Chapter V: Usurers and Curryers., 392 (16)

In Old Time, when _Jupiter_ was in the Humour of Granting Petitions, a _Cockle_ made it his Request, that his House and his Body might be All of a Piece. _Jupiter_ made him Answer, that it would be a Burden to him instead of a Favour. Yes, says the _Cockle_, but it will be such a Burden as I had rather Bear, then lie Expos’d to Ill Neighbours.

The MORAL.

_Impertinent Visits are the Plague of a Sober Man’s Life, and therefore ’tis a Happy thing when a Body may be at Home, or Not at Home, as he Pleases._

REFLEXION.

Good, or Bad Company, is either the Greatest Blessing, or the Greatest Plague of Humane Life; and therefore the _Cockle_’s was a very Reasonable, and a Pertinent Request. There’s no Liberty like the Freedom of being Publique or Private as a Body pleases; And having it at my own Choice, whether I will live to the World, or to myself.

FAB. CCCXXIII.

A _Bitch_ ready to _Puppy_.

A _Big-Belly’d Bitch_ borrowed _Another Bitch_’s Kennel to lay her Burden in. The Proprietess, after some time, Demanded Possession again, but the Other begg’d her Excuse and Patience, only till her Whelps might be able to shift for themselves. This was Agreed upon for so many Days longer: But the Time being Expir’d, the _Bitch_ that was _Out_, grew More and More Pressing for her _Own_ again. Why then, says the Other, if you can force me and My Puppies Out of the Kennel, You shall have Free Liberty to come In.

FAB. CCCXXIV.

A _Hedge-Hog_ and a _Snake_.

A _Snake_ was prevail’d upon in a Cold Winter, to take a _Hedge-Hog_ into his Cell; but when he was Once in, the Place was so Narrow, that the Prickles of the _Hedge-Hog_ were very Troublesome to his Companion: so that the _Snake_ told him, he must needs Provide for Himself somewhere else, for the Hole was not Big enough to Hold them Both. Why then, says the _Hedge-Hog_, He that cannot _Stay_ shall do Well to _Go_: But for my Own Part, I am e’en Content where I am, and if You be not so too, Y’re Free to Remove.

The MORAL of the Two FABLES above.

_Possession is Eleven Points of the Law._

REFLEXION.

Every Man is to provide against Fraud and Treachery, where the Person he deals with may be the Better for’t. _Fore-warn’d, Fore-arm’d._ ’Tis not Safe to Joyn Interests with Strangers, upon such Terms, as to lay our selves at Mercy. In All Offices of Christian Charity, and of Prudent Conversation, People should have a Strict Regard to the Humour and Character of the Persons they deal withal; to the Degrees and Measures of Things; and to the Consequences upon the Whole Matter, in case of the Worst. It is not Every Man’s Talent to distinguish aright upon All the Necessities of Affairs of This Nature. That is to say, how far our Prudence, may Warrant our Charity, and how far our Charity may Comport with our Prudence. ’Tis dangerous on the One hand to pass the Rules of Discretion; and it is Inhumane on the Other, not to Acquit our selves in All the Functions of Tenderness, and Good Nature; for Piety and Wisdom are Both Wrapt up in the Question. The very same Good Office may be a Vertue toward One Man, and a Folly toward Another. One may Justifie the running of a Risque, in Favour of a Man of Integrity and Good Fame: But where there is an Habitual Ingratitude on the One side, and a Considerable Hazzard on the Other, there’s No Trusting. I shall not need to Enlarge upon This Topique, in a World that makes Good the Allegory by so many Instances of Daily Practice and Conversation. How many Fresh Examples may we find in our Own Memory, of Men that after All the Obligations Imaginable, and in Contradiction to all the Tyes of Honour, Justice, and Hospitality have serv’d their Masters, Patrons, and Benefactors, as the _Hedge-Hog_ serv’d the _Snake_ here!

FAB. CCCXXV.

A _Fox_ and a _Hare_.

A _Fox_ and a _Hare_ were in a Warm Contest once, which of the Two could make the Best Shift in the World. When I am Pursu’d, says the _Hare_, I can shew the Dogs a Fair Pair of Heels, and run away from ’em at pleasure: And yet for All That, says the _Fox_, I have Baffled more of ’em with my Wiles and Shifts, then ever You did with your Footmanship.

The MORAL.

_Wisdom is as much beyond Force, as Men are beyond Brutes._

REFLEXION.

A Good Bodily Strength and Disposition is a Felicity of Nature, but nothing Comparable yet to the Advantages of a Large Understanding, and a Ready Presence of Mind. Wisdom does more than Force; but they do best together, for a sound Mind in a sound Body is the Perfection of Humane Bliss. A _Fox_, ’tis true, may be some time Out-witted, and a _Hare_ Out-stript; but This does not hinder yet the Excellency of One Faculty above the Other.

FAB. CCCXXVI.

An _Old Man_ resolv’d to give over _Whoring_.

There was an _Old Tost_, that in the very State of Impotence had still a _Whore_ in the _Head_ of him. His Ghostly Father took Notice of it, and Ply’d him Hard with Wholesome Advice, upon the Subject of the Lusts of the Flesh. This Reverend Fornicator thank’d him most Heartily for his Kind and Christian Councel, and by the Grace of Heaven, says he, I’ll Follow it; For to tell ye the Plain Truth on’t, I am told that ’tis Naught for me; and really, my Body is quite out of Tune for Those Gambols.

The MORAL.

_When Things are at the Worst they’ll Mend._

REFLEXION.

More Men Reclaim out of Shame, Fear, and Pure Necessity, then for the Love of Honour, or Virtue. They that are Honest upon these Terms would be Arrant Knaves if the Tables were Turn’d. They go along with the Devil, while there’s either Pleasure, or Profit to be had on That side; but when they come once to lose the Tast of the One, and the Means of the Other, they are presently Register’d in the _Calender of New Converts_. The Countenance of this Fable looks a little betwixt _Jest and Earnest_; but This Mixture of Appearance does not hinder it from being a most Edifying Satyr upon the Corruptions, and False Semblances of Humane Life. Lord! How Sober, and Temperate do People grow, when they can Drink and Whore no longer!

FAB. CCCXXVII.

