Fab. CCCXLVII.
Pigeons Reconcile the Hawks.
THere Happen’d a Bloudy Civil War once among the Hawks, and what did the Poor, Peaceable, Innocent Pigeons, but in Pure Pity, and Good Nature, ſend their Deputies and Mediators to do the Beſt they could to make 'em Friends again, ſo long as This Feud Laſted; they were ſo Intent upon Killing one another, that they Minded nothing elſe; but no ſooner was the Quarrel taken up among Themſelves, then they fell to their Old ſport again of Deſtroying the Pigeons. This brought them to a Sight of their Error, and to Underſtand the Danger of Uniting a Common Enemy to their Own Ruine,
The MORAL.
REFLEXION.
'TIS a Hard Matter in This Caſe to Reconcile Policy, and Good Nature; or to bring a Plain-dealing Innocence into a Conſiſtency with Neceſſary Prudence; For Singleneſs of Mind paſſes in the World for want of Brains, and where Knavery is in Credit, Honeſty is ſure to be a Drug: But Every Man muſt ſtand or fail to his Own Conſcience, and ſo Divide the Mater as neither to Offend Chriſtian Charity, nor Civil Diſcretion. The Bleſſing that is Proncunc'd upon the Peace-Makers does not Extend to Thoſe Caſes, where the Effect of the Peace ſhall be the Ruine of the Reconcilers. 'Tis Dangerous Parting a Fray, whether it be Jeſt or Earneſt; tor there are Sham Quarrels as well as Bloody Ones: In the One, a Man runs the riſque of his Hat, or his Cloak; In the Other, of his Life. We have liv'd to ſee This Fable remarkably Moraliz’d among our ſelves upon the like Occaſion; for full as the Common Enemy were at Variance, we had a ſort of Peace-making Pigeons that would needs be Reconciling them, though the Only Security they had under the Sun was Their Diviſions.
FAB.
