Chapter V: Usurers and Curryers., 392 (4)

’Tis a miserable Thing, when Faithful Servants fall into the hands of Insensible, and Unthankful Masters; Such as Value Services only by the Profit they bring them, without any regard to the Zeal, Faith, and Affections, of the Heart, and pay them with Blows, and Reproches in their Age, for the Use, Strength and Industry of their Youth. Nay Humane Frailty it self is Imputed to them for a Crime, and they are Treated Worse then Beasts, for not being More then Men. Here’s an _Old Drudging Curr_ turn’d off to Shift for Himself, for want of the very Teeth and Heels that he had lost in his _Masters_ Service. Nay, if he can but come off for Starving too, it passes for an Act of Mercy. Under These Circumstances, the Bare Sense of a Calamity is call’d Grumbling, and if a man does but make a Face upon the Boot, he’s presently a Male-Content. It may be a Question now whether the Wickedness, or the Imprudence of this Iniquity be the more Pernicious; for over and above the Inhumanity, ’tis a Doctrine of Ill Consequence to the _Master_ Himself, to shew the World how Impossible a Thing it is for a Servant to Oblige and Please him: Nay, it is some sort of Temptation also to Impiety and Injustice, when Virtue and Duty came to be made Dangerous.

And yet it is not One _Master_ perhaps of Twenty, all this while, that either directs, or takes notice of These Indignities. It goes a Great Way, ’tis true, Barely to Permit them. One while perchance the Master is not Aware of what is done, and then in Other Cases, it may fall out Effectually to be his Own Act, even against his Own Will: That is to say, when the Passions of Imperious, and Ill-Natur’d Servants are Cover’d with the Name and Authority of their Patrons, in the Abuse of a trust that was Plac’d in ’em for Honester, and for Nobler Ends. It is Congruous enough yet to Apply the Moral of This Fiction, rather to the Driver of the _Asse_, and to the Huntsman that Manag’d the Chase, then to the _Master_ Himself: But the _Asse_ and the _Dog_ were beaten however, for being _Old_, and spent in Despite of All the Bonds and Instincts of Honour, Piety, and Good Nature.

FAB. XXVI.

An _Asse_, an _Ape_, and a _Mole_.

An _Asse_ and an _Ape_ were Conferring Grievances. The _Asse_ complain’d mightily for want of _Horns_, and the _Ape_ was as much troubled for want of a _Tail_. Hold your Tongues Both of ye, says the _Mole_, and be Thankful for what you have, for the Poor _Moles_ are Stark Blind, and in a Worse Condition then either of ye.

FAB. XXVII.

The _Hares_ and the _Frogs_.

Once upon a time the _Hares_ found themselves mightily Unsatisfy’d with a Miserable Condition they Liv’d in, and call’d a Council to Advise upon’t. Here we live, says one of ’em at the Mercy of Men, Dogs, Eagles, and I know not how many Other Creatures and Vermin, that Prey upon us at Pleasure; Perpetually in Frights, Perpetually in Danger; And therefore I am absolutely of Opinion that we had better Die once for All, then live at This rate in a Continual Dread that’s Worse then Death it self. The Motion was Seconded and Debated, and a Resolution Immediately taken, _One and All_, to Drown Themselves. The Vote was no sooner pass’d, but away they Scudded with That Determination to the Next Lake. Upon this Hurry, there leapt a Whole Shoal of _Frogs_ from the Bank into the Water, for fear of the _Hares_. Nay, then my Masters, says one of the Gravest of the Company, pray let’s have a little Patience. Our Condition I find is not altogether so bad as we fancy’d it; for there are those you see that are as much afraid of Us, as we are of Others.

The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.

_There’s No Contending with the Orders and Decrees of Providence. He that Made us knows what’s Fittest for us; and Every man’s Own Lot (well understood and Manag’d) is Undoubtedly the Best._

REFLEXION.

’Tis the Intent of These Two Fables, to shew, that no People are so Miserable but that at some Time or Other, in some Things or Other they have Reason to Account themselves Happy. And if they would but duly consider, how it is with many of their Neighbours, they would find it their Duty to be Thankful, that it is no Worse with Themselves. It is some Relief to the Miserable to shew them that there are Others yet more Miserable, and there is not any thing so Timerous, but something else is afraid of It. There are Those, ’tis True, that Die for the very Fear of Death, and Plunge themselves into Certain Misery, upon the Bare Apprehension of it: But this comes rather from the Spleen, then their Misfortune.

Since so it is, that Nature Provides for the Necessities of All Creatures, and for the Well Being of Every One in it’s kind: And since it is not in the Power of any Creature to make it self Other then what by Providence it was Design’d to be; what a Madness is it to Wish our selves Other then what we Are, and what we Must continue to Be: Since the Thing is Bounded, and the whole Matter Pre-determin’d! Every _Atome_ of the Creation has its Place Assign’d: Every Creature has its proper Figure, and there is no Disputing with him that made it so. _Why have not I This?_ and _why have not I that?_ are Questions for a Philosopher of _Bedlam_ to ask; and we may as well Cavil at the Motions of the Heavens, the Vicissitude of Day and Night, and the Succession of the Seasons, as Expostulate with Providence upon any of the rest of Gods Works. The _Asse_ would have _Horns_, and the _Tinker_ would fain be in Bed with my _Lady_. The _Ape_ would have a _Tail_; and why should not a _Mountebank_ Complain that he is not a _Minister of State or Justice_? But in short, the Poor, Wretched, Blind _Mole_ puts in with her Doctrine to take up the Quarrel.

And what’s the Case of the _Hares_ now, but an Instance to Fortifie us against _Panick_ Frights and Terrors, for Trivial Causes; where the Fears are a great deal more Terrible then the Dangers? In All these Cases, we fancy our selves much more Miserable then we Are, for want of taking a True Estimate of Things. We fly into Transports without Reason, and Judge of the Happiness, or Calamity, of Humane Life, by False Lights. A Strict Enquiry into the Truth of Matters will Help us in the One, and Comparison will set us Right in the Other. The _Dogs_ and the _Eagles_ Frighted the _Hares_; The _Hares_ Frighted the _Frogs_, and the _Frogs_, Twenty to One, Frighted something else. This is according to the Course of the World, One Fears Another, and some body else is afraid of Him.