An _Impertinent_ and a _Philosopher_.

A Certain _Pragmatical, Senceless Companion_ would make a Visit to a _Philosopher_. He found him Alone in his Study, and fell a Wond’ring how he could Endure to Lead so Solitary a Life. The Learned Man told him; Sir, says he, You are Exceedingly Mistaken; for I was in very Good Company till You came in.

The MORAL.

_Good Thoughts and Good Books are very Good Company._

REFLEXION.

A Wise Book is much better then a Foolish Companion; and the Dead, in such a case, are much better then the Living. It is one of the most vexatious Mortifications perhaps, of a Sober, and Studious Man’s Life, to have his Thoughts Disorder’d, and the very Chain of his Reason Discompos’d, by the Importunity of a Tedious, and an Impertinent Visit; Especially, if it be from a Fool of Quality, where the very Figure of the Man Entitles him to All Returns of Good Manners and Respect. And the Affliction is yet more Grievous, where that Prerogative of Quality, is further Back’d and Corroborated, with a Real Kindness and Good Will: For a Man must be Inhumane and Ungrateful, as well as Rude, if he does but so much as Offer, at the Easing, or the Relieving of Himself. The Drift of This Fable at last, is to tell us, that _Good Books_ and Good Thoughts are the _Best Company_, and that they are Mistaken that think a Wise Man can ever be Alone. It prepares us also to Expect Interruptions, and Disappointments, and to Provide for ’em; but withal, to take the Best Care we can to Prevent the Plague of Ill Company, by avoiding the Occasions of it. The Linking of a Man of Brains and Honesty into a Lewd Insipid Conversation, is Effectually but the Moral of That Tyrant, that Bound the Living, and the Dead together, and yet This is it which the Impertinent takes for the Relief of Solitude, and the Blessing of That which he calls Company.

FAB. CCCXXVIII.

A _Wolfe_ in a _Sheeps-Skin_.

There goes a Story of a _Wolfe_, that Wrapt himself up in a _Sheeps-skin_, and Worry’d Lambs for a Good while under That Disguise; but the _Shepherd_ Met with him at last, and Truss’d him up, _Sheeps-skin and all_, upon an Eminent Gibbet, for a Spectacle, and an Example. The Neighbours made a Wonderment at it, and Ask’d him what he meant to Hang up his _Sheep_? Oh, says he, That’s only the _Skin_ of a Sheep, that was made use of to Cover the Heart, Malice, and Body of a _Wolfe_ that Shrouded himself under it.

The MORAL.

_Hypocrisie is only the Devil’s Stalking Horse, under an Affectation of Simplicity and Religion. People are not to be Judg’d by their Looks, Habits, and Appearances; but by the Character of their Lives and Conversations, and by their Works._

REFLEXION.

This Fable is Moraliz’d in the Holy Gospel it self. ’Tis with all Men that are Notoriously Wicked, of what Degree or State, or in what point of Iniquity soever, much after the Rate of the _Wolfe_ in This Fiction. Tyranny Marches under the Masque of Care, Piety, and Protection. Injustice sets up the Rigorous Letter of the Law to Weigh against the Improbity of the Witness: The Pawn-Broker pretends Charity, and the Oppressor Flays the Widow and the Orphan: And at the same Time, Preaches Mercy and Compassion, with the very same Breath. Treachery Covers it self under a Cloak of Kindness and Friendship; and Nothing more Frequent then _Wolves_ in _Lambs-skins_, even in the most Solemn Offices of Church and State. This Fable Extends to All the Lewd Practices of _Hypocrites_ and _Impostors_, under the Colour of Pious, and Charitable Works and Duties. Now if All our _Moral Wolves_ in _Sheeps-Cloathing_, were but Serv’d as This _Hypocritical Wolfe_ was in the _Fiction_, and Hung-up Indeed, with their Crimes in Capital Letters on their Foreheads, Common Truth and Honesty among Men would be more Sacred.

FAB. CCCXXIX.

An _Incorrigible Son_.

It was the Hard Lot of a very Good Man to have a Vicious Young Fellow to his _Son_; and he did what he could to Reclaim him: But Sir (says he) for Brevity’s sake, ’tis only so much Time and Councel thrown away; for all the Parsons about the Town have been Baiting me I know not how long now, upon the same Subject, and I’m not One Jot the Better for’t.

The MORAL.

_Some Men Live as if they had made a Covenant with Hell; Let Divines, Fathers, Friends say what they will, they Stop their Ears against them: And Good Councel is wholly Cast away upon them._

REFLEXION.

This Fable would go a Great way if it were wrought up to the Heighth. As for the Purpose; to all Manner of Graceless and Hopeless Characters. Some People are lost for want of Good Advice; Others for want of giving Good Heed to’t; And some again take up Resolutions beforehand never to Mend. Nay there are those that value themselves upon the very Contempt of All that is Sacred and Honest, and make it a Point of Bravery to Bid Defiance to the Oracles of Divine Revelation, the Motions of Reasonable Nature, and the Laws of Government. This Contradiction of the Duty of a Sober Man is yet farther Heightned, by the Disobedience of a Son to a Parent: and farther yet, by a Spiteful Opposition to All the Precepts of Morality and Religion. There’s somewhat of a _Droll-Mixture_ in This _Bantering_ way of _Liberty_, to make a body Laugh where he should Cry: But ’tis past a Sporting Matter, when the most Necessary Duties of Christianity come to be the Question. There’s no Room for Trifling in Those Cases.

FAB. CCCXXX.

A _Sheep-Biter_ Hang’d.

A Certain _Shepherd_ had One _Favourite-Dog_, that he had a Particular Confidence in above all the rest. He fed him with his Own hand, and took more Care of him, in short, then of any of his Fellows. This Kindness went on a Long Time, till in Conclusion, upon the Missing of some Sheep, he fancy’d This Cur to be False to him: After This Jealousy, he kept a Strict Eye upon him, and in fine, found it out, that This Trusty Servant of his was the Felon. Upon the Discovery, he had him presently taken up, and bad him prepare for Execution. Alas! Master, says the _Dog_, I am One of your Family, and ’twould be hard to put a Domestique to Extremities: Turn your Displeasure upon the _Wolves_ rather, that make a Daily Practice on’t to Worry your Sheep. No, no, says the Shepherd, I’d sooner Spare _Forty Wolves_ that make it their _Profession_ to Kill Sheep, then One _Sheep-biting Cur_ that’s _Trusted_ with the _Care_ of them. There’s somewhat of Frankness and Generosity in the One; but the Other is the Basest of Treacheries.

