FABLE L.
THE COUNTRYMAN AND THE SNAKE.]
A villager, in a frosty, snowy winter, found a snake under a hedge,almost dead with cold. He could not help having compassion for the poorcreature, so brought it home, and laid it upon the hearth near the fire;but it had not lain there long, before (being revived with the heat) itbegan to erect itself, and fly at his wife and children, filling thewhole cottage with dreadful hissings. The Countryman hearing an outcry,and perceiving what the matter was, catched up a mattock, and soondispatched him; upbraiding him at the same time in these words--'Isthis, vile wretch, the reward you make to him that saved your life? Die,as you deserve; but a single death is too good for you.'
APPLICATION.
It is the nature of ingrates to return evil for good: and the moralists,in all ages, have incessantly declaimed against the enormity of thiscrime, concluding, that they who are capable of hurting theirbenefactors, are not fit to live in a community; being such, as thenatural ties of parent, friend, or country, are too weak to restrainwithin the bounds of society. Indeed, the sin of ingratitude is sodetestable, that as none but the most inhuman temper can be guilty ofit, so, in writing to men, there is no occasion to use many words,either in exposing the vice itself, or dissuading people from thecommission of it. Therefore it is not likely that a person of AEsop'ssagacity would have compiled this fable, without having something elsein view besides this trite and obvious subject. He certainly intended toput us in mind that, as none but a poor silly clown would go to take upa Snake and cherish it, so we shall be very negligent and ill-advisedif, in doing good offices, we do not take care to bestow our benevolenceupon proper objects. It was not at all unnatural in the Snake to hiss,and brandish his tongue, and fly at the first that came near him; assoon at the person that saved his life as any other; indeed, morelikely, because nobody else had so much to do with him. Nor is itstrange at any time to see a reprobate fool throwing his poisonouslanguage about, and committing his extravagancies against those, moreespecially, who are so inadvertent as to concern themselves with him.The Snake and the reprobate will not appear extraordinary in theirmalevolence: but the sensible part of mankind cannot help thinking thoseguilty of great indiscretion, who receive either of them into theirprotection.
FABLE LI.
THE FOX AND THE SICK LION.]
It was reported that the Lion was sick, and the beasts were made tobelieve that they could not make their court better than by going tovisit him. Upon this they generally went; but it was particularly takennotice of, that the Fox was not one of the number. The Lion thereforedispatched one of his Jackals to sound him about it, and ask him why hehad so little charity and respect, as never to come near him, at a timewhen he lay so dangerously ill, and every body else had been to seehim?--'Why,' replies the Fox, 'pray present my duty to his majesty, andtell him, that I have the same respect for him as ever, and have beencoming several times to kiss his royal hand: but I am so terriblyfrightened at the mouth of his cave, to see the print of myfellow-subjects feet all pointing forwards and none backwards, that Ihave not resolution enough to venture in.' Now the truth of the matterwas, that this sickness of the Lion's was only a sham to draw the beastsinto his den, the more easily to devour them.
APPLICATION.
A man should weigh and consider the nature of any proposal well beforehe gives into it; for a rash and hasty compliance has been the ruin ofmany a one. And it is the quintessence of prudence not to be too easy ofbelief. Indeed the multitude think altogether in the same track, and aremuch upon a footing. Their meditations are confined in one channel, andthey follow one another, very orderly, in a regular stupidity. Can a manof thought and spirit be harnessed thus, and trudge along like apack-horse, in a deep, stinking, muddy road, when he may frisk it overthe beauteous lawns, or lose himself agreeably in the shady verdantmazes of unrestrained contemplation? It is impossible. Vulgar notionsare so generally attended with error, that wherever one traces thefootsteps of the many, tending all one way, it is enough to make onesuspect, with the Fox in the fable, that there is some trick in it. Theeye of reason is dulled and stupified when it is confined, and made togaze continually upon the same thing: it rather chooses to look aboutit, and amuse itself with variety of objects, as they lie scattered upand down in the unbounded prospect. He that goes implicitly into athing, may be mistaken, notwithstanding the number of those who keep himcompany; but he that keeps out till he sees reason to enter, acts upontrue maxims of policy and prudence. In short, it becomes us, as we arereasonable creatures, to behave ourselves as such, and to do as fewthings as possible, of which we may have occasion to repent.
