Fables of Æsop and other eminent mythologists with morals and reflexions / by Sir Roger L'Estrange, Kt.

THE FABLES OF AESOP, &c.

FABLE I. A Cock and a Diamond.

AS a Cock was turning up a Dunghill, he spy'd a Dia∣mond. Well (says he to himself) this sparkling Foo∣lery now to a Lapidary in my place, would have been the Making of him; but as to any Use or Pur∣pose 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 Curio∣sity, 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 Vo∣luptuous 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 Labor, and maintains his Family out of it; His Scraping upon the Dunghill, is but Working in his Calling: The precious Stone is only a gaw∣dy Temptation that Fortune throws in his way to divert him from his Bu∣siness 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 que∣stion, in preferring 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which Providence has made and pronounc'd to be the Staff of Life, before a glittering Gew-Gaw, that has no other Value, then what Vanity, Pride, and Luxury, have set upon't? The Price of the Market to a Ieweller in his Trade, is one thing, but the intrinfick Worth of a thing, to a Man of Sense, and Iudgment, is another. Nay, that very La∣pidary 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

Blessings 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 Clut∣ches 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 never was such an incestuous 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 muddling the Water that I'm 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 with∣out

any more ado, he leapt at the Throat of the miserable help∣less Lamb, and tore him immediately to pieces.

The MORAL of the Two Fables above.

'Tis an Easie Matter to find a Staff to Beat a Dog. Innocence is no Prote∣ction against the Arbitrary Cruelty of a Tyrannical Power: But Reason and Conscience are yet so Sacred, that the Greatest Villanies are still Con∣tenanc'd under that Cloak and Color.

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 ac∣cus'd, are improv'd to his Condemnation: As the Industry and Watchful∣ness 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 than fail) with things utterly impossible, and wholly foreign to the Mat∣ter 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, Singu∣larity 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 Mediations, Presents, Friends, Advocates, Plausible Colours, and Flourishes of Wit, and Rhetorique, Interpos'd be∣twixt 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 Re∣mitted 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 Bu∣siness 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 whilst Two of their Champions 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 a 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'en 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 Hin∣der 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 Disa∣greement. This is no more than 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 Fare 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 Mony, Do∣minion, and Power, and how to Compass Those Ends; and not a Rush mat∣ter 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 Defendent, and carries away the Booty.

FAB. VI. A Dog and a Shadow.

AS a Dog was crossing a River, with a Morsel of Good Flesh in his Mouth, he saw (as he thought) Another Dog un∣der the Water, upon the very same Adventure. He never consi∣der'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 Honor, and the Iustice 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; than the Bare Sense and Letter of the Dog, the Flesh, and the Image here in the Fable. Un∣der 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 Bles∣sings in Vision? (For Fair Words and Promises, are no more than Empty Appearances) What is all This, but Sacrificing a Man's 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 Discre∣tion, in the Pursuit of One Vanity after Another. Ambition is a Lad∣der that reaches from Earth to Heaven; and the First Round is but so ma∣ny Inches in a Man's way toward 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 than he can carry away, he loses what he Had. Now there's Ingratitude, as well as Disap∣pointment, in All these Rambling and Extravagant Motions: Beside, that A∣varice 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 of 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 Vainer now, than to Lavish out our Lives and Fortunes in the Search and Purchase of Trifles; and at the same time to lye Carking for the Un∣profitable 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 Af∣fections.

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 rea∣dy 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 Advan∣cing one Inch of Ground toward his Journey's End, but •…•…xion in the Wheel? And all this while, with Cares, and Horrors at his Heart, like the Vul∣tur that's Day and Night Quarrying upon Prometheus's Liver.

But after all that's said upon this Subject, of our Mistake, and Punish∣ment, the Great Nicety will lye in Rightly Distinguishing betwixt the Sub∣stance, 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. Aesop's Dog here was in the Possession of a very Good Breakfast, and he knew ve∣ry well what he had in his Mouth; but still, either out of Levity, Curio∣sity, or Greediness, he must be Chopping at something else, that he nei∣ther 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.

REFLECTION.

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 Reme∣dy but Patience and Resignation.

People should have a care how they Engage themselves in Partner∣ships 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 hand 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 Clyents 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 Labor for his Pains.

Ambition, and the Insatiable Thirst of Mony, Greatness, and Glory, know no other Bounds of Justice or Conscience, than the Measures of a Cor∣rupt 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 than [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 Suf∣ficient 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 off with a Whole Skin, let him Expect No Other Reward.

REFLEXION.

THIS Fable will bear Divers Morals; as First, That it is but Due Gra∣titude 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 a 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 In∣terpose 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 reckon upon it only 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 Oc∣casion of it; but such a Deliverance however, is a Thing to Thank Pro∣vidence 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 Cala∣mity, 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 Ruine 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 un∣der a Hedg, 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 Venomous Ill Nature of thine to be Satisfi'd with nothing less than 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 impla∣cable 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 Friend∣ships, 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, than 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 Mis∣chief, who in requital have afterwards conspir'd against the Life, Honor, and Fortune of their Patrons and Redeemers. Did ever any of these Hu∣man 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 Op∣portunity of putting it in Execution. Facility makes the Innocent a Prey to the Crafty: Wherefore it is highly necessary for the One to know how far, and to Whom he Trusts; and for the Other to understand what he is to Trust to. 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 ve∣ry Pardon in their Pockets, and the Ink scarce Dry upon the Parchment? Now all this is no more than the Proverb in a Fable: Save a Thiefe 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 Bray∣ing at a Lyon. The Lyon began at first to shew his Teeth, and to Stomack the Affront; but upon Second Thoughts; Well! (says he) Ieer 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 Superiors; but it does not yet become a man of Honor 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. Con∣tempt 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-Pa∣rings, 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 Pi∣ning, 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 ei∣ther Fear or Danger, in my Own Little Hole, than 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 Bles∣sings 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 Aesop has done Wisely to cast the Issue of the Question upon the Experiment, Far from Iupiter (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 ei∣ther 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 Pleas∣ing of his Palate against the Surfeits of Gluttony and Excess, The Starving of his Mind against a Pamper'd Carcass; 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 than 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 Stra∣tagem. Take this Muscle up into 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 Neigh∣bours 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 Mis∣carry, where there is a full Confidence on the One side, and a Plausible Ad∣dress 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 Ad∣viser is to be evidently the Better for the Council, and the Advised, in Mani∣fest Danger to be the worse for't, there's no Medling. The Crow's Counsel was good enough in itself; 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. Ah 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 Admirable 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 Break∣fast, which the Fox presently Chopt up, and then bad him remem∣ber, 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 than 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, than in the Hyperboles of their Flatterers. 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, than 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 Merce∣nary, 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 than they Deserve, we make them think Better of Us too than We Deserve: For Self-love and Vanity on the One hand, Assists the Falseness and the Considence on the Other, while it serves to confirm weak Minds in the Opinion they had of Themselves before; and makes them Parties, effe∣ctually, 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 Cu∣stom, 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 than pussing 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 pre∣serves 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 Thought. 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, than Friend∣ship and Conversation is by Corruption.

It is the Parasites Act 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 ac∣cordingly, with a respect to his Power, Wisdom, Conduct, Bravery, Genero∣sity, 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, than 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 Outrageous and Cruel, came in the end to be Reduced by Old Age, and Infirmity, to the last Degree of Misery, and Con∣tempt: 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 Intol∣lerable 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 him∣self of a stock of Reputation in his Greatness, shall most Certainly fall Un∣pity'd in his Adversity: And the Baser his Enemies are, the more insupport∣able 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 Wheele of Time, and of Fortune is still Rolling, and that they them∣selves are to lie down at last in the Grave with Common Dust: And with∣out any thing 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 Ruines of an Old Carcass: But there are None yet that fall so Unpity'd; so Just, so Necessary, and so Grateful a Sa∣crifice to the Rage and Scorn of the common People, as those that have rais'd themselves upon the Spoiles of the Publick: Especially when that Op∣pression 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 Other.

The Lion is here upon his Death-Bed; 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, un∣der the Judgment of Divine Vengeance, and the Animadversion of Humane Justice, both at once; stung in his own Thoughts with the Guilty Remem∣brance 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 Ad∣versaries; 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 Gambles, 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 Gamesom 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 Into∣lerable in Another, under Differing Circumstances.

REFLEXION.

Under the Allegory of the Asse, is Insinuated the License of a Buffoon. 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 Aesops Asse here, their very Complements deserve a Correction, rather than 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 pre∣sently 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 Cle∣mency, 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 Ho∣nour 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 lay'd 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 the Friends, that to their Loss and Hazard, stood by and succour'd them in their Adversity. This is a Sin of so odious and Dan∣gerous 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 In∣terest, 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 afterward, 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 Huntsmen Kill Him, we are sure He'll never Kill Us; Beside that we shall have one Enemy the fewer for't, when he's gone.] Now the Reason of Aesops Mouse here, works quite Ano∣ther 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 La∣mentations, 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 af∣ter 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 Ruines of the Church, and the spoils of Widows and Or∣phans; 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 Sick∣ness; and to lie Agonizing betwixt Heaven and Hell, under the stroke ei∣ther of a Divine Judgment, or of Human Frailty, They are not commonly so 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 Condi∣tion 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 than 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 Sow∣ing. 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 For∣tune to see Several of the very same Birds that she had forewarn'd, taken in Nets, made of the very Stuff she told them off. They came at last to be Sensible of the folly of slipping their Opportu∣nity; 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 E∣vil was come upon us: But Good Council is cast away, upon the Arro∣gant, the 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 Pre∣venting of ill Consequences in their Causes, and Obviating the Mischief Be∣times: But that Counsel is either thrown off with a Raillery, or not mind∣ed 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 itself in the Blade, Advances, and Ripens: And still the Swal∣low 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 King∣doms and States. Cautions, or the common Ways of Anticipating, or De∣feating 〈◊〉〈◊〉, are below the Wisdom of men of Intrigue, and Cabal; till at last, a Faction comes to be too hard for the Government. Now whe∣ther 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 be∣twixt 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 Iupiter for a King, to the End that there might be

some Distinction of Good and Evil, by Certain Equitable Rules and Methods of Reward and Punishment. Iupiter, 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 than 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 Iupiter must needs be Entreated to send 'em Ano∣ther: 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 Iupiter 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 oftn'er 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, than they were of the Former. Now the Bus'ness is only this: They are never satisfy'd with their present Condition; but their Governors 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 than 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 Grie∣vances 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 Yoak 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 Fierce! 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 Authori∣ty, makes more Havock in the Dove-House in Two Days, than the Kite could have done in Twice as many Months.

The MORAL.

'Tis a Dangerous Thing for People to call in a Powerful and an Ambitious man for their Protector; and upon the Clamour of here and there a Pri∣vate 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 Pa∣tience. 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 than in our Broils of Famous Memory.

The Kite was the Evil Counsellour; The Free-Born People that Com∣plain'd of them were the 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 among 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 Compa∣ny 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 than the Men.

REFLEXION.