The MORAL.

_No Perfidy like Breach of Faith and Trust, under the Seal of Friendship: For an Adversary under that Masque, is much more Unpardonable then a Bare-fac’d Enemy._

REFLEXION.

There are _Political Sheep-biters_ as well as _Pastoral_; _Betrayers of Publick Trusts_, as well as of _Private_; And _Humane Curs_ that are as _Wolvish_ as the _Other_. This Maxim however, holds in All Cases; that Breach of Faith and Trust, is the most Odious, Inhospitable and Inhumane, of Civil, as well as of Moral Offences. A special Confidence in One more then in Another, though from a King to a Subject, or from a Master to a Servant, has some Analogy in’t of Friendship, but the Matter should be thoroughly Weigh’d and Examin’d, before we put it to the Utmost Tryal and Test. A Man may be too Hard or too Easy; too Advent’rous or too Wary, in passing a Judgment upon the Character of the Person: But above all things it will concern us perfectly to Understand the Honour, the Practice, and the Conversation of the Man we Propose for a Friend, before we lay any Stress upon his Faith; Not but that we may believe Well of a Man, and yet not think fit to Trust him: So that a Charity on the One hand does not Authorize a Confidence on the Other; It is not Amiss however, to lay Baits for a Man in such a Case, and to try him on the Blind-side. As if a Man be Covetous; Profit or Bribes may put him to the Test: and so Answerably in Other Cases. Powerful Temptations Artificially Dispos’d, are the Best Essay, and Assurance of a Man’s Faith and Honesty that the Matter will bear. This _Dog_ here would perhaps have _Fought_ for his Master in any Other Case, though he _Betray’d_ him in This: But the Love of Mutton was his Weak-side: Which in some sort Answers to That which we call _Peccatum in Deliciis_ in Mankind. This Infirmity however did not Excuse the Treachery, and the Kinder the Master, the more Unpardonable is the Traytor.

FAB. CCCXXXI.

A _Bull_ and a _Ram_.

There was One _Master-Ram_ that Beat All his Fellows out of the Field, and was so Puff’d up with the Glory of his Exploits, that Nothing would serve him but he must Challenge a _Bull_ to the Combat. They Met, and upon the First Encounter, there lay the _Ram_ for _Dead_; but coming to himself again; Well (says he) This is the Fruit of my Insolence, and Folly, in Provoking an Enemy, that Nature has made my Superior.

The MORAL.

_Where People will be Provoking and Challenging their Superiors, either in Strength, or Power, ’tis not so much a Bravery of Spirit, as a Rude and Brutal Rashness; and they pay Dear for’t at last._

REFLEXION.

’Tis not Courage, but Temerity, for Men to Venture their Lives, Reputations, and Fortunes upon Unequal Encounters; Unless where they are Oblig’d by an Over-ruling Impulse of Honour, Conscience, and Duty, to stand All Hazards. That which the World Accounts Brave, is in Truth, no Better then Brutal, where there is not Reason, Justice, and Prudence to Direct and Govern it. ’Tis One thing for a Man to be Firm, and Fearless, against Honest Dangers, let them appear never so Terrible, when his Honour for that Purpose; his Country, or his Conscience, calls upon him to Encounter them: But to run his Head against Stone Walls, or to put his Shoulders to a Sear-Breach, to Attempt insuperable Difficulties, and Needlessly to Provoke Invincible Enemies, purely out of a Vain Opinion of his Own Strength; This would be just the Moral of the _Ram_ here in the Fable.

FAB. CCCXXXII.

A _Widow_ and a Green _Ass_.

There was a _Widow_ that had a Twittering toward a second Husband, and she took a Gossipping Companion of hers to her Assistance, how to Manage the Job. The Truth of it is, says she, I have a Dear Mind to Another Bedfellow; but the Devilish People would keep such a Snearing, and Pointing at me, they’d make me e’en Weary of my Life. You are a _Fine Widow, i’ Faith_, says T’other, to Trouble your Head for the Talk of the People. Pray will ye Mind what I say to ye now. You have an _Ass_ here in your Grounds; go your ways and get That _Ass_ Painted _Green_, and then let him be carry’d up and down the Country for a Show. Do this, I say, without any more Words, for talk does but _Burn Day-Light_. The Thing was done accordingly; and for the first Four or Five Days, the _Green Ass_ had the Whole Country at his Heels; Man, Woman, and Child, Staring and Hooting after him. In Four or Five Days More, the Humour was quite Spent, and the _Ass_ might Travel from Morning to Night, and not One Creature to take Notice of him. Now (says the friendly Adviser) _A New-Marry’d Widow_ is a kind of a _Green Ass_: Every bodies Mouth will be Full on’t for the first four or five Days, and in four or five More, the Story will e’en Talk it self Asleep.

The MORAL.

_Common Fame is as False and Impudent as a Common Strumpet. Let Every Man live to his Conscience, and never Trouble his Head with the Talk of the People._

REFLEXION.

There is no Mystery in telling us that a _Widow_ may be Prevail’d upon to Think of a _Second Husband_; but the Weight of this Emblem lies upon Those Cases where there Occur a Thousand Scruples, and Difficulties, that may startle People at first, and yet in the Conclusion, prove but a _Nine Days Wonder_. The Foolery of the _Widow_ and the _Green Ass_, shews pleasantly enough, how easy a Matter it is for a Bold Face, a Good Assurance, and a Reasonable Stock of Wit and Address, to put Common Fame it self out of Countenance; and it is a Part of Prudence beside, not to sink under the Impression of an Ill Report: Provided there be Integrity and Innocence to Support That Firmness of Mind. A Wise Man will not make his Happiness Precarious: He looks to his Conscience, and leaves the World to take its Course. ’Tis the Novelty, not the Quality of Things, that sets People a Gaping and a Gazing at them: But when they come once to be Familiar, the Wonder goes off, and Men return to their Wits again. The Main Consideration is This, whether the Matter in Question be Good or Evil; honourable or Dishonourable; Not according to a Vulgar Estimate, but in the Genuine Truth, and Nature of it. ’Tis Foolish either to Fear, or to Mind what the People say of a Man, in Cases where he stands or falls to his Own Conscience.

