Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/167

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

113
Æſop's FABLES.
113


REFLEXION.

There's No Truſting to the Fair Words and Countenances of Bloudy Men: He’s fare to be Ruin’d that lays himſelf at the Mercy of Thoſe that Live upon the Spoyle. Their very Complements are Snares; as the Lyons Invitation of the Bull to Sup with him, was but the Cover of a Deſign he had to Supp upon the Bull himſelf.



Fab. CXXI.

A Lyon in Love.

A Lyon fell in Love with a Country Laſs, and deſir'd her Father’s Conſent to have her in Marriage. The Anſwer he gave was Churliſh enough. He'd never Agree to't he ſay'd, upon any Terms, to Marry his Daughter to a Beaſt. The Lyon gave him a Sowr Look upon't, which brought the Bumkin, upon Second Thoughts, to ſtrike up a Bargain with him, upon theſe Conditions; that his Teeth ſhould be Drawn, and his Nailes Par'd; for Thoſe were Things, he ſay'd, that the Fooliſh Girle was Terribly afraid of. The Lyon ſends for a Surgeon immediately to do the Work; (as what will not Love make a Body do?) And ſo ſoon as ever the Operation was Over, he goes and Challenges the Father upon his Promiſe. The Countryman ſeeing the Lyon Diſarmd, Pluck’d up a Good Heart, and with a Swindging Cudgel ſo Order'd the Matter, that he broke off the Match.

The Moral.

An Extravagant Love Conſults neither Life, Fortune, nor Reputation, but Sacrifices All that can be Dear to a Man of Senſe and Honor, to the Tranſports of an Inconſiderate Paſſion.

REFLEXION.

This Fable will look well enough in the Moral, how Fantaſlical ſoever it may appear at firſt Bluſh in the Lines and Traces of it. Here's a Beaſt in Love with a Virgin; which is but a Reverſe of the Prcpoſterous Paſſions we meet with Frequently in the World, when Reaſonable Creatures of Both Sexes fall in love with Thoſe, that in the Alluſion may (allmoſt without a Figure) paſs for Beaſts. There’s Nothing ſo Fierce, or ſo Savage, but Love will Soften it; Nothing ſo Generous but it will Debauche it; Nothing ſo ſharp ſighted in Other Matters, but it throws a Miſt before the Eyes on't. It puts the Philoſopher beſide his Latin; and to ſumm up All in a Little, where This Paſſion Domineers, neither Honour, nor Vir-tue