WHEN Ill Men take up a Fit of Kindness all on a sudden, and ap∣pear to be Better Natur'd than 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 O∣ther of doing it for a Crust? Beside the Right Reasoning of the Dog up∣pon 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 Aesop's Dog is a Reproach 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 Carelesness, or Neglect, does the Same thing, with Him that Maliciously and Corruptly sets himself to Cozen it. This holds as well too in the Pri∣vate Case of being either Principal or Accessory 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 As∣sistance 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 mug∣ger, 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 Ci∣vily 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 not 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 S•…•…w had more Wit than to Entertain a Wolf for her Nurse.

FAB. XXIII. A Mountain in Labour.

VVHen Mountains cry out, people may well be Ex∣cus'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 Expect∣ed, 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 Distem∣per, 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 Bur∣dens, 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 Un∣grateful World. One Casual Slip is enough to Weigh down the Faithful and Affectionate Services of 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 Ser∣vant, came at last, upon falling from his Speed and Vigour, to be Loaden at Every turn with Blows and Reproaches for it. 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 In∣justice.

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, than of a General Laudable Practice. But One Stumble is enough to Deface the Character of an Ho∣nourable 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 Ser∣vices 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 Insen∣sible, 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 Reproaches 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 than Beasts for not being More than 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, it passes for an Act of Mercy. Under These Circumstances, the Bare Sense of a Cala∣mity 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, whe∣ther the Wickedness, or the Imprudence of this Iniquity be the more Per∣nicious; for over and above the Inhumanity, 'tis a Doctrine of Ill Conse∣quence 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 come 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 Effectu∣ally 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, than to the Master Him∣self: But the Asse and 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 than either of ye.

FAB. XXVII. The Hares and the Frogs.

ONce upon a time the Hares found themselves mightily Un∣satisfy'd with the 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 Vermine, 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, than live at This rate in a Continual Dread that's Worse than Death it self. The Motion was Seconded and Debated, and a Re∣solution 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 Gra∣vest of the Company, pray let's have a little Patience. Our Con∣dition I find is not altogether so bad as we fancy'd it; for there are Those you see that are as much affraid 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 Thing 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 Mi∣serable, and there is not any thing so Timerous, but something else is af∣fraid of It. There are Those, 'tis True, that Die for the very Fear of Death, and Plunge themselves into Certain Misery, upon the Bare Appre∣hension of it: But this comes rather from their Spleen, than their Mis∣fortune.

Since so it is, that Nature Provides for the Necessities of All Crea∣tures, 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 than what by Pro∣vidence it was Design'd to be; what a Madness is it to Wish our selves Other than 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 Iustice? 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 than the Dangers? In All These Cases, we fancy our selves much more Miserable than 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 Fright∣ed 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 affraid of Him.

It may seem to be a kind of a Malicious Satisfaction, that One Man 〈◊〉〈◊〉 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 Mi∣serable 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 Ma∣lady on the Other; Why should not the Poor Man think himself Happier in his Rags, than 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, than 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-heard 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 Co∣lours, and Feigned Pretences. There are Wolves, in Policy, as well as in Mythology; and if the Kids Obedience had not been more than her Saga∣city, 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 Pre∣tence 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 Defendent was cast into 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, Iury and Witnesses are in a Conspiracy against the Pris'ner.

REFLEXION.

NO Innocence can be Safe, where Power and Malice are in Confede∣racy against it. There's No Fence against Subornation, and False Evidence. What Greater Judgment can befall a Nation, than for Sheep to be made Trespassers, and Wolves, Kites, and Vulturs to set up for Witnesses! This is a Large Field, if a body would Amplifie upon it: But the History of 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 Vulturs. 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 Di'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 Matter 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 a∣gain. 'Tis a Nice Business to Indulge on the Left Hand, without Pu∣nishing 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 In∣terest 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 Remembrancers at Hand still, to Provoke him to a Revenge. 'Tis a great Errour to take Facility, for Good Nature: Tenderness, without Discretion, is no better than a mere 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 Enter∣tainment; 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 Al∣low 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 Row∣land 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.

AESOP 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 Reproach, as it Hit the Stork on the Weak side; but That which was Rudeness, and Ill Nature in the Aggressor, was only a Monitory Ju∣stice, and a Discreet Sharpness in the Other. But This is the Fate Com∣monly of Drolls and Buffoons, that while they think to make Sport with Others, they serve only in the conclusion for a Laughing Stock Them∣selves.

There's Nothing looks Sillier than 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 Re∣turn of the Stork was only a Quid pro Quo, and a Warrantable Re∣venge, even according to the Rules of Good Manners, and Good Fel∣lowship; 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: Be∣side 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 Li∣mits, they Degenerate into Scurrility, Scandal, and Reproach: 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 Fox's leading the Frolique.

FAB. XXXII. A Fox and a Carv'd Head.

AS a Fox was Rummidging among a Great many Carv'd Fi∣gures, 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 〈◊〉〈◊〉 has not so much as 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 Cogni∣zance

of; as Virtue, Wisdom, and the Like. The Excellency, in fine, of 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 Judg∣ment are so far yet from being Inseparable, 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 than 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 Fox's 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 Fea∣ther; the Silly Daw had Nothing left him to Cover his Naked∣ness.

The MORAL.

We steal from one Another all manner of Ways, and to all manner of Pur∣poses; 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 them∣selves 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 Pre∣tenders, 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 Co∣zen'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, than 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 Thread that Tackt the Composition together. Now when these Plagiaries come to be Stript of their Borrow'd, or Pilser'd Ornaments, rhere'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 Ac∣cess 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're a Plague to 'em Wherever You Come. Your very Breath has Maggots in 't, and for the Kisse you Brag of, what is it but the Perfume of the Last Dunghil you Touch'd up∣on, 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 Va∣nity 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 Lu∣xury, and the Ambition of Courts, in the preference of Palaces, to Caves, and Private Retreats. The Ant contents her self with the Virtue of So∣briety, 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 peo∣ples Trenchers.

A Man can hardly fancy to himself a Truer Image of a Plain, Honest, Country Simplicity, then the Ants part of the Dialogue in This Fable. She takes pains for What she Eats; Wrongs No body; and so Creates No Ene∣mies; She wants Nothing, and she Boasts of Nothing; Lives Contented with her Own, and Enjoys 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 Compa∣nions, Skipping up and down from Levée to Levée, and making himself Necessary, wherever he thinks fit to be Troublesome: I cannot hear a Fi∣nical 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 than 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 Qua∣lity and Fortune, and pretend to spend Penny for Penny with men of

Twenty times their Estate, and therefore must needs Burst in the Conclu∣sion! But Pride and Ambition Pushes men forward, not only to Extrava∣gances, 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 than 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 Que∣stion. 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 than they Are, and Bigger than 'tis possible for them to Be.

FAB. XXXVI. An Asse and a Wolf.

AN Asse had got a Thorn in's Foot, and for want of a Bet∣ter 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 Ope∣rator such a Lick 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 Lion.

THere was an Old Hungry Lion would fain have been Deal∣ing 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 Humour 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'm 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 pre∣sently 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 〈◊〉〈◊〉 upon the Fore∣head with his Heel, that he laid him at his Length, and so got off with a whole Skin, before the Other could I •…•…ccute his Design.

The MORAL of the Two 〈◊〉〈◊〉 above.

Harm Watch, Harm Catch, is but according to the Common Rule of E∣quity and Retaliation, and a very •…•…arrantable 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 carrv'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 Man∣ners. The Wolfe had the same Design upon the Asse, that the Lion had upon the Horse; and the Matter being brought to a Trial of Skill be∣tween 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 Iade in the Full Course of his Carriere, and a Poor Creeping Ass, 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 sla∣vish Insolent Animal, or I'll Tread thee to Dirt. The Wretch∣ed Asse immediately Slunck 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 Ass) 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 prepar'd 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 Humane 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 afterward, 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 Mo∣thers; for what's the meaning of All the Little Wrangles and Contentions else, which Child shall be most made off; 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 In∣sensibly 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 Con∣trol: For what are all the Extravagances of the Leudest Life, but the

more Consummated Follies and Disorders, of either a Mis-taught, or a Neg∣lected 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, than 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 Bet∣ter, but for want of a Careful Manage and Discipline, to set 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 Enforming their Understand∣ings. 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 Ass here in the Fable.) In One word, Children should be season'd betimes, and Lesson'd into such a Con∣tempt, 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 than Judging, and Acting A∣right, 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, pre∣sently 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 E∣mulation: Betwixt the First Motions of a Churlish, and Impetuous Inso∣lence, 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 the Perverse, as to Hit the pre∣cise Medium of Encouraging the One, without Discouraging the Other. And This Faculty of Discerning is not enough neither, without a Watch∣ful 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 In∣finite Curiosity of the Operation, in the Forming of our Lives and Man∣ners: 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 Gentile a Soft∣ness 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, toge∣ther 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 Ass; The One, in Placing his Happiness upon any thing that could be Taken away; and the Other, in Envying that Mista∣ken Happiness, under the Abuse of the same Splendid Illusion and Impo∣sture.

What Signifies a Gay Furniture, and a Pamper'd Carcass; or any other Outward Appearance, without an Intrinsick Value of Worth and Virtue? VVhat signifies Beauty, Strength, Youth, Fortune, Embro∣der'd Furniture, Gawdy Bosses, or any of Those Temporary, and Uncer∣tain 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 Huf∣fing 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 Victors Chariot? VVhere'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 Ashamed of? Take it singly, and what is there More in't, than an Un∣natural, and an 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. VVhat can be more Imprudent than to Affect Reputation by the Methods of Infamy? To Aspire to Greatness by the ways of becoming Odious and Contemp∣tible? And to Propose the Erecting of a Mighty Fabrick, upon a Bot∣tom 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 Ad∣vantages 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 Rellish of them. As first for the Purpose; they may be taken from Us, by Cheats, Robberies, Suborna∣tions, 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, Im∣potency and Old Age, shall do the Work of Taking away both the Gust, and the Comfort of them. Nay, the very Loss of One Pleasure is enough to Damp, if not to Destroy the Rellish of Another.

But now to carry the Allusion One Step further yet; It may be li∣terally Asserted, that All Proud Men, over and above the Stroke of a Divine Judgment, are Miserable, even in Themselves, and that no Circum∣stances 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 pre∣tend 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 〈◊〉〈◊〉. [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 Kings 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 Ad∣vanced him above the Princes and Servants of the King. Tea, 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 to morrow am I Invited unto her also with the King [Yet All This Availeth Me Nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Iew sitting at the Kings 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 prepar'd for him by the Order of Haman, Cap, 5. V. 14. But the King, upon Examination of the Matter, Order'd Haman Him∣self to be Hanged. [So they Hanged Haman upon the Gallows that 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 up∣on 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 No∣thing to him, so long as he saw Mordecai the Jew sitting in the Kings Gate. Where's the Sober Man now, that would not rather chuse to be Mordecai in the Gate, upon These Terms, than to be Haman in the Pa∣lace? 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 Sha∣dow! 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 fansies 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 Casuality, 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 appeale to the Consciences of a Thou∣sand 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 Competi∣tions; and then he never fails of a Vi•…•…ulent 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 than want a Co∣lourable 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 toward 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 is an Abject, (in fine) and there is 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 Ass it was a Double Folly; for he Mi∣stakes 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 Ass En∣vies the Horse to day; and in some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 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. No∣thing but Moderation and Greatness of Mind can make, either a Pro∣sperous, or an Adverse Fortune Easie to us. The Only Way to be Hap∣py 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 'Tother,) but you may see by my Wings that I'm a Bird; and so that Bat scap'd in Both Capacities, by Playing the Trimmer.