FAB. CCCXXXIII.

An _Eagle_ and _Rabbets_.

There was an _Eagle_ that drew a Nest of _Rabbets_, and carry’d them away to her Young. The _Mother-Cony_ follow’d her with Tears in her Eyes, Adjuring her in the Name of All those Powers that take care of the Innocent and Oppressed, to have Compassion upon her Miserable Children: But she, in an Outrage of Pride and Indignation, Tears them presently to pieces. The _Cony_, upon This, Convenes a Whole _Warren_; Tells her Story, and Advises upon a Revenge: For _Divine Justice_ (says she) _will never suffer so Barbarous a Cruelty to scape Unpunish’d_. They Debated the Matter, and came to an Unanimous _Resolve upon the Question_, that there was no Way of paying the _Eagle_ in her Kind, but by Undermining the Tree where she Timber’d. So they all fell to Work at the Roots of the Tree, and left it so little _Foot hold_, that the first Blast of Wind laid it Flat upon the Ground, _Nest, Eagles and all_. Some of ’em were Kill’d with the Fall; Others were Eaten up by Birds and Beasts of Prey, and the _Cony_ had the Comfort at last, of Destroying the _Eagle_’s Children, in Revenge for her Own.

The MORAL.

_’Tis Highly Imprudent, even in the Greatest of Men, Unnecessarily to Provoke the Meanest, when the Pride of_ Pharaoh _Himself was brought down by Miserable Frogs and Lice_.

REFLEXION.

There’s Nothing so Little as to be Wholly Despis’d; for the most Inconsiderable of Creatures may at Some time or Other, by some Means or Other, come to Revenge it self upon the Greatest; Not by it’s Own Force so much, as by the Working of Divine Justice, that will not suffer Oppression to pass Unpunish’d. In cases of Powerful Injustice, the Greatest are not to Presume, nor the Meanest to Despair.

We are to Distinguish upon This Fable, what the _Eagle_ did as a _Tyrant_, and what she did as _a Bird of Prey_. And likewise betwixt a Passion which is purely Vindictive, and Those Counsels where Divine Justice Interposes toward the Avenging of the Innocent. Here is Power Triumphing over Weakness; a Criminal Cruelty over Helpless Innocence, and That Cruelty Inexorable too, and Deaf to the Tears, Supplications, and Importunities of a Tender Mother, on the Behalf of her Children. Now for the Humbling of This Unmerciful Pride in the _Eagle_, Providence has found out a Way, even by the most Despicable of Means and Creatures, to the Wreaking of a Revenge; which shews likewise that Heaven takes the Cause of the Weak and the Guiltless into a particular Care.

This Counsel of the Rabbets has somewhat in it of the Debate of Popular Meetings, where the Number and the Agreement Supplies the Want of Other Means: And we are taught from hence too, that States are not so much in Danger of Open Force, as of Secret Mines: For when the Foundation is once Loosen’d; The Least Breath of a Commotion lays the Whole Building in Rubbish. We are taught also, that the Only, or at least the Main Support of Power is Justice, in the Due Distribution of Reward and Punishment. Where These Two Principles are Perverted, the Government is off the Ballance, and the Worse Part of it Out Weighs the Other. But the Judgments of Heaven supply the Defects of Common Justice, and Avenge the Cause of the Poor and Innocent upon the Heads of the Mighty. Vengeance, in fine, Treads upon the Heel of Oppression, according to the Doctrine of This Fable of the _Eagle_ and the _Rabbets_ here.

FAB. CCCXXXIV.

A _Pike_ sets up for _Sovereignty_.

There was a _Master-Pike_, that for his Bulk, Beauty and Strength, was look’d upon to be the Prince of the River, but the Sovereignty of the _Fresh Water_ would not Content him, it seems, unless he might Engross to himself the Empire of the _Sea_ too. Upon this Ambitious Design, he Launch’d out into the _Ocean_, and put up his Claim to’t; But a Prodigious _Dolphin_ took This Encroachment upon his Right in such Dudgeon, that he set upon the _Pike_; Gave him Chace, and Pursu’d him to the Borders of his own Stream, Insomuch that the _Pike_ had enough to do to Save Himself; and from that Time forward, he had the Wit to keep within the Compass of his Own Dominions.

The MORAL.

_Ambition has no other Bounds then what Providence has Prescrib’d to it, for the Good of Mankind._ Here shall thy Proud Waves Stay: _And there must be No Passing Those Limits_.

REFLEXION.

Providence has Assign’d Every Man his Post and Station, and He that either Relinquishes his Own Natural Right, or Invades Anothers, seldom fails of a Disappointment in the Conclusion. Or however, in case of the most Successful Injustice, Oppression, and Usurpation, there follows a Restless Anxiety in the keeping of what is Injuriously Gotten; an Insatiable Thirst after More and More still, and Nothing but Shame and Confusion in the End, when he comes to Cast up Profit and Loss at the Foot of the Reck’ning. This Ambitious _Pike_ is but the Figure of some Petty Prince, that sets himself up to be Troublesome, and to give Laws to a more Powerful Neighbour. The _Dolphin_ Represents such a _Power_ that’s more then’s _Match_, and Beats him _Home again_. The Case of the _Fishes_ in the _Fable_, is much the same with that of _Kings_ and _States_ in _Common Practice_. And to carry the _Allegory_ yet further; As the _Ocean_, on the One hand, so the Whole _World_, on the Other, is made the Field of Battel. Now All This in the Moral, serves only to bid us Moderate our Desires; Keep our Affections within Bounds, and Live contented with our Lot.

FAB. CCCXXXV.

A _Sheep_ picks a _Quarrel_ with a _Shepherd_.

