Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

revile that glorious being, who difpenfes life and vigour, not only to us, but to every part of the creation? Without this, alas! how ineffectual were the skill and vigilance of thy boasted master, either to fupport thy tender frame, or even to preferve his own! But this muft ever be the cafe with fuch contracted understandings: Sufficient, indeed, to point out our more immediate benefactors, without regarding that original fource, from which all beneficence proceeds.

THE

CX. ECHO and the O w L.

HE Vain hear the flatteries of their own imagi nation, and fancy them to be the voice of fame. A folemn Owl, puffed up with vanity, fat repeating her screams at midnight, from the hollow of a blafted oak. And whence, cried fhe, proceeds this awful filence, unless it be to favour my fuperior melody? Surely the groves are hufhed in expectation of my voice, and when I fing, all nature liftens. An Echo refounding from an adjacent rock, replied immediately, "all nature liftens." The Nightingale, refumed fhe, has ufurped the fovereignty by night: Her note, indeed, is mufical, but mine is fweeter far. The voice confirming her opinion, replied again," is fweeter far." Why then am I diffident? continued fhe: Why do I fear to join the tuneful choir: The Echo, ftill flattering her vanity, repeated, "join the tuneful choir." Roufed by this empty phantom of encouragement, fhe on the morrow mingled her hootings with the harmony of the groves. But the tuneful fongfters, difgufted with her noife, and affronted by her impudence, unanimoufly drove her from the fociety, and ftill continue to pursue her wherever she

appears.

CX1. The

[blocks in formation]

A attended by

Sa Sportfinan ranged the fields with his gun, attended by an experienced old Spaniel, he happened to spring a Snipe; and, nearly at the fame inftant, a covey of partridges. Surprifed at the accident, and divided in his aim, he let fly too indeterminately, and by this means miffed them both. Ah, my good mafter, faid the Spaniel, you should never have two aims at once. Had you not been dazzled and feduced by the extravagant hope of partridge, you would most probably have fecured your Snipe.

CXII. The BUTTERFLY, the SNAIL, and the BEF.

[ocr errors]

Butterfly, proudly perched on the gaudy leaves of a French marigold, was boafting the vast extent and variety of his travels. I have ranged, faid he, over the majeftic fcenes of Hagley, and have feafted my eyes with elegance and variety at Leafowcs. I have wandered through regions of eglantine and honeyfuckle, I have revelled kiffes on beds of violets and cowflips, and have enjoyed the delicious fragrance of rofes and carnations. In fhort, my fancy unbounded, and my flights unreftrained, I have vifited, with perfect freedom, all the flowers of the field or garden, and must be allowed to know the world in a fuperlative degree.

A Snail, who hung attentive to his wonders on a cabbage-leaf, was ftruck with admiration; and concluded him, from all his experience, to be the wifeft of animal creatures.

It happened that a Bee purfued her occupation on a neighbouring bed of marjoram, and having heard our oftentatious vagrant, reprimanded him in this manner: Vain, empty flutterer, faid fhe, whom instruction cannot improve, nor experience itfelf enlighten! Thou haft rambled over the world; wherein does thy know

[blocks in formation]

Jedge of it confift? Thou haft feen variety of objects; what conclufion haft thou drawn from them? Thou haft tafted of every amufement; haft thou extracted any thing for ufe? I too am a traveller: Go and look into my hive; and let my treasures fhadow out to thee, that the intent of travelling is, to collect materials either for the use and emolument of private life, or for the advantage of the community.

CXII. The MAGPIE and the RAVEN.

THE

HERE was a certain Magpie, more bufy and more loquacious than any of his tribe. His tongue was in perpetual motion, and himself continually upon the wing; fluttering from place to place, and very feldom appearing twice together in the fame company.

Sometimes you faw him with a flock of pigeons, plundering a field of new-fown corn; anon, perched upon a ch.rry-tree with a parcel of tomtits; the next moment, you would be furprized to find the fame individual bird engaged with a flight of crows, and feafting upon a carcafe.

