Fables of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists/Fable CCLIV
Fab. CCLIV.
A Fox and a Hedge Hog.
ÆSop brought the Samians to their Wits again out of a most Desperate Sedition with This Fable.
A Fox, upon the Crossing of a River, was forc'd away by the Current into an Eddy, and there he lay with Whole Swarms of Flies, Sucking and Galling of him. There was a Water Hedge Hog (we must Imagine) at hand, that in Pure Pity Offer'd to Beat away the Flies from him. No, No, says the Fox, Pray let 'em Alone, for the Flies that are upon me now are e'en Bursting full already, and can do me little more Hurt then they have done: But when These are gone once, there will be a Company you shall see of Starv'd Hungry Wretches to take their Places, that will not leave so much as One Drop of Blood in the Whole Body of me.
Tiberius Cæsar made a very Pertinent Application of This Fancy to a Case of his Own, The Question was, whether or no he should Casheir some of his Corrupt Governors of Provinces, for Oppressing the People? He gave the World to Understand his Mind by This Fable.
There was a Man lay Miserably Wounded upon the Highway, and Swarms of Flies upon him, Sucking his Sores. A Traveller that was passing by, Pity'd his Condition, and Offer'd him his Service, in Pure Charity to Drive them away. No, No, says T'other, pray let them alone; for when These are gone, I fhall have VVorse in Their Places. This will be the Case of My Subjects if I Change their Governors.
The MORAL.
The Force of a Fable.
REFLEXION.
IF (says Æfsop) You shall once Destroy your Present Governor, that is Full and Wealthy, you must of Necessity Chuse Others when he is gone, who will be sure to Fill their own Coffers out of What the Other has left ye. This Fable upon the Whole is very Infsructive how People should Behave themselves in the Case of Male-Administration, or Oppression; where there is any Colour to Complain of Cruelty, or Injustice under the Cover of Sovereign Power. The Foxes Resolution here is mightily to the Purpose: That is to say, where the Grievance is only the Unrighteous Exercise of a Lawful Authority. The Removal of Blood-suckers that are already as Full as their Skins will hold, serves only to make way for Others that are Greedy and Empty. This is no Redress of the Evil, No, nor so much as a Change; but in Truth an Augmentation of it.
It is again to be Consider'd, that as Government is Necessary, Sacred, and Unaccountable, so it is but Equal for us to bear the Infelicities of a Male-Exercise of it, as we Enjoy the Blessings of Authority and Publique Order. There's Nothing Pure that’s Sublunary, but somewhat still of Good Blended with the Bad, and of Bad with the Good: And This Natural Mixture runs thorough the Whole Course and Condition of Humane Affairs. We are not to be either our Own Carvers, or our Own Chusers, and the Man puts out his Own Eyes that does not see the Folly, and the Iniquity of Struggling with Insuperable Powers, which is Impious in the Practice, and Miserable in the Conclusion, Where Government is Accounted a Bondage, the Exercise of it shall never fail of being call'd Persecution or Oppession: But to put Matters at Worst, Let us for Arguments sake, suppose Polling and Polling Officers, as Busie upon the People as These Flies were upon the Fox: Better bear a Tolerable Present Calamity then Exchange it for a Worse; and the Fox had the Wit rather to suffer the Galling of a Parcel of Flies that were Full already, then by Beating them off, to make way for a New set of Hungry Sharpers that would do him Fifty times the Mischief.