A _Sheep_ that was to be shorn, took it very Ill of the _Shepherd_ that he should not satisfie himself with the Milk she gave him, without stripping her of her Wool too. The _Shepherd_, upon This, without any more Words, took one of her _Lambs_ in a Rage, and put it to _Death_. Well, says the _Sheep_, and now y’ave done your Worst I hope: No, says the _Shepherd_, when That’s done, I can Cut your _Throat_ too, if I have a Mind to’t, and throw ye to the _Dogs_, or to the Wolves at pleasure. The _Sheep_ said not One Word more, for fear of a Worse Mischief to come.

The MORAL.

_When People will not Submit to Reason by Fair Means, they must be brought to’t by Foul._

REFLEXION.

He that is not Master of Himself, or in his Own Power, has no Other Game to play then to submit himself Contentedly to the Will of Another. Struggling is so far from setting him at Liberty, that it only ties the Knot the Harder. There must be no Muttering at Heaven for the Loss of Fortune, Children, or whatever else can be Dear to us; for there are Greater Afflictions in store for those that shall dare to Prescribe Rules and Measures to the Divine Providence. Wherefore we should All set our Hearts at rest, upon these Two Considerations: _First_, That whatsoever comes from above, is for the Best: And _Secondly_, That there’s No Contending with it. The _Pot_ must not chop Logick, and Expostulate with the _Potter_: And so for a _Sheep_ to tell the _Shepherd_ when he has Kill’d her Lamb, that _now he has done his Worst_; ’tis such Another kind of Defiance, as that of _Jobe’s Wife_ was, when she bad her Husband _Curse God and Die_. We are not the Carvers of our Own Fortunes, and This way of Proceeding is an Affront to all the Dictates, Lights, and Duties of Religion, Nature and Reason.

FAB. CCCXXXVI.

A _Creaking Wheel_.

A Waggoner took Notice upon the _Creaking_ of a _Wheel_, that it was the _Worst Wheel_ of the Four, that made the most Noise, and was wond’ring at the Reason of it. Oh, says the _Waggon_, They that are Sickly are ever the most Piping and Troublesome.

The MORAL.

_’Tis with Creaking Wheels as ’tis with Courtiers, Physicians, Lawyers (and with whom not?) They want Greazing._

REFLEXION.

When People are Crazy, and in Disorder, ’tis but Natural for them to Groan, and to Complain. This is a Far-Fetched Allusion, but it must serve for want of a Better. The Uneasiness of a sickly Habit of Body, is some sort of Excuse for being Troublesome and Importune.

FAB. CCCXXXVII.

A _Man_ had a Mind to try his _Friends_.

There was a Generous Rich Man that kept a Splendid and an Open Table, and Consequently never Wanted Guests. This Person found All People came to him Promiscuously, and a Curiosity took him in the Head to try, which of ’em were _Friends_, and which only _Trencher-Flies_ and _Spungers_. So he took an Occasion One Day at a Full Table, to tell them of a Quarrel he had, and that he was just then a going to Demand Satisfaction. There must be so many to so many, and he made no doubt, but they’d stand by him with their Swords in their Hands. They All Excus’d themselves save only Two; which Two he reckon’d upon as his _Friends_, and All the Rest no better then _Hangers-on_.

The MORAL.

_We may Talk of Many Friends; but not One Man of a Thousand will Stand the Test._

REFLEXION.

There’s No Tryal of a True Friend but in Cases of Difficulty; as Loss, Trouble, or Danger; for that’s the Time of Distinguishing what a Man does for My sake, and what for his Own.

It is an Unhappy Thing that Princes and Great Men, who seem to have the least need of Friends, should in truth have the Greatest, and yet at the same time the Greatest Difficulty of Knowing them too, for want of Occasions to put them to the Tryal. There is no Proof of Friendship like Frequent Experiment. Now Princes are above the want of Those Common Offices that pass for Friendship betwixt Man and Man, as in Matter of Money, Liberty, Protection, and the like. People do not Flock to Court so much for their Masters Service, as for the making of their Own Fortunes. How shall any Man distinguish now betwixt a Parasite, and a Man of Honour; where they are All on the Receiving Hand, and where Hypocrisie, and Interest looks so like Duty and Affection? He that well Considers the Practise of the World will find the Fiction of the Rich Man in This Fable to be in some Proportion the Common case of Mankind. An Undistinguishable Facility shall never fail of Meeting with an Undistinguishable Infidelity; which is no Other then a Just Judgment upon an Inconsiderate Bounty. ’Tis the Benefactors Fate in fine, to be either Deserted or Betray’d by those that he has fed, and with _Acteon_, to be Worry’d by _his Own Curs_. He that keeps an Open House for All Comers, should do well to Consider, that there are _Oglios_ of _Guests_ as well as of _Dishes_, and that the Liberty of a Common Table is as Good as a Tacit Invitation to All sorts of Intruders; as _Buffons_, _Spies_, _Tale-Bearers_, _Flatterers_, _Epicures_, _Indigents_, &c. Now These are All but so many Flies that Come and Go with the Meat. And whereas the _Mythologist_ lays the Stress upon This Point, That the Master of the House could find but _Two Friends_ in such a Crowd of People; ’tis my Admiration on the Other hand rather, that he should find so _Many_, in the Licence of a Conversation that was made so Scandalous by the Company.

FAB. CCCXXXVIII.

A _Fox_ Praising _Hares Flesh_.

As a _Dog_ was Pressing hard upon the very Breech of a _Fox_, Up starts a _Hare_. Pray hold a Little, says the _Fox_, and take That _Hare_ there while she is to be had: You never Tasted such a Morsel since you were Born; But I am all over Tainted and Rotten, and a Mouthful of My Flesh would be enough to Poyson ye. The _Dog_ immediately left the _Fox_; and took a Course at the _Hare_; but she was too Nimble for him, it seems, and when he saw he could not Catch her, he very Discreetly let her go. The _Hare_ had heard what pass’d; and Meeting the _Fox_ Two or Three Days after, she told him how Basely he had serv’d her. Nay, says the _Fox_, if you take it so Heavily that I spoke so well of ye, what would you have done if I had spoken Ill?

The MORAL.

_A Designing Back-Friend is the Worst of Enemies._

REFLEXION.

