FABLE XVI.
THE KITE AND THE PIGEONS.]
A Kite, who had kept sailing in the air for many days near a dove-house,and made a stoop at several pigeons, but all to no purpose (for theywere too nimble for him), at last had recourse to stratagem, and tookhis opportunity one day to make a declaration to them, in which he setforth his own just and good intentions, who had nothing more at heartthan the defence and protection of the Pigeons in their ancient rightsand liberties, and how concerned he was at their fears and jealousies ofa foreign invasion, especially their unjust and unreasonable suspicionsof himself, as if he intended, by force of arms, to break in upon theirconstitution, and erect a tyrannical government over them. To preventall which, and thoroughly to quiet their minds, he thought proper topropose to them such terms of alliance and articles of peace as mightfor ever cement a good understanding between them: the principal ofwhich was, that they should accept of him for their king, and invest himwith all kingly privilege and prerogative over them. The poor simplePigeons consented: the Kite took the coronation oath, after a verysolemn manner, on his part, and the Doves, the oaths of allegiance andfidelity, on theirs. But much time had not passed over their heads,before the good Kite pretended that it was part of his prerogative todevour a Pigeon whenever he pleased. And this he was not contented to dohimself only, but instructed the rest of the royal family in the samekingly arts of government. The Pigeons, reduced to this miserablecondition, said one to the other, 'Ah! we deserve no better! Why did welet him come in!
APPLICATION.
What can this fable be applied to but the exceeding blindness andstupidity of that part of mankind who wantonly and foolishly trust theirnative rights of liberty without good security? Who often choose forguardians of their lives and fortunes, persons abandoned to the mostunsociable vices; and seldom have any better excuse for such an error inpolitics than, that they were deceived in their expectation; or neverthoroughly knew the manners of their king till he had got them entirelyin his power: which, however, is notoriously false; for many, with theDoves in the fable, are so silly, that they would admit of a Kite,rather than be without a king. The truth is, we ought not to incur thepossibility of being deceived in so important a matter as this: anunlimited power should not be trusted in the hands of any one who is notendued with a perfection more than human.
FABLE XVII.
THE COUNTRY MOUSE AND THE CITY MOUSE.]
An honest, plain, sensible Country Mouse, is said to have entertained athis hole one day a fine Mouse of the Town. Having formerly beenplayfellows together, they were old acquaintance, which served as anapology for the visit. However, as master of the house, he thoughthimself obliged to do the honours of it, in all respects, and to make asgreat a stranger of his guest as he possibly could. In order to this, heset before him a reserve of delicate grey peas and bacon, a dish of fineoatmeal, some parings of new cheese, and, to crown all with a dessert, aremnant of a charming mellow apple. In good manners, he forbore to eatany himself, lest the stranger should not have enough; but, that hemight seem to bear the other company, sat and nibbled a piece of awheaten straw very busily. At last says the spark of the town, 'Oldcrony, give me leave to be a little free with you; how can you bear tolive in this nasty, dirty, melancholy hole here, with nothing but woodsand meadows, and mountains, and rivulets, about you? Do not you preferthe conversation of the world to the chirping of birds, and thesplendour of a court to the rude aspect of an uncultivated desert! Come,take my word for it, you will find it a change for the better. Neverstand considering, but away this moment. Remember, we are not immortal,and therefore have no time to lose. Make sure of to-day, and spend it asagreeably as you can; you know not what may happen to-morrow.' In short,these and such like arguments prevailed, and his Country Acquaintancewas resolved to go to town that night. So they both set out upon theirjourney together, proposing to sneak in after the close of the evening.They did so; and, about midnight, made their entry into a certain greathouse, where there had been an extraordinary entertainment the daybefore, and several tit-bits, which some of the servants had purloined,were hid under the seat of a window. The Country Guest was immediatelyplaced in the midst of a rich Persian carpet: and now it was theCourtier's turn to entertain; who, indeed, acquitted himself in thatcapacity with the utmost readiness and address, changing the courses aselegantly, and tasting every thing first as judiciously, as any clerk ofa kitchen, the other sat and enjoyed himself like a delighted epicure,tickled to the last degree with this new turn of his affairs; when, on asudden, a noise of somebody opening the door made them start from theirseats, and scuttle in confusion about the dining-room. Our CountryFriend, in particular, was ready to die with fear at the barking of ahuge mastiff or two, which opened their throats just about the sametime, and made the whole house echo. At last, recoveringhimself--'Well,' says he, 'if this be your town life, much good may doyou with it: give me my poor quiet hole again, with my homely, butcomfortable, grey peas.'