FABLE LII.
THE WANTON CALF.]
A Calf, full of play and wantonness, seeing the Ox at plough, could notforbear insulting him. 'What a sorry poor drudge art thou,' says he, 'tobear that heavy yoke upon your neck, and go all day drawing a plough atyour tail, to turn up the ground for your master! but you are a wretcheddull slave, and know no better, or else you would not do it. See what ahappy life I lead: I go just where I please; sometimes I lie down underthe cool shade; sometimes frisk about in the open sunshine; and, when Iplease, slake my thirst in the clear sweet brook; but you, if you wereto perish, have not so much as a little dirty water to refresh you.' TheOx, not at all moved with what he said, went quietly and calmly on withhis work; and, in the evening, was unyoked and turned loose. Soon afterwhich he saw the Calf taken out of the field, and delivered into thehands of a priest, who immediately led him to the altar, and prepared tosacrifice him. His head was hung round with fillets of flowers, and thefatal knife was just going to be applied to his throat, when the Ox drewnear, and whispered him to this purpose--'Behold the end of yourinsolence and arrogance; it was for this only you were suffered to liveat all; and pray now, friend, whose condition is best, yours or mine?'
APPLICATION.
To insult people in distress is the property of a cruel, indiscreet, andgiddy temper; for, as the proceedings of fortune are very irregular anduncertain, we may, the next turn of the wheel, be thrown down to theircondition, and they exalted to ours. We are likewise given to understandby this fable what the consequence of an idle life generally is, and howwell satisfied laborious diligent men are, in the end, when they comequietly to enjoy the fruits of their industry. They who by little tricksand sharpings, or by open violence and robbery, live in a high expensiveway, often in their hearts, at least, despise the poor honest man who iscontented with the virtuous product of his daily labour, and patientlysubmits to his destiny. But how often is the poor man comforted, byseeing these wanton villains led in triumph to the altar of justice,while he has many a cheerful summer's morning to enjoy abroad, and manya long winter's evening to indulge himself in at home, by a quiethearth, and under an unenvied roof: blessings which often attend a soberindustrious man, though the idle and the profligate are utter strangersto them. Luxury and intemperance, besides their being certain to shortena man's days, are very apt not only to engage people with their seemingcharms into a debauched life, utterly prejudicial to their health, butto make them have a contempt for others, whose good sense and true tasteof happiness inspire them with an aversion to idleness and effiminacy,and put them upon hardening their constitution by innocent exercise andlaudable employment. How many do gluttony and sloth tumble into anuntimely grave! while the temperate and the active drink sober draughtsof life, and spin out their thread to the most desirable length.
FABLE LIII.
HERCULES AND THE CARTER.]
As a clownish Fellow was driving his cart along a deep miry lane, thewheels stuck so fast in the clay, that the horses could not draw themout. Upon this, he fell a bawling and praying to Hercules to come andhelp him. Hercules, looking down from a cloud, bid him not lie there,like an idle rascal as he was, but get up and whip his horses stoutly,and clap his shoulder to the wheel; adding, that this was the only wayfor him to obtain his assistance.
APPLICATION.