There are some sorts of Commendation; and some Cases and Seasons of Applying it, that are more Malicious, and Mischievous, then the Worst of Calamities. Here’s a _Fox_ at a Pinch; and what’s his Bus’ness now, but to Stop the Dog’s Mouth with a Piece of _Hare_’s _Flesh_, for the Saving of his Own Skin! A _Puss_, says he, is much Better Meat then a _Fox_, and This Good Office over the Left Shoulder, is the Civility that he Values himself upon. He gives her his Good Word, (as we call it) to the very End, that she may be Eaten. How many Thousands of These _Foxes Complements_ do we meet with in Our Dayly Practice and Conversation. But a Crafty Knave is never without somewhat or Other to say for Himself, and a Bad Excuse is Better then None. The _Fox_’s Civility, in fine, was _Roguery_ all over; and his Praising the _Hares-Flesh_ to the _Dog_, was Effectually no more then _a Letter of Recommendation to the Common Hang-man_.

FAB. CCCXXXIX.

A Plain _Horse_ Wins the _Prize_.

There were a Great many Brave, Sightly _Horses_ with Rich Trappings that were brought out One Day to the Course, and Only _One Plain Nag_ in the Company that made sport for All the rest. But when they came at last to Tryal, _This_ was the _Horse_ that ran the Whole Field out of Distance, and Won the Race.

The MORAL.

_Our Senses are No Competent Judges of the Excellencies of the Mind._

REFLEXION.

He that Judges by the Outside, and Pronounces upon the Bare Appearance of Things, runs a great many Mistakes in One; for there’s Temerity, Folly, Pride, and Ill Nature in’t; Especially where the Censure is accompany’d with Mockery and Scorn. ’Tis Inhumane, at the Best, to make Sport with one Another’s Infirmities; which in Honour, and Christianity, we are bound to Cover. But it is Pleasant enough then, if People will be putting themselves upon a Trial of Skill, to see a Bantering Pretender made an Ass by the very Man that He Himself has mark’d out for a Coxcomb: Which is no other, in Plain _English_, then a Fair Appeal to the Company, which is the Arranter Fool of the Two. In One Word, there’s Nothing lays a Man more Open, then Laughing, out of Measure, and out of Season. To Instance in a Cavalier of my Acquaintance that was up to the Ears in Love with a very Fine Lady, that wanted neither Air, Shape, Dress, Quality, nor any Other of Those Charming Circumstances to Recommend her to any Honest Man to Play the Fool withal. He had his Mistress to a Comedy once, where she was wonderfully pleas’d, but had the Ill Hap to _Laugh_ still in the _Wrong Place_: The Poor Man Observ’d it, and his Fancy fell so Sick upon’t, that the Fit went off immediately, and he was his own Man for ever after. This comes of Judging by the Eye, without Consulting the Reason of the Matter; and of setting our Hearts upon the Shape, Colour, and External Beauty of Things, without any Regard to the Internal Excellence and Virtue of them. The _Plain Nag_ here was like to have been Laugh’d out of the Field, as well as out of Countenance, till he came upon the Tryal to Prove Those to be _Jades Themselves_ that made _Sport_ with him.

FAB. CCCXL.

A _Countryman_ and a _Kid_.

A _Country-man_ that was Hamper’d in a _Law-Suit_, had a near Friend and Kinsman, it seems, that was a _Lawyer_, and to Him he went again and again, for Advice upon the Point; but he was still so Busie, and Busie, that he must come Another Time. The Poor Fellow took a Delicate Fat _Kid_ with him, Next Bout, and the Lawyers Clark, upon hearing the Voice of it at the Door; let the Man in, and carry’d him to his Master, where he laid Open his Case, Took his Opinion; made Two Legs, One to the _Counsel_ for _Receiving_ of him; T’other to the _Kid_ for _Introducing_ him, and so went his Way.

The MORAL.

_Money is a_ Passe-par-Tout.

REFLEXION.

’Tis with _Money_ as ’tis with _Majesty_; All Other Powers and Authorities Cease while That’s in Place. _’Tis That which makes the Pot Boyl_ (as the Proverb says) _though the Devil Piss in the Fire_. Fathers, Mothers, Brothers, Sisters, Relations, Friendships, are but Empty Names of Things, and _Words Butter No Parsnips_. ’Tis Interest that Governs the World; and the Rulers of it; Ecclesiastical, as well as Civil; for it Works in All Decrees and Qualities of Men; and we have learnt by Experience, that the _Pulpit_ may be made to have a Feeling in the Case as well as the Bar. _Money_, in fine, is an Universal _Pasport_, and All Doors Fly Open to’t. It Answers All Objections, Resolves All Scruples, and turns up what Religion _Trump_ it pleases. In One Word, _Quid Dabitis & Tradam?_ may be the Motto of Corrupt Nature. This Fable was Excellently well Moraliz’d by a Famous Councel of our Times. One gave him a Fee of Forty Broad Pieces: He took ’em, and Counted ’em (as _a Man may Count Money after his Father_ they say) Well, says he, Here are _Forty Pieces_, _Pugnabo_ FORTITER. Make them _Ten more_, and _Pugnabo_ FIFTITER. _In forma Pauperis_ is no good Lawyers Latin. Kindred are no Wellcome Clients, where the Nearness of the Relation gives them a kind of Title to have Advice _Gratis_, but where the _Cousin_ cannot Prevail, the _Kid_ must.

FAB. CCCXLI.

A _Weak Young Man_ and a _Wolfe_.

A _Creeping Young Fellow_ that had Committed Matrimony with a Brisk Gamesome Lass, was so Alter’d upon’t in a few Days, that he was liker a _Sceleton_ then a _Living Man_. He was Basking himself One time in the Gleam of the Sun, and some Huntsmen pass’d by him upon the Chase of a _Wolfe_ that led ’em That Way. Why how comes it (says he) that you don’t Catch That _Wolfe_? They told him that he was too Nimble for ’em. Well (says he) If My Wife had the Ordering of him, she’d Spoil his Footmanship.

The MORAL.

_Marriage they say breeds Cares and Cuckolds._

REFLEXION.