APPLICATION.
A moderate fortune, with a quiet retirement in the country, ispreferable to the greatest affluence which is attended with care and theperplexity of business, and inseparable from the noise and hurry of thetown. The practice of the generality of people of the best taste, it isto be owned, is directly against us in this point; but, when it isconsidered that this practise of theirs proceeds rather from acompliance with the fashion of the times, than their own privatethoughts, the objection is of no force. Among the great numbers of menwho have received a learned education, how few are there but either havetheir fortunes entirely to make, or, at least, think they deserve tohave, and ought not to lose the opportunity of getting, somewhat morethan their fathers have left them! The town is the field of action forvolunteers of this kind; and whatever fondness they may have for thecountry, yet they must stay till their circumstances will admit of aretreat thither. But sure there never was a man yet, who lived in aconstant return of trouble and fatigue in town, as all men of businessdo in some degree or other, but has formed to himself some end ofgetting some sufficient competency, which may enable him to purchase aquiet possession in the country, where he may indulge his genius, andgive up his old age to that easy smooth life which, in the tempest ofbusiness, he had so often longed for. Can any thing argue more stronglyfor a country life, than to observe what a long course of labour peoplego through, and what difficulties they encounter to come at it? Theylook upon it, at a distance, like a kind of heaven, a place of rest andhappiness; and are pushing forward through the rugged thorny cares ofthe world, to make their way towards it. If there are many who, thoughborn to plentiful fortunes, yet live most part of their time in thenoise, the smoke, and hurry of the town, we shall find, upon inquiry,that necessary indispensible business is the real or pretended pleawhich most of them have to make for it. The court and the senate requirethe attendance of some: lawsuits, and the proper direction of trade,engage others: they who have a sprightly wit and an elegant taste forconversation, will resort to the place which is frequented by people ofthe same turn, whatever aversion they may otherwise have for it; andothers, who have no such pretence, have yet this to say, that theyfollow the fashion. They who appear to have been men of the best senseamongst the ancients, always recommended the country as the most properscene for innocence, ease, and virtuous pleasure; and, accordingly, lostno opportunities of enjoying it: and men of the greatest distinctionamong the moderns, have ever thought themselves most happy when theycould be decently spared from the employments which the excellency oftheir talents necessarily threw them into, to embrace the charmingleisure of a country life.
FABLE XVIII.
THE SWALLOW AND OTHER BIRDS.]
A farmer was sowing his field with flax. The Swallow observed it, anddesired the other Birds to assist her in picking the seed up, and indestroying it; telling them, that flax was that pernicious material ofwhich the thread was composed which made the fowler's nets, and by thatmeans contributed to the ruin of so many innocent birds. But the poor
Swallow not having the good fortune to be regarded, the flax sprung up,and appeared above the ground. She then put them in mind once more oftheir impending danger, and wished them to pluck it up in the bud,before it went any further. They still neglected her warnings; and theflax grew up into the high stalk. She yet again desired them to attackit, for that it was not yet too late. But all that she could get was tobe ridiculed and despised for a silly pretending prophet. The Swallowfinding all her remonstrances availed nothing, was resolved to leave thesociety of such unthinking, careless creatures, before it was too late.So quitting the woods, she repaired to the houses, and forsaking theconversation of the Birds, has ever since made her abode among thedwellings of men.
APPLICATION.
