to a Fatality of Endless Misfortunes, must
+submit to go thorough with them.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXXVIII.
+
+A _Fool_ and a _Hot Iron_.
+
+
+A Smith threw down a Horse-Shoe in his Shop that was but just come out of
+the Fire. A Fool took it up; it burnt his Fingers, and he cast it down
+again. Why ye Blockhead you says the Workman, could not you have try’d
+whether ’twas Hot or no before you meddled with it? _How try?_ says the
+Fool. Why a _Hot Iron_ would have Hiss’d if you had but _Spit_ upon’t.
+The Fool carry’d this Philosophy away with him, and took an Occasion
+afterward to _Spit_ in his _Porridge_, to try if they’d _Hiss_. They did
+not _Hiss_ it seems, and so he Guttled ’em up, and Scalt his _Chops_.
+Well says one that was by, and could not you have stay’d till they were
+cold? Why, I thought they had been Cold, says the Fool. You might have
+known they were Hot, says t’other, by their Smoaking. The Fool carried
+this in his mind too; and going a while after to a Spring-Head to quench
+his Thirst, he fancy’d that the Fountain Smoak’d too; and there he staid
+’till he was almost Choaked, for fear of Burning his Chops once again.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This very Innocent may serve to Teach Wise Men Caution, that they
+Examine Matters before they pass a Judgment upon them; for otherwise, we
+live at a kind of Hap-Hazzard, and without any Insight into Causes and
+Effects._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Great Folly not to Distinguish betwixt things Extremely Differing
+in their Qualities and Nature; ’tis no wonder to find one Simplicity of
+this Kind follow’d with more; for Weak Men will be still applying the
+last Rule to the next Case, for want of Reasoning and Connecting upon the
+_whole_. ’Tis an Odd thing now, that a _Mountebank_ should get Reputation
+by the same Error that makes an _Idiot_ yet more Ridiculous; that is to
+say, by Prescribing the same Remedy to all Diseases. There was Just such
+another Innocent as this, in my Father’s Family: He did the Course Work
+in the Kitchen, and was bid at his first Coming to take off the _Range_,
+and let down the _Cynders_ before he went to Bed. The poor Silly Wretch
+laid Hands of the Irons, when they were next to _Red Hot_ yet, and they
+stuck to his Fingers. _A Vengeance on ye_, says he, _Y’are as warm as
+Wool_; and so shook ’em off again. Now this _Innocent_, I dare Answer for
+him, had never read _Camerarius_, so that he did not Burn his Fingers by
+that Copy.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXXXIX.
+
+A _Cock_ and _Horses_.
+
+
+A Cock was got into a Stable, and there was he Nestling in the Straw
+among the Horses; and still as the Fit took ’em they’d be Stamping and
+Flinging, and laying about ’em with their Heels. So the Cock very gravely
+Admonish’d them; Pray, my Good Friends, let us have a Care, says he, that
+we don’t Tread upon One Another.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Unequal Conversations are Dangerous and Inconvenient to the Weaker Side
+in many Respects, whether it be in Regard of Quality, Fortune, or the
+like; where the weight of the One, sinks the Other: And no matter whether
+we Embark out of Vanity or Folly; for ’tis Hazzardous both ways._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+So says many a Vain Fool in the World, as this Cock does in the Like
+Case, and Exposes himself to Scorn, as well as Destruction. ’Tis a
+necessary Point of Wisdom for People to sort themselves with fit Company,
+and to make a Right Judgment of their Conversation. I do not mean in the
+matter of Morals only, where Vicious and Ill Habits are Contagious; but
+there should a Regard be had to the very Size, Quality and Degree of the
+Men that we Frequent: For where the Disproportion is very great, a Man
+may be Ruin’d without Malice, and Crush’d to Pieces by the Weight even
+of one that has a Kindness for him. Now where we Misjudge the Matter, a
+Miscarriage draws Pity after it, but when we are Transported by Pride and
+Vanity into so Dangerous an Affectation, our Ruin lies at our own Door.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXL.
+
+A _Gard’ner_ and a _Mole_.
+
+
+A Gard’ner took a Mole in his Grounds, and the Question was, whether he
+should put her to Death or no. The Mole Pleaded that she was one of his
+Family, and Digg’d his Garden for Nothing: Nay, she Insisted upon’t, what
+Pity ’twas to Destroy a Creature that had so smooth a Skin, and Twenty
+other Little Pretences. Come, come, says the Gard’ner, I am not to be
+Fool’d with a Parcel of Fair Words: You have nothing for Digging ’tis
+True; but pray who set you at Work? Is it for my Service d’ye think,
+to have my Plants and my Herbs torn up by the Roots? and what’s your
+business at last, but by doing all you can for the filling of your own
+Belly, to leave me nothing to Eat?
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXLI.
+
+A _Man_ and a _Weazle_.
+
+
+There was a Weazle taken in a Trap, and whether she should Dye or
+not, was the Point: The Master of the House Charg’d her with heavy
+Misdemeanors, and the Poor Vermin stood much upon her Innocence and
+Merit. Why says she, I keep your House Clear of Mice. Well says the Man,
+but you do’t for your Own sake, not for Mine. What work would they make
+in the Pantry and the Larder, (says she) if it were not for me? And in
+the mean time (says the Master of House) You your Self devour the same
+things that they would have Eaten, Mice and All: But you would fain sham
+it upon me, that you do me a Service, when in Truth you do me an Injury;
+and therefore you deserve a double Death; First, For the Fault it self,
+and then for the Justification of it.
+
+
+The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.
+
+_’Tis according to the Course of those Kind Offices in the World, which
+we call Friendship, to do one another Good for our Own Sakes._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There’s nothing Commoner in this World then the Case of the Mole here and
+the Weazle: That is to say, the Case of the People that Value themselves
+mightily upon Merit; when in the mean time they do only their own
+Business. What Virtue is it for me to do another Man good by Chance; or
+where’s the Obligation of doing it for my own Profit? ’Tis the Will of
+a Man that qualifies the Action. A Body may do me Good, and yet Deserve
+to be Punish’d for’t. He may save my Life, for the purpose, with an
+Intention to take it away. There is however some Regard to be had to the
+very Instrument that Providence makes use of for our Advantage. But this
+is out of a Respect to the Providence, not to the Man: And we are not
+yet come up to the Force of the Fable neither; for many People have the
+Confidence to Plead Merit, when Effectually they do us Mischief.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXLII.
+
+A _Woman_, _Cat_ and _Mice_.
+
+
+A Good Woman that was willing to keep her Cheeses from the Mice, thought
+to mend the matter by getting her a Cat. Now _Puss_ Answer’d the Womans
+Intent and Expectation, in keeping the _Mice_ from Nibbling the Cheeses;
+but she her self at the same time devour’d the Mice, Cheese and all.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This has been our Case within the Memory of Man: There were a matter of
+Half a Dozen Little Roguy Political Mice lay Nibbling at our Liberties
+and Properties, and all Peoples Mouths Open’d for the Providing of some
+500 Cats to Destroy them. The end on’t was this, they Kill’d the Vermine;
+but then they Gobbled up Priviledges and All: And was not the World well
+Amended?_
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Present State of Things is best, unless we may be very well Assur’d
+that the Danger of the Remedy is not Greater then that of the Disease:
+Nay, it so falls out many times, that a Thing may be Good for the
+Distemper, and yet Mortal to the Patient: Wherefore Men should never
+Trouble their Heads about Innovations for slight Matters, without a
+strict Calculation, upon the Profit or Loss of the Exchange. The Fancy
+of the _Cat_ and _Mice_, points very naturally at the Case of _Monarchy_
+and _Episcopacy_ in the Days of King _Charles the First_. There were
+Grievances of all sorts Complain’d of, and Popular Disputes Rais’d about
+Prerogative and Arbitrary Power, in the Pretended Favour of Liberty and
+Property. Every thing was amiss they Cry’d, and nothing would serve the
+Turn but a General Reformation; and what was the Issue at last, but the
+_Cats_ that should have Kill’d the _Mice_, Eat up, as the Fable says,
+_Mice, Cheese and All_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXLIII.
+
+A _Man_ in _Tears_ for the Loss of his _Wife_.
+
+
+Never had any Man such a Loss in a Woman certainly as I have had! Cries
+a Widdower in the Flush of his Extravagancies for a Dead Wife: Never so
+dear a Creature! Never so Miserable a Wretch! And so he runs Raving on,
+how he should abhor the Sex it Self now she is gone. As he was in the
+Transport of his Lamentations, and about half thorough the Farce, he
+started all on a sudden, and call’d out to the Woman about the Body, (who
+it seems, had gotten the best Piece of Linnen in the House for a Winding
+Sheet;) Pray, says he, will you take another Cloth for the Present, and
+let this be laid by for my next Wife, if it should be the Lords will to
+have me Bury another. This set the Company a Laughing, for all their
+Sorrow, to see the Good Man so soon brought to his Wits again.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Funeral Tears are but Matter of Form; and it is a Distinguishing Mark of
+Hypocrisie, to take upon us to be Kind as well as to be Righteous, beyond
+Measure. But Time and Nature will bolt out the Truth of Things, through
+all Disguises._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+It is Morally Impossible for an Hypocrite to keep himself long upon his
+Guard; for the Force is Unnatural, and the least Slip or Surprise, either
+a Word, Look, or Action, lays him open through his Disguise. But to Sum
+up the Case in short: what with the Hazzards of Conjugal Disagreement,
+Ungracious Children; None at all; or the Loss of them; with a Hundred
+other Uneasy Circumstances incident to that Condition, Happy is the
+Couple that in a Marry’d State have the Good Fortune to make a Saving
+Game on’t.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXLIV.
+
+A _Rich Man_ that would be no Richer.
+
+
+There was a Huge Rich Man, that could neither Eat nor Sleep for fear
+of Losing his Mony: The whole Entertainment of his Life was Vision and
+Phantome; Thieves, Earthquakes, Inundation; nothing in short came amiss
+to him, that was Possible, Dangerous, and Terrible. In this Torment of a
+Restless Imagination, he call’d a Beggar to him, told him his Case; and
+now says he, I must send you presently of an Erand to _Fortune_. Go your
+ways to her immediately, (you’ll find her in _Japan_,) and desire her
+from me, that for the future she’ll never Trouble her self further upon
+any Accompt of mine; for I am absolutely resolv’d never to touch Penny
+of her Mony more. Be gone this very Moment and I’ll give you a Hundred
+Crowns for your Pains. Why truly Sir, says the Poor Fellow, ’tis a great
+way; but yet (after a little Humming and Hawing upon’t,) he agreed to
+undertake the Jobb. Do so then, says the Rich Chuff, and you shall have
+_Ninety_ Crowns down upon the Nail. The Poor Creature stuck a while upon
+the other Ten that he promis’d; but at last came to his Price, and for
+_Ninety_ he was to go. Well then, says the Miserable Churl, _A Bargain’s
+a Bargain_, and _Fourscore_ Crowns you shall certainly have. At this
+Rate he went Chaffering on, ’till by Bating Ten and Ten still upon every
+New Demand, the Man was e’en fain to Content himself with Ten Crowns at
+last for the whole Journey. And so away he Goes to _Fortune_; finds her
+out, and delivers his Errand: And says he, since that Rich Man will have
+no more, pray be so good as to give Me that am ready to Starve, what
+you would otherwise have given to a Man that does not want it. No, says
+_Fortune_, as for his Part, I am Resolv’d to Plague him with thrice as
+much more as he has already, in spite of his very Teeth; and then for
+your part, I’ll e’en keep ye in a Starving Condition as I found ye, to
+the last Minute of your Life, and make Good the Old Saying to ye; _That
+he that’s Born under a Three-Penny Planet, shall never be worth a Groat_.
+’Tis true, y’ave gotten Ten Crowns in Hand, and you should never have had
+that neither, if I had not been Fast Asleep when they were Deliver’d ye.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Not One Man of a Thousand knows his own Mind. Some Men shall be Rich in
+spite of their Teeth. And then, All the Carking and Caring in the World,
+shall not keep another Man above Water._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Covetous Man is _never well_ (as we say) _neither Full nor Fasting_:
+Avarice has a great deal in’t of the _Dog-Appetite_. It is Greedy,
+Ravenous and Insatiable; Raving Mad after what it has not, and Sick
+of what it has; for it Digests nothing, and the very Success of the
+Wickedness is the Plague on’t. Nay, and the Two Extremes of Want and
+Abundance are so near a-kin too, that the Misery of both these Opposite
+States, takes its Rise in a great Measure from the same Root. Only
+Men are Sollicitous in the One Case how to Get, that which they are
+as Sollicitous in the other Case how to Keep; and the pain of the
+Disappointment, whether in Missing or in Losing, is much the same. For
+what is the Difference betwixt having Nothing at all Originally, and
+after such or such an Acquisition, having Nothing at all Left? ’Tis but
+Nothing against Nothing both ways: And the Case has much in it of what
+we find in an Extreme Drought, or a Nauseous Surfeit. Men are ready to
+Choak for want of Drink, and when they have Over-charg’d themselves with
+more then Nature will bear, they are ready to Dye on that Hand too, till
+they have it up again. Now to carry on the Allusion, here’s a Covetous
+Man Deliberating betwixt the Qualms of a Wambling Stomach, and an
+Unsettled Mind. Here is he a Defying _Fortune_ and all her Works; he’ll
+have no more to do with her: he says, and so he Talks and Does on, at
+the Rate of Almost _Half a Christian_. But he does not yet know his own
+Mind it seems; for while he is Renouncing the World and the Devil on the
+One Hand, he strikes a League with them on the other, and in the same
+Breath Practises what he pretends to Disclaim, and Couzens the Labourer
+of his Hire. We are not therefore to value our Selves upon the Merit of
+Ejaculatory Repentances, that take us by Fits and Starts, and look liker
+Confessions upon the Torture, then Acts of Piety and Conscience. ’Tis not
+for a Desultory Thought, to attone for a Lewd Course of Life; nor for
+any thing but the Super-inducing of a Virtuous Habit upon a Vicious One,
+to qualifie an Effectual Conversion. We are to Distinguish betwixt this
+Miser’s being Weary of the Anxious Condition he was in, and his Repenting
+the Iniquity of his Oppression and Extortion: But _Fortune_ will have him
+Richer and Richer still, in spite of his Heart: That is to say, for his
+Greater Condemnation and Punishment. And the last Touch is to shew us, in
+the Churlishness of _Fortune_, what a Poor Honest Man has to Trust to in
+this World.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXLV.
+
+An _Eagle_ sets up for a _Beauty_.
+
+
+It was once put to the Question among the Birds, which of the whole Tribe
+or sort of ’em was the greatest Beauty. The Eagle gave her Voice for her
+self, and Carry’d it. Yes, says a Peacock in a soft Voice by the by, You
+are a great Beauty indeed; but it lyes in your Beak, and in your Talons,
+that make it Death to Dispute it.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Veneration that is paid to Great and Powerful Men, is but_ from the
+Teeth outward, _not from the Heart; and more out of Fear then Love_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Beauty in the Fable, Extends in the Moral to all the Advantages
+in Human Nature that One Man can pretend to have over Another: Let it
+be Matter of Honour, Title, Justice, Good Faith, Conscience, _&c._ for
+_the Longer Sword can do no Wrong_; and rather then fail, the Laws of
+God and Man shall take up Arms against themselves in defence of the most
+Extravagant of Conquests. Religion is a kind of Two Edged-Sword in the
+Hands of a Man of Might, that Cuts both ways alike; and it is either
+Right or Wrong, or Wrong or Right, as Occasion serves. Take it by One
+Light, ’tis an Angel; by Another, ’tis a Devil: And so ’tis _Pro & Con_
+at the same time. The whole World and the Business of it, is manag’d by
+Flattery and Paradox; the one sets up False Gods, and the other maintains
+them. Power in short, is Beauty, Wit, Courage, and all Good Things in
+One, where Slaves and Parasites are Judges.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXLVI.
+
+An _Image_ Expos’d to Sale.
+
+
+A Certain Carver, that had a _Mercury_ lay a great while upon his Hands,
+bethought himself at last of Billing it about in _Coffee-Houses_, that
+at such a place there was a God to be Sold, a Merry Penn’worth, and such
+a Deity as would make any Man Rich that Bought him. Well (says One)
+And why d’ye Sell him then? For he will make you Rich, if you Keep him,
+as well as he will make me Rich if I Buy him. You say very Right says
+t’other; but ’tis Ready Mony that I want, and the Purchaser will have
+only an Estate in Reversion.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Ready Mony goes as far in Religion as in Trade: People are willing to
+Keep what they Have, and to get what they Can, without Launching out into
+Lives, and Uncertainties. They are well enough Content to deal in the
+Sale of Reversions, but they do not much care for Buying them._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Old Saying, _A Bird in the Hand is worth Two in the Bush_, holds with
+most People in Religious Matters, as well as in Civil. A Sum of Mony
+down upon the Nail, goes further with them, then Heaven it self in the
+Reversion. Where we are in the Dark, we are but too apt to be Doubtful,
+and to reckon upon it the common Acceptation of Flesh and Blood, as the
+Parting with a Certainty for an Uncertainty. Now the Moral of this Fable
+must be Understood to Tax the Vanity and Error of the Common Practice and
+Opinion of the World in this Matter. The Fiction methinks has somewhat
+in’t of the _French Libertines_ Conceit to a Severe Religious upon the
+Point of Mortification: Father (says he) What’s the Meaning of all these
+Austerities of Hard Living, Hair Shirts, Watchings, Fastings, and I
+know not what? Oh Brother (says the Holy Man) ’tis all for _Paradise_.
