Part 10

On the death of the old Lion, without his leaving an heir, the beasts assembled to choose another king of the forest in his stead. The crown was tried on many a head, but did not sit easy upon any one. At length the Ape putting it upon his own, declared that it fitted him quite well, and after shewing them many antic tricks, he with a great deal of grimace, and an affected air of wisdom, offered himself to fill the high office. The silly creatures being pleased with him at the moment, instantly, by a great majority, proclaimed him king. The Fox, quite vexed to see his fellow-subjects act so foolishly, resolved to convince them of their sorry choice, and knowing of a trap ready baited, at no great distance, he addressed himself to King Ape, and told him that he had discovered a treasure, which being found on the waste, belonged to his Majesty. The Ape presently went to take possession of the prize; but no sooner had he laid his paws upon the bait, than he was caught fast in the trap. In this situation, between shame and anger, he chattered out many bitter reproaches against the Fox, calling him rebel and traitor, and threatening revenge: to all which Reynard gravely replied, that this was nothing but a beginning of what he would meet with in the high station his vanity had prompted him to aspire to, as it was only one of the many traps that would be laid for him, and in which he would be caught; but he hoped, this one might be a treasure to him, if it operated as a caution, and served to put him in mind of the false estimate he had put upon his abilities, in supposing, that with his inexperienced empty pate, he could manage the weighty affairs of state. He then, with a laugh, left him to be relieved from his peril by one or other of his foolish loving subjects.

APPLICATION.

When Apes are in power, Foxes will never be wanting to play upon them. Men shew their folly, rashness, and want of consideration, when they elect rulers without the qualifications of integrity and abilities to recommend them to the office; and the higher it is, the more important it is to the interests of the community that it should be properly filled. The Fable also shews the weakness of those who, through self-conceit, aspire to any high station without the requisites to befit them for it, and the want of which exposes authority to scorn.

THE OLD MAN AND DEATH.

A poor feeble old Man, who had crawled from his cottage into a neighbouring wood to gather a few sticks, had made up his bundle, and laying it over his shoulders, was trudging homewards; but what with age, and the length of the way, he grew so faint and weak, that he sunk under it, and as he sat upon the ground, called upon Death to come once for all and ease him of his troubles. Death no sooner heard him, than he came and demanded what he wanted? The poor old Creature, who little thought Death was so near, frightened almost out of his senses with his terrible aspect, answered him trembling, That having by chance let his bundle of sticks fall, and being too infirm to get it up himself, he had made bold to call upon him to help him; and he hoped his worship was not offended with him for the liberty he had taken in craving his assistance.

APPLICATION.

This Fable gives us a lively representation of the general behaviour of mankind towards that grim king of terrors, Death. Such liberties do they take with him behind his back, that upon every little accident which happens in their way, Death is immediately called upon, and they even wish it might be lawful for them to finish with their own hands a life so odious, so perpetually tormenting, and vexatious. When, let but Death make his appearance, and the very sense of his near approach almost does the business: then it is that they change their minds, and would be glad to come off so well as to have their old burthen laid upon their shoulders again. But wise and good men know that care and numberless disappointments must be their portion in their passage through life, and know also that it is their duty to endure them with patience; for he is the best and happiest man who neither wishes nor fears the approach of Death.

THE TWO FROGS.

One hot sultry summer, the lakes and ponds being almost every where dried up, a couple of Frogs agreed to travel together in search of water. At last they came to a deep well, and sitting upon the brink of it, began to consult whether they should leap in or not. One of them was for it, urging that there was plenty of clear spring water, and no danger of being disturbed. Well, says the other, all this may be true, and yet I cannot come into your opinion for my life; for if the water should happen to dry there too, how should we get out again?

APPLICATION.

In human affairs, many stations we meet, Where ’tis easy to enter, but hard to retreat.

We ought never to change our situation in life, nor undertake any action of importance, without first duly and deliberately weighing the consequences that may follow, in all their different bearings. It is commonly owing to the neglect of such wholesome precautions, that numbers of young people are led into unfortunate matches, suddenly made up; and others are from the same causes led into a round of profuse living, or into gaming and other extravagant conduct, which is sure to terminate in ruin. To look before we leap, is a maxim worthy of being remembered by all ranks and conditions of men, from the lowest to the highest: even kings may reap benefit by it; for when they inconsiderately execute those schemes which their wicked counsellors advise, they have often abundant reason to repent. By this blind stupidity, wars are commenced, from which a state cannot be extricated either with honour or safety; and unwise projects are encouraged by the rash accession of those who never considered the consequences, or how they were to get out, till they had plunged themselves irrecoverably into them.

THE FOX AND THE BRIAR.

