Aesop Dress'd; Or a collection of Fables Part 8

However 'tis left to Justice Hornet, Who could with all his subtle Sence Make nothing of the Evidence; In general they depose, 'tis true, That Insects of a yellow hue, With Tails containing poysonous Stings, Long Body'd, buzzing with their Wings, And all the Signs to paint a Bee, Had been observ'd about that Tree.

But this could be no proof for them; For in the Wasps they are the same, His Lords.h.i.+p, for his Reputation Heard a whole Ant's Nest's Information.

But being no wiser than before, At last said he could do no more; And made a learned Speech to shew 'em: That this Court could say nothing to 'em: It must be try'd in Chancery.

Up starts a pert well meaning Bee, And Says, an't please your Lords.h.i.+p; 'tis Six Months we left our Business: And heard of nothing but Vacations, And Writs of barbarous Appellations; And all this while, you know we are, My Lord, but even as we were.

The Honey every Day grows worse, And greedy Lawyers drain our Purse.

Under submission we've enough Of all this formal conjuring stuff.

I believe I can inform you better, Which way you may decide the matter What signifies our looking on, And hearing Council pro and con?

Let's go to work and then you'll see, Which spoke the Truth, the Wasps or we.

If they can make such Combs and fill With Honey each s.e.xang'lar Cell; The Cause is theirs, and we'll pay Cost; If not, I hope they'll yield it lost.

Which when the Wasps refus'd to do Judge Hornet rose, and said, Oho!

I smoak you, Sirs, and gave the Bees The Suit, with Costs and Damages.

The Moral.

_Thus would I have all Judges give Their Judgment. With the_ Turks _I believe, That common Sence to end a Cause, Is worth a hundred Common Laws.

They lead us such a way about, Raise new Disputes, make such a Rout.

Between the Plaintiff and Defendant; That by the time they make an end on't, The Suit looks like an Oyster, where The Fish falls to the Lawyer's Share; And if the Cause be manag'd well, Each of the Clients gets a Sh.e.l.l._

_The Lyon and the Gnat._

Away base Insect, that took Birth From th' Exhalations of the Earth.

Thus spoke the Lyon to the Gnat; Who answer'd, Bully, Think ye that I'll bear Affronts? No: And declar'd A War against him to his Beard; And told the Hector, void of fear, You'll find Sir King, how much I care For all your t.i.tles, Tooth and Claw, Of which great Loobies stand in awe: I'll quickly curb your haughtiness, d.a.m.n'd Brute; and hardly utter'd this, But sounds the Charge (he serv'd for all For Trumpet and for General.) He nimbly s.h.i.+fts from Place to Place, And plays before the Lyon's Face; The other snaps and strikes the Air; The Gnat avoids him every where; He watch'd his time, then seiz'd his Neck, From thence he mov'd, and stung his Back, There fasten'd, made his Kings.h.i.+p mad, His Eyes sparkle in his Head; He foams and roars, and all what's near Trembles, and hides itself for fear, Yet, of this general Hurrican, And dire Alarm th' Occasion Is, what one would suspect the least, So small an Atom of a Beast.

With hundred rambling flights he teases The Brute, and leads him where he pleases; Gets up his Nostrils, laughs to see With how much Rage his Enemy Tore his own Flesh, and all in Blood Ran raving through the affrighted Wood.

He still pursues, till out of Breath The Lyon dropp'd, and bled to Death.

The merry buzzing Conqueror Flies from the dismal Seat of War, And as he sounded chearfully The Charge, so sounds the Victory.

But going to proclaim his Story, Puffed up and blinded with his Glory, He met a Cobweb in his way, And fell a silly Spider's Prey.

The Moral.

_So one that cross'd the Ocean o'er, May smother in a Common Sh.o.r.e._

_The Woodcleaver and Mercury._

In Ancient times, when _Jupiter_ Was pretty free, a Labourer, That earn'd his Bread with cleaving Wood, Lost with his Ax his Livelyhood.

'T would grieve ones Heart to hear what sad And pitious moan the Fellow made: He had no Tools to sell again, And buy another Ax, poor Man!

It was his All, and what to do, Or how to live he does not know, And as the Tears stood in his Eyes, My Ax! O my dear Ax! he cries: Sweet loving _Jupiter_! restore My Ax. _Olympus_ hear his roar; And _Mercury_ the Post-Boy, or The Flying Post (his Character Suits either for he's G.o.d of Lying Beardless, and fam'd for News and Flying.) Came to the Labourer, and said, Your Ax in't lost, cheer up, my Lad: I've got it here; but can you tell Which is your own? I very well, Quoth he. Says _Mercury_ take hold, And gives him one of Ma.s.sy Gold; To this, quoth th' other, I've no claim; To a Silver one he said the same.