+Well (says the Licentious Droll again) but what if there should be no
+_Paradise_ at last, are not you finely brought to Bed then? The Mockery
+of this Fable is somewhat a-kin to the Freak of this Story, and by no
+means to be Allow’d of but in Reprehension of so Irreverend a Freedom.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXLVII.
+
+_Demetrius_ and _Menander_.
+
+
+When _Demetrius Phalaræus_ (a Tyrant and an Usurper,) took Possession
+of _Athens_, how was he Beset and Pursu’d with the _Huzza’s_ and
+_Acclamations_ of the People! Nay, and the Leading Men of the City too,
+with Joy in their Looks, and Gall in their Hearts, striving who should
+be Foremost in the Solemnity, to cry _Vive Demetrius_, and Kiss the
+Hand that Enslav’d them. After them follow’d the Men of Ease, Luxury
+and Pleasure, for fear of being thought Wanting in point of Affection
+and Respect. _Mænander_ the Famous Comical poet was one of the Number,
+but in so Loose a Garb and Dress, and with so Unmanly a kind of March
+and Motion, that _Demetrius_ had his Eye upon him presently, and call’d
+Aloud to know how such an Effeminate Sot durst presume to Appear in
+his Presence. Somebody gave the Tyrant immediately a Whisper, and told
+him, Sir, says he, This is the Poet _Mænander_ that you your self have
+been pleas’d to own so Great an Admiration and Esteem for. _Demetrius_
+recollects himself, and changes his Humour in the very instant; calls
+_Mænander_ to him, and Treats him with all the Instances imaginable of a
+singular Liking and Respect.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This Fable sets forth the Slavish Humour and Practice of the World,
+upon all Violent Changes, let them be never so Impious and Unjust: And
+it shews us again, that no Tyrants Heart can be so Hard, but it may be
+Soften’d, and wrought upon by the Force of Wit and Good Letters._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis no Wonder, where there’s Power on the One Side, to find Flattery and
+Slavery on the Other: Nor is there any Inference to be drawn from the
+Outward Pomp of Popular Addresses and Applause, to an Inward Congruity of
+Affections in the Heart: For Blessings and Cursings come out of the same
+Mouth. These Noisy Acclamations are rather made of Mode and Ceremony,
+then of Zeal and Good Will; and the _Huzza’s_ of the _Rabble_ are the
+same to a _Bear_ that they are to a _Prince_, and signifie no more to the
+One then they do to the Other. The Tyrants Reproof here of _Mænander_
+for his _Meen_ and _Garb_, and his Recollection then, upon being better
+Inform’d, are First to the Honour of his Character, in being so Generous,
+as upon so solemn an Occasion, to own his Mistake: And Secondly,
+Instructive to us, that we are not to Judge of the Man by his Outside.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXLVIII.
+
+A _Consultation_ about _Securing_ a _Town_.
+
+
+There was a Council of Mechanicks call’d to Advise about the Fortifying
+of a City; a _Bricklayer_ was for Walling it with _Stone_; a _Carpenter_
+was of Opinion, that _Timber_ would be worth Forty on’t: And after them,
+up starts a _Currier_. Gentlemen, says he, when y’ave said all that can
+be said, there’s nothing in the World like Leather.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Charity begins at Home, they say, and ’tis every Man’s Bus’ness in the
+First Place to look to his own Mother’s Child._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Here was a Debate set afoot, but the Board came to no Resolution, we
+see; and it could not be expected they should, where the Advisers were
+Every Man Interested for himself, and consequently both Parties and
+Judges. This is the Fate and the Issue of all Mix’d Councils, where
+the Members that are Intrusted with the Protection, the Care, and the
+Treasure of the Publick, lie under the Temptation of Voting Honourable
+Charges to themselves, and putting Mony in their own Pockets. These Men
+in some Cases are call’d Pensioners, in others Patriots; and in some
+again Committee-men, according to the Humour of the Age they Live in. Now
+where a Sharper is allow’d both to Shuffle and Cut, the Devil’s in him
+if he does not deal himself a Good Game. The Disposers of other People’s
+Fortunes seldom forget themselves; and all this is no more then the
+Common Liberty that every Cook has of Licking his own Fingers.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXLIX.
+
+A _Hedge_ Destroy’d for Bearing no _Fruit_.
+
+
+A Foolish Heir that was now come to the Possession of a Wise Man’s
+Estate, caus’d all the _Bushes_ and _Hedges_ about his Vineyard to be
+Grubb’d up, because they brought him no Grapes. The Throwing down of this
+Hedge, laid his Ground open to Man and Beast, and all his Plants were
+presently Destroy’d. My Simple Young Master came now to be convinc’d of
+his Folly, in taking away the Guard that Preserv’d his Vines, and in
+expecting Grapes from Brambles.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There needs as much Care and Industry to the Preserving of Things, as
+there does to the Acquiring of them, and the Centinel is as necessary to
+the Common Safety, as he that Fights the Battel._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Parable of the _Hedge_ and the _Vineyard_, may be aptly enough
+expounded of the Laws that secure a Civil Community. So long as the
+Enclosure is kept up, and maintain’d, the Peace and the Order of the
+Publick is Provided for; but if it be suffer’d by Neglect, either to
+fall to Decay, or to be over-born by Violence, and all laid in Common,
+the Beasts of the Forest break into’t, and of a Vineyard it becomes a
+Wilderness. This Fable marks out to us also the double Folly of those,
+that First disappoint the Intent, Use and Benefit of Things, for want of
+Understanding the Reason of them; and Secondly, ground all this upon as
+gross a Mistake of ’em: For what’s his Quarrel to the _Hedge_, but that
+his _Thorns_ and his _Brambles_ did not bring forth _Raisins_, rather
+then _Haws_ and _Blackberries_?
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCL.
+
+A _Bull_ and a _Gnat_.
+
+
+A Gnat that had Planted himself upon the Horn of a Bull, very civilly
+begg’d the Bull’s Pardon for his Importunity; but rather then Incommode
+ye, says he, I’ll Remove. Oh, never Trouble your Head for that, says the
+Bull; for ’tis all One to me whether you go or stay. I never felt ye when
+you sat down, and I shall take as Little Notice of ye when you Rise.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Vanity of this Fly, strikes at a Humour that we meet with every Day
+in the World, in a Hundred Trifling, Nonsensical People, that will be
+still making Themselves more Considerable then they are._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are a Thousand Frivolous and Impertinent Pretensions of Civility
+that are struck at in this Fable; and they well deserve to be Corrected;
+for it is certainly one of the most Nauseous, Mawmish Mortifications
+under the Sun, for a Man of Sense and Bus’ness to have to do with
+a Punctual, Finical Fop, that’s too Mannerly, and does every thing
+forsooth by Rule and Compass: Especially where his Quality, Relation, or
+Authority, Entitles him to a Respect.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLI.
+
+_Rats_ that Eat _Copper_.
+
+
+A Merchant that had gotten a Friend of his to lay up a considerable
+Quantity of _Copper_ for him, comes afterward to have Occasion for’t,
+and so desires he may have his _Copper_ again. Alas, says his Friend, my
+House is so Pester’d with Rats, that they have gotten to your _Copper_,
+and Eat it all up. The First _Rats_ of that Diet, says the Merchant,
+that ever I heard of. O Good Sir, says the Man, ’tis a common thing with
+’em here in this Island. So away goes the Merchant, and the next Morning
+comes his Friend to him, Wringing his Hands, and Exclaiming, Oh what
+should he do! The _Kidnappers_ had stoll’n away his only Child. Bless me,
+says the Master, this minds me of a Raven I saw Yesterday Steeple-high,
+just over your House with a Child in’s Foot: My Life for’t, that was
+your Child. No, no, says t’other, a Raven Fly away with a Child! that’s
+Impossible. Pardon me, says the Merchant, ’tis a common thing where
+_Rats_ Eat _Copper_, for _Ravens_ to Fly away with _Children_. The Man
+found himself Beaten at his own Play, and so Compounded with the Merchant
+to give him Satisfaction for his _Copper_, upon condition that he might
+have his _Child_ again; for he had smelt it out by this time that the
+_Merchant_ himself was the _Kidnapper_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a Dexterous Turn of Address, to Baffle One Banter with Another; And
+the Nearer the Resemblance of the Humour, the Hit is so much the Better._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+One Nail must be driven out with Another. _Bantering_ is only an old way
+of _Fooling_, under a new Name; but the License of the Age has perhaps
+given it more Credit in the World, in this Nation and Conjuncture then
+ever it had. It is a Turn of Wit next to _Slight of Hand_; and the Play
+of _Jest or Earnest_ is as arrant a _Jugglers_ Trick, as little _Hocus’s
+Fast or Loose_. It is a stroke of Wit, Pleasant and Agreeable enough,
+if it be kept within the Bounds of Sobriety, Candor and Respect: But
+when it comes to Lash out once at a venture, into matters Holy as well
+as Prophane; when it comes once I say to be Intemperate, Ill-Natur’d,
+Sceptical, Scandalous and Bitter, ’tis a way of Conversation for a
+_Merry-Andrew_ or a _Buffon_, rather then for a Man of Honour, or of
+Common Sense. It is not one jot better then Boys Play, when they cry,
+_I made ’em Believe so_; and that’s the very Point at last that they
+drive at. _The Rats have Eat your Copper_, says the _Trustee_ here to the
+Merchant. What was there more in this, then to try whether the Merchant
+was a Fool or not, and so to Couzen him if he had found him one? Nay, and
+to make him a Fool upon Record too by his own Confession, both in one.
+Now if he had but put a Dammee to the Truth on’t, according to the Modish
+Humour of the Times, some Soft-headed, Conscientious Fop might have
+Swallow’d it perhaps; but the Merchant very Dextrously turn’d the Conceit
+upon him, and sav’d his Copper and his Credit both at once.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLII.
+
+A _Woman Reviv’d_ with _Beating_.
+
+
+There was an Untoward Perverse Piece of Womans Flesh that fell now and
+then under the Discipline of a little Family-Correction; and she had got
+a trick of throwing her self down upon her Back, holding her Breath, and
+there lying at her Length for Stone-Dead. Her Husband it seems had been
+wonted to these Gamboles, and so in a Grave Serious way, as she lay in a
+Fit once, calls for a Knife. Come, says he, When the Beast is Dead, we
+must e’en make the best of his Skin, and so he fell to work, and began
+to flay her at the Heel. The Woman did not like that way of Fooling, but
+started up, and came to her self immediately.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This in the Fable, is One of those Cases wherein People that are to be
+Believed in Nothing else, ought to be taken at their Words._ My Heart’s
+too Big to bear this, (_says a Blustering Fellow_,) By the Lord, I’ll
+Destroy my self. _Sir, says the Gentleman, here’s a Dagger at your
+Service; and so the Humour went off_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Here’s Fooling against Fooling, and one Counterfeit Answer’d with
+another. The Woman would needs persuade the Good Man that she was Dead;
+and the Husband in Requital, gives her to understand, that she must be
+Flay’d then; which was the only way the Poor Man had of making the best
+of a Bad Game. ’Twas a Sham both ways, and so they Compounded the Quarrel
+upon’t; and the Good Woman never Dy’d after this, ’till she came to Dye
+for Good and all. There are some Peevish Cases that will bear no other
+way of Conviction.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLIII.
+
+_Two Friends_ and _Fortune_.
+
+
+There goes a Story of Two Familiar Friends that were often together, and
+had a great many Words upon the Subject of that which we call _Fortune_.
+They were both well enough to pass, but of very Differing Humours; the
+one a Man of Project and Bussle in the World, the other altogether for
+Ease and Quiet. The one had a Roving, Rambling Head; the other was a
+Man of Privacy and Reserve. The one in Fine, was for making his Court
+to _Fortune_; the other for _Lying by_, ’till _Fortune_ should make her
+Court to _Him_, (according to the Freak of the rest of the Sex.) Come,
+come, says the Ranger, we shall never make any thing on’t at this rate
+of Living; here’s neither Honour nor Mony to be got by staying where we
+are, and for my own part, I’m e’en for a Pilgrimage to the Temple of
+_Fortune_. Ay, but where’s that? says t’other. Why, says the Rambler, we
+must e’en beat it out the best we can. Pray’e, says his Companion, Advise
+well with your Pillow before you Embark in this Adventure. You are going
+you know not whither, to find out you know not what, or whom: A Phantome,
+that slips out of your Arms in the very Grasping at it, a common
+Prostitute to Fools and Footmen. You must be a Knave to be a Favourite,
+and abandon all the Substantial Comforts of Human Nature for a Jilt; and
+a Shadow; in one word, if you’ll needs be wandring, Pray’e, when we meet
+next, remember what I told ye; And in the mean time, I’ll e’en lye down
+in Peace, and keep my Self just as I am, and where I am; and if ever you
+live to come back again, do but look for me, and there, if I’m Alive, you
+shall be sure to Find me.
+
+Upon these Terms they parted, and away Posts the Cavalier in Quest of
+his new Mistress. His First Jaunt is to Court, where he Enquires for
+Madam _Fortune’s_ Lodgings: But she shifted so often, they told him,
+that there was no certainty of Finding her. He never fail’d to make one
+at the Princes _Levee_ and _Couche_, where he heard over and over, how
+she had been at this Place and at that Place, but never could get sight
+of her. They told him indeed, that at such or such a Time, he might be
+sure of her at this _Minions_, or at that _Buffoons_ Apartment; but
+she was still so Busie, and so Private, that there was no coming to the
+Speech of her. In fine, when he had Hunted and waited like a Dog, Early
+and Late, I know not how long, one told him for a certain, that she had
+newly taken Wing, and was gone a Progress to a Temple she had in _Terra
+Australis Incognita_. Upon this, he takes his leave of the Court, and
+away immediately to Sea, where he meets with Pyrates, Rocks and Shelves,
+and in short, so many Dreadful Encounters, as made him cast many a heavy
+Look and Thought upon the Quiet Cottage and Companion that he had left
+behind him: But he goes pressing forward still for all this, ’till in the
+conclusion, he was Fobb’d again with another Story: That _Fortune_ ’tis
+true, had been there; but she was call’d away by an Express, not above
+Two Minutes before, to the _Nor’ward_. These Phantastical Amusements and
+Miscarriages brought him by little and little to his Wits again, and to a
+contempt of all the vain Promises and Pretences of Avarice and Ambition.
+With these thoughts about him, he makes all the hast he can back again,
+to his poor Blessed Home; where he finds his old Friend and Acquaintance,
+without any Cares in his head, Fast asleep; and that very _Fortune_ that
+had led him this _Wild-Goose Chase_ over the whole World, waiting like a
+Spaniel at the Door, and _Begging_ to be let in.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_It is with Fortune as it is with other Fantastical Mistresses; she makes
+sport with those that are ready to Dye for her, and throws her self at
+the Feet of others that Despise her._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis Great Virtue and Happiness for a Man to set his Heart wholly upon
+that Lot and Station which Providence has Assigned him, and to Content
+himself with what he has, without Wand’ring after Imaginary Satisfactions
+in what he has not. Fancy and Curiosity have no Bounds. Their _Motto_ may
+be [_SOMEWHAT ELSE_.] And how should it be otherwise with People that are
+never Pleas’d with the Present? They want they know not what, and they
+look for’t they know not where. We have had so many Occasions already to
+handle this Moral, that it would be Time lost to say any more upon’t in
+this Place.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLIV.
+
+A _Boy_ that would not learn his _Book_.
+
+
+There was a Stomachful Boy put to School, and the whole World could
+not bring him to Pronounce the First Letter in his Alphabet. Open your
+Mouth says the Master, and cry [_A_.] The Boy Gapes, without so much as
+offering at the Vowel. When the Master could do no good upon him, his
+School-Fellows took him to Task among Themselves. Why ’tis not so hard a
+thing methinks, says one of ’em, to cry [_A_:] No, says the Boy, ’tis not
+so hard neither; but if I should cry [_A_] once, they’d make me cry [_B_]
+too, and I’ll never do that, I’m Resolved.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s no Contending with Obstinacy and Ill-Nature; especially where
+there’s a Perverseness of Affection that goes along with it._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The _Spaniards_ will have it that _Apes_ can speak if they would, but
+they are afraid they shall be put to work then. The _Boys_ Reason
+here, and the _Apes_ are much at one; and ’tis the case of Counterfeit
+Cripples too, that pretend they cannot do this or that, when in truth,
+they are Lazy, and have no mind to be put to’t. The same Humour Governs
+in a World of Cases, where a Pretext of Disability is made use of,
+either out of Crossness or Sloth. This Restiff Stubbornness is never to
+be Excus’d, under any Pretence whatsoever; but where the thing to be
+done is that which we are bound in Honour and in Duty to do, there’s
+no Enduring of it. As in Cases of Law, Conscience, Church-Ceremonies,
+Civil or Natural Obedience to Princes, Parents, Husbands, Masters, &c.
+If I should do This, you’d make me do That, they cry; which is only a
+short Resolution that puts all the Functions and Offices of Order and
+Authority to a stand. He that says I cannot do this or that, where the
+Thing is Lawfully Impos’d and Requir’d, and not _Simply Evil_, might
+e’en as well have said, I _will_ not do’t; for the Exception is not to
+the _Thing Commanded_, but to the _Commanding Power_. If I yield in one
+Point, says the _Boy_, they’ll expect I should yield in more. Grant _One_
+Prerogative, and grant _All_, says the _Republican_. But then says the
+Sovereign on the Other hand, Part with one Prerogative, and part with
+All: So that the Contest is not Matter of _Scruple_, but who shall be
+_Uppermost_. In One Word, _Stubborn Boys_ and _Stubborn Subjects_, where
+they will not Comply upon _Fair_ Means, must be _whipp’d_ into their
+_Duties_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLV.
