left the room much difconcerted, and it was with fome difficulty that he restrained his paffion from indecently breaking out in his Father's prefence. But upon his return to his own apartment, paffing through a gallery of pictures, in which was a piece reprefenting a company of gypfies telling a country girl her fortune;-It is owing, faid he, to a ridiculous fuperftition of the fame kind with that of this fimple wench, that I am debarred from one of the principal pleasures of my life; at the fame time, with great emotion, ftriking his hand against the canvas, a rusty old nail behind the picture run far into his wrift. The pain and anguish of the wound threw the youth into a violent fever, which proved too powerful for the kill of the phyficians, and in a few days put an end to his life Illuftrating an obfervation, that an cautious attention to avoid evils, often brings them upon us; and that we frequently run headlong into misfortunes by the very means we purfue to avoid them.

A

LXXXIII.

The PARTIAL JUDGE.

Farmer came to a neighbouring Lawyer, expreffing great concern for an accident which he faid had juft happened. One of your oxen, continued he, has been gored by an unlucky bull of mine, and I fhould be glad to know how I am to make you reparation. Thou art a very honeft fellow, replied the Lawyer, and wilt not think it unreasonable that I expect one of thy oxen in return. It is no more than juftice, quoth the Farmer, to be fure; but what did I fay?—I miftake-it is your bull that has killed one of my oxen. Indeed! fays the Lawyer, that alters the cafe: I muft enquire into the affair; and if And if! faid the Farmer,-the bufinefs I find would have been concluded without an if, had you been as ready to do juftice to others, as to exact it from them.

LXXXIV. The

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LXXXIV. The HERMIT and the BEAR.

N imprudent friend often does as much mischief by his too great zeal, as the worst enemy could effect by his malice.-A certain Hermit having done a good office to a Bear, the grateful creature was fo fenfible of his obligation, that he begged to be admitted as the guardian and companion of his folitude. The Hermit willingly accepted his offer; and conducting him to his cell, they paffed their time together in an amicable manner. One very hot day, the Hermit having laid him down to fleep, the officious Bear employed himself in driving away the flies from his friend's face: But in fpite of all his care, one of the.. flies perpetually returned to the attack, and at last settled upon the Hermit's nofe. Now I fhall have you, moft certainly, faid the Bear; and with the beft intentions imaginable, gave him a violent blow on the face; which very effectually indeed demolished the fly, but at the fame time mangled, in a moft fhocking manner, his benefactor's face.

LXXXV.

The SICK LION, the Fox, and the WOLF.

Lion having furfeited himself with feafting too

A luxurioufly

luxurioufly on the carcafe of a wild boar, was feized with a violent and dangerous diforder. The beafts of the forest flocked in great numbers to pay their respects to him upon the occafion, and scarce one was abfent, except the Fox. The Wolf, an ill-natured and malicious beaft, feized this opportunity to accufe the Fox of pride, ingratitude, and difaffection to his Majefty, In the midft of his invective, the Fox entered; who, having heard part of the Wolf's accufation, and obferving the Lion's countenance to be kindled into wrath, thus adroitly excused himfelf, and retorted upon his accufer. With a tone of zealous loyalty he addreffed the affembly thus:

May

May the King live for ever! Then turning to the Lion, I fee many here, who, with mere lip fervice, have pretended to fhew you their loyalty; but, for my part, from the moment I heard of your Majefty's illnefs, neglecting ufelefs compliments, I employed myfelf day and night to enquire among the most learned phyficians, an infallible remedy for your difeafe, and have at length happily been informed of one. It is a plaifter made from part of the fkin of a Wolf, taken warm from his back, and laid to your Majefty's ftomach. This remedy was no fooner propofed, than it was determined that the experiment Thould be tried: And whilft the operation was performing, the Fox, with a farcaftic fmile, whispered this ufeful maxim in the Wolf's ear: If you would be fafe from harm yourself, learn for the future not to meditate mifchief against others."