It may seem to be a kind of a Malicious Satisfaction, that One Man derives from the Misfortunes of Another. But the Philosophy of This Reflexion stands upon Another Ground; for our Comfort does not Arise from Other Peoples being Miserable, but from this Inference upon the Ballance, That we suffer only the Lot of Humane Nature: And as we are Happy or Miserable, compar’d with others, So Other People are Miserable or Happy Compar’d with Us: By which Justice of Providence, we come to be Convinc’d of the Sin, and the Mistake of our Ingratitude. What would not a man give to be Eas’d of the Gout or the Stone? Or supposing an Incurable Poverty on the One Hand, and an Incurable Malady on the Other, Why should not the Poor Man think himself Happier in his Rags, then the Other in his Purple? But the Rich Man Envies the Poor Mans Health, without considering his Want; and the Poor Man Envies the Others Treasure without considering his Diseases. What’s an Ill Name in the World to a Good Conscience within Ones self? And how much less Miserable upon the Wheel, is One man that is Innocent, then Another under the Same Torture that’s Guilty? The Only Way for _Hares_ and _Asses_, is to be Thankful for what they Are, and what they Have, and not to Grumble at the Lot that they must bear in spite of their Teeth.

FAB. XXVIII.

A _Wolf_, _Kid_, and _Goat_.

A _Goat_ that was going out one Morning for a Mouthful of Fresh Grass, Charg’d her _Kid_ upon her Blessing, not to Open the Door till she came back, to any Creature that had not a Beard. The _Goat_ was no sooner out of sight, but up comes a _Wolf_ to the Door, that had Over-hear’d the Charge; and in a Small Pipe calls to the _Kid_ to let her _Mother_ come in. The _Kid_ smelt out the Roguery, and bad the _Wolf_ shew his _Beard_, and the Door should be open to him.

The MORAL.

_There never was any Hypocrite so Disguis’d but he had some Mark or Other yet to be known by._

REFLEXION.

Here is Prudence, Caution, and Obedience, recommended to us in the _Kids_ refusal to Open the Door; and here is likewise set forth in the _Wolf_, the Practice of a Fraudulent, and a Bloody Impostor. This Moral runs through the Whole Business of Humane Life, for so much as the Plot is carry’d on against the Simple and the Innocent, under False Colours, and Feigned Pretences. There are _Wolves_, in _Policy_, as well as in _Mythology_; and if the _Kids Obedience_ had not been more then her _Sagacity_, she would have found, to her Cost, the Teeth of a _Wolf_, in the mouth of a _Goat_; and the malice of an Enemy cover’d under the Voice and Pretence of a Parent.

FAB. XXIX.

A _Dog_, a _Sheep_, and a _Wolf_.

A _Dog_ brought an Action of the Case against a _Sheep_, for some Certain Measures of Wheat, that he had lent him. The Plaintiff prov’d the Debt by Three Positive Witnesses, The _Wolf_, the _Kite_, and the _Vultur_. (_Testes Probi & Legales._) The _Defendant_ was cast in _Costs and Damages_, and forc’d to sell the Wool off his Back to Satisfie the Creditor.

The MORAL.

_’Tis not a Straw matter whether the Main Cause be Right or Wrong, or the Charge True or False; Where the Bench, Jury and Witnesses are in a Conspiracy against the Pris’ner._

REFLEXION.

No Innocence can be Safe, where Power and Malice are in Confederacy against it. There’s No Fence against Subornation, and False Evidence. What Greater Judgment can befall a Nation then for _Sheep_ to be made _Trespassers_, and _Wolves_ _Kites_, and _Vultures_ to set up for _Witnesses_! This is a large Field, if a body would Amplifie upon it: But the History of the Age in Memory will be the Best Moral of This Fable. There’s No Living however without Law: and there’s no Help for’t in many Cases, if the Saving Equity be Over-rul’d by the Killing Letter of it. ’Tis the _Verdict_ that does the Business; but ’tis the _Evidence_, True or False that Governs the _Verdict_. So that, (as it sometimes falls out) the Honour of the Publick may come to be Concern’d in the Defence and Support of an Undetected Perjury. The only Danger is the giving too much Credit to the Oaths of _Kites_ and _Vultures_. That is to say, of Witnesses so Profligate as to bring a Scandal even upon Truth it self, where it is so Asserted.

FAB. XXX.

A _Countryman_ and a _Snake_.

There was a _Snake_ that Bedded himself under the Threshold of a Country-House: A _Child_ of the Family happen’d to set his Foot upon’t; The _Snake_ bit him, and he Dy’d on’t. The _Father_ of the _Child_ made a Blow at the _Snake_, but Miss’d his Aim, and only left a Mark behind him upon the Stone where he Struck. The _Countryman_ Offer’d the _Snake_, some time after This, to be Friends again. No, says the _Snake_, so long as you have This Flaw upon the Stone in Your Eye, and the Death of the _Child_ in your Thought, there’s No Trusting of ye.

The MORAL.

_In Matters of Friendship and Trust, we can never be too Tender; but yet there’s a Great Difference betwixt Charity and Facility. We may Hope Well in many Cases, but let it be without Venturing Neck, and All upon’t, for_ New-Converts _are Slippery_.

REFLEXION.