As men, we should always exercise so much humanity as to endeavour thewelfare of mankind, particularly of our acquaintance and relations: and,if by nothing further, at least by our good advice. When we have donethis, and, if occasion required, continued to repeat it a second orthird time, we shall have acquitted ourselves sufficiently from anyimputation upon their miscarriage; and having nothing more to do but toseparate ourselves from them, that we may not be involved in their ruin,or be supposed to partake of their error. This is an excommunicationwhich reason allows. For as it would be cruel, on the one side, toprosecute and hurt people for being mistaken, so, on the other, it wouldbe indiscreet and over complaisant, to keep them company through alltheir wrong notions, and act contrary to our opinion out of purecivility.
FABLE XIX.
THE HUNTED BEAVER.]
It is said that a Beaver (a creature which lives chiefly in the water)has a certain part about him which is good in physic, and that, uponthis account, he is often hunted down and killed. Once upon a time, asone of these creatures was hard pursued by the dogs, and knew not how toescape, recollecting with himself the reason of his being thuspersecuted, with a great resolution and presence of mind, he bit off thepart which his hunters wanted, and throwing it towards them, by thesemeans escaped with his life.
APPLICATION.
However it is among beasts, there are few human creatures but what arehunted for something else besides either their lives or the pleasure ofhunting them. The inquisition would hardly be so keen against the Jews,if they had not something belonging to them which their persecutorsesteem more valuable than their souls; which whenever that wise, butobstinate people, can prevail with themselves to part with, there is anend of the chase for that time. Indeed, when life is pursued, and indanger, whoever values it, should give up every thing but his honour topreserve it. And when a discarded minister is prosecuted for havingdamaged the commonwealth, let him but throw down some of the fruits ofhis iniquity to the hunters, and one may engage for his coming off, inother respects, with a whole skin.
FABLE XX.
THE CAT AND THE FOX.]
As the Cat and the Fox were talking politics together, on a time, in themiddle of a forest, Reynard said, 'Let things turn out ever so bad, hedid not care, for he had a thousand tricks for them yet, before theyshould hurt him.'--'But pray,' says he, 'Mrs. Puss, suppose there shouldbe an invasion, what course do you design to take?'--'Nay,' says theCat, 'I have but one shift for it, and if that won't do, I amundone.'--'I am sorry for you, replies Reynard, 'with all my heart, andwould gladly furnish you with one or two of mine, but indeed, neighbour,as times go, it is not good to trust; we must even be every one forhimself, as the saying is, and so your humble servant.' These words werescarce out of his mouth, when they were alarmed with a pack of hounds,that came upon them full cry. The Cat, by the help of her single shift,ran up a tree, and sat securely among the top branches; from whence shebeheld Reynard, who had not been able to get out of sight, overtakenwith his thousand tricks, and torn in as many pieces by the dogs whichhad surrounded him.
APPLICATION.
A man that sets up for more cunning than the rest of his neighbours, isgenerally a silly fellow at the bottom. Whoever is master of a littlejudgment and insight into things, let him keep them to himself, and makeuse of them as he sees occasion; but he should not be teasing otherswith an idle and impertinent ostentation of them. One good discreetexpedient, made use of upon an emergency, will do a man more realservice, and make others think better of him, than to have passed allalong for a shrewd crafty knave, and be bubbled at last. When any onehas been such a coxcomb as to insult his acquaintance, by pretending tomore policy and stratagem than the rest of mankind, they are apt to wishfor some difficulty for him to show his skill in; where, if he shouldmiscarry (as ten to one but he does) his misfortune, instead of pity, issure to be attended with laughter. He that sets up for a biter, as thephrase is, being generally intent upon his prey, or vain of showing hisart, frequently exposes himself to the traps of one sharper thanhimself, and incurs the ridicule of those whom he designed to makeridiculous.
FABLE XXI.
THE CAT AND THE MICE.]
A certain house was much infested with Mice; but at last they got a Cat,who catched and eat every day some of them. The Mice, finding theirnumbers grow thin, consulted what was best to be done for thepreservation of the public from the jaws of the devouring Cat. Theydebated and came to this resolution, That no one should go down belowthe upper shelf. The Cat, observing the mice no longer came down asusual, hungry and disappointed of her prey, had recourse to thisstratagem; she hung by her hinder legs on a peg which stuck in the wall,and made as if she had been dead, hoping by this lure to entice the Miceto come down. She had not been in this posture long, before a cunningold Mouse peeped over the edge of the shelf, and spoke thus:--'Aha, mygood friend, are you there! there may you be! I would not trust myselfwith you, though your skin were stuffed with straw.'