This fable shows us how
vain and ill-grounded the expectations of thosepeople are who imagine they can obtain whatever they want byimportuning heaven with their prayers; for it is so agreeable to thenature of the Divine Being to be better pleased with virtuous actionsand an honest industry than idle prayers, that it is a sort of blasphemyto say otherwise. These were the sentiments of honest good heathens, whowere strangers to all revealed religion: but it is not strange that theyshould embrace and propagate such a notion, since it is no other thanthe dictate of common reason. What is both strange in itself, andsurprising how it could be made so fashionable, is, that most of thosewhose reason should be enlightened by revelation, are very apt to beguilty of this stupidity, and, by praying often for the comforts oflife, to neglect that business which is the proper means of procuringthem. How such a mistaken devotion came to prevail one cannot imagine,unless from one of these two motives; either that people, by such a veilof hypocrisy, would pass themselves upon mankind for better than theyreally are, or are influenced by unskilful preachers (which issometimes, indeed too often, the case) to mind the world as little aspossible, even to the neglect of their necessary callings. No questionbut it is a great sin for a man to fail in his trade or occupation byrunning often to prayers; it being a demonstration in itself, though theScripture had never said it, that we please God most when we are doingthe most good: and how can we do more good than, by a sober honestindustry, 'to provide for those of our own household,' and to endeavour'to have to give to him that needeth?' The man who is virtuously andhonestly engaged, is actually serving God all the while, and is morelikely to have his silent wishes, accompanied with strenuous endeavours,complied with by the Supreme Being, than he who begs with a fruitlessvehemence, and solicits with an empty hand: a hand which would be morereligious were it usefully employed, and more devout were it stretchedforth to do good to those that want it.
FABLE LIV.
THE BELLY AND THE MEMBERS.]
In former days, when the Belly and the other parts of the body enjoyedthe faculty of speech, and had separate views and designs of their own,each part, it seems, in particular for himself, and in the name of thewhole, took exception at the conduct of the Belly, and were resolved togrant him supplies no longer. They said they thought it very hard thathe should lead an idle good-for-nothing life, spending and squanderingaway, upon his own ungodly guts, all the fruits of their labour; andthat, in short, they were resolved for the future, to strike off hisallowance, and let him shift for himself as well as he could. The Handsprotested they would not lift up a finger to keep him from starving;and the Mouth wished he might never speak again if he took in the leastbit of nourishment for him as long as he lived; and, say the Teeth, maywe be rotten if ever we chew a morsel for him for the future. Thissolemn league and covenant was kept as long as any thing of that kindcan be kept, which was until each of the rebel members pined away to theskin and bone, and could hold out no longer. Then they found there wasno doing without the Belly, and that, as idle and insignificant as heseemed, he contributed as much to the maintenance and welfare of all theother parts as they did to his.
APPLICATION.
This fable was spoken by Menenius Agrippa, a famous Roman consul andgeneral, when he was deputed by the senate to appease a dangerous tumultand insurrection of the people. The many wars that nation was engagedin, and the frequent supplies they were obliged to raise, had so souredand inflamed the minds of the populace, that they were resolved toendure it no longer, and obstinately refused to pay the taxes which werelevied upon them. It is easy to discern how the great man applied thisfable. For, if the branches and members of a community refuse thegovernment that aid which its necessities require, the whole must perishtogether. The rulers of a state, as idle and insignificant as they maysometimes seem, are yet as necessary to be kept up and maintained in aproper and decent grandeur, as the family of each private person is in acondition suitable to itself. Every man's enjoyment of that little whichhe gains by his daily labour, depends upon the government's beingmaintained in a condition to defend and secure him in it.
FABLE LV.
THE HORSE AND THE LION.]
A Lion seeing a fine plump Nag, had a great mind to eat a bit of him,but knew not which way to get him into his power. At last he bethoughthimself of this contrivance: he gave out that he was a physician, who,having gained experience by his travels into foreign countries, had madehimself capable of curing any sort of malady or distemper incident toany kind of beast, hoping by this stratagem to get an easier admittanceamong cattle, and find an opportunity to execute his design. The Horse,who smoked the matter, was resolved to be even with him; and, sohumouring the thing, as if he suspected nothing, he prayed the Lion togive him his advice in relation to a thorn he had got in his foot, whichhad quite lamed him, and gave him great pain and uneasiness. The Lionreadily agreed and desired he might see the foot. Upon which the Horselifted up one of his hind legs, and, while the Lion pretended to beporing earnestly upon his hoof, gave him such a kick in the face asquite stunned him, and left him sprawling upon the ground. In the meantime the Horse trotted away, neighing and laughing merrily at thesuccess of the trick, by which he had defeated the purpose of one whointended to have tricked him out of his life.