’Tis Ill Trusting a Reconcil’d Enemy; but ’tis Worse yet, to Proceed at One Step, from Clemency and Tenderness, to Confidence and Trust: Especially where there are so many Memorials in Sight, for Hatred and Revenge to work upon. ’Tis Generous however to Forgive an Enemy; though Extremely Hazardous to Grace him in the doing of an Ill Thing, with the Countenance of a Deference to his Merit. Nay, a Bare Easiness of Pardoning has but too often the Force of a Temptation to Offend again. ’Tis a Nice Business to Indulge on the Left hand, without Punishing on the Right, for there must be No Sacrificing of a Faithful Friend to the Generosity of Obliging a Mortal Enemy. But the Case is then most Deplorate when Reward goes over to the Wrong side, and when Interest shall be made the Test and the Measure of Virtue. Upon the whole Matter, the _Countryman_ was too Easie, in Proposing a Reconciliation; (the Circumstances duly Consider’d) and the _Snake_ was much in the Right on the Other hand, in not entertaining it from a man that had so many Remembrances at Hand still, to Provoke him to a Revenge. Wherefore it is highly Necessary, for the one to know how far, and to Whom to Trust, and for the other to Understand what he is to Trust to. ’Tis a great Error to take Facility, for Good Nature: Tenderness, without Discretion is no better then a more Pardonable Folly.

FAB. XXXI.

A _Fox_ and a _Stork_.

There was a Great Friendship once betwixt a _Fox_ and a _Stork_, and the Former would needs Invite the Other to a Treat. They had Several Soups serv’d up in Broad Dishes and Plates, and so the _Fox_ fell to Lapping himself, and bad his Guest Heartily Welcom to what was before him. The _Stork_ found he was Put upon, but set so good a Face however upon his Entertainment; that his Friend by All means must take a Supper with Him That night in Revenge. The _Fox_ made Several Excuses upon the Matter of Trouble and Expence, but the _Stork_ in fine, would not be said Nay; So that at last, he promis’d him to come. The Collation was serv’d up in Glasses, with Long Narrow Necks, and the Best of Every thing that was to be had. Come (says the _Stork_ to his Friend) Pray be as Free as if you were at home, and so fell to’t very Savourly Himself. The _Fox_ quickly found This to be a Trick, though he could not but Allow of the Contrivance as well as the Justice of the Revenge. For such a Glass of Sweet-Meats to the One, was just as much to the Purpose, as a Plate of Porridge to the Other.

The MORAL.

_’Tis allowable in all the Liberties of Conversation to give a Man a_ Rowland for his Oliver, _and to_ pay him in his Own Coin, _as we say; provided always that we keep within the Compass of Honour, and Good Manners_.

REFLEXION.

Æsop has here given us the Fiction of a Case, wherein it may not be Amiss to repay an Abuse in its own Kind. The Mockery of the _Fox_ was a Reproche, as it Hit the _Stork_ on the Weak side; but That which was Rudeness, and Ill Nature in the Aggressor, was only a Monitory Justice, and a Discreet Sharpness in the Other. But This is the Fate Commonly of Drolls and Buffons, that while they think to make Sport with Others, they serve only in the conclusion for a Laughing-Stock themselves.

There’s nothing looks Sillier then a Crafty Knave Out-witted, and Beaten at his Own Play. The _Foxes_ Frolick went too far, in regard it was both upon an Invitation, and under his Own Roof. Now the Return of the _Stork_ was only a _Quid pro Quo_, and a Warrantable Revenge, even according to the Rules of Civility, and Good Fellowship; for the _Fox’s_ leading the Humour gave the Other not only a Provocation, but a kind of a Right to Requite him in his Own Way: Beside that it was the Cleverer Mockery of the Two. This may serve to Reprove Those Liberties in Conversation that pass the Bounds of Good Nature, Honour, Honesty, and Respect. When they Exceed These Limits, they Degenerate into Scurrility, Scandal and Ill-Manners. For in All Cases, an Eye must be had to the Due Circumstances of Measure, Time, Place, Occasion, and Person. The Laws of Humanity, and Hospitality must be kept Sacred upon any Terms: for the Wounding of a Friend for the sake of a Jest, is an Intemperance, and an Immorality, not to be Endur’d. There was somewhat of This in the _Foxes_ beginning the Frolick.

FAB. XXXII.

A _Fox_ and a _Carv’d Head_.

As a _Fox_ was rumidging among a Great many _Carv’d Figures_, there was One very Extraordinary Piece among the Rest. He took it up, and when he had Consider’d it a while, Well, (says he) What Pity ’tis, that so Exquisite an Outside of a Head should not have one Grain of Sense in’t.

The MORAL.

_’Tis not the Barber or the Taylor that makes the Man; and ’tis No New Thing to see a Fine Wrought Head without so much as One Grain of Salt in’t._

REFLEXION.

Many a Fool has a Fair Out side, and Many a Man of Fortune, and Title has not so much as a Common Sense. We have a Whole World of _Heads_ to Answer the Drift of This Emblem: But there is No Judging however by the Senses, of Matters that the Senses can take no Cognizance of; as Virtue, Wisdom, and the Like. The Excellency, in fine, of the Soul is above the Beauty of the Body: Not but that the Graces of the One, and the Endowments of the Other, may Encounter sometimes, (how rarely soever) in One and the same Person. But Beauty and Judgment are so far yet from being Inseperable, that they seem effectually to Require, More or Less, a Diversity of Temperament: Beside that More Care is taken to Cultivate the Advantages of the Body then those of the Mind. To Wrap up all in a Word, the World it self is but a Great Shop of _Carv’d Heads_; and the _Foxes_ Conceit will hold as well in the Life, as in the Fiction.

FAB. XXXIII.

A _Daw_ and _Borrow’d Feathers_.

A _Daw_ that had a mind to be Sparkish, Trick’d himself up With all the _Gay Feathers_ he could Muster together: And upon the Credit of these Stoll’n, or Borrow’d Ornaments, he Valu’d himself above All the Birds in the Air Beside. The Pride of this Vanity got him the Envy of all his Companions, who, upon a Discovery of the Truth of the Case, fell to Pluming of him by Consent; and when Every Bird had taken his Own _Feather_; the Silly _Daw_ had nothing left him to Cover his Nakedness.

The MORAL.

_We steal from one Another all manner of Ways, and to all manner of Purposes; Wit, as well as Feathers; but where Pride and Beggery Meet, People are sure to be made ridiculous in the Conclusion._

REFLEXION.

