Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/155

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Æſop's FABLES.
101



Fab. CVII.

An Eagle and a Man.

A Man took an Eagle, Pelted her Wings, and put her among his Hens. Somebody came and bought This Eagle, and preſently New Feather'd her. She made a Flight at a Hare, Truſs'd it, and brought it to her Benefactor. A Fox perceiving This, came and gave the Man a piece of Good Councell. Have a care, ſays Reynard, of putting too much Confidence in This Eagle; for ſhe'll go neare, one time or other elſe, to take You for a Hare. Upon This Advice the Man Plum’d the Eagle once again.

The Moral.

Perſons and Humours may be Jumbled and Diſguis'd, but Nature is like Quickfilver, that will never be Kill'd,

REFLEXION.

Birds of Prey will be Birds of Prey ſtill, at what rate ſoever you Treate 'em. So that there's no Trufting of them: For when they have no longer a Power to do Miſchief, the Will yet Remains. Here’s a Forc’d Moral for a Forc'd Fable: For the Fancy of it is againſt Nature, and the Fiction does not conſiſt with it ſelf. Now to My Thinking This Application of it lyes the Fairer of the Two, i, e. That the Gratitude of the Eagle, in bringing the Hare to her Maſter, may ſerve to ſhew us, that the Wildeſt and Fierceſt of Creatures may be Sweetn’d, and Reclaim’d by Benefits.




Fab. CVIII.

A Father and Sons.

A Countryman that liv'd Handſomly’in the World Himſelf upon his Honeſt Labour and Induſtry, was deſirous his Sons ſhould do ſo After Him; and being now upon his Death-Bed: [My Dear Children (ſays he) I reckon my ſelf Bound to tell you before I depart, that there is a Conſiderable Treaſure Hid in my Vineyard. Wherefore pray be ſure to Dig, and ſearch Narrowly for't when I am gone. The Father Dyes, and the Sons fall immediately to Work upon the Vineyard. They Turn'd it up overand