to one who was an invited or a welcome gueft; but an impertinent intruder, who is driven out with averfion and contempt wherever he appears, has not much reafon, me thinks, to boast of his privileges. And as to the honour of not labouring for your fubfistence, here too your boast is only your difgrace; for hence it is, that one half of the year you are destitute even of the common neceffaries of life; whilft I, at the fame time, retiring to the hoarded granaries, which my honeft industry has filled, enjoy every fatisfaction, independent of the favour either of beauties or of kings.

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XXXVI. FORTUNE and the SCHOOL-BOY.

School-boy, fatigued with play, threw himself down by the brink of a deep pit, where he fell faft afleep. Fortune happening to pafs by, and feeing him in this dangerous fituation, kindly gave him a tap on the shoulder: My dear child, faid fhe, if you had fallen into this pit, I fhould have borne the blame, though in fact the accident would have been wholly owing to your own carelesness.

Misfortune, faid a celebrated Cardinal, is but another word for Imprudence. This maxim is by no means abfolutely true: Certain, however, it is, that mankind fuffer more evils from their own imprudence, than from events which are not in their power to controul.

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XXXVII. The OAK and the WILLOW.

Conceited Willow had once the vanity to challenge his mighty neighbour the Oak, to a trial of ftrength. It was to be determined by the next ftorm, and Æolus was addreffed by both parties, to exert his most powerful efforts. This was no fooner afked than granted, and a violent hurricane arose; when the pliant Willow, bending from the blast, or fhrinking under it, evaded all its force; while the

generous

generous Qak, difdaining to give way, oppofed its fury, and was torn up by the roots. Immediately the Willow began to exult, and to claim the victory; when thus the fallen Oak interrupted his exultation: "Calleft thou this a trial of ftrength? Poor wretch! not to thy ftrength, but weakness; not to thy boldly facing danger, but meanly fkulking from it, thou oweft thy prefent fafety. I am an Oak, though fallen; thou ftill a Willow, though unhurt: But who, except fo mean a wretch as thyfelf, would prefer an ignominious life, preferved by craft or cowardice, to the glory of meeting Death in a brave contention?"

XXXVIII. The FARMER and the STAG.

A Stag, who had left at fome distance a pack of

hounds, came up to a Farmer, and defired he would fuffer him to hide himfelf in a little coppice which joined to his houfe. The Farmer, on condition that he would forbear to enter a field of wheat which lay before him, and was now ready for the fickle, immediately gave him leave, and promifed not to betray him. Tho Squire with his train inftantly appeared, and enquiring whether he had not feen the Stag,-No, faid the Farmer, he has not paffed this way, I affure you; but, in order to curry favour at the fame time with his worship, he pointed flily with his finger to the place where the poor beaft lay concealed. This, however, the Sportsman, intent on his game, did not obferve, but paffed on with his dogs acrofs the very field, As foon as the Stag perceived they were gone, he prepared to fteal off, without fpeaking a word. Methinks, cried the Farmer, you might thank me, at leaft, for the refuge I have afforded you. Yes, faid the Stag, had your hands been as honeft as your tongue, I certainly fhould; but all the return that a double-dealer has to expect, is a juft indignation and contempt.

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XXXIX. The

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XXXIX. The Cock and the Fox.

N experienced old Cock was fetting himself to rooft upon a high bough, when a Fox appeared under the tree. I am come, faid the artful hypocrite, to acquaint you, in the name of all my brethren, that a general peace is concluded between us and your whole family. Defcend immediately, I befeech you, that we may mutually embrace upon fo joyful and unexpected an event. My good friend, replied the Cock, nothing could be more agreeable to me than this news; and to hear it from you increases my fatisfaction: But I fpy two Greyhounds at a distance coming this way, who are probably dispatched as couriers with the treaty; as they run very fwiftly, and will certainly be here in a few minutes, I will wait their arrival, that we may all four embrace together. Reynard well knew, that if this was the cafe, it was no time for him to remain there any longer; pretending therefore to be in great hafte,-Adieu, faid he, for the prefent; we will referve our rejoicings to another opportunity: Upon which he darted into the woods with all imaginable expedition. Old Chanticleer no fooner faw him depart, than he crowed abundantly in triumph of his artifice: For, by a harmlefs ftratagem, to disappoint the malevolent intentions of thote who are endeavouring to deceive us to our ruin, is not only innocent but laudable.

