fore it will become All People to Weigh and Meaſire Themſelves, before they Venture upon any Undertking that may bring their Lives, Honour, or Fortune in Queſtion. Some Songſters can no more Sing in any Chamber but their Own; then ſome Clarks can Read in any Book but their Own; Put them out of their Road once, and they are Meer Cat-Pipes and Dunces.
Fab. CLXXVII.
Thieves that Stole a Cock.
A Band of Thieves Brake into a Houſe once,and found Nothing in't to Carry away, but One Poor Cock. The Cock ſaid as much for Himſelf as a Cock could ſay; but Inſiſted Chiefly upon the Services of his Calling People up to their Work, when 'twas time to Riſe. Sirrah (ſays one of the Thieves) You had Better have let That Argument Alone; for Your Waking the Family Spoils our Trade, and We are to be Hang'd forſooth for your Bawling.
The MORAL.
REFLEXION.
'TIS a Hard Matter for a Man that Argues againſt the Truth, and the Reaſon of a Thing, to Conſiſt with Himſelf, for having no Rule to Walk by, 'tis Forty to One but Sometime or Other he will loſe his Way: Eſpecially when he is to Accommodate his Story to the Various Circumſtances of Times, Perſons, and Occaſions. But it is One Thing to to forget Matter of Fact, and Another Thing to blunder upon the Reaſon of it. It is however, well Worthy of a Sober Man's Care, not to let any thing fall that may be turn’d upon him out of his Own Mouth. This Preſence of Mind ‘tis true, is not Every bodies Talent; neither does This Conſideration Enter into Every bodies Thought; but it were better if it Were ſo, and ſo it Ought to be.
Fab. CLXXVIII.
A Crow and a Raven.
YOur Raven has a Reputation in the World for a Bird of Omen, and a kind of ſmall Prophet. A Crow that had Obferv'd the Raven's Manner and Way of Delivering his Predictions,ſers