Flesh and Bloud is but Flesh and Bloud; and the Indulging of Inordinate Appetites is the Ruine of Body, Soul, and Estate. This Fellow should have Consulted the Circumstances of his Constitution, before he made that Desperate Leap; for when a Man is Plung’d into an Irrevocable State of Misery, he has but a Cold bus’ness on’t to Comfort himself with a Jest. And ’twas but a Measuring Cast at Last neither, whether he meant his Wife should have to do with the _Wolfe_, in _One_ Sense, or the _Wolfe_ with his _Wife_ in _Another_.

FAB. CCCXLII.

A _Lad Robbing_ an _Orchard_.

An Old Fellow took a _Boy_ Robbing his _Orchard_. Sirrah, (says he) come down the Tree, and don’t Steal my Apples. The _Lad_ never Minded him, but went on with his Work. Well (says the Master of the Ground) they say there are Charms in Herbs, as well as in Words, and so he threw a Handful of Grass at him, which was so Ridiculous, that the Young Thief took the Old Man to be Mop’d. But in Conclusion, if Neither Words, nor Herbs will do, says he, I’ll try what may be done with Stones; for they say there’s Vertue in Them too; And that Way he did his Work.

The MORAL.

_Those that will not be Reclaim’d by Instruction, must be brought to a Sense of their Duty by Feeling._

REFLEXION.

A Wise Man, in all Controversies, will try what may be done by Fair Means, before he comes to Foul: and where the One fails, the Other will Certainly do the Work. The Fear of Hell does a great deal towards the Keeping of us in our Way to Heaven; and if it were not for the Penalty, the Laws neither of God, nor of Man, would be obey’d, there would have been a Charm in Wood as well as in Stones, if the Little Thief had but been soundly Drubb’d with a Good Honest Cudgel: for where Conscience and Argument will do no Good, Punishment must: But as it is the Surest, so the Good Man here made it the Last Remedy.

FAB. CCCXLIII.

A _Nightingale_ and a _Hawk_.

As a _Nightingale_ was Singing in a Bush, down comes a Rascally Kite of a _Sparrow-Hawk_, and Whips her off the Bough: The Poor Wretch Pleaded for her self, that alas! her Little Carcass was not worth the While, and that there were Bigger Birds enough to be found. Well, says the _Hawk_, but am I so Mad d’ye think, as to Part with a Little Bird that I have, for a Great One that I have Not? Why then, says she, I’ll give ye a Delicate Song for my Life: No, no, says the _Hawk_, I want for my Belly, nor for my Ears.

The MORAL.

_A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush._

REFLEXION.

This Fables carries Three Morals. _1st._ That we are not to Part with a Certainty for an Uncertainty. _2dly._ That Men of Appetite are not Mov’d by any Consideration of Virtue. _3dly._ That Things of Use and Necessity, are to be preferr’d before Matters meerly of Delight and Pleasure.

The _Nightingale_ in the Foot of the _Hawk_, is the Case of many an Innocent Creature in the Hands of Justice, when the very Equity of the Law Bends under the Weight of an Over-ruling Rigour. The Belly has no Ears, and so there’s no Charming of it. Arguments against Power, are but Wind, when Reason draws One way, and Appetite, Another. There’s no Moving of any Creature contrary to the Nature of it. _Hang ’em All up_ (says a Pleasant Droll, upon _Venner_’s Rising) _they are not Worth the Begging_. ’Tis a piece of State-Policy sometimes, to let the Poor and the Friendless go to Pot; Nay, and to reckon the Execution of them among the Triumphs of Justice too. There is This further in’t besides; that the Uttermost Severity upon Those that have not where withal to Bid for their Lives, raises the Price of the Market upon Those that Have; and Enhances the Value of the Deliverance, or, in Plain _English_, of the Pardon. The Poor _Nightingale_ had Nothing to give that the _Hawk_ car’d for, and so she Dy’d, in truth, because _she was not Worth the Begging_.

FAB. CCCXLIV.

A _Lyon_ and a _Hog_.

A _Lyon_ that found it Extreme Irksome to Live Alone, gave the Beasts of the Forest to Understand, that he was Resolv’d to make Choice of Some or Other of his Subjects for a _Friend_ and _Companion_. There was a Mighty Busle, who should be the Favourite, and to the Wonder of All the rest, the _Lyon_ Pitch’d upon a _Hog_; for, says the _Lyon_, he is True and Faithful to his Friend, and will stand by him in All Times, and Hazards.

The MORAL.

_A True Friend can ne’er fail of being a Loyal Subject: And That’s the Man that a Brave Prince will make Choice of for a Particular Favourite._

REFLEXION.

Solitude is against Nature, but Ill Company is worse then None. So that Life is not Life without the Blessing of a Friendly and an Edifying Conversation. The Difficulty only rests in the Choice; wherein the _Lyon_ here has taken his Right Measures: That is to say, he has made a True Judgment of the Matter: For he only Deserves the Character of a _Friend_, that’s Proof against all _Tryals_ and _Temptations_, either of _Profit_, or of _Loss_.

FAB. CCCXLV.

A _Gnat_ and a _Bee_.

A _Gnat_ that was Half Starv’d with Cold and Hunger, went out one _Frosty_ Morning to a _Bee-Hive_, to beg a Charity, and offer’d to Teach Musick in the _Bees Family_, for her Dyet and Lodging. The _Bee_ very Civilly desir’d to be Excus’d; for, says she, I bring up all my Children to my Own Trade, that they may be able to get their Living Another Day by their Industry.

The MORAL.

_Lazy Beggars that Can Work, and Will not, have scarce a Right to Common Charity: And This Misery befalls them for want of an Industrious Education._

REFLEXION.

’Tis a Necessary piece of Providence, in the Institution of our Children, to Train them up to somewhat in their Youth, that may Honestly Maintain them in their Age. If the _Bee_ had taken the Necessities of the _Gnat_ into her Consideration, as she did the Profession, she would have thought her self bound in Tenderness and Good Nature, according to the Moral of the Fable, to have Contributed to her Relief: But the Stress is rather to be laid upon a Preference of an Education of Industry, to That of Pleasure, and to shew, that we are in the First Place to Consult the Necessities of Life, rather then Matters of Ornament and Delight.

FAB. CCCXLVI.

A _Lyon_, _Ass_, and _Hare_.