Every thing is Best, and Every Man Happiest, in the State and Condition wherein Nature has Plac’d them; But if _Daws_ will be setting up for _Peacocks_, or _Asses_ for _Lions_, they must Expect, and Content themselves to be Laugh’d at for their Pains. The Allusion of the _Daw_ here, and his _Borrow’d Feathers_, Extends to All sorts of Impostors, Vain Pretenders, and Romancers, in Feats of Arms, State, Love, or the Like. It Points also at the Empty Affectation of Wit and Understanding; in which case, it fares as it does with men that set up for Quality, Birth, and Bravery, upon the Credit of a Gay Out-side; for Authors may be Cozen’d upon the Tick, as well as Taylors: Nay we have seen some, even of our _First-Rate-Writers_, that have been Better at Disguising other Peoples Works, then Furnishing any thing of their Own; That is to say; upon the taking of them to pieces, the Stuff and Trimming is found to be Wholly Stol’n, and new-Fourbish’d; and nothing, in short that they can Assume to Themselves but the Needle and Thred that Tackt the Composition together. Now when these _Plagiaries_ come to be Stript of their Borrow’d, or Pilfer’d Ornaments, there’s the _Daw_ in the Fable truly Moraliz’d.

FAB. XXXIV.

An _Ant_ and a _Fly_.

There happen’d a Warm Dispute betwixt an _Ant_ and a _Fly_. Why, Where’s the Honour, or the Pleasure in the World, says the _Fly_, that I have not My Part in? Are not All Temples and Palaces open to me? Am not I the Taster to Gods and Princes, in All their Sacrifices and Entertainments? Am I not serv’d in Gold and Silver? And is not my Meat and Drink still of the Best? And all This, without either Mony or Pains? I trample upon Crowns, and Kiss what Ladies Lips I please. And what have you now to pretend to all this While? Why, says the _Ant_, You Value Your self upon the Access you have to the Altars of the Gods, the Cabinets of Princes, and to All Publick Feasts and Collations: And what’s all This but the Access of an Intruder, not of a Guest? For People are so far from Liking Your Company, that they Kill ye as fast as they can Catch ye. You are a Plague to ’em Wherever You come. Your very Breath has Maggots in’t, and for the Kiss you Brag of, what is it but the Perfume of the last Dunghil you Touch’d upon, once Remov’d; For My Part, I live upon what’s my Own, and Work Honestly in the Summer to Maintain my self in the Winter; Whereas the whole Course of Your Scandalous Life is only Cheating or Sharping, one Half of the Year, and Starving the Other.

The MORAL.

_Here’s An Emblem of Industry, and Luxury, set forth at large; with the Sober Advantages, and the Scandalous Excesses of the One and of the Other._

REFLEXION.

This Fable Marks out to us the Difference betwixt the Empty Vanity of Ostentation, and the Substantial Ornaments of Virtue. It shews that the Happiness of Life does not lie so much in the Enjoying of small Advantages, as in living free from Great Inconveniences, and that an Honest Mediocrity is Best. The _Fly_ stands up for the Pride, the Luxury, and the Ambition of Courts, in the preference of Palaces, to Caves and Private Retreats. The _Ant_ contents her self with the Virtue of Sobriety, Retirement, and Moderation: She lives upon her Own, Honestly Gotten and Possess’d without either Envy or Violence; Whereas the _Fly_ is an Intruder, and a Common _Smell-Feast_, that Spunges upon Other Peoples Trenchers.

A Man can hardly fancy to himself a Truer Image of a Plain, Honest, Country Simplicity, then the _Ant’s_ part of the Dialogue in this Fable. She takes pains for What she Eats; Wrongs No body; and so Creates no Enemies; She wants Nothing, and she Boasts of Nothing; Lives Contented with her Own, and Enjoyes all with a Good Conscience. This Emblem recommends to us the Blessings of a Virtuous Privacy, according to the just Measures of Right Nature, and in Few Words, comprizes the Sum of a Happy State.

The _Fly_, on the Contrary, leads a Lazy, Voluptuous, Scandalous, Sharking Life; Hateful wherever she comes, and in Perpetual Fears and Dangers. She Flutters, ’tis true, from place to place, from Feast to Feast, Brags of her Interest at Court, and of Ladies Favours: And what’s This Miserable Insect at last, but the very Picture of one of our Ordinary Trencher-Squires, that spend their time in Hopping from One Great man’s Table to Anothers, only to Pick up Scraps, and Intelligence, and to Spoil Good Company! I cannot see one of These Officious, Humble Companions, Skipping up and down from _Levee_ to _Levee_, and making himself Necessary, wherever he thinks fit to be Troublesome: I cannot hear a Finical Fop Romancing, how the King took him aside at such a time; What the Queen said to him at Another; How many Ladies fell out who should have him to her self; What Discourse pass’d; Where he is to Eat to morrow; What Company; What Dishes; What Wine; Who Loves Who; and what _Intrigues_ are afoot in Church and State, _&c._ Without more Words I cannot Hear the Chat, or see the Vanity of these Pragmatical Empty _Busie-Bodies_ without thinking of the _Fly_ in the Fable. And This Application was the True End of Writing it.

FAB. XXXV.

A _Frog_ and an _Oxe_.

As a Huge Over-grown _Oxe_ was Grazing in a Meadow, an Old Envious _Frog_ that stood Gaping at him hard by, call’d out to her Little Ones, to take Notice of the Bulk of That Monstrous Beast; and see, says she, if I don’t make my self now the Bigger of the Two. So she Strain’d Once, and Twice, and went still swelling on and on, till in the Conclusion she Forc’d her self, and Burst.

The MORAL.

_Betwixt Pride, Envy, and Ambition, men fancy Themselves to be Bigger then they are, and Other People to be Less: And This Tumour Swells it self at last ’till it makes All Fly_.

REFLEXION.

This Fancy is a Lash upon Those that set up to Live above their Quality and Fortune, and pretend to spend Penny for Penny with men of Twenty times their Estate, and therefore must needs Burst in the Conclusion! But Pride and Ambition Pushes men forward, not only to Extravagances, but Impossibilities, though to the Certain Undoing of the Weaker and the Meaner: When they come to Vie Power and Expence with Those that are too High and too many for them.

