REFLEXION.
The Intent of This Fatble is to Work a Reformation of Manners, by ſhewing that Evil Habits are very hard to be Cur’d ; for they take Root by Degrees, ’till they come in the End to be paſt both Remedy and Shame, Habitual Debauches make Exceſs of Drink as Neceſſary to a Man as Common Air, Eſpecially when his Mind comes to be Wholly taken up with the Contemplation of his Vice. There are Thoſe that can never Sleep without their Load, nor Enjoy One Eaſie Thought, 'till they have laid All their Cares to Reſt with a Bottle. 'Tis much the ſame Thing with Other Senſual Pleaſures, where Mens Bodies and Minds are given up to the Entertainment of them, But the Extravagance is never ſo Deſperate, as when the Underſtanding is Taken up with the Study and Meditation of Thoſe Pleaſures, which the Body is no longer in Condition to Practice, and that's the moſt Deplorate, Hopeleſs, and Incurable State of an Evil Diſpoſition; when Drink upon Drink is made uſe of for a Remedy.
Fab. CLVIII.
A Swan and a Gooſe.
THE Maſter of a Houſe brought up a Swan and a Gooſe both together; The One for his Eare, the Other for his Belly. He gave Orders for the Gooſe to be Taken up, and Dreſs'd for Dinner. But the Place was ſo Dark, that the Cook took One for T'other. This Miſtake had Coſt the Swan her Life, if ſhe had not Sung in That very Inſtant, and Diſcover’d her ſelf; by which Means ſhe both ſav'd her Life, and Expreſs'd her Nature.
The Moral.
REFLEXION.
There's a Providence Attends Innocency and Virtue, the Power of Muſique apart, 'Tis a Rule that goes a Great Way in the Government of a Sober Man's Life, not to put any thing to Hazard that may be Secur'd by Induſtry, Conſidceation, or Circumſpection. And this Caution reaches to a Thouſand Caſes in the Ordinary Courſe of Life. Men ſhould Look before they Leap; Deliberate before they Reſolve; Try, Weigh, Examine, and Bethink themſelves well of the Matter before they Execute. We fall into ſome Inconveniencies out of Pure Lazyneſs, and for want of taking pains to Enform our ſelves Better: Into Others, out of Raſhneſs; by doing Things in a Hurry, and Hand over Head at a Venture. Now there’s no Excuſe for a Blunder upon any of theſe Topiques where there was both Time and Means to prevent it. What are we the better for the Faculty of Reaſon, without the Exerciſe of it. If the Cook would but have been at the Trouble of Carrying a Candle with him, he would have been in No Danger of taking a Swan for a Gooſe.
Fab.