FAB. XL. A Bat, Birds, and Beasts.

UPon a Desperate and a Doubtful 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 Troups, and carry'd the Day; and away she went Then to 'Tother Party, where she was Try•…•…d by a Councel of War as a Deserter; Stript, Banish'd, and finally Condemn'd never to see Daylight again.

FAB. XLI. An Estriche, Birds, and Beasts.

THe Estriche is a Creature that passes in Common Reputa∣tion, 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 Other•…•…, 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. Aesop however Condemns the Double Pra∣ctices 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 Ano∣ther, and yet not without some Remarkable Diversities neither. From the Emblem of the Bat and Weazle, we are to Gather, that there are Cer∣tain Ways, Cases, and Occasions, wherein, Disguises, and Artificial E∣vasions are in some Measure Allowable, provided only that there be No Scandalous, or Malicious Departure from the Truth. This Shuffling 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, than 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 Assist∣ance. Secondly, In going over to the Stronger Side, and Declaring Him∣self an Open Enemy when his Fellows had the Worst on't. His Judg∣ment, 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 per∣chance 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 Pri∣vately with Provisions, and so kept Close a while. Why, how now friend says a Fox to him, we han't seen You abroad at the Chace 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 surprize 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 them∣selves, 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 Mischiefe that he does to Others, returns in a Judg∣ment 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 Traytor 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 into This Con∣templation 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 thorough 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 Leggs, that would otherwise have brought me off.

The MORAL.

He that does not thoroughly know himself, may be Well Allowed to make a False Iudgment 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 Practise 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 afterward Shackled, and were the Ruine of him; but made slight of his Pityful Shanks, that if it had not been for his Branch∣ing 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 Lick∣ing of a File, She Saw the File Bloudy, and still the Bloudyer 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 that 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 Under∣stand 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 ac∣cordingly.

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 Trea∣son; 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 to the Highest Degree to think of Establishing an Alliance among those that Nature her self has Divided, by an Inconciliable Disagree∣ment. Beside, that a Foolish Peace is much more Destructive than 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. Chri∣stian 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 Conve∣nience; 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 Co∣lour for a Rupture, where there's a Good Will to't. 'Tis No New Thing ing 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 a 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, whe∣ther 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 Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles,

FAB. XLVI. An Axe and a Forrest.

A Carpenter that had got the Iron-Work of an Axe all∣ready, 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 Tim∣ber-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'm 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 Con∣sideration went nearer her Heart, she said, than 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 Crea∣ture 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 Accessory to his own Ruine.

REFLEXION.

THE Fables of the Ax-Handle, and the Wedge, serve to Precaution us not to put our selves Needlesly upon an After Game, but to Weigh be∣fore 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 than 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 Trou∣bled 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 toward the Ma∣king 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 Grant∣ings 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, Honor, 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 any thing Rashly, must be taken in Equity of Construction to do it willingly: For he was Free to Delibe∣rate 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 a 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 how∣ever, 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 Kind∣ness, should wholly Divert us from the Exercise of Charity and Good Na∣ture. 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, than to observe, that both by Chance, and by Nature, we are made Accessary to our Own Ruines: and That's enough to Trouble a Body, though not to Condemn him.

FAB. L. The Belly and Members.

THE Commoners of Rome were gon off once into a Direct Fa∣ction 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 a∣gainst the Belly. They knew No Reason, they said, why the One should lye Lazying, 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 than a Negative Traitor to his Country.

REFLEXION.

THIS Allegoty 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 than 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 Vi∣sibly 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 Superiors to make use of them.

There is so Near an Analogy betwixt the State of a Body Natural, and 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 Con∣sideration, they would find that the Conservation of the Body depends up∣on 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 Main∣tenance of the whole, which obliges them all to Labour in their Respective Offices and Functions for the Common Good. There are Degrees of Digni∣ty (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 Facul∣ties, and Duties of our Reasonable Being: For Every Member has its Pro∣per, and Respective Function Assigned 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 beggd of him only a little piece on't to Cover his Nakedness: For (says he) you have enough for Both, and what needs more than you have Occasion for? Well, Iohn (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 In comprehensible Wisdom, and an Almighty Power.

REFLEXION.

THIS is to Reprove the Impertinent, Useless, and Unreasonable De∣mands 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 Cerrain 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 Com∣pass 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 Extra∣vagant Desires, and yet let the Refusal be never so Just, it is Possible how∣ever, that a Man may Oppose a most Unconscionable Request for an Un∣justifiable Reason; As in the Case for the purpose, of an Ill-Natur'd Denyal, out of a Dislike of the Man, rather than 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 People's 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 Tayle? 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 Re∣turn, that the Owner of the Field had been there, and Order'd his Neigbours to come and Reap the Corn. Well, says the Old One, ther'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 a Progging for Provisions again as before. But upon the Third Day, when they told their Mother, that the Master and his Son appoint∣ed to come the Next Morning about it 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'msure will be as good as his Word; for 'tis his own Bus'ness.

FAB. LIII. The Stag and the Oxen

A Stag that was hard set by the Huntsmen, betook himself to a Stall for Sanctuary, and prevail'd 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 than his Fellows, advis'd him not to be too Confident nei∣ther; for the Servant, says he, is a Puzzling Fool that heeds No∣thing; but when my Master comes, he'll have an Eye Here and There and Every where, and will most certainly find ye out. Up∣on 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 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

The MORAL to 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, than I am of my •…•…elf. 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 Masters Committing All to his Servant is in Oeconomicks. It is Effectually a Tran∣slation of the Authority, when a Superior trusts himself Implicitly to the Faith, Care, Honesty and Discretion of an Inferior. To say nothing of the Temptation to Bribery and False D•…•…aling, 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 Lyon.

A Certain Lyon that had got a Politique Fit of Sickness, made it his Observation, that of All the Beasts in the Forrest, 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 re∣turn'd the Complement with a Thousand Prayers for his Reco∣very; 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 Majesties Palace, and not One that comes Back again.

The MORAL.

The Kindnesses of Ill Natur'd and Designing People, should be thoroughly 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, Hu∣manity and Virtue; and an Action of Extreme Folly, Improvidence, and Hazzard. But the Fox saw thorough 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 Mat∣ter 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 Judg∣ment, 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 with∣out Trusting some body or Other, in some Cases, or at some Time or O∣ther: 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 In∣tent and Meaning on't.

FAB. LV. A Fox and a Weazel.

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, ei∣ther 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 Di∣spos'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 Ob∣struct the Operations of the Other. The Head of a Philosopher will ne∣ver do well upon the Shoulders of an Epicure. The Body and the Soul are Inseparable Companions, and it is against the Nature of This Reaso∣nable Union, for the One to be a Clog to the Other. The Foxe's 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 Carcases.

FAB. LVI. A Boare 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 Boare, 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 pay'd 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 Satisfa∣ction 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 Horse's 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 Blindfolded 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 Hazzard 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 Ta∣king up Quarrels, or Keeping the Peace.

These Fables tell us, that it is a Rule of Good Discretion in all Mat∣ters 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 Pre∣serv'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 ha∣ving 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 Pro∣mises; but Works only for his Master; and if at any time he does but Slacken his Pace, or abate, either in his Zeale, or in his Mettle, the Spurr is presently 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 to 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 Toyle and Moyle 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 Re∣spite or Reason; And after they have carry'd their Riders safe over All Leaps, and thorough All Dangers, and by All Ways and Means Contri∣buted 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 here∣after. 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 Cooks 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 thorough 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 Equi∣vocating Hypocrite: For He that Denies a Providence, or Doubts whe∣ther 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 Rea∣sonable Nature, both in Philosophy, and in Religion. Now there is a

Truth of Opinion; a Truth of Fact, and a Truth in Simplicity and Sin∣cerity 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 Pra∣ctice of Falsifying with Men, will lead us on Insensibly to a Double-Deal∣ing 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 af∣ter 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 Ex∣periment to the Knowledge of it. We have I know not how many Ad∣ages 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 Wan∣dring 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 run∣ning 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, wheed∣ling, 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 De∣struction.

REFLEXION.

THIS Fable Preaches both Obedience and Caution; the One as a Mat∣ter 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 up∣on'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, with∣out 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 Uenus.

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 Kit∣tens by her That Night: But as the Loving Couple lay Snug∣ging together, a Toy took Venus in the Head, to try if the Cat had Chang'd her Manners with her Shape; and so for Experi∣ment, turn'd a Mouse loose into the Chamber. The Cat, upon This Temptation, Started out of the Bed, and without any re∣gard 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 O∣ther 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 Ex∣cuses them. The Womans Leaping at the Mouse, tells us also how Impos∣sible 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 Wo∣man: 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 Iesuit, 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 a∣part, 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, than 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 Ra∣tional 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 for Another.

We have here set before us the Mischieves of Ill Nature, and Imprudence, both in One; and the Folly of not Heeding the Duty, as well as the Com∣mon 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 Burden, 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 Commu∣nity, when Particular Men shall take upon them to Divide from the Com∣mon 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 Or∣der, 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 Ten∣derness, Honor and Justice.

The Churlish Humour of this Horse, is too much the Humour of Man∣kind, even in the Case of Subjects to the same Master; but such is the Va∣nity 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 Superiors.

FAB. LXIV. A Collyer and a Fuller.

A Fuller had a very kind Invitation from a Collyer to come and Live in the House with him. He gave him a Thou∣sand 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 Crea∣ture 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 Sea∣son. One is for the Summer, T'other, for Winter; And that which keeps You Alive, Kills your Companion.

The MORAL of the TWO FABLES above.

'Tis a Necessary Rule in Allyances, Matches, Societies, Fraternities, Friend∣ships, Partnerships, Commerce, and All Manner of Civil Dealings and Con∣tracts, 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 Courseness 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 Provi∣dence: For the Latter are immediately from Heaven, where no Human 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, cries one of the Company, for being so Mean a Rascal, as to set other Peo∣ple 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 Iustrument 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 Publick Mischief; which is much Worse than any Man's Doing a Private One Himself: And only a Safer Way of Commit∣ting greater Outrages.

