Away Scoures the Lyon, and the Aſs after him: Now ‘twas the Crowing of the Cock that Frighted the Lyon, not the Braying of the Aſſe as That Stupid Animal Vainly Fancy’d to Himſelf, for ſo ſoon as ever they were gotten out of the Hearing of the Cock, the Lyon turn'd ſhort upon him, and tore him to pieces, with Theſe Words in his Mouth: Let never any Creature hereafter that has not the Courage of a Hare, Provoke a Lyon.
The Moral.
REFLEXION.
It may appear a very Extravagant, Surprizing Encounter, that Æſop has Exhibited to us in This Fable. Here's a Lyon running away from a Cock, and an Aſſe Purſuing a Lyon: That is to ſay, here are Two of the moſt Unlikely Things in Nature brought together, in the Semblance of Fear in the One, and of Reſolution in the Other: But the Moral is never the Worſe yet for the Seeming Diſproportions of the Figure; and the Characters in the Fiction, are well enough Suited to the Truth, and Life of the Caſe, The Flight of the Lyon muſt be Imputed here to the Natural Averſion that he has to the Crowing of a Cock. This is the Tradition; but it ſhall break No Squares whether it be ſo or not: For the Philoſophy holds good in Other Inſtances No leſs Wonderfull, whether it be True or Falſe in This. How many Inſuperable Diſagreements do we Meet with, in the Bus'neſs of Meats, Drinks, and Medicines; in Plants, Minerals, and Living Creatures! Now Theſe Impulſes are no more to be Controll'd, then the Primary, and the Unchangeable Powers and Laws of Nature: And Theſe Inſtincts, after All, are no more to be Reaſon’d upon, then they are to be Reſiſted; and therefore it is, that we call them Occult Qualities; which is All One with Saying that we do not Underſtand how they Work, or What they Are. Now 'tis One Thing to Submit to an Abſolute Force, Another thing to Fly and Yield to a Natural Infirmity: So that 'tis No Departure from the Dignity of a Lyon to Fly, when Nature Drives him: Neither is it at all to the Aſſes Reputation, to Purſue, when Vanity, Folly and Raſhneſs Tranſport him.
The Aſſe, we ſee, lyes under Many Miſtakes here, and the More, and the Groſſer they are, the more Suitable ſtill to his Character. How many ſuch Aſſes are there in the World, that Huffe, Look Big, Stare, Dreſs, Cock, Swagger, at the ſame Noiſe-Bluſtring Rate; and Nothing more Familiar then for a Whiffling Fop, that has not ſo much as One Grain of the Senſe, or Soul of a man of Honour in him, to play the part of a Heroe.Nay