XL. The Fox and the GOAT.

Fox and a Goat travelling together in a very fultry day, found themfelves exceedingly thirfty; when looking round the country in order to discover a place where they might probably meet with water, they at length defcried a clear fpring at the bottom of a pit. They both eagerly defcended; and having fuffiiently allayed their thirft, it was time to confider how they thould get out. Many expedients for that purpofe

purpose were mutually propofed, and rejected. At laft the crafty Fox cried out with great joy, I have a thought juft ftruck into my mind, which I am coufident will extricate us out of our difficulty: Do you, faid he to the Goat, only rear yourself up upon your hinder legs, and reft your fore feet against the fide of the pit: In this pofture, I will climb up to your head, from whence I fhall be able, with a fpring, to reach the top; and when I am once there, you are fentible it will be very eafy for me to pull you out by the horns. The fimple Goat liked the propofal well, and immediately placed himself as directed; by means of which, the Fox, without much difficulty, gained the top. And now, faid the Goat, give me the affistance you promifed. Thou old Fool, replied the Fox, hadit thou but half as much wit as beard, thou wouldst never have believed that I would hazard mine own life to fave thine: However, I will leave with thee a piece of advice, which may be of fervice to thee hereafter, if thou shouldft have the good fortune to make thy efcape: "Never venture into a pit again, before thou hast well confidered how to get out of it."

XLI. The Dog and the CROCODILE.

E can never be too carefully guarded againft

W a connection with perfons of a fufpicious cha

racter. As a Dog was courfing the banks of the Nile, he grew thirfty; but fearing to be feized by the monfters of that river, he would not ftop to fatiate his drought, but lapped as he ran. A Crocodile raising his head above the furface of the water, afked him, Why he was in fuch a hurry? He had often, he said, wifhed for his acquaintance, and should be glad to embrace the present opportunity. You do me great honour, faid the Dog; but it is to avoid fuch companions as you that I am in fo much hafte.

XLII. The Ass and his MASTER.

A Diligent Afs, that had long ferved a fevere Mafter,

daily loaded beyond his ftrength, and kept but at very fhort commons, happened one day in his old age to be oppreffed with a burthen of earthen-ware: His ftrength being much impaired, and the road deep and uneven, he unfortunately made a trip; and unable to reover himself, fell down, and broke all the veffels to pieces. His master, tranfported with rage, began to beat him with great violence, and without mercy. To whom the poor Afs, lifting up his head as he lay on the ground, ftrongly remonftrated: "Unfeeling wretch! to thy own avaricious cruelty, in firft pinching me of food, and then loading me beyond my ftrength, thou owest the misfortune which thou fo unjustly imputeft to me. One cafual flip fhould not overturn the faithful fervices of a long life.

XLIII. The WOLF in Disguise.

ESIGNING hypocrites frequently lay themselves

Dopen to difcovery, by over-acting their parts.

A Wolf who, by his frequent vifits to a flock of Sheep in his neighbourhood, began to be extremely well known to them, thought it expedient, for the more fuccefsfully carrying on his depredations, to appear in a new character. To this end, he disguised himself in a Shepherd's habit; and refting his fore-feet upon a ftick, which ferved him by way of crook, he foftly made his approaches towards the fold. It happened that the Shepherd and his Dog were both of them extended on the grafs, fast asleep; fo that he would certainly have fucceeded in his project, if he had not imprudently attempted to imitate the Shepherd's voice. The horrid noise awakened them both; when the Wolf, encumbered with his difguife, and finding it impoffible either to refift or to fly, yielded up his life an eafy prey to the Shepherd's Dog.

XLIV, The