But when his Iron one was shewn, He cries, I Faix this is mine own; G.o.d bless you, Sir. And _Mercury_ } Said, to reward his Honesty, } Th' are all your own, I give 'em ye. } The Story's quickly nois'd about; The way to Riches is found out: 'Tis but to lose one's Ax; the Fools, That had none, sold their Cloaths and Tools To get one; and whate'er they cost, They're bought in order to be lost.

The G.o.d of Thieves and Merchants, who By chance had nothing else to do, Came as they call'd; his Deity Gave every one the choice of three: The lying Rogues deny'd their own, And swore they lost a Golden one: But as they stoop for't, _Mercury_ Chops off their Heads, and there they lie.

The Moral.

_The Fable shews you, Honesty Is always the best Policy._

_The Hare and his Ears._

Some stupid horn'd Beast or other, Trotting along to get some fother, Had run the Lyon in his Side; Who, for the future to provide Against such Accidents as this, Sends Writs, by which he banishes From his Dominions every one, That wore a Horn: And when 'twas known, The Stags sneak off with Bulls and Rams, The very Calves went with their Dams: And, whilst they are moving every where To foreign parts, a fearful Hare, That saw the shadow of his Ears, Was startled at the sight; and fears, Some Villain might maliciously Say they were Horns; What Remedy?

Says he, they're long, and I can't tell.

Well Neighbour Cricket Fare-you-well: My Ears are Horns too; I'll march off; They're very long, and that's enough: Nay, were th' as short as Ostrich Ears, It would not rid me of my fears; For if they catch m' I go to Pot.

Foh! says the Cricket, y'are a sot.

Hares Horns! what Puppy calls 'em so?

Th' are Ears. But yet, for ought you know, Replies poor Puss, they'll pa.s.s for Horns; And may be Horns of Unicorns.

They call the Rabbet's Fore legs, Wings, I hold no Argument with Kings.

The Moral.

_At Lyons Courts, in case of Treason, I rather trust my Heels, than Reason._

_The Rat and the Frog._

A Graceless Rat, in special case, Kept neither Lent nor Holidays; But lov'd his Gut beyond his Soul, And look'd as slick as any Mole: Who one day having time to spare, Went to the Marshes for some Air; There meets a Frog, not over fat, Who says, your Servant Mr. Rat; And seemingly with much good Nature, Invites the Stranger o'er the Water: Says he, I live in yonder Fens, Go with me I'll treat you like a Prince.

The Rat who had a mind before To ramble, need t've heard no more; But yet the Frog made a whole Lecture On Country Bagnios, and their Structure, The Voyage, and the Recreation He'd find in his amphibious Nation; Their Manners, and a hundred things, Of which in Winter Evenings, He'd tell fine Stories ten Years after, By Fire sides in Praise of Water: And, since he always liv'd a Sh.o.r.e, There's nothing could refresh him more.

These Reasons pleas'd his Rats.h.i.+p so, That he was raving mad to go.

But as your pamper'd Folks are fearful, He said, one cannot be too careful; 'Tis true I swim, but not like you, And Cramps, or other things, you know, Might happen: If I could but have Some small a.s.sistance.----Says the Knave, Prithee be quiet, to prevent All harm, I've an expedient, That has a thousand times been tried.

Then took a bit of Rush and tied One of the Fore feet of the Rat To his Hind leg, and out they set.

But O thou wicked World! how evil Are all our Hearts! this croaking Devil Swum to the deep; where, when he got him, He strove to pull him to the bottom; And thought it was a lucky hit, To meet with such a dainty bit; Good wholesome Meat, and so went on.

The Rat, who felt he was undone, Cry'd out, and foul'd himself for fear, } And, tho' sometimes in half a Year, } The Varlet never said a Prayer; } Yet (as the Proverb tells us, he That cannot pray, must go to Sea.) So now, with all the Sugar Words, A frighted Coward's Heart affords; He call'd the G.o.ds, and coax'd the Frog; But, No: That false hard-hearted Dog Is deaf to all his Protestations, And violates the Law of Nations.

One lugs and labours like a Horse, Th' other resists with all his Force.

The Frog's for going down; the Rat, If 't pleased the G.o.ds, would rather not.

And, whilst they're struggling different ways, A Kite, that hover'd o'er the Place, Saw what our Gentry was about, Would fain have seen the Battle out; If 't had been safe; but being loth To lose his Stomack, took 'em both: And, doubly blessed beyond his wish, Supp'd like a Lord, on Flesh and Fish.

The Moral.

_He, that's entangled in a Plot, For want of Strength, is often caught: And in his Practices detected By Accidents, he ne'er suspected.

What cares a Frog for Kites, in Water?

But Villany rewards its Author._