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.
FABB.