He took it one day into his head to vifit an old Raven, who lived retired among the branches of a venerable oak; and there, at the foot of a lonely mountain, had paffed near half a century.

I admire, fays the prating bird, your moft romantic fituation, and the wildnefs of thete rocks and precipices around you: I am abfolutely transported with the murmur of that water-fall: Methinks it diffufes a tranquillity, furpaffing all the joys of public life. What an agreeable fequeftration from worldly bustle and impertinence! What an opportunity of contemplating the divine beauties of Nature! I fhall moft certainly, my dear, quit the gaieties of the town, and for the fake of thefe rural fcenes, and my good friend's converfation, pafs the remainder of my days in the folitude he has chofen.

Well,

Well, Sir, replies the Raven, I fhall be at all times. glad to receive you in my old-fashioned way; but you and I fhould certainly prove moft unfuitable companions. Your whole ambition is to fhine in company, and to recommend yourself to the world by univerfal complaifance: Whereas my greatest happiness confifts in eafe and privacy, and the felect converfation of a few whom I esteem. I prefer a good heart to the most voluble tongue; and though, questionless obliged to you for the politeness of your profeffions, yet I fee your benevolence divided among fo numerous an acquaintance, that a very flender fhare of it can remain for thofe you are pleased to honour with the name of friends.

A

CXIV. The Discontented BE E.

Bee complained to Jupiter of the numerous evils to which her condition expofed her. Her body, she said, was weak and feeble, yet was the condemned to get her living by perpetual toil; fhe was benumbed by the cold of winter, and relaxed by the heat of fummer. Her haunts were infefted with poisonous weeds, and her flights obftructed by ftorms and tempefts. In fhort, what with danger from without, and difeafes from within, her life was rendered one continual fcene of anxiety and wretchednefs. Behold now, faid Jupiter, the frowardnefs and folly of this unthankful race! The flowers of the field I have fpread before them as a feaft, and have endeavoured to regale them with an endlefs variety. They now revel on odoriferous beds of thyme and lavender, and now on the still more fragrant banks of violets and rofes. The bufinefs they complain of is the extraction of honey; and, to alleviate their toil, I have allowed them wings, which readily tranfport them from one delicious banquet to another. Storms, tempefts, and noxious weeds, I have given them fagacity to

G 3

fhun;

thun; and if ever they are mifled, it is through the perverfenefs of their inclinations. But thus it is with Bees, and thus with Men: They mifconftrue the benevolence of my defigns, and they complain that my decrees are rigid; they ungratefully overlook all the advantages, and magnify all the inconveniences of their ftation. But let my creatures purfue their happiness, through the paths marked out by Nature, and they will then feel no pains which they have not pleafures to compenfate.

A

CXV. The DIAMOND and the LOADSTONE.

[ocr errors]

Diamond of great beauty and luftre, obferving not only many other gems of a lower clafs ranged together with him in the fame cabinet, but a Loadstone likewife placed not far from him, began to question the latter how he came there, and what pretenfions he had to be ranked among the precious ftones; he, who appeared to be no better than a mere flint; a forry, coarie, rufty-looking pebble; without any the Taft, fhining quality to advance him to fuch an honor And concluded with defiring him to keep his diflance, and pay a proper respect to his fuperiors. I find, faid the Loadftone, that you judge by external appearance, and it is your intereft that others should form their judgment by the fame rule. I muft own I have nothing to boast of in that refpect; but I may venture to fay, that I make amends for my outward defects, by my inward qualities. The great improvement of navigation in thefe latter ages is entirely owing to me. It is owing to me that the dif tant parts of the world are known and acceflible to each other; that the remoteft nations are connected together, and all in a manner united into one common fociety; that by a mutual intercourfe they relieve one another's wants, and all enjoy the feveral bleffings peculiar to cach. Great-Britain is indebted to me

for

« ПредишнаНапред »