+
+_Hercules_ and _Pluto_.
+
+
+When _Hercules_ was taken up to Heaven for his Glorious Actions, he made
+his Reverence in Course to all the Gods, ’till he came to _Pluto_, upon
+whom he turn’d his Back with Indignation and Contempt. _Jupiter_ ask’d
+him, what he meant by that Disrespect? Why, says _Hercules_, that _Son of
+Fortune_ Corrupts the whole World with _Mony_, Encourages all manner of
+Wickedness, and is a common Enemy to all Good Men.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This is only to shew the Opposition betwixt a Narrow, Sordid, Avaritious
+Humour, and the Publick-Spirited Generosity of a Man of Honour, Industry,
+and Virtue._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Mony has its Use ’tis true; but generally speaking, the Benefit does
+not Countervail the Cares that go along with it, and the Hazzards of
+the Temptation to Abuse it: It is the Patron, and the Price of all
+Wickedness: It Blinds all Eyes, and Stops all Ears, from the Prince to
+the very Beggar. It Corrupts Faith and Justice; and in one Word, ’tis
+the very Pick-Lock, that opens the way into all Cabinets and Councils.
+It Debauches Children against their Parents; it makes Subjects Rebel
+against their Governors; it turns Lawyers and Divines into Advocates for
+Sacrilege and Sedition; and it Transports the very Professors of the
+Gospel into a Spirit of Contradiction and Defiance, to the Practices and
+Precepts of our Lord and Master. It is no Wonder now, that _Hercules_
+should so Contemptuously turn his Back upon _Pluto_, or the God of Mony;
+when the One’s Bus’ness is to Propagate and Encourage those Monsters,
+which the other came into the World to Quell and to Subdue.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLVI.
+
+A _Lion_, _Boar_, and _Vultures_.
+
+
+There happen’d a Desperate Quarrel betwixt a _Lion_ and a _Boar_; they
+Fought upon’t, and the _Vultures_ came hovering over the Combatants to
+make a Prey of him that should be left upon the Spot: But it so fell
+out, that there was no Death in the Case, and the _Vultures_ were not a
+little troubled at the Disappointment.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_When Fools fall out, it shall go Hard but Knaves will be the better
+for’t._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are several sorts of Men in the World that live upon the Sins
+and the Misfortunes of other People. This Fable may be Moraliz’d in
+almost all the Controversies of Human Life whether Publick or Private.
+_Plaintiff_ and _Defendant_ find Bus’ness for the _Lawyers_: Questions
+of _Religion_ for the _Divines_: Disputes about _Privileges_ and
+_Liberties_, Cut out Work for the _Soldiers_. A _General Peace_ in fine,
+would be a _General Disappointment_; for the wrangling of some, is the
+Livelihood of others; and wherever there are like to be _Carkasses_,
+there will never fail to be _Vultures_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLVII.
+
+A _Man_ that would never Hear _Ill News_.
+
+
+One came to a Country Grazier, and asked him if he should tell him a
+piece of News. Is’t Good or Bad? (says he.) Nay, says t’other, ’tis not
+very Good. Pray, says the Grazier, keep it to your self then; and so he
+went his way. The Grazier was telling the next day, that the Wolves had
+kill’d one of his Bullocks: That’s like enough, says the same Man; for I
+saw him wand’ring from the Herd, and I was afraid on’t. I would you had
+told me this in time, says the Grazier. Why I came I know not how far
+yesterday a-purpose to tell you the Story, and you would not hear on’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Man is too Delicate to be Happy, that makes it in his Bargain not to
+hear any Thing that may give him a Present Trouble._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This way of Consulting a Bodies Ease, makes a Man Accessory to his own
+Ruin. There’s an Attempt design’d for the Purpose, upon the Person of a
+Man; and he shuts his Ears against any Intelligence, or Notice of it,
+till the Dagger is at his Heart. He that will not hear the Worst of
+things Betimes, must expect afterward to feel the Effect of the Bad
+News that he would not Hear. First, he loses the Means of Preventing
+Mischiefs, by not suffering himself to be Inform’d whereabouts the Danger
+lies. Secondly, He lives in a continual Dread of all Accidents that
+may befall him in general, though of Nothing in particular, and leaves
+himself no Place for the Exercise of Prudence and Precaution. This sort
+of People Jog on in the World, (for I cannot call it Living) without any
+Thought for to Morrow. Talk to them of Poverty, Persecutions, Torments,
+Slavery, Sickness, nay, Death it self at a Distance, they’ll put it off
+to the last Moment, and venture the Surprisal, when it comes indeed,
+rather then abide but so much as the Hearing on’t Before-hand.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLVIII.
+
+A _Miser_ and _Rotten Apples_.
+
+
+There was a Stingy Narrow-hearted Fellow, that had a great deal of Choice
+Fruit in his Ground, but had not the Heart to touch any of it till it
+began to be Rotten. This Man’s Son would every foot and anon be taking
+some of his Companions into the Orchard with him. Look ye says he, That’s
+an Excellent Apple, and here’s a Delicate sort of Plum. Gather and Eat
+what you will of these, provided you don’t Meddle with any of the Rotten
+Ones: For my Father (you must know) keeps them for his own Eating.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This is to set forth the Wicked and the Scandalous Wretchedness of
+Avarice, that rather then make use of the Bounties of Providence in their
+Season, suffers them to lye by and Perish._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+How Miserable are those Cormudgeons that spend their Lives in Carking and
+Pinching themselves for things they have not the Heart to make use of!
+And in this Humour of Griping (which they call Saving) fall foul upon the
+very Extreme of Profusion another way. They either Lose or Spoil every
+thing by Keeping it, till ’tis fit only to be thrown away; and that’s
+their way of Spending it. Their Money lies as close in their Coffers,
+as ever it did in the Mine whence it was drawn. They’ll rather venture
+the whole Stock, then be at one Penny Charge for the Saving of the Rest.
+They pervert the very Intent, as well as they destroy the Bounties of
+Providence: Nay, they Envy the common Enjoyment of those Blessings that
+were intended for the Relief, Comfort, and Satisfaction of Mankind.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLIX.
+
+The _Devil_ Refus’d to _Marry_.
+
+
+A Certain Devil had the hap to live for some time in a State of Wedlock,
+with a Spiteful, Vexatious Gipsy, that in Truth was too hard for him.
+She Dy’d at last of the Pip, and the Breath was no sooner out of her
+Body, but he fell to Blessing the Stars for his Deliverance; and so
+bound himself by a Desperate Vow, that he would never Marry again. It
+fell out some time after, that a Poor Man was Possess’d with this very
+Devil, and that when an _Exorcist_ had try’d all the ways of Charm,
+Prayer and Menace, to Remove him, and found him Proof against all manner
+of _Exorcisms_, he Bawl’d it out, once for all, _Either come forth, or
+Marry_. The Devil immediately cry’d out for Mercy, _I go Father_, says
+he; _Any Hell but that of a Second Wife_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Take this Droll by the Right Handle, and it gives to understand, that
+some Women may as well fright the Devil out of a Man, as others Conjure
+him up into one._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable is only a High-Flown _Hyperbole_ upon the Miseries of Marriage
+under the Judgment of a Wayward, a Jealous and a Brawling Wife: And the
+Moral of it is Directed to all the Poor Husbands, that are Condemn’d to
+that Purgatory.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLX.
+
+A _Country-man_ and _Jupiter_.
+
+
+A Poor Plain Fellow was so Dazled and Transported with the Pomp, the
+Splendor, the Plenty, State and Luxury that Great Men live in, that
+it was the First Petition of his Daily Litany to _Jupiter_, to make
+him a _Lord_. _Jupiter_ found he could not be Quiet for him, and bad
+_Mercury_ carry him Two Curious Baskets with Honour and Money in them.
+They were both cover’d, the one with Purple, the other with Gold, and
+_Mercury_ was Order’d to let the Man Open and Examin them as strictly as
+he pleas’d, but to bid him have a care not to meddle with them Rashly,
+for fear of the worst. The Countryman was so Charm’d with the Present
+at First Sight, that he took it away with him by _Content_, without
+asking any Questions. But when he came afterward to consider at leisure
+the Cares, Anxieties, Fears, Doubts, and all manner of Troubles and
+Diseases that were inseparably to go along with his Bags and Dignities;
+he found himself much more Uneasie now then he was before; and that he
+had Sacrificed the Peace of his very Soul, to the Vanity of his Eye and
+Appetite.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis not for a Wise Man to set his Heart upon Gay and Glittering
+Appearances. The Devil himself Baits all his Hooks with Pomp, Lusts and
+Pleasures: and the very Glory of the Outside, makes the Contents the more
+suspicious for’t._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Man may bear the want of Honours and Riches, before he has ’em, much
+better then the Loss of them when he has obtain’d them. And they are
+in short the Plagues of an Inconsiderate Life. He that wishes them for
+the Common Good, and applies them when he has them, to that Generous
+End, makes a Right Use of the Divine Providence and Bounty: But he that
+seeks them for his own sake, and Converts them wholly to his own Profit,
+Defrauds the Publick. As if a Man should apply an Estate that was made
+over to him in Trust, to the wrong Uses.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXI.
+
+A _Bee_ that went over to the _Drones_.
+
+
+To what End (says a _Bee_) should I Toil and Moil my self out of my
+Life for a Poor Subsistence, when the _Drones_ that do nothing at all,
+Live in as much Plenty every jot as I do? Upon this Thought, the _Bee_
+Resolv’d after their Example to work no longer. The Master it seems
+call’d her to Account for’t; the _Bee_ took Pet upon’t, and without any
+more to do, went over to the _Drones Party_, where she pass’d the Summer
+easily enough, and to her Satisfaction. But upon the Winter’s coming
+on, when the _Drones_ were all Dispers’d into their several Holes, the
+_Bee would_ fain have gone Home again; but the Cells of the Combs were
+all Clos’d, so that there was no Entrance, and the Poor _Bee_ Starv’d to
+Death betwixt Cold and Hunger.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_It is all the Reason in the World, that every Man in what Station
+soever, should Work in some sort or other for his Living. Nature her self
+is always at Work; and a Prince has no more Prerogative to be Idle, then
+a Beggar._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Action is a Reasonable Duty, how variously soever it may be Exercised,
+whether in the Functions of Power, or in the Offices of Subjection.
+A Reasonable Soul can no more stand still, then the Sun can stop its
+course. This Fable branches out into several Morals: First, it serves
+for a Reproof of Sloth. Secondly, In the _Bees_ being Corrupted by the
+Practice of the _Drones_, it shews us the Danger and the Force of Ill
+Example; especially where there’s Ease and Sensuality to strengthen
+the Temptation, which must needs be wonderfully Powerful, where the
+_Emblem_ of _Industry_ on the one hand, comes to be wrought upon by the
+very _Emblem_ of _Laziness_ on the other. Thirdly, it leads us to a
+Consideration of the End of an Unactive and an Unprofitable Life. The
+Bees Summer-Friends Forsake her; those of her own Family shut the Doors
+against her; and so she’s Abandon’d to the wide World, as an Object of
+Detestation and Scorn.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXII.
+
+A _Crow_ and a _Raven_.
+
+
+The Ancients tell us that the _Crow_ was once _Minerva_’s Favourite, and
+the _Raven_ _Apollo_’s; but the One of them was found to be so full of
+Tongue, so Over-Officious and Inquisitive; and the Other so Desperately
+given to Croking and Fore-boding upon Evil Things to come, that they fell
+both into Disgrace for’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Great Talkers, Medlers, and Busie-Bodies, are the very Pest of Human
+Society._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There is no Peace to be expected, either in a Government, or in a Family
+where Tale-bearers, and the Spreaders of Ill and of False News, are
+Encourag’d. Now the Curiosity of Heark’ning after Privacies that do not
+concern us, and of Prying into forbidden Secrets, does not arise so
+much from a Desire of knowing the Truth of Things simply for our own
+Satisfaction, as from an Itch of Screwing our Selves into other Peoples
+Matters, that we may be Prating of them again. And then the Tale is very
+seldom or never without Calumny and Detraction at the End on’t.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXIII.
+
+The _Bitches Bed-maker_.
+
+
+You must needs make this Bitches Bed immediately, says the Master of the
+House to his Maid, for she’s just ready to lie down. It was not done it
+seems, and the Man was very Angry with the Wench for not doing as she was
+bid. Alas, says the Poor Girl, I’de have made her Bed with all my Heart,
+if I could but have told which way she’d lie with her Head, and which
+with her Backside.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s no Pleasing those that cannot Please themselves._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Steady Mind will admit Steady Methods and Counsels; but there’s no
+Measure to be taken of a Changeable Humour. Tell me where I may find ye,
+and I shall know where to fit ye: But otherwise, ’tis with us in the
+Levity of our Manners, and of our Humours, as it was with _Clark_, the
+Famous Posture-Master, and his Taylor. When the Workman took Measure of
+him, he was Crump-Shoulder’d, and the Right Side Higher then the Left;
+when he brought home his Suit, the Left was Higher then the Right; The
+Fellow was Mad at himself, and made him another Suit; and that would not
+do neither, for his Body was then as Straight as an Arrow.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXIV.
+
+A _Trusty Dog_ and his _Master_.
+
+
+The Master of a Family that had, as he thought, a very good Condition’d
+Dog, coming home from his Bus’ness once, found a Cradle Over-turn’d; the
+Dog’s Mouth all Bloody, and his only Child Missing. He draws his Sword
+immediately and Kills the Dog, upon a Presumption that he had Worryed the
+Child, without any regard to his Try’d Fidelity, and without Allowing
+himself One Moment of Time for a Second Thought. Upon a further Enquiry,
+he found the Truth of the Matter to be this: The Child being left alone
+in the Cradle, there was a Serpent Winding it self up the side on’t,
+to Destroy the Child. The Dog leaps upon the Serpent, and Tears it to
+Pieces; but in the Scuffle, the Cradle happen’d to be Over-turn’d: Upon
+the Taking up of the Cradle, the Master found the Child Alive under
+it, and the Serpent Dead, which, upon Reflexion, Convinc’d him of the
+Miserable Temerity of his Mistake.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Repentance of a whole Life, is not sufficient to Atone for the
+Miscarriage of One Rash Action._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Anger without Consideration, is little better then a downright Madness;
+it makes us take Benefits for Injuries, it Confounds Truth and Falshood;
+and we have but too many Instances of Outrages committed on the Persons
+of the best of our Friends, upon a False Persuasion of their being our
+Mortal Enemies. Charity bids us Hope and Believe the Best of Things:
+Prudence bids us examine the Truth of Things: Religion and Common Equity
+Preach to us upon the Text of _Do as you would be done by_. So that
+it is Uncharitable, Unreasonable, Unchristian, and Inhuman, to pass a
+Peremptory Sentence of Condemnation upon a Try’d Friend, where there’s
+any Room left for a more Favourable Judgment.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXV.
+
+A _Fool_ and a _Sieve_.
+
+
+An Innocent found a Sieve, and presently fell to Stopping the Holes,
+which he call’d Mending it. When he had been Puzzling a good while about
+it, he threw’t away in a Rage: I shall never make any thing on’t, says
+he, for I don’t know which I am to Stop, and which to leave Open.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_It fares with the Pragmatical sort of State-Menders, much as it did
+with this Sieve-Mender: They do not like things as they are, neither do
+they understand how they should be. But they are for Change however at
+a Venture; and when they have once put Matters out of Order, there’s no
+setting them to Rights again._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are none so Forward as Fools to Mend Things that are Well already;
+though they find upon Experiment that they Make and they Leave every
+Thing worse then they found it. They are at first for Stopping of
+Holes, and when that won’t do, they are for Making of ’em again. We
+have abundance of Fools in the Moral to answer this Fool in the Fable;
+that is to say, People that take upon them to Correct what they do not
+Understand; and that when they have Embroil’d the Publick, leave the
+Main Chance to Fortune, to Shuffle the Cards anew, and Play the Game
+over again. This is the Fate on’t, when Pedants will be medling with
+Politicks, and Botchers setting up for the Reformers of Providence.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXVI.
+
+A _Fig-Tree_ and a _Thorn_.
+
+
+A _Fig-Tree_ and a _Thorn_ were valuing themselves once upon the
+Advantage that the One had over the Other. Well, says the _Thorn_,
+What would you give for such _Flowers_ as these? Very Good, says the
+_Fig-Tree_, and what would you give for such _Fruit_ as This? Why, says
+the other, ’twould be against _Nature_ for a _Thorn_ to bring forth
+_Figs_. Well (says t’other again,) and ’twould be against _Nature_ too,
+for a _Fig-Tree_ to bring forth _Flowers_: Beside that, I have _Fruit_
+you see, that is much Better.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Every Creature has a Share in the Common Blessings of Providence; and it
+is a Virtue as well as a Duty for every Creature to rest well satisfied
+with its Proportion in those Comforts; but when we come once to Boast of
+our selves, and to Derogate from others, ’tis no longer a Virtue but a
+Vanity; and especially when we Mistake the Value of things, and prefer
+the Advantages of Beauty, before those of Use and Service._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis not Every Man that can distinguish betwixt the Excellencies of
+Beauty and of Virtue: And how in Truth should they Distinguish, when
+Every Man that has Eyes in his head, sees the One, and not One Man of
+Forty Understands the Other? Nay, the very Ostentation of the Thorn, is a
+Weakness, and I might have said a Vice too; for the Vanity Unhallows the
+very Virtue, especially where it is Accompany’d with Detraction.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXVII.
+
+A _Wolf_ and a _Fox_.