A Fox scrambling hastily over a hedge, in his flight from the hounds, got his foot severely torn by a Briar. Smarting with the pain, he burst into revilings and complaints at this treatment, which he declared he little expected to meet with for only passing over a hedge; and he could not help thinking it was very bad usage to be thus grappled by the long arms, and cut and wounded by the sharp crooked spines of a Briar. True, says the Briar, but recollect that you intended to have made me serve your turn, and would, without ceremony, have trampled me down to the ground: but none of your freedoms with me, Master Reynard; you may make a convenience of others perhaps, but the family of the Briars are not of that cast. Whoever presumes to use any impudent familiarities with them, is sure to smart for it.

APPLICATION.

Presuming and arrogant people do not hesitate to make a convenience, or a kind of stepping stone, of any one who will suffer them to do so; and if they can only get their turn served, no matter how, they use no ceremony, nor shew any delicacy in accomplishing their ends. But the selfish and impudent gentry, who are so apt to take liberties of this kind, now and then mistake their men, and are justly retorted upon; and however upon these occasions they may be surprized and angry, others, who are indifferent spectators, instead of viewing them as objects of pity, feel a secret satisfaction in seeing them suffer, as proper examples of justice.

THE MAN AND THE WEASEL.

A Man having caught a Weasel in his pantry, was just going to kill it, when the little captive begged that he would not do so cruel a deed, but spare his life; and he assured the Man that he was his friend, and only entered his pantry with a view of destroying the mice with which it was infested. That may be, said the Man, but you do not do this with the intention of serving me, nor with any other view but that of serving yourself; and besides, you are so ferocious and cruel a little creature, that you kill every animal you have within your power, without the least compunction, and seem to delight in killing for killing’s sake; therefore, your pretensions to serve me, and your plea for mercy, are good for nothing.

APPLICATION.

Many people in the world are ever ready to set up the pretensions of their acting with zeal, purely to serve the public, and pretend that it is through the warmth of their friendship that they do the same to individuals; but the main spring of all the actions of the agents of treachery, and of bad men, is set a-going with the view only of serving themselves. It is thus that the unprincipled and mercenary thief-taker would like well to be accounted a public spirited man; and he cannot help boasting of his services as such. The hangman’s pretensions are of the same kind: but however useful and necessary some of such a description of men may be, to keep down the wicked part of mankind, who are a nuisance to civilized society, yet the instruments themselves are very like in character to the Weasel in the Fable. The same may be said of those factious writers, who pester the public with their clamorous charges, under the mask of patriotism, but whose real motive is either to gain money by the sale of their highly seasoned scandals, or to run down their corrupt opponents in order to obtain their places.

THE BOAR AND THE ASS.

An Ass happening to meet with a Boar, and being in a frolicsome humour, and having a mind to shew some of his silly wit, began in a sneering familiar style to accost the Boar with, So ho, brother, your humble servant, how is all at home with you? The Boar, nettled at his familiarity, muttered out, Brother indeed! then bristled up towards him, told him he was surprized at his impudence, and was just going to shew his resentment by giving him a rip in the flank: but wisely stifling his passion, he contented himself with only saying, Go, thou sorry beast! I could be easily and amply revenged upon thee; but I dont care to foul my tusks with the blood of so base a creature!

APPLICATION.

It is no uncommon thing to meet with impudent fools, so very eager of being thought wits, that they will run great hazards in attempting to shew themselves such, and will often persist in their awkward raillery to the last degree of offence. But these kind of folks, instead of raising themselves into esteem, are held in contempt by men of sense; and though the generous and the brave may scorn to suffer themselves to be ruffled by the insolent behaviour of every ass that offends them, yet such sparks must not from thence conclude, that they will not meet with retorts in kind from men far superior to themselves in mental endowments; or that their unseasoned wit will always escape a more proper, but a different chastisement.

THE DOG AND THE SHEEP.

The Dog sued the Sheep for a debt, of which the Kite and the Wolf were to be the judges. They, without debating long upon the matter, or making any scruple for want of evidence, gave sentence for the plaintiff, who immediately tore the poor Sheep in pieces, and divided the spoil with the unjust judges.

APPLICATION.

Of the many evils which throw back the well-being of society, none raise in the honest mind more painful and indignant feelings, than beholding the judgment seat of mercy and justice filled by an unjust, corrupt, and wicked judge, who has become, step by step, hardened in his impious enormities, and is the fully-prepared tool and supporter of tyranny and arbitrary power. Fraud and oppression follow in his train: the righteous laws of a just government are frittered away, or superseded: truth and innocence are obnoxious; honesty is sneered at, and it becomes criminal to espouse the cause of virtue. In this state of things, wickedness predominates, and its rapacious abettors give full scope to the exercise of all kind of oppression and injustice, to gratify their own vicious lusts. Then it is that mankind are made to feel the evils of power being in the hands of the worst of their species, who, without hesitation, rob them of their property, and divide the spoils. If there be not a sufficiency of the most spirited and virtuous patriotism to rescue the country from their fangs, then is despotism and degradation near at hand.