Men that would be Bigger then God has made them, must e’en Expect to fall to Nothing. This Affectation strikes upon All the Weaknesses that Pride, Envy, or Ambition can fancy to it self, provided always that we do not take Emulation for Envy. In One Word, when men’s Hearts and Thoughts are puff’d up into a Desire of Things Unnatural, the Tumour is Incurable. But they are Weak Minds commonly that are Tainted with This Evil. They take False Measures, both of themselves, and of Others, without considering the Limits, Bulk, Fortune, Ability, Strength, _&c._ or in truth, the very Nature of the Things, Matters, or Person in Question. They set up Competitors for Learning, Power, Estate, Policy; They Censure their Betters, Despise their Equals, and Admire Themselves: But their Greatness all this while, is only in Imagination, and they make All fly with the _Frog_ at last, by Straining to be Bigger then they Are, and Bigger then ’tis possible for them to Be.

FAB. XXXVI.

An _Asse_ and a _Wolph_.

An _Asse_ had got a Thorn in’s Foot, and for want of a Better Surgeon, who but a _Wolf_ at last, to draw it out with his Teeth! The _Asse_ was no sooner Eas’d, but he gave his Operator such a Kick under the Ear with his Sound Foot for his Pains, that he Stunn’d him, and so went his way.

FAB. XXXVII.

A _Horse_ and a _Lyon_.

There was an Old Hungry _Lion_ would fain have been Dealing with a piece of Good _Horse-Flesh_ that he had in his Eye; but the _Nag_ he thought would be too Fleet for him, unless he could supply the want of Heels, by Artifice, and Address. He puts himself into the Garb, and Habit of a Professor of Physick, and according to the Humor of the World, sets up for a Doctor of the College. Under this Pretext, he lets fall a Word or two by way of Discourse, upon the Subject of his Trade; but the _Horse_ Smelt him out, and presently a Crotchet came in his Head how he might Countermine him. I got a Thorn in my Foot T’other day, says the _Horse_, as I was Crossing a Thicket, and I am e’en quite Lame on’t. Oh, says the New Physician, Do but hold up your Leg a little, and I’ll Cure ye immediately. The _Lion_ presently puts himself in posture for the Office; but the Patient was too Nimble for his Doctor, and so soon as ever he had him Fair for his Purpose, gave him so Terrible a Rebuke upon the Forehead with his Heel, that he laid him at his Length, and so got off with a whole Skin, before the Other could Execute his Design.

The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.

Harm Watch, Harm Catch, _is but according to the Common Rule of Equity and Retaliation, and a very Warrantable Way of Deceiving the Deceiver_.

REFLEXION.

There’s No trusting to the Fair Words of Those that have both an Interest, and an Inclination to Destroy us; Especially when the Design is carry’d on under the Masque of a Friendly Office. It is but reasonable to Oppose Art to Art, and where we suspect False Play, to Encounter One Trick with another: Provided always that it be Manag’d without breach of Faith, and within the Compass of Honour, Honesty, and Good Manners. The _Wolf_ had the same Design upon the _Asse_, that the _Lion_ had upon the _Horse_; and the matter being brought to a Trial of Skill between them, the Countermine was only an Act of Self-Preservation.

FAB. XXXVIII.

A _Horse_ and an _Asse_.

In the Days of Old, when _Horses_ spoke _Greek_ and _Latin_, and _Asses_ made _Syllogisms_, there happen’d an Encounter upon the Road, betwixt a Proud Pamper’d _Jade_ in the Full Course of his Carriere, and a Poor Creeping _Asse_, under a Heavy Burden, that had Chopt into the same Track with him. Why, how now Sirrah, says he, D’ye not see by these Arms, and Trappings, to what Master I belong? And D’ye not Understand that when I have That Master of mine upon my Back, the Whole Weight of the State rests upon My Shoulders? Out of the way thou slavish Insolent Animal, or I’ll Tread thee to Dirt. The Wretched _Asse_ immediately Slunk aside, with this Envious Reflexion betwixt his Teeth. [_What would I give to Change Conditions with That Happy Creature there._] This Fancy would not out of the Head of Him, ’till it was his Hap some Few Days after to see This very _Horse_ doing Drudgery in a Common Dung-Cart. Why how now Friend (says the _Asse_) How comes This about? Only the Chance of the War, says the Other: I was a _Soldiers Horse_, you must know; and my Master carry’d me into a Battel, where I was Shot, Hack’d, and Maim’d; and you have here before Your Eyes the Catastrophe of My Fortune.

The MORAL.

_The Folly, and the Fate, of Pride and Arrogance. The Mistake of Placing Happiness in any thing that may be taken away, and the Blessing of Freedom in a Mean Estate._

REFLEXION.

We are to Gather from hence, that people would never Envy the Pomp and Splendour of Greatness, if they did but consider, either the Cares and Dangers that go along with it, or the Blessings of Peace, and Security in a Middle Condition. No Man can be truly Happy, who is not every Hour of his Life prepared for the worst that can befall him. Now this is a State of Tranquility never to be attain’d, but by keeping perpetually in our Thoughts the Certainty of Death, and the Lubricity of Fortune; and by Delivering our selves from the Anxiety of Hopes and Fears.

It falls Naturally within the Prospect of this Fiction to Treat of the Wickedness of a Presumptuous Arrogance, the Fate that Attends it; The Rise of it; and the Means of either Preventing or Suppressing it; The Folly of it; The Wretched and Ridiculous Estate of a Proud Man, and the Weakness of That Envy that is Grounded upon the mistaken Happiness of Human Life.

If a body may be Allow’d to Graft a _Christian Moral_ upon a _Pagan Fable_, what was it but Pride and Arrogance that first threw _Lucifer_ out of Heaven, and afterwards, _Adam_ out of Paradise? [_Ye shall be as Gods_] was the Temptation; an Impotent and a Presumptuous Affectation of Vain Glory was the Sin; and a Malediction Temporal and Eternal was the Punishment. Now if the Charms of an Unruly Ambition could so far prevail upon the _Angels_ Themselves in their Purity; and upon Mankind in a State of Innocence, how Strict a Guard ought _we_ then to keep upon our selves, that are the Children of disobedience, and bring the seeds of This Deadly Vanity into the World with us in our very Veins?