The Trumpeter's Plea, is so Arrant a Shuffle here, that an Incendiary at the Barr, or in the Pulpit, has as much to say for Himself. He that Coun∣tenances, Encourages, or Abetts a Mischief, Does it. The Seditious Law∣yer, 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 Bloud immediately Himself. Shall any Man now, that Willfully, 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 Ac∣count. 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 Iourneymen-Mercenaries under them to do the Work. What is This, but to Engage our Bibles, and our Law-Books in a Conspi∣racy 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 afterward 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 In∣culcate the Doctrine of Disobedience, and so 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 Spi∣ritual Trumpeter is the more Pernicious Instrument of the Two; for the Latter serves only to Rowze the Courage of the Soldies without any Do∣ctrine 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 his Back, that fell into Company together upon the King's High-Way. The Wolfe 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 Dogs Neck, where the Hair was worn off. Brother (says he) how comes this I prethee? Oh, That's No∣thing, 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 than 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 Inconveniencies 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-Bond'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 Out∣sides 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 Inconveniencies: 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 Incum∣brances 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 Aesop 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 Dogs 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 Heeles for't, be∣fore 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 Inhospi∣table 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 Con∣veniency, and Ordinary Practice must give place to the Laws of Necessity. This was the Naked Truth of the Farmers 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 Con∣tempt.

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 Be∣fore.

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 Cu∣stom 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 Di∣stinguish 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 appre∣hensive of the Hazzard, by seeing so many People Scape; and by Com∣puting 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 Ap∣pearances; 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 Hea∣ven 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 Cubbs 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 Damm.

The MORAL.

God Reserves to Himself the Punishment of Faithless, and Oppressing Go∣vernours, 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 Per∣fidious▪

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 Ally∣ance, 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 Aesop has aptly enough Match'd a Faith-Breaking Prince, with a Per•…•…idious Subject, and Fancy'd a Knavish Favourite, as the Fittest Mini∣ster for such a Governour. In the Eagles Destroying the Foxes Cubbs, there's Power Exercis'd with Oppression, and the Curses of the Fox that Pur∣su'd the Oppressor, were not sent in Vain neither, as appears by the Se∣quel▪

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 be∣gins 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 Misdemeanors 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 bore to Man∣kind, and the Service she did in Picking up of Venomous Creatures. This is all True, says the Husbandman; But They that Keep Ill Company, if they be Catch'd with Ill Company, must Ex∣pect 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 Bad are Taken together, they must Go together. Not but that a man may lye 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, Dis∣cretion, 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 Disho∣nour 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 ye the Man. What would a body think now of a Prime Minister that should Conjobble Mat∣ters of State with Tumblers and Buffoons; Conferr 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, ac∣cording 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 Alarums.

A Shepherd 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 Alarums. 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 here∣after.

There's not One Man of a Thousand that Understands the Just, the Sa•…•…e, Warrantable, Decent, and Precise Limits of that which we call Ban∣tering, or Fooling: But it is either too Course, too Rude, too Childish, too Bitter, too Much on't, too Pedantique; and in 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 Reproach. 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 Conversa∣tion; for That which we call Raillery, in This Sense, is the very Sawce of Civil Entertainment: And without some such Tincture of Urba∣nity, 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 the more Grate∣ful, and Effectual for it. The Gravity, in short, of the One, is Enliven'd with the Spirit and Quickness of the Other; and the Gayety of a Divert∣ing Word serves as a Vehicle to Convey the Force of the Intent, and Mean∣ing of it: But the Main Drift at last of This Fable, is to shew us the Dan∣gerous Consequences of an Improper, and an Unseasonable Fooling: With All Respect however to the Ornament and Advantage of a Facetious Free∣dom of Discourse, within the Compass of Sobriety and Honour. To Conclude; The Shepherds Boy went too far upon a 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 Cle∣verly away with her. A Mimical Daw, that saw This Ex∣ploit, 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 Cleare Himself; He Clipt his Wings, and carry'd him Home to his Chil∣dren to Play withal. They came Gaping about him, and ask'd their Father what Strange Bird that Was? Why, says he, He'l 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 thorough withall; And the End of Those Un∣dertakings is only Mockery and Disappointment in the Conclusion.

REFLEXION.

'TIS Vain and Dangerous to Enter into Competitions with our Supe∣riors, 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 Know∣ledg and a True Judgment of Himself. Nay the Attempt of any thing above our Force, with Vanity, and Presumption, most certainly ends in a Mis∣carriage

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 up∣on the Main, a High Point of Indiscretion. One man takes it for an Af∣front 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 Competi∣tion.

FAB. LXXVI. A Dog in a Manger.

A Churlish Envious Curr 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 Mi∣sery of Other People, and will rather Eate Nothing it selfe then not Starve Those that Would.

REFLEXION.

WE have but too many Men in the World of This Dogs Humour; that will rather Punish Themselves, then not be Troublesome and Ve∣xatious 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 Moralliz'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 Neighbor 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 de∣light in Other Peoples Miseries, and at the same Time are their Own Tormentors. This Diabolical Envy is Detestable even in Private Per∣sons; but whenever the Governing Part of a Nation comes to be Taint∣ed with it, there's Nothing so Sacred that a Corrupt Supercilious Ill Na∣tur'd Minister will not sacrifice to This Execrable Passion. No Man should Eat, Live, or Breath 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 of the Honour of Saving it. Now He that Betrays his Master for Envy, will never fail of doing it for Mony:

For the Gratifying of This Canker'd Malignity is but Another way of selling him; Only the Spite is Antecedent and Subservient to the Corru∣ption: 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 Spitefull 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 the Practice of Drolls and Buffoons, 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 Buffoons. 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 Mary∣bones, and begg'd of Iupiter to give him a pair of Horns, but the Request was so Ridiculous, that Iupiter, instead of Horning him, Order'd him to be Cropt, and so Punish'd him with the loss of his Ears which Nature had Allow'd him, for being so Unrea∣sonable as to Ask for Horns, that Providence never intended him.

FAB. LXXIX. A Fox and a Hare to Iupiter.

A Fox and a Hare Presented a Petition to Iupiter. The Fox pray'd for the Hares Swiftness of Foot, and the Hare for the Fox's Craft, and Wilyness of Address. Iupiter told them, that since every Creature had some Advantage or Other Peculiar to it self, it would not stand with Divine Justice, that had pro∣vided so well for Every One in Particular, to Conferr All upon any One.

FAB. LXXX. A Peacock to Iuno.

THE Peacock, they say, lay'd it Extremely to Heart, that being Iuno's Darling-Bird, he had not the Nightingale's Voice superadded 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 Natu∣ral 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 Bounty 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. So∣crates was in the Right in Saying, That in a 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 Appeale from Heaven to Heaven it self; and Pe∣titioning Providenee 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 Emprov'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 Regula∣ting of the World, and we have no more Right to Advise him in the Go∣verning 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 Works 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 Heeles 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 thorough All the Parts of the Universe, where Nothing is pleased with it's Own Lot; And no Remedy at last; but by New Mould∣ing the World over again. This Inordinate Appetite has been the Over∣throw of many a Kingdom, Family and Commonwealth.

To Ask Impossibilities, in fine, is Ridiculous, and to Ask Things Un∣natural 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 Mi∣stakes. 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 suppy'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 Baite of Liberty and Property will serve for the Common People in saecula saeculo∣rum, 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 Or∣chard that he Valu'd above all the rest, and he 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 Witherd pre∣sently 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 Extra∣vagant

Appetite: Whereas if I could have Contented my self 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 Transplant∣ing, and an Old Fellow with a Young Wench, may very well pass for a Coun∣terpart 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 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 Brains as you have 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 than 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 Repu∣tation of a Man of Art, and Address. The Facility, in fine, and the Sim∣plicity 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 Con∣versation 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 ex∣tends to Men of Trick and Design of All Sorts; let it be in Pleasure, For∣tune, Pride, Envy, Vain-Glory, Trade, Law, Marriages, Quarrels, Tra∣vels, Ambition, &c. Wherefore it Behoves us to Look before we Leape, 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, than 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 In∣juries 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 Wick∣ed 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 Leape.

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 than go to Disprove it.

REFLEXION.

'TIS Foolish to Appeale to Witnesses for the Proofe 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 Proofes 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 always be tell∣ing Stories with an [I did This,] and [I sayd That.] Travellers, they say, may lye by Authority; and yet our Travellers Privilege here was not suffi∣cient 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 Li∣ving? If the Oracle should say 'twas Dead, he could shew it A∣live; 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 leades People to Infidelity in a Trice, and so by Insensible De∣grees to Atheism: for when Men have once cast off a Reverence for Re∣ligion, 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 Allmighty Power too, and the bringing of One Attribute in Question, Opens the Way to a Diffidence of all the Rest. It would prevent a great Deal of Wickedness in the World, if Men would but Live and Act in Re∣ligious 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 Borne; 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 it 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 selfe, that upon a Larger Allow∣ance 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 Hazard All for the Get∣ting 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 Un∣doubtedly 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 Pro∣duce 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 Eate. [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 Pru∣dence. 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 Enform 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 Currs 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 People. when a Man fares the Better for Evil Doing. Ill Na∣ture, in fine, is not to be Cur'd with a Sop; but on the contrary, Quarrel∣some Men, as well as Quarrelsome Currs 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 Med'cinal; 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 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 swal∣low'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 Com∣pany.

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 De∣stroying the Last Life in his Lease. In One Word, Revenge stops at No∣thing 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 Exe∣cuted by this Diabolical Passion: beside, that it hardens People into a Brutall 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 a Petty Conjurer, that made it his Pro∣fession 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 Wo∣man (says one to her, as she was upon the Way to her Execu∣tion) 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 Coun∣sel. Friend, says he, Make a Right Use of Your Present Mis∣fortune; and pray, for the Future, let the Starrs go on quietly in their Courses, and do you look a little Better to the Ditches.

The MORAL of the Three FABLES above.

There needs no more than 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 Fi∣gure-Flingers, Starr-Gazers, that pretend to Foretell the Fortunes of King∣doms and States, and yet have no Foresight at all in what concerns Themselves.

The Moral of these Fables strikes upon rhe Vanity and Arrogance of Empyricks and Impostors Themselves, and upon the Folly of the Fond Be∣lievers 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 a∣mong Women and Children, where the Imagination is strong in the One, and the Disposition as Plyant as Wax for any Impression, in the other. Wherefore, of All Things in This World, Care is to be Taken, that they get not a Hankering after These Iuggling Astrologers, Gypsies, Wizzards, Fortune-Tellers, Conjurers, Quacks, Cunning Women, &c. To say No∣thing 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 Capi∣tal Infirmity. If these Pretenders were not better Supported by the Sim∣plicity, and Devotion of the Inquisitive Fooles that Consult Those Ora∣cles, 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 Meanes, 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

by Unwarrantable, and Forbidden Ways, into the Secret Councels of Al∣mighty 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 Mis∣chievous of the Two; for All These Fables are Moraliz'd in History, Pra∣ctice, and Conversation; and the Fiction, Match'd, at least, if not Out∣done, in Matter of Fact. And These Ordinary Hocuses 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 Pre∣judice, and an Artificial Application of Actives to Passives, shall be Assist∣ed with the Shams of Astrological Iudgments and Calculations over and above: though with our Conjurers here, their Ignorance and Presumption lays them Open in the Conclusion to the Scorns and Contempt of the Com∣mon 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 himselfe; 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 Flat∣tery 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 a Happy State, when they are Over-run with Pas∣sion, and Drown'd in their Lusts. The One has the same Pernicious Ef∣fect 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 King∣doms and Common-Wealths have their Distempers, Intermissions, and Pa∣roxisms, as well as Natural Bodies. And that a Glavering Councel is as Dangerous on the One hand, as a Wheedling Priest, or a Flattering Phy∣sician is on the Other. There is hardly such Another Pest in a Community, as a Consort of Parasites, that feed Governours with False Representa∣tions and Reports of Men and of Things. They First Betray their Ma∣sters to Dishonour, and Ruine; and then when they find the Vessel Sink∣ing, Save themselves in the Long Boat. So much the Better, quoth the Doctor: Ay, Ay, (says the Empirical 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 a 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'l 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 Falsely, 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 Raw 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 Aesop's Pre∣text here for the Building of a City, and the Cheats that we have heard of, the Saving of a City. The Design was Destruction in Both, and That was for 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 'tis 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 Halfe 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 In∣tended 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 Completed 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 Ha∣bit 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 Se∣cret betwixt Heaven, and our Own Souls: Only they Cover and Medi∣tate Abuses under the Masque and Pretence of Conscience, and Religion; and make God Almighty Privy to a Thousand False and Cozening Con∣trivances, 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 E∣vasion, 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, be∣twixt Heaven, and our own Souls.