+
+
+A _Wolf_ had the Fortune to pass by, as the Thief-Leaders were Dragging
+a Proper Goodly Fox to the Place of Execution. The _Wolf_ took such a
+kindness for him, that he Resolved to Employ his Interest with the Lion
+to save his Life; but by the way, says he, what’s the Malefactor’s Crime?
+So the Officers told him, that he had not only Robb’d several Hen-Roosts,
+but had the Impudence to Steal a Fat Goose, that was Reserv’d for his
+Majesties own Table. Say ye so? says the _Wolf_, why then _the Case is
+Alter’d_, quoth _Plouden_; and so he left him to take his Fortune.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Interest is the very Test and Standard of Good and Evil. If I may
+gain by doing a Thing, ’tis Honest; if it be against my Profit, ’tis
+consequently against my Conscience. This is the_ Pro & Con _of Common
+Practice; and ’tis but Casting some Grains of Allowance into the Scale,
+to Palliate the Foulest Iniquity_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fable hits the Humour of the World to a Hair, and it holds from him
+that sits upon the Throne, to the poor Devil that has scarce a Tatter
+to his Breech. Men are easie to Pardon Offences committed against other
+People; but when they come to be Touch’d Once in their Own Copy-Hold,
+the _Lion’s Fat-Goose_ weighs down all the _Cocks_ and _Hens_ in the
+Country: And in that Case the _Wolf_ leaves his Brother _Fox_ at the
+Gallows. The Rogue has Stoll’n a _Prerogative-Goose_, says he, and the
+King will never Pardon him. This is according to Practice, how contrary
+soever to the true Measures of Generosity, Honour and Justice. _That’s
+the veriest Villain in Nature_, cries one, _for I’ll tell ye how he
+Us’d Me. As Worthy a Man_, says another, _as ever trod upon a Shoe of
+Leather; for really I have been much Beholden to him_. In short, there
+is such an Affinity betwixt our Prudentials and our Appetites, that they
+are like two _Unison Strings_, if you Touch the One, the Other Moves
+by Consent. There was a certain _Filacer_ (an Officer of the Common
+Pleas,) that in _Oliver_’s Days was mightily concern’d upon the Subject
+of the Government, and Dilating in a kind of Rhetorical _Climax_ upon
+the Iniquity of the Times: Well (says he,) here’s the Best Church upon
+the Face of the Earth Destroy’d; the Nobility and Gentry trampled under
+Foot, and begger’d; the Commonalty Enslaved; the Laws Overturn’d; the
+Constitution of Parliaments Dissolv’d; a most Pious, Gracious King
+Murder’d; And now to _Consumate the Villany_, they say they are putting
+down the _Filacers_. When it comes once to the _Filacers_, it Touches to
+the Quick.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXVIII.
+
+A _Rich Man_ and a _Poor_.
+
+
+As a Poor Fellow was Beating the Hoof upon the High-way, and Trudging on
+Merrily in a Bitter Cold Morning, with never a Rag to his Tayl: A Spark
+that was Warm Clad, and Well Mounted, (but his Teeth Chattering in his
+Head yet,) call’d to this _Tatter-de-Mallion_, and ask’d him how he was
+able to endure this Terrible Weather? Why, says t’other, how does your
+_Face_ endure it? My _Face_ is us’d to’t, says the Cavalier. And so is my
+Body, says the other; so that I am all Face. And then (says the Poor Cur)
+there’s another thing yet besides; I have all the Cloaths I have in the
+World upon my Back, and that’s enough to keep me Warm: Do but you put on
+all yours too, and you shall be Warm as well as I.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_By Custom, Practice and Patience, all Difficulties and Hardships,
+whether of Body or of Fortune, are made Easie to us. Mankind is all of
+a Make, and if we shrink in the Wetting, as we say, or in any Trial of
+Distress or Persecution, ’tis our own Fault; for we are Consulting our
+Skins, and our Affections, when we should rather be attending to the
+Motions of our Reason, which would give us better Counsel._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+If Men would but Inure themselves to do those things by Choice, which
+’tis Forty to One they shall be some time or other forc’d to do by
+Necessity, it would exceedingly Advance the Peace and Comfort of Human
+Life; for all those Miseries are only Visionary and Fantastical, so far
+as we Govern our selves by Opinion rather then by Reason. Our Bodies are
+not Naturally more Tender then our Faces; but by being less Expos’d to
+the Air, they become less able to endure it. Exercise makes things Easie
+to us, that would be otherwise very Hard; as in Labour, Watchings, Heats
+and Colds: And then there is something _Analogous_ in the Exercise of
+the Mind, to that of the Body. ’Tis Folly and Infirmity that makes us
+Delicate and Froward. We are taught likewise in the Differing Tempers and
+Conditions of the _Rich Man_ and the _Poor_ here, that a Man may be Happy
+with a Little, and Miserable in Abundance.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXIX.
+
+A _Wolf_ and a _Hog_.
+
+
+A _Wolf_ that had liv’d many Years upon the Spoil, came at last to be
+Troubled in Conscience for the Spilling of so much Innocent Blood, and
+so took up a Christian Resolution to keep a long Lent for’t; and not to
+Eat One Bit of Flesh for a Whole Twelve-Month: But Fasting it seems did
+not agree with his Constitution, for upon the sight of a _Hog_ Wallowing
+in a Muddy Puddle, he ran presently to him, and ask’d him what he was?
+Why, says the _Hog_, I belong to a Neighbour here in the Village, and
+the Ancient _Romans_ call me _Porcus_. In Good Time, says the _Wolf_;
+for I have read in _Littleton’s Dictionary_, that _Porcus is a Fish,
+that being Taken, Grunteth like a Hog_; and so he made a Supper of the
+_Hog_, without breaking his _Fast_, and without any Offence to his Vow of
+_Mortification_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_In a long Practice of Wickedness, now and then a Faint Vow or Promise of
+Amendment, goes for Nothing: And if a Body should have a Mind to break a
+Commandment under such an Obligation, it will be hard if he cannot bring
+himself off with some_ Salvo, _and be his own Confessor_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Men that are Habitually Wicked, may now and then by Fits and Starts feel
+certain Motions of Reflexion that look toward Repentance; but those
+Dispositions are commonly short Liv’d, and the same Meat shall be Fish or
+Flesh as it may best serve their Turn. We find this Fable Moraliz’d in
+our Daily Practice, not only among our _False Converts_, upon the Matter
+of Truth, Steadiness and Justice, but among _Politicians_, _Lawyers_,
+and _Divines_, that shall make the most Establish’d Principles of Law,
+Prudence and Religion, _Felons of themselves_, and by the help of a
+little _Sham_ and _Paradox_, _Blow Hot and Cold_, with the _Man_ and the
+_Satyr_, out of the same Mouth. This _Wolf_ now was somewhat of the Mans
+Humour that was Charg’d by his _Confessarius_, for Eating Flesh in Lent:
+Father, says he, I have as Catholick a Faith as any Man in Christendom;
+but a most Confounded Heretical Stomach. So the Wolves Heart was Right
+all this while, and by turning _Hog_ into _Porcus_, he kept his Fast in
+_Latin_ still, though he broke it in _English_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXX.
+
+A _Farmer_ and his _Servant_.
+
+
+A Country Farmer miss’d an Ox out of his Grounds, and sent his Man abroad
+one Day to look after him. The Simpleton went Hunting up and down, till
+at last he found him in a Wood; but upon Three Birds coming cross him,
+away goes he Scampering after them. He stay’d so long upon the Errand,
+that his Master Wonder’d what was become of him; and so Abroad he goes to
+look for his Man; and there was he in a Field hard by, running as hard
+as he could drive, and Staring up into the Air. Well, says the Master,
+what News? Why Master, says the Tony, I have found them. Ay, but says the
+Farmer again, Where are they? And what have ye found? Why look ye there
+they are, says the Fellow; I have found Three Birds here, and I’m trying
+if I can Catch ’em.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We have this Fool Moraliz’d abundantly to us in Common Practice.
+We leave the main End and Business of Life Unregarded, to run after
+Butterflies._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Man cannot look into himself without an Application of this Fable to
+his own Soul and Conscience. He was much in the Right, that call’d _Old
+Men_ only Great Blockheaded Boys with Beards, that Entertain themselves
+with _Bigger Play-things_. There’s an _Ox_ lost, and this Coxcomb runs
+a Gadding after _Wild-Fowl_. Is it not our very Case now, that when our
+Souls, Good Names, Bodies, and Fortunes are at Stake, we must be running
+out at Check, after every Crow, Buzzard, or Jack-daw that comes in the
+way, and leave the main Chance at last at Six and Seven? Nay, and here’s
+this more in’t too, that the Quarry would not be worth the taking up
+neither, if we could Catch it? beside, that it flies away still before
+us, and is never to be Overtaken.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXI.
+
+A _Satyr_ and _Fire_.
+
+
+The Poets tell us, that _Prometheus_ stole some of _Jupiter_’s _Fire_,
+and brought it down to us from Heaven, and that was our Original of it.
+A _Satyr_ was so Transported with the Glory and the Splendor of this
+Spirit, that down on his knees he falls, and would needs Kiss and Embrace
+it. Have a care of your Beard, says _Prometheus_; nay, and of your Chin
+too; for ’twill both Singe and Burn ye. And why, says the _Satyr_,
+would you bring down so Glorious a Temptation then to Plague the World
+withal? Why, says _Prometheus_, there were no Living without it; only
+the Mischief lies in the Abuse. It Burns, ’tis true, but then consider
+the Heat and the Light that comes along with it, and you shall find it
+serves us to all manner of Profitable, Delightful and Necessary Purposes,
+provided only that we make a Right Use on’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s not One Grain in the whole Composition of the Universe, either
+too Much, or too Little; Nothing to be Added, Nothing to be Spar’d; nor
+so much as any One Particle of it that Mankind may not be either the
+Better or the Worse for, according as ’tis Apply’d. The most Sovereign
+Antidotes have Poison in them; the most necessary Means of Life may be
+Corrupted or Perverted, and render’d the most Destructive to us; As an
+Infected Air, for the Purpose, a Raging Sea, or a Consuming Fire: But let
+this Air continue as God made it; the Waters be kept within their Bounds,
+and the Fire from breaking out into Conflagrations, and there’s no Living
+without them under this Regulation._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Best things in the World may be Misapplied; and the greatest
+Blessings Abus’d, may become the Occasion to us of the most Judicial
+Maledictions. What’s more necessary for the common Comfort and Benefit
+of Mankind, then Understanding and Power; and nothing certainly is more
+Pernicious then those Illustrious Qualifications Perverted. We are not
+to Quarrel with the Heavens for Pestilential Influences, or Unkindly
+Seasons; nor with the Earth for Poysonous Minerals and Exhalations; nor
+with the Water for Inundations, and Shipwrecks; nor with the Fire for
+Conflagrations. We must not take upon us to Dispute or to Correct the
+Wisdom of Providence, but sit down Contented and Thankful, and with this
+Reflexion upon the whole, that we are Indebted to the Divine Bounty for
+all the Good we Enjoy; and that for the Evil we Suffer, we may thank our
+Selves.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXII.
+
+A _Generous Lion_.
+
+
+As a _Lion_ was Bestriding an _Ox_ that he had newly Pluck’d down, a
+Robber passing by, Cry’d out to him, _Half-Shares_. You should go your
+Snip, says the Lion, if you were not so forward to be your own Carver.
+The Thief had but just turn’d his Back, when up comes an Innocent
+Traveller, that so soon as ever he saw the _Lion_, was going off again.
+The _Lion_ bad him fear Nothing, but take part of the Prey with him in
+Reward of his Modesty: Whereupon the Lion went immediately into the Woods
+to make Way for the Traveller.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_If Great Men in the World would but follow the Example of the Lion in
+this Fable, Sharpers should not Ride in Triumph any longer, while Honest
+Men go out at the Elbows._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This is an Instance of a Great and a Laudable Example; but People are
+forwarder to Commend such Precedents, then to Imitate them: for the Bold
+and Rich Thrive in the World, when the Poor and the Bashful go a Begging:
+But Virtue is never the less Venerable for being out of Fashion.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXIII.
+
+A _Brother_ and a _Sister_.
+
+
+There was a _Brother_ and a _Sister_ that happen’d to look in a Glass
+both together: The _Brother_ a very Lovely Youth, and the _Sister_ as
+hard-favour’d as a Girl could well be. Look ye, (says the Boy) and have
+not I a very Good Face now? This the Lass took for a Reproche, as if hers
+were not so too. What does this Envious Tit, but away to her Father with
+a Tale of her Brother, how Effeminately he Behav’d himself, and that a
+Petticoat would become him better then a Sword. The Good Man Kiss’d them
+both, and Reconciled the Controversie. My Dear Children, says he, I lay
+my Command upon ye Both to look often in a Glass; You Son, to keep a
+Guard upon your Self, not to Dishonour the Advantages that Nature has
+given ye, with Ill Manners: And you Daughter, (says he) to Mind you of
+Supplying the Defects of an External and a Transitory Beauty, with the
+more substantial Ornaments of Piety and Virtue.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There is not any Accident or Adventure in Nature, that does not yield
+Matter and Occasion for Good Counsell: And the Excellency of that
+necessary Office lies in the Address of Managing it Pertinently, and
+without Reproche._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Vanity of the Youth here in the Fable, is doubly to Blame; First, he
+Values himself upon a Trivial and an Uncertain Advantage. Secondly, ’Tis
+below the Dignity of the Sex, for a Man to Glory in, and to Usurp upon
+the proper Ornaments and Privileges of a Woman. The Sister’s Envy may be
+better Reprov’d then Reform’d; for to say that a Woman is not Handsome,
+is a Sin never to be Forgiven. The Father does excellently well Discharge
+the Part of a Wise Man, and of a Tender Parent both in One. And the Moral
+of his Part Resolves finally into this, That Virtue attones for Bodily
+Defects, and that Beauty is nothing worth, without a Mind Answerable to
+the Person.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXIV.
+
+The _Bees_ and the _Drones_.
+
+
+There was a Controversie betwixt the _Bees_ and the _Drones_ about some
+_Hony-Combs_ that were found in a Hollow Oak. They both laid Claim to
+’em, and a _Wasp_ was to be _Judge_, as one that well understood the
+Matter. Upon the Tryal of the Cause, they seem’d both to stand fair
+for’t, as being of the same Size, Make and Colour. Now, says the Wasp, I
+am upon my Oath, and therefore let me see them work their Combs, and fill
+’em here before me in the Court, and I shall be then the Better able to
+Understand the Merits of the Cause. The _Drones_ would not Agree to’t,
+and so the Verdict went for the _Bees_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Pretences go a great way in the World with Men that will take Fair words
+and Magisterial Looks for Current Payment: But the short and the certain
+way of bringing the Cause to a Fair Issue, is to put the Pretenders to
+the Test of Doing what they say._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+All People that set up for a Reputation in the world upon the Credit of
+other Mens Labours, fall under the Reproof of this Fable; and the Judges
+in those Cases are not always so Tender, Circumspect and Conscientious
+as the Wasp was in this; for they let False and Frivolous Pretenders run
+away many times, not only with the Character, but with the Reward, both
+of Honester and Soberer Mens Virtues. There’s no Proof like Matter of
+_Fact_, and putting the Drones to the Test of making _Wax_ and _Hony_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXV.
+
+A _Fox_ and a _Dragon_.
+
+
+As a _Fox_ was Earthing Himself, he Digg’d so Deep, ’till at last he
+came to a _Dragon_’s _Den_, where he found a Prodigious Mass of Hidden
+Treasure. He made his Excuse for his Intrusion, and begg’d the Dragon’s
+leave but to Ask him One Question. Pray (says he) where’s the Pleasure
+or the Profit of Spending all your Days in a Hole thus, without either
+Light or Sleep? Why, ’tis my _Fate_, says the _Dragon_, and there’s no
+more to be said. Here’s a Monstrous Hord, says the _Fox_, and I cannot
+find that you either Give or Use One Penny out of all this Store. ’Tis a
+Misery, says the other, that I am Doom’d to, and there’s no Avoiding it.
+Why then, says the _Fox_, He that’s Born under Your Stars is certainly
+the most Wretched of Creatures.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We are apt to do Amiss, and to Persevere in so Doing, and then to lay
+the Blame upon our Stars, or our Fortune as we call it, which in truth,
+is neither Better nor worse then making Heaven the Author of Evil. The
+very sooth of it is, that an Ill Habit has the Force of that which we
+call an Ill Fate; and we Tye up our Selves, where Providence has left us
+at Liberty._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Your Covetous Churl is Undoubtedly the most Miserable of Beggars; the
+more he _Has_, the more he _Wants_; Beside that, he wants what he
+_Has_ too; for ’tis lost to all Intents and Purposes, when neither he
+Himself, nor any Body else is the Better for’t. He Pines and Watches
+himself to Death, for fear of losing that which he only Fancies that
+he has; or which is the same thing, that which he has not the Heart to
+Use. All this, says the _Dragon_, I suffer, because I’m Doom’d to’t,
+which tells us most _Emphatically_, that an Anxiety of Mind is a Just
+Judgment upon a Man for Delivering himself up to so Sordid an Appetite.
+We must not understand the _Dragon_ here to be Condemn’d to this Misery
+by the Fatality of any Inevitable Decree; but in these Cases, Custom and
+Corruption, superinduce upon us a kind of Necessity of going on as we
+begun.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXVI.
+
+The _Shipwrack_ of _Simonides_.