APPLICATION.
Though all manner of fraud and tricking is mean, and utterly beneath aman of sense and honour, yet, methinks, equity itself allows us todisappoint the deceiver, and to repel craft by cunning. Treachery hassomething so wicked and worthy of punishment in its nature, that itdeserves to meet with a return of its own kind: an open revenge would betoo liberal for it, and nothing matches it but itself. However,therefore, abominable it is to be the aggressor in this point, yet itcannot be inconsistent with virtue to counterplot and to take all mannerof advantage against the man who is undermining us.
FABLE LVI.
THE HUSBANDMAN AND THE STORK.]
The Husbandman pitched a net in his fields to take the Cranes and Geesewhich came to feed upon the new-sown corn. Accordingly he took several,both Cranes and Geese; and among them a Stork, who pleaded hard for hislife, and, among other apologies which he made, alleged, that he wasneither Goose nor Crane, but a poor harmless Stork, who performed hisduty to his parents to all intents and purposes, feeding them when theywere old, and, as occasion required, carrying them from place to placeupon his back.--'All this may be true,' replies the Husbandman; 'but, asI have taken you in bad company, and in the same crime, you must expectto suffer the same punishment.'
APPLICATION.
If bad company had nothing else to make us shun and avoid it, this,methinks, might be sufficient, that it infects and taints a man'sreputation, to as great a degree as if he were thoroughly versed in thewickedness of the whole gang. What is it to me if the thief who robs meof my money gives part of it to build a church? Is he ever the less athief? Shall a woman's going to prayers twice a day save her reputation,if she is known to be a malicious lying gossip? No, such mixtures ofreligion and sin make the offence but the more flagrant, as theyconvince us that it was not committed out of ignorance. Indeed, there isno living without being guilty of some faults, more or less; which theworld ought to be good-natured enough to overlook, in consideration ofthe general frailty of mankind, when they are not too gross and tooabundant: but when we are so abandoned to stupidity, and a neglect ofour reputation, as to keep bad company, however little we may becriminal in reality, we must expect the same censure and punishment asis due to the most notorious of our companions.
FABLE LVII.
THE CAT AND THE COCK.]
The Cat, having a mind to make a meal of the Cock, seized him onemorning by surprise, and asked him what he could say for himself whyslaughter should not pass upon him?--The Cock replied, that he wasserviceable to mankind by crowing in the morning, and calling them up totheir daily labour.--'That is true,' says the Cat, 'and is the veryobjection that I have against you; for you make such a shrillimpertinent noise, that people cannot sleep for you. Besides you are anincestuous rascal, and m
ake no scruple of lying with your mother andsisters.'--'Well,' says the Cock, 'this I do not deny; but I do it toprocure eggs and chickens for my master.'--'Ah! villain,' says the Cat,'hold your wicked tongue; such impieties as these declare that you areno longer fit to live.'
APPLICATION.
When a wicked man in power has a mind to glut his appetite in anyrespect, innocence, or even merit, is no protection against him. Thecries of justice and the voice of reason are of no effect upon aconscience hardened in iniquity, and a mind versed in a long practice ofwrong and robbery. Remonstrances, however reasonably urged, or movinglycouched, have no more influence upon the heart of such a one, than thegentle evening breeze has upon the oak when it whispers among itsbranches, or the rising surges upon the deaf rock when they dash andbreak against its sides. Power should never be trusted in the hands ofan impious selfish man, and one that has more regard to thegratification of his own unbounded avarice than to public peace andjustice. Were it not for the tacit consent and heartless compliance of agreat majority of fools, mankind would not be ridden, as oftentimes theyare, by a little majority of knaves, to their great misfortune: for,whatever people may think of the times, if they were ten times worsethan they are, it is principally owing to their own stupidity. Why dothey trust the man a moment longer who has once injured and betrayedthem?