FAB. CXVIII. 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 Correct∣ing him for't, that she rather Encourag'd him. As he grew Bigger, he would be still keeping his hand in Ure with some∣what of Greater Value, till he came at last to be Taken in the Matter, 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 Bodies 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 here 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 Gib∣bet for want of Timely Instruction, Discipline, and Correction, then up∣on any Incurable Pravity of Nature; And it is mightily the Fault of Pa∣rents, Guardians, Tutors and Governors, 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 Ma∣ster. 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 Pa∣negyrique 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 Mothers 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 Wa∣ter Tempted him to leave his Shepherds 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-bord, to save Themselves and the Vessel. Upon This Miscarriage, our New Merchant-Ad∣venturer betook himself to his Old Trade again; And it hap∣pen'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 had Betray'd him Before. Yes, yes, says he, When the Devil's Blind! You'd ha' some more Figs, with a Vengeance, Wou'd 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 Launch∣ing 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 Li∣ving 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 could 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 Mi∣serable. 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 Lyon.

A Person of Quality dream't one Night that he saw a Lyon Kill his only Son: Who was, it seems, a Generous Ca∣valier, and a Great Lover of the Chace. This Phansy 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 Retreate. This

House, in short, was to be the Young Man's Prison, and the Father made himself his Keeper. There were a World of Paint∣ings Every where up and down, and among the Rest, there was the Picture of a Lyon; which stirred the Bloud of the Young Man, for the Dream sake, and to think that he should now be a Slave for the Phansy of such a Beast. In this Indignation he made a Blow at the Picture; but Striking his Fist upon the Point of a Nayle 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 Lyon.

The MORAL.

A Body may as well lay too Little as too much Stress upon a Dreame; for some Dreames are Monitory, as Others are only Complexional; but upon the Main, the Less we Heed them the Better; for when that Freake has once taken Possession of a Fantastical Head, the Distemper is Incurable.

REFLEXION.

'TIS to no Purpose to think of Preventing, or Diverting Fatalities: E∣specially where the Event looks like the Punishment of a Superstition: as it fares with Those that Govern their Lives by Forebodings and Dreames: or the Signs of Ill Luck, as we use to say: They are still Anxious and Un∣easie, 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 Super∣stition.

FAB. CI. A Fox that lost his Tayle.

THere was a Fox taken in a Trap, that was glad to Com∣pound for his Neck by leaving his Tayle behind him. It was so Uncouth a Sight, for a Fox to appear without a Tayle, 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 Useless∣ness, and the Indecency of Foxes Wearing Tayles. He had no sooner say'd out his Say, but up rises a Cunning Snap, then at the

Bord, who desir'd to be Enform'd, whether the Worthy Member that Mov'd against the Wearing of Tayles, gave his Advice for the Advantage of Those that Had Tayles, 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 Councell 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 ther'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 Emprove 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 Coun∣tenance 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 Con∣dition has somewhat to be Sayd for't: If it be Uneasy, the Skill will be, either how to Mend it, or how to Beare 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 Tayle, 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 rubb off as well as they can, though they Leave their Consciences behind them, as the Fox did his Tayle, and then Preach up the Blessed Doctrine and Convenience of No Consciences, as well as No Tayles.

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 layd 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, then to Expect a Kindness from a Common Enemy, and to lay hold on That for Relief, that Catches at Every Thing else for Mis∣chiefe.

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 De∣light 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 Wayte for Innocent Bloud, 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 Snarle at the Instruments, 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 Dis∣prove 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 thi∣ther 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 Point∣ed 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, it seems, 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 Con∣science 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 Hospi∣tality, 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 Wood-Man did as good as Tacitly promise the Fox a Sanctuary; but not being Sui Iuris, he promis'd more then he could War∣rantably

Perform; for a Subsequent Promise to Conceale 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 Com∣mitted himself to the Mercy of a Man that was bound to Kill him. Fourth∣ly, 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 lye 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 In∣sensible Deity, that will do More for Blowes than 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 a 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 Abhor∣rence, as still to Preserve a Reverence for Religion it self, in the very Indignation we Express for the Corruptions 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 A∣bandon'd Libertine up and down 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 Conditio∣nal 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 Iob) 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 Resignation 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 Summe of the Moral is in short, Com∣prized 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 Friends Dog to come for Company. The Dog came at his Hour, and in∣to the Kitchin he went, to see what Good Cheer was toward: But as he was there, Wagging his Tayle, and Licking his Lips, at the thought of what a Meale 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 Tayle 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 Currs at the Heels of him, to know how he lik'd his Wellcome. 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 De∣cencies 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 Curr of the Two; for it was against Hospitality and Good Manners so to do. There is a Duty of Tenderness and Good Nature, even toward 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 a∣mong his Hens. Somebody came and bought This Eagle, and presently New Feather'd her. She made a Flight at a Hare, Truss'd it, and brought it to her Benefactor. A Fox per∣ceiving This, came and gave the Man a piece of Good Councell. Have a care, says Reynard, of putting too much Confidence in This Eagle; for she'll go neare, 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 Iumbled 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 Treate '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 Appli∣cation of it lyes 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 Be∣nefits.

FAB. CVIII. A Father and Sons.

A Countryman that liv'd Handsomly in the World Him∣self upon his Honest Labour and Industry, was desirous his Sons should do so After Tim; 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 Nar∣rowly 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 Councell 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 Exer∣cise 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. Ae∣sop 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 Unriddle 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 man∣ner, 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 than 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 layd 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 Musique!

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 Bus'ness he Un∣derstands, and was brought up to, without making One Profession Inter∣fere 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 this Providence he made a Tolerable Day on't.

The MORAL.

Patience, Constancy, and Perseverance, in an Honest Cause and Duty, can never faile 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 pre∣tend 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 faile 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 Re∣volution from Forty to Sixty; 'till at last, the Banish'd, and the Persecuted Son of a Royal Martyr, was in Gods 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 Per∣severe in our Duties, and the Lucky Hit he had in the Conclusion, tells us that Honest Endeavors will not faile 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 Aesculapius, 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 talkst like a Fool. Have the Gods Nothing else to do, dost think, then 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 Past, and Offer'd them up in Form upon an Altar. For this Mockery, Divine Vengeance Pursu'd him, and he had an Apparition came 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 look∣ing 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 Adver∣sity then 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 lye under any Heavy Affliction, or Propose to themselves any Considerable Advan∣tage, 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 Extreme to Another, are Unnatural Motions in the Course of our Lives and Humours. Here's first a Rash, and a Knavish Pro∣mise; 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 making Sport with him, and pays him with Past 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 Even∣ing, 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'l Mend.

REFLEXION.

HOPES and Disappointments are the Entertainment of Humane Life: The One serves to keep us from Presumption, the Other from Despair. 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 sayn 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 Mi∣serable Life. Death came presently at his Call, and Asked 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 affraid 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 are affraid of him. It may be said to be the Motto of Humane Na∣ture, rather to Suffer then to Dye, 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. Oh that I were e'en in in my Grave, cryes my Lady. My Pretty Pearl is Dead. Never did any thing go so near my Heart, I Praise the Lord for't. Pray Madam Be∣think your self; says a Good Woman to her upon a Condoling Visit. Why you have Out-liv'd the Loss of a most Excellent Husband. Ay Madam, says the sorrowful Widow: But the Lord may send me such Another Hus∣band; I shall never have such Another Dog. Every Trivial Cross makes us think we are Weary of the World; but our Tongues run quite to Ano∣ther Tune when we come once to parting with it in Earnest. Then, 'tis Call the Doctor, Pothecary, Surgeon; Purge, Flux, Launce, Burn, Saw: I'le 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 Bur∣den, 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 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 of a Spoon or a Porringer, or somewhat or Other at the End of his Visit. The Womans 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 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Your Eyes are Perfectly Well again, and pray let me be Payd 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 Doctors 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 Con∣test for the Title. The Barber that Pick'd a Gentlemans 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 Mony. 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 Mony, 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 Mony, I am not Master of my Trade yet. This was the Woman's Way of Reasoning with the Physician. The Dr. would have his Mony 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 troubled with Mice, and a No∣table 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 Pusses 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 Polcat in a Warren, to Amuse them. The Mice took Notice of it, and One Wiser then the rest Stretched 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 Attempted by Inven∣tion, 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 Councel to Chuse a King. There were Se∣veral 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 Extremely 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 Hid∣den 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 Bayte in a Ditch. The Ape lays his Hand upon't, and the Trap

springs and Catches him by the Fingers. Ah thou Perfidious Wretch, cryes the Ape! Or thou simple Prince, rather, replyes the Fox. You a Governour of Others, with a Vengeance, that han't Wit enough to look to your own Fingers.

The MORAL.

Governors 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 Go∣vernor. 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 Slurr 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 Govern∣ments 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 Ex∣ercise 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 Venera∣tion that's due to't; and when the Main Ends of it shall come to be Dis∣appointed. For every Iack-Pudding, with Aesop's Fox here, will be Ri∣diculing Palpable Weaknesses, and Exposing those (almost Sacred) Im∣perfections, and Defects which they ought to Cover. What's a Chara∣cter of Honor upon the Shoulders of a Man that has neither a Soul An∣swerable 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 Journy, and his Bus'ness. He lyes 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 Na∣ture 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 than 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 Coarser, 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 Asse.

The MORAL.

A Bragging Fool that's Rais'd out of a Dunghill, and sets up for a Man of Quality, is Asham'd 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 Extra∣ction, 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 Blood 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 gi∣ven 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 Asse 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 Controversie, very Civilly Yielded him the Point; for (says he) I have Examin'd the Records of a certain House of Cor∣rection, 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 withall, 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 see if he had not an Asse to his Father.

FAB. CXIX. A Dog and a Wolfe.

