any Man Rich that Bought him. Well (ſays One) And why d'ye Sell him then? For he will make you Rich, if you Keep him, as well as he will make me Rich if I Buy him. You ſay very Right ſays t'other; but 'tis Ready Mony that I want, and the Purchaſer will have only an Eſtate in Reverſion.
The Moral.
REFLEXION.
The Old Saying, A Bird in the Hand is worth Two in the Buſh, holds with moſt People in Religious Matters, as well as in Civil. A Sum of Mony down upon the Nail, goes further with them, then Heaven it ſelf in the Reverſion. Where we are in the Dark, we are but too apt to be Doubtful, and to reckon upon it in the common Acceptation of Fleſh and Blood, as the Parting with a Certainty for an Uncertainty. Now the Moral of this Fable muſt be Underſtood to Tax the Vanity and Error of the Common Practice and Opinion of the World in this Matter. The Fiction methinks has ſomewhats in't of the French Libertines Conceit to a Severe Religious upon the Point of Mortification: Father (ſays he) What’s the Meaning of all theſe Auſterities of Hard Living, Hair Shirts, Watching, Faſtings, and I know not what? Oh Brother (ſays the Holy Man) 'tis all for Paradiſe. Well (ſays the Licentious Droll again) but what if there ſhould be no Paradiſe at laſt, are not you finely brought to Bed then? The Mockery of this Fable is ſomewhat a-kin to the Freak of this Story, and by no means to be Allow’d of but in Reprehenfion of ſo Irreverend a Freedom.
Fab. CCCCXLVII.
Demetrius and Menander.
When Demetrius Phalaræus (a Tyrant and an Uſurper,) took Poſſeſſion of Athens, how was he Beſet and Purſu'd with the Huzza's and Acclamations of the People! Nay, and the Leading Men of the City too, with Joy in their Looks, and Gall in their Hearts, ſtriving who ſhould be Foremoſt in the Solemnity, to cry Vive Demetrius, and Kiſs the Hand that Enſlav'd chem. After them follow'd the Men of Eaſe, Luxury and Pleaſure, for fear of being thought Wanting in point ofAffection