APPLICATION.
Prudent folks never trust those a second time who have deceived themonce. And, indeed, we cannot well be too cautious in following thisrule, for, upon examination, we shall find, that most of the misfortuneswhich befal us, proceed from our too great credulity. They that know howto suspect, without exposing or hurting themselves, till honesty comesto be more in fashion, can never suspect too much.
FABLE XXII.
THE LION AND OTHER BEASTS.]
The Lion and several other beasts entered into an alliance, offensiveand defensive, and were to live very sociably together in the forest.One day, having made a sort of an excursion by way of hunting, they tooka very fine, large, fat deer, which was divided into four parts; therehappening to be then present his majesty the Lion, and only threeothers. After the division was made, and the parts were set out, hismajesty advancing forward some steps, and pointing to one of the shares,was pleased to declare himself after the following manner: 'This I seizeand take possession of as my right, which devolves to me, as I amdescended by a true, lineal, hereditary succession from the royal familyof Lion: that (pointing to the second) I claim by, I think, nounreasonable demand; considering that all the engagements you have withthe enemy turn chiefly upon my courage and conduct; and you very wellknow, that wars are too expensive to be carried on without propersupplies. Then (nodding his head towards the third) that I shall take byvirtue of my prerogative; to which, I make no question, but so dutifuland loyal a people will pay all the deference and regard that I candesire. Now, as for the remaining part, the necessity of our presentaffairs is so very urgent, our stock so low, and our credit so impairedand weakened, that I must insist upon your granting that, without anyhesitation or demur; and hereof fail not at your peril.'
APPLICATION.
No alliance is safe which is made with those that are superior to us inpower. Though they lay themselves under the most strict and solemn tiesat the opening of the congress, yet the first advantageous opportunitywill tempt them to break the treaty; and they will never want speciouspretences to furnish out their declarations of war. It is not easy todetermine, whether it is more stupid and ridiculous for a community totrust itself first in the hands of those that are more powerful thanthemselves, or to wonder afterwards that their confidence and credulity
are abused, and their properties invaded.
FABLE XXIII.
THE LION AND THE MOUSE.]
A Lion, faint with heat, and weary with hunting, was laid down to takehis repose under the spreading boughs of a thick shady oak. It happenedthat, while he slept, a company of scrambling Mice ran over his back,and waked him: upon which, starting up, he clapped his paw upon one ofthem, and was just going to put it to death; when the little suppliantimplored his mercy in a very moving manner, begging him not to slain hisnoble character with the blood of so despicable and small a beast. TheLion, considering the matter, thought proper to do as he was desired,and immediately released his little trembling prisoner. Not long after,traversing the forest in pursuit of his prey, he chanced to run intothe toils of the hunters; from whence, not able to disengage himself,he set up a most hideous and loud roar. The Mouse, hearing the voice,and knowing it to be the Lion's, immediately repaired to the place, andbid him fear nothing, for that he was his friend. Then straight he fellto work, and, with his little sharp teeth, gnawing asunder the knots andfastenings of the toils, set the royal brute at liberty.
APPLICATION.
This fable gives us to understand, that there is no person in the worldso little, but even the greatest may, at some time or other, stand inneed of his assistance; and consequently that it is good to useclemency, where there is any room for it, towards those who fall withinour power. A generosity of this kind is a handsome virtue, and looksvery graceful whenever it is exerted, if there were nothing else in it:but as the lowest people in life may, upon occasion, have it in theirpower either to serve or hurt us, that makes it our duty, in point ofcommon interest, to behave ourselves with good nature and lenity towardsall with whom we have to do. Then the gratitude of the Mouse, and hisreadiness not only to repay, but even to exceed, the obligation due tohis benefactor, notwithstanding his little body, gives us the specimenof a great soul, which is never so much delighted as with an opportunityof showing how sensible it is of favours received.