+
+
+_Simonides_ was a Learned Man, and an Excellent Poet, especially in the
+way of _Panegyrick_, or _Encomium_, to the Honour of the Great Men of
+his Age; insomuch that he made his Fortune by’t. After some time spent
+abroad, and a great deal of Mony got by his _Encomia_ upon the _Hero’s_
+of those Times, he put Himself and his Treasure Aboard for his own
+Countrey again, in an Old Rotten Vessel. They fell into Foul Weather, and
+the Ship Miscary’d. In the Hurry of the Shipwrack, while the Passengers
+were at their Wits end how to Save that which they took to be of the
+most Value, _Simonides_ was the only Man that appeared Unconcern’d,
+notwithstanding that his whole Fortune was at Stake in the _Cargo_. One
+Ask’d him why he did not look after his Goods. Why, so I do, says he, for
+all the Goods that I pretend to, I have now about me. In this Extremity,
+some made a shift to Swim A-shore; the greater Part sunk under the weight
+of what they thought to Preserve; and in the mean time came in a Crew of
+Free-Booters, that Rifled and Stript those that Scap’d. The Men that were
+Paddling for their Lives, made a Port, where by great Providence there
+liv’d a Famous Philosopher that was a Passionate Admirer, and a Diligent
+Reader of _Simonides_, and his Writings. This Philosopher, upon the First
+Encounter, found out _Simonides_ by his very Discourse; took him into
+his House Cloath’d him, Furnish’d him with Mony, Provided him Servants,
+and put him into a Condition in fine, to Live in Honour and Plenty. As
+_Simonides_ was walking the Streets a while after, he saw several of
+his Shipwrack’d Companions begging their Bread from Door to Door, with
+a Certificate of their Misfortune. Well, says _Simonides_, and d’ye not
+find it True now as I told ye, that a Man of Letters and of Integrity,
+carries all his Goods about him?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Moral is no more then this, that Virtue shall never Fail of a Reward
+in the Conclusion._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+A Wise and a Good Man carries his Happiness in his own Breast; and that’s
+a Happiness too, that the Uttermost Malice of Wicked Men, and of Cross
+Fortune can never take away. Let all Men of Honour apply the Moral of
+this History to their own Comfort and Support, and Assure themselves,
+that Providence either in the Blessing of a good Conscience, or in that
+of a Happy Deliverance, will never Forsake them.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXVII.
+
+Two _Men_ and a _Halter_.
+
+
+A Poor Rogue that had got the Devil into his Pocket, and not One Cross
+in the World to drive him out again, found upon Mature Consideration,
+that he had no Choice before him, but either to Hang or Starve; for,
+says he, I have neither Cash, Credit, nor Friends, to keep Life and Soul
+together. He bethought himself a while upon the Matter, and so Resolv’d
+rather of the Two to go to Heaven in a String. Upon this, he immediately
+provides himself a Halter; fits the Noose, and pitches upon the Place of
+Execution; but as he was driving a Hook into an Old Wall to Fasten the
+Cord to, Down comes a Great Stone that was Loose, and a Pot of Mony along
+with it. The Fellow presently throws away the _Halter_, Takes the Gold by
+Content, without either Weighing or Counting it, and so away he Scours
+with the Purchase. He was no sooner gone, but in comes the Man that had
+hid the Mony, to give his Pot a Visit: He finds the Birds flown it seems,
+and _Marrying and Hanging_, they say, _go by Destiny_. The last Comer,
+in fine, succeeds to the Rope of his Predecessor, and very fairly Hangs
+himself, with this Comfort in the Conclusion, That Providence had sav’d
+him the Charge of a _Halter_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Where there’s Mony in the Case, ’tis Forty to One but some Body or other
+goes to the Devil for’t._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Poverty and Avarice are near A-kin, and the Rich Insatiable Miser that
+is still Carking after More and More, is every jot as Miserable as he
+that has just Nothing at all. What’s the Difference betwixt Gold in one
+Part of the Earth, and Gold in Another? Betwixt the Minted Gold that the
+Sordid Churl Buries in a Pot, and the Ore that Nature has Prepar’d and
+Tinctur’d in the Mine? They are Both equally lost to the common Use of
+Mankind; Only the One lies a little deeper then the Other. We may finish
+this Moral with a Consideration of the Folly of those People that Starve
+themselves to Enrich others, and make their Own Lives Wretched for the
+Advantage perhaps of Thieves or Strangers. The Halter, in fine, serv’d
+both their turns; as well His that had no Mony at first, as t’others that
+Lost it.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXVIII.
+
+A _Mountebank_ and a _Bear_.
+
+
+As a _Quack_ was Exposing his Bills and Med’cines upon a Stage, in the
+Quality both of a _Doctor_ and a _Jack-Pudding_, Thousands and Thousands
+of People Gaping and Staring at him with as much Reverence and Attention,
+as if every Word that came out of his Mouth had dropt from the Lips of an
+Oracle: It happen’d just in the Nick of this _Interim_, that an Officer
+of _Paris-Garden_ was Leading one of his Majesties _Bears_, that way,
+with a Ring through the Nose of him. The Rabble immediately upon the
+Novelty of this Adventure, quitted the _Mountebank_, and Gather’d in
+Multitudes about the _Bear_, _Shouting_ and _Huzzaing_ along with him,
+as if it had been a Procession to a _Pope-Burning_, or peradventure some
+more Pompous Spectacle. The _Bear_ upon this Noise and Bussle, (though
+none of the Quickest-Witted Animals,) made a Speech to the Crowd after
+the best manner. Heark ye my Friends, says he, I’m Glad to see you so
+Merry at my being led like a Sot by the Nose thus; but pray let’s Laugh
+at one another by Turns, for you are every Jot as Ridiculous to _Me_, as
+I am to _You_, the _Mobile_ are led by the _Ears_ just as the _Bears_ are
+led by the _Noses_; and that’s all the Difference in the Case betwixt us.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The_ Mobile _are altogether for Noise and Novelty, and One New Thing
+drives out another: Nay, we take Pleasure in the very Spectacle that
+Effectually Abuses us; as a Bear with a Ring in his Nose, is no more then
+an Emblem of Every Man of us, for we are led as much as He, some by the
+Ear or Eye; others by our Lusts and Affections: But in fine, every Soul
+of us some way or other_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+No Man should make Sport with, or Condemn any thing in another, without
+first Considering whether he be not Guilty of the very same thing
+Himself. The _Bear_ is led after _One_ Manner; the _Multitude_ are led
+after _Another_ Manner; and in some sort or other we are all led; only
+the _Bearward_ in this Fable leads but _One_ Brute, and the _Mountebank_
+leads a _Thousand_: And what’s the whole Bus’ness at last, but Noise,
+Novelty, and Example? And One Fool Staring and Hooting for Company after
+Another; We take more Care to do as _Others_ do, then to do as we _ought_
+to do, or in truth to Understand the Sum and Substance of our Duties.
+The _Peoples_ leaving the _Mountebank_ for the _Bear_, Imports as great
+Readiness, even to leave _Him_ too for what comes next, and shews us
+that there’s no Trusting to the _Mobile_. It may serve also to Mind us,
+that the very Course of our Lives is little better then a _Series_ of
+Mistakes, and a Transition from One Weakness to Another. He that finds
+himself Uneasie in One Unreasonable Choice, has Recourse naturally to
+Another, perchance as Unreasonable: And let him be never so Sick of the
+Error, there’s yet some Pleasure in the Variety; though it be but in the
+_Hope_ of Mending the Matter.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXIX.
+
+A _Skittish Horse_.
+
+
+There goes a Story of a Restiff, Skittish Jade, that had gotten such a
+Trick of Rising, Starting, and Flying out at his own Shadow, that he was
+not to be Endur’d; for the Discipline of the Spur and the Bit was wholly
+Lost upon him. When his Rider found that there was no Reclaiming of him
+by the Ordinary Methods of Horsemanship, he took him to task upon the
+Philosophy and Logick of the Bus’ness. ’Tis only a _Shadow_, says he,
+that you Boggle at: And what is that _Shadow_, but so much Air that the
+Light cannot come at? It has neither Teeth nor Claws, you see, nor any
+thing else to Hurt ye: ’Twill neither Break your Shins, nor Block up
+your Passage; and what are you afraid of then? Well says the Horse, (who
+it seems had more Wit then his Master,) ’tis no new Thing in the World,
+even for the greatest _Heroes_ to shrink under the Impression of _Panick
+Terrors_. What are all the _Sprights_, _Ghosts_ and _Goblins_ that you
+your selves Tremble at, but _Phantomes_ and _Chimera’s_, that are bred
+and shap’d in your own Brain?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Nature and Reason have Fortify’d us, if we will but make use of our
+Strength, against all Difficulties that can Befall us in this World. But
+if we will stand Boggling at Imaginary Evils, let us never Blame a Horse,
+for starting at a Shadow._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis a Common Thing for People to Blame what they Practise, and to be
+spending their Censures upon others, when they should be Examining
+Themselves: Whereas in Justice, Charity and Prudence, we should make no
+other Use of our Neighbours Faults, then we do of a Looking Glass to
+Mend our own Manners by, and to set Matters right at Home. When we see
+a Horse start at a Shadow, what have we more to do then to Contemplate
+the Folly and Vanity of our own Surprizes and Mistakes in a Thousand
+Instances of the same Quality! For what are all the Vexatious Transports
+of our Hopes and Fears, Extravagant Wishes, and Vain Desires, but the
+Images of Things every jot as Whimsical, as the Vision of the Shadow here
+in the Fable? And we can never hope for Better, so long as we Govern our
+selves by _Fancy_, without _Reason_. To say all in a Word, the whole
+Bus’ness comes to no more then this; First, we form some _Nonsensical
+Idea_ to our selves, and then fall down to an _Idol_ of our _Own Making_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXX.
+
+No _Laws_ against _Flattery_.
+
+
+_Flattery_ is undoubtedly one of the most Unmanly, and Pernicious Vices
+under the Sun, either Publick or Private; and in One Word, the very
+Pest of all Commonwealths and Families, wherever it is Entertained; and
+yet, to the Scandal of Human Policy, even in the Best of Governments,
+the World was I know not how many Thousand Years Old, before ever any
+Provision was thought of for the Preventing or the Suppressing of
+this _Epidemical Corruption_. _Apollo_ was the First that (out of his
+Own Wisdom and Goodness) Erected a Court of Justice for the Tryal of
+_Parasites_; appointing the Sharpest Satyrists of the Age for their
+Judges; and Arming the Commissioners with full Power and Authority to
+Hear and Determine all Causes of that Quality: The Offender to stand
+Convict upon the Testimony of one single Witness; and Immediately
+upon Conviction, to be carried away into the _Market-Place_, and
+there _Chained to a Stake_, and _Flay’d Alive_. It was Observ’d, that
+notwithstanding the Severity of this Inexorable Law, _Flattery_ was
+still as Bold, Busie, and Barefac’d as Ever, from the very Palace to
+the Cottage; and yet in a matter of Six Months time, not One Complaint
+brought into the Court against it. Upon this Neglect, there were _Spies_
+and _Informers_ set at work in all _Coffee-Houses_, and other Publick
+Places, to Watch the Company, and give intelligence to the _Tribunal_ of
+what was said or done there, that might be laid hold of. The very next
+day there was a Courtier taken up, and an Accusation Exhibited against
+him, for having given a Person of Eminent Quality, the Character of a Man
+of Honour, Brains, Good Government, and Virtue, when the whole World
+knew him to be no better then an Ignorant Mercenary Sot, that without any
+regard to Honesty, Prudence, or Good Manners, Abandon’d himself Entirely
+to his Lusts and Pleasures. The Prisoner both Confess’d and Justifi’d the
+Fact at the same time, appealing to the Person most concern’d, whether
+he had wrong’d him or not; who not only Acquitted the Man, but Reflected
+most Desperately upon the Scandalous Practice of the Court it self, in
+making that to be _Flattery_, which upon the whole Matter, was no other
+then _Truth_ and _Justice_. The Commission was hereupon Discharg’d, for
+they found it utterly Impracticable to punish a Fault that no Body would
+either Acknowledge or Complain of.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis nothing but Self-Love at Home, that Provokes and Invites Flattery
+from Abroad: And the Disposition of One Man to Receive it, Encourages
+Another to give it._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fiction may serve to shew us, that what Influence soever Political
+Laws and Provisions may have upon the External Regulation of our
+Practices and Manners; it is a thing yet utterly Impossible for Human
+Wisdom to form such an Act of State, as shall reach the Wickedness of the
+Heart: So that in despite of all the Rules and Cautions of Government,
+the most Dangerous and Mortal of Vices will still come off, without so
+much as a Publick Censure. As who shall pretend to inflict any Punishment
+upon Flattery, Hypocrisie, and other Sins of the Heart, when there lies
+no proof against them? One may be a very Honest Man in the Eye of the
+Law, and yet a most Abominable Wretch in the Sight of God, and of his
+Own Conscience. But still it is worth the while however, to consider how
+we may discountenance and prevent those Evils which the Law can take no
+Cognizance of. And to gain this Point, the Effect must be Obviated in the
+Cause. _Flattery_ can never take Place upon any Man (so as to Corrupt
+him) that did not Flatter Himself First; for it is a vain Opinion of our
+Selves, that lays us Open to be Impos’d upon by Others.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXXI.
+
+Three _Dreaming Travellers_.
+
+
+Three Men were Travelling through a Wilderness; the Journey it seems was
+longer then they thought for, and their Provisions fell short; but there
+was enough left for any One of ’em yet, though too little for all; and
+how to Dispose of the Remainder, was the Question. Come (says One of the
+Three,) Let’s e’en lye down and Sleep, and he that has the Strangest
+Dream, shall have That that’s Left. The Motion was Agreed to, and so they
+dispos’d themselves to their Rest. About Midnight, Two of them Wak’d, and
+told one another their Dreams. _Lord_, says one of ’em, _What a Fancy
+have I had! I was taken up methought into the Heavens, I know not how,
+and there set down just before_ Jupiter’s _Throne. And I_, says T’other,
+_was Hurry’d away by a Whirlwind, methought to the very Pit of Hell_. The
+Third all this while Slept _Dog-Sleep_, and heard every Word they said.
+They fell then too Lugging and Pinching their Companion, to tell him
+the Story. _Nay, pray be Quiet_, says he, _What are ye? Why we are your
+Fellow Travellers_, they Cry’d. _Are ye come back again then?_ says he.
+They told him they had never stirr’d from the Place where they were. _Nay
+then_, says t’other, _’twas but a Dream, for I Fancy’d that one of ye was
+Carry’d away with a Whirlwind to_ Jupiter, _and t’other to_ Pluto: _And
+then thought I to my self, I shall never see these Poor People again: so
+I e’en fell on, and Eat up all the Victuals_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There is a Fooling sort of Wit that has nothing more in’t then the
+Tricking up of some Insipid Conceit to no manner of Purpose, but to
+Mortifie Good Company, and Tire out an Ingenious Conversation. The Jests
+of these People are only to be Order’d as we do Cucumbers: Wash them, and
+Beat them, and then throw them out at the Window. That is to say, they
+are Flat and Insipid, without either Meaning or Morality to help them
+out._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Where Men will be Fooling and Bantering, a Trick for a Trick is but
+Common Reason and Justice; and it comes closer yet too, when the Trick
+is Encounter’d with Another of the same kind; for it does not only spoil
+the Jest, but makes the Agressor Himself Ridiculous; especially when the
+Design is Forelay’d and Concerted in Form, as here in the Fable. The
+Frolick of a Cleanly Banter, may do well enough _off-hand_, and without
+_Affectation_; but a _Deliberated_ Foolery is most Abominably Fulsome.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXXII.
+
+_Reason_ of _State_.
+
+
+Upon the coming out of a Book Entituled _Reason_ of _State_, there
+happen’d a warm Dispute in the Cabinet of a Great Prince, upon that
+Subject. Some would have it to be, _The Skill of Erecting, Defending
+and Enlarging a Common-Wealth_. Others were for changing the Title from
+_Reason of State_ to _Reason of Policy_. And a Third Party was for
+Correcting the former Definition, and rather running it thus, [_Reason
+of State is a Rule Useful for Common-Wealths, how contrary soever to the
+Laws both of God and Man_.] There was great Exception taken to the Plain
+Dealing of this Latter Definition; but upon Consulting Presidents, it was
+found very Agreeable to the Practical Truth of the matter.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Honesty may do well enough betwixt Man and Man, but the Measures of
+Government and Righteousness are quite Different Things. The Question in
+Reason of State is not Virtue, but Prudence._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+_Reason of State_, in the Simplicity of the Notion, is only the Force of
+_Political Wisdom_, Abstracted from the Ordinary Rules and Methods of
+_Conscience_ and _Religion_. It Consults only Civil Utility, and never
+Matters it, provided the Publick may be the better for’t, though the
+Instruments and Managers go to the Devil. ’Tis somewhat with Statesmen
+and their Disciples, as it was with the _Patient_ and his _Physician_,
+that Advis’d him for his Health’s sake to have the Use of a Woman.
+The Good Man Scrupled the Remedy. Well says the Doctor, I Prescribe
+to your Body, not to your Soul, which are Two Distinct Provinces; and
+when I have done my Duty to the _One_, Let your _Confessor_ look to the
+_Other_. It is most certain, that _Reason of State_ is a very _Devillish
+Thing_, under a _Specious Name_, and a Cover for all Wickedness. What
+are Alliances and Ruptures, but Temporary Expedients? And the Ordinary
+Reasons of War and Peace are very little better then Banter and Paradox.
+This is the very Truth of the Matter, and may be seen at large in the
+History of all the Governments in the World: But it is one of those
+Truths yet that is not at all times to be spoken; and ’tis the part of a
+Wise Man in these Cases, to _Hear_, _See_, and _Say Nothing_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXXIII.
+
+An _Eagle_ and a _Leveret_.