It is highly Remarkable, that as Pride, and Envy are the Two Passions that above All Others give the Greatest Trouble to the Sons of Men, so are they likewise the First Emotions of the Mind that we take Notice of in our Approaches to the Exercise of our Reason. They begin with us in the Arms of our Nurses, and at the very Breasts of our Mothers; for what’s the meaning of all the Little Wrangles and Contentions else, _Which Child shall be made most of; or which Baby shall have the Gayer Coat?_ So that These Affections are in truth Connatural to us, and as We our selves grow up and Gather Strength, so do They; and pass Insensibly from our Inclinations into our Manners. Now the Corruption must needs be Strong, where Humane Frailty strikes in so Early with it, and the Progress no less Mortal, where it is suffer’d to go on without Control: For what are the Extravagances of the Lewdest Life, but the more Consummated Follies and Disorders, of either a Mis-taught or a Neglected Youth? Nay, what are All the Publick Outrages of a Destroying Tyranny, and Oppression, but Childish Appetites let alone till they are grown Ungovernable? Beside that it is Infinitely Easier to prevent Ill Habits then to Master them; As the Choaking of the Fountain is the surest Way to Cut off the Course of the River. It should be Consider’d too that we have the Seeds of Virtue in us, as well as of Vice; and when ever we take a Wrong Biass, ’tis not out of a Moral Incapacity to do Better, but for want of a Careful Manage and Discipline, to let us Right at First.

Wherefore Children should be moulded while their Tempers are yet Pliant and Ductile. As _Pride_, for the Purpose, that arises from a False Opinion of Things, should be Obviated by Informing their Understandings. And so for _Envy_; the very Disposition to it is to be Sweeten’d, as Flowing from a Certain Froward Tincture of Ill Nature. (I speak This of the Malevolent, Canker’d Passion of Envy, which in Effect, is Little or Nothing akin to the Silly Envy of the _Asse_ here in the Fable.) In One word, Children should be season’d betimes, and Lessen’d into such a Contempt, and Detestation of This Vice, as neither to practice it Themselves, nor to Approve it in Others. This is, in Little, the Foundation of a Virtuous Life, and there goes no more then Judging, and Acting Aright, to the Character of a Good Philosopher, a Good Christian, and a Good Man: For to Know, and to Do, is the _Compendium_ of our Duty.

It is not for Every Twatling Gossip yet, or some Empty Pedant, presently to Undertake This Province; for it requires a Critical Nicety both of Wit, and of Judgment, to find out the _Genius_, or the Propensions of a Child, and to Distinguish betwixt the Impulses of Envy, and those of Emulation: Betwixt the First Motions of a Churlish and Impetuous Insolence, and those of a Serene Greatness, and Dignity of Mind. It is not, I say, for Every Common Eye, or Hand to divide so Accurately betwixt the Good, and the Evil, the Gracious and Perverse, as to hit the precise _Medium_ of Encouraging the One, without Discouraging the Other. And This Faculty of Discerning is not enough neither, without a Watchful Assiduity of Application. The Just Season of Doing Things must be Nick’d, and All Accidents Observ’d and Improv’d; for Weak Minds are to be as Narrowly Attended, as Sickly Bodies: To say nothing of the Infinite Curiosity of the Operation, in the Forming of our Lives and Manners: And that not One man of Ten Thousand is Competently Qualify’d for the Office. Upon the Whole Matter there must be an Awe maintain’d on the One Hand, and at the same time, a Love and Reverence Preserv’d on the Other. And all this must be Order’d too with so Gentle a Softness of Address, that we may not Hazzard, either the Stifling, or the Quenching of Generous Inclinations, by bearing too Hard upon them, or the Licentiating of any thing that is Course and Vulgar, out of a foolish Facility or a Mistaken Pity. It is with our Passions, as it is with Fire and Water, they are _Good Servants_, but _Bad Masters_, and Subminister to the Best, and Worst of Purposes, at once, This is enough said, as to the Wickedness, and the Fate of Pride; The Source and Danger of it, together with the only sure and Effectual Means of Remedy.

The Moral leads me in the Next place, to Consider the Folly of both the _Horse_ and the _Asse_; The One, in Placing his Happiness upon any thing that could be taken away; and the Other, in Envying that Mistaken Happiness, under the Abuse of the same Splendid Illusion and Imposture. What Signifies a Gay Furniture, and a Pamper’d Carcass; or any other Outward Appearance, without an Intrinsick Value of Worth and Virtue? What signifies Beauty, Strength, Youth, Fortune, Embroider’d Furniture, Gawdy Bosses, or any of Those Temporary, and Uncertain Satisfactions, that may be taken from us with the very next Breath we draw? What Assurance can any Man have of a Possession that Every Turn of State, Every Puff of Air, Change of Humour, and the least of a Million of Common Casualties may Deprive him of? How many Huffing Sparks have we seen in the World, that in the same day have been both the Idols, and the Sport and Scorn of the same Slaves and Fools? Nay, how many Emperours and Princes, that in the Ruff of all their Glory have been taken down from the Head of a Conquering Army, to the Wheel of the Victor’s Chariot? Where’s that Advantage under the Sun that any but a Mad man would be Proud of? Or where’s That Pride it self that any Mortal in his Right Wits, would not find Reason to be Asham’d of? Take it singly, and what is there more in’t, then an Unnatural and Unmanly _Tympany_, that Rises in a Bubble, and spends it self in a Blast? Take it in Complication, and we find a Thousand Weaknesses, Iniquities, and Vexatious Cutting Miseries wrapt up in’t. What can be more Imprudent then to Affect Reputation by the Methods of Infamy? To Aspire to Greatness by the ways of becoming Odious and Contemptible? And to Propose the Erecting of a Mighty Fabrick, upon a Bottom that will Certainly sink under the Weight?

