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LII. The SATYR and the TRAVELLER.

Poor man travelling in the depth of winter thro' dreary foreft, no inn to receive him, no human creature to befriend or comfort him, was in danger of being ftarved to death. At laft, however, he came to the cave of a Satyr, where he intreated leave to rest a while, and fhelter himfelf from the inclemency of the weather. The Satyr very civilly complied with his request. The man had no fooner entered than he began to blow his fingers. His hoft, furprised at the novelty of the action, was curious to know the meaning of it. I do it, faid the Traveller, to warm my frozen joints, which are benumbed with cold. Prefently afterwards the Satyr having prepared a mefs of hot gruel to refresh his gueft, the man found it neceffary to blow his porridge too. What, enquired the Satyr, is not your gruel hot enough? Yes, replied the Traveller, too hot; and I blow it to make it cooler. Do you fo? quoth the Satyr; then get out of my cave as fast as you can; for I defire to have no communication with a person that blows hot and cold with the fame breath. It indicates want of principle.

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Li11. The MISER and his TREASURE.

Mifer having scraped together a confiderable fum of money, by denying himfelf the common neceffaries of life, was much embarraffed where to lodge it moft fecurely. After many perplexing debates with himfelf, he at length fixed upon a corner in a retired field, where he depofited his treasure, and with it his heart, in a hole which he dug for that purpose. His mind was now for a moment at eafe; but he had not proceeded many paces in his way home, when all his anxiety returned; and he could not forbear going back to fee that every thing was fafe. This he repeated again and again, till he was at laft obferved by a labourer who was mending a hedge in an adjacent meadow.

meadow. The fellow, concluding that fomething extraordinary must be the occafion of thefe frequent vifits, marked the fpot; and coming in the night in order to examine it, he difcovered the prize, and bore it off unmolefted. Early the next morning, the Mifer again renewed his vifit; when finding his treasure gone, he broke out into the most bitter exclamations. A traveller, who happened to be paffing by at the fame time, was moved by his complaints to enquire into the occafion of them. Alas! replied the Mifer, I have fuftained the most cruel and irreparable lofs! fome villain has robbed me of a fum of money, which I buried under this stone no longer ago than yesterday. Buried! returned the traveller with furprize; a very extraordinary method truly of difpofing of your riches! Why did you not rather keep them in your house, that they might be ready for your daily occafions; Daily occafions! refumed the Mifer, with an air of much indignation, do you imagine I fo little know the value of money, as to fuffer it to be run away with by occa fions? on the contrary, I had prudently refolved not to touch a fingle fhilling of it. If that was your wife refolution, anfwered the traveller, I fee no fort of reafon for you being thus afflicted; it is but putting this ftone in the place of your treasure, and it will anfwer all your purposes full as well.

LIV. The TRUMPETER.

ATrumpeter in a certain army happened to be

taken prifoner. He was ordered immediately to execution, but pleaded in excufe for himself, that it was unjust a perfon fhould fuffer death, who, far from an intention of mischief, did not even wear an offenfive weapon. So much the rather, replied one of the enemy, fhalt thou die; fince, without any defign of fighting thyfelf, thou exciteft others to the bloody bufinefs: For he that is the abettor of a bad action, is at least equally guilty with him that commits it.

LY. The

LV.. The LION and the GNAT.

VAUNT! thou paltry, contemptible infect! faid the proud Lion one day to a Gnat that was frifking about in the air near his den. The Gnat enraged at this unprovoked infult, vowed revenge, and • immediately fettled upon the Lion's neck. After having fufficiently teazed him in that quarter, fhe quitted her ftation and retired under his belly; and from thence made her last and most formidable attack in his noftrils, where ftinging him almoft to madnefs, the Lion at length fell down, utterly fpent with rage, vexation, and pain. The Gnat having thus abundantly gratified her refentment, flew off in great exultation: But in the heedlefs tranfports of her fuccefs, not fufficiently attending to her own fecurity, the found herself in her retreat unexpectedly entangled in the web of a fpider; who rushing out inftantly upon her, put an end at once to her triumph and her life.