A Wolfe took a Dog napping at his Masters Door, and when he was just about to Worry him, the Poor Creature begg'd hard, only for a Reprieve. Alas (says he) I'm as Lean at present as Carryon; but we have a Wedding at our House within these Two or Three Days, that will Plump me up you shall see with Good Cheare. Pray have but Patience 'till

Then, and when I'm in a Little Better Case, Ill throw my self in the very Mouth of ye. The Wolfe 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 then 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 lye in the Hall; which tells us that a Wise Bo∣dy is not to be Caught Twice by the same Snare and Trick. His Pro∣mise to the Wolf was a kind of a Dog-Case of Conscience, and the Wolfe play'd the Fool in Taking his Word, for That which he was oblig'd not 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 Hast? 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 Spoyle. Their very Complements are Snares; as the Lyons Invitation of the Bull to Sup with him, was but the Cover of a Design he had to Supp upon the Bull himself.

FAB. CXXI. A Lyon in Love.

A Lyon fell in Love with a Country Lass, and desir'd her Fa∣ther's Consent to have her in Marriage. The Answer he gave was Churlish enough. He'd never Agree to't he say'd, upon any Terms, to Marry his Daughter to a Beast. The Lyon gave him a Sowr Look upon't, which brought the Bumkin, upon Se∣cond Thoughts, to strike up a Bargain with him, upon these Con∣ditions; that his Teeth should be Drawn, and his Nailes Par'd; for Those were Things, he say'd, that the Foolish Girle 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 Swindging Cudgel so Order'd the Matter, that he broke 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 Honor, to the Transports of an Inconsiderate Passion.

REFLEXION.

THIS Fable will look well enough in the Moral, how Fantastical so∣ever 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 Crea∣tures of Both Sexes fall in love with Those, that in the Allusion may (all∣most 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 Debauche 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 summ up All in a Little, where This Passion Domineers, neither Honour, nor Vir∣tue,

is able to stand before it. The Lyon's 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 Joyn∣tures, with the Malice Prepense all this While, of holding their Noses to the Grindstone, and with the Girles 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 Ex∣cellency 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 Inhaunces the Value of Any thing. The most copious Writers are commonly the Arrantest Scriblers; And so in 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 Twink∣ling of an Eye, Allowed himself Six Dayes yet for the Finishing of his Pur∣pose: 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 Pro∣portion, by the same Steps and Degrees with This Inimitable Example: It Deliberates, Projects, Executes, Weighes, 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, carryes 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. Lions do not come into the World by Litters.

FAB. CXXIII. Two Cocks Fighting.

TWO Cocks fought a Duell for the Mastery of a Dunghill. 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 Pro∣clamation of his Victory. An Eagle made a Stoop at him in the Middle of his Exultation, and carry'd him away. By This Ac∣cident, 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 Dunghill, 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 then a Mass of Dirt on the One hand, as to the Subject of the Quarrell; and there's the same Thirst of Blood too, betwixt the Combatants, on the Other. We have again, the Various Chance of Warr 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 Affaires, 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 Pretenses.

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 Currs. Nay, says the Stag, 'tis All True that you say, and 'tis no more then I say to my self Many Times, and yet what∣ever 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 Councell.

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 Bodyly Frailties of Temperament and Complexion. Providence has Arm'd us with Powers and Faculties, sufficient for the Confounding of 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 Em∣blem 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 Reso∣lutions to Outbrave and break thorough it: But in the Conclusion, we shrink upon the Tryal; We betake our selves from our Heads to our Heels; from Reason to Flesh and Bloud; from our Strength to our Weaknesses, and suffer under One Common Fate.

FAB. CXXV. Iupiter and a Bee.

A Bee made Iupiter a Present of a Pot of Hony, which was so kindly Taken, that he bad her Ask what she would, and it should be Granted her. The Bee desir'd, that where-ever she should set her Sting, it might be Mortal. Iupiter was loth to leave Mankind at the Mercy of a Little Spite∣ful 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 than 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 Assemblyes to the True God, as the Bee does to Iupiter here in the Fable! And Prayers too against their very Patrons and Masters; their Benefactors that Entertain, Feed, and Protect them. Will Heaven Heare 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 allready, and only wanted some Destructive Faculty, an∣swerable to her Will: And so pray'd to Iupiter, as Men do in many Cases to the Iehovah, 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 Hony-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 pay'd too Deare 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 Hony-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 Em∣blem 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 say'd, with the very Shame of Departing from what they have given themselves up to, they go on with Aesops 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 abroad be∣fore 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 allmost starv'd both the Bird, and the Spendthrift. Well (says the Fellow to Himself) This Sot of a Swallow has been the Ruine 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 Ex∣cuse to say, that I was Misled by Example, or Conjecture, when I had the Means before me of Enforming 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 per∣chance 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 Axe 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 Ano∣ther, of Silver. He sayd That was not it neither. He try'd once again, and then Up comes an Axe with a Wooden Handle, which the Carpenter, sayd was the very Tool that he had Lost. Well! (says Mercury) thou art so Just a Poor Wretch, that I'le give thee All Three now for thy Honesty. This Story was got into E∣very bodies Mouth, and the Rumour being Spread, it came into a Knaves Head to Try the Same Experiment over again. And so away goes He and Down he Sits, Sniv'ling and Whelping upon the Bank of a River, that he had Dropt his Axe into the Water there. Mercury, that was at hand it seems, heard his Lamentation, and Dipping once again for his Axe, as he had done for the O∣ther; up he brings him a Golden Axe, and Asks the Fellow if That were it. Yes, Yes, says he, This is it. Oh thou Impudent Sot, cryes 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 fan•…•…yes he can Impose upon Iupiter takes him for a Cully.

Baudoin Morallizes the Matter thus; that Mercury's called upon, and Sent, as the Patron of Artizans. The Practice of Truth and Justice can ne∣ver fail of a Reward in the Conclusion, and the bringing in of a God to the Reliefe 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 Consci∣ence, 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 Voyce; 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 Con∣vinc'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 Impietyes, as a Veil of Religion. This Praying Carpenter here would have made Mercury a Broaker 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 of That Palate, that stood Ga∣ping 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 Sowr as Crabs; and so away he went, turning off the Disappointment with a Jest.

FAB. CXXX. A Wolfe and a Lyon.

AS a Wolfe and a Lyon were abroad upon Adventure toge∣ther, Heark, (says the Wolfe) Don't you hear the Bleat∣ing of Sheep? My Life for Yours Sir, I'le go fetch ye a Purchase. Away he goes, and follows his Eare, 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 a Necessity, and to Content our selves with 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 can∣not 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 Philo∣sophy toward 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 can 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 Alarums 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 Bet∣ter without it.] Or if he can but say after the Missing of it, [It was bet∣ter 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 selfe, 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 Experi∣ment. 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 sayd to be Happy. It Emproves All our Disappointments into Provi∣dences, when we can let fall the Vain Desire of any thing without Feel∣ing 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 Wolfe 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 Halfe 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 Eles, and layd his hand upon a Snake, but the Snake, finding it was Pure Simplicity, and not Malice, Admonish'd him of his Mistake; Keep your self 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 then what we have Every day before our Eyes in common Pra∣ctice: And That which the Snake says to the Boy, Every Man's Reason says to Himself. What is his taking a Snake for an Ele, 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 An∣gel 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 but give her Quar∣ter. No, says he, You shall Dye the rather for That very Rea∣son, 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 Humane Society; A Villany, in short, that's never to be Approv'd, how Conve∣nient 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 Ad∣vantage,

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 then 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 Persidy, though it may seem in some Measure to Extenuate the Crime, by the Poor Crea∣tures 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 Iudas'es, 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 Wicked∣ness, 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 Mid-way, 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 Iourney 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 En∣danger 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 carry'd Away a Huge Heap of Apples, together with a Dunghill that lay in the Water-Course. They Floated a good while toge∣ther like Brethren and Companions; and as they went thus Dancing down the Stream, the Horse-Turds would be every foot crying out still, Alack a day! How Wee Apples Swim!

FAB. CXXXV. A Peach, an Apple, and a Blackberry.

THere happen'd a Controversie 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 Wee 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.

[Wee] Apples cry the Horse-Turds [Wee] the Kings Officers, crys the Fellow that carrys Guts to the Bears [Wee] crys the Scumm of the Na∣tion to the Bench, to the Court, to the City, to the Church, to Parlia∣ments, and Councels. There's Nothing so Great, but the Little People cry [Wee] to't still. [Wee'l] do This, and [Wee'l] do That, and [Wee'l] Undertake for This and T'other, This is in a Familiar Way, the Com∣mon Style of the Licentious Multitude, to the Scandal of all Honorable Commissions, and of Those that Manage them. And This Humour of [Weeing] holds as well in Matters of State, and of Understanding, as in

the Point of Honour and Quality. Twas [Wee] in the Persons of the Fish Wives and the Broom-Men [Wee] again in the Resolutions of Bil∣lingsgate, and Grub street, that took upon them to Prescribe in Matters of Religion and Government. [Wee] won't lose our Religion, was the Cry of Every Ignorant Atheist. [Wee'l] stand up for our Properties was the Beggers Song that liv'd upon the Alms Basket. And [Wee] for our Liber∣ties, 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 [Wee] 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 [Wee] to Every thing; the Mobile has a Wide Mouth, and there's No Stopping it. But the Arrogance of the Rab∣bles Assuming at This Rate, is Nothing to the Meanness of their Supe∣riors 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 [Wee] Horse-Turds, as it would be for Men of State, and Caball, to cry [Wee] 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 In∣version, as it does the Other Way. Wee Rogues, on the One Hand, is Every jot as Emphatical, as Wee Princes, on the Other.

FAB. CXXXVI. A Mole and her Dam.

MOther (says a Mole to her Damm) Here's a Strange Smell Methinks. And then she was at it again, There's a Mul∣berry-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 they 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 Im∣pudence 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 Lemmon Pill in her Mouth, to Correct an Unfa∣voury

Vapour of her Own, and yet would be Perpetually Inveighing against Foul Breaths. Now This way of Covering Defects, Scandals or Incon∣veniences, 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 Condi∣tion 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 Ex∣cuse 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 Accept∣able enough, but not the Presenter; for (says Iupiter) though Gifts are Wellcome 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 Per∣son of a Lewd Character and Conversation; for beside the Danger he In∣currs, it would not be for his Credit neither, where Presents are Scan∣dals, and rather Snares then Benefits. 'Tis a kind of Incumbrance upon the freedom of a Generous Mind, to be debt to an Ill Man, even upon any Score whatsoever, that does but carry the face of Good Will, or Re∣spect; 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 Somthing more in't yet too, which is, that when All Common Scores are made even, the Morality of the Obligation still remains; for there's no Cancelling the Bonds of Honor and Justice. Kindnesses are to be paid in specie, as well as Mony. That is to say, there must be Affe∣ction 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 Iupiter, 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 Iustice, 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 Nourish∣ment, 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 Rest∣less Life is in Truth no Better) There are in the World as many Illu∣strations of This Fable, as there are Instances of Petulant, Pragmatical, and Impertinent People that Break in upon Men of Government and Bus'∣ness. 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 Pett 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, Hea∣ven 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 Over-sensible, 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 Con∣tempt 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, and so 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 Wo∣man that could please him Best. They took Mighty Care of him to All manner of Purposes, and still as they were Comb∣ing 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 then a Bald Buzzard be∣twixt 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 pre∣sents 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 Mi∣serable and Ridiculous. I speak of a Disparity of Years, which, in the Mo∣ral, 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 if they be not Tim'd, Propor∣tion'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 Wo∣mans-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 a∣gain?