+
+
+An _Eagle_ that was Sharp set, and upon the Wing, looking about her
+for her Prey, spy’d out a _Leveret_, made a Stoop like Light’ning, and
+Truss’d it; and as she had it in the Foot, the Miserable Wretch Enter’d
+into an Idle Expostulation upon the Conscience, and Justice of the
+Proceeding: With what Honesty, says the _Hare_, Can you Invade the Right
+of another Body? _Why_, says the _Eagle_, _to whom do you belong then_? I
+belong to him, (says the Other) whom Heaven has made Master of all Living
+Creatures under the Sun, and from whom That Propriety cannot be taken
+without manifest Wrong and Usurpation. _Man_ is _My Master_, and I know
+no other. _Well_, says the _Eagle_ again in Wrath, _And what’s the Title
+now, that he pretends to this Propriety?_ Why ’tis the Excellency of his
+_Reason_, says the _Hare_, that Entitles him to this Sovereignty; which
+is a Claim that from the Creation of the World to this Day, was never
+Subjected to the Question. _In Truth_, says the _Eagle, You have advanc’d
+a very Pretty Invention here, in setting up_ Reason _against_ Force,
+_where the Cause is not to be Decided by_ Argument, _but by_ Power: _And
+to Convince ye now how much I am in the Right, You shall find, in despite
+of all other Pretensions, since I have ye under my Government and Law,
+that you were not Born for_ Him, _but for_ Me.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Laws with Penalties are made for the Government of the Simple, and the
+Weak, like Cobwebs to Catch Flies; but Power is the Law of Laws, and
+there’s no Disputing with it, but upon the Swords Point._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+_Tyranny_ and _Oppression_ never wanted either a Plea, or an Advocate
+for whatever they did; for the _Majority_ of the _Lawyers_, the
+_Divines_, and _All Quæstuary Professions_, will be sure to run over to
+the _Stronger Side_, where _Will_ passes for _Law_, and _Rapine_ for
+_Providence_. So that it is a Folly next to Madness, for a Friendless,
+and an Unarmed Innocence to Expostulate with an Invincible Power. The
+Case of the _Hare_ and the _Eagle_ is a Common Case in the World, where
+the Weaker is a Prey to the Stronger; where a forcible Possession gives a
+Title, and where the Justice of the Cause is Determin’d by the Success.
+When the _Hare_ comes once to be in the gripe, ’tis too late to talk of
+_Reason_ and _Equity_, when contrary to all the Rules of _Moral Justice_,
+the _Conqueror_ is both _Judge_ and _Party_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXXIV.
+
+A _Dog_ and his _Master_.
+
+
+There was an Excellent _House-Dog_, that spent his whole Night still
+in Bawling and Snarling at all People Indifferently that pass’d within
+Hearing of him. His Master took him to Task once for Barking and Yelling
+so at every Body that came near him, without Distinction. Why what
+have you a Nose for, says he, but to smell out a Thief from an Honest
+Man? I will not have you so much as Open your Mouth, I tell ye, at a
+Venture thus. Sir, says the Mastiff, ’tis out of the Zeal I have for
+your Service; and yet, when all is done too, I would I had no more to
+Answer for, then giving _False Alarums_, and _Barking out of Season_.
+You may fancy perhaps, that there are _No other Thieves_ then those that
+the Law Exposes to the _Pillory_, or a _Whipping-Post_; or to a Turn
+perchance at _Tyburn_ the next Sessions. You’ll find your Self Mistaken
+Sir, if you’ll take upon ye to Judge of these Blades by their Garbs,
+Looks, and outward Appearance: But if I get them in the Wind once, I’ll
+tell ye which is which, to the very Hearts and Souls of ’em, without
+the Ceremony of either Bench, Witness or Jury. Nay, says the Master,
+if you should happen to Spy a _Knight of the Post_, a _Catch-pole_, a
+_Jayler_, a _Pawn-Broker_, a _High-way-man_, a _Crop-Ear’d Scriv’ner_,
+a _Griping Usurer_, a _Corrupt Judge_, or any of these Vermin, pray’e
+Cry out _Thief_, and spare not: And I beseech ye Sir, says the Dog,
+what if it should be a _Pettifogging Splitter of Causes_, a _Turncoat_,
+_Ecclesiastical_, _Military_, or _Civil_; a _Trading Justice_, a _Mortal
+Enemy_ under the Mask of a _Friend_: A _Glozing Hypocrite_: Or in One
+word, let it be in any other Case or Encounter whatsoever; You will find
+it Twenty Thousand to One upon the whole Matter, that I Bark Right.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The History of Cheats and Sharpers truly Written, would be no other then
+the History of Human Nature._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis an Unhappy thing both for Master and Servant, when the Love, Loyalty
+and Zeal of the One, shall be Ill Taken at the Hands of the Other; for he
+that will not Believe and Depend upon the Faith of a _Try’d Friend_ and
+_Servant_, falls under the Judgment commonly of giving too much heed to a
+_Secret Enemy_: Beside, that it goes to the Heart of a Man of Honour and
+Address, when he has done his Uttermost for his Masters Service, to fall
+under the Scandalous Character of Officious, and Impertinent, for his
+Pains. The Master here was in another Mistake too, in Supposing that all
+_House-Breakers_ and _Sharpers_ had _Thief_ written in their Foreheads;
+whereas the most Dangerous sort of _Cheats_, are but Masqueraders, under
+the Vizor of _Friends and Honest Men_. The Cardinal’s Rule to one of his
+Laquayes that had lost his Coat, comes very well to our present Purpose.
+The Boy said that his Eminence told him they were so Holy at _Rome_, that
+he thought there had been _no Thieves there_. Well, says the _Cardinal_,
+but hereafter, when ever you come into a strange Place, you may _take_
+every Man you see for a _Thief_, provided that you _Call_ no Body so. The
+Dog went this way to work, and did wisely in’t; for he that keeps himself
+upon this Guard, shall never be Couzen’d. The Best will help it self, and
+therefore ’tis good to be wary for fear of the Worst.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXXV.
+
+Two _Doctors_ and a _Sheep_.
+
+
+As a _Sheep_ was Grazing One Evening in a Pleasant Meadow, it had the
+Hap to Overhear _Two Doctors_ of the _Schools_, as they were taking a
+Walk there, Philosophizing upon the Advantages of Mankind above all other
+Creatures; and particularly, upon the Natural Disposition that Man has to
+live in _Union_ and _Society_. The Sheep gave One of them a Gentle Touch
+by the Cloak, and told him, that under favour, he could not be of their
+Opinion. ’Tis true, says he, you have your Cities, Towns Incorporate, and
+Large Communities; but then you have your Magistrates too; your Laws,
+Oaths, and a Thousand Shackles upon ye; and all little enough to keep
+the Peace among ye. You Dispute, Wrangle, Fight, make a perpetual Bussle
+in the World, Break Friendships, Dissolve the very Tyes of Marriage,
+and Tear one Another to Pieces with all manner of Extravagant Contests.
+Now this would never be, sure, if there were in ye that same Implanted
+Inclination to _Unity_ and _Agreement_ that you speak of. If you would
+come to a clear Resolution of this Question, you must first set your
+Selves at liberty from the Over-ruling Awe of Disgrace, Shame, and
+Punishment; and by the Removal of that Force, leave your Selves to the
+full Scope of your Avarice and Ambition. You will then find by the Event,
+whether Man be Naturally a _Protector_ and _Preserver_ of _Society_, or
+a _Destroyer_ of it. No, no, my Learned Sirs, ’tis _We_ that are the
+Sociable Creatures. We Troop together, Feed together, Live together,
+follow the same Leader too, without any Constraint upon us, either of
+Vows or Penalties; and the very Flies and Pismires upon this Topick, will
+Rise up in Judgment against Mankind.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Philosophers will have_ Man _in a Degree of Excellency to be a
+Sociable Creature; but these Philosophers are_ Men _themselves then,
+and Judges in their Own Case: Now, if we may Credit Matter of Fact and
+Experience, Men are the most Disunited Creatures under the Heavens: ’Tis
+their Delight, Study, Practice and Profession to lye Cutting One Anothers
+Throats, and Destroy their own Kind: Insomuch that Birds, Beasts and
+Insects, to the very Flies and Pismires, will rise up in Judgment against
+Mankind in this Point_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The _Sheep_ in this Fable was clearly too hard for the _Two Doctors_; and
+we find all those Reasonings to be true in the World, which the _Mutton_
+Alleges in the Fiction. For Man is certainly one of the most Perverse
+Pieces of the Creation; and not only Cross to his Rational Brethren,
+but betwixt his Will and his Understanding, he lives in a Perpetual
+Contradiction to Himself. His Practice is directly contrary to his
+Knowledge, and he shuts his very Eyes against the Light of his Nature.
+Now other Creatures that are only guided by a Providential Impulse, have
+the Grace to follow the Voice of their Director, and to keep themselves
+within the Compass of their proper Bus’ness and Duty. Whereas Man, that
+over and above the same common Instinct, is endu’d with the Talent of
+Counsel and Knowledge, Improves those Advantages only to his Greater
+Condemnation, by Abandoning the Offices and Functions of his Reasonable
+Being. The Sum of the Moral, in fine, may be this, that it is not so much
+the Excellency of our Human Nature, that Distinguishes us from Brutes, as
+the due Exercise and Application of those Rational Faculties that Heaven
+has Bestow’d upon us: Which comes to the very case of the _Sheep_ and
+the _Doctors_. _Man_ knows what he _Ought_ to do, but (to his Greater
+Condemnation,) he does not Act according to his Knowledge; whereas
+_Animals_ that are Guided barely by _Instinct_, live in Obedience to the
+Voice of Heaven in that of _Nature_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXXVI.
+
+_Few Friends._
+
+
+One that had a Great Honour for _Socrates_, took Notice of a Pitiful
+Little House that he was a Building: ’Tis a strange Thing (says he to the
+Philosopher,) that so Great a Man as you are should ever think of Living
+in so Wretched a Cabin. Well, says _Socrates_, And yet as Little as it
+is, he were a Happy Man that had but _True Friends_ enow to fill it.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Friend in the World, is quite Another Thing then a Friend in the
+Schools: And there’s a Great Difference in the Speculation of a Friend,
+from what we find in the Practice._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+_Friendship_ is a Divine Excellency, wrapt up in a Common Name, and
+nothing less then the uttermost Perfection of Flesh and Blood, for Wisdom
+and Virtue, can Entitle a Man to the Character of a _True Friend_; though
+Custom, I know, has so far Prevail’d for a Promiscuous Application of the
+Word to Common Acquaintances and Relations, that it passes in the World,
+by a certain kind of Figure, for _Civility_ and _Respect_. But _Socrates_
+all this while did very well Understand what he said, touching the Rarity
+and Paucity of Friends; and he might have added, that it is as hard a
+matter to Understand how to _Be_ a Friend, as to know where to _Find_ One.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXXVII.
+
+An _Ass_ Carrying an _Image_.
+
+
+As an Ass was Carrying an Image in Procession, the People fell everywhere
+down upon their Knees before him. This Silly Animal fancy’d that they
+Worship’d _Him_ all this while; ’till One Rounded him in the Ear; and
+told him, _Friend_, says he, _You are the very same Ass with this Burden
+upon your Back, that you were before you took it up; and ’tis not the_
+Brute _they Bowe to, but the_ Image.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_A Publick Character is never the less to be Reverenc’d, because a
+Coxcomb perhaps may Carry it; nor that Coxcomb one jot the more, save
+only for the sake of his Office._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Simple Vanity of this Ass is a very Pertinent Reproof to those Men
+that take the Honour and Respect that is done to the Character they
+Sustain, to be paid to the Person; as if Mr. Constable should Assume to
+his Visage, the Reverence that’s paid to his Commission. There are that
+Interpret every Nod or Glance of Civility, in their own Favour, though it
+was neither Due to them, nor ever Intended them.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXXVIII.
+
+A _Dog_ and a _Cat._
+
+
+There was a _Dog_ and a _Cat_ brought up in the same House, from a
+_Whelp_ and a _Kitling_, and never were Two Creatures better together; so
+Kind, so Gamesome and Diverting, that it was half the Entertainment of
+the Family to see the Gamboles and Love-Tricks that pass’d betwixt them.
+Only it was Observ’d, that still at _Meal-times_ they would be Snarling
+and Spitting at One Another under the Table: And what was the whole
+Sum of the Controversie at last, but a _Dog-and-Cat-Wrangle_ about the
+Picking of a Bone, or the Licking of a Trencher?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Flesh and Blood does Naturally Consult its own Advantage; and when that
+comes to be the Question_, There’s _the Bone that in some Degree or other
+sets all Mortals together by the Ears_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Here’s a Perfect Emblem of the Practices and Friendships of the World;
+for Men have their Toying Seasons: and their Pleasant Humours, as well
+as _Dogs_ and _Cats_. We Contract Little Likings; enter into Agreeable
+Conversations, and pass away the time so Merrily and Kindly together, (at
+least while that Fit of Dalliance and Diversion Lasts,) that one would
+think it impossible for any thing under the Sun to Break the _Intrigue_;
+and yet upon the throwing in any Cross Interest among ’em; (which is all
+One with the Bone under the Table,) nay, upon a Jealous Thought, or a
+Mistaken Word or Look, all former Bonds are Cancell’d, the League Broken,
+and the Farce Concludes in Biting and Scratching one another’s Eyes
+out. The same Figure will serve for Princes and States, Publick Persons
+and Private, Marry’d and Single; People in fine of all Professions and
+Pretences.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCLXXXIX.
+
+_Aristotle’s_ Definition of a _Tyrant_.
+
+
+There was so great Offence taken at the Definition of a _Tyrant_ in
+_Aristotle_’s _Politicks_, that all the Governors under the Cope of
+Heaven, found themselves Touch’d in the Reflexion: Insomuch that they all
+Met in a General Council, to take the Matter into Consideration. _Those
+Princes_ (says _Aristotle_) _are_ Tyrants, _that intend their own Good,
+more then that of their Subjects_. The Princes were so Nettled at the
+Scandal of this Affront, that every Man took it to Himself; for according
+to that Doctrin, all the Governors upon the Face of the Earth from _Adam_
+to this Day, have been no better then Downright _Tyrants_. The Council
+was once Thinking to put _Aristotle_ to Extremities: but imputing it
+rather to the Natural Sawciness of a _Pedant_, (for there’s no _Grammar_
+for _Politicks_,) then to any _Malice Prepense_, they made him Eat his
+Words, and Expound Himself; that what he said of _Tyrants_, was only
+meant of _a sort of Persecutors of Old Time, that have been now long
+since Extinct_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_In all General Characters of Bad Men, whether Princes, Publick
+Ministers, or Private Persons, Care should be taken not to Involve the
+Good under the same Scandal and Condemnation. There are some Principles
+and Methods of Government, wherein the Best and the Worst of Princes may
+Agree; but then there are certain Perverse Notions of the Thing, and
+Corrupt Practices, that can hardly be Touch’d upon, without Engaging all
+Crown’d Heads in the Reproche: And ’tis Dangerous Skewing upon the Errors
+of the Age a Man lives in._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fancy gives us to understand, that Secrets of State are not
+properly the Bus’ness of the _Schools_, and in truth it is a _Topick_
+too, that does as little become the _Pulpit_; for _Politicks_ are
+matter of _Practice_ rather then of _Notion_: Beside, that the Rules of
+_Government_ and those of _Religion_, Abstractedly consider’d, have very
+little Affinity one with the other: For the Wisdom of this World, or that
+which we call _Civil Prudence_, does not at all Concern it self in the
+Question of _Virtue_ or of _Conscience_. From hence it may be Infer’d,
+that Ministers of State, Priests, and Philosophers, should do well to
+keep their Respective Professions, without Invading the Province one of
+another. Here’s a Check put upon the Definition of a _Tyrant_; not so
+much for the _False Doctrine_ of the Position, as for the _Scandal_ of
+Exposing Majesty, by the _Innuendo_ of so Irreverend a Truth; for the
+Character of a Crown’d Head ought to be kept Sacred, let the Person be
+what he will. Here is likewise another Hint of Caution to us, that in
+all Liberties of this Nature, we keep clear of the Present Times, and be
+still looking another way, whatever we mean.
+
+As to the Definition of a _Tyrant_ it self, let it be Candidly taken, and
+the Drift of it is this; the common Safety of King and People is wrapt
+up in the Well-being of each other. The _Prince_ intends his _Own_ Good
+in that of the _People_; and at the same time, the Good of the _People_
+in that of _Himself_; for they stand or Fall together: But then there’s
+One Tenderness of Care and Duty, and another of Personal Inclination, or
+(if I may so Call it) Infirmity; and _That’s_ Aristotle’s _Tyrant_, where
+a Ruler Indulges his Private Appetite, and Sacrifices his People to his
+Passions or his Pleasures.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXC.
+
+A _Country-man_ and a _Panther_.
+
+
+A _Panther_ had the Fortune to drop into a _Pit-fall_. The People came
+Flocking about him; some Pelting and Battering him with Stones and
+Cudgels; others Pity’d him, and threw him somewhat to Eat. Toward Night,
+they went All Home again, taking for granted that they should find him
+Dead next Morning: But in that _Interim_ he came to Himself again, and
+gave ’em the Slip: And upon getting Loose, he made such Havock both with
+Man and Beast, that the whole Country, Friend and Foe, were all in Dread
+of him. The _Panther_ finding the Fright so General, call’d out to ’em,
+and told them; _So many of ye_ (says he) _as were Kind to me in the Pit,
+set your Hearts at Rest, for I’ll not Hurt a Creature of ye, now I’m at
+Liberty_. I have not forgotten who they were that gave me Bread, and who
+threw Stones at me; and I’m an Enemy only to those that were Enemies to
+me.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_There’s no Creature so Wild and Savage, but it may be wrought upon and
+Reclaim’d by Good Offices and Benefits; to the shame of that part of
+Mankind, that returns Evil for Good, and is yet to Learn Humanity from
+the Beasts of the Forrests._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Here’s a Reproof to the Practices of Ungrateful Men, under the Figure of
+a Grateful Beast: A Grateful, and I might have said a Generous Beast, in
+being kind to those in their Distress, that had been so to Him in His.