LXXXVI. INDUSTRY and SLOTH.

H they had never been born! They pafs through

OW many live in the world, as ufelefs as if

life like a bird through the air, and leave no track behind them; wafte the prime of their days in deliberating what they fhall do; and bring them to a period, without coming to any determination.

An indolent young man being asked why he lay in bed fo long, jocofely and carelefly anfwered: Every morning of my life I am hearing long caufes. I have two fine girls, their names are Industry and Sloth, clofe at my bed-fide, as foon as ever I awake, preffing their different fuits. One intreats me to get up, the other perfuades me to lie ftill; and then they alter nately give me various reafons, why I fhould rife, and why i fhould not. In the mean time, as it is the duty of an impartial judge to hear all that can be faid on either fide; before the pleadings are over it is time to go to dinner.

LXXXVII. The

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LXXXVII.

The Owl and the EAGLE.

IN Owl fate blinking in the trunk of a hollow tree, and arraigned the brightnefs of the fun. What is the use of its beams, faid fhe, but to dazzle one's eyes fo that one cannot fee a moufe: For my part, I am at a lofs to conceive for what purpose fo glaring an object was created: We had certainly been. much better without it. O fool! replied an Eagle, who was perched on a branch of the fame tree, to rail at excellence which thou canst not tafte; and not to perceive that the fault is not in the fun, but in thyfelf. All, it is true, have not faculties to understand, or powers to enjoy the benefit of it: But must the bufinefs and the pleafures of the world be obstructed, that an Owl may catch mice?

A

LXXXVIII. The EAGLE and the OwL.

N Eagle and an Owl having entered into a league of mutual amity, one of the articles of their treaty was, that the former fhould not prey upon the younglings of the latter. But tell me, faid the Owl, fhould you know my little ones if you were to fee them? Indeed I fhould not, replied the Eagle; but if you defcribe them to me, it will be fufficient. You are to observe then, returned the Owl, in the first place, that the charming creatures are perfectly well fhaped; in the next, that there is a remarkable fweetnefs and vivacity in their countenances; and then there is fomething in their voices fo peculiarly melodious-It is enough, interrupted the Eagle; by these marks I cannot fail of diftinguishing them; and you may depend upon their never receiving any injury from me. It happened not long afterwards, as the Eagle was upon the wing in queft of his prey, that he difcovered, amidst the ruins of an old castle, a neft of grim-faced, ugly birds, with gloomy coun

tenances,

tenances, and a voice like that of the Furies. Thefe undoubtedly, faid he, cannot be the offspring of my friend, and so I fhall venture to make free with them. He had scarce finished his repaft and departed, when the Owl returned; who finding nothing of her brood remaining but the mangled carcafes, broke out into the most bitter exclamations against the cruel and perfidious author of her calamity. A neighbouring Bat, who over-heard her lamentations, and had heen witnefs to what had paffed between her and the Eagle, very gravely told her, that fhe had no body to blame for this misfortune but herfelf; whofe blind prejudices in favour of her children, had prompted her to give fuch a defeription of them, as did not refemble them in any one fingle feature or quality.

Parents should very carefully guard against that weak partiality towards their children, which renders them blind to their failings and imperfections; as no difpofition is more likely to prove prejudicial to their future welfare.

DE

LXXXIX. The COURT of DEATH.

EATH, the King of Terrors, on the anniverfary of his coronation, was determined to chufe his prime minifter. His pale courtiers, the ghaftly train of diseases, were all fummoned, and each preferred his claim to the honour of this illustrious office. Fever urged the number he deftroyed; cold Palfy fet forth his pretenfions, by fhaking all his limbs; and Dropfy, by his fwelled, unwieldly carcafe. Gout hobbled up, and alledged his great power in racking every joint; and Afthma's inability to fpeak, was a ftrong, though filent argument in favour of his claim. Stone and Cholic pleaded their violence; Plague, his rapid progrefs in deftruction; and Confumption, though flow, infifted that he was fure. In the midft of this contention, the court was difturbed with the noife of