The MORAL.

'Tis Good Advice to Look before we Leape.

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, ro Consider the End of things before we Resolve upon the Meanes; 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 Fal∣lacies, Glittering Outsides, &c. into Inconveniencyes and Mistakes.

When a Man wants any thing, let him look for't in Time, and Consider Well beforehand 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 Ruine, for the Gaining of a Present Supply: Wherefore there's No Remedy either Way, without a Strict Calculation upon the Profit or Loss on Both Sides. I want Mony, but I will not make my self a Slave for't. I want a Friend at Court, but I will not Forfeit the Cha∣racter of a Man of Honour, or the Conscience of a Christian, and an Ho∣nest 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 Deliberati∣ons upon the Matter here in Question. Let us see how we shall get Out a∣gain, says the Frog, before we go In.

FAB. CXLIII. A Dog and a Cock upon a Journy.

A Dog and a Cock took a Journy together. The Dog Ken∣nell'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 Hugg the Creature that had given him so 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 Wilyness 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 In∣stance 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 Obser∣vation, knew the Fox to be the Common Enemy of all Poultrey; had like∣wise a Dread and Suspicion of him by Instinct, which made him Naturally Cautious upon the very Principle of Selfe-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 Pro∣vidence is pleas'd to Confound the False, the Mighty, and the Bloud-Thirsty, by Judgments of Lice and Frogs: That is to say, by the most De∣spicable 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 Extreme 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 to∣gether. The Bat's Adventure was Ready Mony that he took up at Interest; The Bramble's, was in Cloaths; and the Cormorant's, in Brass. They Put to Sea, and it so 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 Stirrs 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 Easyly Cur'd. 'Tis with allmost All Peo∣ple in cases of Fright or Distraction of Mind, as it was with our Merchant Adventures 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 per∣petually 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 1688, When the Original Contracters were met in Councel 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 R•…•…fled, 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, neare 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 the Freake; 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 Pityful Grain of Corn am I now to Suffer.

The MORAL.

'Tis to no Purpose to stand Reasoning where the Adversary is both Party and Iudge.

REFLEXION.

'TIS a Folly, says the Old Moral, for People to run Great Hazard 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 Pleades Not Guilty, but the Belly has No Eares, 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 Par∣tiality that Govern in All These Cases.

FAB. CXLVI. A Miller Burying his Gold.

A Certain Covetous, Rich Churle 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 allmost 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 st•…•…▪ 'Tis but laying a Stone where you layd your Mony, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 That Stone to be your Treasure, and there's your Gold ag•…•… You did not Use it when you Had it; and you do not W•…•… •…•…o long as you Resolve not to Use it.

The MORAL.

Bett•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ate at all, then the Cares and Vexations that Attend the Pos∣•…•… 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 Conve∣niences of Life, and the Comforts of Humane Society, that gives Every thing it•…•… Valu•…•… The Divine Goodness we see is perpetually at Work; Na∣ture ke•…•… her Course, and the Heavens shed their Influences without Interm•…•…▪ and what's the Doctrine now of This Great Example, but that the Blessings of Providence, which are Common and Diffusive, ought not to lye Idle; and that Whoever Buryes his Talent, either of Understand∣ing, 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 Hazzards, then that any Man Living should be the Better for't.

FAB. CXLVII. A Stag with One Eye.

A One-Eyed-Stag that was affraid 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 befal•…•…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 Pre∣vent: 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 Councells, that in All Probability would 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 Mony, 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'es Arrow found him Out there. We are taught further also to look to our selves on the Blind Side, as the Place 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 Ruine. The Stag did All that was to be done here; but the Wayes and Workings of Providence are unsearchable; and it is not in the Power of Humane Pru∣dence 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 Lyons 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 Wayes, even of Ruine it selfe; 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 Moralliz'd it This Way. But it seems to Me (under favor) 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 Uine.

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 Discover'd the Goat, and shot him. 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 Ruine of their Protectors. This Fable Exposes the Baseness of That Hor∣rid 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 up∣on the Pardoning of Another; and the very Minions of Princes Linck'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 Mo∣ral, in Saeculae Saeculorum.

FAB. CL. An Asse, a Lyon, and a Cock.

AS a Cock and an Asse were Feeding-together, up comes a Lion Open-Mouth toward the Asse: The Cock presently cryes 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 Asse, 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 Insuparable. 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 Ene∣my, and a Fancy of Courage in Himselfe. Baudoin Remarks upon the Lyons'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 Asses 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 Aesop has Exhibited to us in This Fable. Here's a Lyon running away from a Cock, and an Asse 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 ne∣ver 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 Na∣tural Aversion that he has to the Crowing of a Cock. This is the Tradi∣tion; but it shall break No Squares whether it be so or not: For the Phi∣losophy holds good in Other Instances No less Wonderfull, 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 Oc∣cult 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 Na∣ture Drives him: Neither is it at all to the Asses Reputation, to Pursue, when Vanity, Folly and Rashness Transport him.

The Asse, we see, lyes 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 Huffe, Look Big, Stare, Dress, Cock, Swagger, at the same Noise-Blustring Rate; and Nothing more Fa∣miliar 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 Heroe.

Nay there are Fanfarons in the Tryals of Witt too, as well as in Feates of Arms, and none so forward to Engage in Argument, or Discourse, as Those that are least able to go thorough with it. In One Word for All, the whole Race of Bawling, Fluttering Noddyes, by what Name or Title so∣ever Dignify'd or Distinguish'd, are a kin to the Ass in This Fable.

FAB. CLI. A Gardiner and his Dog.

A Gardner'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 Curr 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 Serv'd, 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 Inferr 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 Discre∣tion, 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 Eates 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 Controversy 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 Stroake of Art to Di∣vert the Reproach, by Emproving a Spitefull 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 A∣nother 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 Reproach: 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 himselfe, 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 Fruitful∣ler 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 Pup∣pies 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 Aesops Bitch was Fruitfuller then our Sows. See the Moral of A Lyoness and a Fox. Fab. 283.

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 Pra∣ctice 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 Councell is lost upon an Habitual Hardness of Ill Nature: And in That Case it must be a Diamond that Cutts 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 some∣times 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 Sowres 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 E∣ducation. 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 selfe; 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 Com∣mon 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 Wolf-Whelps in Palaces, and Governments, as well as in Cottages, and Forrests. Do we not find in History, and Experience, Instances in abundance, even of Publique Ministers Themselves, that though taken up out of the very Herds of the Common Enemy; Admitted into Spe∣cial 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 Reclayming 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 Masters 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 his 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 Extremely 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 Promise 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 advis'd 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 then These Wolvish Back-Friends, in all our Pretensions; whether it be in Law, in Govern∣ment, 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 Re∣proach 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.

Hee that would live Cleare of the Envy and Hatred, of Potent Calum∣niators, 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, Intel∣ligence, Brains, or Conscience, where This Wolvish Humour prevayles, is little better then a Scandala 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 Fuddling Hus∣band, took him once when he was Dead Drunk; and had his Body layd 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 Wo∣man, 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 'Tother. 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 En∣tertainment 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 Eare, the Other for his Belly. He gave Orders for the Goose to be Taken up, and Dress'd for Din∣ner. 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 Crea∣ture 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 Se∣cur'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, Ex∣amine, 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 Mony for a Black, upon an Opinion that his Swar∣thy Colour was rather Flattery 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; beside, 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 De∣gree, from his often Washing and Dyet. The Raven upon This Quit∣ted his Former Course of Life and Food, and betook himself to the Lakes and the 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 Councell 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 Al∣tering 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 Mend∣ing 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 Na∣tural Impressions, we may reckon That of Customs and Habits.

FAB. CLXI. A Sallow 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.

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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 Vigour; 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 'Tother, 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 lay∣ing Things and Things together; and to Sham Fallacyes 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 block-headed Boy) These are Vil∣lanous 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 Humour of Insulting over the Miserable; Nothing more Contrary to Humanity, and Common Sense, then this Scan∣dalous Way of Grinning and Jeering out of Season. But a Childish Con∣ceit 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 •…•…ooner 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, you must not think I'll 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 him∣self 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 Part'ners 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 the 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 Dis∣appointments 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'l 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 Pru∣dence 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, Irksome to it Self, Miserable in All Estates, and utterly Incapable, either of Tasting or Enjoying any thing of Comfort. The Frog was us'd 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 Disco∣ver'd it upon his Return, and stood Pausing a while to Be-think himself, how This should come to pass. The Bees, in This In∣terim, came Laden home out of the Fields from Feeding, and Missing their Combs, they fell Powdering in Swarms upon their Master. Well (says he) you are a Company of Senceless 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 Publique 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 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 their Man.

FAB. CLXVII. A Kingsfisher.

THE Kingsfisher 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. Up∣on 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 Ano∣ther.

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 De∣struction.

REFLEXION.

MANY People apprehend Danger Where there's None, and fancy them∣selves 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, Hurricanes, Pestilential Vapours and the like; and therefore it is Our Part, and Duty, to Hope, and Endeavor the Best, and at the Same Time to provide for the Worst that can Befall 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 withall. Now there was One of these Apes, it seems, aboard 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 Pyraeus, 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 Dol∣phin) You know Pyraeus: Oh! exceedingly well, says T'other. (taking it for the Name of a Man) Why Pyraeus is my very Par∣ticular Good Friend. The Dolphin, upon This, had such an In∣dignation for the Impudence of the Buffoon-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 man•…•… a Man his Life and Estate.

REFLEXION.

THIS is the Humour of a great many Travelling Men, as well as Tra∣velling 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 Negotia∣tions, that they never were skill'd in at all. Neither Men, Books, nor Sciences come Amiss to 'em: And after All This Extravagant Bussle, 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 Well∣meaning 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 De∣mocracy, instead of Croatia and Dalmatia, and take the Name of a Coun∣try 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 VVay, 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 Fi∣gures, he saw several Excellent Pieces of the Gods. The first he Cheapen'd was a Iupiter, which would have come at a very Easy Rate. Well (says Mercury) and what's the Price of that Iuno There? The Carver set That a Little Higher. The next Fi∣gure 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 Iupiter's Mes∣senger, 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 Va∣lu'd that Piece at: VVhy 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 Af∣fect 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 Iupiter; Whose Pimp he is, and What'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 Re∣spect, 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 Dis∣cover'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 Mastiffe.

THere was a Man had Two Dogs; One for the Chace, T'o∣ther 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 Mastiffe should Reap the Fruit of his Labours. Well, says the House-Dog, That's None of my Fault, but my Masters, that has not Train'd me up to Work for my self, but to Eat what others have Pro∣vided 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 a Good Education and Institution, then for want of Honest and Honourable Inclinations; and These are Miscariages 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 Mastiffe Maintains the Hound, as well as the Hound the Mastiffe; 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 Mat∣ter, will serve for a Political Reading to Princes and Governors, as well as to Masters of Private Families, upon the Reciprocal Use, Benefit, and Ne∣cessity 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 Fathers. When he came a little after to take her Home again, Prethee 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 Mo∣desty 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 Endeavour 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 Un∣easie Fop wherever 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 Ciog.