The Disappointments of Those that Build their Hopes in this World upon a False _Basis_, fall under These Three General Heads. The Advantages we Value our selves upon, may either be taken from us; or We from Them: Or, which is much at One, we may be brought by a Thousand Accidents to lose the Use and Relish of them. As first for the Purpose; they may be taken from Us, by Cheats, Robberies, Subornations, False Oaths, Forgeries, Corrupt Judges; To say nothing of Fires, Earthquakes, Tempests, Inundations, Insurrections, and Other Violences without Number. Secondly, We may be taken from Them, by as many Ways as there are out of This World. A Fly or a Hair shall do the Office of a Rope. And then for the Third Branch, an Indisposition, a Feaver, an Acute Pain, an Impetuous Passion, an Anxious Thought, Impotency, and Old Age, shall do the Work of Taking away both the Guest, and the Comfort of them. Nay, the very Loss of one Pleasure is enough to Damp, if not to Destroy the Relish of Another.

But now to carry the Allusion One Step further yet; It may be literally Asserted, that All Proud Men, over and above the Stroke of a Divine Judgment, are Miserable, even in themselves, and that no Circumstances in this World can ever make them Other. Their Appetites are Insatiable, and their Hearts consequently never at Rest; Whether it be Wealth, Power, Honour, Popular Esteem, or whatever else they pretend to. They Envy, and they are Envy’d. ’Tis Impossible for them to be at rest, without enjoying what it is Impossible for them to Attain. They live Gaping after More, and in a perpetual Fear of Losing what they have already. The Higher they are Rais’d, the Giddier they are; the more Slippery is their Standing, and the Deeper the Fall. They are never Well, so long as Any thing is above them: And their Ambition carries them on to the Supplanting of their very Masters and Makers: When yet by a most Ridiculous Contradiction, they lie Effectually, (in the very same Instant) at the mercy of the men they most Despise. [_The Silver, being Ten Thousand Talents, is given to Thee_, (says _Ahasuerus_ to _Haman_) _The People also, to do with them, as it seemeth good unto Thee_, Esther, Cap. 3. V. 11.] Who would have Imagin’d now, that the Stiff Crossness of a Poor Captive, should ever have had the Power to make _Haman_’s Seat so Uneasie to him? Or that the want of a Cap, or a Cringe, should so Mortally Discompose him, as we find afterwards it did! If Large Possessions, Pompous Titles, Honourable Charges, and Profitable Commissions; If a Plentiful Issue, Court Favours, or the Flowing Bounty of a Gracious Prince, could have made This Proud Man Happy, there would have been Nothing wanting to his Establishment. But All This did not do his Work, it seems; neither, as big as he was, did there in Truth need any Great matter to Unsettle him. But he was as sure to sink under the Infirmity of his Own Mind, as if he had been Doom’d to Sink in the Fate of a Common Ruine.

_When_ Haman _saw_ Mordecai _in the King’s Gate_, (says the Text) _that he stood not up, nor Moved for him, he was full of Indignation against_ Mordecai. _Nevertheless_, Haman _Refrained himself and when he came Home, he sent and call’d for his Friends, and_ Teresh, _his Wife; and told them of the Glory of his Riches, and the Multitude of his Children, And All the Things wherein the King had Promoted him, and how he had Advanced him above the Princes and Servants of the King. Yea_, Esther _the Queen_ (says he) _did let no man come with the King unto the Banquet that she had prepar’d, but my self; and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the King_. [Yet All This Availeth Me Nothing, so long as I see _Mordecai_ the _Jew_ sitting at the King’s Gate, _Esther_, Cap. 5. V. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.]

This Instance of _Haman_’s Case may serve, in a Good Measure, for a Moral to the Arrogance of the _Horse_ here in the Fable; only _Haman’s_ Pride was the more Invidious and Malicious of the Two. To wind up the Story; _Mordecai_ was an Eye-sore to _Haman_, and _a Gallows of Fifty Cubits High was prepared for him by the Order of_ Haman, _Cap._ 5. _V._ 14. But the King, upon Examination of the Matter, Order’d _Haman_ himself to be Hanged. [_So they Hanged_ Haman _upon the Gallows he had prepared for_ Mordecai, _Cap._ 7. _V._ 10.] _Haman_’s Pride, in fine, was a Torment to him, and he was not only Punish’d By it, and For it, but by a Righteous Judgment of Retaliation, he suffer’d Death Himself upon the very Gibbet that he had provided for Another.

How wretched a Creature was _Haman_ now, even in the Caresses of his Royal Master, and in the very Rapture of all his Glories! And how Vain again were all the Marks and Ensigns of his Character and Power; that were not able to Support him against one Slighting Look of a Sorry Slave! He had the World at Will, we see; but All was as good as Nothing to him, _so long as he saw_ Mordecai _the_ Jew _sitting in the King’s Gate_. Where’s the Sober Man now, that would not rather chuse to be _Mordecai_ in the _Gate_, upon These Terms, then to be _Haman_ in the _Palace_? The One had the Blessing of a Conscience that Fears Nothing but God; the Other was Haunted with a Fantastical Weakness of Mind, that makes a man Dread Every thing, and stand in awe of his Own Shadow! A Word, a Thought, an Imagination, a Countenance is enough to Break his Sleep, and to Shake the very Foundations of the _Babel_ that he has Built. He fancies every Bolt that’s Levell’d at his Vices, to be Pointed at his Person, and finds himself Wounded in the Morality of the most Innocent Reproofs. He’s a Slave to All Passions, All Accidents, and All sorts of Men. A Jest, a Banter, a Lampoon; Nay a Glance, an Insinuation, or a Bare Casualty, with the Help of a Guilty Conscience, and a Suspicious Gloss of Application, is enough to Murder him; for he Conceits himself to be Struck at, when he is not so much as Thought of: as I dare appeal to the Consciences of a Thousand Top Gallant Sparks, that will fancy their Own Case to be the Key to This Moral. He makes himself Odious to his Superiours, by his Haughtiness; to his Equals, by a Restless Course of Factious Competitions; and then he never fails of a Virulent Hatred and Envy, from those that are below him; so that he’s beset with Enemies on All hands, the Meanest of which is not without Many and Many a Way to the Wreaking of a Malice, and to the Gratifying of a Revenge. As to the Wretchedness of his Condition, ’tis all a Case to Him, whether he be Teiz’d out of his Life by a Judgment of Flies and Lice, or Stung to Death by Fiery Serpents. And he is not only Tormented by Others, but the very Tormenter of Himself too. Nay, rather then want a Colourable Ground of Trouble, he Creates it. His pride is a Continual Drought upon him, and a Thirst never to be Quench’d. His Conscience, his Fancy, his Fears, Jealousies, and Mistakes; Every thing helps on towards his Undoing. And now to the Infinite Variety of Plagues that Wait upon Pride, there is likewise as Great a Diversity of Imperious Humours, for This Misery to Work upon. As for Example, There is a Pride of Stomach, a Pride of Popularity, a Pride of Brow, Equipage, and Parade. There’s a Pride of Tongue without either Brains, or Heart to Support it. There’s an Abject, (in fine) and there’s a Surly Pride: But to Conclude, there is All This, and a Thousand times more of the same Kind and Colour, that lies Naturally Couch’d under This Allegory. And not One Instance at last, that is not verify’d by Many and Many an Example.

