Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/122

68 and Petticoat, Now Thee Idle Curioities may be Specious Enough in the Contemplation; but what if This Houe, at the Foot of the Account, hould Prove to be Haunted, That Gay Furniture Borrow'd; T'other Fine Woman Clapt; The Cure of Sacrilege cleaving to uch an Inheritance, and all the ret of the Gawdy Fooleries perhaps Unpay’d for (as thee Incumbrances are No New Things in Nature) Who would not rather take up with the Wolfe in the Woods again, then make uch a Clutter in the World upon Thee Scandalous Conditions.

For the Obviating of All Caes of this Quality, Children hould be Early Intructed, according to their Age and Capacity, in the True Etimate of Things, by Oppoing the Good to the Evil, and the Evil to the Good; and Compenating, or Qualifying One Thing with Another. What's Plenty without Health? What's Eae without Plenty? And what's Title and Greatnes, with Carking Thoughts, and a Troubled Mind to Attend it? What does That Man Want that has Enough? Or What’s He the better for a Great deal, that can never be Satisfy’d? By This Method of Setting what we Have againt What we have Not, the Equity of Providence will be made Manifet, and to All manner of purpoes Jutify’d; When it hall appear upon the Ballance, that Every man has his Share in the Bounties of Heaven to Mankind.

As to the Freedom here that Æop is o Tender of, it is to be Undertood of the Freedom of the Mind: A Freedom to Attend the Motions of Right Reaon; and a Freedom, in fine, not to be Parted with for All the Senual Satisfactions under the Sun. It is, I ay, a Freedom under Thee Limits; for there's No uch Thing as Abolute Liberty: Neither is it poible that there hould be any, without a Violence to the Order of the Univere, and to the Dictates of Reaonable Nature: For All men Living are in Some ort or Other, and upon ome Penalty or Other, Subjected to a Superior Power; That is to ay, the Laws of Morality are Above them: But the Cae wherein All men are upon the Behaviour is not here the Quetion, To Wind up the Moral, in hort; Liberty is a Jewel, and a Bleing. The Wolfe was well enough pleas’d here with the State of the Dogs Body, but he had no fancy to his Collar.

Certain Farmer was put to uch a Pinch in a Hard Winter for Proviions, that he was forc’d to Feed Himelf and his Family upon the Main Stock. The Sheep went Firt to Pot; the Goats Next; and after Them, the Oxen; and All Little enough to keep Life and Soul together. The Dogs call'd a Councel upon't and Reolv'd to hew their Mater a Fair pair of Heeles for't, before it came to be Their Turn; for, (aid they) after he has Cut the Throats of our Fellow Servants, that are o Neceary for his Bus'nes, it cannot be Expected that he will ever Spare us.