Upon the Breaking out of a War betwixt the Birds and the Beasts, the _Lyon_ Summon’d All his Subjects from Sixteen to Sixty, to appear in Arms, at such a Certain Time, and Place, upon pain of his High Displeasure; and there were a World of _Asses_ and _Hares_ at the _Rendezvouz_ among the rest. Several of the Commanders were for turning ’em off, and Discharging ’em, as Creatures utterly Unfit for Service. Do not Mistake your self (says the _Lyon_,) The _Asses_ will do very well for _Trumpeters_, and the _Hares_ will make Excellent _Letter-Carriers_.

The MORAL.

_God and Nature, made Nothing in Vain. There is No Member of a Political Body so Mean, and Inconsiderable, but it may be useful to the Publique in some Station or Other._

REFLEXION.

There’s Nothing so Great as not to stand in Need of many things, in Common Appearance, the most Contemptible: And there is Nothing again so Despicable; but that at some Time, or in some Case or other, it may be of Use and Service to us. ’Tis True, That one Thing is Preferible to another, in some Sort, or in some Respect; but it is True withal, that every Distinct Being has somewhat Peculiar to it self, to make Good in one Circumstance what it Wants in Another. It is the Ignorance of the Nature of things, that makes us Despise, even the Meanest of Creatures. All Things are Created Good in their several Kinds, as All things severally are Subservient, in some Degree or other, to the Beauty, the Order, and the Well-being of the Whole. That which we find in the Course of Nature, holds likewise in Government, where the Lowest has its Post Allotted it as well as the Highest. All Created Beings, in fine, are the Works of Providence and Nature, that never did any thing in Vain. And the Moral of this Parable of the _Lyon_, the _Ass_, and the _Hare_, runs through the Universe; for there are _Hares_, _Lyons_, and _Asses_, in Kingdoms and Commonwealths, as well as in Fields and in Forests: And the Drift of This Figure holds good in All the Parts of the Creation.

FAB. CCCXLVII.

_Pigeons_ Reconcile the _Hawks_.

There Happen’d a Bloudy Civil War once among the _Hawks_, and what did the Poor, Peaceable, Innocent _Pigeons_, but in Pure Pity, and Good Nature, send their Deputies and Mediators to do the Best they could to make ’em Friends again, so long as This Feud Lasted; they were so Intent upon Killing one another, that they Minded nothing else; but no sooner was the Quarrel taken up among Themselves, then they fell to their Old sport again of Destroying the _Pigeons_. This brought them to a Sight of their Error, and to Understand the Danger of Uniting a Common Enemy to their Own Ruine.

The MORAL.

_Good Men are never safe but when Wicked Men are at Odds. So that the Divisions of the One are the Security of the Other._

REFLEXION.

’Tis a Hard Matter in This Case to Reconcile Policy, and Good Nature; or to bring a Plain-dealing Innocence into a Consistency with Necessary Prudence; For Singleness of Mind passes in the World for want of Brains, and where Knavery is in Credit, Honesty is sure to be a Drug; But Every Man must stand or fall to his own Conscience, and so Divide the Matter, as neither to Offend Christian Charity, nor Civil Discretion. The Blessing that is pronounc’d upon the _Peace-Makers_, does not Extend to Those Cases, where the Effect of the Peace shall be the Ruine of the Reconcilers. ’Tis Dangerous Parting a Fray, whether it be Jest or Earnest; for there are Sham-Quarrels as well as Bloudy Ones: In the One, a Man runs the risque of his Hat, or his Cloak; In the Other, of his Life. We have liv’d to see This Fable remarkably Moraliz’d among our selves upon the like Occasion; for still as the Common Enemy were at Variance, we had a sort of _Peace-making Pigeons_ that would needs be Reconciling them, though the Only Security they had under the Sun was their Divisions.

FAB. CCCXLVIII.

A _Woman_ that brought _Fire_ into the _House_.

The Question was put to an Honest Man Newly Marry’d, What might be the Meaning of his New Brides bringing a _Torch_ out of her _Father_’s House into her _Husbands_. Why This says he; I have Eas’d my Father-in-Law of a Fire-brand, to set my Own House in a Flame.

The MORAL.

_A Contentious Woman puts all into a Flame where-ever she comes._

REFLEXION.

This _Torch_ may be an Allusion either to _Strife_, and _Contention_, or to the _Profusion_ and _Consumption_ of the _Husband’s Estate_. ’Tis to be hop’d that there are Shrews, and Wasteful Women enow in the World, to Answer This Moral Both Ways.

FAB. CCCXLIX.

A _Corrupt Officer_.

A Certain Governor of a Province that had a long time Pill’d, and Oppressed the People under his Charge, was call’d to Account in the Conclusion for the Receiving of Bribes; and sentenc’d to Refund what he had Wrongfully Taken. He came as Unwillingly to the Point, as a Bear to the Stake, which gave Occasion to somebodies saying, that it was with this Man and his Mony, as it is with Women and their Children. He was well enough pleas’d in the Getting of it; but it went to the very Heart of him when he Parted with it.

The MORAL.

_Great Officers are but like Sponges; they Suck till they are Full, and when they come once to be Squeez’d, the very Hearts Blood of them comes away with their Mony._

REFLEXION.

If Men could but Separate the Profit, and the Pleasure of their Sins, from the Sin it self, and keep the Former, when they Renounce the Other, what a Number of Penitents should we have in This Wicked World! But the Doctrine of Satisfaction and Restitution lies so Cursedly hard upon the Gizzards of our Publicans, that the Bloud in their Veins is not Half so Dear to ’em as the Treasure they have in their Coffers. The Man and the Money are in This Case as good as Incorporated, and Fining is little less then Flaying him: But Justice however finds him Out; And This, in Few Words, is the Sum of the Moral. Avarice is as hard to Part with any thing, as it was Eager to Get it. When a Man is once in Possession of an Ill Gotten Estate _De Facto_, he never Troubles his Head with the _De Jure_ of the Question; but looks upon the Propriety of what he has Gotten by Rapine, to be Transferr’d to him by Providence: The money in short had Chang’d the Master, and he’d rather part with an Eye out of his Head, then with a Penny out of his Coffers.

FAB. CCCL.

An _Old Man_ that was willing to put off _Death_.