Now as to the Envy of the _Asse_ it was a Double Folly; for he Mistakes both the Horses Condition, and his Own. ’Tis Madness to Envy any Creature that may in a Moment become Miserable; Or for any Advantage that may in a Moment be taken from him. The _Asse_ Envies the _Horse_ to day; and in some Few Days more, the _Horse_ comes to Envy Him: Wherefore let no man Despair, so long as it is in the Power, either of Death, or of Chance, to Remove the Burden. Nothing but Moderation and Greatness of Mind can make, either a Prosperous, or an Adverse Fortune Easie to us. The Only Way to be Happy is to submit to our Lot; for No man can be properly said to be Miserable that is not wanting to Himself. It is Certainly True, that many a Jolly Cobler has a Merrier Heart in his Stall, than a Prince in his Palace.

FAB. XXXIX.

A _Bat_ and a _Weazle_.

A _Weazle_ had seiz’d upon a _Bat_, and the _Bat_ begg’d for Life. No, No, says the _Weazle_, I give No Quarter to Birds. Ay (says the _Bat_) but I’m a Mouse you see; look on my Body else: and so she got off for That Bout. The _same Bat_ had the Fortune to be Taken a While after by _Another Weazle_; and there the Poor _Bat_ was forc’d to beg for Mercy once again. No, says the _Weazle_, No Mercy to a Mouse. Well (says T’other,) but you may see by my Wings that I’m a Bird; and so the _Bat_ scap’d in Both Capacities, by Playing the _Trimmer_.

FAB. XL.

A _Bat_, _Birds_, and _Beasts_.

Upon a Desperate and a Double Battel betwixt the _Birds_ and the _Beasts_, the _Bat_ stood _Neuter_, till she found that the _Beasts_ had the Better on’t, and then went over to the stronger Side. But it came to pass afterward (as the Chance of War is Various) that the _Birds_ Rally’d their Broken Troops, and carry’d the Day; and away she went then to T’other Party, where she was Try’d by a Council of War as a Deserter; Stript, Banish’d, and finally Condemn’d never to see Day-light again.

FAB. XLI.

An _Estriche_, _Birds_, and _Beasts_.

The _Estrich_ is a Creature that passes in Common Reputation, for _Half-Bird, Half-Beast_. This _Amphibious_ Wretch happen’d to be Taken Twice the same Day, in a Battel betwixt the _Birds_ and the _Beasts_, and as an Enemy to Both Parties. The _Birds_ would have him to be a _Beast_, and the _Beasts_ Concluded him to be a _Bird_; but upon shewing his _Feet_ to prove that he was No _Bird_, and upon shewing his _Wings_, and his _Beak_, to prove that he was No _Beast_, they were Satisfy’d upon the Whole Matter, that though he seem’d to be Both, he was yet in Truth neither the One, nor the Other.

The MORAL of the Three FABLES above.

Trimming _in some Cases, is Foul, and Dishonest; in others Laudable, and in some again, not only Honest, but Necessary. The Nicety lies in the skill of Distinguishing upon Cases, Times, and Degrees._

REFLEXION.

We are here taught in some Cases to Yield to Times and Occasions; but with a Saving still, to Honour, and to Conscience. A Wise and an Honest Man will always mean the same Thing; but he’s a Fool that always says the same thing. _Æsop_ however Condemns the Double Practices of _Trimmers_, and All False, Shuffling, and Ambidextrous Dealings. He gives also to understand, that Those that pretend at the same time to serve Two Masters, are True to Neither.

The Three Fables next above have a Great Affinity One with Another, and yet not without some Remarkable Diversities neither. From the Emblem of the _Bat_ and _Weazle_, we are to Gather, that there are Certain Ways, Cases, and Occasions, wherein, Disguises, and Artificial Evasions are in some Measure Allowable, provided only that there be No Scandalous, or Malicious Departure from the Truth. This Shifting of the _Bat_ in the Paw of the _Weazle_, was but making the Best of what he had to say, and to shew for Himself, toward the saving of his Life. There was No Breach of Faith, or of Trust in’t; No Abandoning of a Duty, No Thought of Treachery; Nor in Effect, any thing more in’t, then a Fair Christian Way of putting out False Colours.

The _Bat_ that stood _Neuter_, may serve for the Character of a _Time-serving Trimmer_: He Betrays his Party, first in withdrawing his Assistance. Secondly, In going over to the Stronger Side, and Declaring Himself an Open Enemy when his Fellows had the Worst on’t. His Judgment, in fine, was Just, and if All Double Dealers and Deserters were serv’d as This _Bat_ was, it would be an Example of Terrour to Renegades, and of Encouragement to Honest men.