Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/256

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HY do you go Nodding, and Waggling o like a Fool, as if you were Hiphot? ays the Gooe to her Goelin. The Young One try’d to Mend it, but Could not; and o the Mother ty’d Little Sticks to her Legs, to keep her Upright: But the Little One Complain’d then, that he could neither Swim, nor Dabble with em. Well, ays the Mother, Do but hold up your Head at leat. The Goelin Endeavour'd to do That too; but upon the Stretching out of her Long Neck, he complain'd that he could not ee the Way before her: Nay then, ays the Gooe, if it will be no Better, e'en carry your Head and your Feet, as your Elders have done before ye.

IT is Time Lot to Advie Others to do what we either Do not, or Cannot do Our Selves. There's no Croing of Nature; but the Bet way is to ret Contented with the Ordinary Condition of Things. 'Tis but o much Labour thrown away, to Attempt the Altering of Inlincts, or the Curing of Ill Habits.

Example Works a great Deal more then Precept; for Words without Practice, are but Councels without Effect. When we Do as we ay, 'tis a Confirmation of the Rule; but when our Lives and Doctrines do not Agree, it looks as if the Leon were either too Hard for us, or the Advice, not worth the While to Follow. We hould ee to Mend our Own Manners, before we Meddle to Reform our Neighbours, and not Condemn Others for what we do our Selves: Epecially where they follow the Nature of their Kind, and in o doing, Do as they Ought to do. Let Every thing Move, March, and Govern it elf, according to the Proper Dipoition of the Creature; for it would be Every Jot as Incongruous, for a Crab to Walk like a Man, as for a Man to Walk like a Crab. This may be apply to the Leons that are given us for the Ordering of our Lives and Families, But above All Things, Children hould not be Betray'd into the Love and Practice of any thing that is Amis, by Setting Evil Examples before them; for their Talent is only Imitation; and ‘tis ill Truling Mimicks in uch a Cae, without a Judgment to Ditinguih.

This Allegory may pas for a very Good Lecture to Governors, Parents, and Tutors, to behave themelves Reverently both in Word and Deed, before their Pupils, with a kind of Awful Tendernes for