JUPITER AND THE HERDSMAN.

A Herdsman missing a young heifer, went up and down the forest to seek it; and having walked over a great deal of ground to no purpose, he fell a praying to Jupiter for relief, promising to sacrifice a kid to him, if he would help him to a discovery of the thief. After this he went on a little farther, and came near a grove of oaks, where he espied the carcase of his heifer, and a Lion growling over it, and feeding upon it. This sight almost scared him out of his wits; so down he fell upon his knees once more, and addressing himself to Jupiter, O Jupiter, says he, I promised thee a kid to shew me the thief; but now I promise thee a bull, if thou wilt be so merciful as to deliver me out of his clutches.

APPLICATION.

We ought never to supplicate the Divine power, but through motives of religion and virtue. Prayers dictated by blind self-interest, or to gratify some misguided passion, cannot, it is presumed, be acceptable to the Deity; and of all the involuntary sins which men commit, scarcely any are more frequent than their praying absurdly and improperly, as well as unseasonably, when their time might have been employed to a better purpose. Would men, as they ought to do, obey the commands of Omnipotence, by fulfilling their moral duties, and endeavour with all their might to live as justly as they can, a just Providence would give them what they ought to have: but stupidity and ignorance, until better informed, and divested of superstition and bigotry, will continue to form their notions of the Supreme Being from their own poor shallow conceptions; and nothing contributes more to keep up this injudicious practice among simple, but perhaps well-meaning people, than the numerous collections of those crude rhapsodies, the offspring of itinerant bigotry, with which the country overflows; while most of those prayers are neglected which have been composed with due reflection and matured deliberation, by the most learned and pious of men. This Fable also teaches us, that frequently the gratification of our vain prayers would only lead us into dangers and evils, of the existence of which we had no previous suspicion.

THE OLD LION.

A Lion, that in the prime of his life had been very rapacious and cruel, was reduced by age and infirmities to extreme feebleness. Several of the beasts of the forest, who had been great sufferers by him, now came and revenged themselves upon him. The Boar ripped him with his tusks, the Bull gored him with his horns, and others in various ways had each a stroke at him. When the Ass saw that they might do all this without any danger, he also came and threw his heels in the Lion’s face. Upon which, the poor expiring tyrant is said to have groaned out these words: Alas! how grievous is it to suffer insults, even from the brave and valiant; but to be spurned at by so base a creature as this, is worse than dying ten thousand deaths!

APPLICATION.

When men in power lose sight of justice and mercy, and cruelly and unjustly tyrannise over the people under their sway, they never will gain sincere reverence or respect from the rest of mankind. The injuries they inflict in the hey-day of their wicked career, will be remembered with detestation through life; and when age and impotence lay hold of them, they must not expect to meet with friends they never deserved; but may be certain of being treated with neglect and contempt, and the baser their enemies are, the more insolent and intolerable will be the affront. It will then be discovered, with bitter remorse, that the days have passed away, in which virtue and dignity ought to have laid the foundation of a reputation which would have been the solace of old age, and also extended a good name to posterity with feelings of veneration; instead of which the remembrance of past crimes will haunt the guilty mind, and the unjust man will at last be thrown into the grave with the common dust, amidst the whispers of “Let him go,” and he will be no more remembered than the animals on which he feasted, or the herbage which was cut down when he was a child.

THE MAGPIE AND THE SHEEP.

A Magpie sat chattering upon the back of a Sheep, and pulling off the wool to line her nest. Peace, you noisy thing, says the Sheep: if I were a dog, you durst not serve me so. That is true enough, replies the Magpie, I know very well whom I have to deal with: I never meddle with the surly and revengeful; but I love to plague such poor helpless creatures as you are, who cannot do me any harm.

APPLICATION.

It is the characteristic of a mean, low, base spirit, to be insolent or tyrannical to those who are obliged to submit to it, and slavishly submissive to those who have the spirit and the power to resist. Men of this stamp take especial care not to meddle with people of their own malicious principles, for fear of meeting with a suitable return; but they delight in doing mischief for mischief’s sake, and seem pleased when they can insult the innocent with impunity. This kind of behaviour is inconsistent with all the rules of honour and generosity, and is opposite to every thing that is great, good, amiable, and praise-worthy.