+How much Worse then Brutes are those Men then, that owe the Best Blood
+in their Veins to the Bounty of their Friends and Patrons, and yet after
+Raising them from the very Dunghil to Honours and Fortunes, are the
+forwardest to Insult upon their Supporters and Masters, when they see ’em
+in any Calamity; and to add Affliction to Affliction! Now to Pursue the
+Fable, Here’s a Common Enemy in Appearance, at the Mercy of the People
+about him; some Beat him, others take pity of him: He comes afterward
+to make his Escape, and Distinguishes his Enemies from his Friends,
+by Destroying the One, and Sparing the Other. Shall we call the One a
+Judgment now, and the other a Providence; as if the Outrage had been a
+Fault, and the Pity a Meritorious Act of Good Nature? the _Moral_ will
+hold in both Respects; for, let the Judgment or the Execution of Death be
+never so Just, it is yet Barbarous, Inhuman and Unwarrantable to Agravate
+the Suffering with Insolence, Contumely, Malice and Reproche: And so for
+the Tenderness on the other hand, ’tis a Softness Inseparable from the
+Genuine Impulse of Reasonable Being: For the Compassion is a Laudable
+Benignity of Disposition, though Exercis’d upon a Beast.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXCI.
+
+A _Mastiff_ and an _Ass_.
+
+
+There was a Huge _Bear-Dog_, and an _Ass_ laden with Bread upon a Long
+Journey together: They were both very Hungry, and while the _Ass_ was
+Grazing upon Thistles by the Way-side, the _Dog_ would fain have been
+Eating too for Company, and Begg’d a Bit of Bread of him. The _Ass_ made
+him Answer, that if he were Hungry, he might e’en do as he did; for he
+had no Bread to spare. While this pass’d, up comes a _Wolf_ toward them.
+The _Ass_ fell a Trembling, and told the _Dog_, he hop’d he would stand
+by him if the _Wolf_ should set upon him. No, says the _Dog_, they that
+will Eat Alone, shall e’en Fight Alone too, for me: And so he left his
+Fellow-Traveller at the mercy of the _Wolf_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Common Defence and Preservation, is the Main End of Society, and the
+Great Benefit we receive by Joining in’t: We Love One Another, because we
+are the better for One Another: And it is the Interest that Supports us
+in the Duty; when that Reciprocal Kindness fails, as we see here in the
+Dog and the Ass, the League drops to pieces._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+One Good Turn, we say, requires Another; and it may be added that one
+Shrewd Turn Deserves and Provokes Another. The _Asses_ want of Charity
+in One Minute, cost him his Life in the next; and he was paid in his
+Own Kind too, in the return of One Scorn for Another. It was an Offence
+against the very Laws of Nature, and Society, and the Punishment
+Consequently was Providential and Just. He that shews no Compassion,
+shall find None.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXCII.
+
+A _Laconique_ Try’d and Sentenc’d.
+
+
+It was the Ill hap of a Learned _Laconique_, to make use of _Three
+Words_, when _Two_ would have done his Business: The Matter was so Foul,
+and the Fact so clearly Prov’d upon him, that being Cited before the
+Senate, he was Heard and Condemned to Read over _Guicciardines War of
+Pisa_ from End to End, without either Eating or Drinking till he had
+gone through it. The Poor Man fell into so Desperate an Agony before
+he could get over One Single Leaf on’t, that he threw himself upon his
+Face, Imploring the Mercy of the Court, though ’twere but to change his
+Punishment: They might send him to the _Gallies_, he said, or if it were
+to _Flay him Alive_, or _Bury him betwixt Four Walls_, and he should
+ever acknowledge it as an Act of Clemency; but for a Man of Brains and
+Thought, to Trouble his Head with such a deal of Tedious Trash and
+Pedantry, the Torment, he said, of _Perillus’s Brazen Bull_ was Nothing
+to’t.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Time is Life, and Life is Precious; ’Tis short enough at Best; but
+the more we Contract our Talk and our Business, the more we have on’t.
+Wherefore it is Great Wisdom to Couch all we have to do, in as Narrow
+a Compass as possible. The Killing of a Man with many Words, is only
+Another sort of Murder, out of the Reach of the Law._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Emblem bids us Husband our Time, and bring the Business of Life
+into as Narrow a Compass as we can; for we have a great deal to do. ’Tis
+in effect, so much Life Lost, as we squander away in more Words then
+needs, and in the Exchange of Idle and Impertinent Discourses; Beside the
+Mortification of a Tedious Talker. The Figure is carry’d to the Height,
+in the Representation, both of the Crime and of the Punishment; over and
+above the Equity of Tormenting the Tormentor of Others in his own kind,
+as _Phalaris_ Sentenc’d _Perillus_ to be Burnt in his _Own Bull_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXCIII.
+
+_Matchiavel_ Condemn’d.
+
+
+No Man ever had a Worse Name in the World for a Promoter of Seditious
+and Atheistical Politicks, then _Nicholas Matchiavel the Florentine_:
+Insomuch, that he was Banished not only the Conversation, but the very
+Libraries of all Learned Men, upon pain of being Burnt for his Pestilent
+Doctrins, wherever he should be taken; and a Severe Punishment inflicted
+over and above upon any Man that should presume to Comfort, Abet or
+Receive him. It was his Fortune after this, to be found upon a Search,
+in the Corner of a Friends Study, and to be made a prisoner; and then
+in course to Undergo a Sentence according to the Decree. But all these
+Formalities notwithstanding, he was yet by the Extraordinary Favour of
+his Judges, upon his Humble Petition for a Hearing, admitted to his
+Defence, which was to this following Effect. He made no Difficulty of
+Confessing the Fact, and of Acknowledging himself the Publisher of
+Pernicious and Execrable Positions; but withal, says he, no Mortal upon
+the Face of the Earth, has a Greater Abhorrence for those Desperate
+Maxims then my self. As to the Inventing of those Tenets, he made
+Protestation, that he had no Hand in’t it all, and that the Political
+Part of his Discourses, was only Copy’d out of the General Practices of
+Christian Princes; and that if they pleas’d, he was ready to Instance in
+the very Precedents. After this, he appeal’d to the Justice of the Bench,
+whether it were not very hard to make it Mortal, for One Man to write
+the Naked History of a thing done; and at the same time to allow the
+very _Doing_ of it to be Praise-worthy in Another. This Plea had brought
+him off, but for a fresh Accusation that was Immediately started against
+him; which was, that he was taken in the Dark One Night among a Flock of
+Sheep, putting _Dogs Teeth_ into their Mouths, which must inevitably be
+the Ruin of the Shepherd; for it could never be Expected that the whole
+Flock would ever submit to the Government of _One_, if it had either
+Teeth, Wit or Horns. Upon the Proof of this Charge, he was Deliver’d up
+immediately to Justice, and the Law Executed upon him.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Secrets of Government ought not to be Touched with Unwash’d
+Hands, and Expos’d to the Multitude; for upon Granting the People a
+Priviledge of Debating the Prerogatives of Sovereign Power, they will
+Infer Naturally enough a Right, and a Title to the Controlling and the
+Over-ruling of it._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+He that Exposes the Arts of Government to the people, does in Effect
+Appeal to ’em, and give the Multitude some sort of Right to Judge of,
+and to Censure the Actions of their Superiors. For what is any thing
+Publish’d for, but to be Read, and to lye consequently at the Mercy of
+the Reader how to Understand it? As if the Author should say, Gentlemen,
+here’s a _Scheme_ of _Politicks_ Submitted to your Grave Consideration,
+pray’e what’s your Opinion on’t? Can any Body think, that in a Question
+of State Exhibited after this manner, the _Mobile_ will not determine
+in their Own Favour, and Clap what _Bias_ upon the Proposition they
+themselves please? So that let the Matter be Handled never so Tenderly,
+’tis a main Point lost yet; the very Admittance of the Common People
+into the Council, and allowing them to be of the _Quorum_. _Matchiavel_
+Excuses himself well enough, as to any thing of _Malice_ in his
+Discourses; for (says he) these Maxims are none of My Invention, neither
+has any Man living a Greater Abhorrence for those Poysonous Doctrins then
+my Self; but my Writings are only Historical Notes and Abstracts drawn
+from the Life of an Universal Practice. Now the Hazzard and the Mischief
+is this, that in all these Cases, Men are Apt to take things by the
+Wrong Handle, and raise Arguments for their Own Advantage. And that’s the
+Moral of _Matchiavel_’s putting _Dogs Teeth_ by Night into the Mouths of
+the _Sheep_: That is to say, ’tis a Sly way of Irritating Subjects to
+fall foul upon their Rulers, which certainly is a Crime Unpardonable in
+any State.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXCIV.
+
+A _Dispute_ betwixt a _Doctor_, a _Vint’ner_ and a _Botcher_.
+
+
+There was a _Vint’ner_ and a _Botcher_ Challeng’d a _Doctor of Divinity_
+to a Tryal of Skill in his own Trade. He Ask’d them by whom they’d be
+Try’d? They’d be Try’d by the _Text_ they said. The Thing was Agreed, and
+the Time Set, and so they brought their _Geneva_ Bibles along with them.
+The Doctor told them by way of Preface, that though St. _Paul fought
+with Beasts at_ Ephesus, _it was not the Fashion for his Followers to
+Fight with_ Beasts _in_ England; _and therefore if they could not prove
+themselves to be_ Men, _he’d have nothing to do with them_. They stood
+upon their Pantoufles, that _Men_ they were, and that _Men_ he should
+find ’em to be; and they were ready to cast the Cause upon that Issue.
+That’s well, says the Doctor to one of ’em, and _pray’e what are you for
+a Man in the First place_? I am a _Vint’ner_, says t’other. _Very Good_,
+quoth the Doctor, _and do you ever put New Wine into Old Bottles_? Yea,
+I do so, says the _Vint’ner_. _Then_, says the Doctor, _You are no_ Man;
+for the _Text_ says, that _No Man putteth New Wine into Old Bottles_. I
+shall now come to your Companion; _Pray’e, will you tell me Friend, what
+are you for a Man_? I am, says t’other, _a Taylor_. Alias a _Botcher_, I
+suppose, quoth the Doctor. _Put the Case now that my Doublet were out at
+the Elbows, and I have no more of the Old Cloth to Patch it up withal,
+could you Mend it d’ye think?_ Yea, quoth the _Botcher_, I could get
+_New Cloth_ to Mend it. _Why then_, says the Doctor, _You are no_ Man
+_neither; for you shall find it in_ Another Text, _that No Man putteth
+New Cloth into an Old Garment_, so that you are both Beaten here at your
+own Weapons; for here are _Two Texts_, to prove that _You Two_ are No
+Men; which is but according to your own Rule and Method of Interpreting
+Scripture.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_This Fable strikes at the Ridiculous License of Prophane Intermedlers
+in Holy Matters; that is to say, a sort of Illiterate Enthusiasts, and
+Mechanicks, that without either Authority or Skill, will be Correcting_
+Magnificat, _and setting up the Phantome of New Lights against the
+Doctrin of Christ and his Apostles_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The Wisdom of the Law will not suffer any Man to Exercise a Trade that
+he has not serv’d his Time to; and a Body would think that the Reason
+of this Provision should hold as well in Divinity, as in Manual Crafts,
+for _Revelations_ at this time of the Day, are as much out of Date as
+_Miracles_. This Comical Whimsie may serve in General for a Reproof to
+Bold and Ignorant Pretenders in matters that they do not Understand;
+and so to those also that Confidently Usurp upon other Mens Provinces,
+without any Right or call to the Function. What are the Freaks in fine,
+of these _Religionaries_, but Fits of the _Spleen_, and the Fumes of a
+Dark Melancholy, Cover’d under the name and pretence of Divine Gifts
+and Graces? They’ll Cap ye _Texts_, as School-Boys Cap _Verses_; and in
+Defiance of all the Extraordinary Cases, the Figures, Types, Allegories,
+and Parables that are so frequent in Holy Writ, every thing must be
+Understood too, as the Doctor has Turn’d it here upon the _Vint’ner_ and
+the _Botcher_, according to the _Letter_. They’ll draw ye a Warrant for
+the Murdering of Kings, from the Example of _Ahab_ and _Benhadad_. An
+Authority for _Couzening_ their Neighbours, from the _Israelites Robbing
+the Egyptians_. In One Word, they shall Overturn all the Principles of
+Human Society, Morality, and Religion it self, and shew ye a Text for’t:
+And upon the whole Matter, what is the Conscience of these People more at
+last, then _Fancy_ and _Illusion_? They Contend for they know not what,
+like the Two Fellows that went to Loggerheads about their Religion; the
+One was a _Martinist_ he said; the other said that all _Martinists_ were
+_Hereticks_, and for his part he was a _Lutheran_: Now the Poor Wretches
+were both of a Side, and Understood it not. As for the Bus’ness of
+Learning and Common Sense, they call it _the Wisdom of this World_, and
+effectually make it a Heavenly Grace to be an Egregious Coxcomb. There
+was an Honest Simple Tradesman, wonderfully Earnest with the Parson of
+the Parish to know what the _Forbidden Fruit_ was; as if there had been
+no more in’t, then whether ’twas a _Kentish_ or a _Kirton Pippin_. The
+Good Man told him, that it was an _Apple_, and that _Adam_’s Eating of
+it, brought all his Posterity under a Sentence of Condemnation. T’other
+said, it was so hard a Case, that in reverence to the Divine Mercy,
+he thought himself bound to question the whole Story. This Liberty of
+Retailing Divinity by the Letter, is the very Root of Infidelity and of
+all Heresies, nay of Atheism it self. For when people have been Beating
+their Brains about a Difficulty, and find they can make Nothing _on’t_,
+they are apt to think there’s Nothing _in’t_; for the _Mystery’s_ Lost to
+Him that stands Poring only upon the _Letter_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXCV.
+
+There’s no _To Morrow_.
+
+
+A Fellow had got a Wench in a Corner; and very Earnest they were upon
+the Text of Encrease and Multiply; but the Gipsy stood upon her Points
+forsooth; _She’d not be Towz’d and Tumbled at that Rate, i’ faith not
+She_. In fine, _No Peny, No Pater-Noster_; and there was no Good to
+be done unless he would Marry her. The Poor Devil was under a kind of
+_Duresse_; and for brevity sake, promis’d her with a kind Oath, that
+he would Marry her _to Morrow_. Upon this Assurance, they Sign’d and
+Seal’d. The next Day they met again, and the Next to that; and so _Every
+Next Day_, for a matter of a Fortnight after; and the Love went on to
+the Tune of _To Morrow_, and _To Morrow_ still. But the Girl finding her
+Self Fool’d, and put off thus from _One_ to _Morrow_ to _Another_, fell
+in the Conclusion to Expostulating with him upon the _Matter_. _Did not
+you Swear_, Yesterday says she and Yesterday, _and I know not how many_
+Yesterdays, _that you’d Marry me_ to Morrow? Yes my Dear, says the Spark,
+I did Swear so; and I do now Swear it all over again too, and thou shalt
+find me as good as my Word. Ay, but hark ye, says the Lass, is not _to
+Day to Morrow_? No my Heart, says the Gallant again, that’s thy Mistake;
+for there are _No to Morrows_; People are apt to _Talk_ of ’em indeed,
+but they never come, for _Life it self is but the Time Present_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_The Sparks Case here in the Fable, of_ to Morrow _and_ to Morrow, _is
+Every Man’s, and Every Days Case in the World; and we do the very same
+Thing with God Almighty, that this Blade does with his Mistress, we
+Promise, and Put-off, and Perform Nothing_.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+Whoever Reads and Considers this Emblem, will find it to be his own Case;
+we promise, and we put-off, and we sin, and we go on Sinning: But still
+as our Conscience Checks us for’t, we take up Faint Purposes, and Half
+Resolutions to do so no more, and to lead a New Life for the future.
+Thus the Young Fellow here, we Indulge our Selves in our Pleasures from
+Time to time; and when we have Whil’d away our Lives, Day after Day,
+from _One to Morrow to Another_, that same _to Morrow_ never comes.
+This is the Sluggard’s Plea and Practice; the Libertine’s; the Miser’s;
+and in short, whose is it not? Now if Man would but Consider the Vanity
+and the Vexation of a Lewd Course of Life; the Impiety first of Entring
+into Vows, which they intend Before-hand not to Perform, and afterward
+of Breaking them; the Folly and the Presumption of Undertaking for any
+thing that is wholly out of our Power; the Necessity of Emproving every
+Moment of our Lives, the Desperate and the Irreparable Hazzard of Losing
+Opportunities: People would not venture Body and Soul upon the necessity
+of a Procrastinated Repentance; and Postpone the most uncertain Duties of
+a Man and of a Christian. For there’s no _to Morrow_, nor any thing in
+truth, but the Present Instant that we can call our Own.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXCVI.
+
+A _Lady_ in Trouble for the Loss of a _Set_ of _Horses_.