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 Re∣solution 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 in the Dogs upon him. Well (says the Wolfe) This 'tis when People will be Meddling out of their Profession. My Bus'ness was to 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 Con∣founded by a Counter-Plot of the Kids 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 Be∣havior 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 Befalls 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 so∣ever 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 Sta∣tion 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 Mu∣sique-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 Performed 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 Phi∣losopher in Private, behaves himself most Ridiculously in Publick; as what's more Uncouth (with Respect be it spoken) then a Pedant out of his Ele∣ment? 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 O∣ther 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: Where∣fore

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 Cham∣ber 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 No∣thing 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: Especi∣ally 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 how∣ever, well Worthy of a Sober Man's Care, not to let any thing 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 in∣to 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 Peo∣ple 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 on∣ly Vain, and Unprofitable, but Ridiculous; for the Matter, upon Examina∣tion, will not abide the Test. Your Empyricks, Piss-Pot-Prophets, Fortune-Tellers, and Buffoon-Pretenders to State and Government, fall under the Lash of This Moral. And so do All your little Smatterers in Arts and Siences of what Kind, or Quality soever: But there goes more to the Making of a Prophet, then Nodding, and Croaking. 'Tis not the Gown and the Cap that Makes the Doctor; Neither is it the Supercilious Gravity of Counte∣nances 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 A version 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 Wor∣ship for Fear, and for Interest, then for Love and Devotion. As the In∣dians 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 pleased to lay upon us. The Judgments of Heaven are Just, and let them fall never so Heavy, they are yet less then we deserve. The Devil Himself, when he was let loose upon Iob, 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 Ex∣tremity. 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 Turning, till he Bit the Raven, and made him Curse himself for being such a Fool, as to Med∣dle with a Purchace that had 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 Pro∣fit 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 with∣out Reason should Succeed better. Our Senses are Sharp-set upon All Fleshly Pleasures, and if they be but Fair to the Eye, Rellishing to the Palate, Har∣monious 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 Provi∣dence

it self does not only Allow, but Prescribe it; for the Common Com∣fort 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, In 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 Disco∣very, 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 Impos∣sible to be had, we lose what we have already. No Man goes out of Him∣self 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, Sui∣table to the Humour they are to Joyn withall: But still Some Unlucky Acci∣dent 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 Op∣portunity 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, ra∣ther 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 Inconveni∣ence 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 nei∣ther, 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 Esop's Daw, they either Starve, or Hang Themselves.

FAB. CLXXXIII. Iupiter 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 Morter. 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 were 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 ap∣pears in some Men, and in some Trades, more then in other. Aesop is still Introducing some or other of the Gods, to Countenance the Corrup∣tions 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 De∣fence, the Practice being in some sort so Necessary, 'tis not amiss to bring in Iupiter 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 Pre∣par'd for Humane Nature. Are we not False, in Our Pretended Civilities, Formal Complements, and Respects; in our Confidences, and in our Pro∣fessions? 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 Quoins, 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 Iupiter'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. Iupiter and Modesty.

MAN was made in such a Hurry (according to the Old Fable) that Iupiter 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 Propos'd 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 Com∣pany; for wherever that comes, says she, I'm Gone.

The MORAL.

Sensual Love knows neither Bars nor Bounds. We are all Naturally Im∣pudent; only by Custom, and Fig-leaves, we have been taught to Dis∣guise 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. Iu∣piter's forgetting Modesty in the Composition of Man, Intimates the Diffi∣culty of Admitting it, till Flesh and Blood has done the Friendly Office to∣wards the Peopling of the World; for there's hardly any Place for Coun∣cel, 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 Mode∣sty 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 Precepts of Authority and Vertue.

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 Prin∣ciples, 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 afterwards, 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. Iupiters Wedding.

WHen the Toy had once taken Iupiter 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 Festi∣val upon the Day of his Marriage, and so Invited all Living Creatures, Tag-Rag and Bob-Tail, to the Solemnity of his Wed∣ding. They all came in very Good Time, saving only the Tortoise. Iupiter told him 'twas Ill done to make the Company Stay, and Ask'd him, Why so Late? Why rruly says the Tortoise, I was at Home, at my Own House, my Dearly Be∣loved House, and [Home is Home, let it be never so Homely. Iu∣piter took it very Ill at his Hands, that he should think him∣self 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 Vir∣tue; 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 Tri∣fling, 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. Iupiter 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, Facti∣ous Emulations, Fewds, and Disgusts that Attend them: Beside 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 Am∣bitious 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 Comple∣ment, and Good Manners. Iupiter 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 Ruine; and making the Tor∣toise's Banishment a Blessing to him.

FAB. CLXXXVI. A Wolfe and a Sheep.

A Wolfe that lay Licking of his Wounds, and Extremely Faint, and Ill, upon the Biting of a Dog, call'd out to a Sheep that was Passing by, Heark 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 Di∣stressed; 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 Wolves Errand: But Aesop's Sheep have more Wit, I perceive, then many of our Dome∣stique Innocents. '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 Consided 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-Hypocrisy, and they are Equal∣ly 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. CLXXXVI. 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 Franckly and Ci∣villy, 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 Entring into Leagues with the Weak, against an Adversary that is Manifestly too Strong for them Both. 'Tis Haz∣zardous to Contract Unequal Friendships and Alliances, and there's an Ine∣quality 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 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 Filch'd 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 Iupiter, 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 Man∣ners; 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, through all Forms and Disguises. And Custom is a Se∣cond 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 Befell 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 In∣terest 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 Signify 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 afar 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 Entring into the True State and Reason of them? So that at this Rate, we divide our Lives betwixt Flattering Illusi∣ons, and Restless Apprehensions: Never at Ease, either on the One side, or on the Other. The Mischief is, that we are Over-solicitous about Mat∣ters 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 At∣tending, 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 Appli∣cation of it, from One Moment to Another. This is not yet to Exclude the Providence of Tracings 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 Thing 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. CLXXXX. 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 a 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 Disappoint∣ments 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, (Numb. 38.) The Ass finds him∣self 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 too apt to think other People more Happy, and our selves Less, then in Truth, They, or We are: Which Sa∣vours of a Malevolence on the One hand, and an Ingratitude on the O∣ther. 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 Answer∣able 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 had 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 the Point, there is no such Thing as Happi∣ness 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 Neigbours 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 Consider'd, serves to make us Easy, as well as Necessary One to A∣nother; 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 fur∣nishes Brains, Another Mony, a Third, Power, Credit, Mediation, In∣telligence, 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 Iupiter.

THE Asses found themselves once so Intolerably Oppressed, with Cruel Masters, and Heavy Burdens, that they sent their Ambassadors to Iupiter with a Petition for Redress. Iupiter found the Request Unreasonable, and so gave them This Answer, That Humane Society could not be Preserv'd 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 Iupiter for Redress of Grievances, have we liv'd to see within our own Memory, and all, for Things, not only Unreasonable, but utterly Impos∣sible. We read however in the Answer, the Quality, and the Reproach 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 Cru∣elty and Oppression to Employ the Necessary Means, which God and Nature has given us, for the Attaining of Necessary Ends. If we Con∣found 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 De∣fend, and Provide, both for the One, and for the Other. Government can no more Subsist without Subjection, then the Multitude can Agree with∣out Government: And the Duty of Obeying, is no less of Divine Ap∣pointment, then the Authority of Commanding.

Here's a Petition to Iupiter, 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 Im∣possible. But 'tis the Petition of an Ass at last, which keeps up the Con∣gruity 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 Oblo∣quy of Oppressors; and what Better Answer can be return'd to All their Clamorous Importunities, then This of Iupiter? Which most Emphatical∣ly 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 his Heart would Break: Hark ye Friend (says one of the Frogs to him) if you make such a Bus'ness of Lying in 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 it's own Element.

REFLEXION.

NATURE has Assign'd Every Creature it's Proper Place and Stati∣on; 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 2ly, to be never the Better for't. 'Tis with a Man in Goal, 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 Things. 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 Ravens 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 may make People Laugh without Plea∣sing them, as when the Surprize, or Caprice of some Fantastical Accident happens to strike the Fancy: Nay a Body cannot forbear Laughing Some∣times, 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 Foxes 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, be∣gan 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; Tho 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 Hin∣der 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 I yon 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 a Generous Lyon, would not have Sunk so Low as to hold any Communication with a Fox, much less to Concett with him in his False Dealing. But this Lyon was meant for the Figure of a Wicked Governor, 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 Proceeding might have had some Sem∣blance 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 Judg∣ment Methinks, to Attend the Lyon; for He that Encourages once 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 Iustice, 'tis enough to Stag∣ger his People in their Faith, and Allegance. 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 Peck 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 that a Man be Prepar'd for the Worst: Not forgetting the Old Proverb, That many a Man brings up a Bird to Peck out his Own Eyes. 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, tho' 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 Mis∣guided 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 Cassan∣dra; to speak Truth, and not to be believ'd: Which has been the Misfor∣tune 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 Ea∣gerly 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 Hast that they Repent of at Leisure.

REFLEXION.

'TIS not Good to be Over-Fierce upon any Thing, for fear of Mi∣staking, 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 In∣debted for, either to the Special Grace of an Over-ruling Provi∣dence, 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 Ad∣vantage 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 Pigeons 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 Brag∣ging to a Crow how Fruitful she was. Never Value Your self says the Crow upon That Vanity; for the More Chil∣dren, 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. Sor∣row 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 Lew'd 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 Likelihood and Odds, that some out of such a Number will Prove Ungracious and Rebel∣lious, 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 Cry∣ing, but the Strangers have Money for't.

The MORAL.

Mourners are as Mercenary as Common Prostitutes; They are at His Ser∣vice 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 humour for't, 'tis the Fashion to Provide Mer∣cenaries 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 Hipocrisie. This was the Widows 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 pre∣vail'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 P•…•…x] 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 Ar∣rantly 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 Shep∣herd 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 Ma∣ster, 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 Sin∣gularity in their Lives and Manners, and to Live in a Direct Opposition to the Ordinary Rules of Prudence and Good Nature, As in returning E∣vil 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 sake, and where the Vanity of Doing it Destroys the Merit of the Vertue. 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 Privileges and Revenues of the Crown, and then Squander'd them a∣way 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 Reproach 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. Iupiter 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 Ty∣dings 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 Iupiter (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 a∣gain. 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 Un∣steadyness 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 Ta∣ken at their Words, and afterward Repent. We make it Half our Bus'ness to Learn out, 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 Go∣vernment 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 En∣tering 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 Re∣pent 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 Va∣lue your Teeth, or your Claws, says the Gnat, that are but the Arms of Every Bedlam Slut? As to the Matter of Resoluti∣on; 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 Troublesom 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 Pityful Insect may find out a Way to Discompose him. But That Pityful 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.