THE FOX AND THE STORK.

The Fox invited the Stork to dinner, and, being disposed to divert himself at the expence of his guest, provided nothing for the entertainment but soup, which he served up in a wide shallow dish. This the Fox could lap up with a great deal of ease; but the Stork, who could but just dip in the point of his bill, was not a bit the better for his entertainment. However, a few days after, he returned the compliment, and invited the Fox; but suffered nothing to be brought to table excepting some minced meat in a glass jar, the neck of which was so deep, and so narrow, that, though the Stork with his long bill made a shift to fill his belly, all that the Fox, who was very hungry, could do, was to lick the brims as the Stork slabbered them with his eating. Reynard was heartily vexed at first; but when he came to take his leave, owned ingenuously, that he had been used as he deserved; and that he had no reason to take any treatment ill, of which himself had set the example.

APPLICATION.

It is very imprudent, as well as uncivil, to affront any one, and we should always reflect, before we rally another, whether we can bear to have the jest retorted. Whoever takes the liberty to exercise his witty talent in that way, must not be surprised if he meet reprisals in the end. Indeed, if all those who are thus paid in their own coin, would take it with the same frankness that the Fox did, the matter would not be much; but we are too apt, when the jest comes to be turned home upon ourselves, to think that insufferable in another which we looked upon as pretty and facetious when the humour was our own. The rule of doing as we would be done by, so proper to be our model in every transaction of life, may more particularly be of use in this respect. People seldom or never receive any advantage by these little ludicrous impositions; and yet, if they were to ask themselves the question, would find, that they would receive the same treatment from another with a very bad grace.

THE COUNTRYMAN AND THE SNAKE.

A Villager found a Snake under a hedge, almost dead with cold. Having compassion on the poor creature, he brought it home, and laid it upon the hearth near the fire, where it had not lain long before it revived with the heat, and began to erect itself, and fly at the wife and children of its preserver, filling the whole cottage with its frightful hissings. The Countryman hearing an outcry, came in, and perceiving how the matter stood, took up a mattock, and soon dispatched the ingrate, upbraiding him at the same time in these words: Is this, vile wretch, the reward you make to him that saved your life? Die, as you deserve; but a single death is too good for you.

APPLICATION.

There are some minds so depraved, and entirely abandoned to wickedness, so dead to all virtuous feelings, that the tenderness and humanity of others, though exerted in their own favour, not only fail to make a proper impression of gratitude upon them, but are not able to restrain them from repaying benevolence with injuries. Moralists, in all ages, have incessantly declaimed against the enormity of this crime, concluding that they who are capable of injuring their benefactors, are not fit to live in a community; being such as the natural ties of parent, friend, or country are too weak to restrain within the bounds of society. Indeed, the sin of ingratitude is so detestable, that none but the basest tempers can be guilty of it. Men of low grovelling minds, who have been rescued from indigence by the hand of benevolence, or of charity, forget their benefactors, as well as their original wretchedness; and as soon as prosperity flows upon them, it too often serves only to rekindle their native rancour and venom, and they hiss and brandish their tongues against those who are so inadvertent or unfortunate as to have served them. But prudent people need not to be admonished on this subject; for they know how much it behoves them to beware of taking a snake into their bosom.

THE COCK AND THE FOX.

A Cock, perched upon a lofty tree, crowed so loud, that his voice echoed through the wood, and drew to the place a Fox, who was prowling in quest of prey. But Reynard finding the Cock was inaccessible, had recourse to stratagem to decoy him down. Approaching the tree, Cousin, says he, I am heartily glad to see you; but I cannot forbear expressing my uneasiness at the inconvenience of the place, which will not let me pay my respects to you in a better manner, though I suppose you will come down presently, and that difficulty will be removed. Indeed, cousin, says the Cock, to tell you the truth, I do not think it safe to venture upon the ground; for, though I am convinced how much you are my friend, yet I may have the misfortune to fall into the clutches of some other beast, and what will become of me then? O dear, says Reynard, is it possible you do not know of the peace that has been so lately proclaimed between all kinds of birds and beasts; and that we are for the future to forbear hostilities, and to live in harmony, under the severest penalties. All this while the Cock seemed to give little attention to what was said, but stretched out his neck as if he saw something at a distance. Cousin, says the Fox, what is that you look at so earnestly? Why, says the Cock, I think I see a pack of hounds yonder, a good way off. O then, says the Fox, your humble servant, I must be gone. Nay, pray cousin do not go, says the Cock, I am just coming down; sure you are not afraid of the dogs in these peaceable times. No, no, says he; but ten to one whether they have yet heard of the proclamation!

APPLICATION.