that when they could not live upon their Trade, have rai'sd themſelves from Cobbling to Fluxing, and taken upon them to caſt the Water of a Body Politick, as well as of a Body Natural? This minds me of a Cobbling Colonel of Famous Memory, (and he was a Stateſ-man too of the Long Parliament Edition,) to a Lady of Quality in Ireland, She had been ſo terribly Plunder'd, that the Poor Woman went almoſt Barefoot: And as ſhe was Warming her Feet once in the Chimny Corner, the Colonel took notice that her Shoes wanted Capping; Lord, Madam, (ſays he,) Why d'ye wear no Better Shoes? Why truly Sir, ſays ſhe, all the Coblers are turn’d Colonels, and I can get no body to Mend 'em. Now to do Right to the Apologue; there are ſeveral Remarkable Innuendo's in't: Here’s Firſt a Coxcomb that Commences Doctor. Secondly, A kind of an Individuum Vagum, dreſsd up in the Character of a Man of Quality. Thirdly, From being ready to Starve, Himſelf, he makes a very good Living out of the Privilege of Poyſoning and Deſtroying other People. Fourthly, It gives us to Underſtand the Force of Impudence on the one hand, and of Ignorance on the other for what was it but the Brazen Face of the Quack, aſſiſted by the Sillineſs of the Mobile, that Advanc'd this Upſtart from the Stall to the Stage? It is not to be Imagin'd the Power of Tumour and Pretence, Bold Looks, Hard Words, and a Supercilious Brow, upon the Paſſions of the Multitude. To ſay the Truth on't, we are impos'd upon by Botchers, and Men of Forehead, without Common Senſe, in all Trades and Profeſſions, even to the Venturing of Soul, Body, Life and Eſtate upon their Skill, Honeſty and Credit. Can any Man look about him in the World now, and caſt his Eye and Thought upon Every-days Inſtances of ſome of theſe wonderful Improvements and Converſions, without Saying to Himſelf, The Mythologiſt Pointed at all theſe Men in this Fable? For it holds as well from Foppery to Policy; from Baſeneſs to Honour, and from Beggery to Superfinity, as from Patching to Purging, and from the Stall to the Urinal. But a Tryal of Skill at laſt puts him paſt his Latin; and when it comes to that once, he'll have more Wit then to Venture his Life upon his Antidote.
Fab. CCCCII.
A Cobler and a Financier.
THere was a Droll of a Cobler that led a Life as Merry as the Day was Long, and Singing and Joking was his Delight. But it was not altogether ſo well with a Neighbour of his, though a Great Officer in the Treaſury; for there was no Singing, nor hardly any Sleeping under his Roof; Or if he happen’d to Doze a little now and then in a Morning, 'twas Forty to One the Jolly Cobler Wak’d him. How often would he be Wiſhing to Himſelf that Sleep were to be bought in the Market as well as Meat and Drink! While his Head was working upon this Thought, the Toy took him in the Crownto