+
+
+A Certain Lady, that was fall’n under Great Tribulation for the Loss
+of a very fine Set of Horses, went Raving up and down like a Mad Woman
+from Place to Place, and Every Body must be Tir’d with the History of
+her Misfortune: _Well_, says She, _they were the best Natur’d Poor
+Wretches, they’d look at Me so Kindly still when I came to take Coach;
+to say Nothing of the Value of them, really I cannot think my self safe
+with other Horses_. And at this rate, she went on, Amplifying upon the
+Affliction, while her Friends and Relations on the other Hand, were
+not wanting to Ply her upon the Ordinary _Topiques_ of the Transitory
+State of Mortals. But when they had proceeded as far with her as their
+Religion and Philosophy could carry them, and found that she was not to
+be Comforted; _Why, truly Madam_, says One of her Confidents, _this is a
+very great Tryal, but since they are gone, and there’s no Recalling of
+them, I hope your Ladyship does not think ’em too Good for Him that Has
+’em_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_We are more Sollicitous for our_ Horses _and our_ Dogs, _then we are for
+our_ Souls, _our_ Friends, _or our_ Children; _and therefore it was well
+enough turn’d upon the Lady here toward the bringing of her to her self
+again, to mind her, that_ there was neither Heaven nor Hell in the Case
+of Losing a Set of Horses.
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+This Fancy looks at First Blush, as if it Border’d a little upon
+_Prophaneness_; but if it be Taken by the Right Handle, it will bear
+the Moral of a most Christian, a Necessary, and a Seasonable Check to
+those People that deliver up themselves to the Transports of Extravagant
+Passions for Trifles: As it was the Case of a Lady that kept her Bed for
+the Loss of a Favorite-Puppy she had. Her Friends came to Condole with
+her upon the Tydings of some Dismal Calamity that had Befall’n her, and
+ask’d her very tenderly what terrible Misfortune it might be, that she
+laid so heavily to Heart? Only, says she, the Greatest Affliction (I
+thank the Lord for’t,) that ever befel Me since I was Born: _My Pretty
+Pearl is Dead_. Alas Madam (says One of the Condolers,) Why you have
+lost a very Good Husband. _That’s true_, says T’other, _but the Lord may
+send me such Another Husband; I shall never have such Another Puppy_.
+These Impetuous Violences, are no News to Any Man that has Observ’d and
+Study’d the Infirmities of here and there One perhaps of that Fair and
+Frail Sex. But we must not Imagine at last, because the Moralist has
+made it a Woman’s Case in the Story, that we our Selves are not Guilty
+Every Man of us, in some sort or other, and in a Thousand Instances, of
+the same Weaknesses and Mistakes, even in the Ordinary Course of Human
+Life; for what’s the Doctrin of all this upon the main, but a Rebuke to
+those that set their Affections too much upon the things of this World,
+and consequently too little upon Matters of Greater Moment; with him that
+upon the Firing of his House, was so Overjoy’d for the Saving of his
+Plate, Linnen, Paintings, Hangings, and other Rich Moveables, that he
+never so much as thought of his only Child all this while that was Burnt
+in the Cradle. Every Man has his _Feeble_, as they call it; One Man’s
+Weak side is Ambition; Another’s Avarice, Malice, Envy, Revenge, Pride,
+Vain-Glory; and some again are so wholly taken up with the Pleasures of
+Wine, Women, Jolly Company and Good Cheer, as if all the Faculties of
+their Reasonable Souls had been only given them to Subminster to their
+Appetites. The very World it self, in One Word, is but a _Moor-Fields
+College_ of People that run Mad for Common Disappointments.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXCVII.
+
+The _Hypocrite_.
+
+
+There happen’d a Discourse in very Good Company, upon the Subject of
+_Religion_ and _Hypocrisie_; and how hard a Matter it was, in the Case
+of an Artificial Disguise, to know the One from the Other; though the
+Scripture Allows us, and in truth Obliges us, to Judge of the _Tree_
+by its _Fruits_. _Well_, says One to his Next Man, _Do you know such a
+Person?_ Oh very well, says t’other; _he’s one of the Holiest Men to
+Heaven-ward that ever you met with, but the Arrantest Rascal among his
+Neighbours in the whole Parish_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis not the Name, the Semblance, or the Ostentation of Religion and
+Holiness that will Attone for the Abuse on’t: In making God the Author,
+the Director and the Abettor of those Flagitious Villanies in Christians,
+that Pagans Themselves would have an Abhorrence for. But when All comes
+to All, a Knave in his Practice, is a Knave in his Heart too._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+The _Hypocrite_ is but the Devil in the Shape of an _Angel of Light_; and
+as it is no easie Matter to Distinguish the One from the Other; so ’tis a
+thing of a most Desperate Consequence to Mistake them; and the Question
+will be this at last, How to Reconcile the Offices of _Charity_ and
+_Prudence_. The One bids us believe and hope the _Best_; the Other bids
+us provide against the _Worst_. Now it is not for Nothing that the Holy
+Ghost it self has Denounc’d so many Woes against this sort of Impostors;
+and Inculcated over and over so many Cautions how we have any thing to
+do with them; which is no other then a Declaration of an _Abhorrence_
+of these People, and a plain Intimation of the Danger of being Deluded
+and Impos’d upon, under the Mask of _Religion_ both in One. There’s no
+Cruelty, no Fraud, no Violence, no Oppression, that is not acted under a
+Colour of Divine Authority, Impulse and Direction. Churches are Robb’d
+and Prophan’d; Princes Depos’d and Murder’d; Religion and Morality,
+with all the Principles of Virtue and Common Honesty, are overturn’d;
+and the Name of God himself is made Use of, as a Principal and as a
+Witness to the Impiety, in a Defiance to all the Dictates of Heaven and
+Right Reason: And all this is but a Preachment upon the Text at last, of
+_Fear God and Keep his Commandments_. When a King’s Head is to be struck
+off by his own Rebellious Subjects, ’tis brought on commonly with the
+Prologue of a Fast, which in the Style of the _Holy Intrigue_, is call’d
+_a Seeking of the Lord. This Work and Judgment of God_ (_though it be
+Secret_) _must be done with Great Gravity_, (says _James Melvil_, by way
+of Preface to the Murder of _Cardinal Beaton_.) _Vive l’Evangile_, was
+the Word to several of the Massacres in _France_. ’Twas often in the
+Mouth of a Lady, Zealous in her way, with Deep Protestations, that _She
+had rather lye with Forty Men then go to One Mass_: Nay, and I have heard
+of Tenants too, that Refus’d to pay their Landlord his Rent, unless he
+could shew a _Text_ for’t. Here’s enough said to set forth the Character
+of an _Hypocrite_, so as to Answer the Morality that is Couch’d under
+this Figure; but the great Difficulty will be the Steering of a Middle
+Course, betwixt Believing too much, and too little: That is to say,
+betwixt taking a _Good Man_ for an _Hypocrite_, and an _Hypocrite_ for
+a _Good Man_. We are to have a Reverence for the very Appearances of
+Piety; but whenever we find the _Holy Man to God-ward_, to be no better
+than a _Juggling Knave among his Neighbours_, that’s the very _Hypocrite_
+that we find Stigmatiz’d among the _Scribes_ and _Pharisees_ in the Holy
+_Gospel_.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXCVIII.
+
+The _Conscientious Thieves_.
+
+
+There was a Knot of Good Fellows that Borrow’d a small Sum of Mony of a
+Gentleman upon _the Kings High-way_: When they had taken All they could
+find; _Dam ye for a Dog_, says One of the Gang, _You have more Mony
+about you Sirrah, some where or other_. Lord, Brother, says One of his
+Companions, can’t ye take the Gentleman’s Mony Civilly, but you must
+Swear and call Names! As they were About to Part, Pray by your favour
+Gentlemen, says the Traveller, I have so many Miles to go, and not
+One Penny in my pocket to bear my Charges; you seem to be Men of some
+Honour, and I hope you’l be so Good as only to let me have so much of my
+Mony back again, as will carry me to my Journeys End. _Ay, Ay, the Lord
+forbid else_, they cry’d, and so they Open’d One of the Bags, and bad him
+Please Himself. He took them at their Word, and presently fetch’d out a
+Handfull, as much as ever he could Gripe. _Why how now_, says One of the
+Blades, _Ye Confounded Son of a Whore, Ha’ ye no_ Conscience?
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a notable Trade that many drive in the World, of pretending to make
+a Conscience of One Sin, and taking out their Penn’orths in Another. Some
+there are that Commute Swearing for Whoring, as if the Forbearance of
+the One, were a Dispensation for the Committing of T’other. We have heard
+of Others too, that have been Strict Observers of the Lords Day, and yet
+made no Scruple at all of Robbing the Lords Altars. But a Good Christian
+and an Honest Man, must be all of a Piece; and these Inequalities of
+Proceeding will never hold Water._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis just with Publick Thieves, as ’tis with Private: A pretended
+_Necessity_ sets them both at Work, and a Pretended _Religion_ or
+_Conscience_ brings them off when they have done. This is no more then
+what we our selves have found within the Memory of Man, to be Literally
+and Historically True; when that, which in those Days past for _the
+Law of the Land_, was in Effect no other then _the Law of the Road_;
+and the One had as Much and as Little to say for it self as the Other.
+There are _Political_ Bands of _Robbers_, as well as the _Jacks_ and the
+_Toms_ that are Cry’d in _Gazettes_; and they fall both of them under
+the Regulation of the same Mystery and Trade. The Poor Man here that
+was Robb’d Himself, was Charg’d Effectually with Robbing the Thieves,
+upon a Suspicion, that he had Reserv’d some small Pittance of his own
+Mony, to his own Use, which they accounted a Defrauding of the Publick.
+Now we have seen this to be the Sense and Discipline of the _State_, as
+well as of the _Pad_; and ’tis Broad as ’tis Long at last, whether a Man
+be Undone by a _Cabal of_ Sharpers _in a Committee of Safety_, or by a
+Troup of _Canary Birds_ upon _Newmarket Heath_. Nay, and the Parallel
+runs upon all Four, a little further too; _Can’t you take the Gentlemans
+Mony Civilly?_ says the Spark: That is to say, Cannot you play the _Rogue
+Demurely, as if Butter would not melt in your Mouth_, and pick an Honest
+Gentleman’s Pocket with a _Pater Noster_ betwixt your Teeth? Cannot you
+Plunder, Sequester, Decimate, Draw, Hang and Quarter _in the Fear of
+the Lord_, but you must Blaspheme and Call Names? Is it not enough that
+you are Discharg’d by the very Privilege of your Profession, from the
+Bondage of Subjection and Obedience to Parents Natural or Civil? Is it
+not enough that you may Kill, Whore, Steal, Backbite, Covet, and make
+Bold in short, with all the Commands of the Second Table, but you must
+be Breaking in upon the Former? Thus goes the World; _the Little Thieves
+Hang for’t, while the Great Ones Sit upon the Bench_; and there’s a
+Cloak of Conscience still thrown over both Pretensions, to Cover, and to
+Consecrate the Cheat.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCXCIX.
+
+The _Trepanning Wolf_.
+
+
+There’s a Story of a Man of Quality in _Ireland_, that a little before
+the Troubles there, had Wall’d in a piece of ground for a Park, and left
+only One Passage into’t by a Gate with a _Portcullis_ to’t. The Rebellion
+brake out, and put a stop to his Design. The Place was Horribly Pester’d
+with _Wolves_; and his People having taken one of ’em in a _Pit-Fall_,
+Chain’d him up to a Tree in the Enclosure; and then planted themselves
+in a Lodge over the Gate, to see what would come on’t. The Wolf in a
+very short time fell a Howling, and was Answer’d by all his Brethren
+thereabouts, that were within Hearing of it; insomuch that the _Hubbub_
+was Immediately put about from One Mountain to Another, till a whole Herd
+of ’em were gotten together upon the Outcry; and so Troup’d away into the
+Park. They were no sooner in the Pound, but down goes the _Portcullis_,
+and away Scamper the _Wolves_ to the Gate, upon the Noise of the Fall
+on’t. When they saw that there was no getting out again, where they came
+in, and that upon Hunting the whole Field over, there was no Possibility
+of making an Escape, they fell by Consent upon the Wolf that drew them
+in, and Tore him all to Pieces.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_Any Man that has but Eyes in his head, and looks well about him, will
+find this Exploit of the Wolves, to be no more then the common Practice
+of Vindictive Flesh and Blood, on the one Hand, and the common Fate of
+Publick Incendaries on the Other._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+’Tis with _Men_, as ’tis with _Beasts_, in the Case of this _Wolf_.
+We do naturally Hate the Instruments of our Ruin: And it matters not
+much neither, as to the Event of the thing, whether it be by _Chance_
+or by _Choice_; for it seldom succeeds better, where the Advice or the
+Instigation of One Man draws on the Destruction of Many. There’s a
+Great Difference ’tis true, betwixt the Works of Malice, and those of
+Misadventure, but the Mischief is still the same; for he that’s Undone,
+is equally Undone, whether it be by Spitefulness of Forethought, or by
+the Folly of Oversight, or Evil Counsel. The _Wolf_ at the _Stake_, had
+no Design upon his Brethren in the _Woods_; and the _Wolves_ in the
+_Wood_ had as little Design upon their Brother at the _Stake_; but One
+was in Distress, and call’d out for Help, while the other Associated,
+and came in to his Relief. But after they were once In, they were all
+Involv’d in the same Common Fate: And when the Herd found themselves
+Hamper’d, and that they could not gain their Ends, they came to a
+Resolution, _One and All_, in a Generous Indignation to take their
+Revenge. The Freak of the _French Farce_ comes as Pat as is possible
+to the Earnest of this Moral: The _Plot_ of it was a _Grammar-School_;
+the Master setting his Boys their Lessons, and their Exercises, and a
+Loobily Countrey Fellow putting in for a part among the Scholars. Well,
+says the Master, I am just going out of Town for Four or Five Days,
+wherefore Pray’e be sure ye be Good Boys, till I come back again; and so
+he took Horse and away. He had no sooner turn’d his Back, but there were
+they at it _Helter Skelter_, throwing Books at one anothers Heads, and
+playing such Freaks, as if Hell were Broke Loose among ’em. In this very
+_Interim_, the Master Bolts in upon them, and Surprizes them: In short,
+he enquires into the Riot, and takes the whole School to Task One by One,
+about the Occasion of this Uproar. _I’d have been Quiet_, says One, _if
+it had not been for Him; and I’d ha’ been Quiet_, says T’other, _if he’d
+ha’ let me alone_. So that in fine, all (Pointing at the same Person,)
+the Poor Country Fellow was taken up and Lash’d upon the Stage, and all
+the rest forgiven.
+
+
+
+
+FAB. CCCCC.
+
+A _Miller_ and a _Rat_.
+
+
+A _Miller_ took a huge Over-grown _Rat_ in his _Meal Tub_; there was He
+laying the Law to him about the Lewdness of his Life and Conversation,
+and the Abominable Sin of _Stealing_; but your Thieving, says he, is now
+come Home to ye, and I shall e’en leave Honest _Puss_ here to reckon
+with ye for all your Rogueries. Alas Sir, says the Poor _Rat_, I make no
+Trade on’t; and the Miserable Pittance that I take, is only from Hand to
+Mouth, and out of Pure Necessity to keep Life and Soul together: As the
+_Rat_ Pleaded _Hunger_ on the One Hand, the _Miller_ threw the Matter
+of _Conscience_ and _Honesty_ in his Teeth on the Other, and Preach’d
+to him upon the _Topick_ of a _Political Convenience_, in making such
+Pilfering Knaves Examples for the _Publick Good_. Well Sir, says the
+_Rat_ once again, but pray will you Consider for your own sake, that
+_this is your own Case_; and that _You and I are both Corn Merchants,
+and of the same Fraternity; Nay, and that for One Grain that I take, you
+take a Thousand_? This is not Language, cries the _Miller_, in a Rage,
+for an Honest Man to Bear; but the best on’t is Sirrah, _Your Tongue’s no
+Slander_: So he turn’d the _Cat_ Loose upon him to do that which we call
+in the World _an Execution of Justice_.
+
+
+The MORAL.
+
+_’Tis a piece of Market Policy, for People of a Trade to bear hard One
+upon another, when it comes once to the Question betwixt a Couple of
+Knaves, which is the Honester Man of the Two._
+
+
+REFLEXION.
+
+There are no Greater _Atheists_ under the Sun, then that sort of People
+that Distinguishes it self from other Men by the Name of the _Godly_,
+and the _Ungodly Party_: No Arranter _Hypocrites_ in Hell, then those
+that told the Sons of _Levi they took too much upon them, but that the
+Congregation was Holy Every Man of ’em, and the Lord was among them_.
+Divine Vengeance cut ’em off we see, _Flagranti Crimine_, for _the Earth
+Open’d her Mouth and Swallow’d them up_, Them and their whole Party, _and
+they went down Alive into the Pit_. No People so Unmerciful to _Poor
+Little Whores, and Thieves_, as _Rich Great Ones_. The Griping _Usurer_
+Inveighs against _Extortion_; _Church-Robbers_ against _Sacrilege_;
+the most Insupportable of _Tyrants_, Exclaim against the Exercise of
+_Arbitrary Power_; and none so Fierce against the Sin of _Rebellion_, as
+the most Execrable of _Traytors Themselves_. Thus we find it in these
+Instances; and the same _Pharisaical_ Spirit runs through the whole Roll
+of our Darling Iniquities. The _Miller_ is brought in here Preaching
+against _Stealing_; and it is upon the whole Matter an Unaccountable
+Truth, that we do all Naturally pretend the Greatest Aversion to that
+Lewdness in Another, which we most Indulge in our Selves. This is it that
+we call _Crying Whore First_; as if the _Impudence_ of _Out-facing_ the
+Wickedness, were some sort of _Atonement_ for the _Scandal_ of it.
+
+
+_FINIS._
+
+
+
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 79038 ***