This Fable instructs us, never to fuffer fuccefs fo far to tranfport us, as to throw us off our guard against a reverse of fortune.

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LVI. The BEAR and the BEES.

Bear happened to be ftung by a Bee, and the pain was fo acute, that in the madness of revenge he ran into the garden and overturned the hive. This outrage provoked their anger to a high degree, and brought the fury of the whole fwarm upon him. They attacked him with fuch violence, that his life was in danger, and it was with the utmost difficulty that he made his escape, wounded from head to tail. In this defperate condition, lamenting his misfortune, and licking his fores, he could not forbear reflecting, how much more adviseable it had been to have patient→ ly acquiefced under one injury, than thus, by an un profitable refentment, to have provoked a thousand.

LVII. The

LVII, The SNAKE and the HEDGE-HOG.

T is by no means prudent to join interefts with fuch as have it in their power to fubject us to their own conditions.By the intreaties of a Hedge-hog, half ftarved with cold, a Snake was once perfuaded to receive him into her cell. He was no fooner entered, than his prickles began to be very uneafy to his companion: Upon which, the Snake defired him to provide himself another lodging, as fhe found her apartment was not large enough to accommodate both. Nay, faid the Hedge-hog, let them that are uncafy in their fituation exchange it; for my own part, I am very well contented where I am; and if you are not, you are welcome to remove whenever you think proper.

LVIII. The MILLER, his Son, and the Ass.

Miller and his Son were driving their Afs to

A market, in order to fell him. That he might

get thither fresh and in good condition, they drove him on gently before them. They had not gone far, when they met a company of travellers. Sure, fay they, you are mighty careful of your Afs: Methinks one of you might as well get up and ride, as let him walk on at his eafe, while you trudge after him on foot. In compliance with his advice, the old Man fet his Son upon the beaft. They had fcarce advanced a quarter of a mile further, when they met another company. You lazy booby, faid one of the party, why do not you get down, and let your poor Father ride? Upon this, the old Man made his Son difmount, and got up himfelf. In this manner they had not marched many furlongs, when a third company began to infult the Father. You hard-hearted, unnatural wretch, fay they, how can you fuffer that poor lad to wade through the dirt, while you, like an Al

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derman,

derman, ride at your cafe? The good-natured Miller ftood corrected, and immediately took his Son up behind him. And now the next man they met exclaimed with more vehemence and indignation than all the reft. Was there ever fuch a couple of lazy boobies! to overload, in fo unconscionable a manner, a poor dumb creature, who is far lefs able to carry them than they are to carry him! The good old Man, perplexed with variety of opinions, was half inclined to make the experiment, but was fufficiently convinced by this time, that there cannot be a more fruitlefs attempt, than to endeavour to please all mankind.

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LIX. The CAMELION.

WO Travellers happened on their journey to be engaged in a warm difpute about the colour of the Camelion. One of them affirmed that it was blue; that he had feen it with his own eyes upon the naked branch of a tree, feeding on the air, in a very clear day. The other ftrongly afferted that it was green, and that he had viewed it very clofely and minutely on the broad leaf of a fig-tree. Both of them were pofitive, and the difpute was rifing to a quarrel; but a third perfon luckily coming by, they agreed to refer the queftion to his decifion. Gentlemen, faid the arbitrator, with a fimile of great felf-fatisfaction, you could not have been more lucky in your reference, as I happen to have caught one of them laft night : But indeed you are both mistaken, for the creature is totally black. Black! cried they both; impoffible! Nay, quoth the umpire, with great affurance, the matter may foon be decided; for I immediately inclofed my Camelion in a little paper box, and here he is. So taying, he drew it out of his pocket, opened his box, and behold it was as white as fnow. The positive difputants looked equally furprized, and equally confounded; while the fagacious reptile, affuming the